2/19/2022 BRILLIANCE BEYOND BORDERS REMARKABLE WOMEN LEADERS SHARE THE POWER OF IMMIGRACE by Chinwe Esimai Hosted by @TLCBOOKTOURS

 

What if the traditional narrative about immigrant women--that those who come to the United States will succeed as long as they work hard, stay focused, and have supportive families--is a lie?



Of the 73 million women in the US workforce, 11.5 million are foreign-born. The truth is--even in the midst of headlines and political debates about immigration reform and in the wake of MeToo and other female-centric movements--millions of immigrants, especially women, aren’t living their fullest potential.

Based on her personal experience and the stories of trailblazing women from around the world and in diverse industries, author Chinwe Esimai shares five indispensable traits that make an ocean of difference between immigrants who live as mere shadows of their truest potential and those who find purpose and fulfillment--what Chinwe refers to as their immigrace:


Saying yes to your immigrace, an immigrant woman’s expression of her highest purpose and potential
Daring to play in the big leagues
Transforming failure
Embracing change and blending differences
Finding joy and healing
These five traits are the foundation of the Brilliance Blueprint, a step-by-step guide to help readers achieve to their own extraordinary results and build their own remarkable legacies.

MY REVIEW:

TITLE: Brilliance Beyond Borders: Remarkable Women Leaders Share the Power of Immigrace
AUTHOR: Chinwe Esimai
PUB DATE: 03.15.2022

Did you know that of the 73 million women in the US workforce, 11.5 million are foreign-born?

Chinwe Esimai proves that the traditional narrative about immigrant women is a lie. It takes more than just working hard, staying focused, and having supportive families. instead we need to channel our individual immigrace to find purpose and fulfillment.

The book highlights inspirational stories of seventeen women’s accomplishments, and hurdles to achieve their success, with many coming from humble beginnings.

Esimai shares her Brilliance Blueprint offering easy step by step guide to achieve truest potential.

Do check out this amazing and powerful read!

About the Author

Chinwe Esimai is a multiple award-winning lawyer, trailblazing corporate executive, writer, and speaker who helps women leaders discover and embrace their genius and live lives of impact and fulfillment. She is managing director and chief anti-bribery officer at Citigroup, Inc, the first person to hold this title in the bank’s history.

Chinwe spent five years at Goldman Sachs in various regulatory risk-management roles and also served as a law professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Chinwe has received numerous awards: American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking; Leading Ladies Africa’s 100 Most Inspiring Women; Tropics Magazine's Most Powerful Africans Shaping the Future of Africa; Nigerian Lawyers Association Trailblazer of the Year; Face2Face Africa Corporate Leadership Award; and Diversity Magazine's Elite 100. She is an executive council member of the Ellevate Network and serves as a Cherie Blair Foundation mentor.

Chinwe is the host of the Brilliance Beyond Borders podcast, and her leadership insights have also been featured in leading publications including Forbes, Thrive Global, Black Enterprise, Medium, and Knowledge@Wharton. She has delivered keynotes to prestigious audiences and has spoken three times at the United Nations. She obtained a bachelor of arts in political science, summa cum laude, from the City College of New York and a juris doctor from Harvard Law School. She lives in Sparta, New Jersey, with her husband and three children.

9.23.2020 SISTERS OF WAR BY Lana Kortchik

 

About Sisters of War

Paperback: 384 pages 

Publisher: HQ Digital 

PUB DATE: September 22, 2020

  *The USA Today bestseller!*

Can their bond survive under the shadow of occupation?

For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The German Midwife comes this unforgettable tale of love, loss, family, and the power of hope. Kiev, 1941: Watching the Red Army withdraw from Ukraine in the face of Hitler’s relentless advance, sisters Natasha and Lisa Smirnova realise their lives are about to change forever. As the German army occupies their beloved city, the sisters are tested in ways they never thought possible. Lisa’s fiancé Alexei is taken by the invading army, whilst Natasha falls in love with Mark – a Hungarian soldier, enlisted against all his principles on the side of the Nazis. But as Natasha and Lisa fight to protect the friends and family they hold dear, they must face up to the dark horrors of war and the pain of betrayal. Will they be strong enough to overcome the forces which threaten to tear their family apart? Why readers love Sisters of War: ‘Captivating from the first page’ ‘Powerful and heart wrenching’ ‘A touching story, beautifully written’ ‘Well-researched and fascinating’ Originally published as The Story of Us. Social Media Please use the hashtag 

REVIEW:

I love reading historical fiction set during WWII. This time, the story is set in Kiev, Ukraine around three months after Hitler attacked the Soviet Union - September 1941. The occupation that lasted a little over two years caused Kievans nightmarish terror and suffering, hunger and difficulties, prosecution and death. I was completely captivated right from the first page with the rich and detailed descriptions of the daily lives of the people in Kiev - as they live in fear, full of anxiety and unease.

