Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Sep 14

19

Giveaway: Madame Picasso by Anne Girard

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on September 19, 2014
Posted in Historical Fiction • My Past Giveaways  | Tagged With: , | 10 Comments

T9780778316350.inddhanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Virtual Book Tours, I am giving away one print copy of Madame Picasso.

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

Harlequin MIRA

Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

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READ AN EXCERPT.

The mesmerizing and untold story of Eva Gouel, the unforgettable woman who stole the heart of the greatest artist of our time.

When Eva Gouel moves to Paris from the countryside, she is full of ambition and dreams of stardom. Though young and inexperienced, she manages to find work as a costumer at the famous Moulin Rouge, and it is here that she first catches the attention of Pablo Picasso, a rising star in the art world.

A brilliant but eccentric artist, Picasso sets his sights on Eva, and Eva can’t help but be drawn into his web. But what starts as a torrid affair soon evolves into what will become the first great love of Picasso’s life.

With sparkling insight and passion, Madame Picasso introduces us to a dazzling heroine, taking us from the salon of Gertrude Stein to the glamorous Moulin Rouge and inside the studio and heart of one of the most enigmatic and iconic artists of the twentieth century.

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Praise for Madame Picasso

“Early twentieth century Paris and Picasso’s lost love come to enchanted, vivid life in Madame Picasso. With a deft eye for detail and deep understanding for her protagonists, Anne Girard captures the earnest young woman who enthralled the famous artist and became his unsung muse.” – C.W. Gortner, bestselling author of THE QUEEN’S VOW

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About the Author03_Anne Girard

Anne Girard was born with writing in her blood. The daughter of a hard-driving Chicago newsman, she has always had the same passion for storytelling that fueled his lifelong career. She hand-wrote her first novel (admittedly, not a very good one) at the age of fourteen, and never stopped imagining characters and their stories. Writing only ever took a backseat to her love of reading.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UCLA and a Master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, a chance meeting with the acclaimed author, Irving Stone, sharply focused her ambition onto telling great stories from history with detailed research. “Live where your characters lived, see the things they saw,” he said, “only then can you truly bring them to life for your readers.” Anne took that advice to heart. After Stone’s encouragement twenty years ago, she sold her first novel. When she is not traveling the world researching her stories, Anne and her family make their home in Southern California. When she is not traveling or writing, she is reading fiction.

Anne also writes historical fiction under the name Diane Haeger. For more information, visit www.dianehaeger.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on October 3, 2014.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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Madame Picasso Blog Tour Schedule:

Monday, August 25

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, August 26

Review at Historical Fiction Notebook

Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, August 27

Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Interview & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Notebook

Thursday, August 28

Review & Giveaway at Words and Peace

Review & Giveaway at Kinx’s Book Nook

Friday, August 29

Review at Scandalous Women

Review at Curling Up by the Fire

Monday, September 1

Review at A Bookish Affair

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, September 2

Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, September 3

Review at Gobs and Gobs of Books

Spotlight & Giveaway at Susan Heim on Writing

Thursday, September 4

Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Friday, September 5

Review at To Read or Not to Read

Monday, September 8

Review at Book of Secrets

Review & Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, September 9

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, September 10

Review at Books in the Burbs

Thursday, September 11

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, September 12

Review at Caroline Wilson Writes

Review at The Book Binder’s Daughter

Monday, September 15

Review at Layered Pages

Review at Carole’s Ramblings

Tuesday, September 16

Review at She is Too Fond of Books

Wednesday, September 17

Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, September 18

Review at One Book of a Time

Friday, September 19

Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, September 22

Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, September 23

Review at The Librarian Fatale

Wednesday, September 24

Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Thursday, September 25

Review at Kincavel Korner

Friday, September 26

Interview at Kincavel Korner

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Aug 14

24

Review: The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on August 24, 2014
Posted in Books Read in 2014 • Historical Fiction  | Tagged With: , , | 7 Comments

Book Description:

From the author of The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers and longlisted for the Orange Prize.

1900. Young pianist Catherine Wainwright flees the fashionable town of Dayton, Ohio in the wake of a terrible scandal. Heartbroken and facing destitution, she finds herself striking up correspondence with a childhood admirer, the recently widowed Oscar Williams. In desperation she agrees to marry him, but when Catherine travels to Oscar’s farm on Galveston Island, Texas—a thousand miles from home—she finds she is little prepared for the life that awaits her.

The island is remote, the weather sweltering, and Oscar’s little boy Andre is grieving hard for his lost mother. And though Oscar tries to please his new wife, the secrets of the past sit uncomfortably between them.

Meanwhile for Nan Ogden, Oscar’s housekeeper, Catherine’s sudden arrival has come as a great shock. For not only did she promise Oscar’s first wife that she would be the one to take care of little Andre, but she has feelings for Oscar which she is struggling to suppress. And when the worst storm in a generation descends, the women will find themselves tested as never before.

My Thoughts:

Catherine Wainwright has been scandalized in Ohio society and knows she must leave.  As an accomplished pianist, she this thinks about going somewhere to teach piano but know it would still be a difficult life as a woman alone.  She starts corresponding with an old friend that she grew up with.  Oscar Williams is a recently widowed dairy farmer on the island of Galveston, Texas.  It is a very isolated place.

