I've already started reading it, and have been absolutely loving every minute! :D Today, I've got Genevieve's Top 10 historical romance novels and a guest post!! :D
First, I'll share Genevieve's Top Ten List!!! Here it is:
And here's what Genevieve has to say about the inspiration for writing historical fiction, and for TIDES OF HONOR!1. Outlander (series - Diana Gabaldon)
Genevieve's Top 10 Historical Romance novels:
2. Out of the Wilderness (series - Sara Donati)
3. The Winter Sea (Susanna Kearsley)
4. The Outsider (Penelope Williamson)
5. The Bronze Horseman (series - Paullina Simons)
6. Lady of the Forest (Jennifer Roberson)
7. Pride of Lions (series - Marsha Canham)
8. The Virgin Cure (Ami McKay)
9. A White Wind Blew (James Markert)
10. Discovery of Witches (series - Deborah Harkness)
The #1 question I'm asked about my books is, “What inspired you to write this?”
As a kid, history didn't inspire me. In fact, it put me to sleep. It wasn't until I was a mom sorely in need of “me time” that I discovered escape between the covers of historical fiction books, like those of Diana Gabaldon, Wilbur Smith, Sara Donati, Penelope Williamson, and more. The stories were adventurous and exciting, far from my day to day life. Then the adventures expanded in my mind to include the countries where the stories were unfolding.
The stories were like nothing I'd ever heard in history class. These were about “real” people … which is kind of funny, because in good historical fiction, characters are often the only things that aren't real about the story. I started wondering who else might have existed in that time, in that place, and I opened my mind to the possibilities. At first I limited my writing to 18th century Scotland and the colonies, since that's what I'd read about the most, then something changed.
My family and I moved to Nova Scotia in 2008, and everything about this place was new to us. We'd never lived by the ocean, never known any lobstermen, didn't understand about the tides, the red clay, the fog that came in so thick you could cut it. And the people? Well, they were friendly and welcoming, but they were different from people we'd known before, too. Many of the folks along our Eastern Shore tell stories of their grandparents fishing the Atlantic, of their great grandparents building the original homestead out here. I started to wonder who else might have lived here … in a fictional sense.
The other thing no one in our family had ever heard of was the Halifax Explosion. 99 years ago this December, 1500 people were killed in a blast that levelled the city. Hundreds were blinded by flying glass, and over eight thousand were left homeless. The Halifax Explosion was the largest manmade explosion before Hiroshima, and it happened right here! How is it that no one in my family had ever heard of it? Not even my kids, who were attending school right here in Nova Scotia?
Of course, my mind perked up. What stories there must be! Everyone I asked had one about a great aunt who remembered the windows shaking miles away from the blast, or a grandfather who was supposed to be in Halifax that morning for work but who had stayed home for whatever reason instead. The busy port had been hopping that day, crowded with sailors and soldiers headed in and out of the war … and that grabbed my interest as well. I'd seen books about the Explosion and others about the Great War, but what about those men who experienced both? What about the physical, mental, and emotional scars that took over their lives? And what of the people they loved? Without all the technology and know-how of the 21st century, how did they live?
One thing led to another, and I couldn't stop writing. I love to find stories that haven't been told and bring them into the open by using a fictional cast of characters. My hope is that someday this book will make it into the hands of Nova Scotian high school teachers and kids, because what I want isn't just to write a good story. I want to bring history back to life … so no one sleeps through class anymore.
Genevieve Graham, May 2015“Tides of Honour”
About TIDES OF HONOUR
About Genevieve Graham
Genevieve Graham graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a degree in music, never planning to write books. She met the love of her life in a chairlift lineup in Banff and subsequently moved to Calgary where the couple lived for 17 years and raised two beautiful daughters. She began writing in 2007, just before the family moved to Nova Scotia. Her first three novels, Under the Same Sky, Sound of the Heart, and Somewhere to Dream, were international bestsellers published by Penguin US. Graham is passionate about historical adventure, runs an editing business, teaches piano, and raises very silly chickens. She lives just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Connect with Genevieve: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
A novel of love, loss, and honour amidst the horrors of war and its aftermath.
It’s 1916, and the last thing Nova Scotian soldier Danny Baker expects to find in war-torn France is the love of his life. Audrey Poulin is alone in the world, and struggling to survive the war in the French countryside. When Audrey and Danny meet and fall in love, it seems like the best version of fate.
But love is only the beginning, as Danny loses a leg in the Battle of the Somme, and returns home to Halifax with Audrey, only to discover that he’s unable to leave the war behind. Danny and Audrey struggle with their new life together, and must face not only their own internal demons, but a catastrophe that will soon rip apart everything they think they know about themselves and each other.
Genevieve Graham, author of Under the Same Sky and Sound of the Heart, brings her passion for weaving history and fiction together in a seamless tale that will capture and enthrall the reader.
A big "THANK YOU" to Genevieve for stopping by and sharing her fave historical romances and her inspiration when she writes! I think she does an AMAZING job at bringing history to life!!!
And, make sure you check out the TIMELESS TOUR! Genevieve Graham and Susanna Kearsley are touring Canada, and you don't want to miss it! I posted the details, here. And you can click on the banner to get the full tour details on the publisher's website.
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Have you read any of Genevieve Graham's books yet?
And if you haven't, does Tides of Honour sound intriguing to you?
