Monthly Archives: March 2013

My Favorite 10 Historical Novels of 2012

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I have been meaning to get this up for months now!  Here are my favorites:

  1. Without a doubt this was my beloved of 2012:In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner – I loved the poetic writing, the “eye-witness” fictional retelling of  the tragic and triumphant story of Cambodia and her people. This novel moved and touched my soul.In the Shadow of the Banyan cover 2
  2. The Josephine Bonaparte Trilogy: The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland.  An epic series of the life story of Josephine B.  who became the wife of Napoleon.  The writing is economical; the story captivating.
  3. Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell – A story of art, of love.
  4. Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace – The artist’s plight.
  5. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman – A powerhouse of prose, a gift.
  6. The Hummingbirds Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea – A tale of a gifted Mexican healer and the cost to heal.
  7. In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Durant – Beautiful metaphors and similes.
  8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen – Playful

Currently Reading:  The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin

To Read List: The acclaimed “Thornleigh” novels Blood Between Queens, The Queen’s Gamble, The Queen’s Captive, The King’s Daughter and The Queen’s Lady by Barbara Kyle; The Crown and The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau; Illuminations by Mary Sharratt; and Shadow on the Crown  by Patricia Bracewell.

“Sea Murals” debuts in American Athenaeum

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FrontPorchCoverMy flash fiction work “Sea Murals” will print in the “Front Porch”  issue of literary journal American Athenaeum, in April, 2013.

It is a quirky yarn about doing things differently than others, living crazy and eccentric ideas, using art to create positive life results in a traditional Brazilian fishing village.

“American Athenaeum is a cultural magazine that features fiction, poetry, essays, opinion, author book reviews, and other literary contributions. Each journal explores the world of words like a patron explores a museum—by offering a view of the past, right up until the present. We consider this journal to be a museum of artistic endeavors, filled with cultural appreciation and stories that not only teach, but demonstrate the frailty of the human condition.”  – Writers & Poets

To buy this issue, and for more information about  American Athenaeum visit: 

http://swordandsagapress.com/American-Athenaeum.php

 

Happy Birthday Alice Hoffman!

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Fiction author — Alice Hoffman — has blessed the reading world with novel after novel.  Her most recent creation —The Dovekeepers — is a literary force, a tempest, a GIFT.

At the end of this incredible story she writes:1 The Dovekeepers

“Once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. The Dovekeepers is such a book for me. It was a gift from great-great grandmothers, the women of ancient Israel who first spoke to me when I visited the mountain fortress of Masada.  In telling their story of loss and love, I’ve told my own story as well. After writing for thirty-five years, after more than thirty works of fiction, I was given the story I was meant to tell.”

As a writer, I got chills when I read this, knowing, sensing the truth of her words — of one’s life potential — to stay open, to receive, to tell the tale you were meant to transcribe — to share.

Happy Birthday Alice Hoffman and thank you for The Dovekeepers — the story you were meant to give the world.

Please visit other folks blog hop post!

1. Sinning Sweetly: A Blog 2. The Queen of the Realm of Faerie
3. Trip the Eclipse 4. Catherine Scully
5. Darlene Elizabeth Williams 6. Bubbles. Deux. Hearts Practical Magic
7. Ruth’s Little Leprechauns 8. Mirren Jones
9. Reason To Believe 10. Consign To Oblivion