#read99women: Allison Pataki

It is a true pleasure to welcome Allison Pataki to the blog today, the same day her brand-new book THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE hits the stands! I was lucky enough to read an early copy of the novel, so I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I also got to interview Allison for the Chicago Review of Books: you can read that interview here.

More on Allison: Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE, THE TRAITOR’S WIFE, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS, SISI: EMPRESS ON HER OWN, WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS, as well as the nonfiction memoir BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES and two children’s books, NELLY TAKES NEW YORK and POPPY TAKES PARIS. Allison’s novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A former news writer and producer, Allison has written for The New York Times, ABC News, The Huffington Post, USA Today, Fox News and other outlets. She has appeared on The TODAY Show, Fox & Friends, Good Day New York, Good Day Chicago and MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Allison graduated Cum Laude from Yale University with a major in English and spent several years in journalism before switching to fiction writing. A member of The Historical Novel Society, Allison lives in New York with her husband and family.

Allison Pataki

And Allison’s pick for #read99women is one of my favorites of the past few years: CIRCE by Madeline Miller. Says Allison: “I had not spent much time with The Odyssey or the fables of Greek mythology since Freshman year of college, so I was delighted by Miller's reimagining of the goddess's story on the island of Aiea. Miller's writing is visceral and she draws her characters with richness and power.”

 For more on Allison, her books, and her other recommendations, click through to her BookBub page here.

And THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE isn’t the only great new book out this week! Tune in tomorrow to hear about another brand-new #read99women release, this one “an exhilarating debut novel of one woman's courage in the face of catastrophe.”

#read99women: Kristina McMorris

This is going to be a fun week of #read99women recommendations! Not that they aren’t all fun — they are — but there are some extra-fun connections between the days this week that I’ve been looking forward to.

Up today is the delightful Kristina McMorris, whose latest historical fiction hit is SOLD ON A MONDAY. You know how when someone you know gets really successful, you’re sometimes jealous of that person, except when that person is particularly wonderful, you’re just so happy for them there’s no room for jealousy? That’s how I feel about Kristina. She’s put in hard work for years and when she skyrocketed to the bestseller list it felt like exactly the right thing to happen. Instead of “Aw, why her?” it was all “Yeah! About time!”

Kristina McMorris

The official bio: Kristina McMorris is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her novels have garnered more than two dozen literary awards and nominations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Kensington Books. Her new novel, Sold on a Monday, follows her widely praised The Edge of Lost, The Pieces We Keep, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and Letters from Home. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel. For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com

So what book does Kristina recommend for the #read99women series? It’s the newest novel from Allison Pataki, THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE, which hits shelves tomorrow. It’s the fictionalized story of the real-life Desiree Clary, whose fortunes and misfortunes alike were intertwined with the lives of Napoleon Bonaparte and his empress Josephine. As Kristina puts it: “Allison Pataki is a masterful historical author at the top of her game….Painstaking research and page-turning prose placed me directly at the side of this remarkable yet lesser-known figure, journeying from innocent girlhood to seasoned royalty, a survivor of guillotine threats, palace politics, and strains of the heart. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end.”

Here’s the full review.

And if you’re curious to hear more about Allison Pataki or THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE — I’ve got great news for you! Guess who’s up on the blog tomorrow?

#read99women: Lynda Cohen Loigman

Most authors have themes they tend to revisit across books. Personally, I find myself returning over and over to questions of identity and secrecy — my protagonists all seem to undergo name changes at some point in their stories as they change or conceal their identities. It’s just something I keep coming back to, and I’m always exploring it in different ways.

Lynda Cohen Loigman’s novels — THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE and THE WARTIME SISTERS — both explore what it means to be part of a family, so it made total sense to me when I saw that her recommendation for #read99women has a lot to do with that same theme.

First, Lynda’s bio: Lynda Cohen Loigman grew up in Longmeadow, MA. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. Her debut novel, THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE, was a USA Today bestseller and a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, THE WARTIME SISTERS, was selected as a Woman's World Book Club pick and a Best Book of 2019 by Real Simple Magazine. She is currently at work on her third novel.

Lynda Cohen Loigman

Her recommendation is THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA by Juliet Grames, an epic debut novel that follows one woman’s life, and the lives of her loved ones, over decades and generations.

Lynda says, “There is nothing I love more than a family story. In THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA, Juliet Grames has gifted readers with a richly layered and multi-generational saga that follows its characters from Calabria to Connecticut in order to trace the mysteries of Stella Fortuna's astonishing life…. No matter your background, you will recognize fragments of your own family dynamics in the pages of this novel - the struggles, the joys, and the long-held secrets that shape our memories and the stories we choose to tell.”

Read Lynda’s full review of THE SEVEN OR EIGHT DEATHS OF STELLA FORTUNA on BookBub by clicking here.

And for more on Lynda’s books and other recommendations, click here to follow her on BookBub.