Kortchik's writing was immersive, touching and truly captivating. I was drawn into the story and felt every pain suffered by the sisters and their family. What people have gone through were harrowing as they suffer through Hitler's evil. Though difficult, I found the story hopeful as well, and I really enjoyed this captivating read.

I highly recommend this book for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris. A wonderful read not to be missed.

 

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Lana Kortchik

Lana Kortchik grew up in two opposite corners of the Soviet Union – the snow-white Siberian town of Tomsk and the golden-domed Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Australia with her mother. Lana and her family live on the Central Coast of NSW, where it never snows and is always summer-warm. Lana studied IT at university and, as a student, wrote poetry in Russian that she hid from everyone. For over a decade after graduating, she worked as a computer programmer. When she returned to university to complete her history degree, her favourite lecturer encouraged her to write fiction. She hasn’t looked back, and never goes anywhere without her favourite pen because you never know when the inspiration might strike. Lana’s short stories appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and she was the winner of the Historical Novel Society Autumn 2012 Short Fiction competition. Her first novel, Sisters of War, was acquired by HQ Digital, an imprint of Harper Collins UK, in 2018 and later became the USA Today bestseller. Lana also writes psychological thrillers under the pen name of Lana Newton. Find out more about Lana at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

9/7/2020 THE BROTHERS OF AUSCHWITZ- A NOVEL OF HOPE AND HEARTBREAK BY Malka Adler

 

About The Brothers of Auschwitz

Paperback : 464 pages 

Publisher : One More Chapter 

PUB DATE: (September 1, 2020) 

An extraordinary novel of hope and heartbreak, this is a story about a family separated by the Holocaust and their harrowing journey back to each other. 

  There was a good orchestra at Auschwitz. I could immediately hear it was good. I almost wept for the beauty of it, but the large pile of striped pajamas stayed in my mind, and I didn’t cry…

Dov and Yitzhak live in a small village in the mountains of Hungary, isolated both from the world and from the horrors of the war. But one day in 1944, everything changes. The Nazis storm the homes of the Jewish villagers and inform them they have one hour. One hour before the train will take them to Auschwitz. Six decades later, from the safety of their living rooms at home in Israel, the brothers finally break their silence to a friend who will never let their stories be forgotten. 

  Narrated in a poetic style reminiscent of Margaret Atwood, Malka Adler has penned a visceral yet essential read for those who have found strength, solace and above all, hope, in books like The Choice by Edith Eger and The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. Social Media 

 

THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

The Brothers of Auschwitz was such a special book that touched my heart, my spirit and my whole being. This book was written so beautifully, in a stream-of-consciousness voice that will feel like you are hearing this story first hand as told by the brothers. Unlike other books in this time frame, this one was just a little different - the writing was clear, raw, real and so visceral.

This is one of those books that we cannot afford not to read. Reading the horrors of what the Jewish people had to go through was so harrowing. Despite all the holocaust books I have read, there is always something more that I learn about, a detail I might have missed to learn about. Each story is a life that needs to be told. The brothers' story is most especially well told - that I could not stop reading this book until i reached the very last page.

Do not miss the Author's note at the end, which I read first prior to reading the first page. It gave me the background I needed in how this story was written and the precious moments the author was able hear first hand, the brothers' stories.

Adler beautifully wrote this novel that moved and transformed me. I highly recommend this book for an amazing historical fiction read that will bring tears to your eyes and take you into a very emotional roller coaster. This is a story needed to be told.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Malka Adler

Malka Adler was born in a small village near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. She began her work as an author when she turned 50. After taking a creative writing course, she fell in love with the art. Malka has written six books, four of which are about the Holocaust. She obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees in educational counselling at Bar Ilan University and is a family and couples' therapist, writer and facilitator of several reading clubs.

8/15/20 THE DOCTOR OF ALEPPO By Dan Mayland BLACKSTONE PUBLISHING

 

Print Length: 321 pages
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing 
Publication Date: August 11, 2020

While working in the ancient Silk Road city of Aleppo, American Hannah Johnson and her Swedish lover Oskar are drawn into the mounting turbulence of the impending Syrian civil war.


