TO LIVE FOREVER by Andra Watkins Blog Tour: GIVEAWAY

TO LIVE FOREVER

by Andra Watkins

Publication Date: March 1, 2014

Publisher: World Hermit Press

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: General Fiction/Paranormal

 

Is remembrance immortality? Nobody wants to be forgotten, least of all the famous.

Meriwether Lewis lived a memorable life. He and William Clark were the first white men to reach the Pacific in their failed attempt to discover a Northwest Passage. Much celebrated upon their return, Lewis was appointed governor of the vast Upper Louisiana Territory and began preparing his eagerly-anticipated journals for publication. But his re-entry into society proved as challenging as his journey. Battling financial and psychological demons and faced with mounting pressure from Washington, Lewis set out on a pivotal trip to the nation’s capital in September 1809. His mission: to publish his journals and salvage his political career. He never made it. He died in a roadside inn on the Natchez Trace in Tennessee from one gunshot to the head and another to the abdomen.

Was it suicide or murder? His mysterious death tainted his legacy and his fame quickly faded. Merry’s own memory of his death is fuzzy at best. All he knows is he’s fallen into Nowhere, where his only shot at redemption lies in the fate of rescuing another. An ill-suited “guardian angel,” Merry comes to in the same New Orleans bar after twelve straight failures. Now, with one drink and a two-dollar bill he is sent on his last assignment, his final shot at escape from the purgatory in which he’s been dwelling for almost 200 years. Merry still believes he can reverse his forgotten fortunes.

Nine-year-old Emmaline Cagney is the daughter of French Quarter madam and a Dixieland bass player. When her mother wins custody in a bitter divorce, Emmaline carves out her childhood among the ladies of Bourbon Street. Bounced between innocence and immorality, she struggles to find her safe haven, even while her mother makes her open her dress and serve tea to grown men.

It isn’t until Emmaline finds the strange cards hidden in her mother’s desk that she realizes why these men are visiting: her mother has offered to sell her to the highest bidder. To escape a life of prostitution, she slips away during a police raid on her mother’s bordello, desperate to find her father in Nashville.

Merry’s fateful two-dollar bill leads him to Emmaline as she is being chased by the winner of her mother’s sick card game: The Judge. A dangerous Nowhere Man convinced that Emmaline is the reincarnation of his long dead wife, Judge Wilkinson is determined to possess her, to tease out his wife’s spirit and marry her when she is ready. That Emmaline is now guarded by Meriwether Lewis, his bitter rival in life, further stokes his obsessive rage.

To elude the Judge, Em and Merry navigate the Mississippi River to Natchez. They set off on an adventure along the storied Natchez Trace, where they meet Cajun bird watchers, Elvis-crooning Siamese twins, War of 1812 re-enactors, Spanish wild boar hunters and ancient mound dwellers. Are these people their allies? Or pawns of the perverted, powerful Judge?

After a bloody confrontation with the Judge at Lewis’s grave, Merry and Em limp into Nashville and discover her father at the Parthenon. Just as Merry wrestles with the specter of success in his mission to deliver Em, The Judge intercedes with renewed determination to win Emmaline, waging a final battle for her soul. Merry vanquishes the Judge and earns his redemption. As his spirit fuses with the body of Em’s living father, Merry discovers that immortality lives within the salvation of another, not the remembrance of the multitude.

READ AN EXCERPT.

 

GIVEAWAY

1 copy of TO LIVE FOREVER is up for grabs. Please, become a follower of this blog, leave a comment below including your email address for a chance to win. The contest is open to US residents only. Best of luck!

Buy the Book

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

 

 

About the Author

Hey. I’m Andra Watkins. I’m a native of Tennessee, but I’m lucky to call Charleston, South Carolina, home for 23 years. I’m the author of ‘To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis’, coming March 1, 2014. It’s a mishmash of historical fiction, paranormal fiction and suspense that follows Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) after his mysterious death on the Natchez Trace in 1809.

I like:

hiking

eating (A lot; Italian food is my favorite.)

traveling (I never met a destination I didn’t like.)

reading (My favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo.)

coffee (the caffeinated version) and COFFEE (sex)

performing (theater, singing, public speaking, playing piano)

time with my friends

Sirius XM Chill

yoga (No, I can’t stand on my head.)

writing in bed

candlelight

I don’t like:

getting up in the morning

cilantro (It is the devil weed.)

surprises (For me or for anyone else.)

house cleaning

cooking

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Pinterest

 

*********

Natchez Trace Walk

The Natchez Trace is a 10,000-year-old road that runs from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Thousands of years ago, animals used its natural ridge line as a migratory route from points in the Ohio River Valley to the salt licks in Mississippi. It was logical for the first Native Americans to settle along the Trace to follow part of their migrating food supply. When the Kaintucks settled west of the Appalachians, they had to sell their goods at ports in New Orleans or Natchez, but before steam power, they had to walk home. The Trace became one of the busiest roads in North America.

