Glamorous Illusions - Lisa T. Bergren

New Adult
Pages: 416
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: June 1, 2012

It’s the summer of 1913 and Cora Kensington’s life on the family farm has taken a dark turn. Not only are the crops failing, but someone dear to Cora is failing as well.

In one fateful afternoon, a stranger comes to call, and Cora discovers a terrible secret about her past…a secret that will radically change her future.

Cora is invited to take the “Grand Tour” of Europe, a journey intended to finish a person’s eduction, to solidify an understanding of ancient culture and contemporary refinement. As she travels from England to France, with kin she’s never known, Cora encounters the blessings of a family name, as well as the curses. But when an unbidden love begins to form, she realizes the journey is only beginning….

If you've read the River of Time series, you know what a wonderful writer Lisa is. If you haven't, you should read it. This new series is different in many ways. First, it's not technically Young Adult, it's "New Adult" which is basically college age. Second, it's full-on historical fiction, not time travel. And third, it includes a bit more faith.

First, New Adult? Gah, can we have more of this please? I mean seriously, I hadn't really thought about it but do you know how many books I've read with college age characters in my life? Not many. How come literature "classifications" jumps from High School to adulthood? SO unfair. This should be fixed.

Second, the historical aspect of it was fascinating! Even to non-historical readers I'm sure this will be more than an enjoyable read. There's a new surprising plot twist every few pages, and that's one of the things I love about Lisa's books: you can never predict what will happen. She will surprise you in every chapter. This takes place a year after the Titanic fiasco, and travels around Europe, mostly England and France. The writing makes you feel the setting right along with the characters. I felt I saw all these places along with them. I felt I time-traveled myself, and that's what any great historical fiction book should feel like. The pace was somewhat slow at times, but the story and vividness of places, made up for that.

Now to the third point. I have NOT read Christian or any other type of religious fiction before, so I have nothing to compare this to, BUT I don't judge people by their beliefs or lack of, so I wouldn't be one to judge characters by this either. I felt that in this book the faith aspect is not only fitting but it needs to be part of the story. Just like (for example) in Grave Mercy, Ismae's blind beliefs are part of the story. Neither one bothered me at all, they just fit in the story. I would never know that this book was anything other than fiction if I hadn't been warned.

Overall, don't let the different aspects of this book shy you away from it, because it's a wonderful adventure waiting to happen. It involves a sigh-worthy romance, and travel across seas in the same line of the Titanic, and sashaying through Europe amongst the elite, and the importance between family and self, and new bumps on the road every now and then, and an ending that will leave you begging for more. I even ADORE the cover! One of my favorite covers of 2012.

Goodreads / Amazon

Cascade - Lisa T. Bergren

Young Adult
Pages: 416 David C. Cook
Release Date: June 1, 2011

**Book 2 in The River of Time series

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.
But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

AHHH-MAZINGGGGGG.

This is such a delicious series. More twists, more adventure, more danger, more kick-ass she-wolves moments, more yummy knights in armor! Gotta love when an author is capable of making you fall in love with every single character. Especially the male characters, of course! (I'm in love with Fortino!) Also, I have a feeling I'll be Team Rodolfo in the next one! Yeah, I feel a triangle-awesomeness coming. And I always love the naughtier of the two.

The story picks up exactly where Waterfall left off. With one of the best first lines of any sequel I've read, it pulls you right back in from the very first sentence. I felt the world set around me, as if I had never left. Gabi's voice remains as fresh and awesome as before, while the story moves on, bringing more complications in its way.

Lisa's wonderful writing full of descriptions and vivid imagery, makes you 'see' everything. It's so rich when you are able to 'see' the past through books. I felt alive, just like Gabi did, when I was immersed in her world. And SO MANY surprises and so many OMG moments! It reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games with the cage stuff. So Katniss!

Anyway, my verdict: a must-read for everyone.

Goodreads / Amazon

Interview with Marcello Forelli - River of Time Series Blog Tour

I'm so thrilled to be a part of this tour because I seriously profoundly LOVE this series! They are an epic mix of historical fiction with thrilling heart-pumping adventure and unbelievably delicious men romance! What more can I possibly ask for? 

I was supposed to interview Marcello but Lisa had to do it for me because, as soon as I saw him, I was shocked into silence by his utter, steaming HOTNESS *sigh* ;P

Enjoy...


Lisa: So…talk to me about Gabriella. I get the feeling you didn’t know what love was before you met her.

