Loves of Times Past - Book Tour and Giveaway

DESPERATE BRIDE
by A.S. Fenichel
Genre: Historical Romance
Pub Date: 9/26/2017

An unexpected promise . . . an everlasting passion.
An accomplished musician, Dorothea Flammel has refused more proposals than any London debutante; her only true love is her music. Dory’s shimmering talent and beauty have long been adored from afar by Thomas Wheel, an untitled gentleman who can only dream of asking for the hand of a nobleman’s daughter. But when her father, the insolvent Lord Flammel, arranges for Dory to marry a lecherous Earl in order to pay off a debt, she runs to Thomas—and proposes marriage to him.
Eloping to Scotland saves Dory from a disastrous fate, but what is for her a mere marriage of convenience proves more passionate—and more complex—than either imagined as rumors, scandal, and buried emotions come to light. And when a vengeful challenge from a drunken and embittered Lord Flammel puts Thomas’s life on the line, will the fragile trust between husband and wife be enough to save them both?


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A.S. Fenichel adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story. Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey. She now lives in the southwest with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When she is not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history and puttering in her garden.


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THE REUNION
by Sara Portman
Genre: Historical Romance
Pub Date: 9/26/2017

An inconvenient engagement turns a marriage of convenience into so much more in this sparkling new series from award-winning author Sara Portman . . .
Lady Emmaline Shaw’s reputation was irreparably damaged when her fiancé, John Brantwood, disappeared immediately after their engagement four years ago. Since then, she’s grown from a shy, uncertain girl to a woman who knows her own mind. And what she knows is that London society holds nothing for her.
Rumor has it that John ran off to war and died in battle. Now, as the new Duke of Worley, his shocking resurrection throws the ton into a tizzy and makes him one of England’s most sought after bachelors—except that he’s already engaged.
John needs a wife capable of smoothing his beloved sister’s introduction into society. But though Emma happily grants him his freedom, her fiery beauty and resilient spirit hold him captive. In fact, John has no intention of letting her go. Her fate is now in his hands, but will her heart be safe there as well?


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Sara Portman is an award winning author of historical and contemporary romance. In addition to being named the 2015 winner in the Historical Category of the Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® contest, Sara has been a finalist and winner in several other writing competitions. A daughter of the Midwest, Sara was born in Illinois, grew up in Michigan, and currently lives in Ohio. In addition to her writing endeavors, Sara is a wife and mother in a large, blended family.


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LADY BE GOOD
by Heather Hiestand
Genre: Historical Romance
Pub Date: 9/5/2017

When exiled royalty and espionage combine, expect a romance as bold as the 1920s . . .
Olga Novikov is a princess without a throne. Her fiancé and her family slain in the revolution, she flees Russia and finds herself working as the head of housekeeping at London’s luxurious Grand Russe Hotel. It’s a far cry from the glamour of her former life, but she’s grateful for the job—until a guest forces her to question where her loyalty lies. The charming nobleman challenges her at every turn—and arouses dreams of romance she thought she’d abandoned forever . . .
Douglas “Glass” Childers is living a double life. On the surface, he’s the indolent Viscount Walling, but in truth he’s an intelligence agent searching for a Bolshevik weapons master. The coolly beautiful and headstrong housekeeper is a distraction he doesn’t need—unless she’s the key piece in the puzzle he must solve. Trusting her could be dangerous—but loving her is an undeniable temptation . . .


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Heather Hiestand was born in Illinois but her family migrated west before she started school. Since then she has claimed Washington State as home, except for a few years in California. She wrote her first story at age seven and went on to major in creative writing at the University of Washington. Her first published fiction was a mystery short story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors of romance. Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian period and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth century. The author of many novels, novellas and short stories, she makes her home in a small town with her husband and son and supposedly works out of her tiny office, though she mostly writes in her easy chair in the living room.


