Today’s Featured Read

Tags

cheap ebook, Egypt, historical fiction, The Nile, Travel books, Whispers In The Sand

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is Whispers in the Sand by Barbara Erskine

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 4 star rating at only $1.99!

“The chapters of the story are told in alternating voices; Anna Fox, as she is on her cruise in Egypt as a vacation away from the stress of her life, of Louisa, Anna’s great-grandmother who took a similar cruise in the Victorian era and lastly the ghosts of the dead priests. All these stories combine to tell a powerful spooky story of love, hate, evil, curse’s on ancient relics and secrets of a diary. The way that the author told the story had me immersed from the first page and I could not wait to pick it up again, even staying up late to finish it. The research is impeccable and the writing is easy to read, I felt like I was right there with Anna as she discovers more of her great-grandmother’s story. I give this book 5 stars and I highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction and specifically the Egyptian era. You will not be disappointed!”  –Kathleen Kelly (Amazon Review)

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Recently divorced, Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a Nile cruise her great-great-grandmother, Louisa, made in the mid-nineteenth century. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions-an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise, a diary that hasn’t been read in a hundred years. As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful love story from the Victorian past-and the chilling, more distant secret of the little glass bottle. Meanwhile, two men on the cruise are developing an unfriendly rivalry for Anna’s attention-and a disturbing interest in Louisa’s things. Most frightening of all, Anna finds herself the victim of a threat that grows in strength and darkness as the dramatic stories from three different eras intertwine along the mysterious waters of the Nile.

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Purchase Whispers In The Sand: click here

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About The Author

My interest in history began with my own family.   My mother’s parents had  lived out in India – my grandfather’s family  having been  there for some 200 years  serving with the East India Company and in the Indian Army.

My grandmother’s family came from  the wilds of south west Ireland but she met and married my grandfather in India and there my mother and my aunt were born. By the time I was born they were all back in England, but I still remember the exotic cedar- lined trunks in my grandparents’ attic, the silk saris, the delicate gold and silver stitched slippers which were sent  as gifts to their grandchildren from Indian friends  and colleagues, the wonderful exotic smells of spices and incense arising from those treasure chests, big enough for  a small child to dive into .

My father, romantically, met my mother on the squash court in Sussex where he was stationed as a Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot. His family
combined two wonderfully  contrasted  heritages.  Two hundred years of clergymen (mostly  – though some were ‘yeomen’ and presumably yeowomen and some ‘gentlemen’ and gentlewomen ) living on the borders of Essex and Suffolk in what must have been a Jane Austen-type lifestyle of utter respectability, with a wild and aristocratic castle-dwelling bloodline from the mountains and moors  of northeast  Scotland.

My great aunt was the family genealogist and from her I learned my love of those ancient tales and my fascination with a family tree which began  on one side with ‘the heiress of the Picts’ (a lady so ancient she had no remembered name) and , oh yes, if we believe the story, a direct descent along with many thousands of others, of course, from THE bloodline of Da Vinci-code fame!  That realisation rocked the more sober clergy genes, as did the revelation that one of the ancestors of the Erskines was no less an entity than the god Woden!

My love of history has remained. I studied Scottish history at Edinburgh University and  it was there that I began (and temporarily abandoned) my first attempt at a  novel – the story which would one day become Kingdom of Shadows. Later while I worked for an  educational publisher and then as a freelance researcher for books on art and history I began to sell short stories and to dream about becoming a full-time writer  with a handful of historical Mills & Boons – a wonderful training in professionalism and  in coming to terms with  the horror of the deadline. At the same time while I was living in the Black Mountains near Hay-on-Wye in the Welsh  Border March I started working on the research  for Lady of Hay, at first as a part-time hobby and a barely formed idea, then with more and more urgency.   Exactly ten years after I  first roughed out the story line,  the book  was finally published. That same year I found myself to my amazement and total terror  talking about it on prime time TV and later doing a coast to coast tour of the USA. What had  my dreams got me into (see pic on right. Her research).

