historical fiction writer, amateur photographer, retired computer guru and math geek
The Psychological Landscape of the Civil War - an Editorial Review of Nostalgia from the Historical Fiction Company, By DK Marley Susannah Willey's "Nostalgia" is an enlightening historical novel that promises early a lasting impression. It uses the Civil War as both a setting and a psychological landscape where the battlefield is not only a … Continue reading Another Five-Star Review!
The Witches of Riegersburg, an historical novel by Julie Anne Stratton begins in the castle for which it is named. Located in southeastern Syria, Riegersburg castle is the site of the witch trials conducted between 1673-1675. It is 1664, and Baroness Elisabeth von Galler, the owner of the castle, is preparing for the celebration of … Continue reading Book Review–“The Witches of Riegersburg”, by Julie Anne Stratton
With my first draft of Nostalgia sent out to beta readers, I can finally take a breath and get caught up on my blog by writing a book review, specifically a review of Verity by Colleen Hoover. The story starts when Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling young novelist, is hired to complete the best-selling series written … Continue reading Coming Up For Air
I enjoy reading (and writing) historical fiction and, although I don't have the chops to write mystery, I love a good who-done-it. The Heron Legacy, by Leona Francombe is an exceptional example of both. As a teenager, Charles de la Fontaine loves spending summers with his uncle Theodore, a noted teacher and historian, at Antioch … Continue reading Book Review: “The Heron Legacy,” by Leona Francombe
Okay, I admit it. I wouldn’t have read The Circle of Ceridwen if I hadn't seen it offered as a freebie. But I downloaded it, and I read it, and now I'm hooked. Only eleven more books in the series! Of course I am an historical fiction freak, and I do especially love British historical … Continue reading Book Review: “The Circle of Ceridwen” by Octavia Randolph
Lana Granger is hiding a dark past: seven years ago her father murdered her mother, and Lana helped bury the body. She's changed her name, enrolled at an obscure college in upstate New York, a couple thousand miles from her home in Florida. Her father is in prison, on death row for a crime not … Continue reading Book Review: “In the Blood” by Lisa Unger
September 26, 2004. It is the opening night gala of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Attending is the renowned philanthropist and Auschwitz survivor, Elliot Rosenzweig. Nazi concentration camp survivor Ben Solomon is also there, but he has no intention of attending the opera. He is there, pistol in hand, to confront Mr. Rosenzweig.Ben Solomon knows … Continue reading Book Review: “Once We Were Brothers” by Ronald H. Balson
When we last saw Halya Bilyk in Erin Litteken's debut novel, The Memory Keeper of Kiev, she was only two years old. It was 1934 and she and her family were still recovering from the effects of the Holodomor, Stalin's attempt to eradicate the Ukranians via starvation. The sequel, The Lost Daughters of Ukraine, finds … Continue reading Book Review: “The Lost Daughters of Ukraine” by Erin Litteken
I rarely read non fiction. It's hard for me to pay close attention, I find myself having to re-read paragraphs, sometimes whole pages. But, in the case of The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hannah-Jones, I made an exception. It all started when... A few weeks ago, my granddaughter and I were discussing how little we … Continue reading Book Review: “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones
At Stane Hame, a first-century tribal village near Cullykhan Bay in Scotland, Mooragh, spiritual leader of the Caledonia tribe known as the Taezali, worships at the standing stone--the place where she hears the Goddess.* They communicate with visions: Mooragh is mute. She is also young--perhaps in her teens. Far too young to be a spiritual … Continue reading Book Review: Sisters at the Edge of the World, by Ailish Sinclair
Susannah Willey Writes 