10/24/2020 The Light at Wyndcliff Blog Tour - Enjoy an Excerpt and Enter the Giveaway

The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd

Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Thomas Nelson

Paperback & eBook; 352 Pages

Series: The Cornwall Novels, Book 3

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency/Christian

Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham.

Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.

Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.

Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them—and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

REVIEW:

The Light at Wyndcliff is an amazing and beautifully written book I thoroughly enjoyed. Sarah E. Ladd’s writing and very well researched novel transported me to 1820’s Cornwall in this amazing Historical Fiction novel. The setting, the dialogue and the story line was on point and that really made this read so enjoyable for me. The world building was perfection. Though this was my first book in the series, I felt that I enjoyed it as a stand alone. Because I enjoyed this so much and now a Sarah E Ladd fan, I am definitely jumping into the first two books ASAP! 

The depth of the characterization was fabulously written and I was completely immersed with the storyline. Liam just inherited Wyndcliff Hall and with a little bit of mystery, suspense and some romance into the mix which I really enjoyed. Liam working with Evelyn Bray to work out the mystery of a recent shipwreck and the drama was really wonderful.

Overall, this was a wonderfully written novel that I was fully immersed into the story, the characters, and I loved the setting and the timeframe this was written in. The beautiful writing and exceptionally researched historical fiction really brought this world to life with characters I absolutely loved reading about. I highly recommend this entire series for historical fiction fans.

 

About the Author

Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in era. It wasn’t until 2010 that Ladd began writing seriously. Shortly after, Ladd released the first book in the Whispers on the Moors series. Book one of the series, The Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 ACFW Genesis Award for historical romance. Ladd also has more than ten years of marketing experience. She holds degrees in public relations and marketing and lives in Indiana with her family and spunky Golden Retriever.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 13
Review at Hallie Reads
Feature at Momfluenster

Wednesday, October 14
Review at McCombs on Main
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Review at Probably at the Library

Thursday, October 15
Review at Jessica Belmont

Friday, October 16
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review & Excerpt at Bookworlder
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Sunday, October 18
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Monday, October 19
Review at Book Bustle

Tuesday, October 20
Review at Books and Zebras
Review at Robin Loves Reading
Review at Into the Hall of Books

Wednesday, October 21
Review at The Lit Bitch

Thursday, October 22
Review at Faery Tales Are Real
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Friday, October 23
Review at Lu Reviews Books

Saturday, October 24
Review & Excerpt at Nursebookie

Monday, October 26
Review at The Caffeinated Bibliophile
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Tuesday, October 27
Review at Captivated Reading

Wednesday, October 28
Review at Heidi Reads

Thursday, October 29
Review at YA, it's Lit

Friday, October 30
Review at A Darn Good Read
Review at Read Review Rejoice

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 copies of The Light at Wyndcliff! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Light at Wyndcliff 

 

Excerpt

Chapter 14

Evelyn braced her feet in the sand, standing still and straight on the shoreline, refusing to sway with the gusts as the wind tore at her gown and her unbound hair. Determined to ignore the shiver of cold that began in her chest and flowed to her limbs, she watched in breathless anticipation and fear as the mayhem unfolded before her.

How familiar it was. How terribly, eerily, chillingly familiar. The sight was much too familiar, especially as of late, and each instance hit close to her heart.

Perhaps the men would rescue someone. Perhaps not.

She could not help but wonder if the situation had been the same all those years ago when her father had lost his life assisting in a rescue. She’d been too young to understand then, and no one ever spoke of it, especially her grandfather, but with every shipwreck she saw, it seemed a little bit more of him was taken from her.

A man ran past, nearly knocking her down. She stumbled backward into Bertie and some of the other women gathered.

The excise men could not be aware of the shipwreck yet. Otherwise uniformed men would make their presence known and there would be more order, or at least more discretion, among the villagers racing to grab whatever they could.

Aye, several men were attempting to rescue survivors presumably still aboard, but as she looked farther down shore, dawn’s faint glow cast light on men and women who were equally intent upon reaching the crates and debris being pushed onto the shore and into the arms of those waiting to receive them.

She turned her attention back to the men forming the lifeline. It was not raining now, and a figure clad in white appeared in the distance.

Her pulse jumped, and she stepped toward the water so the waves lapped at her skirts. She shielded her eyes against bits of sand caught in the gale and watched as the bundle was passed slowly down the rope until the very last man carried the small body over one shoulder to the shoreline. He dropped to his knees and lowered the body to the ground.