 

 

To launch To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis, I am the first living person to walk the 444-mile Natchez Trace as the pioneers did since the rise of steam power in the 1820′s. From March 1, 2014 to April 3, 2014, I walked fifteen miles a day. Six days a week. One rest day per week. I spent each night in the modern-day equivalent of stands, places much like Grinder’s Stand, where Meriwether Lewis died from two gunshot wounds on October 11, 1809.

To Live Forever Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, July 21

Review at Unshelfish

Tuesday, July 22

Excerpt at Making My Mark

Thursday, July 24

Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Friday, July 25

Review at Mel’s Shelves

Monday, July 28

Review at Ryann Donnelly

Excerpt & Giveaway at Paranormal Book Club

Wednesday, July 30

Review at The Worm Hole

Guest Post at Sallie’s Book Reviews and More

Monday, August 4

Spotlight & Giveaway at Reading Lark

Wednesday, August 6

Spotlight & Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf

Thursday, August 7

Review at Mythical Books

Monday, August 11

Guest Post at Lost in Books

Tuesday, August 12

Review at Beth’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, August 13

Review at The Readers Hollow

Monday, August 18

Spotlight & Giveaway at Susan Heim on Writing

Wednesday, August 20

Interview at To Read or Not to Read

Wednesday, August 21

Interview at Tower of Babel

Monday, August 25

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, August 26

Review & Giveaway at My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews

Monday, September 1

Spotlight at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, September 3

Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews

Wednesday, September 4

Review at Brooke Blogs

 

Alison Atlee's THE TYPEWRITER GIRL Audio Book Blast +GIVEAWAY

Author Alison Atlee’s The Typewriter Girl is now an audio­book, nar­rated by Audie win­ner Ros­alyn Lan­dor!

About the book

THE TYPEWRITER GIRL by Alison Atlee
Audible Audio Book Edition
Audible.com Release Date: April 4, 2014
Listening Length: 12 hours and 39 minutes
Publisher: Audible Studios
Language: English
ASIN: B00JH0L9HW
Genre: Historical Fiction

 

A Pub­lish­ers Weekly Best Books of the Year pick: The Type­writer Girl is a “spec­tac­u­lar debut, set in a per­fectly real­ized Vic­to­rian England.”

 

When Bet­sey Dob­son dis­em­barks from the Lon­don train in the sea­side resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After an attempt to forge a let­ter of ref­er­ence she knew would be denied her, Bet­sey has been fired from the typ­ing pool of her pre­vi­ous employer. Her vig­or­ous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her char­ac­ter per­ma­nently besmirched.

Now, with­out money or a ref­er­ence for a new job, the future looks even bleaker than the deba­cle she left behind her.

But her life is about to change … because a young Welsh­man on the rail­road quay, wait­ing for another woman, is the one finally will­ing to believe in her.

Mr. Jones is inept in mat­ters of love, but a genius at things mechan­i­cal. In Idensea, he has con­structed a glit­ter­ing pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Bet­sey, he rec­og­nizes the ideal tour man­ager for the Idensea Pier & Plea­sure Build­ing Company.

After a life­time of guard­ing her secrets and break­ing the rules, Bet­sey becomes a force to be reck­oned with. Together, she and Mr. Jones must find a way for her to suc­ceed in a soci­ety that would reject her, and fig­ure the price of sur­ren­der­ing to the tides of love.

 

Praise for The Typewriter Girl

“Atlee’s outstanding debut unflinchingly explores … the unforgiving man’s world of Victorian England.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

“Easily one of the most romantic books I’ll read all year … John and Betsey are compelling and worth rooting for.” –DEAR AUTHOR (a Recommended Read)

“Sweeps readers to a satisfying conclusion.” –LIBRARY JOURNAL

Buy the AudioBook

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Audible.com

About the Author

Alison Atlee spent her childhood re-enacting Little Women and trying to fashion nineteenth century wardrobes for her Barbie dolls. Happily, these activities turned out to be good preparation for writing historical novels. She now lives in Kentucky.
For more information please visit Alison Atlee’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads and Pinterest.

