Friday, August 14, 2015

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie



AMERICA'S FIRST DAUGHTER
Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
Releasing March 1st, 2016
William Morrow
Historical Fiction 


In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson’s eldest daughter, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson Randolph—a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France. And it is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that she learns of her father’s liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age.

Patsy too has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé, William Short, a staunch abolitionist intent on a career in Europe. Heartbroken at having to decide between being William’s wife or a devoted daughter, she returns to Virginia with her father and marries a man of his choosing, raising eleven children of her own.

Yet as family secrets come to light during her father’s presidency, Patsy must again decide how much she will sacrifice to protect his reputation, in the process defining not just Jefferson’s political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

Pre-Order Now
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Giveaway:


Meet the Authors:

Laura Kamoie has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty books, Laura Kaye. Her debut historical novel, America's First Daughter, co-authored with Stephanie Dray, allowed her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.


Find Laura Here




STEPHANIE DRAY is a bestselling and award-nominated author of historical women’s fiction. Her series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award and won the Golden Leaf. As STEPHANIE DRAVEN, she is a national bestselling author of paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and American-set historical women’s fiction. She is a frequent panelist and presenter at national writing conventions and lives near the nation’s capital. Before she became a novelist, she was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the stories of women in history to inspire the young women of today.

Find Stephanie Here


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Throwback Thursday: Moccasins

Do you remember moccasins?   These were very popular when I was growing up, and I loved them.  I wore them year round (without socks in summer), and I will admit that I would still wear them if I could find a pair that was vegan - manmade.

I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Musubi Murder by Frankie Bow

The Musubi Murder
Cozy Mystery
Hardcover
Publisher: Five Star (August 5, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1432830748
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Synopsis:
In the remote college town of Mahina, Hawaii, Molly Barda just wants to stay out of trouble until she gets tenure, but there’s a problem. A grisly prank targeting a controversial donor puts her college in financial jeopardy. Molly’s hapless ex is implicated, and Molly soon finds herself neck-deep in a stew of corruption, revenge, and murder. Along the way, she finds herself drawn to a local fast-food entrepreneur, the too-good-to-be-true Donnie Gonsalves, who seems to like her for all the wrong reasons–and has a few secrets of his own.
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About The Author
Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining.

In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally. 

Author Links
www.frankiebow.com
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/frankie-bow/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7809288.Frankie_Bow 

Purchase Links
Amazon
B&N
Powell’s /Audible / iTunes

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Did You Know Tuesday: 5 Fun Facts About Marni Nixon

If you love movie musicals, you have heard Marni Nixon ... even if you haven't seen her.

1. Marni Nixon was born in 1930. She had a beautiful singing voice even as a child, and worked as a child actress and singer.


2. During the golden years of Hollywood musicals, Marni Nixon had a career as "The Ghostest With the Mostest." She provided the singing voice in musicals for actresses who were not singers. These movies included: The King and I (for Deborah Kerr -- pictured above with Marni Nixon), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (for Marilyn Monroe), Boy on a Dolphin (for Sophia Loren), West Side Story (for Natalie Wood), and My Fair Lady (for Audrey Hepburn).


3. She had three children, including singer/songwriter Andrew Gold. He had several hit songs in the 1970's, including "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You For Being a Friend" (yes, the theme for The Golden Girls).


4. Marni Nixon appeared onscreen in The Sound of Music as Sister Sophia. She sang this line in "Maria": "She waltzes on her way to mass and whistles on the stair." You can hear Marni Nixon in the song clip below.  (She is second from the left in the picture.)

 5. Marni Nixon also appeared on To Tell The Truth in 1964. This is a really fun seven minute video of her appearance:



So there you have it ... a few fun movie musical tidbits for your day. Do you enjoy musicals? Have you seen any of the musicals mentioned here? I would love to hear from you in the comments, below.