Historical Fiction Spotlight: A Different Kind of Fire by Suanne Schafer

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Ruby Schmidt has the talent, the drive, even the guts to enroll in art school, leaving behind her childhood home and the beau she always expected to marry. Her life at the Academy seems heavenly at first, but she soon learns that societal norms in the East are as restrictive as those back home in West Texas. Rebelling against the insipid imagery woman are expected to produce, Ruby embraces bohemian life. Her burgeoning sexuality drives her into a life-long love affair with another woman and into the arms of an Italian baron.

With the Panic of 1893, the nation spirals into a depression, and Ruby’s career takes a similar downward trajectory. After thinking she could have it all, Ruby, now pregnant and broke, returns to Texas rather than join the queues at the neighborhood soup kitchen. She discovers her life back home is as challenging as that in Philadelphia.

A Different Kind of Fire depicts one woman’s battle to balance husband, family, career, and ambition. Torn between her childhood sweetheart, her forbidden passion for another woman, the nobleman she had to marry, and becoming a renowned painter, Ruby’s choices mold her in ways she could never have foreseen.

Praise

“Writer Suanne Schafer spins a unique tale of a turn of the 19th century Texas heroine and her way of artistic expression. Her paintings shock her contemporaries and the love she’s drawn to shocks herself. A Different Kind of Fire depicts the journey of a determined woman to meet life on her own terms.” –Pamela Morsi, USA Today Bestselling Author of 26 books including The Cotton Queen and Bitsy’s Bait & BBQ

“If you love historical novels about women who throw off the shackles of feminine convention, then this book is for you. In spare but sensuous prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy and E. Annie Proulx, Schafer brings Ruby Schmidt to life–a woman who doesn’t belong in the late nineteenth century but gradually finds her place in the twentieth. You can’t help but root for Ruby as she grows from Texas farm girl, to a freethinker and lover of men and women in Philadelphia, and finally into a consummate artist. This is a powerful and deeply satisfying read.” –Helena Echlin, co-author of Sparked and author of Gone 

“An exceptional first novel. Schafer has woven a cohesive tale from disparate elements–a stark life in the rugged countryside of 1890s Texas vs the gentility of an arts academy in the East; a traditional marriage and motherhood vs a secret and haunting sexuality. Unequivocally recommended!” –Michael R. Hardesty, Author of Amazon Best Seller, The Grace of the Ginkgo

“With rare artistry, Schafer paints a life both creative and cursed in A Different Kind of Fire.–Willa Blair, Award-winning Amazon and Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling author of His Highland Love, Highland Troth, Highland Seer, and ten other books 

“The saga of a young woman determined to follow her dream, whatever obstacles cross her path.” –MJ Fredrick, author of A Texas Kind of Love, Smitten in a Small Town, and twenty-five other books, a two-time Epic Awards winner and a four-time RWA Golden Heart finalist 

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About the Author

Suanne Schafer, born in West Texas at the height of the Cold War, finds it ironic that grade school drills for tornadoes and nuclear war were the same: hide beneath your desk and kiss your rear-end goodbye. Now a retired family-practice physician whose only child has fledged the nest, her pioneer ancestors and world travels fuel her imagination. She originally planned to write romances, but either as a consequence of a series of failed relationships or a genetic distrust of happily ever-after, her heroines are strong women who battle tough environments and intersect with men who might—or might not—love them. Suanne completed the Stanford University Creative Writing Certificate program. Her short works have been featured in print and on-line magazines and anthologies. Her debut women’s fiction novel, A Different Kind of Fire, explores the life of Ruby Schmidt, a nineteenth century artist who escapes—and returns—to West Texas. Suanne’s next book explores the heartbreak and healing of an American physician caught up in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Find out more at Suanne's website suanneschaferauthor.com and follow her on Twitter @SuanneSchafer

New Tudor Book: The Forgotten Tudor Women: Anne Seymour, Jane Dudley & Elisabeth Parr, by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Anne Seymour, Jane Dudley and Elisabeth Parr all have their own unique stories to tell. Born into the most turbulent period of England’s history, these women’s lives interplayed with the great dramas of the Tudor age, and their stories deserve to be told independently of their husbands. 

Anne Seymour served all of Henry VIII’s six wives and brushed with treason more than once, but she died in her bed as a wealthy old matriarch. Jane Dudley was a wife and mother who fought for her family until her last breath. 

Elisabeth Parr, sister-in-law of Queen Katherine Parr, married for love and became Elizabeth I’s favourite lady-in-waiting. The Tudor age was a hazardous time for ambitious women: courtly life exposed them to “pride, envy, indignation, scorning and derision”, executions were part of everyday life, death in childbirth was a real possibility and plagues sweeping regularly through the country could wipe out entire generations of families. 

Yet Anne, Jane and Elisabeth lived through all this and left their indelible marks on history. It’s high time for these women’s stories to be heard.

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About the Author

Sylvia Barbara Soberton is a writer and researcher specialising in the history of the Tudors. She debuted in 2015 with her bestselling book “The Forgotten Tudor Women: Mary Howard, Mary Shelton & Margaret Douglas”. Sylvia’s other best-sellers include “Golden Age Ladies: Women Who Shaped the courts of Henry VIII and Francis I” and “Great Ladies: The Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens”. You can find Sylvia on Goodreads and Twitter @SylviaBSo 

The Magic Marble Tree: A Writer's Journey (The Liberator's Daughter Book 2) by Deborah Levine

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Join me on the journey from chronic pain to award-winning author. Travel from the beaches of British Bermuda to New York, Chicago, and Chattanooga. Experience the blending of my father, a US military intelligence officer who interrogated WWII Nazi prisoners of war and mother, a pioneer in special education. 

