Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: Spies

Spies by Ellie Midwood

Publication Date: May 15, 2020

Paperback & eBook

Series: Metropolis, Book 2

Genre: Historical Fiction

Weimar Berlin, 1927

Having recovered from the hyperinflation, the decadent metropolis is prospering against all odds. Unbothered by the turbulent events of the previous years, Berlin plunges into an orgy of life, entirely oblivious to the dangerous signs of an upcoming catastrophe.

Much like the rest of Berlin’s artistic elite, Margot von Steinhoff is too preoccupied with her work on the set of the infamous Fritz Lang, to pay attention to the dark shadow of the nationalistic threat hanging over the city. When Ernst Weniger, her former lover and now an official NKVD officer, asks for her help in aiding the German communists, she refuses at first, choosing to stay apolitical, just like Lang. However, when the new Gauleiter of Berlin, Joseph Goebbels, arrives in the city and begins his relentless campaign of harassment and misinformation, Margot realizes that staying neutral is no longer an option. Playing on the wrong side can cost her not only her career but her freedom, yet Margot has never been more certain of her choice.

“I don’t read political newspapers, Margot. I only want to make my films… I don’t want to have anything to do with all those politics.”

“I don’t want to have anything to do with them either. But the sad fact is that sometimes politics wants to have everything to do with us, regardless of our desires. At some point, all of us will have to take sides. The good news, Fritz, is that I’ll always be on yours.”

Dark, gritty, yet full of hope, “Spies” is the novel of the doomed Weimar Republic and the last generation of free-thinking artists who lived and created their masterpieces in a city, on the verge of collapse.

Available on Amazon

Review: Book 2 of Ellie's Metropolis series picks up where readers of book 1 left off. Don't worry you can read this as a stand alone, but it will be made better if you have read the first book.

First if you don't know anything about this period in cinematic history, you might want to crack Google while your reading. Fritz Lang was a real film producer. Metropolis was a film he made in 1927 and Spies was the film he made the following year, so it does follow right along.

I love when books make you delve deeper into the time period and people and Ellie's books do that. I love following Margot and her husband along with the real life characters.

You totally get immersed while reading.

Rating: 5 flowers


About the Author

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, "The Girl from Berlin." Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

For more information on Ellie and her novels, please visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule
Saturday, June 6
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, June 8
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, June 9
Review at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, June 10
Excerpt at What Is That Book About

Friday, June 12
Interview at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, June 15
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks

Tuesday, June 16
Review at Nurse Bookie
Excerpt at I'm All About Books

Friday, June 19
Review at YA, It's Lit
Review & Excerpt at Robin Loves Reading

Monday, June 22
Review at Donna's Book Blog

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Spies by Ellie Midwood! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Spies

Forever Write PR Excerpt Tour: Conspiracy In The Capital

Rae isn’t sure she is ready to let her lost love back into her life and Flint knows this is his only shot at winning back the one he let get away. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but can it mend a broken heart? Conspiracy in The Capitol by debut author B. Ivy Woods is a spicy, diverse second chance romance. Fans of return to hometown romances will love this contemporary romance with a suspenseful spin.

---

Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but can it mend a broken heart?

Rae’s been unlucky in love ever since having her heart broken years ago. When her ex reappears and declares his hope for a second chance, she’s not sure what to do. Time can heal past wounds, but sometimes heartbreak is irreparable…

Flint knows that this is his last opportunity to win her heart again and he’s playing for keeps. But with his reemergence in her life comes danger. Mysterious messages that plagued their relationship years ago have returned, threatening their reconciliation. Rae already has doubts about rekindling their relationship but now the stakes have increased and her life might be in danger.

Can their love truly conquer all?

This second chance romance is book one In The Capitol series.

Read Now!

Add to Goodreads!

---

Exclusive Excerpt

Copyright 2020 @ B. Ivy Woods

“So, you know how I attended a fundraiser with my dad because my mom couldn’t make it last night?” Everyone nodded, remembering the text conversation they’d had about it. “Well, you’ll never guess who I ran into.” Jules reached over to grab her blond hair, which was draped over her shoulders and played with the ends for a few seconds before folding her hands in her lap.

“The President of the United States?” Liv smirked. Eve laughed, and Rae smiled in response.

“Nope, but I’m not sure that would have been more exciting. I saw Flint West.”

The whole table was silent. Jules looked down at her hands, while Eve and Liv stared at her.