After Oskar is wounded at a street protest one evening, he and Hannah cross paths with Dr. Samir Hasan, a renowned surgeon. As the protests swell into all-out war, Dr. Hasan tends not only to Oskar, but also risks his life, his practice, and his family to tend to a nephew the government has branded an insurgent.

Dr. Hasan’s humanitarian activities come to the attention of a vengeful, Javert-like secret police officer whose son’s death on Dr. Hasan’s watch triggers a series of events that will drag Hannah and Oskar deeper into the war and put Hannah and Dr. Hasan in the officer’s crosshairs....

Early Praise for the book:

"A heroic and heartbreaking novel that concentrates on concepts of homeland, family, loss, and, above all, survival." --Booklist

''The scope of war may belong to the historian, but the tragedies belong to the novelist. Mayland not only portrays the collapse of Aleppo with authority, he depicts the human struggles for life and dignity with a deftness that will wreck the reader's heart. A must-read for more than action, but wisdom and compassion.'' --David L. Robbins, New York Times bestselling author of War of the Rats and The Devil's Waters

''Dan Mayland's The Doctor of Aleppo turns an unflinching gaze on the reality of modern warfare, fought in neighborhoods rather than a battlefield, where today's ally is tomorrow's enemy, and people struggle against all odds to maintain their humanity. A thriller that breaks your heart as it rockets toward its stunning conclusion.'' --Gwen Florio, author of Silent Hearts

"Dan Mayland has painted humanity at its best and its worst with unforgettable imagery and complex characters in a relentless plot. The Doctor of Aleppo streaks with urgency through a supremely crafted labyrinth of intrigue. There will be a temptation to describe this as a thriller, and it certainly is, but that unfairly fails to recognize the depth of this novel.'' --Daniel Beamish, author of Truth, by Omission

''In The Doctor of Aleppo, Dan Mayland lends a human face and a compelling story to a tragedy too large and complicated for most of us to understand. A harrowing and unforgettable read.'' --Dana Haynes, author of St. Nicholas Salvage & Wrecking

''Dan Mayland's The Doctor of Aleppo grips you from the start. His keen storytelling lends insight into war and its brutality through this tale of hope and redemption.'' --Judy A. Bernstein, author of Disturbed in Their Nests

"The pace is swift and intense, with knowledge of Aleppo's geography complementing the significant human interaction." --Manhattan Review of Books

THOUGHTS/REVIEW

This was an enthralling and outstanding historical fiction war novel read from Dan Mayland, a spy author and a geopolitical forecaster. His research through Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Iran, Bahrain and the Syrian Turkey border came to life in this book and through an ensemble of characters whose lives we are immersed in this story.

The setting is in the 21st century war torn Aleppo, Syria and the writing is truly a stand-out. The intricate research with the vivid and rich detail of the storytelling makes this novel one for the ages. The story itself was an enlightening experience for me especially learning about that area of the world, but it was the characters that really drew me into this story.

The characters with their struggles and hardships, quest for survival to protect their loved ones, were brought to life through this page-turner and heartbreaking novel.

I highly recommend this amazing novel.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

Dan Mayland is an author and professional geopolitical forecaster, helping nonprofit, private, and government organizations navigate a changing world. His Mark Sava spy series and his latest novel, The Doctor of Aleppo, were informed by his experiences in the Caspian region and Middle East. Raised in New Jersey, Mayland now lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two children, in an old stone farmhouse he and his wife have restored. More information about Dan and his books can be found at danmayland.com.

THE FRIENDSHIP LIST EXCERPT TOUR FROM THE BOOK By: SUSAN MALLERY PUB DATE 8/4/2020

Print Length: 327 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (August 4, 2020)
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.


[ ] Dance till dawn

[ ] Go skydiving

[ ] Wear a bikini in public

[ ] Start living

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.

PLEASE ENJOY AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Chapter Three

The shrieks, laughs and yells were louder than usual, as the last day of school wound down. Ellen sat at her desk, thinking her students would be shocked to know Ms. Fox was just as excited as they were at the thought of having the summer off. But while they were done for the semester, she still had final exams to finish grading.

Ah, to have a subject that lent itself to Scantron testing, she thought wistfully, eyeing the tall stack of papers she would be wading through. But on her tests, partial credit was always available for the work done correctly, so every pencil mark had to be studied for its potential value to the final answer. She pulled the top test off the stack and uncapped her red extra fine point Sharpie and went to work.

