The Boy Who Wanted Wings by James Conroyd Martin - #releaseday

The Boy Who Wanted Wings 

by James Conroyd Martin

Publication Date: September 1, 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 97809978994516
Paperback ISBN: 9780997894509
358 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

   

 Aleksy, a dark-complexioned Tatar raised by a Polish peasant family, holds in his heart the wish is to become a Polish hussar, a lancer who carries into battle a device attached to his back that holds dozens of eagle feathers. As a Tatar and as a peasant, this is an unlikely quest. When he meets Krystyna, the daughter of the noble who owns the land that his parents work, he falls hopelessly in love. But even though she returns his love, race and class differences make this quest as impossible as that of becoming a hussar. Under the most harrowing and unlikely circumstances, one day Aleksy must choose between his dreams.

On the eve of September 11, 1683, a massive Muslim Ottoman horde was besieging the gates of the imperial city of Vienna and had been doing so since the previous July. Now, however, they were just hours from capturing this capital of the Holy Roman Empire. The Turks’ intent was to bring Islam to all of Europe, and this city was seen by East and West alike as the gateway. With the window of time closing for Vienna, the walls were about to be breached on September 12 when the vastly outnumbered Christian coalition, led by Polish King Jan III Sobieski and his famous winged hussars, descended Kahlenberg Mountain to engage the Turks in an attempt to lift the siege. As crucial and consequential as the 1066 Battle of Hastings, the ensuing battle changed the course of European history.

(Was it the first 9/11? Some people believe that the date for the September 11th attack in 2001 was chosen to symbolically resume the effort that began in 1683.)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Praise

“A poor archer in medieval Poland takes aim at the love of his life in this epic novel from Martin. The anxious Aleksy Gazdecki, a young farmhand, embodies the ethnic and political tensions of Europe during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The believability of this novel, which is sprinkled with period-specific details, is never in question. Martin sets the stage so tidily that the plight of Aleksy and Krystyna, who desire to move beyond the social classes that keep them apart, transcends the historical moment. Sprawling but never slow, the plot moves naturally from battle to intimacy and back again. A gripping, transporting story of self-determination set against fate.” ~Kirkus Reviews

"Amidst class and religious warfare, this alternately romantic and brutal love story is also a reminder that the struggle between Christianity and Islam is a great deal older than 2001. Culminating in the re-creation of the Siege of Vienna in 1683, where monstrous killing was perpetrated in the name of God and power, this is a meticulously researched and convincingly written tale of love’s triumph that will surprise historical fiction readers with its little known historical backdrop. In an ethnically diverse Poland that is now long gone, the main characters struggle with loyalties to family, race, and country as they come to understand that no fear or evil is unchangeable." ~Leonard Kniffel, Past Editor in Chief of American Libraries Director, Polish American Librarians Association

About The Poland Trilogy

Based on the diary of a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the Third of May Constitution years, 1791-94, Push Not the River paints a vivid picture of a tumultuous and unforgettable metamorphosis of a nation—and of Anna, a proud and resilient woman. Against a Crimson Sky continues Anna’s saga as Napoléon comes calling, implying independence would follow if only Polish lancers would accompany him on his fateful 1812 march into Russia. Anna’s family fights valiantly to hold onto a tenuous happiness, their country, and their very lives. Set against the November Rising (1830-31), The Warsaw Conspiracy depicts partitioned Poland’s daring challenge to the Russian Empire. Brilliantly illustrating the psyche of a people determined to reclaim independence in the face of monumental odds, the story features Anna’s sons and their fates in love and war.

About the Author

James Conroyd Martin is the award-winning author of The Poland Trilogy (Push Not the River, Against a Crimson Sky, & The Warsaw Conspiracy), a saga inspired by the diary of a countess in 1790s Poland. Hologram: A Haunting was inspired by a house he lived in in Hammond, Indiana. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

For more information please visit James Conroyd Martin's website. You can also connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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#ReleaseBlitz: Uneasy in New Orleans by Carol Carson

It’s a Big Easy Mystery with Uneasy In New Orleans

UNEASY IN NEW ORLEANS has everything you love about the French Quarter, delicious food, sexy men, mystery, gossip, trouble, and dead bodies…Well maybe not all of what people love about the city. However Finnigan Jones is dealing with all of these things and more. UNEASY IN NEW ORLEANS is the first in a new series called the Big Easy Mysteries from multi-published author Carol Carson.

