 Chronicles of the Hudson River Valley #1 By Jean Jacobsen I love historical fiction and often wonder how different my own life would be living within the structures of society and its expectations. Don't get me wrong, it seems on the surface to be a simpler time, with no technology and dresses all day long being the norm. But being forced to marry because, as a woman, you can't work; you must get married or face destitution and ruin. That would be hard. And Clarissa Tanner is faced with just such a fate following the death of her parents. This book follows Clarissa and how she has to take such drastic measures to save her family's home and horse farm. Though I will admit, I would probably have done the same thing for my horses and dogs. But is she willing to marry someone solely to save her home? And what will a marriage of convenience cost her? But to accomplish her goal, she'll need help, and that is where Nicholas Granger comes in. A struggling artist who can help her polish her dance skills and provide a ready escort to both Clarissa and her grandmother, as they enter New York's Social Circle. But like so many things, there is more to Nicholas than is first apparent. And this is where the heart of the story comes in. So find a comfortable corner, have a cup of tea, and take a step back in time. This is a book that fans of clean romance and historical fiction will enjoy. It is one of those books that doesn't require deep thought, just some quiet. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jean Jacobsen's novel offers a beautifully descriptive and immersive portrayal of life in the 1800s, where societal norms dictated much of one's life. She weaves in historical elements that add depth and richness to the narrative. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Description: Tragedy brings them together. Will love tear them apart? New York City, 1832. Clarissa Tanner is carefree and lighthearted until the sudden death of her parents. Forced to pay off family debts or lose her horse farm, she's given one choice: auction off her beloved horses or reluctantly enter 1830s New York Society social season to face the dreaded marriage market. Nicholas is a man on a mission, searching for his missing brother. Fearing Liam may be the victim of foul play, Nicholas needs to keep a low profile while conducting his search. He takes a position as a dance instructor, providing refresher lessons to the beautiful but distracted Clarissa. Clarissa and Nicholas find a connection through grief and movement as they fight their attraction to one another. Will they give in to their desires and find true love or will family obligations keep them apart? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Meet the Author: Jean Jacobsen is an award-winning storyteller of Sweet, Historical Romance. Featuring strong female characters, roguish heroes, and 19th Century adventure tales. She pens stories that transcend the heart and always have a happy ending. Because of Jean’s deep passion for history, she includes real events from the time period, making her stories come to life as they transport you to a by-gone era. Join her on the next adventure. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author Q and A with Jean Jacobsen Q-What advice would you give to aspiring historical romance writers? A- My advice would be to read as much as you can in the genre and to do your research. There's so much history to explore, and the more you know, the better your writing will be. Also, don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. The best stories come from taking chances and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Q- How do you approach writing strong and independent female characters in a historical setting? A- The characters must be believable, not subservient. They each have their own personality. Q-What is your writing process like? A- I usually start with an idea or a character, and then I do a lot of research. I read books, watch movies, and visit museums to get a sense of the time and place. Then I start drafting, and I revise and edit until I'm happy with the story. I try to write every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Q-What do you think sets your books apart from other historical romances? A- I think what sets my books apart is the focus on adventure and action. I love a good romance as much as the next person, but I also want my readers to be on the edge of their seats, wondering what's going to happen next. I try to balance the romance with plenty of excitement and danger. Q- Can you share a sneak peek or hint about any future projects you are working on? A- “Liam,” a story about a missing brother in the Hudson River Valley, is straight out of the first book, “Clarissa.” He called to me to tell his story, which is quite an adventure of a treasure hunt and so much more! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tour Schedule: May 8 – Cover Lover Book Review– book spotlight / guest post / giveaway May 8 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway May 9 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight May 10 - FUONLYKNEW - book spotlight / author interview giveaway May 11 – Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway May 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review / giveaway May 12- Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway May 15 – MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway May 15 - Splashes of Joy - book review / giveaway May 16 – @regallywritten– book spotlight / giveaway May 17 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway May 18 – Celticlady's Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway May 19 – mamof9 – book spotlight May 19 - Diane’s Book Journal - book spotlight May 22 - Older & Smarter? – book review / author interview / giveaway May 22 – Novels Alive – book spotlight / giveaway May 22– Novels Alive – book review May 23 – Sandra's Book Club – book review May 23 - Locks, Hooks and Books - book review / giveaway May 24 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post / giveaway May 25 – Blooming with Books - book review / author interview / giveaway May 26 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway May 26 - Bizwings Book Blog – book review / giveaway May 26 - History from a Woman’s Perspective – book spotlight Enter the Giveaway: |