 

 

The Typewriter Girl Blog Tour & Book Blast Schedule

Monday, August 4
Review at Peeking Between the Pages (Audio Book)
Book Blast at Mina’s Bookshelf
Book Blast at Princess of Eboli
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse
Book Blast at What Is That Book About
Tuesday, August 5
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews (Print)
Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time
Wednesday, August 6
Book Blast at Let Them Read Books
Thursday, August 7
Book Blast at Mari Reads
Book Blast at Book Lovers Paradise
Friday, August 8
Book Blast at Book Blast Central
Saturday, August 9
Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes
Sunday, August 10
Book Blast at Book Nerd
Monday, August 11
Review at Just One More Chapter (Audio Book)
Book Blast at Gobs and Gobs of Books
Tuesday, August 12
Book Blast at Queen of All She Reads
Wednesday, August 13
Review at Historical Tapestry (Audio Book)
Book Blast at The Lit Bitch
Book Blast at CelticLady’s Reviews
Thursday, August 14
Review at A Bookish Affair (Print)
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry
Friday, August 15
Review at Brooke Blogs (Audio Book)
Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Saturday, August 16
Book Blast at Broken Teepee
Sunday, August 17
Interview at Closed the Cover
Monday, August 18
Review at The Maiden’s Court (Audio Book)
Tuesday, August 19
Book Blast at Layered Pages
Book Blast at Always with a Book
Wednesday, August 20
Book Blast at Literary, Etc.
Thursday, August 21
Review at Books in the Burbs (Print)
Book Blast at Bibliotica
Friday, August 22
Review at Bibliophilia, Please (Audio Book)
Saturday, August 23
Book Blast at Reading Lark
Book Blast at Ageless Pages Reviews
Sunday, August 24
Book Blast at Passages to the Past
Monday, August 25
Review at Flashlight Commentary (Audio Book)
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Connection
Tuesday, August 26
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Wednesday, August 27
Book Blast at Susan Heim on Writing
Thursday, August 28
Review at Luxury Reading (Print)
Review at The True Book Addict (Audio Book)
Review at Jorie Loves a Story (Print)
Friday, August 29
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

The Typewriter Girl Swag Giveaway

One copy of The Typewriter Girl (Audio Book or Print)
Set of earbuds in a cute typewriter print pouch
A Typewriter Girl Happily-Ever-After t-shirt (features last lines from famous novels)
A vintage style postcard “from” Idensea, the setting of The Typewriter Girl
A “dream wildly” ribbon bookmark with typewriter key charms

 

To enter, please click here. Giveaway is open to residents in the US, Canada, and the UK.

READING...IN QUOTES

 

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!  

Today a reader. Tomorrow a leader. According to the U.S. Department of Education, avid reading since a very young age promotes

• better skills acquisition
• superior grades
• a desirable life as measured by income, profession, employment

Instilling a love of reading in our kids would not only help them developing vital language skills, enhance their social abilities, and improve their hand-eye coordination: statistics confirm that good readers have more financially rewarding jobs. Introducing children to reading as a personal habit raises their IQs, dramatically reduces their chances to drop out of school, leading them to a more productive life and more successful careers.


Interview With Elizabeth Chadwick, Author Of THE SUMMER QUEEN (Review)

THE SUMMER QUEEN

(Eleanor of Aquitane #1)

by

Elizabeth Chadwick

Sourcebooks Landmark; July 1, 2014

Hardbacj, paperback, and ebook, 478 pages

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Historical fiction, Middle Ages

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A RICHLY DRAWN,  FINELY WRITTEN, METICULOUSLY RESEARCHED,  FICTIONALIZED ACCOUNT OF  ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE -- Elizabeth Chadwick's fleshed-out characterization of this controversial and often misunderstood historical figure is loaded with vivid descriptions and a sumptuous scenography that brings the medieval setting to full life at every turn of the page. Glorious in every compartment (character development, scene setting, world building, dialogues), The Summer Queen spans over a period of time of about fifteen years. The protagonist's life was such an eventful and dramatic ride that, in that window of time alone, she was twice married, twice a queen, and mother of a future king: an incredible pool of inspiration for a fictional treatment of real historical events. 

