The Novice Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway

Please join me in welcoming Mirella Sichirollo Patzer, author of The Novice, to Historical Tapestry! Below you will find not only her wonderful guest post on her Books of a Lifetime but more information about The Novice, the tour schedule and a chance for you to win a copy of your very own! So without further ado....

 

Books of a Lifetime by Mirella Patzer

 

Thank you for inviting me to your website to speak about books! It is a real pleasure to be able to share some of the books that inspired me throughout my life.

I was born the child of immigrant parents who came to Canada to begin a new life in the aftermath of World War II. At first, they were not yet able to speak English, and because they couldn’t speak the language, they couldn’t read it either. Therefore, I had no one to read me a bedtime story. In fact, I did not know books existed until I entered 1st grade. It was my first grade teacher who read me my first story and encouraged me to plough through those early first grade readers. To this very day, I carry my gratitude for her in my heart.

By the 2nd grade, I was truly obsessed with books. On my way home from school, I had to walk past a library. It wasn’t long before I coaxed my mother to acquire a library card for me. The very first books I read were fairy tales. I devoured every fairy tale book the library had, often reading the same books, the same stories over and over again. That’s when my love for kings and queens, princes and princesses, was born; a love I carry to this day. Not only are historical biographical novels my favorite genre, I’m in the process of publishing one soon. After fairy tales. I progressed to Nancy Drew books, and was completely entranced with those wonderful mysteries. After that, with my library card in hand, I read as many books in as many different genres as I could, always above my grade level, and always preferring historical stories rather than contemporary ones.

By the time I was twelve years old, I had read Gone with the Wind twice. To this day, it is my favorite novel. The romance between Scarlett and Rhett, the drama of the Civil War, plantation life, Scarlett’s courage under challenging circumstances held me enthralled, and still captivate me.  

In the years following, I discovered Diana Gabaldon’s novel, Outlander, the year it was first published. I recommended and lent the book out so many times, that I kept buying and buying copies of it. It is Diana Gabaldon’s portrayal of Jamie and Claire’s romance that keeps drawing me in, inspiring me to write about true love in my own stories.     

There are so many good books to be discovered that I rarely will read a book more than once. The exceptions to this rule are Outlander and Gone with the Wind. I have read and re-read these novels more than five or six times. They are timeless and provide me with much inspiration in my own journey as an author of historical fiction.

Today, I read at least a book a week and am a professional book reviewer. I am proud to have reached the status as an Amazon Top 500 Reviewer. I am choosy about the books I read, preferring historical novels about strong heroines in lesser known periods of history. Rarely do I find a book I dislike. Reading is a great gift. It brings me great joy and has inspired me to keep honing my skills so that one day I might write a book as memorable as Outlander and Gone with the Wind. One can only dream….

 

Thank you so much, Mirella, for taking the time to share your thoughts on the power of books and how they can transfer your life!

Now to the giveaway! For a chance to win an eBook copy (open internationally!) of The Novice please leave a comment below answering this question: what book (or books) first captivated you so much that it pushed you to become the avid reader you are today? Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win (no email, no entry!). For an extra entry, share this guest post/giveaway online and leave a separate email with a link to where you shared. That's it! I will pick a winner on October 15th and the winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I have to pick another winner. Good luck all!

 

About The Novice

 

Publication Date: September 15, 2014
H&W Press
Formats: eBook, Paperback; 380p

Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Romance

 

A young woman on the verge of taking her vows to become a nun.

A desperate flight from a murderous massacre.

One honorable man comes to her rescue.

Another becomes her nemesis and captor.

And a life and death search to reunite with her one true love.

 

 



In 10th century Naples, Saracens run rampant, annihilating villages, murdering women and children. Death and despair is everywhere. Alone in the world, Sara is a young novice plagued with doubts about taking her final vows to become a nun. When her convent is attacked, she flees for her life straight into the arms of a group of Saracens who leave her to die alone in the woods. An honorable cavaliere named Nicolo comes to her rescue and offers to take her to the safety of Naples. As they journey together, they are irresistibly drawn to each other. Believing Sara to be a nun, the honorable Nicolo is torn between love and duty to respect her vows. Heartbroken, he does what honor demands and sets her free before she can tell him the truth that she is not a nun. In her search to reunite with Nicolo, she encounters Umberto, a dark and dangerous man who will stop at nothing in his obsession to possess her. With her sharp intellect, and her heart, Sara must rely on her own courage and strength to escape her abuser and find the only man she will ever love. A story that burns with intensity, intrigue, and passion from the author of the highly successful novel, Orphan of the Olive Tree.

 

About The Author

A true blue Taurean in every way, Mirella Sichirollo Patzer grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a city famous for the Calgary Stampede, oil companies, and the wild west. Historical fiction books are one of her obsessions, especially those that pertain to medieval eras and with Italy as a backdrop. Her fascination for women of history and Italy is often reflected in her work, her various blogs, and website. She lives in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada with her husband and family. Her house is brimming with books and toys. For her, life couldn’t get any better.

For more information please visit Mirella’s website. Mirella also blogs at History and Women & Historical Novel Review. Connect with Mirella on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.

 

 

 

The Novice Blog Tour Schedule

 

Monday, September 29

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, September 30

Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Interview at Triclinium – Elisabeth Storrs

Wednesday, October 1

Guest Post at Book Babe
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Obsession

Thursday, October 2

Review & Giveaway at The Book Binder’s Daughter
Interview & Giveaway at Historical Romance Lover

Friday, October 3

Spotlight & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, October 6

Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, October 7

Review at Unshelfish
Spotlight at Princess of Eboli

Wednesday, October 8

Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Thursday, October 9

Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, October 10

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Guest Post at Keely Brooke Keith