historical fiction
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Saving Mona Lisa by Michael Harrington
Saving Mona Lisa is a story of art, love, and genius. The story is inspired by the nine versions of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa depicted on the book cover—the original, plus eight copies of dubious provenance. The mystery over who painted these copies still confounds art historians, as does the fact that Leonardo refused to finish the original or deliver it to its rightful owner, right up until his death more than fifteen years later.
In 2012, conservators at the Prado Museum in Madrid determined that their copy was painted at the same time as the original, but Leonardo did not paint it.
In 2009, another “nude Mona Lisa” surfaced in France, further fueling the titillating question over who painted the nude versions.
Five centuries after his death, Leonardo da Vinci, the most renowned personality, artist, and genius in history, continues to reveal his many mysteries…
Based closely on scholarly research, historical evidence and credible speculation, Saving Mona Lisa weaves a story of art, love, and eccentricity as Leonardo clashes with his two young apprentices over the ultimate fate of a painting that had achieved world renown soon after everyone thought it was finished…everyone, that is, except Leonardo.
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” -Leonardo da Vinci. ***The Kindle version of Saving Mona Lisa is programmed for easy reader navigation and includes short bios of the principal characters, maps, historical Afterword, Italian glossary, and over 30 illustrations and photographs of Leonardo’s most important works.
Winds of Betrayal Boxed Set by Jerri Hines
A rousing family saga for the fight for America’s independence!
The winds of change brews over the colonies.
Tension against the crown is mounting daily. In Williamsburg, the rebellion burns strong in the hearts of two siblings, Jonathan and Hannah Corbett. Spirited and headstrong, Hannah finds herself thrust in the middle of a conspiracy when her father receives a strange package from Philadelphia. Jonathan, a physician for the Continental Army, is torn between duty and family. With war looming on the horizon, the siblings soon discover there is a high price to be paid for the cry for freedom.
The Ribbon Tier by Garrick McFadden
Trees with-not-so-magical fruit make up a secret grove of trees that hold the secrets of the interactions between slave masters and female slaves in the town of Kinslove. A story of slavery and the cruelty that slaves endured, but also the pain that white women encountered watching their husbands take liberties with their female slaves. The story centers on Jeb Hayes, the most successful landowner in the town and his journey to break the Curse of Ham, by abandoning his white wife, and taking a recently purchased slave with grieving green eyes as his wife. Jeb believes that by producing a baby with her he will be able to atone for the sins of his past.
Dunham (Tales of Dunham #4) by Moriah Jovan
It’s 1780.
The Americans are losing their desperate fight for independence from the most powerful nation on Earth. Britain’s navy is crushing outposts up and down the eastern seaboard and the Americans’ pitiful navy consists mostly of small-vessel privateers on missions of profit.
“Captain Jack” Celia Bancroft is one of those privateers, whose list of debts of honor is a nautical mile long. Sailing for the Americans is the current project on her to-do list, and once she has finished all her tasks, she will then be free to sail on a tide of whimsy.
Commander Elliott Raxham, cashiered from His Majesty’s Royal Navy, is a newly made British earl who longs for his own independence — from the title he never expected to inherit and the country that has betrayed him time and again.
They meet in a Caribbean tavern where he steals a kiss that starts a brawl she finishes. In retaliation, he steals her ship’s figurehead and, if that isn’t a grave enough insult, proceeds to chase her across the Atlantic to collect on the promise in her kiss.
With that, the romance is on, but the adventure is only beginning as Elliott and Celia face obstacle after obstacle in their own fight for independence — a new life together on the American frontier.
Of Moths and Butterflies by V.R. Christensen
Archer Hamilton is a collector of rare and beautiful insects. Gina Shaw is a servant in his house. Out of place in so low a position, she becomes a source of fascination. A girl with a blighted past, Gina has lowered herself in order to find escape from her family and their scheming designs. All she wants is the freedom to live her life as she would wish. All her aunts want is the money she has inherited. An arranged marriage might turn out profitable for more parties than one. Mr. Hamilton is about to make the acquisition of a lifetime. But will the price be worth it?