Evelyn rushed forward and stooped next to the tiny body, fearing what she might see. It was a child. A girl. And her breath came in great, airy gulps. Black eyes stared up at her, wide and wild, from a ghostly white face. Long streaks of black hair clung to her forehead, her cheeks, her neck. Her blue lips shivered, but raspy breaths, gasping coughs, and darting glances confirmed she was alive. The child struggled to sit up, but Evelyn put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Dr. Smith, the mining surgeon, pushed past Evelyn and knelt by the girl. “Are you hurt, child? What is your name?”

The child did not respond but shivered violently. The bottom of her white gown was torn, and it clung to her tiny body. She wore no boots, no stockings.

One of the women lifted a light behind the surgeon so he could assess the child’s condition. After several moments he sat back. “I think she’s all right, just stunned most likely, but we must get her dry and warm. Take her back to Wyndcliff. I’ll stay here. I think there are more coming. Can you carry her, Miss Bray, or shall I call one of the men?”

Evelyn looked back to the men, lit only by lantern light and torchlight and a faint sliver of moonlight through the rolling clouds. They were engaged along the rope for another rescue and were needed here. She nodded. “We’ll manage.”

She took the child’s shivering shoulders in her hands and looked at her. “You must hold on to me tightly, just for a while, then you will be able to rest, I promise.”

The child did not respond. Her teeth chattered, but she did as bid. She wrapped her arms about Evelyn’s neck and her legs around her waist as much as her trembling limbs would allow. Evelyn’s own wet skirts hindered her walking, and already at the edge of the beach her muscles burned with the effort.

Slowly but surely they made their way back up the crag where the beach gave way to a copse of trees and then to moorland. Fortunately the child clutched her as if her very life depended on it, as it very well may have, easing some of the burden of the weight.

Evelyn climbed the rocks, her skirts catching on the crags and the brush. Before her, the lights of Wyndcliff blazed, and she fixed her sights on it, placing one foot in front of the other.

The kitchen light shone like a beacon, calling to her, urging her to hurry. After what seemed an eternity, they burst through the door, breathless and windblown, and Marnie whirled to face them. “Merciful heavens! What be this?” She reached out and accepted the girl.

Evelyn’s arms and legs burned from the physical exertion. Her own limbs trembled with the cold, and she knelt on the flagstone floor before the fire. “We must get her warm.”

Book Review: Auschwitz Syndrome and Author Interview with Ellie Midwood

TITLE: Auschwitz Syndrome
Series: Women and The Holocaust Book 3
PUB DATE: 10/11/2019
PUBLISHER: Ellie Midwood
GENRE: Historical Fiction WWII
364 pages


SYNOPSIS:
Germany, 1947.

A strange case scheduled for the Denazification Court lands on the desk of an American psychiatrist currently serving in Germany, Dr. Hoffman.

A former Auschwitz guard, Franz Dahler, is set to appear in court, and he has requested to bring the most unexpected witness to testify in his defense - one of his former inmates and current wife, Helena.

As soon as one of the newly emerging Nazi hunters and former Auschwitz inmate, Andrej Novák, recognizes the officer’s name, he demands a full investigation of Dahler’s crimes, claiming that the former SS man was not only abusing Helena in the camp but is also using her as a ploy to escape prosecution.

Silent, subdued, and seemingly dependent on her husband’s every word, Helena appears to be a classic victim of abuse, and possibly more of an aid to the prosecution instead of the defense.

As she begins giving her testimony, Dr. Hoffman finds himself more and more confused at the picture that gradually emerges before his eyes; a perpetrator is claimed to be the savior and the accuser, the criminal.

The better Dr. Hoffman gets to know each participant, the more he begins to question himself; whether he’s facing a most unimaginable love story, or a new and still-nameless psychological disorder affecting the very manner in which Helena sees the events of the past.

Partially based on a true story, this deeply psychological, haunting novel will take you back in time to the heart of Auschwitz and post-war Germany, and will keep you guessing the true motive of each side.


THOUGHTS/REVIEW: This was such a well written and well researched story about Helena and Franz, an unlikely love story that must be shared with everyone. This is a remarkable story of a young SS guard Franz who saved Helena and her sister from the gas chamber. How these two end up falling in love, when their utmost being was taught to hate each other, in the circumstance they were in, where sickness, brutality and murder are happening at every turn.


 I felt that this story gives a glimmer of hope, and highlights the miracle of love that can come from the horrors of the WWII death camp, Auschwitz. Midwood crafted beautifully, and with utmost care and compassion, a fictional tale based on true stories. I was moved by her writing though the circumstances were horrifying and unimaginable. In Helena's words, "we should never forget".


This was an amazing read for me and one that a highly recommend.



AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

1. When did the transformation happen from being an avid reader about WWII and Holocaust History to writing about it? – In my early twenties. I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember (I think my first attempt was in first-grade) but I've only concentrated solely on WW2 in my early twenties. I felt that I was finally ready to dive into that era.

