Thursday Give Away
For today’s Thursday give away, we have an advance copy of Donna Thorland’s debut historical novel, The Turncoat
Here’s the official blurb:
They are lovers on opposite sides of a brutal war, with everything at stake and no possibility of retreat. They can trust no one—especially not each other.
Major Lord Peter Tremayne is the last man rebel bluestocking Kate Grey should fall in love with, but when the handsome British viscount commandeers her home, Kate throws caution to the wind and responds to his seduction. She is on the verge of surrender when a spy in her own household seizes the opportunity to steal the military dispatches Tremayne carries, ensuring his disgrace—and implicating Kate in high treason. Painfully awakened to the risks of war, Kate determines to put duty ahead of desire, and offers General Washington her services as an undercover agent in the City of Brotherly Love.
Months later, having narrowly escaped court martial and hanging, Tremayne returns to decadent, British-occupied Philadelphia with no stomach for his current assignment—to capture the woman he believes betrayed him. Nor does he relish the glittering entertainments being held for General Howe’s idle officers. Worse, the glamorous woman in the midst of this social whirl, the fiancée of his own dissolute cousin, is none other than Kate Grey herself. And so begins their dangerous dance, between passion and patriotism, between certain death and the promise of a brave new future together.
The description doesn’t do the book justice. What I really loved about this book was watching Kate’s transformation from country mouse to seasoned spy, with all the tough questions and heartache that come with the territory. And, of course, it’s incredibly refreshing to find an American Revolution-set book these days.
So, for an advance copy of Donna Thorland’s The Turncoat
What less traveled time period or setting would you like to see more of?
The winner will be announced on Sunday.
In the meantime, check out Donna’s fantastic book trailer! In her other lives, Donna spent years working at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem before leaving the material culture of colonial America to acquire an MFA in film production, so this trailer is both historically accurate down to the last corset and beautifully produced.
I’d really like to see more fiction involving the American women during WW2. They led incredibly interesting lives!
I’ve been DYING to read this book for months now! It looks so good, and I would love to win this copy!
And Colonial/Revolutionary is actually the genre I would love to see more of!
Would like to see more historical novels set in medieval times — that has been my favorite era ever since reading the Thomas Costain Plantagenet non-fiction series as a teenager.
My pick would be WWI. I’ve only found one book that I like in the period and I believe it needs to be explored more.
I would love to see more books set in England in between the wars…found The Return of Captain John Emmett so fascinating in its depiction of men and women at a loss how to resume “normal” life.
I share the sentiments of a great many other readers in that I have studied the history of the American revolution and the founding fathers at great length and find it to be one of the most amazing and pivotal periods in human history. MORE PLEASE!
I think the time of the Vikings would be cool. They had Kings and social statuses that are fascinating and of course they are never boring!
I would also agree with the others on the Viking era or either of the world wars!!
It would be interesting to show in a book!! 🙂
I would love to see a book set during either the Meiji Period (1868-1912) in Japan. With the amount of new foreign ideas that were entering the country and the number of Japanese who were finally learning about the rest of the world is always an amazing time to learn about!
I’d love to see more fiction set in ancient Rome. I love Lindsey Davis’s Falco series, about a PI in ancient Rome.
I would love to see more stories about The Land Girls… its a subject that I’m beginning to become completely fascinated by.
I would love to see more fiction set during the French and Indian War/Seven Years War- surely someone can do better than the original Last of the Mohicans! And I find it a more interesting conflict to read about/teach than the American Revolution.
Abby, there is a wonder author named Pamela Clare who has a series called MacKinnon’s Rangers, starting with Surrender. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/656836.Surrender The books are tremendously well researched! Set during the F&I War, they are based on Roger’s Rangers, who were THE original special forces group a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers'_Rangers
Oh jeez. ummmm…probably the 1940s. I really don’t see many books set in this time.
But yeah, this sounds so good. Congrats and hopefully these books will be flying off the shelf!
I am eager to read this book as my own novel has similar themes, though sadly it couldn’t find a home because it was set during the American Civil War. So yes, I would like to see more American set historicals in general; Rev War, Civil War, etc. The Gilded Age is such a fabulous time too!