Two hours and thirty-three minutes later, she had a mild headache and a slightly sore hand, but she had finished. She entered the grades into the computer, then happily hit the send button.

“I am done,” she said aloud, tapping her feet on the floor as she threw her arms in the air.

She’d already cleaned out her desk, so only had to gather a few personal things before walking around her classroom one last time to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

It was nearly five and the school was quiet. She locked her classroom as she left before making her way to her car. She would dump her things, then check on Coop before heading home. She wanted to work on her to-do list for the upcoming bus trip, but first she would get some takeout to celebrate. What it would be depended on whether or not Coop was, or Coop and Luka were, joining her for dinner.

She put everything in her trunk, then headed for the gym. Cooper and Luka were, as always, working out. They were obsessed with their muscles, and their earnestness about the whole thing made her giggle. Not that she let them know—they would be horrified to think they were anything but manly men.

She rounded the corner and caught a reflection out of the corner of her eye. As she glanced toward it, she saw the mirrored wall in the trophy case.

It was one of those moments when she wasn’t expecting to see herself and therefore had a microsecond of wondering “Who is that?” only to realize it was her. In that second of time she had a brief impression of a nondescript person swallowed up by clothes that were far too large.

Ellen came to a stop and stared at herself. She wore a loose tunic shirt that came to midthigh. Her pull-on pants billowed as she walked. The dark colors weren’t flattering.

Heat burned at her cheeks, although why she was embarrassed, she couldn’t say. So she wasn’t a fashionista—she was still a good person.

She remembered Keith’s comment when they’d had dinner the previous week—that no one could tell if she gained weight because her clothes were so baggy. It was just her thing, she told herself. She’d always dressed this way, hadn’t she?

Ellen continued to stare at herself as she remembered the summer before she began her first teaching job. Money had, as always, been so tight and she’d needed clothes to wear to work. She’d gone to a nice thrift store just outside Seattle where she’d found some wonderful, high-quality outfits at swoon-worthy prices. The only problem had been that they were two sizes too big.

Given her need and her budget, she’d bought them and worn them. Funny how all these years later, she’d never thought to start wearing things that actually fit.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women's lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan's books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!"

5/6/2020 DALI SUMMER By T.J.Brown

About Dali Summer

• Paperback: 344 pages

• Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC (May 5, 2020)

Her wild and vivid visions inspire an icon...

Nothing is more important to prim, colorblind Dolors Posa than family and living down the shame of her illegitimate birth, but when the sudden onset of fantastical visions threaten her sterling reputation, she must search for answers before the inhabitants of the tiny village of Cadaqués brand her as demente-- crazy like her mother. In a quest to stop her hallucinations, she befriends a beautiful, intoxicating fortune teller and her handsome anarchist brother, as well as becoming a reluctant muse for thirteen-year-old Salvador Dali. In a summer that changes everything, Dolors must choose between her family's reputation and a life filled with adventure, friendship, rapturous color and the possibility of love.

Set against the political upheaval of 1917 Spain, Dali Summer captures the fierce spirit of Catalonia, the generosity and stubbornness of its people and the blossoming promise of a woman who thought life was bland and empty and had long ago had passed her by.


THOUGHTS/REVIEW:


First of all, I have to admire the beautiful cover of this book, that brings me to imagine a glimpse of life in the summer of 1917 in the warmth of the Spanish sun where drama, intrigue, gossips, family and political turmoil abound.


I found this to be a quick and nice escape read just like a summer fling. It was fun getting to know the characters and even a very young Salvador Dali in his teens as he is discovering his talents with the help of our lovely protagonist.


I thought that this book had a lot of heart that addressed our relationships with our family, the societal norms of the time, religiosity, and all matters of the heart. This was truly an enjoyable read.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

About T. J. Brown

Well behaved women rarely make history. Teri Brown lived that quote way before she ever even heard it. The two things she is most proud of, (besides her children), is that she jumped out of an airplane once and she beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She is a novel writer, head banger, pet keeper, math hater, cocktail drinker, booty shaker, book reader, city slicker, food fixer, French kisser, rule breaker, wine sipper and word scribbler. She loves her husband, kitties and chocolate.



