Blog Tour: Madam of My Heart by Gini Grossenbacher
I am happy to join the blog tour of Gini Grossenbacker's book, Madam of My Heart today. Isn't the cover just beautiful?! It is the first book in a planned series, and as historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres, especially with a dose of mystery, I was excited to be a part of this tour. Even more exciting is the fact that the author agreed to give me a little interview for the blog. I hope you enjoy!
How would you describe Madam of My Heart in three words?
Surprising, compelling, memorable
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
When we examine the historical underbelly of American society, we find strong and powerful women who were influential in the foundation of our culture. Without their struggles, women would not have the rights they enjoy today. Past women give us role models to continue the fight for equal merit and equal pay.
Why did you choose to write about this time period and this subject?
Victorian America intrigues me because women could not vote and were bound by the constraints of home, church, and family. One sexual misstep and they could fall from grace, ostracized permanently from polite society. And fallen women provide such rich, complex material for stories.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Watching my novel take flight, then talking about it with my readers who teach me so much about that world and the characters within it.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Finding the time to write down all the stories in my head. There are not enough hours in the day.
How did you go about publishing your book?
I founded my own JGKS Press, hired a talented developmental editor, snagged a noted cover designer, then found an awesome interior designer. I published through Ingram Spark, Smashwords, Kindle Select, and CreateSpace. I could not have done it alone: I had a lot of advice and guidance from the California Writers Club and my local writers group.
What type of books do you enjoy reading?
Historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and a variety of non-fiction.
How do you like to spend time when not writing?
Traveling with my husband, playing with my grandbaby Marco, hosting family dinners with my sons and their wives, working out at the gym, creating needlepoint tapestries, and going to art galleries.
What is your next project?
My next novel is Madam in Silk, which is volume 2 in the American Madams series, and is being published in January 2019. Next year I will be revisiting France to finish research for the next novel, Madam in Paris, which will be volume 3 in the series, to be published in 2020.
Thanks for answering my questions and best of luck!
Madame of My Heart
Baltimore, 1849. During a scandalous crisis, the young Irish Brianna Baird flees her home at Fells Point. With little cash and only a seamstress's trade, she braves the hypnotic streets of New Orleans. The tantalizing Madam DeSalle lures her to her brothel, then sells her to the dashing but questionable gambler, Edward Spina, who falls in love with her. In a tawdry alliance with these two profiteers, Brianna embarks on a journey through the French Quarter's debauched and glittering Voodoo world. Facing the horrors of slavery, she triumphs by gaining freedom papers for her maid Emma's enslaved husband and son. Brianna and Edward escape with them to San Francisco. There she becomes one of the most sought after madams in the gold rush parlor house trade. But will her fame and pluck be enough to save Edward from the Vigilante noose? This is the first book in the American Madams series.
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About the Author:
California author Gini Grossenbacher was a successful high school English teacher until she abandoned grades and term papers, choosing to write historical novels instead. Now she leads small writing groups and coaches other writers. She loves researching the history behind her novels, and enjoys traveling to the setting where they take place. Her hobbies include needlepoint, nature walks, and Scrabble. She lives in the Sacramento Valley where she grew up, east of San Francisco.
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