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A Great Hobby for History Lovers - Genealogy
by Heather Hiestand

I’d been seeing those Ancestry.com ads for years regarding getting your DNA tested to learn about your ethnic background. As an adoptee, I’d always been leery of dipping into dangerous waters. Did I really want to know anything about the people who’d given me away to strangers? Did I really want to know what the circumstances were behind this (presumably) enormous decision?
However, a part of me was always deeply curious about my greater family tree. I had questions, and what little I had been told as a child about my ethnicity didn’t match up with what I’d accidentally learned as an adult. So when my husband expressed momentary curiosity about his family tree, namely to learn if he really was part Native American or not, I jumped on it and bought two DNA test kits when they were on sale over the holidays.
Well, we’ve had so much fun that my parents became interested as well. So now I have four different people to research! And yes, my husband really is part Native American. So am I! I had no idea I’d discover that the “Cherokee princess” myth so many families have might possibly be true in my case. If you have deep roots in the American South it’s something to look into…
I had a connection to my British-set novels, too. On the subject of my Grand Russe series with Kensington, I discovered that I actually had ancestors in London in the 1920s. They weren’t working in a grand hotel, though. They were in the garment trade in the east end, and many, if not all of them, immigrated to Canada and the US during this decade. I’ve been humbled by my imaginings of what it must have taken for my great-grandparents to journey from Russia/Poland to the UK, to Canada, and then to the Unites States, all in one generation. Tough, tough people that I’m descended from, don’t you think? I’m pretty sure that my great-grandparents would have had the moxie to battle the Russian baddies in my books.
I’ve also been tickled pink to discover who my royal ancestors were, on some lines at least. Most of us have them. After all, wealthy and well-fed people were more likely to have surviving descendants, but I’d never been able to point my finger to anyone in particular until now. I have presidents too, in my family tree, and people who came over on the Mayflower. I’ve even discovered a possible connection to Elvis Presley!
Yes, genealogy can be a blast for a history lover. It’s a real thrill to connect to distant cousins with the same love of history and see what you can learn about common ancestors. I could go on for pages and pages about all the different approaches to conducting research, but here are some places to start. And don’t forget, if you do take a DNA test on Ancestry.com, make sure to link it to your family tree, so that your distant cousins with the same hobby can get in touch.
Here are some resources:
You can both test your DNA and build a linked family tree on this site: http://www.ancestry.com
http://www.familytreedna.org
http://www.familysearch.org
http://www.myheritage.com
Note: I subscribe to both the US and UK editions via Kindle. Some Barnes and Nobles carry both of them if you want to see a sample edition: http://www.familytreemagazine.com/



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Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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Sept 26
kickoff at The Silver Dagger Scriptorium
Mythical Books – GUEST POST

Sept 27
Jazzy Book Reviews
Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews

Sept 28
All Things Bookaholic
Romance Novel Giveaways

Sept 29
Deal Sharing Aunt
A Mama's Corner of the World

Sept 30
Mello & June

Oct 1
Readeropolis – GUEST POST

Oct 2
A Writer's Life
Book Lover in Florida

Oct 3
Book Bangers Blog
Books & Spoons

Oct 4
AC Squared Book Blog
Happy Ever After Romance Book Reviews

Oct 5
Bound 2 Escape
Circle of Stalkers

Oct 6
For Love of Books4
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Oct 7
Turning Another Page

Oct 8
Nicole's Book Musings

Oct 9
Cloe Michael's Reads Blog
Sylv.net

Oct 10
Must Read Faster
Queen of All She Reads

Oct 11
Breaking Genre
Rabid Readers Book Blog

Oct 12
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Oct 13
Spunky N Sassy
Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom

Oct 14
The Voluptuous Book Diva

Oct 15
Yah gotta read this

Oct 16
Anna Del C Dye
Susan Heim on Writing

Oct 17
Teaser Addicts Book Blog
The Bookworm Chronicles

Oct 18
The Avid Reader
The Barefooted Dandelion

Oct 19
Indie Wish List
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews

Oct 20
Paranormal Romance and Beyond
The Book Town

Oct 21
Yearwood La Novela

Oct 23
Rachel Brimble Romances
Truly Trendy

Oct 24
Laurisa White Reyes, Author
The Blackwood Blog

Oct 25
CelticLady's Reviews
Books Dreams Life

Oct 26
Teatime and Books – REVIEW Desperate Bride + Reunion
Njkinny's World of Books – REVIEW all three

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