Find out more about Teri at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

4/23/2020 Administrations of Lunacy by Mab Segrest

About Administrations of Lunacy

• Hardcover: 384 pages

• Publisher: The New Press (April 14, 2020)

A scathing and original look at the racist origins of psychiatry, through the story of the largest mental institution in the world

Today, 90 percent of psychiatric beds are located in jails and prisons across the United States, institutions that confine disproportionate numbers of African Americans. After more than a decade of research, the celebrated scholar and activist Mab Segrest locates the deep historical roots of this startling fact, turning her sights on a long-forgotten cauldron of racial ideology: the state mental asylum system in which psychiatry was born and whose influences extend into our troubled present.

In December 1841, the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum was founded. A hundred years later, it had become the largest insane asylum in the world with over ten thousand patients. Administrations of Lunacy tells the story of this iconic and infamous southern institution, a history that was all but erased from popular memory and within the psychiatric profession.

Through riveting accounts of historical characters, Segrest reveals how modern psychiatric practice was forged in the traumas of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow. Deftly connecting this history to the modern era, Segrest then shows how a single asylum helped set the stage for the eugenics theories of the twentieth century and the persistent racial ideologies of our own times. She also traces the connections to today's dissident psychiatric practices that offer sanity and create justice.

A landmark of scholarship, Administrations of Lunacy restores a vital thread between past and present, revealing the tangled racial roots of psychiatry in America.
THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
When I started out my nursing career, I was a mental health nurse and really enjoyed my years there working in a locked psychiatric unit specializing in the LGBTQ population. Mental Health Nursing will always have a special place in my heart.

Reading this book by Mab Segrest, a longtime activist in social justice movements and a past fellow at the National Humanities Center, gave me an eye opening look at the harrowing and highly racist history of mental health asylum and psychiatric institutions through stories from the founding of what once was the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum in 1841.

This was well written and carefully well researched that addressed the horrific blemished past of psychiatric treatments and its unfair and racist treatment of African Americans and women. Segrest was able to connect how modern psychiatric practice was ultimately formed and lead to the eugenics theories in this modern times.

Absolutely brilliant writing that I learned a lot from.

Social Media

Please use the hashtag #administrationsoflunacy, and tag @tlcbooktours, @thenewpress, and @mabsegrest.

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Laura Flanders[/caption]

About Mab Segrest

Mab Segrest is professor emeritus of gender and women’s studies at Connecticut College and the author of Administrations of Lunacy and Memoir of a Race Traitor (both from The New Press). A longtime activist in social justice movements and a past fellow at the National Humanities Center, she lives in Durham, North Carolina.



Connect with her on Instagram.

About The Ancestor

Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: William Morrow (April 7, 2020)





From the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Angelology series comes a bewitching gothic novel of suspense that plunges readers into a world of dark family secrets, the mysteries of human genetics, and the burden of family inheritance.





It feels like a fairy tale when Alberta ”Bert” Monte receives a letter addressed to “Countess Alberta Montebianco” at her Hudson Valley, New York, home that claims she’s inherited a noble title, money, and a castle in Italy. While Bert is more than a little skeptical, the mystery of her aristocratic family’s past, and the chance to escape her stressful life for a luxury holiday in Italy, is too good to pass up.





At first, her inheritance seems like a dream come true: a champagne-drenched trip on a private jet to Turin, Italy; lawyers with lists of artwork and jewels bequeathed to Bert; a helicopter ride to an ancestral castle nestled in the Italian Alps below Mont Blanc; a portrait gallery of ancestors Bert never knew existed; and a cellar of expensive vintage wine for Bert to drink.





But her ancestry has a dark side, and Bert soon learns that her family history is particularly complicated. As Bert begins to unravel the Montebianco secrets, she begins to realize her true inheritance lies not in a legacy of ancestral treasures, but in her very genes.


THOUGHTS/REVIEW:


Just imagine for a second that your dreams of being royalty (a princess or a countess) comes true. Then you receive a letter stating you have inherited a castle in Italy and you are a Countess!! What would you do?

Well this is the story of Alberta "Bert" Monte who was told she is the new "Countess Alberta Montebianco". She is flown to the Alps of Northern Italy near the city of Turin to see the estate she just inherited via a private jet. She meets with the attorneys and is whisked to her new life as a Countess with a long blood line of royalty. But of course, not all is roses when things start to take a turn and you uncover some strange mysteries surrounding the family and wealth you just inherited.

Trussoni's writing was amazing, in that she is able to set the tone of the story, leading the readers to want to find out what is going to happen next - this is truly her brilliance in this writing. The dark twists and turns really had my attention and I could not and would not stop turning those pages while anxiously anticipating what is going to happen next.

