The Lotus House by Ann Bennett Blog Tour! @annbennett71 @cathiedunn @annbennettauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub

Book Title: The Lotus House

Series: Echoes of Empire

Author: Ann Bennett

Publication Date: 9th October 2024

Publisher: Andaman Press

Pages: 337 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance / Historical Asian Fiction

Any Triggers: description of battle scenes and harrowing scenes of treatment of US prisoners by Japanese soldiers. One love scene, but not explicit. No swearing.

 

A gripping, emotional drama of love and courage set in the Philippines during WW2.

1960: Nancy Drayton, an American nurse living on Lake Sebu, is visited by a stranger who hands her some faded letters, given to her by a dying man. Reading them transports Nancy back to the terror of the war years.

1941: When Nancy’s world is blown apart by the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, she volunteers to travel to the Philippines to serve at the front. She soon finds herself working in a field hospital on the Bataan Peninsula in the thick of the fighting, experiencing the horrors of war first hand.

When tending to some wounded men, she meets Captain Robert Lambert, and they become close. But the Japanese are closing in on Bataan, and when the US surrenders, they are driven apart.

As Robert struggles to survive the horrors of the Bataan Death March and the brutality of captivity in a prison camp, Nancy too finds herself a captive, fighting for her life. Will they survive to find one another again or will the forces of war keep them apart?

If you enjoy compelling historical fiction, you’ll love this sweeping story of love and war. 

Perfect for fans of Kristen Hannah, Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop.

Praise for Ann Bennett:

‘What an amazing read!!! I didn't expect this to be a roller coaster of emotions, suspense, and mystery but it was everything!!… The characters were amazing, the story will keep you wanting more and more until the end.’

~ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So captivating, I was on edge while flipping through the pages as fast as I could… Truly heartwarming… Emotional, heartbreaking … I loved this… A must read… Amazing.’

~ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Universal Buy Link:

https://mybook.to/lotushouse 

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter's Quest, was inspired by researching her father's experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own journey to uncover his story. It won the Asian Books Blog prize for fiction published in Asia in 2015 and was shortlisted for the best fiction title in the Singapore Book Awards 2016. 

That initial inspiration led her to write more books about WWII in Southeast Asia – Bamboo Island: The Planter's Wife, A Daughter's Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter's Club, The Amulet, and The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu. Along with The Lotus House, published in October 2024, they make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.

Ann is also the author of The Oriental Lake Collection - The Lake Pavilion and The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, set in French Indochina during the same period. A Rose in the Blitz – the first in the Sisters of War series and set in London during WWII, was published in March 2024.

The Lake Pagoda won a bronze medal for historical fiction in Asia in the Coffee Pot Book Club, Book of the Year awards 2022. The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu won a silver medal for dual-timeline historical fiction, and A Rose in the Blitz won bronze in the historical romance category in the Coffee Pot Book Club, Book of the Year awards 2024.

The Runaway Sisters, USA Today bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture. Her latest book, The Stolen Sisters, published on 29th November 2024 is the follow-up to The Orphan List (published by Bookouture in August 2024) and is set in Poland and Germany during WWII.

 

A former lawyer, Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details, please visit www.annbennettauthor.com.

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Ann-Bennett/author/B00D21SJ7A 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1951323.Ann_Bennett 

Tour Schedule Page:

Cardinals by Ian Conner Genre: Dark Paranormal Fantasy Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours #BramStoker #Dracula #Cardinals #IanConner

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A completely new twist on Stoker's tale.

Cardinals

by Ian Conner

Genre

 Dark Paranormal Fantasy

A completely new twist on Stoker's tale.

Nine Hundred years before Christ, God has cast his wife, Asherah, out of heaven and condemned her to roam the earth as the first vampire. Over the centuries, she created other vampires. There are also those that she left for dead but survived her attack without being completely turned into vampires. These survivors are called Cardinals. Scottish Countess Kellena Donnachaidh and Lady Suzette Allard, our protagonists, are among these cardinals. 

