In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree
Publication Date: April 26th, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
In 1865 a shadow hovers over the nation: the shadow lingers still…
Born into slavery, Henry’s young life is spent working in tobacco drying sheds on Missouri plantations. Freed at the onset of the Civil War, he’s alone, starving, and on the run from Confederate militiamen.
Five years later, Clara Hanfield, the daughter of a powerful New York shipping magnate, escapes her tyrannical father and travels west in pursuit of John Elliot, the man she loves. John, a U.S. Army lieutenant, was sent to the Dakota Territory where he discovers a government conspiracy to incite an all-out war with the Indians; a war meant to finally eliminate them as an obstacle to the westward expansion.
Henry finds himself caught in the middle.
Aided by Clara, John, and his native ally, Standing Elk, Henry must battle hatred, greed, and the ghosts of his past during this turbulent and troubling time in American history
Add to Goodreads
~ Excerpt ~
Emmet Dawson pulled the crumpled sheets of Henry and Eliza’s free papers from his coat and held them close to his face, squinting. “…Samuel Cromwell.” He held the papers out. “Can you read these?” Henry averted his eyes. “No, sir,” he lied. “No, of course you can’t. It’s not only near to impossible to teach a nigger to read but it’s also against the law—God’s and man’s.” He lowered the papers to his side. “These jayhawkers are burning and pillaging their way across our great state. They’re murdering innocent Missouri families in their sleep, then setting niggers loose on the land like a pestilence. That boy’s an orphan. His father, his mother, and his little baby sister were inside the house when it was set fire. They were unable to escape. We found their niggers a few miles away, riding their horses and leading their pigs just like they had the right to. We are at war, Henry. We are at war to save our families and our way of life.” Emmet turned and looked at Bob. “Hang him with the others.” Eliza let out an anguished wail and dropped to her knees where she began screaming hysterically. Henry tried to kneel down with her but Bob yanked the rope tight and wrapped it on his saddle horn. This left Henry standing at an awkward lean as he tried not to drag Eliza. “What about the woman?” Bob asked. Emmet Dawson looked down at Eliza appraisingly. “Shut her up and tie her to my wagon…and here,” he handed Bob the free papers. “Pin these to his shirt. There aren’t any free niggers in Missouri.” He gave Henry a final stony look then walked into the camp.Available on Amazon
American Flowers
Publication Date: July 7th, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Drama
*Triggers: Addiction, Abuse, Sexual Assault
Add to Goodreads
~ Excerpt ~
“You’re poison to that girl. You do see that?” “We love each other and don’t want to be apart.” “What do you know about love?” Jan suddenly spat, leaning forward in the easy chair and staring angrily at Chris. “You listen to me. The only truly unbreakable love is that of a parent for their child. All the other kinds of love, like the kind you and that beautiful young girl in there think you have is fragile and weak, and saddest of all, fleeting. That kind of love can be broken in an instant”—she snapped her arthritis twisted fingers for emphasis, making more of a dry papery sound than a snap. “It can be broken by the smallest of indiscretions, or nothing more than a few poorly chosen words. Mostly it’s just worn away over time like the banks of that creek out there. And it’ll happen so slowly that you never even feel more than a faint tickle at the back of your mind. Oh, it can burn as hot as blue blazes for a moment, but eventually it burns out and leaves something entirely different behind...like the bed of ashes in the bottom of a woodstove after the fire’s gone out. Some folks still insist on calling it love, but it isn’t, not really. It’s obligation, it’s responsibility, it’s apathy. Often it just becomes who you are...what you’re accustomed to. Sometimes it even becomes hate.Available on Amazon!
American Flowers by Michael A. McLellanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow! I could not put this book down. McLellan has created some authentic characters in this gut-wrenching story into the dark world of drug addiction. Chris and Allie both come from very dysfunctional families, which pretty much bring them together. Their world is one heck of a ride, both romantic and horrific at times. The storyline flowed perfectly, very well written.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a glimpse into the world of drugs, but forewarning, it is not for the faint of heart. This is the first time I have read anything by this author and I can say it will not be my last.
View all my reviews
About the Author
Michael’s love of books began with Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle when he was seven-years-old. Later influenced by the works of John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, Stephen King, James Baldwin, and Cormac McCarthy, Michael developed his style of storytelling. A self-proclaimed blue-collar writer, he draws on his experiences and observations to bring relevant and compelling topics to life. Michael lives in Northern California and when he’s not writing, he can usually be found wandering around the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. His body of work includes the 2014 novel After and Again, the 2015 novel American Flowers, and the 2017 novel, In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree, as well as various shorts and essays.
Tour Schedule
September 16th
Reads & Reels (Review of American Flowers)
Audio Killed the Bookmark (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
Jessica Belmont (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
September 17th
I’m Into Books (Review of American Flowers)
https://imintobooks.com
My Bookish Bliss (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree
September 18th
Breakeven Books (Spotlight – In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree/ American Flowers)
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight – In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree/ American Flowers)
Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review – American Flowers)
The Faerie Review (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
September 19th
B is for Book Review (Spotlight – In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree/ American Flowers)
Al-Alhambra Book Reviews (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
Loopyloulaura (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
September 20th
Reviews and Promotions by Nyx (Spotlight – In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree/ American Flowers)
Entertainingly Nerdy (Review of American Flowers)
Didi Oviatt (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
Gwendalyn’s Books (Review of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree)
Inked and Blonde (Review – In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree/ American Flowers)
Blog Tour Organized By:
R&R Book Tours
