Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace

Diamond Ruby Book Trailer

Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallce is slated to become this summer’s runaway hit!

It is the heart-wrenching tale of a young girl in early 20th century New York who experiences a brief but profound bout of happiness while sitting with her family at a baseball game at Ebbets Field while watching Brooklyn play the Yankees. When Casey Stengel strikes a foul ball, she catches it and her great love of baseball is born.

But the joy and peace she experienced that day was not to last.  Soon, her entire family succumbs to the Spanish Influenza epidemic sweeping the city. A child herself, she is left to raise her two very young nieces. Forced to forage for food to survive, Ruby becomes adept at killing squirrels and pigeons to feed themselves. Living on the streets makes her shrewd, fearless, and audacious. Her long arms give her a strong throw and she soon learns that she can pitch a baseball with accuracy and greater force than most professional pitchers. Not only does her talent attract the attention of an array of friends from Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, it also draws gangsters, rum runners, and discreditable carnival operators who are all set to exploit her talent for their own benefit. What results is a page turning, gripping tale of wit, corruption, and ultimate survival that is unputdownable!

Based on true historical events, Diamond Ruby is an unforgettable character that both men and women will readily identify with. She is a young woman who struggles and overcomes insurmountable adversity. No sooner does she escape one evil wrongdoer, when another one appears or returns to threaten her and her nieces. And this is what keeps the reader enthralled to the very last page.  

Filled with heart-wrenching conflict, Joseph Wallace has penned a fantastic debut novel. An aficionado of baseball history, he has credibly recreated New York’s exciting 1920’s complete with all its famous personages and major news occurrences. The writing is unencumbered and invisible, allowing the reader to immerse themselves fully into the story. It is an endearing tale of an inspiring young woman who battles her way through a man’s world and wins. If there is one book you plan on buying this summer – then this must be it! It is sure to please.

Interview with the Author

FREE - A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe

A Sicilian Romance is one of our all time favourite classic novels. 

The story is about the the turbulent history of the fallen aristocrats of the house of Mazzini, on the northern shore of Sicily, as related by a tourist who becomes intrigued by the stories of a monk he meets in the ruins of their doomed castle.

The novel explores the "cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine passages of Sicily's castles and convents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy. Download for free: A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe

Contest Winner - Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to read and leave their comments last week during our feature of Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran.

We're proud to announce the winner is:

Soft Fuzzy Sweater!

A message has been sent to her so we can get the book sent out.

Again, we appreciate everyone who visited and hope that you'll stop by again to enter more exciting contets. 

Shadow Song by Lorina Stephens

Shadow Song by Lorina Stephens

In the early 19th century, young Danielle Fleming is the daughter of a wealthy aristocratic mother and English overlord. Danielle is possessed with the gift of vision to prophesize the future. It is a gift shunned by English society, but one that will be welcomed in the future by a new civilization in a new world.  

In England, Danielle's family is plagued by her uncle who lives in the wilds of Upper Canada and is determined to destroy them. Bit by bit, he plunges Danielle and her parents into extreme poverty. After the death of her parents, young Danielle is placed on a ship bound for Canada to live as a ward of the man who she holds responsible for her parent's death and who has devastated her life. Soon after she arrives, she encounters Shadow Song, a powerful Indian Shaman who takes an interest in her and protects her.

For Danielle, life with her malevolent uncle proves anything but easy. She struggles daily to keep safe from him.  When his depraved morality and crimes are exposed, Danielle is forced to flee. She finds refuge with Shadow Song and his native family. In a clash of cultures, Danielle struggles for acceptance and comes of age in a foreign world.

Shadow Song is a deeply moving, highly descriptive emotive story about a young woman who overcomes adversity and finds true, meaningful love. The story is much more powerful than a standard romance, however. Lorina Stephens captures the essence of the harsh life of settlers in Canada and shows us the beauty of aboriginal life. One of the plotlines to the story is based upon true historical facts about the disappearance of four youths.