They are searching out Asherah for a final conflict. 

Asherah has discovered a way back to heaven so she can exact her vengeance. Using the Amulet of Cassiel she can call the Flaming chariot of Israel to return to heaven Now, 3000 years later, there are groups working to destroy Asherah and the vampires. The Vatican and other groups, fearing their own destruction if she ascends, simply want to stop Asherah using the Amulet of Cassiel to re-enter heaven. The race to recover the Amulet is full of intrigue, betrayal.

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The wolf was watching Angus and Kellena but displaying no aggression.

“Birds of a feather,” Angus said, looking between Kellena and the wolf.

“Timberland. That seems a fitting name.” she said with certainty.

            “Tell the stable hand to bring more meat and water,'' she continued to stroke the wolf's fur. She seemed to accept the name she'd been given without objection.

Kellena nursed the wolf back to proper health almost overnight, much like Kellena and Suzette’s recovery in London. In a week's time, the two were inseparable. Except for Angus, Suzette was the only other person in the household who could speak to or touch Timberland without a great deal of barking or growling. Kellena loved her just the same.

“That wolf makes me feel safe.” she told Angus.

“Lady Dartmoore attacked Timberland and my man Kinkaid.”

“Who else would leave marks like that on the neck?” Kellena asked.         

She and Suzette had shared what really happened in London with Angus. Ever since Angus rarely let Kellena out of his sight.

Ian Conner is retired and spent most of his adult life as a Marine and Army Infantry Sergeant. A hundred percent disabled veteran after multiple head and other injuries, he is part of a growing number of vets classified as “neuro-diverse”, an MST survivor and have several issues such regarding comprehension, concentration, and vision issues that he has OVERCOME to write several novels. After witnessing a lifetime of destruction, the thought of creating something tangible and lasting holds great appeal.

He finds writing a cathartic way to redefine himself both in his eyes and in the eyes of others. Writing for fun, Ian has completed seven novels with an eighth near done with two more ideas in the scribble/chapter phase. He has written across four genres Fantasy, Thriller, Science Fiction and Horror.

He uses ProWritingAid, Beta Readers and professional editors keep the product readable, he has recently began querying in search of a professional agent and publisher.

Now living near San Diego California with his wife Bonnie, a cellist, and their two dogs, Cookie and Isabella. Conner spends his days fostering kittens, gardening, crafting beautiful stained glass and creating worlds on the page.

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Gitel’s Freedom by Iris Mitlin Lav Book Spotlight!

Depression-era novel showcases strength and struggles of Jewish immigrant women in America

“Gitel’s Freedom”

Iris Mitlin Lav | March 25, 2025 | She Writes Press | Historical Fiction

Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-64742-858-7 | $17.99

Ebook | ASIN: B0D84DC7M5 | $12.99

For fans of Georgia Hunter’s “We Were the Lucky Ones” comes Iris Mitlin Lav’s “Gitel’s Freedom” (March 25, 2025, She Writes Press), a historical novel about the lives of Jewish immigrants in the early twentieth century and one woman’s journey toward personal freedom.

At an early age, Gitel questions the expected roles of women in society and in Judaism. Born in Belorussia and brought to the U.S. in 1911, she leads a life constrained by her Jewish parents. Forbidden from going to college and pushed into finding a husband, she marries Shmuel, an Orthodox Jewish pharmacist whose left-wing politics she admires. They plan to work together in a neighborhood pharmacy in Chicago—but when the Great Depression hits and their bank closes, their hopes are shattered. 

In the years that follow, bad luck plagues their marriage, leaving them in financial distress. Gitel dreams of going back to school to become a teacher once their daughter reaches high school, but finds her ambitions thwarted by an unexpected pregnancy. And when a massive stroke leaves Shmuel disabled, Gitel is challenged to combine caring for him, being the breadwinner at a time when women face salary discrimination, and being present for their second daughter. 