To learn more about this author, visit http://www.barbara-erskine.co.uk/index.htm

Today’s Featured Read

Tags

cheap ebooks, ebook, Elizabeth Kaye, historical fiction, Non-Fiction about Titanic, The Titanic

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is Lifeboat No. 8: An Untold Tale of Love, Loss, and Surviving the Titanic by Elizabeth Kaye

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 4.5 star rating at only $1.99!

“I am a Titanic fanatic — have been since my long-ago childhood. Finding a new book that breaths life into the final moments on the “Great Ship” is a wondrous 100th anniversary treat. Odd to say this is a page-turner — maybe we need a new name for Kindle can’t-put-it-down reads. Maybe this is a screen turner! No better way to rekindle fascination with the Titanic if it has been a fascination or to start one up if fascination has for some reason been lacking. In other words, a smash! (Pun sort of intended!)”  –Peggy (Amazon Review)

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When the Titanic started sinking, who would make it off alive? The two cousins who had been so eager to see their first iceberg? The maid who desperately tried to escape with the baby in her care? The young newlyweds who’d booked passage despite warnings not to?

One hundred years after that disastrous and emblematic voyage, Elizabeth Kaye reveals the extraordinary, little-known story behind one of the first lifeboats to leave the doomed ship.

Told in real time and in the actual voices of survivors, Kaye’s poignant, pulse-pounding narrative includes the story of the Countess of Rothes, the wealthiest woman on the ship, bound for California, where she and her husband planned to start an orange farm. It was the Countess, dressed in ermine and pearls, who took command of Lifeboat No. 8, rowing for hours through the black and icy water. In the words of one of the Titanic’s crew, she was “more of a man than any we have on board.”

At the heart of Kaye’s tale is a budding romance between the Countess’s maid, Roberta Maioni, and the Titanic’s valiant wireless operator, Jack Phillips. While Roberta made it safely onto Lifeboat No. 8, holding nothing but a photo of Jack she had run back to her cabin to retrieve, he remained on the ship, where he would send out the world’s first SOS signal. But would it be received in time to save his life?

Surviving that fateful night in the North Atlantic was not the end of the saga for those aboard Lifeboat No 8. Kaye reveals what happened to each passenger and crew member and how the legendary maritime disaster haunted them forever. A century later, we’re still captivated by the Titanic and its passengers. With its skillful use of survivors’ letters, diaries, and testimonies, “Lifeboat No. 8” adds a dramatic new chapter to the ongoing story.

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Purchase Lifeboat No. 8: click here


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About The Author

To see more works by this author, visit their Amazon page here.

Today’s Featured Read

Tags

Free ebook, historical fiction, Ireland based books, Ireland in fiction, The Blood Upon a Rose, Tim Vicary, UK authors

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is The Blood Upon the Rose by Tim Vicary

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 5 star rating for FREE!

“I would recommend this book to all who enjoy historical novels and to all who want to understand a little more about the Irish whose cry has always been for Freedom! I think the internal struggles the girl goes through is representative of the turmoil of the people who are caught up in the struggles. There is pain and anger and death, but there is beauty too. There are also many surprises in the book. I read it from cover to cover in one night as the story really drew me in. ” –Cher22 (Amazon Review)

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Ireland in 1919 is seething with violence, tension and divided loyalties – and so is the heart of the beautiful, wilful heiress Catherine O’Connell-Gort. For Catherine, by heritage, is a glittering symbol of British rule and oppression – yet by inclination she is a traitor to her class. A fervent supporter of Sinn Fein, she is also the secret lover of Sean Brennan, an IRA volunteer who is being hunted by the police for terrorism and murder.