Her empathy and people skills rescued us Share the joy of teaching special needs children and embracing diversity as I practice what she preached. Learn what it takes to grow into a leader that crosses cultural boundaries with emotional intelligence. 

Be part of my transformation from a hospital bed into a world-famous writer and innovator. Join this mystical journey of repairing the world in these challenging times through the art of writing. 

Deborah Levine

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About the Author

Deborah J. Levine is an award-winning author, Editor-in-Chief of the American Diversity Report, contributor to The Huffington Post, and Opinion Columnist for The Chattanooga Times Free Press. Brought up in the British colony of Bermuda, she attended Harvard, NYU, Spertus Institute, and the U. of IL at Chicago. In the Chicago area, Deborah founded the DuPage Interfaith Research Coalition and coordinated the National Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations. She is headquartered in TN where she founded the Women's Council on Diversity, now Lean In-Women Ground Breakers, and served as Research Coordinator at the College of Engineering & Computer Science at the U. of TN/ Chattanooga (UTC).  You can find Deborah on Goodreads and Twitter @diversityreport 

The Druid (Warrior Druid of Britain) by Steven A. McKay

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Northern Britain, AD430 A land in turmoil. A village ablaze. A king’s daughter abducted. In the aftermath of a surprise attack Dun Buic lies in smoking ruins and many innocent villagers are dead. As the survivors try to make sense of the night’s events the giant warrior-druid, Bellicus, is tasked with hunting down the raiders and thwarting their dark purpose. 

With years of training in the old ways, two war-dogs at his side, and unsurpassed skill with a longsword, Bellicus’s quest will take him on a perilous journey through lands still struggling to cope with the departure of the Roman legions. Meanwhile, amongst her brutal captors the little princess Catia finds an unlikely ally, but even he may not be able to avert the terrible fate King Hengist has in store for her.

This, the first volume in a stunning new series from the bestselling author of Wolf’s Head, explores the rich folklore and culture of post-Roman Britain, where blood-sacrifice, superstition and warfare were as much a part of everyday life as love, laughter and song. As Saxon invaders and the new Christian religion seek to mould the country for their own ends one man will change the course of Britain’s history forever. . . . . . THE DRUID.

"Steven A. McKay's archetypal villains and heroes step vividly onto the page from a mist-veiled past of legend to battle for the life of a princess and the fate of Britain.Dark age adventure at its gripping best." - MATTHEW HARFFY, author of The Bernicia Chronicles

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About the Author

Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977. His first book, Wolf's Head, came out in 2013 and was an Amazon UK top 20 bestseller. Blood of the Wolf is the fourth and final book in the Forest Lord series. Steven is currently researching and writing a brand new tale - tentatively titled "The Druid" set in post-Roman Britain. He plays lead guitar and sings in a heavy metal band when they can find the time to meet up. Find out more at his website
https://stevenamckay.com/ and find him on Twitter @SA_McKay.

Legend of the Crescent Moon, by Grace Willows

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

What if a medieval legend came true and pulled

you back into its past?

Elizabeth got her degree in Medieval History, spent time in England studying the past, toured castles until she found the one that 'spoke' to her, and volunteered at the local Renaissance Festival, thinking that the closest she would ever get to her dream life was a lifetime working as curator in a museum.

She spent her adult life madly in love with a friend's husband thinking it was as good as her life was going to get unless she settled. When this year's meteor shower coincided with a crescent moon, she had no idea what magic would ensue when she made a wish on a shooting star.

Then she finds herself in the past, a concubine to the feared knight Sir Robert of Ravenswood.

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About the Author(s)

Grace Willows is the alter ego of internationally published authors Robin Woods and Julie Brookshier. Working together on romance novels together for the past five years, this popular writing team specializes in stories with happily ever after endings. Robin wrote her first novel in 2005 and has continuously written novels since that time. She lives in the Midwest with her two dogs, one cat and is a huge Kansas City Royals and Chiefs sports fan. Julie wrote her first full-length novel at age 7 and has written over 45 novels to date. She shares her Midwestern home with a 12 lb. poodle that runs her household. When Julie is not writing, you can find her in her garden or cooking for friends and family. The writing team of Grace Willows specializes in Historical Westerns, Suspense, Paranormal and Contemporary romance novels. In a world that can be stressful, a Grace Willows novel will take you to exotic places and adds that special touch of love at first sight. Grace Willows has currently released fourteen published novels with many more to come. Find them on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter @gracewillows201

Stories of the Tudors: Henry VIII

What changed Henry VIII from a renaissance prince into the 'tyrant' we know in his later rule? In this podcast I take a look a the theories and evidence for the possible causes, as well as talk about some of the less well know facts about King Henry.

Tudor Book Spotlight ~ Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII's Unwanted Wife, by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

Anne of Cleves left her homeland in 1539 to marry the king of England. She was not brought up to be a queen, yet out of many possible choices she was the bride Henry VIII chose as his fourth wife. 

But, from their first meeting the king decided he liked her not and sought an immediate divorce. After just six months their marriage was annulled, leaving Anne one of the wealthiest women in England. 

This is the story of Anne's marriage to Henry, how the daughter of Cleves survived him and her life afterwards. The latest in the series of popular Tudor biographies from Sarah-Beth Watkins, author of Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII

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About the Author

Sarah-Beth Watkins grew up in Richmond, Surrey and began soaking up history from an early age. Her love of writing has seen her articles published in various publications over the past twenty years. Working as a writing tutor, Sarah-Beth has condensed her knowledge into a series of writing guides for Compass Books. Her history works are Ireland's Suffragettes, Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII, The Tudor Brandons and Catherine of Braganza. You can find Sarah-Beth on Twitter @SarahBWatkins