Shadow Song was a beautifully written story, one that was well researched as it pertains to the lives of settlers in the wilds of Upper Canada. Lorina Stephens' prose is lyrical and evokes emotion.  The tale was poignant with memorable characters and a story line that immediately drew me into its folds.  A wonderful addition to Canadian literature.

From Mountains of Ice by Lorina Stephens

From Mountains of Ice by Lorina Stephens

This historical fantasy sweeps the reader into an Italian fantasy world set in the time of the Renaissance. At the center of this tale is the tiny kingdom of Simare. Sylvio di Danuto is a respected nobleman, the much respected family friend and advisor to Simare’s king. Sylvio possesses the ability to commune with the dead whenever he holds a human bone in his hand. Hence he is known as a “bone-speaker”. He makes bows of bone and many who hold the bows believe the spirit of the dead speak to them.  

Through a strange twist, the king is usurped by his son, Prince Carmello. The brash youth strips Sylvio of his ancestral home and lands, banishes Sylvio, and then proceeds to neglect the country and rule with cruelty and greed. After many years, for unknown reasons, the Prince summons him back to Simare.  Cautiously he returns, but soon finds his life is in grave danger.

Lorina Stephens pens a fascinating historical fantasy, but it is much more than a tale of adventure. It is a classic battle against good vs evil and the ability of one man to overcome adversity against an insane, power-driven ruler. The Italian setting gave it a sense of realism, which I very much enjoyed. The author’s writing style is lyrical and emotive, making the story enjoyable and credible with its vibrant descriptions and introspection. In essence, this is a grand story, richly told.

Interview with Vanitha Sankaran

Welcome, Vanitha.  I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading Watermark and how happy I am to be working with you on this blog and your featured author week. 

Can you tell us what your debut novel, WATERMARK, is about?

Certainly. I’d like to thank you for this great opportunity; I’m happy to be here!  Watermark is the story of how Auda, a mute girl kept away from the rest of society finds her voice through writing poetry on her father’s paper. As Auda searches for her place in the world, she meets some powerful, and often dangerous people: the town’s rulers, the Archbishop, a group of heretics, and a mysterious young artist who captures her heart. In looking for a way to express her own voice, Auda must figure out who and what is important to her, and what she is willing to fight for.  However, Watermark is also the story of paper itself and how it found a place in Western society.

What made you decide to write a novel about papermaking?

Paper has always fascinated me, even when I was a child. A blank sheet of paper offers so many possibilities for storytelling. My search for the story behind papermaking focused primarily on its spread during the Middle Ages. Papermaking was introduced to Europe, through Spain, at a time when the Catholic Church had a stranglehold on the masses. They were largely seen to be corrupt, but they controlled the parchment supply, and thus could control the flow of information.

But then here comes paper, which was far more affordable than parchment and offered the general populace a cheap means to pass along their ideas to a larger audience. This scared the church and nobility—the idea of a literate public was a frightening thing. Of course, the inclusion of paper in common culture had a variety of other effects, such as the move from oral to written storytelling, which in turn led to books that were not only didactic but could be written and read for fun!

The title Watermark is very intriguing. Can you tell us why you chose it?

The idea of watermarks plays a central role in the story. Like the colophon of a book, or the brand of a leatherworker, watermarks were used to identify who made a sheet of paper, what studio or mill it came from. It’s been hypothesized that watermarks were used for one papermaker to identify another as like-minded in thought and philosophy. And of course, Auda herself is marked by water—she is named for the river Aude, which had a huge presence in her life.

Other reviewers have commented on the tremendous detail in Watermark. Can you comment on the research that went into writing the book?

For me, the beauty of historical fiction comes from the way you can immerse yourself in a different world, learning new things as you experience them in the story. I have a strong logical side as well as a thriving creative side, so blending both talents made writing this book so much fun. My research took about four years or so and ranged from traditional book study, more adventurous efforts such as making paper on the balcony of my apartment using medieval techniques, to taking a trip to southern France in order to get a detailed sense of the time and place. I am reminded of a question I received early in my writing career: You talk about a vendor selling meat pies—how does he keep them hot? I thought: Well, I don’t know but I’m certainly going to find out!