I’ve been waiting for this book to come out, so very excited for this giveaway!
I definitely would live to see more books in the Early American Republic period, as well as during World War I.
I would love to see many more novels set in historical Canada, especially the Maritimes in the 1700’s and Vancouver Island in the 1800’s. Those locations and time periods are amazingly adventure-filled and the romantic plot line potential is inexhaustible.
I would love to see more WW2. So many strong women behind the scenes that receive no recognition
The 1940’s are my favorite era, with the fashion and the music (Love Glenn Miller). A romance set on the verge of WWII describing the music and dancing and fashions and movies would be awesome.
I think a novel about the ancient Minoans on Crete would be interesting. There has to be a good story any place they go in for bulljumping!
My latest fixation is the time period surrounding WWI. It is getting some play now because of Downton Abbey, and I couldn’t be happier.
Like so many other commenters, I’m going to say America, pretty much any historical period! Roaring 20’s would be fun. There seem to be a lot of WWII books in the UK, but not as many in the US. I’d also like more WWI books, set anywhere!
I would love to read about the 1400-1500 during the discovery of the America’s.
I second the Ancient Greece/Minoan time period. There are several YA books about the gods and goddesses but I would like some straight historical fiction.
Post-Colonial / Antebellum America is under represented in women’s historical fiction. With all the intrigue going on in Europe and our nation still comparatively new, there had to be room for intrigue here. There was a lot of social change and inner turmoil in that period, too.
I would love to see more of the Crusades/Robbin Hood era. I find that period in England fascinating!
*Robin
WW I and WWII—dont see many of those and would enjoy more of them 🙂
Personally, I would love to see more from the Crusades and pre-colonial Hawaii.
I’ve read a couple set in Ancient Alexandria. Reading more from that time period would be great!
Laura, those books sound interesting. what are the titles?
I would love to see more American Civil war books! So much was happening and so many stories are untold.
I would love to see more of Britain pre-Norman Conquest. It’s a fascinating period with native Britons and Vikings coming into contact and forming a society that is completely changed once the Normans invade, as well as the introduction of Christianity.
I would love something from France in the Third Republic (late nineteenth century)… it’s such an interesting combination of Old World values with more modern dilemmas (like WWI).
I fell in love with a few books in which the time period was set during the Italian Renaissance, I would love to see more of those type of books 🙂
I would also say the time period between the two world wars.
I enjoy the WWI era; also the 18th century anywhere is interesting. So much political scheming going on.
I would love to see more books set in France in the 1920s and 1930s or generally more historical fiction set in Scotland during any time period really!
I would actually pick American Revolution as the time period I want to read more about (I think the mania stems from the Felicity American girl doll and books I had as a child). I don’t know of many good romances set in this period!
I can’t think of an era that needs more coverage at the moment, but if you want American revolution novels then you HAVE to read Diana Gabaldon. Warning–it will take you a while. She doesn’t know how to write short books.
Just reading a Phryne Fisher mystery and it crossed my mind that I haven’t come across a lot of novels set in the 20s.
Actually, though there is a ton of non-fiction written about the Civil War era, there is very little in the way of historical fiction about the period. Okay, there’s “Little Women,” but I’d love to see something with a romantic relationship at the center of the story. A young woman from the South, and a young man from the North, fall in love right before the war? Then of course they’re separated and on opposite sides. What happens next?
I would like to read more books set in WWI and the Plantagenet era.
Definitely the Viking period – or some stories set in Russia that aren’t dark and dismal and gray.
Two interesting time periods I would like to read more about – Roman times or time period of the Plantagenet/Tudors.
I was always a sucker for the 1850s and pioneers 🙂
Ancient Egypt. I would really love to see some Ancient Egypt romance. Maybe that is a weird one, but I would read it!
I’d love to see more fiction set in the Pays d’Oc in troubador days. Great music, great clothes, women’s position a great deal better than in most of the Middle Ages, oh yes.
The period 1820-1860 seems to be relatively neglected, altho a lot was going on in North Americaas well as Europe and England. migration, Industrial Revoluiton, etc, brought about a lot of changes.