#read99women: Erin Lindsay McCabe

Fun fact: when I need a last name for a character in my books and nothing immediately springs to mind, I usually name end up borrowing a last name from an author I know and/or enjoy. This is how Martha McCabe in WOMAN 99 got her name; and if you’ve seen the name of today’s #read99women guest, you’ve already made the connection.

(I’d actually first considered borrowing Martha’s surname from the wonderful writer Amy Stewart, who graciously gave an early blurb for GIRL IN DISGUISE. But that would have made the character’s name Martha Stewart, which you probably know is already taken. So I swapped a few things around, the character of the nurse in WOMAN 99’s Terpsichore ward got the last name Stewart, and Martha McCabe got her alliteration.)

Author of the novel I SHALL BE NEAR TO YOU, Erin Lindsay McCabe studied Literature at University of California, Santa Cruz, and taught high school English before completing her MFA at St. Mary's College of California in 2010. She has taught Composition at St. Mary's and Butte College and resides in Northern California with her husband and son and a small menagerie that includes one dog, two cats, two horses, twenty chickens, and eight goats.

Erin Lindsay McCabe

Her recommendation THE WITCHFINDER’S SISTER, by Beth Underdown, is set in 1645 England. The novel imagines a fictional sister for the notorious Matthew Hopkins, self-appointed Witchfinder General. Through her eyes we see the horror of what “witch hunt,” now a mere expression, really meant in its day.

Erin praises the book’s writing and the use of historical documents as chapter beginnings, then continues: “But what I liked best of all and what I think is most masterfully done is the way each relationship is portrayed with subtlety and nuance, the way the ease at which people can be manipulated into doing terrible things is explored, and the steady build of dread, as we wonder what, exactly, Matthew (the witch finder) has planned and how much manipulation he is capable of.“

Click here to read the rest of Erin’s recommendation on BookBub.

And I’m trying something new with the format on these posts — want to see the cover of THE WITCHFINDER’S SISTER? Let’s see if it works:

Oooh, pretty.

#read99women: Kate Quinn

Being part of the community of authors is a wonderful thing, and one I never anticipated when I set out to get published. But lo these many years later, my fellow writers—some just starting out, some hugely successful, most somewhere in between—are a big part of what makes all this work worth it. Whatever ups and downs our careers take, we’re part of something bigger, cheering each other on.

And Kate Quinn is one of the greatest cheerleaders I know. Even with her dramatic rise into mega-bestseller territory with THE ALICE NETWORK a couple years back, she still makes time to support other writers with shout-outs, blurbs, joint events, collaborations, and other uses of time that sometimes fall by the wayside when an author finds herself in high demand. When I asked her for a #read99women recommendation even though I knew she was on deadline for her next book THE ROSE CODE, I was both thrilled and not entirely surprised that she made it happen. She’s cool like that.

Her more formal bio: Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with THE ALICE NETWORK and THE HUNTRESS. All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with two rescue dogs.

Kate Quinn

Kate’s #read99women recommendation is a book that centers around, in her words, “a stellar trio of heroines--women I want to hug, women I want to befriend, women I want to be.” BEYOND THE POINT by Claire Gibson is a debut novel about three women who attend West Point on the eve of 9/11 and their lives together and apart.

Read Kate’s review in its entirety on BookBub here; or follow Kate on BookBub for more on her books and recommendations.

a 10K giveaway!

A very short post for a very quick giveaway! My publisher Sourcebooks is holding a giveaway to celebrate hitting the milestone of 10,000 Instagram followers — and the brand new paperback of WOMAN 99 is one of the 10 titles you can win! If you’re on Instagram, hop over to the @Sourcebooks account for instructions on how to enter — and hurry! The winner will be named the morning of Friday, February 7th.

And good luck!

#read99women: Erika Robuck

Have you ever heard a real-life story and wish someone would write a historical novel about it? And wouldn’t it be amazing if that person were one of your favorite authors? That’s how I felt when I heard the story of Virginia Hall, a World War II intelligence operative who performed all sorts of daring tasks that got her labeled "the most dangerous of all Allied spies" by the Gestapo, all while sporting a prosthetic leg she referred to as Cuthbert. Then when I heard Erika Robuck would be writing a Hall novel, it just seemed like the perfect match between subject and writer. THE INVISIBLE WOMAN is forthcoming from Berkley/Penguin in February 2021.

In addition to being the author of historical fiction including HEMINGWAY’S GIRL, CALL ME ZELDA, FALLEN BEAUTY and more, Erika is a book blogger, voracious reader, country music aficionado, and hockey mom. She lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband, three sons, and a spunky miniature schnauzer. 

Erika Robuck

Erika’s got a non-fiction read to recommend: Sarah Rose’s D-DAY GIRLS, which she calls “impossible to put down.” Drawing on diaries, oral histories, and previously classified files, Sarah Rose tells the stories of several “phenomenal, courageous” women in World War II. Read the rest of Erika’s recommendation on BookBub here.

