Love Saves the World is pleased to welcome Sarah Ballance who is currently on tour for her book, Her Wicked Sin, her first foray into historical romance.
For this tour, Sarah is giving away a $50.00 gift card (winner's choice of either Amazon, BN, etc.).
I'm the first stop on her tour and Sarah will be stopping by other blogs:
September 23 Spotlight and review
Love Saves the World
http://www.lovesavestheworld.com
September 23 review
Nicky Peacock Author
http://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/
September 24 Interview
manga maniac café
http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/
September 25 Spotlight
Jody's Book Reviews, Giveaways & Tours
http://www.jodysbookreviews.com
September 26 Spotlight
Sapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews
http://saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com/
September 27 Spotlight and review
Snarky Mom Reads…
http://www.snarkymomreads.com
September 27 Spotlight and review
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
September 30 Guest blog
Books Books and More Books
http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/
October 1 Guest blog
Paranormal Romance Fans for Life
www.paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com
October 2 Spotlight
Tanya's Book Nook
http://tanyasbooknook.blogspot.com
October 2 Spotlight and review
Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
http://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com
October 3 Guest post and review
Victoria's Gossip
http://victoriasgossip.com/blog/
October 3 Spotlight and review
Shut Up & Read
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
October 3 Interview
www.bittenbylovereviews.com
October 4 Interview
Dalene’s Book Reviews
http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/
October 4 Character Interview
Author Karen Swart
http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
October 7 Guest blog
Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/
October 7 Interview
Mochas, Mysteries and More
www.mochasmysteriesandmore.blogspot.com
October 7 Spotlight
Mila Ramos
www.jademystique.blogspot.com
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About the book --
Author: Sarah Ballance
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: 9-9-13
ASIN: B00EMT2D5K
Number of pages: 147
Blurb:
Salem, MA 1692
On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight...
Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.
Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply ... away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse ... and claiming her bed.
Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.
Salem, MA 1692
On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight...
Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.
Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply ... away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse ... and claiming her bed.
Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.
Excerpt:
She seemed nowhere as flustered as he as she extracted his shirt from his breeches, but the very act of this woman undressing him sent desire coursing astray. Though new to her acquaintance, he found her innately appealing. Never before had he been so taken with a woman, even as he’d entertained a long parade of those pushed to claim access to his fortune through the transaction of marriage.
None had been like Lydia.
When her hands fell to his bare abdomen, the air crackled like the fire upon the hearth. Even she seemed startled as she drew breath and froze, save for her eyes seeking his, but she quickly pushed aside her hesitation and worked her soft ministrations against his skin. Her innocence only increased her appeal, though she was no untried girl. She was a widow who had surely known the pleasures of the marital bed.
His thoughts in cooperation with her touch roused his manhood, and his breeches did little to hide the evidence. For perhaps the first time in his twenty-four years, he cursed his need. He would do nothing willingly to alienate himself from the lovely physician’s company, but he could not stop that for which he
ached.
She had dismissed her hesitance, no longer seeking permission to explore him. He sought in her a trace of the desire he cultivated, but she did not meet his eye. Not until she found his flustered groin did she speak. “You are not yet incapacitated, are you now?”
He blinked his surprise. Oh, how her quick tongue captured him! “Forgive me. You must know how you provoke desire.”
“I know the reputation of man,” she said. “Desire need not be provoked by much.”
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Buy Link:
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My Review:
Lydia Colson arrived in Salem Village a year before and serves as physician to the village. No one questioned the absence of her husband or the suddenness of her appearance. Henry Putnam was on his way to Salem Town to look for his missing older brother. Lydia encounters him on her way home one evening, having fallen off his horse and in need of care.
A stranger in a married woman's cottage: to prevent gossip from spreading, Henry pretends to be Lydia's husband and the growing physical attraction between Lydia and Henry elevates their pretend marriage into a real one. But their marriage is tested when Lydia is accused of witchcraft and Henry must weigh in the balance his family's reputation and livelihood and his new wife's life.
It's very rare to find a historical romance novel set during the Salem Witch Trials and this is the main reason why I requested to read Sarah Ballance's Her Wicked Sin. It's a very challenging period to write about because it was such a recognizable period in American History and there is always the danger of the Salem Witch stories overshadowing an author's own story -- but Sarah Ballance does a good job of keeping the story of Lydia and Henry in the foreground. Considering that this is a novella, Ballance delivers the full package.
The author captures the very restrictive atmosphere of Salem during those times and the precariousness of every person's position: one hint of witchcraft, one tiny rumor is all it takes to destroy a person.
Lydia came to Salem to escape her past and to start fresh but, what was once Lydia's safe haven becomes a place of distrust and fear -- and the final straw was the very malicious accusation of the Abbott children. We also see the defenselessness and the hopelessness of the accused "witch" -- Lydia was put in a very difficult position and every word she uttered was used against her. It really was a no-win situation.
