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Thursday, July 5, 2018

Author Nancy Thorne: Fathers and Daughters in the 19th Century + giveaway

Fathers and Daughters in the 19th Century

It didn’t take me long to realize when I first dreamed up my novel, Victorian Town, that a lot of research had to be done before beginning the story itself. 

How could I transport my character back to 1876 without first learning everything I could about that time? Exactly what was life like in the late 19th century? I was soon to find out.



One of the topics that interested me was the relationship between fathers and their daughters in the Victorian era …

The traditional father in 1876 is seen as the protector of his home from external threats, and a disciplinarian, with his emotions hidden within. Middle-class Victorian fathers who own farms spend most of their time focusing on their fields to provide for their daughters, while upper-class and urban businessmen are expected to be good providers as well. They spend most of their time away from their family. As head of the household, men have the sole responsibility when it comes to financial support for his daughters as they grow and mature.


It is during times of celebration, such as a Victorian ball or Christmas, when fathers are expected to be involved with the family, and show some emotion toward their daughters. Otherwise, men are expected to behave firmly toward them to command respect, and fill their heads with the stern morality of the time.
Even so, Victorian fathers have an especially prideful spot in their hearts for their daughters. They hold the wish for a successful husband to come along to cherish them in all manners of life.





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Victorian Town

by Nancy Thorne
March 28th, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance with time travel and mystery elements
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-68291-639-1
ASIN: B07B65543D
Number of pages: 196
Word Count: 56,000
Cover Artist: Rae Monet
Abby Parker has a modern life. Too bad someone in the 19th century needs it.

Abby Parker planned out her whole life: complete her final year of high school, go to college, get a job, move away from her insane family, stay best friends with Jessica.

But, that was before she broke into the nearby tourist attraction and unwittingly answered a call from a centuries-old spirit who dragged her into the 19th century.

Now she must solve a Victorian mystery without getting herself killed, or worse, spend a lifetime trapped in the past, leaving behind everyone she loves and altering their lives forever.

When she meets gorgeous Benjamin, the future looks a lot like wreckage.


Excerpt
I waited for him to make the next move, to tell me how inappropriate, how forward that was of me. As I struggled to think of how best to offer an explanation, he turned to me. Gently but deliberately, he moved his hand up my arm, stopping at the nape of my neck beneath the ribbon of the bonnet.

The moment he leaned in, I closed my eyes. His lips, soft and full, touched mine with the modest pressure of an indecisive act. A warm energy coursed through my body, but the strangest thing was that everything felt unbelievably familiar, like it had all been rehearsed before that moment. I held onto this profound feeling, not wanting it to leave, until Ben removed his lips from mine.

Even with the whistled melodies from a pair of cardinals outside the church's entrance, the following silence felt awkward. It persisted, and I assumed Ben was already regretting kissing me.

"Miss Abigail−"

I brought up a hand and covered his mouth. "It's okay."

We walked down the hill without saying another word. A lot of activity was happening on Main Street: coaches lined the front of the Royal Hotel as travelers zipped in and out of the main entrance; horse carts delivered goods in dashes of haste; store merchants hurried beyond their open doors; street sellers sold goods out of baskets; helpers swept the boardwalk; ladies could be seen purchasing last minute necessities behind the windows of each shop.

Ben accompanied me up the stairs of Town Hall's entrance and stopped on the landing before we reached the front door. I peered through the window. Martha arranged long-stemmed flowers in a vase on a table at the side of the ballroom. A young man placed a candelabra on a table and then another on top of a piano. Ben had already started back to the street when I turned. He waved. I waved back. Still a chance he'll change his mind.

The gloves were easier to remove now that one was missing its button. I placed them, and the button, on the ledge of the window and took off the ring.

Jess was still sitting on my bed when the haze cleared, but her tapping fingers had moved from her chin, which now rested on her knuckles. It was obvious it had taken longer for me to return this time. It made sense to me right then that the ring held within it a finite amount of energy with which to transport me to the past and back home, like a battery depleting its energy with each use. And, I had no idea how to recharge it.

About the Author:
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Goodreads
Nancy Thorne is an award-winning author of fiction inspired by the romance and courage of youth.

Born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, she fostered a passion for creating stories in grade school but hid it much too well. Five years ago she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of telling them.

When she's not writing books or reading, you can find her going on road trips or cooking untested recipes for brave family members and friends.

Nancy lives outside of Toronto with her husband, two sons, and an energetic fox-red Labrador.

GIVEAWAY
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63 comments:

  1. I enjoyed getting to know your book and thanks for the chance to win :)

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  2. congrats on the new release! Sounds fascinating :) thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hi Erin, I did try to make my book fascinating. Hopefully readers will like it. Thanks so much for the congrats.

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  3. I enjoyed the post it was really informative congratulations on your tour.

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    1. Thanks for your response, Shirley Ann. So appreciated!

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  4. interesting looking

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    1. Thank you! I honestly did try to make my novel as interesting as possible. Who wants to read a boring book?