And if you like the stories of World War II lady spies, you’re going to love tomorrow’s guest author! Tune in for her #read99women pick.

#read99women: Carrie Callaghan

Historical fiction has long been one of my favorite genres to read, well before I started writing it, and the past couple of years have highlighted so many amazing, lesser-known women from history by incorporating their stories into wonderful novels.

For example, you might not know that in the 17th century, Judith Leyster was the first woman to enter the Haarlem painter’s guild, attaining master status alongside such luminaries as Rembrandt and Franz Hals. But you can read Carrie Callaghan’s excellent A LIGHT OF HER OWN to get a sense of Judith’s challenges and victories and walk away with a greater understanding.

Carrie’s new novel SALT THE SNOW (out now!) highlights the “trailblazing and liberated” Milly Bennett, one of the first female war correspondents, whose name and work should be far better known.

More on Carrie, today’s #read99women guest: Carrie Callaghan is a writer living in Maryland with her spouse, two young children, and two ridiculous cats. Her short fiction has appeared in Weave Magazine, The MacGuffin, Silk Road, Floodwall, and elsewhere. Carrie is also an editor and contributor with the Washington Independent Review of Books.

Carrie Callaghan

Carrie’s recommendation is THE WELL OF LONELINESS by Radclyffe Hall, and she’s got a great story to go with it:

“I first heard about this novel while reading the archived letters of Milly Bennett, the subject of my second novel. Milly was describing a charming cad whom she met on an oceanliner, and he had asked her what she was reading. ‘The Well of Loneliness,’ she answered him. ‘You wouldn't like it.’ So of course I had to know what book she knew this man wouldn't like! It turns out the novel was a groundbreaking story about a woman who loved women, and it was banned when it was first published in 1928. It's a fascinating work and an important window into the lives of queer women whose sacrifices and bravery helped to -- slowly -- change minds.”

Love it. Tune in tomorrow for another #read99women recommendation!

#read99women: Greer Macallister

That’s right, I’ve decided that in my epic #read99women project, one of the 99 authors I’m bringing to my blog to recommend a book by and/or about women will be… me!

I’ll dispense with my official bio (you can find it here) but will make one brief note before jumping into my recommendation: today’s the day that my newest novel, WOMAN 99, releases in paperback. Yay!

Now on with the fun.

Oh wait. I’ve used everyone else’s headshot in their recommendation blogpost. So I guess I need to include my headshot too? Here it is.

Greer Macallister

My recommendation is THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON by Sara Collins. I picked it up because, as I say in my BookBub review, “I'm a sucker for historical fiction about women who might or might not be guilty of murder.” (My first book, THE MAGICIAN’S LIE, and my upcoming book set in the Arctic both fit that description, and Margaret Atwood’s ALIAS GRACE is probably my favorite novel of all time.) THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON is an intense, haunting novel, and beautifully written. A bit more of my review: “Parts of this story, especially the horror of the Jamaica-set plotline that's only gradually revealed, are full of stomach-churning cruelty, but Collins's language and imagery are never gratuitous, only evocative.” You can read the full review here.

For more on, well, me, as well as WOMAN 99 and my other novels, plus other books I recommend, you can follow me on BookBub here.

#read99women: Kate Braithwaite

On one hand, for those of us who write historical fiction, the number of stories and historical figures available for inspiration is nearly infinite. On the other hand, it’s inevitable that certain inspirations strike a spark in multiple authors—and it’s fascinating to see how each of us takes that spark and runs with it in a slightly different direction. My latest novel WOMAN 99, for example (out in paperback tomorrow! Whee!), was initially inspired by Nellie Bly’s undercover adventures in a notorious insane asylum, Blackwell’s Island in New York.

Today’s #read99women author, Kate Braithwaite, was also inspired by Nellie’s spell of feigned madness, incorporating that inspiration into her novel THE GIRL PUZZLE.

Kate Braithwaite

Kate Braithwaite grew up in Edinburgh and has lived in various parts of England, Canada and now Pennsylvania. She’s the author of three fact-based historical novels – so far! The first two are set in 17th century Paris and London respectively: Charlatan (Fireship, 2016) and The Road to Newgate (Crooked Cat, 2018). The Girl Puzzle, a novel of Nellie Bly, (Crooked Cat in 2019) takes place in late 19th and early 20th century New York City.

Kate’s #read99women recommendation is a book of short stories by Megan Mayhew Bergman, ALMOST FAMOUS WOMEN. Each of the 13 stories in the book is inspired by a real-life woman or group of women from history, from Oscar Wilde’s niece Dolly to conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton. “If you love books that celebrate real women, bringing their lost history to light, warts and all,” she says, “then this collection is for you.” Read the rest of Kate’s recommendation here.

(The funny thing is, as Kate and I discovered as we were putting this post together, only one other person has written a review of ALMOST FAMOUS WOMEN on BookBub. Guess who?)

For more on Kate’s books and other recommendations, follow her on BookBub here.