Marcello: [squints eyes and considers me, then tilts head] I don’t know if that is true, m’lady. I loved Lady Romana.

Lisa: Right. But my sense is that you loved her like a brother, a loyal friend. What you discovered with Gabriella was…different. Right?

Marcello: Sensed? You sensed my love?

Lisa: Hmm. It’s a figure of speech from our era. That’s what I gathered, understood.

Marcello: [slowly nodding] Yes. I believe you are right. Gabriella…it was far different than what I ever felt for Romana. From the very beginning. Are you a seer?

Lisa: A seer?

Marcello: Someone who knows things beyond mere mortals.

Lisa: I’m an author. So…uh…sort of. Tell me what was it? What about Gabriella caught your attention?

Marcello: [narrows eyes, as if totally confused] Have you not met my Gabriella?

Lisa: Yes, but I’d like to know what you discovered about her when you met.

Marcello: [eyebrows raise, shakes head] She was utterly unique. Beautiful. At first desperately out of place. Like a flower in winter. But then, quickly, strong, so strong. A warrior queen coming to her feet, head high. I’d never met anyone like her. [shrugs] Everyone she meets sees her in a similar way, along with her sister, Lia.

Lisa: Do you attribute that to her being from a different time?

Marcello: My Gabriella would be unique in any time.

Lisa: Okay, got it. So…tell me. Did the fact that she was from another time not completely freak you out?

Marcello: Freak me out? What is this turn of speech?

Lisa: Throw you for a loop. Make you run for the hills. [pausing] Uh…Did it not frighten you?

Marcello: [leaning forward, forearms on knees] It is, indeed, a fearsome and wondrous thing. It can only be of God.

Lisa: Does Gabi agree with you?

Marcello: I think so, yes. Neither of us fully understands; we both are merely in awe that we have been brought together at all.

Lisa: What would happen to you if something happened to Gabi?

Marcello: [moves hand to hilt of sword] You know of a new threat against my beloved?

Lisa: [lifts hands, easing him down] No, no. None that I know of, m’lord. But you live in a volatile time.

Marcello: [leans back again, with casual shrug] You’re the seer. But come what may, Gabriella and I shall find our path. We are destined to do so.
____________________________

SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT: For more on Marcello Forelli, visit his brand new Facebook page to ask him a question yourself.
For more on Lisa Bergren, see her website, or check out the River of Time site and Facebook page.

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August 29: Lisa’s Favorite Scene/Quotes from WATERFALL & CASCADE (Page Turners) 
Aug. 30: Character Interview with Marcello–and surprise announcement (YA Bliss) 
Aug. 31: Ten Useful Italian Phrases In Case You Hitch a Ride w Gabi & Lia (Gone With the Words) 
Sept. 1: How to Make Italian Pizza On Your Gas Grill (Reading Teen)*TORRENT’S Official Release Day!!!* 
Sept. 2: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Lisa Bergren (Mundie Moms) 
Sept. 3: An Itinerary for the Perfect, Dreamy Week in Tuscany (The Secret Life of a Bibliophile) 
Sept. 4: Character Interview with Gabi–and semi-surprise announcement (Eve’s Fan Garden) 
Sept. 5: Excerpt from a potential 4th novel (Lisa Bergren)

Giveaway!

One winner will receive all 3 books in the River of Time Series. 
Giveaway is open worldwide and ends September 13, 2011. 
If the winner lives in US, he/she will receive the books signed!! 
If an international entrant wins, he/she gets to choose between e-books or unsigned hardbacks. 

Waterfall - Lisa T. Bergren

Young Adult
Pages: 384
Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: February 1, 2011

Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.

Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…

and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Every so often there comes a book that surprises you in a way few books have ever done. Indeed I expected it to be good, but... I'm at a loss for words here. This was beyond any expectations. It is absolutely fantastic. There's not a single word I would change and if I could I would force everyone to read it. Everything you might want in a book, you'll find it here. Sword fights, a swoon-worthy knight, humor, friendship, royalty, betrayal, time-travel... This book has serious 'classic' potential. When you give me heart-racing adventure with strong female leader, and you mix it with some delicious romance, you're bound to have a very fan-girly me.

It doesn't even feel like historical at all because the author weaves it in so seamlessly you barely notice. Since Gabi is the narrator and she remembers little of her history, you get to explore and learn with her. Which was really fitting since my knowledge of Italian history is completely null. Gabi's voice was fresh and so easy to relate.