I do have to say that in order for me to feel immersed in a scene, I have to write tons of description so I can keep setting and blocking straight. Not all of that makes it into the final work, but where possible, I try to paint a vivid picture for the reader.

What makes this a book that people MUST read?

The introduction of paper in Western society was the start of an inquisition by the people: who was telling them how to live, what to believe, how to act, and really, did they deserve that position of power? Society today is experiencing a similar upheaval. Anyone who has access to a computer can now reach out to a worldwide audience. Much like in our medieval past, there is a frenzy of excitement about the leveling of the playing field. And as the reader, we now have a world full of voices clamoring for our attention. As in times past, we now have to look at the criteria we use to judge the worth of a communication, whether we accept it as truth or distrust the message and the messenger.

Of course, I also think the story of Watermark is compelling in its own right, with characters that are multi-faceted and issues that are not easily soluble.

What are you working on now?

My current work-in-progress takes place about a hundred and fifty years after Watermark and is set in the city of Venice. Under the working title, The Golden Book, the story concerns the use of the printing press to promote Humanism, a philosophy that was hotly debated during the Renaissance. While the Church has little influence in the city at this time, Venice’s dreaded Council of Ten keeps an eye on all of its citizens, and takes action where it will.

Can you tell us where to find more information about you and how readers can reach you?

You can visit me at my website, www.vanithasankaran.com, where you’ll find an excerpt from Watermark, links to reviews of the book, and news about upcoming appearances. Readers can contact me via email at info@vanithasankaran.com and find me on Facebook and Twitter (@Vanitha_S). I am also happy to appear at local book group discussions or to participate virtually via Skype or telephone. Please do contact me—I love to hear from my readers!

Thank you again for hosting me.

Watermark - Book Review

In Narbonne, France, in the year 1320, a midwife and her apprentice aid a woman in the desperate throes of childbirth. The baby lies trapped in her belly and the mother is faced with a terrible decision - cut the baby from her belly or both she and the child will die. But when the child is sprung from the womb, it is evident there is something amiss with the child who is born with unnaturally white skin and odd-coloured eyes. Believing the child is from the devil, the apprentice flees with the newborn to the river where she cuts out the baby's tongue, silencing it from ever speaking the devil's words.

Mute, Auda grows to womanhood in a time fraught with the dangers of the Inquisition. Her father, a scribe, skilled in the new art of papermaking, teaches her to read and write. Writing affords her an escape from the realities of her harsh life, giving voice to the thoughts she cannot speak. She aids him in producing the paper which is more affordable than parchment. Whenever he takes her out into the world, she is careful to cover her albino skin with hood and mantle for fear of catching the attention of the Inquisitors.

When their new art of papermaking comes to the attention of the vicomtesse, she takes Auda into her household as her personal scribe. Auda's newfound independence leads her into trouble, however, when she is accosted by a mob who believe she is a witch. A young artist comes to her rescue and love soon blossoms between them.

As Auda's writing grows bolder, the vicomtesse encourages her, even though her work is considered heretical and in support of the intelligence and power of women. But the arms of the Inquisition are long and Auda and her father find themselves captured, facing a bleak, almost incomprehensible fate at their hands.

Watermark is the poignant, multi-faceted tale of a mute albino woman who must navigate a path in a world fraught with intolerance, suspicion, and fear. Vivid with description and details, from the very first chapter, the reader finds themselves immersed in the story. The art of papermaking has been carefully researched and described, relaying a strong understanding of how paper replaced parchment and ultimately changed writing and reading forever. The terror brought by the Church and the Inquisition, is also a major source of conflict within the novel and is believably represented.

But it is the heart-rending tale of a horribly disadvantaged young woman that is at the true heart of this story. Papermaking and scribing offer consolation to her muteness and state as an albino, which force her to live in seclusion and on the fringes of a society who will never accept her. Through vivid language and in depth descriptions, Vanitha Sankaran nudges the emotion and credibility out of the story, making the reader truly understand the complexities of this turbulent era through the thoughts, dialogues, and actions of her characters.

Watermark is a delightful, engaging tale about determination, perseverance, love, and forgiveness.