Rae’s face was blank, but her mouth was agape, revealing how she felt about the news. Was Flint back in town? Since when? She swallowed hard before speaking. “You saw Flint? How is he?”

The thought of him still made her heart race and she couldn’t decide if she liked that or not. The last time she and Flint had spoken to each other had been cordial, but the couple of months that had led up to them ending their relationship had been tense. But when they were good, everything was fantastic. That included them being long-distance for most of their relationship. The plans they’d made, the dreams they’d shared had gone away several years ago, but sometimes Rae would think about him and wonder what could have been.

“He looked well. He asked about you.”

“That’s great.” Rae made sure that her expression remained unchanged. She took another long sip from her drink. She wouldn’t go down that road again.

“What did he ask about her?” Eve asked, turning her attention to Jules. Unsurprisingly, Eve was the one to follow up with a list of questions.

“Well, we didn’t have much time to talk because we saw each other just before the speeches began. He asked how Rae was doing and if she still lived in the area.” Rae showed no emotion when Jules said her name.

“Interesting.” Eve leaned back in her chair and thought for a second. “I didn’t realize Flint was back in town.”

“He’s been back for a few months. His law firm transferred him to the DC area. He lives in Arlington too.”

He would. Arlington was a nice size, but it wasn’t that big. The probability of them running into each other was high. The thought of that made her nauseous. Their breakup wasn’t the cleanest, but it had been for the best at that point in their lives. She hadn’t even given much thought to the idea that she might run into his parents too.

“That’s good for him. It sounds like he’s doing well for himself.”

Jules mumbled a reply that no one at the table could catch.

“What was that, Jules?” Liv leaned in closer.

“I said he asked if Rae’s phone number was still the same.”

Liv turned to face Jules, and her eyes darted from Jules to Rae and back. “He asked if Rae’s phone number changed? You have to be kidding. Did he say anything about trying to contact her?”

Jules shook her head and Rae let out a deep breath as she glanced down at her own hands. She could feel someone’s eyes on her, and when she looked up, her gaze connected with Eve’s.

“I was a little worried about telling you, but I knew you had to know.”

Rae’s emotional state after the breakup had been rough for weeks. She wasn’t surprised that Jules debated telling her because she had seen the toll the breakup had taken on her. Her friends were there to help her pick up the pieces. Rae knew how lucky she was to have their friendship.

“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me.” Rae downed the rest of her wine before placing the glass back down on the table. She knew that she finished her drink too fast, but she didn’t care. She looked around and noticed that Jules was close to finishing hers, too. “Do you guys want something else? I’m paying.”

---

About B. Ivy Woods

Ivy Woods has been writing for as long as she can remember. After getting her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Policy and a Masters in Energy Policy and Law and working in the environmental field for several years, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom. That is when thoughts of a writing career really took off. Although she competed in NaNoWriMo multiple times, 2019 was the first year that she won. This win inspired her to make writing a career. Her debut novel will be self-published in 2020.

Although she is originally from New York City, she currently lives in the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia) with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat.

Follow: Website | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Instagram | Pinterest  | Newsletter

---

This blogger event is powered by Forever Write PR!

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson

Publication Date: May 26, 2020

Thomas Nelson

Paperback & eBook; 336 Pages

Genre: Historical/Regency/Christian

In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life. When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission. Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy. Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Review: I want to take a few minutes so just gush about that gorgeous cover, just because it is so flipping beautiful!!!

I have to also add, I love the Regency period. The first adult romances I read were Candlelight Regencies, that I stole off my mama.

This is a wonderful book to escape away from the troubles of the modern world, which is just what I needed, especially as reading as been a challenge for me lately. Adrian and Elizabeth are two wonderful characters. I love that Elizabeth is an unwed mother. It gives a different spin on this genre. Both are keeping secrets from the other as they enter into a marriage of convenience. Elizabeth's secret is a bit more tricky, though not at all dastardly.

If you are expecting a hearts and flowers romance, this is not the book for you. This is really a wonderful regency mystery. The affection that grows between Adrain and Elizabeth as a result of their quicky marriage is more an after thought.

Upon arriving at Middlecrest, Adrian's eldest daughter suffers the loss of her fiance, which turns out to be more than a simple accident.

The story takes off from there as Elizabeth's relationship with Adrian and his two grown daughters, changes and grows. The dynamic of this story was perfect, as Adrain's daughters treat her as you would expect them to treat a step mama.

The ending was a bit of a shocker for me, though I think I saw it coming at some point.

