Instagram giveaways for WOMAN 99

Yay! As a celebration of hitting 1000 followers on Instagram, I got to give away an advance copy of WOMAN 99. That giveaway is now over, but as of this writing, there are two more Instagram giveaways going on that I know of. The more you enter, the more chances you have to win!

@Sourcebooks is giving away an advance copy of WOMAN 99 and a copy of GIRL IN DISGUISE to one lucky winner. Enter by 11:59pm Central on Thursday, January 17.

@thoughtsfromapage is giving away ARCs of three highly anticipated books: WOMAN 99, Wendy Walker’s THE NIGHT BEFORE, and Kaira Rouda’s THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER. This giveaway ends at 9:00pm Central on Saturday, January 19.

Stay tuned for non-Instagram giveaways as well…. I know there will be some soon.

Good luck and good reading!

wonderful review of WOMAN 99 from PW!

Ah, this makes me so happy. A great review from a major trade publication always makes my day, and this one for WOMAN 99 from Publishers Weekly totally made my week!

The bottom line: “Macallister sensitively and adroitly portrays mental illness in an era when it was just beginning to be understood, while weaving a riveting tale of loyalty, love, and sacrifice.“

I also particularly loved this part, which really sums up so much about the book: “Though Charlotte narrates, Macallister also gives voice to a motley crew of women who, at the mercy of male whims, hide multitudes.“

The whole thing is available right here. Yay!

review of the new Diane Setterfield up at CHIRB

Not sure if I ever officially announced it here on the blog, but this year, I was named Editor-at-Large, Historical Fiction and Lit on Screen at the Chicago Review of Books. And it has been a delight.

Among the things I get to do is nab advance copies of highly anticipated historical novels, and ONCE UPON A RIVER was definitely one I leapt at the chance to read.

What did I think of it?

Check it out at CHIRB.

My holiday gift guide at The Refresh

For all those still shopping (those OF US, I should say), I put together a list of book-related gifts I highly recommend — for the holidays or otherwise. If you know a book lover, you know someone who’d appreciate a gift from this list.

Check it out at The Refresh.

And it’s not just books I’m recommending — mostly books, but also mugs and socks and scarves that honor classic books, and even chocolate that tastes like Sherlock Holmes or A Christmas Carol! Who knew?

Let's get Historical for the Holidays!

Today, December 12th, we’re getting “Historical for the Holidays” over on Facebook!

Here’s the event page to join.

Starting at noon Eastern, authors will be taking turns hosting, which might mean chats, giveaways, Q&A, or just about anything else! (We historical fiction authors are a wild bunch.)

I’ll be on at 5:40 Eastern, giving away a signed copy of GIRL IN DISGUISE and teasing my upcoming release WOMAN 99. (Adding to that #99daycountdown every day…)

Hope to see you there!

99-day countdown to WOMAN 99!

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It’s hard to know when to start getting excited about a new book. Too far ahead and would-be readers get frustrated because they can’t get their hands on it yet; too close to launch date and you might miss the opportunity to get the right buzz happening at the right time.

WOMAN 99 has been written for a while — a few lucky people got their hands on advance copies as early as last year’s BookExpo in May — but we’re still a few months off from seeing it in bookstores.

So I somewhat arbitrarily made my decision: how about a 99-day countdown to WOMAN 99?

So in the days leading up to March 5, 2019, I’ll be talking up WOMAN 99 on my social media channels — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter — and I’ve got tidbits, quotes, hints, giveaways and some other great activities in store.

Can’t wait to share Charlotte, Phoebe and the many riveting stories of Goldengrove with you!

THE MAGICIAN'S LIE longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown!

What lovely news from the UK! The Magician's Lie has been longlisted for this year's Debut Crown from the Historical Writers' Association. Only 12 novels published in the UK last year have that honor, and I'm so pleased to be included! (I've never been longlisted for anything before!)

Here's the full list.

Judges called it "A wonderful cat-and-mouse thriller set in a carnivalesque world" and said "Its thrilling opening sets the tone for a pacy and suspenseful read."

Honored and amazed. At heart we're all readers, even the judges of prize committees, and I love that this particular set of readers selected my tale of magic, secrets, deception and love for special recognition.