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  5. The writing is wonderful. So descriptive. And I enjoy a good historical story.

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    1. Thanks for the compliment, Laura. I do try to use a lot of description in my writing, and sometimes wonder if it's too much :)

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  6. Time travel makes it so interesting! Would love to read this!

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    1. Hi Janet! If you do, throw me an email on my site. Would love to know what you thought of it. Time travel is a wonderful genre to write - so many possibilities.

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  7. Victorian Town sounds like a good read. Thank you

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    1. Hi Linda. Thanks for your feedback. I tried to make Victorian Town a good read!

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  8. read the excerpt thanks for your giveaway

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to read the excerpt. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  9. Love the pictures and the information you found! What fun research

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    1. Glad you liked the photos. Things were sooo different in the 1800s. Researching that time period opened my eyes to many things.

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  10. Replies
    1. Thank you Onyinye! I think the cover is a good one too - really stands out. I didn't want my character to appear too model-like. Abby is a regular girl who just happened to be dragged into the 19th century!

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  11. Book cover looks very appealing - love the richness of the colors.

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    1. Thanks, Elle. That's what I thought too about the cover when I first saw it -- the richness of the colors.

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  12. I am always looking for new authors to read. Your book sounds like the kind I enjoy reading.
    jwisley(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Hi Joye! I hope you do get a chance to read my book, and if you do, would love to hear your thoughts on it.

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  13. I love reading about great books we had not heard of previously so thank you and also for the great giveaway as well.

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  14. Haven't read you before. Looks like a nice mystery to solve.

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    1. Hi Victoria - I did write it as a mystery to solve, as well as a supernatural romance with elements of time travel. But it also focuses on the friendship of two best friends, and their struggles to stay united.

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  15. I enjoyed reading the excerpt. I also love the cover!

    Thanks for the chance to win :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Allison. The cover does seem to stand out. Good luck on the giveaway!

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  16. I love the cover - sounds like an interesting read

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    1. Hi Mary. Thanks! I hope readers find it interesting. I wanted to captivate the reader and bring some emotion to the forefront.

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  17. I love looking at old pictures.

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    1. Me too, Anne. All things were much different in the past eras, and it's reflected in the photos.

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  18. Historical romances - yes I like that.
    thank you

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    1. So great. Glad you enjoy historical romance. There is so much uniqueness in the past with the societal rules and morals of the times. But romance is romance.

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  19. I love historical romance or anything historical really. There's just something about being able to look back in time and a good book can do that for you

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    1. Hi Melissa! Isn't that the truth. But what if you could go back and change history like my main character, Abby, is able to do. Would you?

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  20. I read a lot of historical romances and am always looking for new ones. Thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. Hi Madonna, I hope you enjoy Victorian Town if you do get a chance to read it. It takes place both in the present and the past. Hopefully there's something in there that would appeal to a lot of readers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

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  21. Replies
    1. Thanks, Barbara! It is definitely a Victorian mystery, with elements of time travel and romance.

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  22. I enjoyed the excerpt & am ready to read more.

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    1. Hey there Jana! If you do get a chance to read Victorian Town, please let me know what you thought! Would love to hear. Thanks for this feedback about the excerpt.

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  23. It sounds like the author did do some investigative digging into the Victorian lifestyle. I'm intrigued with the story already!

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    1. Hi Tarissa, thanks for your reply. I did do a lot of research. If you are at all interested about Victorian life, I think you would like Victorian Town. I tried to be as accurate as possible regarding the details of the time.

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  24. Congrats on the release. Definitely one to add to my TBR list!

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  25. Thanks, Linda! Appreciate it. If you do get a chance to read Victorian Town, I hope you enjoy it.

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  26. Labradors are such great dogs!

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    1. They really are! Our last one was very laid back and our present one is energetic city!

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  27. Where do you get most of your inspiration to write?

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    1. Hi Natalie! Great question to an author. My inspiration comes from events that took place in my past. I don't think I could write anything without referring to my youth. It's what feels natural to me. I've often said that a pivotal part of me remained in the past ... and that's probably why I love to write with the young adult in mind.

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  28. Thanks for picking an interesting time period, I liked the old photos

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    1. Really was an interesting time period. The more research I did on the 19th century, the more I came to love these old photos.

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  29. I still like the old pictures!

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  30. Love the time period--thanks for the great setting

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  31. I love the pictures- would love to read the book !:)

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    1. Hi Courtney! Thanks for communicating! If you do get a chance to read Victorian Town, please throw me an email and let me know what you thought. Would love to hear from you.http://www.nancythorne.com/contact.html

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  32. how long have you been an author? I love inspiring stories !

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    1. I've been a full-time writer for five years, although if you'd asked me in grade school, I would have told you that I already was a writer. After raising my two sons, I figured it was time to go after my dream. It's worked out well, although writing is not an easy thing to do and I'm constantly learning. Thanks for this great question, Courtney!

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