When the British government decides to meet terror with terror, Catherine finds herself in a position of even greater conflict. Her father, a colonel in British Military Intelligence, recruits Major Andrew Butler, battle-scarred war hero and Irish landlord, to assassinate IRA leader Michael Collins. He also decides that the dashing major would make the perfect husband for his headstrong daughter …

In a violent climax ofpassion, guilt and betrayal, while her country hurtles towards civil war, Catherine faces and a agonising choice as she makes her final, fateful decision.

Purchase A Game of Proof (US): click here

Purchase in the UK: click here

About The Author

Tim Vicary is a university teacher at the Norwegian Study Centre at the university of York, England. He has recently published the kindle editions of three legal thrillers in ‘The Trials of Sarah Newby’ series, and a historical novel ‘The Blood Upon the Rose’ set in 1920 Ireland. He has also written children’s books, and about twenty graded readers for foreign learners of English in the Oxford Bookworms series, published by Oxford University Press. In 2010 one of these, Titanic, was the winner in its category for the Language Learner Literature Award for the Extensive Reading Foundation, and another one, The Everest Story, is a finalist this year.

Tim lives in the English countryside, near York. When he’s not writing he likes horse-riding, cycling, and swimming. Perhaps because he’s now a grandfather, he has recently become fascinated by dinosaurs, and an OUP book about Dinosaurs will come out later this year.

To learn more about this author, visit http://www.timvicary.com/

Today’s Featured Read

Tags

Annette Mackey, cheapreads, Class Collision, fiction, free book, historical fiction, series

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is Class Collision: Fall From Grace by Annette Mackey

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 5 star rating at only 99 Cents!

“I was caught up with the characters of this story within the first few pages. The intensity of the personalities of each character grew with the turn of each page. I found myself reading at a fast pace so I could be involved with the next experience that would surface. The story line became an emotion. I felt, angry, joy, saddness, despair, excitement, hate, fear, happiness, sympathy, and so many other feelings. The characters become family and I wanted the best for them. Every free moment was taken up with reading more of this story. Without looking at the end I tried to imagine what would take place next in the lives of the characters. With reqret the ending brought me to a feeling of exuberance only to learn that I must wait for the sequel. Look for me in line as soon as the sequel is available. Ms. Mackey is a don’t miss author. ” MayJaque (Amazon Review)

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When worlds collide …

Born to wealth and privilege, ten-year-old David, arguably the most spoiled, obnoxious kid alive, finds his greatest enjoyment tormenting the maid. That is… until he is kidnapped for ransom and left for dead. Thrown into a world he knows nothing about, he spends the next several years in an orphanage where his claims to fame and fortune fuel years of torment. Finally, he escapes, hoping to make it back home. Instead, he meets Linda. Having lived among boys for so long, he doesn’t know how to handle his feelings for her. She is both irritating and intoxicating. Not that it matters. With looks like hers, every boy in the county is chasing her, and David, with his scraggly clothes and long hair doesn’t stand a chance. Then, when circumstances push them together, they both find that sometimes, people aren’t always what they seem.

Set during the Great Depression, Class Collision: Fall From Grace will transport you to a simpler time, filled with heartache and unexpected love.

Gold winner – Readers Favorite Book Awards

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Purchase Class Collision: click here


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About The Author

My first novel, Class Col­li­sion: Fall From Grace was pub­lished in Sep­tem­ber, 2010 by Out­skirts Press. In June of 2011 it was repub­lished by Man­dolin Pub­lish­ing. The sequel, Class Col­li­sion: Phoenix Ris­ing was also pub­lished by Man­dolin Pub­lish­ing in June 2011.

To learn more about this author, visit http://annettemackey.com/

Today’s Featured Read

Tags

99 Cents, cheap ebooks, ebook, historical fiction, kindle, Marlen Suyapa, The Wedding Gift

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Boden

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 4.5 star rating at only 99 Cents!

