Guestpost: Water on the Moon by Jean P Moore

I am happy to be part of TLC's tour for Water on the Moon by Jean P Moore.  Be sure to check out other tour hosts at the end of this post for reviews on this book.

Today I am sharing a guestpost by the author.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I began writing Water on the Moon, a novel about Lidia Raven, divorced mother of twin teenage daughters, I had no idea I would soon be engrossed in the history of Amelia Earhart. That’s the way it appears to be with novel writing—one thing leads to another unanticipated thing. For me, that is the thrill of writing. It is like setting out on an arduous climb, not sure what you may find over the next peak.

We first see Lidia on a leisurely morning, reading in bed, but soon she hears a sputtering airplane engine coming close, much too close. She jumps into action and miraculously saves her family, including their black Lab, Opal, when the plane crashes into their historic Connecticut farmhouse.

The main plot centers on the connection between Lidia and the pilot of the plane, Tina Calderara, who is killed on impact. Tina is an enigmatic and troubled character who is obsessed with the pioneers of aviation history, particularly Amelia Earhart. She loves her daring and her spirit, but unfortunately Tina shares nothing of Earhart’s true strength, her noble character.

What we know of Amelia Earhart (born July 24, 1897), her record-breaking flights and her tragic loss in 1937 as she was trying to circumnavigate the globe, are the most sensational features of her all too brief life. She was as well a supporter of woman’s rights who encouraged women to follow their dreams, whether in the air or on the ground. She was a champion of courage when confronting fears, accepting challenges, and facing the odds. A sampling of her words attests to these qualities:

In spurring women of her era on to greater achievements, she did not “sugarcoat” the dangers inherent in striking out on one’s own:

“Please know that I am aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others.”

In discussing the challenges in taking on difficult tasks, she zeroed in on the greatest threat, our own fears:

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”

And prophetically, perhaps, she knew that embarking on a perilous journey was only the beginning:

“In soloing - as in other activities - it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.”

And putting all the fears, dangers, and obstacles aside, she got to the heart of it in this, her most famous quote:

“Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done.”

In my novel, the pilot, Tina, may have had the courage to follow her dreams and to become an accomplished aviator in her own right, but it is Lidia who must face her demons and find the courage to accomplish the tasks fate has handed her.

My hope in writing Water on the Moon was to create a “page-turner” that perhaps would also shine a light on the gifts left to us in the stories of such historical figures as Amelia Earhart. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paperback: 244 pages
Publisher: She Writes Press (June 3, 2014)

Acclaimed Debut Novel, Winner of the 2015 Independent Publishers Book Award for Contemporary Fiction
When her husband comes out as gay and an airplane crash inexplicably destroys her home, the mother of teenage twin daughters must rethink everything she knows.

In her debut novel Water on the Moon, Jean P. Moore introduces readers to Lidia Raven, whose life begins taking seemingly endless wrong turns. Lidia and her girls miraculously survive the plane crash that destroys their home and are taken in by Lidia’s friend Polly, a neighbor with a robust collection of first-edition books who lives alone on a sprawling estate.

Struggling to cope with each of these life-changing events, Lidia discovers a connection between herself and Tina Calderara, the pilot who crashed into her home. In the months that follow, Lidia plunges into a mystery that upends every aspect of her life.

Rife with age-old dilemmas, this contemporary novel explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and the trials and triumphs of women’s friendships. As Lidia learns to reconcile her pain with her need to be true to herself and to accept that need in others, she discovers that while life has the power to unhinge her, it also has the power to open her to new ways of being in the world.

Set off by the poetry of Lord Byron, Water on the Moon received the 2015 Independent Publishers (IPPY) Book Award for contemporary fiction. Book Awards Coordinator Amy Shamroe comments, “Water on the Moon starts with chaos, but the story that unfolds is a carefully layered mystery that allows for meaningful character development. With simple, clean prose, Jean Moore crosses generations to bring a feeling of connection to the seemingly random, tragic event at the heart of the book.”

“A fusion of history, romance, and mystery, Moore’s ambitious debut dazzles. With sympathetic characters who come alive, and with threads of Byron and Earhart cleverly woven throughout the pages, Moore spins a bewitching tale of hope, tragedy, and family secrets.” ~ Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List and Sweet Forgiveness

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Jean P. Moore began her professional life as an English teacher, later becoming a telecommunications executive.  She and her husband, Steve, and Sly, their black Lab, divide their time between Greenwich, Connecticut and the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where Jean teaches yoga in the summers.