I also admired the characters that Trussoni wrote about with the strange and mysterious family members. The setting and the world building was short of incredible - bringing that gothic, mysterious, isolated, cold, feeling of seclusion, and being trapped. The short chapters and the perfect pacing really added to the enjoyment of this well written and well researched novel that I could stop recommending.

Pick this up for the perfect quarantine read. You will not be disappointed.











Social Media

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Danielle Trussoni

Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of the supernatural thrillers Angelology and Angelopolis. She currently writers the Horror column for the New York Times Book Review and has recently served as a jurist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. Trussoni holds an MFA in Fiction from the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she won the Michener-Copernicus Society of America award. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her family and her pug Fly.



Find out more about Trussoni at her website, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

THE DNA OF YOU AND ME BY: ANDREA ROTHMAN

About The DNA of You and Me

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: William Morrow (March 12, 2019)

“Refreshing.... Asks urgent questions about female ambition. Fans of Lab Girl have found a worthy successor.”—Real Simple

A powerful debut novel—a wonderfully engaging infusion of Lab Girl, The Assistants, and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine—that pits the ambition of scientific discovery against the siren call of love.

Emily Apell arrives in Justin McKinnon’s renowned research lab with the single-minded goal of making a breakthrough discovery. But a colleague in the lab, Aeden Doherty, has been working on a similar topic, and his findings threaten to compete with her research.

To Emily’s surprise, her rational mind is unsettled by Aeden, and when they end up working together their animosity turns to physical passion, followed by love. Emily eventually allows herself to envision a future with Aeden, but when he decides to leave the lab it becomes clear to her that she must make a choice. It is only years later, when she is about to receive a prestigious award for the work they did together, that Emily is able to unravel everything that happened between them.

A sharp, relevant novel that speaks to the ambitions and desires of modern women, The DNA of You and Me explores the evergreen question of career versus family, the irrational sensibility of love, and whether one can be a loner without a diagnostic label.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Andrea Rothman

Andrea Rothman was born in Brooklyn NY and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Her debut novel, THE DNA OF YOU AND ME, was published by William Morrow-HarperCollins in March of 2019. The novel has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal, and won an award for Best Popular Fiction in English at the 21st International Latino Book Awards in Los Angeles.

Prior to being a fiction writer, Rothman was a research scientist at the Rockefeller University in New York, where she studied the sense of smell. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and was a fiction editor for the VCFA journal of the arts-Hunger Mountain.

Her essays and short stories have appeared in print and online journals such as Literary Hub, Lablit, Cleaver Magazine, and Litro Magazine among others, and can be viewed at www.andrearothman.com.

Rothman lives with her husband and two children in Long Island, New York. She is at work on a second novel.

Connect with Rothman on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

4/2/20 SHAPE OF FAMILY by Shilpi Somaya Gowda #theshapeoffamily, @tlcbooktours @williammorrowbooks @shilpigowda

About The Shape of Family

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: William Morrow (March 17, 2020)

"Deeply involving....Rings so true." -- Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room

From the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family's growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.

“The Shape of Family is a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, it's about finding hope after darkness. Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a compassionate and wise storyteller who keeps us riveted from beginning to end.” -- Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation

The Olander family embodies the modern American Dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.

But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family’s foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.

When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets they’ve held and the weight of their choices.

The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging—in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves.

THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this hearbreaking family drama read about a family who suffered through a painful tragedy. The writing was beautiful, sensitive and realistic that I related to the characters immediately.

This was my first book with Gowda and she became a favorite very quickly. This was an amazing character driven story in which the readers will experience how each of the family members dealt with this terrible tragedy in each of their own way. Warning - the first 10 percent of the book had me in tears so make sure to have some tissues handy.

The Olander family consisted of Jaya, the mother and wife from India who immigrates to London and meets her future husband, Keith an American from Philadephia. Karina is their teenage daughter and the younger son is Prem. The story was centered on their daughter Katrina 11 yo who is quite headstrong and obviously hurting and follows through as she is leaving for college. Her path to separate away from her family from the hurt that has not healed, will be the poignant part of the story as she is reeled back to the family that love her the most.

I truly enjoyed reading about this family and I felt that through her writing, Gowda really had a deep understanding on the human experience of anger, grief and loss.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Author Links: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

About Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Shilpi Somaya Gowda was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her previous novels, Secret Daughter and The Golden Son became international bestsellers, selling over one million copies worldwide. She holds an MBA from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar. She lives in California with her husband and children.



