The Long Shadows of Summer Review and Giveaway!

Posted by abakersp in Historical / 5 Comments

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About the Book

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Series: Seasons
Genre:  
Historical
Publisher: Bird’s Nest Books
Publication date: August 31, 2017

​The southern town of Saisons lies at the crossroads between North and South, progressive and genteel antebellum life. Between East and West, between history and heritage, and new frontiers. Downton Abbey meets Gone With the Wind.

It’s 1912, in a world where slavery is dying and women’s rights are rising, and four young women who once shared a bond—and experienced a tragedy—question their own truths.

Mercedes has always been an avid reader and devours each new Sherlock Holmes mystery as soon as she gets her hands on them. When one of her friends comes to her, Mercedes vows to keep Simone’s secrets and uncover the truth.

But as Mercedes plays detective to her friends’ questions, she discovers something far more shocking—she herself is not who she thought she was.

My Perspective

What better way to start a book then knowing it’s Downtown Abbey meets Gone With the Wind? It was a great story! Although I felt it was a bit long, I enjoyed my time with Mercedes. In fact, at times I wish I was there with her! My favorite part was her first encounter with Simone. It was that combination of excitement and fear, and Ms. Mason did a wonderful job writing that scene.

Picture With a beautiful setting, adventurous characters, and a mystery to solve, you can be sure to get pulled into the storyline easily. So get your sweet tea, find a rocking chair on a porch (or just sit outside and enjoy the fresh air), close your eyes, and find yourself in the Old South right next to Mercedes. Be sure to block out extra reading time so you can read as much of it, if not all of it, as you can.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author

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​“I’ve always had voices—er, stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!”

Ms. Mason has been writing since 1995, and began working in earnest on her debut novel, Tessa, in 2013.  Meanwhile, she cranked out a few dozen poems, made countless notes for story ideas, and earned her BFA in Interior Design.  Ms. Mason lived with depression for many years, and the inherent feelings of worthlessness and invisibility; she didn’t want to be who she was and struggled with her own identity for many years.  Her characters face many of these same demons.

Ms. Mason writes stories of identity conflict. Her characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, her stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and a very deep way. “I know, I write from experience.”

Ms. Mason has three novels previously published in the unsavory heritage series. Tessa, Clara Bess, and Cissy are available on Amazon, both for Kindle and in print. She also has several poems included in an anthology, Where Dreams and Visions Live (Anthologies of the Heart Book 1) by Mary Blowers, as well as a short story, Sarafina’s Light, also in an anthology, Blood Moon, compiled by Mary Blowers. She is currently working on The Tilting Leaves of Autumn, Book Two in her new series, Seasons. It releases in November, following The Long Shadows of Summer which releases in August. Books 3 and 4 in the series will be out in 2018.

Robin has agreed to share 10 Behind the Scene facts with us!!
  1. The first bit I got of this series was the four names of the friends: Mercedes, Simone, Scarlett, and Pearl. They became the main characters of each of the books.
  2. The story, however, is not what I had first thought it would be.
  3. Nor is the setting—I didn’t know it was 1912 and 1913 until I started trying to place it. For a brief moment, it was set in the ‘60’s, and they were kids.
  4. This is my first go at writing in first person. I like it, and have been told I’ve “found my voice.”
  5. I “saw” the swamp and black river as I was perusing images for inspiration. And once I did, it began to gel in my head.
  6. At one point, Simone calls Mercedes “pragmatic,” and I realized each of my four main characters is one of the four temperaments: phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic, and choleric.
  7. I knew the general setting, and used Google maps to find a town to “borrow.” Saisons is based loosely on Lake City, SC—until I moved it south a little on the Edisto River rather than the Santee.
  8. I chose the Chicora Indians for my village because they are a lesser known nation—with less available resources! I’ve pulled from other Indian Nations in the area and created a plausible culture.
  9. I did not know / remember the French bit in the history of South Carolina until I was doing my research. (In my defense, we moved to Colorado when I was 13.) That ended up playing heavily in the story, with much cultural influence—and language. I only hope I didn’t slaughter the French bits I included!
  10. As an interior designer, I have to draw up (rough) floor plans for the houses my peeps live in so I know which room is where.
Giveaway

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Enter the giveaway HERE.
Blog Tour Schedule

​September 25 – Singing Librarian Books
September 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower | Faery Tales Are Real
September 27 – The Green Mockingbird | Christy’s Cozy Corners
September 28 – A Baker’s Perspective
September 29 – Faithfully Bookish | Paulette’s Papers
September 30 – Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Soulfully Romantic

 

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5 responses to “The Long Shadows of Summer Review and Giveaway!

  1. Kay Garrett

    Thank you for the review of The Long Shadows of Summer. I found the 10 behind the scene facts interesting as well.

  2. Hullo Jessica, i surely thought I had thanked you (this morning was a rough one… ) for being part of my first-ever blog tour! and double thanks for the lovely review!! #gottea