In 1850 Charleston, South Carolina, brutality and cruelty simmer just under the genteel surface of Southern society. In an era where ladies are considered mere property, beautiful and headstrong Willow Hendricks’ father has filled her life with turmoil, secrets, and lies.
The inspiration to write A Slave of the Shadows came from my interest in the dark Antebellum era of American history. I’ve been captivated by slavery during this time period most of my life. The courage and perseverance of this group of people has always amazed me. Our problems today seem so minuscule compared to what these slaves endured.
My protagonist (Willow) was inspired by the strong-minded women that line the pages of history. I feel like I can relate to females from this generation because it was instilled in me growing up that men should be in a position of prominence over women.
Females were discouraged from having a voicåe and the expectation for me to wear a dress to my ankles was commonplace. Despite these experiences, I did not create Willow as a reflection of myself, but I did mold her relationship with her father after my own.
This book conveys a strong message about the equality and resiliency of humanity regardless of race or gender. I have always believed diversity is an essential attribute of any nation.
A Slave of the Shadows is my first novel. When I decided to create it a year and a half ago, it made sense for me to write about the Antebellum era I was so passionate about. I feel passion is the first step to achieving success, and the issue of equity universally stirs emotions for many people around the world.
Naomi Finley
"The author, Naomi Finley, has skillfully crafted an epic story of oppression and obsession set in the deep south during a time when equality was unheard of and slavery was the norm. The characters of Willow and Whitney are perfectly developed, and the descriptions of life in these times is both upsetting and awe-inspiring. This is absolutely a book that has to be read if possible in one sitting, because it is impossible to put down. - Readers' Favorite.
"A Slave of the Shadows is breathtaking."- Pursuing Stacie
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About the Author
Naomi Finley lives in Northern Alberta. Her love for travel means her suitcase is always on standby while she awaits her next plane ticket and adventure. Her love for history and the Deep South is driven by the several years she spent as a child living in a Tennessee plantation house. She comes from a family of six sisters. She married her high school sweetheart and has two teenage children and two dogs named Ginger and Snaps. Creativity and passion are the focus of her life. Apart from writing fiction, her interests include interior design, cooking new recipes, throwing lavish dinner parties, movies, health, and fitness. Find out more at Naomi's websiteauthornaomifinley.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @FinleyAuthor
Golden Hill and The Alienist meet Gangs of New York in this sweeping historical crime drama set
in 18th century New York.
New York, 1799: Justy Flanagan, lawyer, soldier, policeman, has returned to his native city, bloodied and battered after fighting in the Irish Rebellion against the English. Determined to hunt down the man who murdered his father, his inquiries lead him to Wall Street and the fledgling stock market there.
But as his investigations into the past move ahead, the horrific murders of young slave women in the present start to occupy his time. Convinced that there is a link between his father's murder, the deaths of the young women, and amassive fraud that nearly destroyed New York's economy, Justy can trust no one.
As the conspiracy deepens, it becomes clear that those involved will stop atnothing to keep their secrets. Justy is forced to choose: will he betray his father's memory, compromise his integrity, and risk the lives of his closest friends, to get to the bottom of a tale so dangerous, it could change the landscape of America forever?
"A superb historical whodunit. ... Effortlessly incorporates the political and economic background of the time."―Publishers Weekly *starred review*
"A thriller with strong, multifaceted heroes and villains, [and] tight plotting. I impatiently await the next adventure."―Patrick Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of the Irish Country series
"Part thriller, part love story and part cautionary tale, this page-turner also carries intimations of the future.... Vivid [and] exciting."―Mary Pat Kelly, Irish America
"A tense, violent and atmospheric crime thriller set in 1799 when the white-collar criminals carried switchblades and human lives were traded like sacks of grain."―Michael Robotham, award-winning author of LIFE OR DEATH
"Fast paced and often violently brutal, this tale should please thriller readers who enjoy a twist of history"―Booklist
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About the Author
Paddy Hirsch has worked in public radio at NPR and Marketplace. He came to journalism after serving as an officer in the British Royal Marines, and lives in Los Angeles. The author of the nonfiction book explaining economics, Man vs. Markets, The Devil's Half Mile is his fiction debut. Find out more at his website www.paddyhirsch.com and follow Paddy on Facebook and Twitter @paddyhirsch
England, 1176. Aelred Barling, esteemed clerk to the justices of King Henry II, is dispatched from the royal court with his young assistant, Hugo Stanton, to investigate a brutal murder in a village outside York.