The story captured me from beginning to end and I'm quite certain Waterfall has quickly become one of my favorite books ever. I'm still a bit puzzled as to why it's titled Waterfall though, but I'll let that detail go for now. If you love historical fiction this is a MUST READ for you, and if you don't like historical or have never been able to get into it, or maybe you have just never tried it, I dare you to read this and NOT love it.

Goodreads / Amazon

What I'd Miss the Most in a Medieval World (Guest Post by Lisa T. Bergren)

In my new River of Time Series (Waterfall, Cascade, and Torrent), two sisters, Gabi and Lia Betarrini, time travel back to the 1300s in Tuscany, Italy. There they encounter more than their share of adventure, danger, intrigue and of course, some serious romance with some seriously hot Italian guys.

While I loved writing the entire series, the aspect of having contemporary girls in a medieval world provided constant tension. And as they started missing modern conveniences, it really made me think about all that I’ve come to rely on in my cozy, suburban world. In no particular order, here are the things I’d miss most if it had been me that was catapulted back in time:

Modern medicine & dentistry: What docs know these days about our bodies, and how to treat or cure illness, is pretty miraculous. In medieval times, infection was the number one killer. And it didn’t take a sword fight to give you a wound that might be dangerous. Slice your hand with a knife? Get a splinter? Cavity? Any of those could lead you to an infection that could kill you. I <3 antibiotics.

Toilets, toilet paper and feminine products: So they used chamber pots and a rudimentary sort of toilet in the castles of the time. None, that I know of, had running water. Yuck. I hate cleaning toilets now. Can you imagine those? And menstruation would’ve been tough to deal with too. No Advil, no tampons or pads. Heard the phrase, “on the rag”? It’s 19^th century, but our medieval sisters dealt with it the same way…with a pile of rags in their pants. Ugh.

Hot, running water: Hauling up water from a well, heating water above a fire, lugging in tubs and pails made it hard to score a bath. No wonder they bathed only once a week, max. I love my daily showers.

Computers & the Net: I hardly write a thank you note by hand any more, and the information available to us—as well as the means to connect with people far and wide—has us spoiled rotten. And writing books? I can’t imagine the editing process without my Mac…I’m not sure I’d make it through ten drafts on parchment and writing with quill and ink. Plus, I’d probably be needed in the fields or out slaughtering chickens or something.

Cars & Planes: Traveling by horseback sounds romantic—for a couple of hours. After that? Meh. And talk about your world shrinking…It really made me think about how tenacious people were to ever get farther than their place of birth and the next “big city.” Can you imagine getting on a ship for the first time? When you couldn’t swim?

Hair products: I have lame hair. Fine, oily, and a light, indistinct color. With a visit to my hair stylist every 6-8 weeks for cut and color, shampoo, conditioner, mousse, a giant can of Aqua Net  (my friend calls it “Aqua Rock”), two kinds of combs and a round brush, I can make myself suitable to go out in public. In medieval times? I’d have had to wear one of those goofy hats. It wouldn’t have been pretty.

Women’s rights: Until recent times, women were treated as little more than a commodity and the means to reproduce. Heck, in America, women have only had the right to vote in the last ninety years, and few were able to excel in professional careers outside the home—other than teaching or nursing—since about the ‘60s. I think we forget how far we’ve come.

Now, all that said, I adore the medieval time period for many other reasons…I imagine the people as somewhat innocent, living their lives in straight-forward, simple fashion. I imagine that they truly valued life—given how tenuous it might be—and enjoyed a solid sense of community, since few could make it “on their own”  (which we take such pride in, today). I imagine courts full of romance and intrigue, integrated with healthy doses of chivalry, which make my modern readers “swoon”…probably because it’s pretty rare these days.

Although Gabi and Lia struggle with missing things from their own modern lives, through the River of Time they begin to see the gifts of a different age, and how no matter where (or when) you live, there are trade-offs. And surprisingly, the scales become more and more tipped in the medieval time period’s favor, not because of conveniences, but because of the most vital aspect of life itself: Love.

 Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over thirty books, in all genres, from contemporary Christian romance, to historical women’s fiction, to supernatural suspense, to children’s books and gift books. The River of Time Series is her first YA series, written for the general market. You can find her on Facebook (River of Time Series), on Twitter (@LisaTBergren) or on her website.

What about you? What would you miss most if you were a modern girl in medieval times?