Find out more about Shilpi at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

WILD WILD RAKE BY JANNA MACGREGOR - ST MARTIN'S PRESS and Thank you to @TLCBOOKTOURS for my spot on the tour

February 25th 2020 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Wild, Wild Rake, the next sweeping, emotional, witty, and sharp romance in the Cavensham Heiresses series from beloved author Janna MacGregor.

Her first marriage was an epic fail.

Lady Avalon Warwyk never did love her husband. Arrogant, selfish, and cruel, it’s a blessing when she’s widowed and left to raise her son all by herself. Finally, Avalon can live freely and do the work she loves: helping fallen women become businesswomen. She’s lived these past ten years with no desire to remarry?that is, until Mr. Devan Farris comes to town.

Can he convince her to take another chance at happily ever after?

Devan Farris–charming vicar, reputed rake, and the brother of Avalon’s son’s guardian–is reluctantly sent to town to keep tabs on Avalon and her son. Devan wishes he didn’t have to meddle in her affairs; he’s not one to trod on a woman’s independent nature and keen sense of convictions. But she’ll have nothing to do with a vicar with a wild reputation–even though he’s never given his heart and body to another. If only he could find a way to show Avalon who he really is on the inside–a good, true soul looking for its other half. But how can he prove that he wants to love and care for her. . .until death do they part?


THOUGHTS/REVIEW:


Wild, Wild Rake is the 6th book in Janna MacGregor's The Cavensham Heiresses series. I have not read any of the book from the series, and I still enjoyed this as a stand alone perfectly well. I WILL definitely go back and read the rest - I really enjoyed this regency period.

Lady Avalon Warwyck is a widow, and happily so as she was married to a nasty and cruel man, and was also raising her son Thane by herself. Avalon is an amazing heroine and helps fallen women become businesswomen.

Avalon crosses paths with the handsome vicar Devan Harris who has quite the reputation and was sent by her son's guardian to spy on Avalon. But Avalon is an independent, strong woman, who doesn’t need to rely on anyone and keeps her guard to prevent being hurt again.

As we get to know Avalon and Devon more, we realize that their attraction for each other is definitely one for the books! I highly enjoyed this swoony read and the amazing development of their story. Loved it!

Purchase LinksAmazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes& Noble

Connect with Janna
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram






Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mother for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs. She loves to hear from readers.

Visit her at www.JannaMacGregor.com.
Twitter: @JannaMacGregor
Facebook: Janna MacGregor
Sign up for her newsletter at www.JannaMacGregor.com
Review tour:

Tuesday, February 11th: Lori’s Reading Corner – guest post

Wednesday, February 12th: Reading Reality

Friday, February 14th: Buried Under Romance

Monday, February 17th: @angelareadsbooks

Friday, February 21st: Nurse Bookie

Monday, February 24th: @suey_library

Monday, February 24th: Treestand Book Reviews

Wednesday, February 26th: @ksquaredreads

Saturday, February 29th: Sincerely Karen Jo

Friday, February 28th: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, March 2nd: Romance Schmomance

Tuesday, March 3rd: Shelf-Rated

Wednesday, March 4th: Amy’s Book-et List

Thursday, March 5th: Bookish Bliss and Beauty

Friday, March 6th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers


Instagram tour:

Monday, March 2nd: @booksandjil

Tuesday, March 3rd: @mixed_matched_socks

Tuesday, March 3rd: @shelfrated

Wednesday, March 4th: @thereadingchemist

Thursday, March 5th: @radbabesread

Thursday, March 5th: @bookishblissandbeauty

Friday, March 6th: @sarahandherbookshelves

Saturday, March 7th: @barr_bookworms

2/20/20 MERCY HOUSE BY ALENA DILLON

About Mercy House

• Paperback: 384 pages

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 11, 2020)



“Never underestimate the power of a group of women. Fierce, thoughtful and dramatic—this is a story of true courage." —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author



She would stop at nothing to protect the women under her care.



Inside a century-old row house in Brooklyn, renegade Sister Evelyn and her fellow nuns preside over a safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Gruff and indomitable on the surface, warm and wry underneath, little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Mercy House will be investigated by Bishop Hawkins, a man with whom she shares a dark history. In order to protect everything they’ve built, the nuns must conceal many of their methods, which are forbidden by the Catholic Church.