When Oscar writes to Katherine with a marriage proposal, she hastily accepts and hops on the train.  Oscar meets her at the station, they have lunch and then they get married.  They then take the boat ride to the island and as they approach she sees how remote it really is.

Oscar takes her home to meet his son, Andre, who is still grieving for his mother.  She also meets their housekeeper, Nan who loves both Andre and Oscar,  She was best friends with Oscars wife, whom asked her to take care Andre for her.

Nan has trouble accepting Katherine as Oscars wife and Katherine has trouble getting use to her new family and the lesser cultured people on the island.  However, she does try.

Then, the worst storm of the 20th century in the U.S. hits the island.

The storm really happened and was deemed “the worst natural disaster.”  Ann Weisgarber knew that there were accounts of what happened in Galveston but not on the remote part of the island.

She did a great job capturing the time, place, and landscape.  I felt like I was there with her descriptions.  She also created great characters that came to life.  Ann Weisgarber is the The Personal History of Rachel Dupree, which is on my “to be read”.  Reading The Promise has made me want to read it even more.  I highly recommend The Promise to fans of historical and literary fiction.

5/5

I received this novel for my honest review.

About Ann Weisgarber:Ann Weisgarber

Ann Weisgarber’s first novel was the critically acclaimed The Personal History of Rachel DuPree. She was nominated for England’s 2009 Orange Prize and for the 2009 Orange
Award for New Writers. In the United States, she won the Stephen Turner Award for New Fiction and the Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction. She was shortlisted for the
Ohioana Book Award and was a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writer. She serves on the selection committee for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction.

She divides her time between Sugar Land, TX and Galveston, TX. Her website is http://annweisgarber.com.

Aug 14

18

Review: The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on August 18, 2014
Posted in Books Read in 2014 • Historical Fiction  | Tagged With: , | 11 Comments

Ambitious Madame BonaparteBook Description:

Tell the emperor that Madame Bonaparte is ambitious and demands her rights as a member of the imperial family.

As a clever girl in stodgy, mercantile Baltimore, Betsy Patterson dreams of a marriage that will transport her to cultured Europe. When she falls in love with and marries Jerome Bonaparte, she believes her dream has come true—until Jerome’s older brother Napoleon becomes an implacable enemy.

Based on a true story, The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is a historical novel that portrays this woman’s tumultuous life. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, known to history as Betsy Bonaparte, scandalized Washington with her daring French fashions; visited Niagara Falls when it was an unsettled wilderness; survived a shipwreck and run-ins with British and French warships; dined with presidents and danced with dukes; and lived through the 1814 Battle of Baltimore. Yet through it all, Betsy never lost sight of her primary goal—to win recognition of her marriage.

My Thoughts:

Betsy Patterson dreamed of living in France since she was a little girl.  She didn’t want to live as a boring stereotypical wife in Baltimore.  So, when Jerome Bonaparte came into her life, he was the answer to her prayers.  Much to her father’s dismay, she fell for Jerome hook, line, and sinker.  For awhile she lived with him like royalty, in America.  However, when Jerome was summoned back to France by his brother, Napoleon, it was made clear he was to return without his wife.

Betsy went on many adventurers to try to get Napoleon to accept her, including getting caught up on a sinking ship.  No matter what she did, she was not accepted and her marriage to Jerome was annulled in France.  Jerome was under age when he married and hadn’t received the consent of his mother or brother.

By then Betsy had Jerome’s baby boy and had to start looking out for his welfare.  She wanted more for him than what she has.  Eventually she wanted him to be accepted by his royal family and to live in France with a title.  All he wanted was to settle down in Baltimore with a wife a raise horses.

The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte was part romance and part adventure, all wrapped up in a historical back drop.  There’s something for everyone.

At times I sympathised with Betsy.  I certainly wouldn’t have wanted the life that her own parents wanted for her, what most parents wanted for their daughters at the time.  To be a baby factory like her mother was.

Ruth Hull Chatlien made the characters, the places, and the history come alive.  While reading I felt like I was a good friend of Betsy, accompanying her on all her adventures.  Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte was a strong female, at a time when strong females were not welcome.  Due to Ruth Hull Chatlien, I got to know Betsy and see her through her ups and downs.  I found it very difficult to put this book down and highly recommend it.

5/5

I was provided with an ebook copy from the author for my honest review.

About Ruth Hill Chatlien:

Ruth Hull Chatlien has been a writer and editor of educational materials for twenty-five years. Her specialty is U.S. and world history. She is the author of Modern American Indian Leaders and has published several short stories and poems in literary magazines. The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte is her first published novel.

She lives in northeastern Illinois with her husband, Michael, and a very pampered dog named Smokey. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found gardening, knitting, drawing, painting, or watching football.

Website: http://ruthhullchatlienbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruthhullchatlien

‘The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte’ had been named a finalist in the 2014 Readers Favorite Book Award Contest!

Buy The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte:

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