This is a classic medieval murder mystery, complete with all the cast of characters you would expect, plenty of suspicious deaths - and a few surprises. E. M. Powell has a lively and readable style and a preference for short chapters, so this story is ideal for reading in those 'snatched moments'.
I particularly liked the development of the main character, Hugo Stanton, a messenger in King Henry II's itinerant justices, who I'm glad to see is destined for more action in another book - and has appeared in the Fifth Knight Series.
I also learnt about Henry II's reform of criminal law, although I'm not sure if I'd choose trial by water (yes, it's worse than it sounds) or ordeal by hot iron as proof of my innocence. Fortunately, the will of God can be relied on to make sure only the truly guilty are punished.
I'm happy to recommend this book, and have added the Fifth Knight Series to my reading list.
Tony Riches
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About the Author
E.M. Powell’s historical thriller Fifth Knight novels have been #1 Amazon and Bild bestsellers. The King’s Justice is the first novel in her new Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers’ The Big Thrill magazine, blogs for English Historical Fiction Authors and is the social media manager for the Historical Novel Society. Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she now lives in North-West England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog. Find out more by visiting www.empowell.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter @empowellauthor
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 6 paperback copies of The King’s Justice! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
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Writing for Bliss is fundamentally about reflection, truth, and freedom. With techniques and prompts for both seasoned and novice writers, the book inspires readers to explore their creative natures through storytelling and poetry, examines how life-changing experiences can inspire writing, encourages self-examination and self-discovery through the written word, and illustrates how published authors have been transformed by writing.
This book is a culmination of my life’s work—meant to inspire the burning writer who lives within. It’s suitable for both emerging and esteemed writers. Ever since my mother gave me my first journal when I was ten years old to help me cope with the loss of my grandmother, I’ve used writing as a form of healing, and have tried to inspire others to do the same.
In fact, writing for healing and transformation was the focus of my PhD research. What eventually led me to compile this book was that when I was teaching writing workshops, many participants inquired about a reference book to use after our time together. So, I’m excited to have written a book that will be available before, during, and after my workshops.
Writing through self-narration is a way to integrate trauma into the story of our lives. It’s also a way to come to terms with those traumas. One of the most amazing and magical aspects of writing for healing is that, once we make the decision to put pen to page, we have no idea what will emerge from the subconscious mind. The writing process can help dissipate overwhelming emotions connected to trauma by providing a safe container for them.
Writing can also serve as a bridge between the past and the present and lead to transformation. It can help reclaim an inner voice after it has been taken away, or been silenced by a difficult circumstance. Finding one’s voice as a way to effect healing can lead to huge leaps in transformation. Sometimes writing a dialogue between oneself and the person who might have caused us pain can bring forth essential information leading to acceptance and forgiveness.
I have endured many losses in my life, and since it has been said that survivors are very often seekers, my experiences compelled me to record my feelings and impressions. Also, the creative impulse is connected to a sense of longing. Some people reach out to religious or spiritual paths to help them understand their experiences.
For me, writing is my spiritual practice. It’s my “go to” place during both good and bad times. My journal is my friend and confidant, helping me release whatever is bottled up inside of me. It is liberating for me, because by releasing my secrets and sentiments, I become free and have more control over my life. Writing also helps me find out what I don’t know; and increases my awareness of myself, others, and the world at large.
In addition to being a container for one’s thoughts and a way to release tension, writing about feelings and experiences is an excellent way to find out what you don’t know. In my research of writers who have written memoirs, many confessed that they began writing their memoirs for one reason, and during the writing process realized they were writing for a completely different reason. For example, one author said he wrote wrote in order to figure out why his brother had committed suicide, but by the time he’d made it to the end of his book, he realized that writing about his brother was a way to keep him alive.
Stories help us understand and make sense of our lived experiences, the lessons we’ve learned, and our dreams for the future. The stories of difficult life situations or experiences are often complicated, but they are stories that must be told. In fact, there are few things more important than acknowledging and writing our own personal narratives as a way to examine our lives, in terms of what happened, what they were like, and where we are now. Studies have shown that this type of writing allows us to change our perspective, which in the end leads to more self-awareness through deeper insights and, thus, recovery.
