Review of The Girl With the Golden Eyes

 In The Girl With the Golden Eyes, Samantha Hastings takes events inspired by actual history and interweaves them with entertaining dialogue and vivid descriptions of Victorian society. The result is a plot that entertains from beginning to end. When Aaron Shipley’s grandfather acquires a painting of a beautiful young girl with hauntingly golden eyes, the obsessed Comtesse de Champagne insists that he sell it to her. Thwarted in her objective, the comtesse decides instead to find the child who posed for the painting and purchase her from her father. As the comtesse’s “daughter,” golden-eyed Hana is saved from poverty but not from misery. It’s hard enough that she must live her life according to her mentally unstable mother’s eccentric whims. It grows even harder when Sir Shipley is murdered and the comtesse is implicated in the crime. As the “murderess’s” daughter, Hana quickly becomes the object of Sir Shipley’s grandson’s ire. Fans of enemies to lovers, cozy mysteries, and Jane Austen won’t want to miss this novel. It will keep them guessing until the end.

Author Copies Have Arrived!

There’s nothing more exciting than receiving a box of your author copies of your soon to be released debut! Mine arrived today and it feels like Christmas came early this year. Heart of the Impaler releases on December 7th. In the meantime, I’m enjoying every minute of the countdown!

Goodreads Giveaway

 Heart of the Impaler releases on Tuesday, December 7 and, to celebrate, Fierce Reads is doing a Goodreads Giveaway! Visit my Goodreads page November 22-29 to enter. Twenty finished copies will be given away. https://bit.ly/3pCGSMa

Book Jacket Reveal

Even if you don’t normally read historical fiction, Kathleen Breitenfeld’s stunning jacket will make Impaler one of the most beautiful books on your shelf. I’m also so grateful to Emily Settle and the rest of the SwoonReads / FierceReads team for the amazing cover copy.

Not Much Longer Now!

No vampires and no magic but if you love history and romance, Heart of the Impaler — based on the life of the real Prince Dracula — is coming soon.

Time to preorder!

I don’t know any rock stars, so my twin brother and his garage band graciously offered to promote my debut novel. (I don’t know any movie stars either, but I’ll see if I can come up with something.) Preorder here or at FierceReads.com.

Review of The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore

Set in the divided Germanys of the early 1960s, Heather B. Moore’s The Slow March of Light offers a fascinating look at tense and chilling events that took place along the Cold War’s ‘front lines.’ Through the perspective of Bob Inama, an actual American soldier who was caught and imprisoned while spying in the East, readers get a vicarious glimpse into the horror of life in an East German prison. Another character, the fictional Luisa Voigt, brings to life the dangers faced by regular Germans from both sides of the Wall — caring people who risked life and liberty to help their brothers and sisters escape an oppressive regime. The Slow March of Light is a story of courage, perseverance, and finding faith in seemingly hopeless situations. It’s a story that will inspire readers to search for light in their own moments of darkness.

Review of The Immortal Game by Talia Rothschild and A.C. Harvey

The Immortal Game is a perfect read for fans of the Percy Jackson series and for readers looking for a new twist on Greek mythology. Told from the perspectives of several young Olympians who must pass impossible tests in order to secure their own immortality, the novel explores themes of love, friendship, justice, and power. Readers will identify with Galene’s thirst to prove herself, Braxtus’s unrequited love, and Iyana’s self-doubt. The story’s villains are also relatable and raise important questions about the dividing lines between good and evil. This action-packed story is a well-written YA novel that won’t disappoint.

Review of WE ARE THE FIRE by Sam Taylor

WE ARE THE FIRE is a must read for 2021. Debut author Sam Taylor has created a dark world of flame, rebellion, and romance that will appeal to young and old readers alike. Readers will find themselves sympathizing with Oksana and Pran but often wishing they could shout “Wait! What are you thinking!” as the two unlikely heroes face difficult moral dilemmas and make sometimes questionable decisions. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page.