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Edge of Lost Description of Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

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.

My Thoughts on Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

Shanley Keagan is a young boy living in Dublin with his alcoholic uncle.  His mother had died and he doesn’t know who his father is other than he is from America.  His uncle has little Shanley work in pubs that will have him as a vaudevillian.  He earns a bit of money and usually gets a free meal for his efforts.

Eventually Shanley gets on a boat heading for America and is taken in by an Italian family and takes on the name Tommy Capello.  A lot happens during this time however, eventually Tommy ends up at the notorious, Alcatraz Prison.  Is he really guilty of the crime he is convicted of and will he get out?  You will have to read the book to find out!

I started rooting for Shanley/ Tommy from the first chapter.  He has a zest for life that is contagious and is very talented.  He doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone yet loves his new Italian family and learns how to fit in.

It is clear to me that Kristina McMorris really did her research on both Ireland and American in the era.  Her writing is poetic and makes the story come alive.  This book would make an excellent movie if it were to land in the right hands!  In fact, it came alive and made me feel like I was watching a movie.  Sometimes I even felt like I was in it!

I love books about the immigrant experience and this is one I can highly recommend.  It has catapulted into my top 5 in the genre! If you love historical fiction books about the immigrant experience. Life on Alcatraz as both a inmate, worker, and family living on the Island is also riveting.  ‘The Edge of Lost’ is a must read!

I received the ebook edition for my honest opinion.

5/5

About Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris Kristina McMorris

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and the recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, as well as a nomination for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts.  Her works of fiction have been published by Kensington Books, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins. 

The Edge of Lost is her fourth novel, following the widely praised Letters from Home, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and The Pieces We Keep. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40” by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel. For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com 

Platinum DollThanks to Suzy Missirlian, publicist, I am giving away one print copy of Platinum Doll by Anne Girard.

Description of Platinum Doll by Anne Girard


Set against the dazzling backdrop of Golden Age Hollywood, Platinum Doll tells the enchanting story of Jean Harlow, one of the most iconic stars in the history of film.

It’s the Roaring Twenties and seventeen-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew has run off to Beverly Hills. She’s chasing a dream—to escape her small, Midwestern life and see her name in lights. In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want—a rich husband, glamorous parties, socialite friends—except an outlet for her talent. But everything changes when a dare pushes her to embrace her true ambition—to be an actress on the silver screen.

With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Harlean becomes Jean Harlow. And as she’s thrust into the limelight, Jean learns that this new world of opportunity comes with its own set of burdens. Torn between her family and her passion to perform, Jean is forced to confront the difficult truth—that fame comes at a price, if only she’s willing to pay it.

Featuring a glittering cast of ingénues and Hollywood titans—Clara Bow, Clark Gable, Laurel and Hardy, Howard Hughes—Platinum Doll introduces us to the star who would shine brighter than them all.

My Thoughts on Platinum Doll by Anne Girard


Harlean’s mother, Jean Harlow took her from her father at a young age.  They went to Hollywood where mother Jean, tried to break into an acting career that never transpired.  They eventually went back to Missouri but Harlean never forgot about Hollywood.

At the age of 17 Harlean marries Chuck McGrew and he takes her to Hollywood with the surprise of a brand new house to live in.  She has everything she could ever want.  She has a rich husband who adores her, new friends, and a house in Hollywood.  She thinks that is enough however, she becomes bored with being a housewife and daily shopping and lunches with friends and eventually decides to do some extra work. 

She initially signed up for the job as a dare from friends and doesn’t think she would ever get hired.  However, one morning she gets a call for extra work and she finds she enjoys it.  It doesn’t take long for her to get noticed, with her striking looks and her platinum blonde hair.  Soon after she starts as an extra, she is hired to work with Laurel and Hardy in their shorts and her career starts to take off from there. She called herself Jean Harlow in honor of her mother.

During this time her mother remarries and they move to Hollywood to be near Harlean.  Chuck and his mother in law do not get along.  He also drinks too much and is jealous whenever another man looks at Harlean and gets volatile.  Harlean’s mother purposely adds fuel to the flame and eventually Harlean divorces him. Her mother is a master manipulator throughout the book.

When I was offered a review copy of this book, I couldn’t refuse.  It wasn’t that long ago that I read and loved Madame Picasso , also by Anne Girard.  I also thought I would enjoy a book about Jean Harlow.  As a child I grew watching old Laurel and Hardy films and had also seen some of Harlow’s feature films on TV.