Her work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals such as upstreet, SN Review, Adanna, Distillery, Skirt, Long Island Woman, the Hartford Courant, Greenwich Time, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Water on the Moon was published in June of 2014 and won the 2015 Independent Publishers Book Award for Contemporary Fiction.

Connect with Jean

Website | Blog | Twitter

 

Jean P. Moore’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 19th: Bibliotica
Tuesday, October 20th: Books a la Mode – author guest post
Wednesday, October 21st: Mallory Heart Reviews
Thursday, October 22nd: Kritter’s Ramblings
Monday, October 26th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, October 27th: Thoughts from an Evil Overlord
Wednesday, October 28th: Bookmark Lit
Thursday, October 29th: Mallory Heart Reviews – author guest post
Monday, November 2nd: 5 Minutes for Books
Tuesday, November 3rd: Just One More Chapter – author guest post
Wednesday, November 4th: A Bookish Way of Life
Friday, November 6th: Necromancy Never Pays
Monday, November 9th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Tuesday, November 10th: Savvy Verse and Wit
Thursday, November 12th: Kahakai Kitchen

Review: A Place We Knew Well by Susan Carol McCarthy

For 13 days in October 1962, the world held its breath—seemingly on the brink of nuclear war. Set against the backdrop of Cold War panic and politics, this enthralling novel tells the intimate and human story of a family whose own hearts are at war.

For the Avery family, the dark days of the Cuban Missile Crisis mark a turning point in their lives which will shape and forever change them. McCarthy captures pitch-perfectly the panic, tension, insanity and innocence of the time. The Avery family forms the emotional center of the novel, as their world starts to unravel during the heart-stopping buildup to the Cuban Missile Crisis.


 

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published September 29th 2015 by Bantam 

arc- netgalley

*** (I liked it)

This is my first time reading something taking place during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Being Canadian there are some aspects of US history that I am unfamiliar with and this is one of them.  So I was excited to read A Place We Knew Well.

I struggled a little getting into this book, but once I did it kept my attention.  I never really knew about the panic that set in during this time and the author did a good job of portraying that.  For the average American family it was homecoming time and thoughts of school events were on everyone's mind.  But that quickly changed and here we see the impact it had on the Avery family.

Though this is a book about the missile crisis it is also about family secrets and its repercussions.  I wasn't expecting what took place, it did add that extra element to the story.  Not only was it needed but it also showed the state of mind during that 13 days in October.  I liked the writers style, she wrote with emotion letting the reader feel the tension.  Though a work of fiction this book was about a part of history seldom seem.

Spotlight: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

Today I am happy to Spotlight The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe, which is being released tomorrow.  

 

Look at that cover will you!!  I love it!

It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, she buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are covering up. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself.

If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding.

Anna must choose--either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

 

Paperback, 375 pages

Expected publication: November 3rd 2015 by Seventh Street Books 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       AMAZON

 

 

“Delightful…. Anna is a wonderfully independent character. Fans of Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy and Kerry Greenwood’s Miss Phryne Fisher will become fast friends with Anna Blanc.”
-Booklist, STARRED REVIEW, October 1, 2015

“Readers will come to love [Anna]…. This is a fun novel with an I Love Lucy-meets-Agatha Christie adventure.” Four stars.
-RT Book Reviews, -- Keeper, November 2015 

Review: Named of the Dragon by Susanna Kearsley

A haunting tale of intrigue from New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley.

Although it goes against her workaholic nature, literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw lets herself be whisked off to Wales for the Christmas holidays by her star client, flamboyant children's author Bridget Cooper. She suspects Bridget has ulterior motives, but the lure of South Wales with its castles and myths is irresistible. Perhaps a change of scene will bring relief from the nightmares that have plagued her since the death of her child.

Lyn immerses herself in the peace and quiet of the charming Welsh village, but she soon meets an eccentric young widow who's concerned her baby son is in danger—and inexplicably thinks Lyn is the child's protector.

Lyn's dreams become more and more disturbing as she forms a surprisingly warm friendship with a reclusive, brooding playwright, and is pulled into an ancient world of Arthurian legend and dangerous prophecies. Before she can escape her nightmares, she must uncover the secret of her dreams, which is somehow inextricably located in a time long ago and far away...

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published July 13th 1998) 

arc - netgalley

****  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Originally published in 1998 Named of the Dragon has been re released earlier this month.  I've read a number of Susanna Kearsley books but I have to say that this one had a different feel to it.  I don't mean that in a bad way either, the others I've read take place in historical pasts but this one didn't.  It does mention historical figures but this story takes place in current time period.

I love the cover and think that it is a nice portrayal of Lynn.  Even though its been a number of years since she lost her child, seeing her sit like that shows a mother still grieving.  I think that I connected with Lynn because we share that common bond of grief.  I could relate to her when situations brought back memories of the past.  Some might say 5 years is enough time to forget, but really there is no time limit to grieving and I like the way the author showed that.

The story itself was interesting, mysterious with a touch of romance (but not overpowering).  Not being too knowledgeable with the Arthurian legend it has (again) peeked my interest.  Isn't it great after finished a book you add a bunch more books to the ever expanding TBR (Arthurian and Tennyson too)?

A number of years ago I had the privilege of taking a workshop with Susanna Kearsley on the writing of HF (Ontario Writers Conference 2012).  She talked about going on location for her  books.  That was very evident here and it wasn't hard to visualize the setting and feel the atmosphere described.

Click out this imagine for actually pictures of the location.

Again Susanna Kearsley did not disappoint, it isn't hard to get lost in her stories, highly recommend. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waiting on Wednesday: The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at  Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

 This week I am waiting for:

Paperback, 340 pages

Expected publication: November 24th 2015 by Kensington

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes an ambitious and heartrending story of immigrants, deception, and second chances.

On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard’s only daughter—one of the youngest civilians who lives on the island—has gone missing. Tending the warden’s greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the truth about the little girl’s whereabouts, and that both of their lives depend on the search’s outcome.

Almost two decades earlier and thousands of miles away, a young boy named Shanley Keagan ekes out a living as an aspiring vaudevillian in Dublin pubs. Talented and shrewd, Shan dreams of shedding his dingy existence and finding his real father in America. The chance finally comes to cross the Atlantic, but when tragedy strikes, Shan must summon all his ingenuity to forge a new life in a volatile and foreign world.

Skillfully weaving these two stories, Kristina McMorris delivers a compelling novel that moves from Ireland to New York to San Francisco Bay. As her finely crafted characters discover the true nature of loyalty, sacrifice, and betrayal, they are forced to confront the lies we tell—and believe—in order to survive.

                                         ********************************

“Will grab your heart on page one and won’t let go until the end—and if you’re like me, not even then. I absolutely love this book, and so will you.”
— Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

“Compelling, resonant and deeply moving, The Edge of Lost is an absorbing tale of deceit and self-deception, survival and second chances, the ties that bind and the lure of the unknown.”
— Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“In The Edge of Lost Kristina McMorris takes us on a thrilling ride . . . I found myself thoroughly immersed in her richly evocative settings, just as I was captivated by the pure humanity of her characters. A wonderful read!”
— David Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women

“A beautifully told story about a young man’s journey through adversity and loss with an exhilarating ending that I couldn’t put down and stayed up well past my bedtime to finish.”
— Charles Belfoure, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Architect

“With prose as lyrical as the music woven through its narrative, and boasting impeccably observed historical details, The Edge of Lost is a thoroughly mesmerizing novel. I adore everything that Kristina McMorris writes and this book is no exception.”
— Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Somewhere in France

“The Edge of Lost takes readers on an enthralling journey . . . right up to a tense, edge-of-your-seat ending that left me breathless. An absorbing, addictive read.”
— Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Violet Grant

What are you waiting for?

Q & A with Carol M. Cram

 

Very happy to share this Q & A with author  Carol M. Cram today.

What is usually on your nightstand?

I have quite an eclectic selection of books on my nightstand including both fiction and non-fiction because I tend to have a few books on the go at once. At the moment, I’m surfing between Margaret Attwood’s The Year of the Flood, a non-fiction book about women in the Renaissance, Michael Palin’s new novel Truth, and a book called Wits, Wenchers and Wantons: London’s Low Life: Convent Garden in the Eighteenth Century. This last book is part of my research for my third novel called Upstaged that revolves around the world of the London theater in the early 19^thCentury. In addition, I have my Kindle filled with novels—mostly historical novels these days with a sprinkling of contemporary “women’s fiction.”

 

Which authors have most influenced your writing?

 

Jane Austen wins hands down, although I wouldn’t say my writing is anything like hers (I wish!) However, the ironic way in which she looks at the world definitely informs my world view when I am writing. As far as other more contemporary authors, I don’t really have any names that spring to mind as influencers. I think I’m influenced by everything I write—every writer is! 

 

What do you think is your lead character’s best trait?

 

Isabette’s best trait is her kind and passionate heart. She is in many ways very innocent. She expects that people she loves will be as honest and generous of spirit as she is and is often disappointed. She cares deeply for music and experiences her greatest joy when playing and composing. I wanted to show her as gaining her strength and sense of self from being creative.

 

What is something your readers would be surprised to know about you?

 

I am passionate about sharing Nia, a movement-dance practice, with people who are looking for alternative ways to keep fit and feel good about their bodies and their lives. I teach a couple of Nia classes a week on Bowen Island. The practice emphasizes the Joy of Movement and is the physical manifestation of how I feel when my writing is really going well.

 

  Where is your favorite place to write?

 

I have a few favorite places! In the summer time, my favorite place to write is on the lower deck of our home on Bowen Island that overlooks my garden and pond. Most of the time, the only sounds are birds chirping. I love to look up from the computer screen to see hummingbirds and eagles flitting and swooping about. I also love to write in public places—the lovely little cafes on Bowen Island (shout outs to the Snug Café, Village Baker, and Artisan Eats!) and my favorite Starbucks in West Vancouver where I spend many productive hours when I leave the island to come down to “the continent.”

 clicking on photo will take you to her website

Review: A Woman of Note by Carol M. Cram

Virtuoso pianist Isabette Grüber captivates audiences in the salons and concert halls of early nineteenth-century Vienna. Yet in a profession dominated by men, Isabette longs to compose and play her own music—a secret she keeps from both her lascivious manager and her resentful mother. She meets and loves Amelia Mason, a dazzling American singer with her own secrets, and Josef Hauser, an ambitious young composer. But even they cannot fully comprehend the depths of Isabette’s talent.

Her ambitions come with a price when Isabette embarks on a journey that delicately balances the line between duty and passion. Amid heartbreak and sacrifice, music remains her one constant. With cameos from classical music figures such as Chopin, Schubert, and Berlioz, A Woman of Note is an intricately crafted and fascinating tale about one woman’s struggle to find her soul’s song in a dissonant world.

 

Paperback, 358 pages

Published September 8th 2015 by Lake Union Publishing 

arc: from publisher (via netgalley)

****

 

This is my first time reading Carol M. Cram, though I do have her first book,  The Towers of Tuscany waiting patiently on my tbr pile.

Beginning in 1827 and continuing in the 1830's here is the story of Isabette Gruber a pianist living in Vienna.  Though this book is not based on a real historical figure the book felt like it did.  As a multi talented Isabette struggled through life she encounters many obstacles in her way, a dominating mother, insane family members, a society that doesn't take women composers/musicians seriously.

A Woman of Note was written in such a way that it wasn't hard to feel the times and be transported to the 1830's, to feel societies prejudices towards women and their roles.  I could feel the coldness in relationships and the way of life there. Not being too impressed with either Amelia or Josef, didn't trusting either of them, the author did a great job of portraying them in that light.

The ending was nice, but maybe an epoligue closing things off would have given the story a little bit more of closure.

Again the Author Notes are a favorite and this book did not disappoint there, a lovely couple of pages finishing this book off with the right tone.

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for a chance to review this book.

Be sure to come back tomorrow when the author visits Just One More Chaper

Waiting on Wednesday: The Girl From the Train by Irma Joubert

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill  at  Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.   

 This week I am waiting for:

Paperback, 384 pages

November 3, 2015  by Thomas Nelson 

(though this might be a re-release)

Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train bound for Auschwitz. Jakób Kowalski is planting a bomb on the tracks.

As World War II draws to a close, Jakób fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They mean to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl’s unscheduled train reaches the bomb first.

Gretl is the only survivor. Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakób discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her home. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family.

But she can’t stay with him forever. Jakób sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families—so long as Gretl’s Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.

Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakób and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome.

What are you waiting for?

Review: The Other Side of Life by Andy Kutler

December 1941, Pearl Harbor. A peaceful Sunday morning turns into a devastating attack on American soil. Naval officer Malcolm “Mac” Kelsey is severely wounded while defending his ship. A flawed man abandoned long ago by his alcoholic wife, Kelsey has been mired in despair and hopelessness following the accidental death of Lucy, the young daughter he considers the only redemptive aspect of his life. Near the point of death, Kelsey is brought to what he believes to be an afterlife where he is offered an opportunity to shed his past memories and embark upon an alternate path in another place and time. Eager to escape his torment and begin a more tranquil existence, Kelsey accepts, only to feel quickly betrayed as he soon finds himself back in the midst of battle, this time as a Union soldier at the dawn of the Civil War.

Through Antietam, Gettysburg and four years of relentless fighting, Kelsey attempts to cast aside his painful past while trying to survive the horrors of combat. He crosses paths with compelling figures on both sides of the conflict determined to persevere and return to those they left behind. Idealistic Ethan Royston, promoted from the enlisted ranks, believes in preserving the Union but is plagued by insecurity and self-doubt. His closest friend, West Point-trained Cal Garrity, remains loyal to his home state of Virginia despite his misgivings about the virtue of the Southern cause. The war will divide these friends, just as it will divide Garrity from his adoring wife, Emily, the charismatic and headstrong daughter of a prominent Norfolk shipbuilder, forced to face the onset of war alone.

Each will endure unimaginable hardship and brutality that will forever reshape their core beliefs and values. Each will find their strength and resolve tested as they search for self-purpose, humanity, and reconciliation. Most of all, Mac Kelsey will discover the very essence of life and death, and whether the new beginning he has long coveted will bring him the inner peace he has so desperately sought.

Publication Date: August 11, 2015
Neverland Publishing Company LLC
Formats: Trade Paperback and Kindle
Pages: 360

Genre: Historical Fiction

paperback - from author
**** 

READ AN EXCERPT. 

Time travel books have become a favorite of mine these days.  With the Other Side of Life the protagonist is male verses the more common female.  Beginning in 1941 Malcolm Kelsey is an officer aboard the USS Nevada during the bombing of Pearl Harbour.  As you can read from the synopsis above this is an interesting and unique twist to time travel.

With the promise of the memories of his life being erased Kelsey's frustration upon learning that isn't the case adds to this story.  Once Kelsey arrives in 1861 much time is spend introducing the reader to key players, meshing the story together nicely.  I got to know Kelsey and his personality, outwardly a harsh officer but inside still grieving the death of his daughter years earlier.

I really like the authors writing style, his knowledge of the time period, especially the Civil War is evident.  With vivid details it wasn't hard to visualize the living conditions, battles scenes and medical treatments there.

This book is not just about war, but also friendship, heartache and love (to name a few).  Though at times predictable there were enough twists and turns that I didn't see coming.  Overall a solid debut that has me looking forward to what the author is working on next.

PRAISE

“Employing some new twists on the novelist’s technique of time travel, Andy Kutler sends a naval officer bombed at Pearl Harbor back to the Civil War. Among his comrades in a Union cavalry regiment he absorbs the enduring values of trust, loyalty, love, and selflessness during the chaos and tragedy of a war that took place a half century before he was born. Readers will find themselves immersed in this story and captivated by its principal characters.” — James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winner author of Battle Cry of Freedom and The War That Forged a Nation

“Profound, smart, and entertaining – the path through The Other Side of Life is an amazing journey through history.” — Joe Weisberg, Creator and Executive Producer of FX’s The Americans and author of An Ordinary Spy

“Andy Kutler’s war scenes are gripping, his characters vulnerable and honest, and his story ultimately triumphant — an exciting journey back into two levels of the past.” — David Hardin, author of Emblems of Woe: How the South Reacted to Lincoln’s Murder

“The Other Side of Life imaginatively mingles brutal scenes of Civil War battlefields with thought-provoking moral issues. It describes the conflicted loyalties and sufferings of that tragic era and the spiritual growth of the book’s hero—a naval officer wounded in the Pearl Harbor attack—and those he becomes close to when he is transported to the past. The swiftmoving, compelling narrative grips the reader from first page to last.” — Bernard Weisberger, historian and author of America Afire: Adams, Jefferson, and the Revolutionary Election of 1800

“Andy Kutler has written a thoughtfully imaginative adventure across time, approaching the Civil War from a fresh perspective while creating memorable, compelling characters. The story flows beautifully and is consistently challenging.” — Ivan R. Dee, Publisher, Now and Then Reader (nowandthenreader.com)

AMAZON

 

 Andy Kutler is a writer living in Arlington, Virginia. A native of Madison, Wisconsin and a graduate of Michigan State University (B.A.) and Georgetown University (M.A.), he has previously worked on the senior legislative staff of two United States Senators before serving as a senior policy officer with the U.S. Secret Service. He is working today as a consultant to the national security community.