Where, then, is the love story? While their courtship and "marriage" happened very quickly, Henry's commitment is tested several times: the first is when he decides to inform his very wealthy, very well-connected family of his marriage to Lydia. The second was when Lydia was accused of witchery. Even though they've only known each other for a short while, Henry's faith in his wife was amazing: he listened, and accepted -- and didn't judge. His first instinct is always to help.
My one small complaint is the resolution -- Lydia's ending was a bit rushed (and a bit too neat) but, more importantly, I hated, yes, HATED, the Abbot children and Goody Rebecca I really wanted to see them get their comeuppance but they get away with their misdeeds. I understand, however, that Ballance is remaining faithful to the historical period and no such justice was possible during that time. I am glad that Lydia and Henry get their happy ending (as happy as can be managed in such Puritan circumstances).
Lydia Colson arrived in Salem Village a year before and serves as physician to the village. No one questioned the absence of her husband or the suddenness of her appearance. Henry Putnam was on his way to Salem Town to look for his missing older brother. Lydia encounters him on her way home one evening, having fallen off his horse and in need of care.
A stranger in a married woman's cottage: to prevent gossip from spreading, Henry pretends to be Lydia's husband and the growing physical attraction between Lydia and Henry elevates their pretend marriage into a real one. But their marriage is tested when Lydia is accused of witchcraft and Henry must weigh in the balance his family's reputation and livelihood and his new wife's life.
It's very rare to find a historical romance novel set during the Salem Witch Trials and this is the main reason why I requested to read Sarah Ballance's Her Wicked Sin. It's a very challenging period to write about because it was such a recognizable period in American History and there is always the danger of the Salem Witch stories overshadowing an author's own story -- but Sarah Ballance does a good job of keeping the story of Lydia and Henry in the foreground. Considering that this is a novella, Ballance delivers the full package.
The author captures the very restrictive atmosphere of Salem during those times and the precariousness of every person's position: one hint of witchcraft, one tiny rumor is all it takes to destroy a person.
Lydia came to Salem to escape her past and to start fresh but, what was once Lydia's safe haven becomes a place of distrust and fear -- and the final straw was the very malicious accusation of the Abbott children. We also see the defenselessness and the hopelessness of the accused "witch" -- Lydia was put in a very difficult position and every word she uttered was used against her. It really was a no-win situation.
Where, then, is the love story? While their courtship and "marriage" happened very quickly, Henry's commitment is tested several times: the first is when he decides to inform his very wealthy, very well-connected family of his marriage to Lydia. The second was when Lydia was accused of witchery. Even though they've only known each other for a short while, Henry's faith in his wife was amazing: he listened, and accepted -- and didn't judge. His first instinct is always to help.
My one small complaint is the resolution -- Lydia's ending was a bit rushed (and a bit too neat) but, more importantly, I hated, yes, HATED, the Abbot children and Goody Rebecca I really wanted to see them get their comeuppance but they get away with their misdeeds. I understand, however, that Ballance is remaining faithful to the historical period and no such justice was possible during that time. I am glad that Lydia and Henry get their happy ending (as happy as can be managed in such Puritan circumstances).
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the blog tour organizer for review purposes. Many thanks to Sarah Ballance, Bewitching Book Tours and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.
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About the author:
She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids).
When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.
She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly paranormal romance.
Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found on Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Kobo, For the Muse Publishing, and ENTANGLED PUBLISHING.
Website: http://www.sarahballance.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahBallance
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4103362.Sarah_Ballance
* * *
For this tour, Sarah is giving away a $50.00 gift card (winner's choice of either Amazon, BN, etc.). Enter through Rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for the time you spent reading and reviewing Her Wicked Sin. I'm honored to be here today!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review and the giveaway. Sounds like a really good book. evamillien at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually into Historical much, but this one sounds like a hot read. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating book! I enjoy historical romance and have put this title on my TBR list. Thanks for sharing the great excerpt and review.
ReplyDeletebhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hi, Sarah! Thank you for dropping by! I'm very happy to be part of your book tour -- congratulations on Her Wicked Sin!
ReplyDelete@Eva, Redheaded Bookworm, Booklady -- many thanks for helping me welcome Sarah!
I really enjoyed Her Wicked Sin and look forward to the subsequent books in the series. I do agree with you - I really disliked the Abbot children too! Thanks for sharing your review.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI love this subject, it was such a blemish on America's past, that I like to see how authors handle it.
ReplyDeleteI love historical romances but most of the books I read are set in the 19th century. This book and this setting sound very interesting. Since this is a new-to-me author, I'll be looking into her work to discover more about her. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletekareninnc at gmail dot com
thank you for the opportunity to win :)
ReplyDeleteI love American Historicals. This one sounds good.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I enjoy historical novels... Steamy excerpt, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the excerpt and giveaway!
ReplyDeletesounds like an awesome book! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleterounder9834 @yahoo.com
Thank you all for the amazing comments. I wish you could all win the giveaway! ;c)
ReplyDeleteThis is great do you have a catologue if so I would love one to share with friends and family.
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