BLURB:
After Prudence’s desperate marriage and move
to London, sisters Rowena and Victoria fear they have lost their beloved friend
forever. Guilt-ridden and remorseful, Rowena seeks comfort from a daring flyboy
and embraces the most dangerous activity the world has ever seen, and Victoria
defies her family and her illness to make her own dream occupation as a
botanist come true. As England and the world step closer to conflict, the two young
women flout their family, their upbringing, and their heritage to seize a
modern future of their own making.
Victoria
Buxton
With
her delicate constitution but strong, unflappable spirit, Victoria has never
followed societal conventions, the rules of fashion, or the pursuit of a
husband. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the controversial—and
dangerous—fight for women’s suffrage. But her dream is compromised, and her
heart divided, when her struggles for equal rights collide with unexpected
love.
Rowena
Buxton
After
yearning to no avail for a certain young pilot to fly back into her life,
Rowena fears her chances for happiness have been jeopardized by recklessness
and scandal. Burdened with guilt for bringing her sister Prudence to Summerset
Abbey as a lady’s maid while she herself led a life of privilege, Rowena hopes
to one day make amends. But her desire to set things right is complicated by
her passion for flight and a sudden engagement…to the wrong man.
Prudence
Tate
Raised
like a sister to Victoria and Rowena, then banished to the servants’ quarters
when their father passed away, Prudence has seen both sides of life, upstairs
and down. But once the truth about her parentage was revealed, Prudence forged
a new life for herself, married to a penniless veterinary student. Living in
poverty in a shabby London flat, she wonders if she’s made a terrible
mistake—and there’s no turning back...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPTS
The
next time Victoria opened her eyes, the light was on. She blinked a couple of
times and was startled when a woman with a thick East End accent said, “You’re
awake now, so don’t you be playing possum, and don’t start your screaming or
else the doctor will be sending you to the asylum, and trust me, darling, you
would rather be here.”
Victoria
froze. The scent of bleach and urine still assaulted her nose. The one small
window above her head let in no light and she could see bars at the top. Her
heart pounded a little faster. “Tell me where I am!”
“You
can say please, you know. Just because I’m a nurse and you’re a suffragette
doesn’t mean you needn’t use your manners.”
Victoria
tried to move and realized that not only was her arm chained, but her leg was
as well.
The
woman laughed. “You’ll not be kicking me again.”
“I’m
sorry,” Victoria said earnestly. “Please. Where am I?”
The
woman came closer. She wore a blue and white striped shirt, a long skirt of
cheap wincey and a crisp white apron that covered her head to toe. A white
linen cap covered her hair. She smelt strongly of lye soap, but it was
infinitely better than the urine stench. Her eyes were a bright, saucy blue.
“That’s more like it. You’re in Holloway prison.”
Victoria
whimpered, her heartbeat accelerating and her chest tightening. She closed her
eyes and counted, taking little breaths until the vise on her chest eased. Once
she could breathe easily again, she asked, “Why am I here?”
“You
don’t know?” the nurse sounded surprised. “That’s a new one. Most of you
suffragettes are proud of your exploits! Don’t you remember?”
Victoria
thought hard. She remembered being at the National Gallery with Mary and then
Mary had… memories came flooding back and Victoria groaned.
“I
see you’re remembering.”
She
struggled to sit again and then gave up, settling back against the mattress.
The pillow under her neck scratched, and she prayed it was the cheap linen
rather than bugs. “Prison is different than I thought it would be.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
TJ Brown is passionate about
books, writing, history, dachshunds and mojitos. If she could go back in time,
she would have traveled back to England, 1910, Paris, 1927 or Haight-Ashbury,
1967. She resides in the burbs of Portlandia, where she appreciates the
weirdness, the microbreweries, hoodies, Voodoo Donuts and the rain.
Twitter
@teribrownwrites
Facebook
Buy Links:
INDIEBOUND:
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781451699050
Giveaway:
T. J.
will be awarding to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour a 4 piece
Whimsical Butterfly Tea set. The tea set is handcrafted by artist April Cook of
white stoneware slip and painted with a unique whimsical design of a butterfly
in lime green and plum glaze. It is both dishwasher and microwave safe. The set
includes a 32 oz. tea pot with lid, creamer and sugar bowl. (US ONLY)
7 comments:
Thank you for hosting
I read the first one last year, will be buying this one today.
Thanks for the excerpt - I'm going to have to buy both books - this is a new to me author and series.
junegirl63 at gmail dot com
Yay for people who loved Summerset Abbey enough to want book two. I think that is every author's nightmare... everyone will hate book one so much, no one buys book too:) HA! And I LOVE the picture on the top of the page... I would hang that in my house!
Really loves your work so far, so I´m defiantly reading book two, and tree :-)
Nice cover and excerpt.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
You have nothing to fear Teri, both books sound amazing!
tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
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