To learn more about Carol Carson and her books check out her new website!

Giveaway:

Grand Prize: 2 Winners Will Receive 2 $35 gift card to Amazon or B&N

About UNEASY IN NEW ORLEANS 

FINNIGAN JONES HAS A PASSION FOR COOKING AND A PENCHANT FOR TROUBLE.

Dead bodies aren’t on Finn’s New Orleans walking tour of cemeteries and haunted houses. Ditto disappearing bodies. Now she has to explain to Detective Jack Boyle how her missing corpse has turned up in the Mississippi putting her smack-dab in the middle of a murder investigation.

Unfortunately, another of Finn’s odd jobs is taking questionable photos for Jack’s PI brother, Tommy. After she snaps shots of a dubious pair of lovebirds, they stalk her, then kidnap her. Now Finn’s dealing with two lunatics intent on killing her. Or driving her crazy. She’s not sure which.

Because lunatics and smokin’-hot brothers aren’t enough trouble, she’s gossiping, yes gossiping, with a chef ghost at culinary school, cat-sitting her aunt’s six felines and attempting to corral her wayward teenage sister.

All Finn wants is to survive school and become the best chef in the world.

FINN’S LIFE IS ABOUT TO GET EVEN MORE COMPLICATED.

On Sale in Digital Now:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

Add UNEASY IN NEW ORLEANS to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

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Author Bio:

Multi-published author Carol Carson was born and raised in central Iowa. She is a former finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest and is an avid bookworm who actually enjoys doing research. Her other passions include travel, American history, the Kansas City Chiefs, the St. Louis Cardinals and dark chocolate. She has lived in Colorado and Kansas, and currently lives with her husband in a log home on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. Write to her at carol.carson@centurytel.net.

Connect with Carol: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Excerpt 3

She heard a faint noise. She wasn't alone. A tall stranger whose face looked familiar came toward her, his strides long and deliberate. "You the one takin’ pictures of me?"

"No," she automatically lied.

His tone left little doubt about how he felt about her. ‘Dislike’ would be too kind.

‘Outraged and highly motivated to harm her’ seemed more likely. Which was when she remembered why he looked familiar. Franco, the wandering husband she'd photographed last night in all his pants-around-his-ankles glory. It took a nano-second to register the thought that he shouldn't have known where to find her before extreme terror kicked in.

Closer to the stairs than Tommy's office, Finn managed to dash past him in her rarely-worn heels.

He grabbed at her but she ducked. She reached the outer door and twisted the doorknob. He yanked her from behind, and pulled her toward him. A nasty blast of stale breath hit her in the face. The knob slipped from her sweaty hand. She wrenched her backpack off and screamed. She swung it and connected with his head. He grunted and lost his grasp on her.

Finn took advantage of the moment and wrenched open the door. She scrambled out to the landing. With one foot on the first step, he jerked her by the back of her sweater. She screamed bloody murder again and swung around to hit him.

Tommy appeared and yanked Franco up, smashing him in the jaw. The man stood in the tiny space swaying. Finn took advantage. She swung her backpack. This time, Franco sidestepped. And she hit Tommy full force.

He lost his balance, arms cartwheeling in the air as he reached for the rail. He missed and tumbled down the steps, crashing against each riser with a horrible thump until he lay crumpled at the bottom. Franco raced down the stairs, hurtled over Tommy's prone body, then disappeared up the dark alley.

Finn flew down the steps, her backpack forgotten. Tommy lay at the bottom, his eyes closed, his jaw clenched.

She knelt by his side, her breath jerking in and out. She patted his cheek, and prayed he wasn't dead. She couldn't take two dead bodies in one day, no matter how insensitive it sounded.

