Not that I didn’t buy and read more than my fair share of historical nonfiction in 2012. I did. And I’m not ashamed of it. But it’s a new year now, I have more novels to write and edit, and always I’m on the look-out for sources to supply the solid historical foundations on which I build those novels.
And so it begins, the book lust. This morning early I came across this book–this lovely, lovely book–and promptly had me a Gollum Moment.
We must have it, precioussss, yes we must!
A Demand of Blood by Nadia Dean tells the story of the Cherokee War of 1776, and explores the life of Dragging Canoe, a Cherokee warrior and leader who dedicated himself to fighting to preserve his people’s homeland in the Great Smoky Mountains.
This appears to be the debut publication for Valley River Press, and in my opinion it’s a beautifully designed debut. I was captured by the cover, and went on to discover the book is full of gorgeously rendered illustrations supplementing the text. If you have any interest at all in 18th century North American history, the Cherokee, the Revolutionary War era, the American frontier, or the Tennessee/North Carolina region, click on over to their website and check out Nadia Dean’s A Demand of Blood. Valley River Press lets you browse through the pages and it’s well worth the look. As far as I can tell, their website is the only place the book is available to order.
Thank you, Contemporary Makers, for highlighting this book. It might have been weeks, months even, before I found it otherwise. Contemporary Makers’ review of A Demand of Blood.
Smeagol will be happy when she has the preciousssss…………
So, book lovers (of novels and nonfiction), what’s the first book of 2013 to make you have your own Gollum Moment? I’ve told you mine, tell me yours in the comment section!
I've finally ordered Editor Ursula Nordstrom's DEAR GENIUS.
That sounds like a great book, Caroline. Letters between editors and writers are fascinating to me too. I've particularly liked the correspondence between Tolkien and his publisher, just a bit of which I've stumbled upon over the years.
Becky Wade's next book. Laura Frantz's next book. I'm sure there are others, but I can't remember them at the moment. 🙂
Sally, is that Becky Wade book My Stubborn Heart? That title was listed on every 2012 favorites list I saw toward the end of December. I've ordered a copy too.
I can vouch for Laura's newest, Love's Reckoning. I was lucky enough to read that in progress, and it's a beautiful start to her new series. Laura became one of my favorite CBA authors from the first pages of The Frontiersman's Daughter.
I love that you call this book lust your Gollum moment–very fitting! 🙂
I still have The Hobbit on the brain. That scene in Gollum's cave beneath the Misty Mountains was one of the best in the movie, I thought.
There's not just one book I have to have, it's a list of about 50. The problem is picking out one to get first…second… You know what I mean. ; )
Oh, true. There's always a wish list of books, but this one grabbed me and there was no debating first, second, third. You don't put the Precious second. Ever. 😉