Once I picked up the book and started reading, I thought that perhaps I made a mistake in accepting it.  It took me quite a few pages to get into it and it never really took hold of me.  There seemed to be a lot of repetition and some of the dialogue didn’t seem quite natural, to me. Perhaps it was because Harlean/ Jean Harlow only lived in this world for 26 years.  Was there enough material for the author to draw a cohesive story from?

I also think that it would have been better had the author delved into Jean Harlow’s other two marriages and movies, up until her death.  Rather than spend so much time on her first marriage.   She ends the book with Jean getting married to Paul Bern but then just mentions in the Author’s Note that Jean later married Hal Rosson and has an affair with William Powell.

 That said, I am still glad I read the book, it certainly had some good tidbits. 

3/5

I received a advanced reader print copy for my honest review.

About Anne GirardAnne Girard


Diane Haeger, who currently writes under the pen name Anne Girard (Madame Picasso), holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from UCLA. A chance meeting with the famed author Irving Stone 25 years ago sharply focused her ambition to tell great stories from history, and write them only after detailed research and extensive travel to the place her character lived.

That determination has provided a fascinating journey that has taken her from the halls of Chenonceaux, to a private interview with one of Pablo Picasso’s last surviving friends, and most recently an invitation inside Jean Harlow’s home.

Since the publication of her acclaimed first novel, Courtesan, in 1993, a novel that remains in print today, her work has been translated into 18 different languages, bringing her international success and award-winning status.

Platinum Doll, a novel about Jean Harlow, is her 15th book. She lives in Southern California with her husband and family.

Website: dianehaeger.com
Facebook: facebook.com/annegirardauthor

Twitter: @annegirard1
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/Anne_Girard

Buy Platinum Doll by Anne Girard


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Giveaway of Platinum Doll by Anne Girard


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A Brother's Oath by Chris ThorndycroftA Brother’s Oath (Book 1 in the Hengest and Horsa Trilogy)
by Chris Thorndycroft


Publication Date: September 13, 2015
eBook; 282 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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The Untold Story of England’s Beginning.

Denmark, 444 A.D. Two brothers – the cold and calculating Hengest and the intrepid but headstrong Horsa – find their separate worlds thrown into turmoil by royal treachery and an evil cult thought long dead. Reunited by an oath sworn in their youth, they set off on a journey that will define their destiny and set them upon the path to greatness.

When Hengest’s family is kidnapped by an unknown enemy, Horsa knows his oath has become more than a thing of words and he infiltrates the crew of one of the most feared raiders in the northern world to find out who took them. Meanwhile, Hengest struggles to unite his rag-tag group of followers into a united people. His heart yearns for a safe haven for his family; a land that he and his followers can call their own for generations to come.

This is the first part of the thrilling saga of the two warriors who spearheaded the Anglo-Saxon migrations to Britain and whose names became legendary as the founders of the land that would one day be called England.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | SMASHWORDS


Excerpt of A Brother’s Oath by Chris Thorndycroft

The weeks had passed slowly for Halfritha since the two Danes had left in search of Horsa. The weather had improved and that meant that the children could play outside which was, at least, something. The sounds of their carefree playing, wholly untainted by the worry she felt brought her much peace.

She helped out around the farm as much as she could in an attempt to keep her mind from dwelling on Hengest, but it was not easy for her. She found her eyes constantly drifting away from her work towards the horizon, scanning the flat fields for any sign of her husband returning to her. She would then chide herself for daring to believe in such a frail hope when all the odds were stacked against it.

It was early one morning when the strangers came, appearing as a black line on the nearby rise. Aesc saw them first and called out to his sister and mother who were washing some clothes beneath the overhang of Brand’s hall.

“Get inside the house, both of you!” she snapped to her children.

The line of men were advancing as one, the low sunlight glinting off axe heads and shield rims. These were no peaceful visitors. She called for Brand and the loyal warrior came running out with his spear and several theows in tow, each brandishing a tool or a knife as a weapon.

“Close the gate!” shouted Brand. “Every man take a spear or a bow and make for the palisade!”

The gates were drawn shut and braced with timbers and the entire holding was in a flurry as women and children were hurried into the buildings and men, young and old, theow and freeman, took up weapons and positions along the low wall of wooden stakes that served as the holding’s only protection.

