THE HANDS OF TIME Blog Tour: Guest Post by Irina Shapiro & #Giveaway

Time Travel And Romance: A Perfect Match 

 by Irina Shapiro

Many male readers would not agree with me on this one, since fighting the ultimate nemesis and saving the world trumps romance any day, but for female readers time travel and romance go hand and hand, like the proverbial horse and carriage, or apple pie and ice cream.  What’s the fun of sending a heroine falling through time if she can’t find in the past that which was so sorely lacking in her modern-day existence?  And she usually does, which I find very intriguing.  I’ve read many time travel romances, and not once does the heroine return to the present when presented with the opportunity.  Why is that?  Could it be because the men of the past knew something that modern men have only read about or seen on T.V.? 

I, myself, have always been drawn to male characters in historical fiction because they differ so greatly from the men of today.  Is it just a clever marketing tool designed to sell books, or were men really more devoted, honorable, and passionate?   Were they more willing to commit to a woman or a cause, or lay their lives down to protect the ones they loved?  Did having more clearly defined roles make it easier for people, or did it imprison them within the rigid mores of the time and the unbending expectations of a society governed by class distinctions and financial status?  Writing a time travel romance gives the author a unique opportunity to examine the differences between the courtships of the past and the relationships of today.   And, of course, the more obstacles there are to the romance between the characters, the greater the love story.

It’s fascinating to read about the historical events of a particular time period, and learn something of a life that was so different from our own, but it’s the romance that’s at the heart of the story, and it’s the romance that stays with us long after the last page has been read.

GIVEAWAY

Would you travel back in time to find love? The author is generously offering an e-copy of The Hands Of Time (Hands Of Time #1) to one lucky follower of this blog. Leave a comment about this post for a chance to win.  Please, include your email address in your message.

About the book

When a young American woman vanishes without a trace from a quaint fishing village on the coast of England only one person knows the truth, but he remains silent, allowing the authorities to search for her in vain, safe in the knowledge that she will never be found. As Valerie’s bereft sister returns home alone, she struggles to understand what happened and come to terms with her terrible loss when she suddenly stumbles upon a clue that might finally shed some light on her sister’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, Valerie Crane finds herself transported to the year 1605. Terrified and confused she turns for help to the Whitfield brothers, who take her in and offer her a home despite their misgivings about her origins. Both Alexander and Finlay Whitfield fall in love with the mysterious woman who shows up on their doorstep, creating a love triangle that threatens to consume them all. Valerie must make her choice, deciding between the brother who will lead her down the path of destruction or one who will give her the love she couldn’t find in her own time

Add it on Goodreads

Kindle edition, 218 pages

Published by Merlin Press on December 7, 2011

About the author

Irina Shapiro was born in Moscow, Russia, where she lived until she was eleven. In 1982 her family emigrated to the United States and settled in New York. Due to her love of reading, Irina was able to pick up English very quickly, and was an honor student throughout her school career.

After graduating from Bernard M. Baruch College in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business, Irina worked in advertising for two years before shifting her focus to Import/Export. She worked her way up to the position of Import Manager in a large textile house before leaving the work force in 2007 to focus on her autistic son.

It wasn’t until Irina had been at home for some time that she began to write. Eventually the characters began to take on a life of their own and have conversations in her head, and once she started writing her musings down the stories came easily enough. Irina incorporated her love of history and travel into her writing to create a rich and detailed background for the characters. Since then Irina has written eight novels. She is currently working on book five of The Hands of Time Series.

Irina Shapiro lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

 

Social media links

Website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Goodreads

Buying Links

Amazon

Blog Tour Schedule

  

Tuesday, January 7
Guest Post & Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, January 8
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Thursday, January 9
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Friday, January 10
Guest Post at Broken Teepee

Monday, January 13
Review at The Most Happy Reader

Tuesday, January 14
Guest Post at A Bookish Libraria

Thursday, January 16
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, January 20
Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, January 21
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, January 23
Guest Post at Closed the Cover

Tuesday, January 28
Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Friday, January 31
Review & Giveaway at History Undressed

Tuesday, February 4
Review at Hardcover Feedback

Wednesday, February 12
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair