Thanks so much to all the authors, publishers, and publicists for all of the awesome giveaways! They are so much fun to host and I know my readers appreciate them!! Thanks to everyone who entered the following giveaways! Winners, please reply to the email I sent you today within 48 hours to claim your books. After 2 days you will be disqualified and a new winner will be picked. Rafflecopter picks all winners at random.
In the early 1890s, a group of brothers discovered iron ore in the dense pine woods of northern Minnesota. Mesabi Pioneers tells the story of the immigrants who dug that ore out of the ground, who carved towns from trees, and who built new lives for themselves and their families.
Arthur Maki, a Finnish immigrant known for his carpentry skills, has been hired by the persuasive and poetic Leonidas “Lon” Merritt to join a crew of explorers in the forest. From this remote and formidable locale, Arthur must construct a camp and foster a community into which he can bring his wife and son.
The camp, which the Merritts call Mountain Iron, sits on what Lon believes to be a huge lode of iron ore. However, the rest of the world thinks the Merritts are crazy. While Arthur builds a camp with a Chippewa Indian everyone calls Charlie and a French-Chippewa fur trader named Richardson, the other members of the team explore the surrounding woods for more caches of iron. When a second lode is discovered at Biwabik, Arthur and the rest of the crew know the finding is real. And the iron mining world knows it, too.
As the mine gets deeper and mining operations expand, the camp crowds with a diversity of ethnic and cultural groups. Tragedy strikes in ways large and small. And it is from the ashes of destruction that Arthur finds the community he has been seeking.
My Thoughts on Mesabi Pioneers by Russell Hill & Jeff Smith
I was born an raised in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/ St. Paul). I knew that there were mining operations in our state but didn’t know where or even what they were mining for. So when I was offered a ebook of ‘Mesabi Pioneers’ for review, I couldn’t turn it down. I love to learn about history that I know nothing about, especially in a state where I was born and raised.
The book was slow to start for me. There was quite a long set up and introduction to characters but after that, I found it quite fascinating. There is certainly a lot of adventure included and some very interesting mining history. The men who left home to start up a mine and mining town were thought of as crazy dreamers. However, they wouldn’t let anything get in their way. This is a story of how dreams can come true if you put forth the effort.
4/5
I received the ebook for my honest review.
Praise for Mesabi Pioneers by Russell Hill & Jeff Smith
“…a refreshingly enjoyable read… Hill and Smith kindle complicated emotions, important questions and a driving curiosity about Northern Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range…The novel give(s) us a remarkable point of view, a vision of the Iron Range before it was anything like our modern understanding of the place. The size of the forest, the difficulty of travel, the majesty of the Missabe hills before they were opened up and moved like chess pieces: we see all of this in fresh prose.” -Aaron Brown, Hibbing Daily Tribune and minnesotabrown.com
“Hill and Smith pepper their story with some very good character development, plenty of sarcastic humor, and a good deal of research into a period never before explored in historical fiction. In their handling, the enterprising and occasionally cutthroat, bygone world of iron mining comes vividly alive. A strong debut installment.” -Charlotte Kirsch, Historical Novel Society
“A wonderful book. I’d recommend it to anyone.” -Scott Hall, KAXE, Northern Community Radio
“In Mesabi Pioneers, Jeffrey Smith has skillfully crafted a wonderful story that respects the historical facts while bringing the experience of these pioneers to life. This book is a steeped in the social history and physical geography of this region in Minnesota that played such a significant role in the economic rise of the United States. In a few words, this is good creative writing with an enjoyable style.” -James Dilisio, author Maryland Geography
“What a fascinating story, with finely drawn characters and compelling subject matter. The authors take us inside the hearts and souls of newly arrived immigrant pioneers, full of hope and promise, who accomplished extraordinary feats under dire circumstances; and the Native Americans who watched their homeland undergo such dramatic and irrevocable change. I highly recommend it.” -Kathryn Leigh Scott, actress and author, Down and Out in Beverly Heels
Dr. Russell Hill was born and raised on Minnesota’s Iron Range. During World War II he served in Naval Intelligence, receiving several prestigious medals for his service. After the War he received his doctorate from the University of Minnesota and began a long and successful teaching career. Hill passed away peacefully in 2011, surrounded by his beloved family. He was 85-years-old.
Jeffrey Smith began his love of letters at fourteen on a Smith-Corona electric typewriter borrowed from his father. He is a full-time writer, homemaker and stay-at-home parent. He is also an accomplished distance runner, completing 16 marathons, seven 24-hour relay races, and multiple ultra-runs, including several 100-mile races.
The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova by Lloyd Lofthouse:
Publisher: Three Clover Press (May, 2015) Category: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Tour Date: May/June, 2015 Available in: Print & ebook, 325 Pages
From the award winning author of ‘My Splendid Concubine’ and ‘Running With the Enemy’ comes ‘The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova’!
Honorable mention in general fiction-2015 San Francisco book Festival
1st place winner in the mystery category at the 2015 Beach Book Festival
Don Juan Casanova wants to discover what it’s like to be loved by only one woman. His problem is that he was raised by his grandparents to become a Lothario, who loves and then leaves women for the next conquest. As he approaches 40, he is facing a crisis.
His grandfather and then younger brother have been viciously murdered, and Don is the prime suspect. As he struggles to stay out of jail and end his life of serial seductions and find one woman to love, he’s discovering it isn’t easy to kick an old habit. His mother isn’t helping by quoting scripture every chance she gets in an attempt to change her son’s lifestyle of sin for one of piety.
Only $0.99 on ebook, now-June 5, 2015! Go get it now:
My Thoughts on ‘The Redemption of Don Juan Cassanova:
Don Juan Casanova was raised mostly by his grandparents and they raised him to follow in their footsteps. His Grandmother was the owner of a brothel. It was she and his grandfather that raised him to be a Lothario (a seducer of women). They taught him all the tricks in the trade and he was like a magnet for women. He could have his pick.
When he came of age he had to go off and fight in Vietnam. Like most vet who returned home, he was changed. He turned to booze and of course, lot of women to blot out the horrifying memories of war.
Now at 39 years of age, he has sworn off women, at least until he meets the one he can become faithful to. However, it isn’t that easy and he falters. So many obstacles are in his path including the the girl he rescues from a brutal pimp and the murder of his Grandfather and brother. As the evidence keeps stacking against him and the blame of the murders points to him, he must focus on proving his innocence and dodging the real killer.
There are many twist and turns in the plot that kept me turning the pages. I loved the strong cast of female characters. Books like this often have weak women who can’t think for themselves. However, Lofthouse didn’t go the “damsel in distress” way, except for the girl Don Juan rescued from the pimp. This was refreshing! Highly recommended!
5/5
I received the ebook for my honest review.
Praise for ‘Running With the Enemy’ by Lloyd Lofthouse:
Runner Up in General Fiction: 2013 Beach Book Festival
Honorable Mentions in General Fiction: 2014 Los Angeles Book Festival 2013 San Francisco Book Festival 2013 Hollywood Book Festival 2013 New York Book Festival
“Obviously drawn from the author’s first-hand experiences as a Marine serving in Vietnam, Running with the Enemy is a rough but occasionally heartfelt war story. … The book is sometimes too obviously drawn from his experience. But ultimately that’s a small complaint about a book that, on the whole, is quite good and has a lot to say about the nature of the conflict .” – 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards commentary from an anonymous judge
“This book grabbed hold of me. It has left me knowing just how horrific conditions were for those who fought in Vietnam, and I applaud those who survived.”-Lisa Binion, The News In Books
“I found Running with the Enemy captivating and well worth reading and enjoyed such a different type of historical novel from Mr. Lofthouse than his previous. Since Mr. Lofthouse is a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, I am sure he drew from some of his personal experiences and I shudder to think of some of these experiences.”- M. Denise C.
“Running With the Enemy is a gut-wrenching page-turner at once a historical rendering of the Vietnam-American war, a suspense-thriller involving the framing of an innocent man forced to go on the run, and a passionate love story. As an historical novel, it renders an intricate tapestry of the era, the geography, and the several cultures in confrontation at that time. As a suspense-thriller it grips on page one and keeps your heart racing page after page with hardly a paragraph of relief. As a war story, it depicts war as the bloody, hell that it is–a place in which the mettle of the honorable is tested and honed in the same landscape where sociopaths thrive and reach the heights of power and influence. As a love story, it portrays the way a bond between two hearts can transcend race, religion, politics, national identity and family loyalty, defying all convention, tradition, prejudice and law to claim their right to have each other. The characters are all deftly drawn and believable and if they exist beyond a page or two they will leave their mark on the reader who has come to care about them whether it is to love them, admire them, hate them or simply be amused by them. I can wholeheartedly recommend Running With the Enemy as a story that rewards the time and effort invested. Its impact will linger long after the last page is turned.”-Joystory
Praise for ‘My Splendid Concubine’:
Finalist in Fiction & Literature: Historical Fiction: The National “Best Books 2010” Awards, December 2010
Honorable Mentions in General Fiction: 2012 San Francisco Book Festival 2012 New York Book Festival 2012 London Book Festival 2013 DIY Book Festival
“My Splendid Concubine is packed cover to cover with intriguing characters and plot, a must read for historical fiction fans and a fine addition to any collection on the genre.” Midwest Book Review
“Lloyd Lofthouse believes Hart was motivated to destroy his papers not out of shame but out of privacy: ‘What he had with Ayaou was something special he wanted to keep to himself. I don’t think he would approve of My Splendid Concubine … but we live in a different age than Victorian England. I feel that this love story deserves to be told.’ ”- Anneli Rufus , East Bay Express
“Historical fiction potboiler, yes. But where the `Concubine’ saga truly shines is its thought-provoking passages on relationships, attitudes and cultural differences.”-Tom Carter, author of China: Portrait of a People
“Told in descriptive detail and such beauty of the Chinese culture that I did not want it the story to end. A very well written and impeccably researched story that I highly recommend to the historical fiction fan. A lot of history but not written like a history book. This book does have a lot of sexual content in it but told in a very tasteful way. I really enjoyed this book.”- Kathleen Kelly, Celtic Lady
About Lloyd Lofthouse:
Lloyd Lofthouse is a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam Veteran, who worked as a maître d’ in a 15 million dollar nightclub for a few years. He also taught English literature in the public schools for most of 30 years where he explored Romeo and Juliet with thousands of high school students.
A romantic at heart, in his award winning novels, he tests true love in difficult situations and the challenges of keeping that love alive. My Splendid Concubine, his first novel, is an epic love story that teaches acceptance and respect for other people and their cultures. Running with the Enemy, his second novel, is a love story that will either cost the characters their lives or will complete each other’s hearts. The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, his third novel, is the story of a man raised in a world of sin and seduction, who craves the love of one woman but fears, because of his infamous reputation as a libertine, that he’ll never find a woman to love who will trust him to be faithful.
Lloyd Lofthouse lives with his family in California’s San Francisco Bay area.