Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

This bookshelf is for historical fiction. Readers and authors are invited to share some of their favorite books in this genre!

Land of Falling Stars and Decadent Deceptions by Keta Diablo.


Land of Falling Stars

Decadent Deceptions

Michelle Moran has become my favorite Historical Fiction author I love eveerything she writes!

The Panamanian Princess

The Widow's War: A NovelBound: A NovelThe Rebellion of Jane Clarke: A Novel My third historical novel, The Rebellion of Jane Clarke, has just been released this June. If you haven't read any in the series begin with Widow. Each book tells a tale of a strong woman, based on an historic incident involving an actual strong woman. The latest was greatly influenced by John Adams's relationship with his daughter Nabby, and if course involves the Boston Massacre. Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review and called it a "blazing historical." The LIbrary Journal called the Widow "Historical Fiction at its' best." Geraldine Brooks declared "Bound" and in fact the whole series were destined to become classics.

Sally wrote: "The Widow's War: A NovelBound: A NovelThe Rebellion of Jane Clarke: A Novel My third historical novel, The Rebellion of Jane Clarke, has just been releas..."

Sally historical novels are my favorite and I have added both of your novels on my to read list! Thank you as I am always looking for new historical novels.

I really enjoyed Speaks the Nightbird by Robert R. McCammon.

And let me know what you think! Start with The Widow's War if you haven't read any yet, then Bound, then Rebellion of Jane Clarke.

I'd like to add a couple of titles worth a read in this genre, for the British fans amoung us, try 'The Apothacary' by Dereck Hucklesbury, who will be doing a book signing in the library at Frome on the 11th of July as part of the festival. 'The Apothacary' is set in the time of the great fire of Bristol.
The other should have a special significance for all Canadians, this is 'The reincarnation of Isaac Brock' by Tony Robinson, the title being a desciption in it's self. One of my all time favourite reads
Enjoy. All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer:]

Paul,

I love historical novels and I found both that you recommended and added to my to-reads list which by the way it totally out of control - anyway thank you so much as I am always looking for good historical novels!

The Store by T.S.Stribling is a realistic portrait of 1900 Alabama.
At this time, people were still recovering economically and emotionally from the Civil War. Characters often based life-changing decisions on how much material gain could be had. Stribling portrays characters from all levels of society and it's obvious that he loves his characters. Stribling wrote The Store in 1932 and it won The Pulitzer Prize in 1933.

K.D. Brogdon
Panama 1902, The President of Panama calls upon an American Hero, A Rough Rider for help. Teddy Roosevelt sends his friend to Panama, a man who falls in love with a Panamanian Princess...

The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree This is the first book in my new mystery series, just out this month. It's set in Darling Alabama in 1930, at the beginning of the Depression.
PW: "Great period detail."
Library Journal (starred review): "Vividly captures an era and culture...authentic period detail."
Booklist (starred review): "Outstanding historic research." You can read the first chapter on the book's website: http://www.darlingdahlias.com/books/C...

The Historian
Outlander
The Painted Kiss

These are three of my favorite historical fiction novels. Some have things in them that make them more than historical fiction, but they all have that historical and well researched aspect to them.

Set against the backdrop of territorial days in New Mexico, a Gibson Girl heroine and an unforgettable cast of characters sift through clues on two continents in their search for truth, justice, and love.

TIERRA RED is a fast-paced read filled with suspense, adventure, and romance.


http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64...
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

These are my favorite historical fiction authors:

Sharon Kay Penman. My all time favorite book: Here be Dragons

Elizabeth Chadwick, Parke Godwin, Linda Hogan

Did you know the word Québec means "where the river narrows" in the Mi'kmaq language? (Mi'kmaq is sometimes spelled 'Micmac'and this spelling might be more familiar to English speakers.)

Where the River Narrows, in telling the story of several generations in a family, also gives the reader a sense of place and history in Québec.

Three Day Road has been reprinted with several different covers, but it's all the same great story.
Meet Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack, two Canadian indigenous friends who served as snipers on the battlefields of WWI. Meet Niska, Xavier's agèd relative who paddles her canoe many days to meet the wounded and morphine-addicted Elijah when he returns from the war. You won't forget them.

Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel was published in June and is receiving rave reviews.

Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

For more information regarding this great read, please visit my blog site for additional links to reviews, spotlight articles, press releases, pictures and comments from readers that have completed the work: http://cherrieswriter.wordpress.com

Thank you in advance for checking out these sites. / John

"For the Love of Anne", a historical novel set in the 1880's, in Chicago, Illinois has been released!

Tika Newman has done it again!
Set in Chicago, in the late 1880's this wonderful historical novel is a perfect blend of fact and fiction.

Anne had finally overcome a difficult childhood and a brutal attack by an unknown assailant. She had taken care of her younger brother, just as she promised their dying mother. She worked hard, running a successful design business, and had it all...but did she really?

Where was the love?

Chicago had been infected with a psychopath of the worst kind, and he was frightening people to death...literally. Murder and mayhem had snuck into Chicago as the nation's first serial killer reared his ugly head.

ISBN: 978-0-9821507-4-0
http://www.thistlewoodpublishing.com
$14.99

My favorite historical romance authors would be Johanna Lindsey and Victoria Alexander. I just recently published A Necessary Heir by La Hilden. A Regency Historical that is available through, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.
http://www.amazon.com/Necessary-Heir-...

If you're into historical novels, check out 'The Apothacary' by Dereck Hucklebury. Set at the time of the great fire of Bristol.
Available from Authors on Line.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

Check out Jackdaws -- based on the truth about female spies in WW2. An unusual subject and very entertaining.

Thanks M.G. Jackdaws has been in my TBR shelf for quite awhile author is one of my favorites.

My latest e-book is GOLD RUSH DREAM, set in 1849. It is available in hardback on Amazon from Five Star Press, but the e-book is just $2.99.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

I have also just finished reading (via audio-book) Robert Harris's latest novel in his Rome series Conspirata.

His novels are about Cicero trying to negotiate his way through law and politics in ancient Rome during the last days of the Republic.

They're kind of like a Roman soap opera!

I'm in the middle of The Wettest County in the World: A Novel Based on a True Story. I don't know if "enjoying" is the right word, because the story is so gritty, but it's definitely an interesting read.

My mother sent it to me because my own novel, Appalachian Justice, is set in West Virginia, beginning around the same time period. "Shine" country was a rough place back then, and Matt Bondurant's writing makes that uncomfortably clear.

Billie Sue Mosiman

GOLD RUSH DREAM

Gold Rush Dream is the story of a young girl coming of age and overcoming personal tragedy as she makes a long, turbulent journey across the American territories. East Texas in 1849 is no place for the weak, as Rose finds out when marauding Indians destroy her family’s homestead. Rescued by Travis, a man who makes his living by trapping in the wild, together they will set out to find her only remaining family in California. As their travels turn into a quest to find not only family, but the wealth available to a few lucky souls during the Gold Rush, Rose and Travis will find that it takes all of their endurance and obsession to achieve their dreams. Ultimately, they will find that it is the love that grows between two people whose shared values of freedom, independence and honor are worth more than any nuggets of gold they might find when faced with the difficulties and dangers of life in the American West.
About the Author
Billie Sue Mosiman is the author of several award-nominated suspense novels. This is her first Western, which came about through her abiding interest in the California Gold Rush period of American history. The author lives in Texas near Old San Antonio Road, an historic road once used by Native Americans, that crosses Texas from east to west.

Today at Amazon: Book Launch for award-winning Christian Historical Romance, “The Road to Deer Run” by Elaine Marie Cooper. http://amzn.to/gnPwoF

Kansas Dreamer: Fury in Sumner County offers History, Mystery and ESP. One reader (3rd generation Kansan) commented: "You were so conscientious with your history details, that this book should be required reading in Kansas schools...".

The Adventures of Elizabeth Fortune gives 1870s action/adventure with strong ethnic concerns. Have fun with this.


Spotted Flower and the Ponokomita is for young readers third grade and up. Meet the horse (ponokomita) through the eyes of someone who has never before seen one. 18th Century action on the North American High Plains.