I would also love more of the middle ages, especially the Vikings- it would be great for a historical fiction/ romance to feature Leif Eirikson!
settings in the Amazon
England before the conquest, and alsoAmerica/Europe in the period before and during World War I
1950s America
My favourite period of all time is probably the 1600-1795 period in France, but I think it’s been widly covered already by litterature… 🙂
But another one of my favourite historical subject and period that is much less know is what we call the “King’s Daughters”. Those are the French girls that immigrated to New France at the end of the 17th century to help build and populate Canada. Since I did the same (only with much more comfort and less risks than what they faced at the time), I’ve always been interested in their fate and impressed by the courage they showed….
(for anybody interested in the subject, here is a small explanation, better than mine : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Daughters)
The American Revolution! I’d also love to discover historical and romantic fiction set in Canada.
I’d love to see more books set in Holland. Dutch history is really very fascinating but hardly any good novels take place there.
I see a lot of time periods that are great here; I hope I can get away with two suggestions.
1. There are no good romances from the Puritan times, except for a memorable few. Why not romanticize somehow a time period that really wasn’t at all? Thinking That Winthrop Woman, Witch of Blackbird Pond and Bride Most Begrudging.
2. I don’t see a lot of Civil War stuff, especially based in the south. Tough to maneuver through that sticky slavery issue. There is so much romanticism there. I can remember a Heather Graham series, Lynn Austin’s new book, All Things New and finally, you can’t get anymore romantic (or tediously attracting) than Gone With the Wind.
I would like more books set in Europe particularly Vienna during the ninteenth century. Also late 1800’s US featuring reformers all of types- suffregettes, women’s rights, African American rights, Temperance, etc. There are lot of periods and settings to choose from. Oh, also the Carribean during any time. A romance set in Jamaica would be awesome.
I’d like to see more books set in Venice between the late 16th century and 17th century.
It’s a joy to read about strong, resilient women from any time period. American history (eg Revolutionary War or Civil War) would be interesting, but I enjoy learning about women across the pond as well. The spy angle is a lot of fun. Thank you for including the bibliography for each book you’ve written. I just finished the Orchid and am thinking about going to the library to learn more. There’s nothing like the hushed tones and smell of books when researching history. Thank you – keep writing!
The Golden Age in Holland. Lots of tulips and exotic colonies.
The Italian Renaissance is one period I can’t recall reading about. That’d be interesting with the the Church and the truth seekers at odds.
As much as I love Regencies, they surely do seem to have devoured the market. When I first started reading romances, there was a lot more variety in terms of time periods and settings. For time periods, I’d like to see some more medievals. For setting, I’d like Russia (not necessarily medieval).
13th Wales. Sharon Penman’s Here Be Dragons was amazing and one i return to time and time again.
I like the American 20s and 30s, with a cruise or two to Europe thrown in.
I think the time between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 is an interesting time, especially if the story was set on the frontier of the expanding United States. So many people risked everything to make a new life in a new country!
I am fascinated by the early 20th century and gravitate towards pretty much anything set in that itme period.
I love books set in Cornwall during the height of smuggling in the 18th century. There are a few of this genre, but I am hard pressed to find a really well-written one!
I live in a house built by a riverboat captain overlooking the Missouri River so I would love more books set in the time that people traveled by riverboats.
I just watched “The Last Mohicans” again (for the 100th time) and afterwards am always wanting a good novel to fit right in with the time period. But there isn’t alot to choose from!
Thanks for having this giveaway! This books looks fabulous!!
This isn’t technically a time period, but I’d love to read about the “founding” of Canada or anything set on a ship headed for a new world 🙂
Maybe ancient greece or rome?
Those who wanted WWI time travel should check out Overseas by Beatriz Williams!
I’d love to see a book set in the Middle East around the time of the Roman Empire. The only ones I’ve ever seen are exclusively Christian-focused and I’d really like to see some set in non-Christian communities.
I’d like to see some more books set in Europe before the time of them Roman Empire, looking at the Celts. I love Celtic myths and I’d love to read a novel following their exploits in wider Europe, and covering their eventual decline.