An illuminating look at Jewish immigrant life in early-1900s America, “Gitel’s Freedom” is also a compelling tale of women’s resourcefulness and resilience in the face of limiting and often oppressive expectations. 

IRIS MITLIN LAV grew up in the liberal Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. She went on to earn an MBA from George Washington University and an AB from the University of Chicago, and to enjoy a long career of public policy analysis and management, with an emphasis on improving policies for low- and moderate-income families.

She also taught public finance at Johns Hopkins University and George Mason University, and in 1999 received the Steven D. Gold award for contributions to state and local fiscal policy, an award jointly given by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Tax Association.

Her first novel, “A Wife in Bangkok,” was published in 2020 by She Writes Press. “Gitel’s Freedom” is her second novel. Lav and her husband now live in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with Mango, their goldendoodle, and grandchildren nearby.

Learn more about her life and work at: www.irismitlinlav.com 

An Interview with

Iris Mitlin Lav

Why did you decide to write novels after retiring from public policy work? What is your advice for others who might wish to begin writing?

I have always loved reading novels, and during the course of my work life I found policy writing easy to do. I also liked to tell stories, which often were well received. Despite the fact that my last creative writing course was more than 60 years ago in high school, I decided to sit down and see what would happen, which resulted in my first novel. I’d advise someone who wants to begin writing fiction to sit down at their computer, start writing, and decide whether what comes out seems like a viable novel. Then find a developmental editor to help refine it.

What was your inspiration for “Gitel’s Freedom”?

Gitel’s Freedom is fiction, but it is based on my family’s experiences. I always marveled at how strong the real Gitel–my mother–was, dealing with all forms of adversity that kept plaguing her life, while continuing to be the best mother she could be and also concerning herself with social issues through various organizations to which she belonged. I wanted to portray what her life was like. And also to portray how women’s freedoms changed through the generations.

What is the significance of the locations in the book?

The Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago was, and still is a very special place. At the time at which the novel is set, it was the only racially integrated neighborhood in the city, and 

Hyde Park High School was the only integrated school. Unlike most places at the time, interactions and friendships between races was the norm. That contrasts with the Lawndale neighborhood where Shmuel grew up and Gitel and Shmuel first lived, which was in effect a Jewish ghetto.

Did you do any research to accurately convey the difficulties of the time, especially for immigrants in the United States?

I did a lot of research about the Great Depression; the statistics Gitel repeatedly cites to Shmuel in the novel about the declining economy are accurate, as are the events such as the bank closings. Shmuel clearly never understood how serious the economic situation was, nor did he understand the shaky Illinois banking system with its many small, under-capitalized banks. He likely was typical of many immigrants in that respect. Gitel understood, but as a woman she couldn’t override her husband’s poor decisions.

Gitel is quite resourceful and resilient in the face of limiting and often oppressive expectations. What are the consequences of the limited opportunities for women during this time period?

In this time period, women–and particularly married women–had little freedom to make choices. If they wanted to leave a bad marriage, they likely would have difficulty supporting themselves because of pay disparities between men and women and the limited type of work for which women could be hired. (Note that the wage disparities between men and women at all education levels persist today.) If a woman had children, the Chicago Public Schools made it impossible for women to work because children below high school age came home for lunch every day. Most women were dependent on a husband’s income if they were married and had children, or on an inequitable employment and pay system if they were single.

Outpassage by Janet & Chris Morris Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours #Outpassage @PerseidPublishing @perseid_press

War and Mystery Beyond the Stars

Outpassage

by Janet & Chris Morris

Genre

 Science Fiction

WAR AND MYSTERY BEYOND THE STARS

Sgt. "Det" Cox has just spent three years under psych observation on Earth; now that he's out-system, he isn't about to tell anyone he's seeing aliens again. Paige Barnett has lost everything, even her name, because she knows too much about the rebellion spreading through the Earth-Space mining colonies.

Together Cox and Barnett stumble upon the mystery at the revolution's heart and learn why the rebels are willing to die for it.