Evelyn will go to great lengths to defend all that she loves. She confronts a gang member, defies the church, challenges her own beliefs, and faces her past. She is bolstered by the other nuns and the vibrant, diverse residents of the shelter—Lucia, Mei-Li, Desiree, Esther, and Katrina—whose differences are outweighed by what unites them: they’ve all been broken by men but are determined to rebuild.



Amidst her fight, Evelyn discovers the extraordinary power of mercy and the grace it grants, not just to those who receive it, but to those strong enough to bestow it.

THOUGHTS/REVIEW:

Mercy House by Alena Dillon

What an amazing story and an amazing debut by Alena Dillon.

Jumping into this book, I was not sure I would be interested in reading about the Catholic Church and the religious cover up as part of its dark history. However, I was completely wrong. I loved the story of a renegade and badass nun unlike those I have had in my parochial school.

Sister Evelyn, our protagonist and once a nurse, runs the Mercy House, located in Brooklyn, a safe haven for the abused and mistreated women with nowhere to go. Along with Sister Maria and Sister Josephine, they will go to lengths to protect those under their care. Sister Evelyn’s father placed her in the convent as a promise to God for sparing his son from death. Though this was not Evelyn’s choice, she accepted being a nun to please and gain her father’s good graces.

The Mercy House is under scrutiny and is set to be visited by Bishop Hawkins who shares a dark history with Evelyn. The sisters’ unconventional methods were put into question by the church and leads to Sister Evelyn’s position within the Catholic Church.

Dillon’s gift is writing these formidable characters that were amazing - from the sisters and the residents of Mercy House, you will find an attachment for them and grow to love them. The story moved fast and the plot grips you so much that you have to know what will happen next.

Sister Evelyn truly is an unlikely heroine you will love! She does not conform, is lead by her heart and common sense, not outdated rules created by men in one of the largest institutions in the world, and she is loving, forgiving and for the lack of a better word, a Badass Nun!

I highly recommend this book for its amazing storyline, easy to read, great dialogue, strong women, and puts face front the history of abuse and sexism in the Catholic Church in a way that is not preachy but thoughtful and heart warming.




Social Media



Please use the hashtag #mercyhouse, and tag @tlcbooktours, @williammorrowbooks, and @alena.dillon.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon's work has appeared in Slice Magazine, The Rumpus, and Seventh Wave, among others. She earned her MFA from Fairfield University. Mercy House is her debut novel. She lives on the north shore of Boston with her husband, son, and their black labrador, Penny.



Find out more about Alena at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

2/5/20 The Second Midnight By: Andrew Taylor - One boy's fight for survival in Nazi Europe

About The Second Midnight

• Paperback: 400 pages

• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (January 28, 2020)

From the international bestselling author comes a World War Two tale of one boy’s fight for survival in Nazi Europe

A secret mission…

1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover.



A terrible choice…

When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.



A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…

Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…




THOUGHTS/REVIEW:




I really enjoyed this World War II / Historical Fiction read that deals with a father son relationship, espionage, allegiances, and relationships. This book was originally published in 1987 and reissued on Jan 28, 2020, and is a part of a trilogy, but is essentially a standalone.

In ‘The Second Midnight’, it tells the story of a young boy, Hugh Kendall who is in a fractured relationship with his father, Captain Kendall, who works with the British Intelligence. The book is set in the midst of the second World War, 1939 Europe. From London, the Kendall’s travel to Prague on an assignment. However, Hugh was left behind with the Resistance as Hitler invades the city. Learning to fend for himself, Hugh learns to survive on his own and even learns to speak the language, both Czech and German. Hugh saves the life of Nazi Colonel, Scholl who in gratitude takes him in and treats him as part of the family, and live alongside the Scholl children, Magda and Heinz. Though Hugh eventually returns to England, his past will continue to follow and haunt him.

Through Taylor’s writing, we see the events of the war through a boy’s eyes. Hugh’s need to survive taught him how to adapt and blend in. I loved the story line and the complex characters in this multi layered story lines surrounding the war and the Kendall family. I enjoyed the writing and the espionage element of the story. It was an enjoyable read. Taylor is a new author to me and I found his writing to be intelligent and complex. I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy a HF read focusing on the Nazi and WWII time period.





Social Media



Please use the hashtag #thesecondmidnight, and tag @tlcbooktours and @harpercollins360.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed TV drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, The Scent of Death and The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.



He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator and The Times.



He lives with his wife Caroline in the Forest of Dean.