Virtual Book Tour: BANISHED LOVE by Ramona Flightner ($50 GC Giveaway)

Hi everyone,

I have a great book recommendation for you (with a gorgeous cover). Banished Love by Ramona Flightner, is a historical women’s fiction novel. But before you can know more about the novel, get to know the author a little by reading the interview.

Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click HERE to follow the tour and comment to increase your chances of winning. Good luck.

INTERVIEW

What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?

I am fortunate that I have a lot of sweet memories. One that comes to mind is when I went to a writer’s conference in San Francisco a few years ago. I felt overwhelmed and terrified to be there amongst so many wonderful writers while I felt like such a novice. After the first afternoon, I entered my hotel room and I had two gorgeous bouquets of flowers waiting for me. There was one from my parents and another from a dear friend. Both cards told me how much they cared for me and of their faith in me and my abilities. Their support was invaluable.

What kind of music do you like?

I like folk music, classic rock, classical music, Latin (especially Juanes), and traditional Irish music. I love Mumford and Sons and was fortunate enough to see them in concert last year.

Do you like to dance?

I enjoy dancing and I often dance at home. I have a little boogie I do to some of my favorite songs and when I am washing the dishes. I don’t dance all that well, so I tend to stand on the perimeter of the dance floor at parties. But, I always have a good time.

Can you describe your dream home?

For me, it’s not about what the home looks like or how big it is, it’s the essence of the place. It’s about how I feel when I walk in the door. The feeling that my friends, family and I would always feel welcomed as we entered. I envision shelves covered in things I have brought home from my travels and photos of said places. A pot of tea always at the ready, an eagerness to hear the latest story, be it about recent travels or the day’s work. That’s home to me.

 If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

I know this is most likely a cliché amongst women, but I would come back as Elizabeth Bennet. She was a strong woman who spoke her mind, supported her family and still married the man she loved. In a completely different, more modern vein, I wouldn’t mind being Hermione Granger.
 

BANISHED LOVE

by Ramona Flightner

BLURB

Free-Spirited…

Clarissa Sullivan dreams for more from life than sipping tepid tea in stifling parlors in Victorian Boston. She defies her family’s wishes, continuing to teach poor immigrant children in Boston’s West End, finding a much-needed purpose to her life.

Radical…

As a suffragette, Clarissa is considered a firebrand radical no man would desire. For why should women want the vote when men have sheltered women from the distasteful aspects of politics and law?

Determined…

When love blossoms between Clarissa and Gabriel McLeod, a struggling cabinetmaker, her family objects. Clarissa’s love and determination will be tested as she faces class prejudices, manipulative family members and social convention in order to live the life she desires with the man she loves.

Will she succeed? Or will she yield to expectations?

BANISHED LOVE follows Clarissa Sullivan on her journey of self-discovery as she learns what she cannot live without.

EXCERPT

“Colin, anything in that paper interesting enough to share? You read it like you are hoping to find some long-lost treasure,” Lucas cajoled.

“Hmm…no, nothing uplifting like that song. Just more tales of death and woe around the world. The Boxers are getting more powerful and dangerous.” Colin sighed, setting aside the Boston Evening Transcript.

“And why should we care about a bunch of pugilists?” Mrs. Smythe demanded, her thin face even longer with her disapproval.

I giggled; Lucas snorted before acting as though he were sneezing to hide his amusement, but Colin stared at Mrs. Smythe with frank fascination.

“Do you read the papers, Mrs. Sm…Sullivan? Talk with your friends?” At her cold stare, he continued. “The Boxers are discontented Chinese on the verge of rebellion who are indiscriminately killing Christians in China. Including American Christians,” Colin said helpfully. “I thought it was the topic of conversation these days.” He glanced toward Lucas and me, and we both nodded our agreement.

“A genteel woman,” Mrs. Smythe began, with a sniff in my direction to indicate I must be lacking in that regard, “would not know of such vulgar goings-on halfway around the world with a bunch of savages, my dear Colin. I do read the papers but only the parts that pertain to my world and me. The parts about running a good home, a good kitchen. About decoration.” With this, she waved her hand around the room to indicate its frightful state. “Decorum.” Yet another censorious glare was sent in my direction. “These are the important matters of my life,” she stated with one more sniff, showing her displeasure at the topic.

AUTHOR Bio AND LINKS

Ramona Flightner is a native of Missoula, Montana. After graduating from Tufts University with a B.A. in Spanish, she earned a Masters degree in Spanish Literature from the University of Montana. Her Master’s thesis, Chilean Testimonial Literature: the collective suffering of a people, highlighted her continued interest in the stories of those who were at risk of being forgotten or silenced.

           

She studied nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Master’s in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has worked for ten years as a family nurse practitioner providing care to the poor and under insured at two community health centers, first in Wilmington, Delaware and now in Boston, Massachusetts.

           

An avid reader, she began writing three years ago. She enjoys the demands of research and relishes the small discoveries that give historical detail to her books.

           

Ramona is an avid flyfisher and hiker who enjoys nothing better than spending a day on a remote Montana river, far from a city. She enjoys research, travel, storytelling, learning about new cultures and discovering new ways of looking at the world. Though she resides in Boston, Massachusetts, Ramona remains a Montanan at heart.

          

 Her dreams are to see the plains of East Africa, marvel at the wonder of Petra in Jordan, soak in the seas of the South Pacific, and to continue to spend as much time as possible with her family.

           

Banished Love is her first novel and is the first in the forthcoming Banished Saga.

AUTHOR WEB PAGE: http://www.ramonaflightner.com

TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/ramonaflightner

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/authorramonaflightner

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ramonaauthor

a Rafflecopter giveaway