Is their discovery humanity's worst threat or greatest gift? The authorities are willing to destroy whole planets to keep the revolution's secret from reaching Earth... What's to stop them from destroying two people?

"The Morrises' blend of fast-paced narrative and meticulous research into near-space technology makes a novel you can't put down."

-- C.J. Cherryh

"Action sequences that would make any writer proud. OUTPASSAGE is a wonderful book."

--David Drake

"OUTPASSAGE might just be the perfect science fiction novel."

-- Jack Williamson

 **On Sale Now!!**

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Love Science Fiction?

For readers that are out of this world and can’t wait to find out what the future holds -

All SciFi books at Perseid Press are discounted for the month of January!

Get them now before they’re light years away…..

https://bit.ly/3RLP2hs

PROLOGUE

Fourth World Nightmare

The sky was thin and the color of dirty motor oil, except where it exploded above their heads. Concussion was delayed in the thin air but the smell of roasting Rangers got to you right away, even through your air filters. The terraformers hadn’t done much of a job on this classified ball of rock before the corporation workforce moved in, the shit hit the fan, and a request for military assistance followed.

The request wasn’t denied, exactly, but it was rerouted to InterSpace Tasking Corporation’s security division, who sent out a deniable reconnaissance team — thirteen US Rangers sheep-dipped for hazardous duty under the command of Colonel “Mad Jack” Reynolds.

It was Reynolds whose charred flesh was sending up the stink that made Cox gag as he dove for cover. Long recon meant long odds, long distances, and long hitches, but nobody ever wanted to think it meant dying a long way from home.

Overhead, even through his flash-and-blast suppressing helmet, Cox could see the enemy coming in for another strafing run. Nobody ever thought the enemy was going to come at you with airpower, either, because there wasn’t supposed to be any hostile force out here that had airpower.

In Cox’s ear, Locke was screaming over the comm set: “… suggest you form up for extraction, sir, at the beacon.”

Cox huddled under an overhang of silicate, his rifle cradled against his chest and his knees pulled up, shifted enough to turn his head. “Reynolds?” he said into his comm-mic, just to be sure.

But there was no way the barbecued officer lying beside him, charred limbs askew, was going to answer. The airpower came over and Cox covered his head: his helmet’s recon pack had sent plenty of pictures already; he didn’t need to risk his life for one more shot of somebody shooting at him.

He needed to risk his life to get to the extraction point, and that was about all he could handle. “Hey Locke,” he yelled into his mic because the airpower was strafing what was left of Reynolds: “Reynolds is past it. I’m here by my lonesome.” Rock exploded near him. Reflexively, he ducked his head in the shelter of his arms, eyes closed, and said as clearly and calmly as he could, “But I’m real ready for an order to get the fuck out of here.”

“Then give it,” came Locke’s voice, laconic over the static and hard to hear because the sniper aircraft was coming back for another pass. “You’re the only friendly voice I’m hearing.”

“Falling back,” Cox heard his own voice say, and his body followed suit. He knew he was calling the roll as he got to his knees, then his feet, crouched under the overhang, listening hard for even a groan or a grunt in response.

But nobody came back to him over his comm-link. Thirteen guys, and of the twelve on his comm-link, Cox couldn’t raise a single one but Locke. He was poised, his thighs cramping, as he waited for what felt like the right moment to sprint across the scree, a mapping display already enabled on his faceplate that gave routing overlays to his target — the extraction site.

But through the electronics, he could see Reynolds. Behind the colored grid with its pulsing points and alphanumeric displays, Reynolds seemed to be moving.

Sliding along the ground, almost. Cox didn’t want to leave anybody behind that had a breath of life ….

He scuttled toward Reynolds, his pack scraping the ceiling of the overhang — scrambled close enough to see that not only Reynolds’ left arm and leg, but the left side of his skull, was burned away.

 

 

Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Choice of Print or ebook of Outpassage, 

$20 Amazon giftcard 

– 1 winner each! 

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