All three books are available in trade paper and as ebooks.

I recently enjoyed the lady Gray series by Deanna Raybourn.
Silent in the Grave

I recently released my historical fiction novel THE BLACK DRAGONS



This book was based in the late 1700's just prior to the American Revolutionary war with England. This book was an absolute joy to write.

Here is one reader review that I thought captured the story beautifully:

"Just like people, there are times when we prejudge a book, only to be completely surprised by it once we read it. The Black Dragons was NOT a shallow “pirate” novel for young boys as the book cover first led me to think; instead it was about a very deep and special journey that two unlikely friends are forced to take when they are caught up in the politics of nations vying for control of the American Colonies and the Caribbean Islands. Although filled with action and surprising twists, the author also carefully wove into the story the values of loyalty and friendship in the face of hatred and prejudice and he displayed the beauty, power and value of a man’s character, something that seems to be a fading quality in today’s youth. The story of these men will encourage, challenge, and inspire you as you cheer for them, fear for them, and weep with them (not all of the tears or sad ones). It is a great book for all ages and all genders..."

Let me know if you are interested and I will provide you with a discount coupon code for Smashwords.com. My webpage for more information on my other works is: http://www.rhackettjr.com.

Thank you for your consideration!

Skye - #1 in The Jacobites http://www.amazon.com/Skye-The-Jacobi...

Tyburn - #1 in The Highwaymen http://www.amazon.com/Tyburn-The-High...

Tally-Ho! - #2 in The Highwaymen http://www.amazon.com/Tally-Ho-The-Hi...

Susan Howatch - Cashelmara and Penmarric

Norah Lofts - The House at Old Vine (trilogy)

Some of my absolute favourites ever! No, chaps, not girly fiction, either, as I don't DO that!

Also adore John Boyne's books - fictional accounts of real historical events.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

He is my favourite author - discovered him via his book about a cabin boy on The Bounty. His latest one, The Absolutist, about WW1, is a masterpiece

Wanted to let everyone know that an audiobook version of "Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel" is now available on Audible dot com. The narrator brings this story to life - each character has their own distinct voice which makes the story more exciting and intense. Even if you've already read this fine novel - listening to it in this format will keep you listening well into the night. Please visit and listen to a free sample.
Cherries Audiobook

In the darkest days of World War II, when France found itself at the mercy of a brutal dictator, the frontlines of resistance may just have been in the grasp of a few good women. In four fateful days, two remarkable sisters, Monique and Claire McCleash, battle the German occupation of their coastal French town in the early days of June 1944. While their mission is the same, their methods of upending the occupation are irreconcilably at odds. The strikingly beautiful Monique puts her body and wit to work for the Resistance by dating and sleeping with German officers, while her younger sister Claire elects instead to serve as an active combat guerilla fighter for the cause.

“How Angels Die” is a highly dramatic novel with very strong female protagonists. The story is rife with action, conflict, and intrigue. Through it all, the characters struggle with devotion to family, country, cause, and oneself. The reader is effortlessly drawn along the storyline and feels the impact of the events surrounding the sisters. Compassion for the characters, German as well as French, runs deep and captures the imagination as coastal war-torn France comes alive on the pages.

More than a war story, “How Angels Die” compels its readers to face the decision-making processes that bring us to where we are and who we are. It also asks questions of the mind that expose prejudices and the eventual regret that follows.

"In How Angels Die Harding delivers an edge of the seat read as he skillfully summarizes the events and pain of years of conflict during the Nazi occupation of France into ninety-six gut wrenching, mesmerizing hours." David Roth, Tampa Writing Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/writing-in-ta...

Book Trailer: How Angels Die

How Angels Die

The Siren of Paris, examines WW2 through the lens of an American Civilian student trapped by the war, and how it throws him into a dark world of guilt, shame, and betrayal. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088CA098

. The Price of Glory
Noble Cause

Seeking bloggers for a blog tour for MOTHER OF RAIN

The Great Succession Crisis in Extended Edition is a great medieval adventure paired with two historical research papers: "Catherine De Valois: Henry V’s Bride, England and Scotland's Unexpected Matriarch," exploring the life and legacy of French princess and English queen consort Catherine de Valois, and "A Matter of Faith: Religion on Planet Beinan" exploring ancient religions. Both articles include bibliographies.