One of the most powerful women in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, Eleanor was famed for her beauty and strong personality. Daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine, she became Duchess of the richest territory of Southern France at a very young age. She was only 13, in fact, when her sick father died in Spain during a pilgrimage of penance: Eleanor ('Alienor' in the novel) instantly became one of the most eligible heiresses in the continent. In order to protect her from unscrupulous vassals and the duchy from political turmoil, before his death William arranged Alienor's marriage to Louis, son of Louis VI and heir to the throne of France. The young duchess' life radically changed during the summer of 1137: raised as a free-thinker and uncommonly beautiful,  she won the heart of her 17 year old bridegroom, but her unconventional conduct made her an unpopular queen among Church elders and some powerful people at court. Victim of schemes and intrigues, she eventually clashed even with her husband's rigid ecclesiastic background. After taking an active part in the Holy Crusade at her husband's side, Alienor requested and obtained a dissolution of her marriage based on her inability to produce a male heir. 

The kidnapping of wealthy heiresses and forced marriages as a way to obtain title and lands were a common practice during the Dark Ages, so while she was on her way back to her duchy, Alienor almost fell victim of two kidnappers. She was the sole ruler of the Aquitaine when barely two months after the annulment of her first marriage,  she willingly entered a new high-profile 'alliance' -- this time, to Henry King of England. We have to wait till Elizabeth I in order to see  the right of rule for women restored.

Alienor of Aquitaine is one of the most fascinating and legendary women in European history: the first in a triad of books  centered on this charismatic and high-spirited character, Chadwick's novel is possibly the most original and unbiased interpretation of her life. 

***Review copy graciously offered by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Please welcome the author, Elizabeth Chadwick -- she's on the blog to answer a few questions about her latest book and her writing career.

1) Welcome to Mina’s Bookshelf, Elizabeth! Betty Trask Award for your first novel, The Wild Hunt; shortlisted for the UK's mainstream Best Romantic Novel of the Year Award 4 times and longlisted twice; The Scarlet Lion selected by the founder of the Historical Novel Society as one of the landmark historical novels of the last ten years; arguably "the best writer of medieval fiction currently around"...was this life of writing achievements in your bucket list when you started dreaming about being an author of historical fiction or it just happened? How did you become 'Elizabeth Chadwick'?

The awards are the icing on the cake really.  I knew from the age of 15 that I wanted to write historical fiction for a living, but my goal was just that – to have my books published and earn a living wage doing it. I had told myself stories ever since I could remember and it just seemed like something I was good at and was meant to do.  It began as my hobby and turned into my job.  Even if I hadn’t been published I would still be writing – it’s part of who I am.  How did I know I wanted to write historical fiction for a living rather than any other sort?  That just kind of happened.  I fell for a rather gorgeous guy in a historical TV programme called Desert Crusader.  I began writing a story inspired by his adventures and it involved researching the 12th century in order for me to feel that it was right and authentic.  The more I research the more interested I became and the more I wanted to write about the period.  So I fell in love twice I guess.  Once with the TV guy and once with the Middle Ages!

2) Did any particular life experience/book/author influence your decision to write about the Middle Ages? If you could write of any other time period, what would be your second best choice?

I think I’ve answered a bit of that above. The catalyst was the programme Desert Crusader.  You can actually take a sneaky look at the episodes on Youtube if you type in Thibaud Ou le Croisades.  It was dubbed from the French, but you can see the knight in white robes that started it all off for me!   I began devouring fiction set in that period too and became an eager reader of the likes of Roberta Gellis,  Sharon Kay Penman, Dorothy Dunnett and Ellis Peters with her Brother Cadfael stories. All of these authors made the Middle Ages come to life for me.  I felt that both the history and the characters were real and that was what I aspired to myself.

3) Your writing style features a strong sense of time and place and it's safe to say you are one of the most gifted and accurate HF writers on the publishing scene today. How much do you enjoy the research part vs. the writing/creative process? How much of your fiction sticks to historical facts and records, and how much  is fruit of your prolific imagination? How do you balance the two?

Thank you for saying that!  I love doing the research because I think the more you know about your characters and their background, the more authentic it is going to feel for both the readers and the writer, as well as doing justice to the life and times.  I want my characters to be of their time and not modern people in fancy dress. As far as the balance goes between research and the creative part:  I would say that the research does several things and that it works in tandem with the creativity.  I strive to get the scene setting right and that is based on research.  Also my characters will have the mindsets and attitudes of their period as best I can make them. The creativity comes in moving them through their world and creating drama out of their lives.  In  illuminating incidents and bringing them to modern readers in the form of story.  I always ask myself on a scale of 1-10 how likely something is to have happened. Would a character have thought or reacted like this? If the answer is between 8 and 10 I’ll go with it.  If less, then I’ll find another way.