While writing about painful subjects can be cathartic and is definitely healing, some people feel triggered by having to relive traumas of their past. This is perfectly normal, and seeing a therapist or hiring a writing coach can help. Exposing raw subjects is scary and can lead some people to have emotional breakdowns. Before he passed away, I was helping Thomas Steinbeck (the son of author John Steinbeck) write his memoir. He found that he had a tendency toward depression when he was writing about some difficult situations from his past. When this happened, I encouraged him to take a break from his writing. Sometimes the breaks would be one day; other times, weeks.
People often ask me why writing is healing and transformative and I say that it’s because it’s a way to nurture yourself. Free or automatic writing, in particular, which is writing without lifting your pen off the page, can be liberating and healing because you go wherever your mind takes you. Author Virginia Woolf called this “stream-of- consciousness writing,” and it simply involves going with the flow of your words.
One of the beautiful parts of this type of writing is that you sometimes don’t know what’s bottled up deep inside of you until you begin engaging in self-expression. For example, when journaling, you might begin by writing about your day at work, and then before you know it, you’re writing about the issues you had with your mother. Free-writing is also one way, in addition to dreams, to tap into your subconscious mind.
Transformation may be defined as a dramatic change in your physical and psychological well-being. The deeper you go into writing about a certain subject, the greater the chance for transformation. If you share your writing, others can be transformed by your words, especially if your story resonates with them or they’ve navigated similar journeys. Ultimately, healing, transformation, and empowerment are all parts of the same path—leading to self-awareness, self-discovery, growth and, eventually, bliss.
Diana Raab
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About the Author
Diana Raab, PhD, MFA, is an award-winner memoirist, poet, speaker, and workshop facilitator. She is the author of nine books. In her 40-year career, she’s been as an advocate of personal writing. Dr. Raab facilitates workshops in writing for transformation and empowerment, focusing on journaling, poetry, and memoir writing. She believes in the importance of writing to achieve wholeness and interconnectedness, which encourages the ability to unleash the true voice of your inner self. Diana also writes for Psychology Today, Elephant Journal, and Thrive Global. Find out more at dianaraab.com and follow Diana on Twitter @dianaraab
On November 29, 1530, Thomas Wolsey died, having been taken ill with colic after eating a supper of baked pears. (I think it was rather convenient, as he was on his way to be tried for treason, and was not expected to go quietly – could the pears have been poisoned?)
Sadly, Wolsey’s remains were lost, although it is believed that he is buried somewhere around Leicester Abbey. (In a car park?) The Abbey was destroyed during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, and only the outline of some buildings remain.
Cardinal Wolsey was a wealthy man and had exciting plans for his funeral and entombment in a magnificent edifice of black and white marble and gilded bronze. He’d already had the black marble sarcophagus designed and made for him, with impressive angels on columns at each corner by the Florentine sculptor, Benedetto da Rovezzano. (One of Rovezzano’s commissions in 1508, was to finish Michelangelo’s bronze of David.)
Keen recycler Henry VIII decided the tomb would be perfect for himself (along with York Place, Hampton Court and Wolsey’s fortune) and commissioned Benedetto to do some remodelling to make it even grander.
As you probably know (having seen Princess Megan happily walking over Henry’s grave in St George’s Chapel recently) the work was never finished in his lifetime. All his three children Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, were of course too busy to finish it.
In 1565 Elizabeth showed her good intentions by having her father’s tomb moved from Westminster to St George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, but they stayed in storage for eighty-five years until the bronze sculptures were sold during the Civil War.
The Bishop of Ghent bought four candlesticks Rovezanno made for Henry VIII’s tomb, and the originals are at the Cathedral of St Bavo in Belgium. (Replicas are in St George’s Chapel, next to the high altar).
So, what became of the black marble sarcophagus? When Lord Nelson died in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, his body was placed in a coffin made from the mast of a French ship. King George III thought Wolsey’s tomb would be perfect for Nelson, so Horatio’s coffin was put inside and has been in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral since the 9th of January 1806.
The story of the angels is even more bizarre, as they ended up on the gate piers of the 18th century Harrowden Hall (now Wellingborough Golf Club) from where they were stolen in 1988. They turned up for auction in 1994 and were bought by a Parisian art dealer.