“Who do you think they are?” Halfritha asked Brand, her face pale.

“I’ve no idea,” he replied. “But they carry weapons and do not wear their shields on their backs. Get inside, and do not come out until I say so!”

Halfritha nodded and chased Aesc and Hronwena to the doors of the hall where Brand’s wife was helping the wives and children indoors. As she entered the hall she turned and saw two men at the palisade struck by spears and fall backwards. There was a great whooping and yelling as the attackers came upon the little settlement, circling the wall and shouting taunts.

“Come on, Halfritha!” said Brand’s wife, drawing the doors closed on the scene. “Brand will fend them off, you’ll see!”

Halfritha could sense the terror in her voice, although the good woman tried to mask it with confidence. Brand may be a warrior but there were far too many of the raiders for him and his small group to hold off.

They retreated into the confines of the hall and huddled around the hearth listening to the sounds of slaughter without. Women wept and children bawled in terror.

It was quick work for the attackers and soon the sound of victorious shouts could be heard in the grounds outside the hall. A heavy blow caused the door to shiver, straining against its bolts. All within screamed. Halfritha drew Hronwena and Aesc close to her and marvelled at their courage. Neither of them wept, but she could feel Aesc’s tense body beneath her arm.

Another blow.

The door rattled like thunder rolling across the plains. People began to pray, calling upon the gods for surely death was at hand now. A third blow cracked the bolts and the doors tumbled inwards.

The leader of the raiders was a fearsome looking man. Flame-red hair fell to his shoulders and a square-cut beard framed his ruddy cheeks that glowed as he strode into the hall. His clothes were colourful and of finely spun wool; a sure sign of a wealthy but vain man. Gold armbands and other decorative items ornamented his massive body.

“Your menfolk are dead and that could not be avoided,” he said as he strutted about in front of the terrified women and children. His accent was strong. Probably Danish, thought Halfritha. “But I would like to spare your lives if I can,” he continued. “I am here for only three of you and if those three come forward, the rest of you may live.”

All in the hall watched in terrified confusion as this brute swaggered about making his demands. Only three? thought Halfritha. This was not how raiders acted.

“Among your number is a woman called Halfritha,” said the man. “I wish her and her two children to come forward.”

The hall was silent. Halfritha tensed at the mention of her name and clutched Aesc and Hronwena close. Who was this man? And why did he want them?

The leader of the raiders watched his audience in silence and then, in one sudden movement, grabbed a nearby theow by her long blond hair and slashed her throat with his saex. There was screaming as the young girl clutched at her wound, the blood pumping between her fingers. Life drained away and she slumped forward to lie still on the floor of the hall.

“Now that was unnecessary,” said the raider, wiping the blood from his knife. “But many more of you will die if Halfritha and her children do not come forward.”

Not a single person in the hall looked at Halfritha, every one of them staring at the ground, refusing to give her away. She was awed by their resolution and their loyalty, but things had gone far enough. Whatever this man had in store for her and her children, she could not sit by and let innocent people be slaughtered on her account. In any case, this man would continue to butcher them one by one until it came to be her turn.

“I am Halfritha,” she said, rising on shaky legs.


About Chris ThorndycroftAuthor Chris Thorndycroft


Chris Thorndycroft is a British writer of historical fiction, horror and fantasy. His early short stories appeared in magazines and anthologies such as Dark Moon Digest and American Nightmare. History has long been his passion and he began thinking about a series set in Arthurian Britain when he was a student. Ten years later, A Brother’s Oath is his first novel under his own name and the beginning of a trilogy concerning Hengest and Horsa. He also writes Steampunk and Retropulp under the pseudonym P. J. Thorndyke.

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Giveaway of A Brother’s Oath by Chris Thorndycroft


This giveaway is for one ebook and is open worldwide.  It ends on February 5, 2016 at 12 AM Pacific.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
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Blog Tour of A Brother’s Oath by Chris Thorndycroft


Monday, January 18
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, January 19
Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Wednesday, January 20
Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Friday, January 22
Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Saturday, January 23
Excerpt & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Monday, January 25
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, January 26
Review at Book Nerd

Wednesday, January 27
Excerpt at Let Them Read Books

Friday, January 29
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

A Brother's Oath by Chris Thorndycroft