“Fantastic book. I couldn’t put it down. Great surprise ending–I never saw it coming. If you like historical fiction, this book is a vivid, and sometimes heartbreaking, portrayal of early American slavery and the oppression of women. You can tell this book is well researched, but the impressive part is how seamlessly it is woven into the story. I can’t wait to tell my friends about this book.”  –Jenifer Langdon (Amazon Review)

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When wealthy plantation owner Cornelius Allen marries off his daughter Clarissa, he presents her with a wedding gift: a young slave woman called Sarah. It just so happens that Sarah is Allen’s daughter as well, the product of a long-term sexual relationship with his slave Emmeline. When Clarissa’s husband rejects her newborn son as illegitimate and sends Clarissa and Sarah back to the Allens, their return sets in motion a series of events that will destroy the once-powerful family. Told through the alternating view points of Sarah and Theodora Allen, Cornelius’s wife, The Wedding Gift shines a glaring light on the brutality of slavery in the antebellum South.

Based on a court case in 19th century Alabama, The Wedding Gift draws readers into the complex world of American slavery and provides an unflinching account of the tactics used to control women, slave and free. This compelling historical novel twists and turns through the wealthy planter and merchant societies of Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, and New York, culminating in the British West Indies, where its controversial and shocking conclusion is sure to leave readers aghast.

Purchase The Wedding Gift: click here

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About The Author

Marlen Suyapa Bodden is a lawyer in New York City. She has more than two decades’ experience representing poor people and low-wage and immigrant workers, many of whom are severely underpaid, if paid at all. She drew on her knowledge of modern and historical slavery, human trafficking, and human rights abuses to write The Wedding Gift, her first novel. Marlen is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Tufts University.

The reader may contact Marlen Bodden at: marlensuyapa@optimum.net or PO Box 906, Stamford, CT 06904, and visit her website at: http://www.marlenbodden.com/ for the history behind The Wedding Gift in photographs, illustrations, maps, and a bibliography.

Today’s Featured Read

Tags

cheap ebooks, Darwin, Darwin's Dream, ebook, fiction, historical fiction, Indie author, Indie book, kindle, literary fiction, Sean Hoade

The Cheap Kindle Daily read is Darwins Dreams: A Novel by Sean Hoade

The genre is Historical Fiction with a 5 star rating at only $2.99!

“Every facet of this book is interesting and builds upon the others. Hoade treats his subject with great respect and a good deal of humor, while allowing the reader to explore the views of many men on the nature of man, life, and descent. If you want an intellectually stimulating and exciting book, allow Hoade to take you on a speculative tour of Darwin’s most private ambitions, fears, and sorrows. You will enjoy the ride.” –P. Dexter (Amazon Review)

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In 1831, when Charles Darwin joins Robert FitzRoy’s HMS Beagle for a five-year voyage, the budding naturalist is a 22-year-old unknown, while the Captain is at 26 one of the brightest stars of the Royal Navy, a descendant of Charles II. By 1865, Darwin is world famous, and FitzRoy is a bitter footnote of history, known only for his role in aiding Darwin’s earth-shaking observations.

This is the story of these two men as their faith, ideas, and reputations clash, meld, and fight for supremacy. Told through their decades-long friendship and rivalry, each step in their journey is interlaced with powerful visions Darwin dreams of the many ways life might evolve, as well as with his nightmares just before waking, in the antemeridian of early morning.

With Darwin’s Dreams, author Sean Hoade explores the poetry of science; the nonlinear dance of imagination; and the cruelty that life can bring to even the noblest of men.

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Purchase Darwin’s Dream: A Novel: click here


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About The Author

Sean Hoade lives with his wife and two cats near the University of Alabama, where he teaches classes on creative writing, English composition, American literature, Buddhism, zombies, superheroes, the Apocalypse, and more. He is the author of the novel Ain?t that America and has had fiction and poetry published in magazines such as Carve and horse less review as well as in the Wisdom Books anthology You Are Not Here and Other Works of Buddhist Fiction. He welcomes interesting e-mail at seanhoade@gmail.com.