Italian scholar Francesco Caglioti realised what they were and in 2015 the Victoria and Albert Museum launched an appeal and bought them for the nation. The National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund found £2.5m and the rest came from donations - and the sale of ‘Save The Wolsey Angels’ badges. I think Thomas Wolsey would have been pleased.
Eleanor of Brittany is sent to live in the household of her esteemed grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and brought up expecting to be the bride of a powerful prince. But when the marriage proposed for her as part of Richard Lionheart's ransom falls through and King Richard dies a few years later at Chalus, she is returned to her mother and her beloved younger brother Arthur in Brittany.
John now sits on the throne of England, something Eleanor and Arthur both resent, for they are the children of his elder brother, Geoffrey, and many men say their claim to England supersedes John's . Arthur's desire for a crown leads the pair to ally with France and attack their aged grandmother in the castle of Mirabeau, a move that brings untold disaster to both.
Beautiful Eleanor, the Pearl of Brittany, is held captive in England from that day forth, through the reign of two kings-never tried, charged with no offence, her only crime her royal Plantagenet blood.
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About the Author
J. P. Reedman was born in Canada but has lived in the U.K. for nearly 25 years. Her Interests include folklore & anthropology, prehistoric archaeology (neolithic/bronze age Europe; ritual, burial & material culture), as well as The Wars of the Roses and other medieval eras. Find out more at her website http://stone-lord.blogspot.com/ and find her on Twitter @StoneLord1
The year is 1115, and Germany is torn apart by a conflict between the Emperor and the Pope over who should have the right to appoint bishops and control the empire’s vast estates. Young Hildegard is sent to the Abbey of St. Disibod in the Rhineland as her parents’ gift to the Church in accordance with a custom known as the tithe. In the Greenest Branch, the medieval era comes vividly to life in all its romanticism and splendor, but the societal strictures that prevent women from being able to access education and live independent lives are also on display.
As a child, I was fortunate to be able to visit medieval cathedrals. I still remember the sense of wonder, reverence, and peace I felt when I walked down their aisles, my footsteps echoing under the solemn gaze of marble statues enveloped in the colored lights streaming through the stained-glass windows.
Those churches, and the castles we often toured as well, were fascinating repositories of deeds and achievements of people long gone. But that history had been written by men – kings, bishops, knights, wealthy merchants, and those who designed and built such magnificent places. Whenever women were memorialized, they were either queens or princesses whose legacies, all those centuries later, were often reduced to the artistry of their tombs.
So when I discovered – in a music class at university- a famous medieval woman who was not a royal, I was captivated. How did Hildegard of Bingen manage to achieve such prominence without the prerequisites of high birth? As I began to read about her, my amazement only increased: not only had she been a notable composer, she was also an accomplished physician and a prolific writer on topics ranging from herbs and stones to theology and cosmology, all at a time when women were usually illiterate.
Then came a time when I finally gave myself permission to write – and I mean it literally. I wrote two notes to myself in November 2010. Those notes have been pinned to my corkboard for 7.5 years as I worked on The Greenest Branch. It is a story of an extraordinary woman’s life, as she rises from inauspicious beginnings to fulfill her life’s mission despite societal obstacles and personal challenges.
The Greenest Branch is set in a world that may at first seem distant from ours, but as I wrote it I became aware of some uncanny similarities. Hildegard’s talents and intellect often made her the smartest person in the room, but in order to be accepted by self-satisfied mediocrity she had to diminish herself and her accomplishments. As a woman, she also had to make choices her male peers did not have to face. Finally, despite her brilliance she would not have climbed such heights of influence had it not been for those who mentored her, opened doors for her, and defended her against detractors.
Most modern readers have experienced at least one of those difficulties at one point or another in their lives. The details of our daily lives may have changed beyond recognition in the last 900 years, but the underlying principles have stayed the same. This, to me, is alternately terrifying and exhilarating, for that continuity underscores our shared humanity, not just across space but time as well.
P.K. Adams
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About the Author
P.K. Adams is a Boston-based historical fiction author, whose debut novel The Greenest Branch is the first in a two-book series based on the life of Hildegard of Bingen, Germany’s first female physician. She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia and a master’s degree in European Studies from Yale. When not reading or writing, she can be found hiking, doing yoga, and drinking tea (though usually not at the same time). Find out more at her website https://pkadams-author.com/ and follow her on Twitter @pk_adams
