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![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/i-claudia&media=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sZ2B2B1yL._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=<p><strong>"They were the faces of my dreams..."</strong></p><p> </p><p>Claudia Procula--wife of one of the most controversial figures in ancient history--comes alive to twenty-first-century readers in a groundbreaking new novel by the award-winning author of the Lindsey McCall medical mystery series.</p><p>For decades, the daughter of the last Ora...){kind=link}
I, Claudia
A Novel of the Ancient World
Lin Wilder
2019 Finalist
272 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
"They were the faces of my dreams..."
Claudia Procula--wife of one of the most controversial figures in ancient history--comes alive to twenty-first-century readers in a groundbreaking new novel by the award-winning author of the Lindsey McCall medical mystery series.
For decades, the daughter of the last Oracle at Delphi has suppressed the secrets of her birth, extensive education, and marriage to the notorious Fifth Prelate of Judea--Pontius PIlate. Now, at age seventy-nine, she feels compelled to leave behind her story for the world and set the record straight about the beginnings of modern history.
He has had his arms raised for how many hours now? Shouldn't there be a Joshua to help this Moses? I suppressed a smile at my wittiness, knowing better than to voice the thought aloud. My ladies would be shocked by my allusion to the great Jewish prophet. Well aware of my reputation as an empty-headed nitwit among those who served my husband, such low expectations had served me well. Best to maintain the fiction.
In a surprising change of genre and style, Wilder brings her extensive research and wide-ranging imagination to bear on the seminal story of our time: the passion of the Christ. The result is a compelling and harrowing love story replete with historical figures such as Seneca, Socrates, and Pilate himself. It is sure to captivate both believers and skeptics alike, and remain in readers' minds long after the last page is turned.
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![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/by-eastern-windows&media=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zwDseZHnL._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=<h3> <b> <i> "Browne writes in lush detail, evoking the people, places, and cultures of Europe, India, and China in the late 18th century. <br />She also displays great skill in expressing the subtleties of human emotions, from the tenderest passion to the deepest grief. Lachlan will experience both. Highly recommended." <i> -- READERS' FAVORITE ...){kind=link}
By Eastern Windows
The Macquarie Series Book 1
Gretta Curran Browne
2019 Honorable Mention
246 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
"Browne writes in lush detail, evoking the people, places, and cultures of Europe, India, and China in the late 18th century.
She also displays great skill in expressing the subtleties of human emotions, from the tenderest passion to the deepest grief. Lachlan will experience both. Highly recommended." -- READERS' FAVORITE
“Fabulous and heartbreaking … fresh and authentic in every detail … it has to be the best book I have read about the British in India since M. M. Kaye’s "The Far Pavilions" – Dr Aileen Keegan.
Set in the beauty of Scotland, the magic of India, and the hostility of China, peopled with memorable characters of all races.
BY EASTERN WINDOWS is the story of a young British officer, Lachlan Macquarie, who is posted to India where he meets Jane Jarvis, a young girl from the Caribbean - different, exotic and exciting - who becomes the greatest love and the greatest tragedy of his life ... While back in Scotland, Elizabeth Campbell can't forget the young lieutenant whom she loved on first sight, even though she was only twelve at the time. Now she is growing, and still wondering about him.
It is also the story of the young soldiers who travelled with Lachlan to India, far from home, serving their king in a country they came to love, while coping with the complex differences between East and West.
"By Eastern Windows is an engaging story on many levels. Browne writes in lush detail and flowing narrative, evoking the people, places, and cultures of Europe, India, and China in the late 18th century. Lachlan is an admirable protagonist, a young man of dependable and steadfast character, well-liked by those under his command as well as those he serves. The plot introduces a cast of characters which crosses cultural and religious lines and frankly acknowledges the racial prejudices and restrictive sex roles of the time. Browne displays great skill in expressing the subtleties of human emotions, from the tenderest passion to the deepest grief. Lachlan will experience both. Highly recommended. I look forward to reading the next book in the series." -- 5 Stars. Reviewed By Kimberlee J Benart for READERS' FAVORITE
"What a fabulous and amazing story. This book reminded me of other epic stories like Gone with the Wind. I couldn't wait to see what happened next in the character's amazing lives. Gretta Curran Browne is a storyteller for the ages." --- J Leonard1 - BOOKBUB
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No Woman's Land
A Holocaust Novel
Ellie Midwood
2019 Bronze Medal
277 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
“It was very dangerous for him, and he knew it. But his love for me was stronger than fear.” - Ilse Stein
This novel is based on the inspiring and moving love story of Ilse Stein, a German Jew, and Willy Schultz, a Luftwaffe Captain in the Minsk ghetto, who risked his life to save the one he loved the most.
When the last of the Jews’ rights are stripped in 1941, Ilse’s family is deported to a Minsk ghetto. Confined to a Sonderghetto and unable to speak the locals’ language, Ilse struggles to support the surviving members of her family. Befriended by a local underground member Rivka, Ilse partakes in small acts of resistance and sabotage to help her fellow Jews escape to the partisans.
A few months later, after losing almost his entire brigade of workers to one of the bloodiest massacres conducted by the SS, a local administrative officer Willy Schultz summons the survivors to form a new brigade. Ilse’s good looks immediately catch his eye, and he makes her a leader of the new unit and later, an office worker. Soon, an unlikely romance blossoms amid death and gore, moving a Nazi officer to go to great risks to protect not only Ilse but as many others as possible and allowing a Jewish girl to open her heart to the former enemy. Knowing that the ghetto would soon be liquidated, Willy Schultz swears to save Ilse, even if the cost would be his own life.
“We live together, or we die together,” - an ultimate oath of love in the most harrowing setting.
Dark, haunting, but full of hope, “No Woman’s Land” is a testament to the love that is stronger than fear and death itself.
Book two in "Women and the Holocaust" series. Also in the same series:
"Emilia" (book 1)
"Auschwitz Syndrome (book 3)
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![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=/book-award/the-far-horizon&media=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UrIBIdC-L._SL442_.jpg._AA200_.jpg&description=<h3> <b> <i>"The writing is excellent. Lachlan's wife and adopted son are fantastic secondary characters, but the driving force is Lachlan. The challenges he faces are universal, but in this they are personal. The book may be historical, but it sheds light on a larger, contemporary world." <i> -- BOOKLIFE PRIZE <b> </h3><br /><b>As a young British ...){kind=link}
The Far Horizon
The Macquarie Series Book 2
Gretta Curran Browne
2019 Bronze Medal
303 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
"The writing is excellent. Lachlan's wife and adopted son are fantastic secondary characters, but the driving force is Lachlan. The challenges he faces are universal, but in this they are personal. The book may be historical, but it sheds light on a larger, contemporary world." -- BOOKLIFE PRIZE
As a young British officer, Lachlan Macquarie served his country in America, the West Indies, India and Egypt, but now he is being asked to go to a wilderness on the other side of the world where famine and strife amongst the inhabitants is flourishing. A firm hand is needed, but when he arrives as the new British commander, Lachlan surprises the population by not being old and tyrannical like former rulers, but full of life and exuberance, and by showing them he is not only firm, he is also fair.
George Jarvis, now grown to a young man, travels with him, and it is there George meets Mary Neely, a young, embittered English convict girl, who falls in love with George and learns from him about the goodness of life.
Set in the early nineteenth century, The Far Horizon is based on the true story of the genesis of a nation, and the man who turned a convict colony into a country, and named it Australia.
THE FAR HORIZON - READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARD WINNER
"The story is set in the early nineteenth century and follows strong historical characters in what once was a convict colony. The narrative is done in a clear and arresting voice. The plot has wonderful historical elements, a setting filled with imagery that evokes the physical challenges. Against this backdrop, Gretta Curran Browne crafts a narrative that is gripping, weaving in themes of politics, love, colonization, and a lot more. The story is character-driven and I enjoyed the author’s ability to show how the characters evolved. The romance between George and Mary adds an interesting spice to the story and readers will enjoy how love can transform a woman. I enjoyed the strong narrative voice, the vivid historical details, the compelling characters, and the skillful development of the historical setting." -- Extract from Review By Ruffina Oserio for Readers’ Favorite
A stand-alone novel and the second book in the Macquarie Series
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The Inheritance
The Guernsey Novels Book 7
Anne Allen
2019 Silver Medal
312 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
“A gorgeously intriguing story”
How close were Victor Hugo and his copyist?
1862 Young widow Eugénie faces an uncertain future in Guernsey. A further tragedy brings her to the attention of Monsieur Victor Hugo, living in exile on the island only yards away from Eugénie’s home. Their meeting changes her life and she becomes his copyist, forming a strong friendship with both Hugo and his mistress, Juliette Drouet.
2012 Dr Tess Le Prevost, Guernsey-born but living in England, is shocked to inherit her Great-Aunt’s house on the island. As a child, she was entranced by Doris’s tales of their ancestor, Eugénie, whose house this once was, and her close relationship with Hugo. Was he the real father of her child? Returning to the island gives Tess a fresh start and a chance to unlock family secrets.
Will she discover the truth about Eugénie and Hugo? A surprise find may hold the answer as Tess embraces new challenges which test her strength – and her heart.