It definitely was a very satisfying read for lovers of regency era fiction and mysteries.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, May 26 Review at Bitch Bookshelf Review at The Green Mockingbird Wednesday, May 27 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit Thursday, May 28 Review at Gwendalyn's Books Friday, May 29 Review at Heidi Reads Review at Amy's Booket List Saturday, May 30 Feature at Journey in Bookland Feature at What Is That Book About Sunday, May 31 Review & Excerpt at Robin Loves Reading Monday, June 1 Review at Probably at the Library Interview at Jorie Loves A Story Tuesday, June 2 Feature at I'm All About Books Feature at Just One More Chapter Wednesday, June 3 Review at Rhodie Girl Reads Review at Rejoice in Reading Thursday, June 4 Review at Jessica Belmont Review at A Chick Who Reads Friday, June 5 Review at View from the Birdhouse Review at Foals, Fiction and Filigree

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 paperback copies of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Paperback giveaway is open to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen. Middlecrest Abbey

Forever Write Book Review: Midnight Princess

Midnight Princess by Cam Johns is a contemporary, suspenseful retelling of the classic Cinderella fairytale. Fans of twists at midnight and love on every page devour this new adult romance. The final installment of the Modern Princess Collection is now LIVE!

Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

 

After the untimely death of her grandparents, Cynthia was propelled into becoming a guardian to her younger half-sisters, Penelope and Charmaine. As they all lived under the tyrannical rule of their drunken mother, she constantly felt that this wasn’t the life that she was meant to lead. She dreamed of one day her mother becoming sober enough for her to remember that she once loved her children. Unfortunately, that day would never come, and her heart would harden with each cruel comment from her mother.

It wasn’t until her freshman year in college that she would find someone who did love her, as she deserved. Who would liquefy her hardened heart, to find the giving soul that has been hiding from her mother’s tirades. It was then that Cynthia would investigate her mother’s past, to find answers to who her mother has become. The answers that would come in the dead of night. Midnight Princess.

 
Review: OMG...Cinderella for the win! That's really all I can say, but for me, Midnight Princess was the best of the best of the Modern Princesses series. It definitely had some of the best drama when it came to the characters, especially at the end. HOLY WOW!

Cynthia and Ashton are a pretty great couple, though Ashton was a bit creepy in how he felt about her from the start.

This one really has a unique spin on Cinderella. I love that Cynthia's sisters were in no way, wicked. I also loved her loyalty to them, when she could have tried to have her own life.


I really don't have the words for this one, but if you are looking for a wonderful retelling of the Cinderella story, look no further.  Heck if you just love New Adult romance...this is a book for you.

The stuff that you find out in the end just blows this book off the charts.



Rating: 5 flowers

About Cam Johns

Cam Johns began her career as a published author in 2016 with the release of her first book - Arousing Consequences - to the three-part series, The Arousing Series. However, actually publishing wasn't part of her plan. After her husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she found that writing became a great way to relieve the tension and mounted pressures that come with watching someone she loves suffer from such a harsh diagnosis. It was her husband that pushed her to share her voice, regardless of how erotic that voice would become.

Live. Love. Laugh. A well-known mantra that has become her way of living. Live, by accepting the things you cannot change. Love, the ones closest to you as if there's no . tomorrow. Laugh, each day because sadness will get you nowhere!

Join Cam on Facebook

  Facebook ➝ https://www.facebook.com/authorcamjohns/

About the Modern Princess Collection

Once upon a kiss, a modern romance becomes a fairytale.

The prestigious Camelot University comes fully equipped with elitist guys, a castle, and a Glass Ball, but these self-proclaimed princesses don’t need crowns to prove their worth. They’ve taken love and life into their own hands and written their own fairytale.

Follow seven of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily ever after, in these standalone, contemporary romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous combination of cute and badass, full of attitude and imperfections, and an innocence only fairytales can convey.

Want to keep up with all the Modern Princess Collection news? LIKE the Rewritten Fairytales Facebook page!

 

This promotional event is brought to you by Forever Write PR

   

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Dali Summer

About Dali Summer

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC (May 5, 2020)

Her wild and vivid visions inspire an icon...

Nothing is more important to prim, colorblind Dolors Posa than family and living down the shame of her illegitimate birth, but when the sudden onset of fantastical visions threaten her sterling reputation, she must search for answers before the inhabitants of the tiny village of Cadaqués brand her as demente-- crazy like her mother. In a quest to stop her hallucinations, she befriends a beautiful, intoxicating fortune teller and her handsome anarchist brother, as well as becoming a reluctant muse for thirteen-year-old Salvador Dali. In a summer that changes everything, Dolors must choose between her family's reputation and a life filled with adventure, friendship, rapturous color and the possibility of love.