The novel itself explores some of the larger socio-political issues in medieval life. The crisis itself comes about when the Great Council (the Beinarian version of Parliament) refuses to allow women to pass on their power to daughters, asking the question of what difference does gender make in medieval politics.

This aspect of the book and the central character, Princess Anlei, is grounded in the biographies of Catherine de Valois and her descendent, Elizabeth Tudor (Elizabeth I). In this, I draw upon the exceptional work done by one of my favorite historians, Dr. David Starkey.

The attempted rape scene (the most violent scene in the book) references Thomas Seymour's actions towards the teenage Elizabeth shortly after Henry VIII's death.

The book is set on another planet to facilitate exploration of medieval sociology, psychology, and history without stepping on any toes. As an amateur historian, I sometimes find it difficult to discuss HISTORY without someone taking offense.

I hope everyone will respect that choice. And FYI, the costuming on my cover is period; the style is called a bliaut, the very style of gown worn by Beinarian noble women.

Ahh historical fiction--


My favorite of all time is Rafael Sabatini's "Captain Blood" (and the subsequent Captain Blood novels). Set in the time as they are about to "roust that pimple James (II)" of England and put in William and Mary of Orange...
Captain Blood is a tale of a doctor who is mistakenly accused of treason and sent to Jamaica to work the sugar cane fields....
Once his new owner Colonel Bishop (also the governor)finds out he is a physician he is allowed more freedom to tend to the ills of Port Royal....
And he falls in love with Colonel Bishops daughter--Arabella
There is a slave revolt when the Spanish attack and Peter Blood finds himself captain of a commandeered Spanish ship---and he becomes a pirate...

Ohh you have to read it. It was made into a wonderful film with Errol Flynn as Captain Blood in 1935....(again one of my favorite films)

I have to recommend Sabatini. I think all of his novels are historical with a soupcon of romance. They are a product of their time (the early 1920s).
If you love Baroness Orczy who wrote the Scarlet Pimpernel...these books are for you.
A wonderful visit to the past!

I love historical fiction, both as a writer and as a reader. Larry McMurtry is one of my favorites to read.

Appalachian Justice is my first historical fiction novel, and it led to the creation of the Cedar Hollow Series, three novels set in the fictional coal mining town of Cedar Hollow, West Virginia. Appalachian Justice chronicles the life of Billy May Platte, who, as the blurb states, "learned the hard way that 1940s West Virginia was no place to be different."

Return to Crutcher Mountain is the follow-up to Appalachian Justice and follows the story of Jessie McIntosh, a woman who's learned no matter how successful she is on the outside, she still struggles with personal demons on the inside.

Entangled Thorns, although set in Cedar Hollow, is written to stand alone and centers on the infamous Pritchett family, a family known for hard drinking, moonshining, and a preference for life outside the confines of the law.

I feel odd bursting in and listing my books; it's not something I typically do, so if I've breached etiquette, please slap my wrist (but not too hard), and point me in the right direction. Meanwhile, I look forward to checking out the previous offerings.

Among the historical fiction I especially value are by Wallace Stegner, by Betty Smith, and most any Winston Graham novel of the Poldark series, such as the first one, . Add to this list A. B. Guthrie's first two novels, and .

Harold wrote: "Among the historical fiction I especially value are by Wallace Stegner, by Betty Smith, and most any Winston..."

A. B guthrie is an all-time fav.
Haven't read those since I was a kid!

I'm working on writing a new historical fiction book now! Can't wait to share my updates with you :)

www.niharsuthar.com

I'm working on my first historical fantasy book right now, can't wait to share my progress with you :)

I actually released a powerful inspiring book a few months back titled Win No Matter What: A Guide to Hyping Up Your Life. A portion of all profits from that book are going to charity, you can check it out and support the cause here :)

http://www.amazon.com/Win-No-Matter-W...