Book Reviews
“A gorgeously intriguing story set in a beautiful location. I completely identified with contemporary heroine Tess and Victorian heroine Eugénie, who both became real for me. I was sorry to part company with them both”. Margaret James, Author of ‘The Final Reckoning’.
“This is a suspenseful story that is intelligently plotted and beautifully told. The author uses the first person narrative and shifts the story from the past to the present, a literary technique that reinforces the suspense as the reader moves from one timeline and from one point of view to another. The prose is beautiful and it is filled with wonderful descriptions. The story is infused with humanity and realism and readers can feel as though they were sitting in the same room with the legendary author and the other characters. The Inheritance is deftly plotted and it features characters that are real and compelling. I enjoyed every bit of this story.” Readers Favorite Review 5* Awarded Silver Medal
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The Whip
Karen Kondazian
2019 Gold Medal
302 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
2014 Readers Favorite- Gold Medal Prize -Winner Best Western Fiction
2013 International Book Award- first place -Winner Best Western Fiction,
2013 National Indie Excellence Award -first place-Best Western fiction
2013 Global Ebook Awards first place-Winner Best Historical Fiction
2012 USA Best Book Award- first place- Winner Best Western Fiction
First Place Goodreads Contest: "Best Book to be made into a Film"
"Top 12 Best Western Books"--Goodreads Contest
The Whip is inspired by the true story of a woman, Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst (1812-1879) who lived most of her extraordinary life as a man in the old west. As a young woman in Rhode Island, she fell in love with a runaway slave and had his child. The destruction of her family drove her west to California, dressed as a man, to track the killer.
Charley became a renowned stagecoach driver for Wells Fargo. She killed a famous outlaw, had a secret love affair, and lived with a housekeeper who, unaware of her true sex, fell in love with her. Charley was the first known woman to vote in America in 1868 (as a man). Her grave lies in Watsonville, California.
This book contains strong language
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Sister Witch
The Life of Moll Dyer
David Thompson
2018 Finalist
265 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
Moll Dyer prays she can leave her troubles behind when she immigrates to the new world, but a paranormal threat grows, and soon follows her across the ocean to Maryland.
Colonial life in the Old Line state was tough on both man and woman. Hunger, disease, Indian attacks, and drought tested the resolve of the settlers daily, but troubles for the Dyers included the threat of a succubus on a mission! Will the demonic call initiated by her family prove too much to resist as she labors to rebuild her life in a distant land?
The legend of Moll Dyer originated in earliest colonial Maryland. Despite 300 years of civilization, and scientific reason, Moll's name is still often heard there, especially around campfires late at night, or as a warning to misbehaving little people. Her spirit is often seen as a wisp of unnatural fog in the swampy woodlands near her homestead, with her half wolf companion at her side. This is her story.
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The Other Side of Him
Alice Rene
2018 Finalist
300 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
It’s the middle of the twentieth century, World War II is finally over, and Claire Wagner is on the brink of an exciting new life. With a well-deserved scholarship in hand, and much to her immigrant mother’s dismay, Claire flees the Chicago tenements for a prestigious graduate school program in California.
At first Claire keeps her nose tucked firmly into her books, but when her brother asks for a favor, she reluctantly agrees to a blind date. Greg turns out to be handsome, successful, and rich—and he’s definitely smitten with Claire. He introduces her to a sophisticated world she thought only existed in the movies, and before she knows it she’s trading her bobby socks and German home cooking for black silk and caviar.
When Greg starts to show signs that he’s not as perfect as he appeared, Claire’s friends urge her to overlook his occasional short temper and controlling behavior. But the warning signs pile up, building to a crisis that will test even Claire’s power to persevere.
Inspired by true events and steeped in the details of the 1950s, when vulnerable women weren’t protected by the law or society, The Other Side of Him is a provocative look at how darkness can lie under the most polished exteriors.
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Light of the Northern Dancers
Robin F. Gainey
2018 Honorable Mention
396 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
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Slipper
Hester Velmans
2018 Bronze Medal
380 Pages
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Fiction - Historical - Personage
Lucinda, a penniless English orphan, is abused and exploited as a cinder-sweep by her aristocratic relatives. On receiving her sole inheritance—a pair of glass-beaded slippers—she runs away to France in pursuit of an officer on whom she has a big crush. She joins the baggage train of Louis XIV’s army, survives a horrific massacre, and eventually finds her way to Paris. There she befriends the man who will some day write the world’s best loved fairy tale, Charles Perrault.
There is much more: a witch hunt, the sorry truth about daydreams, and some truly astonishing revelations, such as the historical facts behind the story of the Emperor's new clothes, and a perfectly reasonable explanation for the compulsion some young women have to kiss frogs.
This is not the fairy tale you remember.
