Today, for Simon and Schuster Canada’s #TimelessTour blog tour on historical fiction, I have a guest post by Santa Montefiore, author of Songs of Love and War. 

In Songs of Love and War, the heroine Kitty Deverill can see ghosts, and talks often with previous generations of Deverills who are trapped in the family castle because of a curse. For this post, I asked Santa Montefiore who she would like to meet and talk to, if she could see ghosts like Kitty did.

Guest Post by Santa Montefiore

Actually, I can see ghosts – or spirits – like Kitty can. That’s why I wrote about it. It’s a gift and I’m very grateful that I can tune into that vibration because I know without doubt that there is no death, just a transition and that those we love and lose are never really lost, just out of sight, and waiting for the time when we will eventually join them. I’m not a good medium as my ability to communicate is very limited. I get bits, and I sense their vibration – and feel their love and happiness, but if I could spend time with a spirit and really chat, I would like to see my sister. She died last year aged 45 and we were very close. I have seen her twice since her death, but to be able to embrace her, and talk to her, and reminisce about her life – and for her to tell me what she is up to now, would be a real gift.

Celebrate historical fiction with the Timeless Tour, from April 16 – May 4!

For more information, visit www.timelesstour.ca.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the invitation to join this blog tour and to the author for the post.

Bellewether is such a lush historical romance! It tells the story of two women separated by time: first is Lydia Wilde in 1759, whose father is forced to take two French officers into their home as a form of house arrest. Lydia finds herself attracted to one of them, a French-Canadian lieutenant Jean-Philippe de Sabran, who is equally drawn to her. Flash forward to present day and museum curator Charley Van Hoek is in charge of Wilde House Museum, dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of one of Lydia’s brothers, who had become a famous privateer. Charley learns the local legend that the House has a ghost, reportedly that of Jean-Philippe who was killed by Lydia’s brother when they tried to elope. According to the same legend, Lydia then drowned herself of heartbreak. I love how these two stories run concurrently and eventually converge as we learn the truth of how Lydia and Jean-Philippe’s story turns out.

I’m not familiar with the Seven Years War and don’t think I’ve ever read about it in novels before (it’s so often about WWI or WWII) so this was a fascinating introduction to a new-to-me part of history. The characters in both present day and past were wonderful; I found myself completely enthralled by their stories. The romances were all handled with such deft subtlety that when characters finally kiss for the first time, it’s the sweetest and most thrilling moment. In that, it reminds me of Jane Austen era romances (though without the bickering of Elizabeth and Darcy). In one couple, the friendship developed over time, which is my favourite type of romance, and in the other couple, they didn’t even share a language, so the attraction was developed all through furtive glances, which just felt like the sweetest way to fall in love. I love how obvious the attraction was to us as readers with our omniscient view, yet the characters themselves, while able to admit their own feelings, were uncertain for so long if their feelings were reciprocated. 😍

I also love the present-day museum story / workplace drama, and the bits about the ghost story. I love old houses and often imagine if they have resident ghosts, so Charley’s story played right into my imagination.

Such a wonderful book to lose yourself in!

Celebrate historical fiction with the Timeless Tour, from April 16 – May 4!

For more information, visit www.timelesstour.ca.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Today, as part of Simon and Schuster Canada’s #TimelessTour blog tour of historical fiction, I’m interviewing Genevieve Graham, author of Come from Away.

1. If you lived during the time period in your book, how do you think you would have fared and why?

2. If you lived in the future and were to write historical fiction about 2018, what do you think you would write about and why?

3. What was it like revisiting the characters from Tides of Honour and imagining how Audrey and Danny would have changed after 20 years?

Bittersweet, I suppose. No one likes to think about getting older, do they? I missed the two of them so much after I finished Tides of Honour. Mostly Danny, actually. I connected so closely with him it was if I’d lost a brother when the book was done. So I was really happy to work with him again for Come From Away. He’s the same man he’s always been, but he’s stronger now. Seasoned, I guess. Still a man of honour, still a man haunted by memories and fighting back every day. A man who loves his family with a fierce sense of responsibility. And still a man passionately in love. Every time he and Audrey looked at each other I felt the same energy buzzing between them.

Celebrate historical fiction with the Timeless Tour, from April 16 – May 4!

For more information, visit www.timelesstour.ca.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the invitation to participate in this blog tour.