Set against the political upheaval of 1917 Spain, Dali Summer captures the fierce spirit of Catalonia, the generosity and stubbornness of its people and the blossoming promise of a woman who thought life was bland and empty and had long ago had passed her by.

Review:  1917 Spain is the setting and all I can think of is the pandemic that follows the next year. This is how stressed out I am right now.

This book is so beautiful though. Dolors is a woman of illegitimate birth and she's trying to live down that stigma. Her family is the most important thing to her. Her life is not an easy one, and when she starts having visions, well that threatens her reputation as well as her family's.

Art fans will love the glimpse we get of a young Salvador Dali. Dolors was one of his muses. Reading this book made me long to find out more about her and more about Salvador Dali.

This was the perfect read to start the summer.

Rating: 5 flowers


Social Media

Please use the hashtag #dalisummer, and tag @tlcbooktours.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

About T. J. Brown

Well behaved women rarely make history. Teri Brown lived that quote way before she ever even heard it. The two things she is most proud of, (besides her children), is that she jumped out of an airplane once and she beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She is a novel writer, head banger, pet keeper, math hater, cocktail drinker, booty shaker, book reader, city slicker, food fixer, French kisser, rule breaker, wine sipper and word scribbler. She loves her husband, kitties and chocolate.

Find out more about Teri at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Review: Ousted Princess

New Release Tour for Ousted Princess by

Tasha Lewis

Powered by Forever Write PR

Ousted Princess by Tasha Lewis is a contemporary story inspired by the History of Pocahontas. Fans of second chance romance and friends to lovers will enjoy this new adult romance. The next installment of the Modern Princess Collection is now LIVE!

Only on Amazon + Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

After a humiliating end to her freshman year, Veronica Solis wants nothing more than to just focus on her studies and avoid her former friend and love her of life, Sean Courtright. 

Veronica was doing just fine on all accounts until her favorite professor asked her for a favor: tutor the boy who broke her heart, shattering it to a million pieces. 

If the request had come from anyone else, Veronica would have turned it down, but she couldn’t say no to her favorite person.

But she should have… Being cramped in the same room each day and their relationship slipping back into familiar patterns, Veronica begins to wonder if her heart and her head will ever get on the same page. Sean still makes her heart pound and her blood sizzle with want. 

When Sean raises the stakes and offers Veronica a bet she’s sure to lose, she must decide if 

this game of cat and mouse with the boy who broke her heart will destroy what’s left of it or give them a second chance at love. 

Review: Ousted Princess is the 6th book in the Modern Princess collection. Its a retelling of the Pocahontas story. Let's use that term "retelling" lightly, because don't expect it to be too much of one, and really Pocahontas doesn't really have a love story

So lets talk about Veronica and Sean. This is a friends to lovers story. These are childhood friends who aren't quite friends anymore. Both are attending Camelot U. Veronica is there studying something to do with nature. She's an outdoorsy girl and a smart one. Sean is a football player who may or may not be losing his scholarship and his shot at the NFL.

There's also a little bit of a love triangle with a grad student named Dax. I really wish that area of the story would have been explored a little more. I found myself liking Dax from the beginning, whereas Sean was a hard one to like, what with the things he did to Veronica from the very start.

These two have a wonderful chemistry. I love Roni's loyalty to Sean, even though he really doesn't deserve it. (And its not as if there aren't other guys that are interested)

There's a little bit of drama at the end, that really proves how loyal Veronica really is too.

I enjoyed this addition to the series.

Rating: 5 flowers

About Tasha Lewis

Tasha Lewis is a romance author who grew up with her head in the clouds. Her passion for life has always kept her dreaming and moving forward. She believes in fate and is a true romantic at heart. Tasha is certain that anything can be solved with a good cup of coffee and a dog or two at your side. ​

When she isn't reading, which isn't often, she is usually working on a craft or three - she can never just stick with one. Join her on her journey of publication, crocheting, and any other craft she is working on.

Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Website | Twitter | Instagram 

About the Modern Princess Collection

Once upon a kiss, a modern romance becomes a fairytale.

The prestigious Camelot University comes fully equipped with elitist guys, a castle, and a Glass Ball, but these self-proclaimed princesses don’t need crowns to prove their worth. They’ve taken love and life into their own hands and written their own fairytale. 