He opened one eye and squinted at her, his face pinched. "Hell, I, I broke my...damn it all to hell...my damned leg."

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MY REVIEW

Part talent on the part of the author, Carol Carson, part N'awlins mystique, Uneasy in New Orleans is ALL GOOD!  I've been reviewing books 'officially' now for going on two years, and on a handful of occasions, just holding a book in my hands (or, in this case, opening the MOBI file), I knew I was in for an entertaining read.  Such was the case with this book.

I didn't find a voodoo doll of myself with a little copy of this book tied into my hands, but I'm a huge fan of this story nonetheless.  Finn was not so lucky.  She found one resembling herself at the scene of a missing body, complete with pins and a little noose around her neck.  Given the fact that she was knocked out from behind while approaching the yet-to-be-missing corpse, things are not looking good for our intrepid heroine.  Although, I must say, when the real reason for the doll was revealed, it as quite amusing.

Finn's life is beyond complicated.  She has two jobs:  French Quarter tour guide by day, photographer for a PI by night.  She is going to cooking school.  She pet sits 6 cats when her aunt goes on cruises looking for husband #4 (was it?).  Her 17 year old sister winds up on her doorstep after being kicked out by Mom and Dad.  And she's busy 'not falling in love' with Tommy (the PI) and his police detective brother Jack.

Some lessons I learned from reading this book:

1.  Do not discuss potentially embarrassing personal business in horse-drawn carriages.

2.  If you are going to take pictures for a PI, make a duplicate of the data on a thumb drive and hide it in a separate location.

3.  If your cooking school classmate turns up the crazy, and attempts to flambe the school, stay away from her!

Uneasy in New Orleans is a cozy mystery feast for the senses.  Take a big dose of this series, with a beignet and leave me a comment in the morning.

Release Day! - A Grave Inheritance by Kari Edgren

Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Carina Press
eBook; ASIN: B00OHV6MFA
Series: Goddess Born
Genre: Historical/Paranormal/New Adult/Romance



Selah Kilbrid may descend from the goddess Brigid, but her heart beats?and breaks?the same as any human. Yet enduring the scorn of London's most noble lords and ladies is a small price to pay for a chance at true happiness. Selah would endure much more for love, and her betrothed, Lord Henry Fitzalan, is prepared to challenge anyone foolish enough to stand in their way?even another goddess born.

But when a captivating young gentleman draws Selah into a world shadowed by secrets, she is forced to confront her darkest fears. What if some differences are too great to overcome and a future with Henry is doomed from the start?

With these doubts threatening her impending marriage and the very last of Brigid's fire draining from her soul, a violent attack on an innocent child pushes Selah to the very edge of her power. She must find a way to cross into the Otherworld and regain her strength?or forfeit the streets of London to death and disease.

Buy the eBook

Amazon US * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Kari Edgren is the author of the Goddess Born series. In 2010 and 2011 she was a semifinalist for the Amazon Break Through Novel Award. In 2013, she was a RWA Golden Heart finalist. Ms. Edgren enjoys writing both historical and contemporary fiction, so long as there?s a spark of paranormal. She resides on a mountain top in the Pacific Northwest where she spends a great deal of time dreaming about the sun and torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts.

For more information please visit Kari Edgren?s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Sign Up for Kari Edgren?s Newsletter.

RELEASE DAY BLITZ: For the Love of Murphy

For the Love of Murphy

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: March 17, 2014

Key Words: Adult, Romance, Sweet, Contemporary, Anthology

They say love conquers all, but whoever "they" are, must not have heard of Murphy's Law -- whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid's arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.

No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams

Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy's Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there's no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler

Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks. Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.

Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move. But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late. Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.

Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart

Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James

Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.

Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby'. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.

For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

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Purchase Links:

Print:  CreateSpace * Amazon

Ebook:  Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Tour Schedule

Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway

$10 Amazon Gift card & paperback copy of

For the Love of Murphy

Ends 4/11/2014

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

  Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing's marketing department. 
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