4) I was reading in one of your bios online that up to the late '90s you exclusively wrote about fictional characters and that you later shifted your focus on real historical figures. Why did you decide to turn in that direction? 

A couple of reasons.  One was that historical fiction was shifting in that direction anyway and if I wanted to keep my job then I needed to think about that.  And actually it dovetailed beautifully with my own way of thinking.  For a  while I had been toying with the notion of writing about real people, but I kept wondering if I was up to doing the research when I couldn’t just make it up any more.  It’s a skill to be able to stick to history but still tell a good story.  I took the plunge with a novel titled Lords of the White Castle in the UK (retitled THE OUTLAW KNIGHT in the US), which was about a Medieval  knight who turned outlaw when King John took away his ancestral lands. This man really lived and had a hugely adventurous life that I was able to tap into.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing his story, it was shortlisted for a major UK award, and I realised that yes, I could do this, and make a good job of it.

5) Let's talk about your latest novel, THE SUMMER QUEEN, and its extraordinary protagonist, Eleonor of Aquitaine. Why did you choose to write about this 'controversial' woman? Historians haven't been particularly 'nice' to her in the past: are you trying to set the record straight about her motivations and  'adventurous' life?

I always begin writing novels because I become curious about someone.  I begin asking ‘What were you really like?  Are the stories true?  Is there more to you than meets the eye?  What can you tell me that you haven’t told anyone else?  It goes from there.  With Eleanor, I felt that there was a lot of debris clogging the view and I wanted to clear it away and get a clear idea of the woman beneath.  Once I began digging, it quickly became obvious how much detritus there was to shift. For example Eleanor’s biographers were all describing her to fit their own ideas.  I found her  as a curvaceous brunette with snapping black eyes, a saucy hot-blooded blond with grey eyes, and a good-humoured  green-eyed red-head.  But actually there isn’t a single description of Eleanor in the historical record.  Those supposed historical facts are just fantasy.  Many of the rumours about her do not hold water when you look at the historical background in depth, so it was interesting sorting the fiction from the fact – in order to write my own fiction!  

6) Historical accuracy, language consistent with the time period, love of details, strong characterizations, romantic flare, a really good story resonating with historical themes that can engage different readers for their universal validity: THE SUMMER QUEEN seems to possess all these qualities. Could readers of non-historical fiction enjoy your biographical account of Eleonor of Aquitaine?

Yes I’m sure they could.  It’s a timeless story even while  its roots are in the past. It’s about striving to do what’s right and what you can while the world throws its worst at you. It’s about grace in adversity and the  fantastic adventure of  an extraordinary woman’s life.  Her name still resonates now, 900 years on and there’s  a reason for that.

7) Can your novels be labeled as historical romance? Or it would be more correct to talk about romantic historical fiction?

I would say that they are mainstream historical fiction  but with a romantic element  in the widest sense. They are not historical romance because they involve more issues than just the hero/heroine relationship. I tell it like it is.  They do contain the full scope of human relationships and experience.  There are love stories of every kind in them.  There is young, sweet love, there is the love of enduring relationships  that grows into maturity and even old age. There is the flawed false love that turns to poison, the love between mother and child, between sisters, between brothers. It’s about the whole human condition.  So no, they are not historical romances, but historical novels with some romantic elements in the mix.

8) If you could travel back in time for research purposes, which year and place would you choose and why?

I’d go to the 1170’s and watch William Marshal in a tournament and observe his technique.  He was the greatest jouster of his age and it would be so interesting and exciting to watch him.  I would also like to see the technique they used that involved grabbing their opponents by the bridle and forcibly dragging them off the field.  It sounds incredibly dangerous and I’d like to see how it worked in practice.   If not that, I’d go and spend a couple of days with Eleanor of Aquitaine soon after her marriage to Henry II, and see if the way I have portrayed her is anything like the real thing.

9) It must take a great deal of passion to write with such flair and craft about a long gone era. Do you think you were born in the wrong century?

No.  I think this century is great for communication, for health  issues and for personal comfort.  Physically it was a lot harder then  and medical issues we see as simple or curable were life threatening then.  As a woman, I wouldn’t have been able to have a job like this for starters.  I’d be involved in child care and manual labour!   However, I would LOVE to go back in time for holidays and live the life for a few weeks each year.  If you’re into reincarnation, then perhaps we have lived past lives in many eras. And once you get into quantum physics and all the new theories that are coming along, perhaps all time is one and those medieval lives are being lived right at this moment alongside our modern ones!

It was a pleasure to have you on the blog, Elizabeth! Thank you for the fabulous interview.