2. The subject matter of the Auschwitz Syndrome is indeed heavy and emotional for the reader. I could only imagine what it would be like for you as a writer. What is your writing process like, as you creatively build these stories based on these real-life events? – Writing novels based on true stories is a huge responsibility. It demands a lot of work from an author even before they get to the actual writing. It's my responsibility to get everything right and I always try my best to research every single setting, every single event, to the best of my ability, so I get even the tiniest details right. I learned about Helena and Franz's story a long time ago but I only felt emotionally ready to write it all down last spring. By then, I had read countless memoirs written by Auschwitz survivors, read studies that dealt with their particular story and dug out as many photos and witness' testimonies as I could. When I felt like I knew them both personally, after doing all that research, I set to writing their story. It was an emotional experience for me personally, as I had to virtually put myself in their shoes – the victim and the perpetrator – for a few months but I'm glad I did it. Such stories definitely need to be told so that history doesn't repeat itself.

3. Have you made any literary pilgrimages for the books you have written? How important is it to visit those places you write about? – Unfortunately, all of my books are set "across the pond" and, so far, I could only “virtually” visit those places, via photos and documentaries filmed there. I did, however, visit an Auschwitz Exhibition that is currently still here in NYC and couldn't be more grateful for that experience. It's in my plans to visit all of those places that I've written about (and plan to write about), in the future and especially the camps.

4. As a linguistics major, what was an early experience where you learned that language had power? – To me, studying foreign languages and cultures always represented the ultimate expression of freedom. The more you learn about different cultures, the more you realize that we're all one big family and the more you understand that racism, xenophobia, and bigotry stems from narrow-mindedness and a desire to isolate oneself from the rest of the world. "This is my part of the land; only people like me can live here; I don't want anyone 'different' here; 'different' is bad, only my kind is good." It sounds like Nazi Germany, right? But it's been this way from the dawn of mankind and it's still here; this isolationist view that promotes nothing but hatred for diversity. The more a person travels, the more they learn about others – including different religions, traditions, history, etc. – the more they understand how every single culture is so closely connected to the other and that hating each other, for our differences, makes virtually no sense. So, in my personal opinion, the more we learn about each other, the better it is for humanity in general. Studying foreign languages not only helps us communicate with each other but also understand each other better, cultural-wise, and it's definitely something extremely powerful.

5. Your book certainly teaches us never to forget. What other books do you plan to write to ensure that other experiences in history should never be forgotten? – All of my books deal with the Holocaust/WW2 history. I'm Jewish, so it's a very personal subject to me and I don't think I will ever get tired of writing about it and particularly now when anti-Semitism is on the rise again across the globe. It's important to bring awareness to it, to remind people of what can happen if we allow hatred to run free and permeate our society and how it all starts with just small things but can quickly grow into something atrocious that can devour countless human lives. There is one particular woman, who I would love to write about one day, Mala Zimetbaum. She also was an Auschwitz inmate who managed to escape it and who was basically a living symbol of resistance for all the inmates. But, honestly speaking, I'm in such awe of her, I'm not emotionally ready to write about her just yet. So far, I'm gathering the material, because her story is one of those stories that needs to be told. She was a true hero.

6. Would you ever write other genres besides historical fiction? – Actually, my other favorite genre besides historical fiction is horror/suspense/psychological thriller (a lot of times, the lines are blurred between those three, so I mix them into one). I'm a huge fan of everything disturbing and gothic and I would love to write something really creepy someday.

7. How did you discover Helena and Franz's story and decide to write about their extraordinary experience? – Actually, I came across their story while doing the research for my very first historical fiction novel; "The Girl from Berlin". Ever since then, it's been there, in the back of my mind, waiting to be written but I just didn't feel that I was ready to do it (just like I don't feel ready for Mala just yet). Almost five years passed since I first learned about Helena and Franz and finally, I felt that I had enough material – and courage – to write about their incredible story. It's definitely raw, it’s emotional; it defies all logic and belief and yet it happened and, therefore, it gives us even more reason to talk about it. I think the very idea that a young, heavily-indoctrinated SS man (and young people were the most indoctrinated ones as they grew up seeing and hearing only what the Party-line said was true) could change under the influence of someone who was supposed to be his ideological enemy, is something deeply inspiring. When I first read about them, I thought; "well, not all hope is lost for humanity then, if a Nazi could fall in love with a Jewish girl and risk his own life to save her and her sister from inevitable death." I think it was then that I knew I just had to write it. I hope I did them justice.

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Auschwitz Syndrome! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 8th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
Embed Code: Auschwitz Syndrome


Direct Link: https://gleam.io/Aphg8/auschwitz-syndrome