While Andy’s writings have appeared in The Huffington Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Other Side of Life is his first novel. Andy’s interests include travel, military history, his Wisconsin sports teams, and most importantly, spending time with his wife and two children.

For more information and news please visit Andy Kutler’s Facebook page.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, September 8
Spotlight & Giveaway at Unshelfish

Sunday, September 14
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, September 15
Review at Dianne Ascroft’s Blog

Friday, September 19
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Friday, September 26
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Monday, October 6
Review at A Book Geek

Monday, October 13
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, October 20
Review at Just One More Chapter

Saturday, November 1
Review at Genre Queen

Monday, November 10
Review at Beth’s Book Nook Blog

Wednesday, November 12
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, November 13
Blog Tour Wrap-Up at Passages to the Past

Review/Giveaway: Port of No Return by Michelle Saftich

What can you do when you have nowhere left to call home?
Port of No Return considers this question and more in a novel that is full of action, 
pain and laughter -- a journey you will want to see through to the very end.

Contessa and Ettore Saforo awake to a normal day in war-stricken, occupied
Italy. By the end of the day, their house is in ruins and they must seek shelter and protection wherever they can. But the turbulent politics of 1944 refuses to let them be.

As Tito and his Yugoslav Army threaten their German-held town of Fiume, Ettore finds himself running for his life, knowing that neither side is forgiving of those who have assisted the enemy. His wife and children must also flee the meagre life their town can offer, searching for a better life as displaced persons.

Ettore and Contessa’s battle to find each other, and the struggle of their family and friends to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a devastating war, provide a rich and varied account of Italian migration to Australia after World War II.

What can you do when you have nowhere left to call home? Port of No Return considers this question and more in a novel that is full of action, pain and laughter -- a journey you will want to see through to the very end.

Book Title: Port of No Return by Michelle Saftich
Category:  Adult Fiction, 238 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Odyssey Books
Published: July 2015
Available in:  Print
Will send books: International
Tour dates:  Oct 12 to 23, 2015
Content Rating:  PG-13
**** 

Lately I have been continuing on a quest to read more from Australian authors - there is a talent in that country that doesn't always reach Canada.  Thank you to Italy Books Tours for allowing me to be part of this tour and introducing me to Australian author Michelle Saftich.

Port of No Return begins in January 1944 in Fuime, Italy, a small town close to the Yugoslavia border.  Told from various pov's the author wrote a gripping story of survival, filled with courage and fear, struggle and heartache.  Even after the war ends life doesn't automatically return to what it once was.  Those we meet are forever changed, with some no longer present.  Many displaced families rebuilt their lives in other countries and even that transition was no easy task.

The author definitely knows her time period, she wrote with clarity and emotion.  It wasn't hard to get absorbed into this story, to feel compassion and the injustice this family suffered.  The ending left at a place that had me wanting more, my hope that a sequel is in the works so I can read about the next chapter in their lives.

Thank you to Italy Book Tours for providing me with a copy for review purposes as part of this tour.

Buy the book:    Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Chapters/Indigo    

Michelle Saftich is a first-time author who resides in Brisbane, Australia.  She holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

For the past 20 years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations. She is married with two children.


Connect with the author:   Website    Facebook    Twitter

Tour Schedule:

Oct 12 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 12 – The Bookish and the Romantic - review
Oct 13 – Working Mommy Journal – review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 13 – Bound 4 Escape – review / giveaway
Oct 14 – Library Educated – review
Oct 14 -  History from a Woman's Perspective – review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 15 – The Autistic Gamer – review
Oct 15 – Books and Quilts - review
Oct 16 – Diary of an Eccentric – review
Oct 16 -  #redhead.with.book – review / giveaway
Oct 19 – Just One More Chapter – review / giveaway
Oct 19 – Italophilia - review
Oct 20 – Jayne's Books – review / giveaway
Oct 20 – NorthernMSW - review
Oct 21 – A Simple Life, really?! - review
Oct 22 – Il Mio Tesoro – review / guest post
Oct 22 – Essentially Italian – review / giveaway
Oct 23 – Roughseasinthemed - review

a Rafflecopter giveaway