The Golden Dice: A Tale of Ancient Rome by Elisabeth Storrs
“Skillfully plotted and with vividly drawn characters, THE GOLDEN DICE is a suspenseful, romantic, exciting drama that …kept me turning its pages — with increasing speed — to the very end.” Sherry Jones, Author FOUR SISTERS, ALL QUEENS
During a ten year siege between two age-old enemies, three women follow very different paths to survive:
Caecilia, a young Roman woman, forsakes her city by marrying the Etruscan Vel Mastarna, exposing herself to the enmity of his people and the hatred of the Romans who consider her a traitoress…
Semni, a reckless Etruscan girl, becomes a servant in the House of Mastarna, embroiling herself in schemes that threaten Caecilia’s children and her own chance for romance…
Pinna, a tomb whore, uses blackmail to escape her grim life and gain the attention of Rome’s greatest general, choosing between her love for him and her loyalty to another…
Historical Fiction at its best, The Golden Dice explores the lives of women in war while giving a glimpse into the sexuality, religion, and politics of Roman and Etruscan cultures, two great civilizations of ancient history.
The United States of Vinland: The Landing by Colin Taber
What if?
What if the descendants of the Vikings who settled Greenland and went on to reach North America around the end of the first millennium had stayed?
Five hundred years later, would Christopher Columbus have arrived to the south of an eastern seaboard dotted with centuries old settlements and towns hosting devotees to Thor and Odin?
Might the Norse have gone on to build a nation as dominant as the United States of our own world?
A thousand years after reaching Greenland, Vinland and Markland, would we still have had two world wars? What might the world look like? Where might the political and religious divides be drawn?
This is the New World.
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At the turn of the first millennium:
Eskil, orphaned in war, but now a man, is leading his followers to found a settlement dedicated to Asgard’s gods in the newly discovered lands in the west. There, after tests, adventures and challenges, he will leave a legacy that will grow to become the strongest nation the world has ever seen.
The Landing is the first book in The United States of Vinland series and is an alternate history that begins the saga with the establishment of the first Markland halls.
Welcome to Norse America.
LEGEND of the DAWN by J.R. Wright
This is the first book of the LEGEND OF THE DAWN trilogy.
Death at Penrose Hill by Rebecca Moisio
In 1924 England, young and single are the calling card to matchmakers and would-be cupids. Which is the case with Rebecca Highsmith, and her matchmaking aunt; a woman who believes her “spinster” niece is destined for quick marriage as soon as she finds the right man. After being dragged to a coastal party and expected to find her one true love, what Rebecca and the other guests really find is a corpse.
What was originally a bid for love at first sight becomes a twisted game of killer hide-and-seek, as Rebecca races to discover the identity of the murderer before they strike again. Nothing will ever be the same at the Mansion on Penrose Hill!
Noble Cause by Jessica James
Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this epic Civil War novel that pits brother against brother. Winner of the coveted John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, Noble Cause chronicles the clash of a Confederate cavalry officer with a Union spy as they defend their beliefs, their country, and their honor.
Called “a riveting piece of historical fiction” by the Midwest Book Review and often compared to Gone with the Wind, Noble Cause takes readers across the rolling hills of Virginia in a page-turning tale of courage and love.
Gallantry and chivalry are put to the test when Colonel Alexander Hunter discovers the woman he promised his dying brother he would protect is the Union spy he has vowed to his men he would destroy.
With its unique blend of romantic and historical fiction, Noble Cause tells a deeply personal and poignant tale that, according to one reviewer “transcends the pages to settle in the very marrow of the reader’s bones.”
Praised by both men and women, and suitable for teens, this novel captivates and enthralls by telling a classic tale of courage, sacrifice and enduring love.
Originally published as Shades of Gray, Noble Cause is the winner of multiple national literary awards.