Follow seven of your favorite fairytale heroines as they find their happily ever after, in these standalone, contemporary romance novels. The ladies of Cam U are a dangerous combination of cute and badass, full of attitude and imperfections, and an innocence only fairytales can convey.

Want to keep up with all the Modern Princess Collection news? LIKE the Rewritten Fairytales Facebook page!  

~*~*~

This promotional event is brought to you by Forever Write PR.

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours: Tales of Ming Courtesans

Tales of Ming Courtesans by Alice Poon

Publication Date: June 1, 2020

Earnshaw Books

Paperback; 354 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis:

From the author of The Green Phoenix comes a riveting tale of female friendship, honor, and sacrifice for love, set in 17th Century China and featuring the intertwined stories of three of the era's most renowned courtesans, escorts skilled in music, poetry and painting who could decide themselves whether or not to offer patrons bed favors.

Inspired by literary works and folklore, Tales of Ming Courtesans traces the destinies of the three girls from the seamy world of human trafficking and slavery to the cultured scene of the famously decadent pleasure district of the city of Nanjing, evoking episodes in Memoirs of a Geisha.

The girls all existed - Rushi was a famous poet, Yuanyuan became the concubine of a general who changed the course of Chinese history by supporting the Manchu invasion in 1644 and Xiangjun challenged the corruption of court officials to try to save her lover. Rushi's daughter, Jingjing, gradually pieces together the stories of the three from a memoir left to her by her mother.

Betrayal, tenacity and hope all come together in a novel that brings to life an important era in China's history, and particularly highlights the challenges faced by independent-minded women.

Amazon |Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Praise for Tales of Ming Courtesans
"In Tales of Ming Courtesans, Alice Poon masterfully brings to life three fascinating women who had a lasting impact on China's culture and history. This beautiful telling of their turbulent lives and devoted friendship is a reverential testament to their memories." - Kelli Estes, bestselling author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk

"Tales of Ming Courtesans is a poignant and captivating exploration of the lives of three extraordinary women.... Ultimately an enduring tale of the power of sisterhood and the bonds between women." - Jeannie Lin, USA Today bestselling author of The Lotus Palace

"Tales of Ming Courtesans is a brilliant, 'own voices' alternative to Memoirs of a Geisha....An exquisite reading experience. Highly, highly recommended." - M. H. Boroson, author of The Girl With Ghost Eyes

"Alice Poon's excellent Tales of Ming Courtesans follows the intertwined lives of three seventeenth-century courtesans..... Poon's real achievement is to create believable depth to her characters' known histories....She has clearly written Tales from the heart." - David Leffman, author of The Mercenary

About the Author
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Alice Poon steeped herself in Chinese poetry and history, Jin Yong’s martial arts novels and English Literature in her school days. This early immersion has inspired her creative writing.

Always fascinated with iconic but unsung women in Chinese history and legends, she cherishes a dream of bringing them to the page.

Her new historical novel Tales of Ming Courtesans will be released by Earnshaw Books on June 1, 2020.

She is the author of The Green Phoenix and the bestselling and award-winning non-fiction title Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong. She now lives in Vancouver, Canada and devotes her time to writing historical Chinese fiction.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Review:  Years ago I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan with a friend who was reading it for her book club. I loved it.

Tales of the Ming Courtesans ranks right up there was that book for me. Like that book, I was instantly pulled into the story and the trials and triumphs of the characters and they do have both and like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, the lives of the characters are filled with much heartache. In fact, I'd say most of these women spent more time down than up. Such was the case of women in China during that time period.

The things that happened to Rushi, Yuanyuan and Xiangjun will hurt your heart. Yet their friendship is what helps them rise up.

The ending was not as I thought when it came to Liu Rushi's daughter and her paternity.

Its a story to be read at a leisurely pace. Each word should be savored though you will want to devour them.

This was a perfect change of pace read for me as I had been reading more than my share of new adult fiction lately. It was great to go back in time for a "meatier" story, one that made me think.



Rating: 5 flowers

Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, May 25
Excerpt at Journey in Bookland
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, May 26
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Wednesday, May 27
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Friday, May 29
Review at Reader then Blogger

Monday, June 1
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, June 3
Guest Post at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Friday, June 5
Review at YA, it's Lit

Monday, June 8
Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, June 10
Feature at What Is That Book About

Friday, June 12
Review at Passages to the Past

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Tales from Ming Courtesans! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Tales of Ming Courtesans