Amazon Crossing Archives - Over The River PR

Summer Virtual Tour for DAUGHTER OF FIRE by Sofia Robleda

For a young woman coming of age in sixteenth-century Guatemala, safeguarding her people’s legacy is a dangerous pursuit in a mystical, empowering, and richly imagined historical novel.

“DAUGHTER OF FIRE is a gorgeous, gripping tale of one young woman’s struggle to find herself amid the terrors of colonialism and the desperate need to uphold the heritage of her people, bound up in her love for her mother.” – Booklist

“Gorgeous and atmospheric. A unique and compelling point of view. Legit one of my favorite books of all time.” – Xiran Jay Zhao, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

“A captivating odyssey of a novel from start to finish—Robleda vividly brings to life the world of sixteenth-century Guatemala, immersing you in Catalina’s brave fight to preserve her people’s history against all odds. Beautifully imagined, intimate, lush, evocatively written, DAUGHTER OF FIRE has firmly secured its place among my all-time favorites, narrated by a fresh and much-needed voice in historical fiction.” – Mariely Lares, Sunday Times bestselling author of Sun of Blood and Ruin

When Mexican writer Sofia Robleda embarked on a personal ancestral search, she discovered the history of an ancient Mayan sacred text with stories that were so enlightening, she knew she had to write about it. The result is DAUGHTER OF FIRE (Amazon Crossing; August 1, 2024), a moving and beautifully written historical fiction novel about a girl named Catalina, born in the 1530s to an Indigenous Guatemalan mother and a Spanish colonizer father.

The Popol Vuh is a little-known sacred text with invaluable insight into the Maya way of life before colonization, including their myths and stories and the history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala. The stories were mostly passed down orally, until around 1550, when they were written down in secret, by anonymous K’iche’ authors. But after the Spanish conquest of the Maya, missionaries and colonists destroyed many documents, and the original sacred text was lost. Only a translated copy made by a friar in the 18^th century remains.

“I grew up in Cancun, surrounded by the ancient Mayan culture, but when I found out I had Indigenous blood, I started studying our pre-Columbian history in a lot more detail,” explains Robleda. “When I read how many documents were destroyed, I had a visceral reaction. I couldn’t stop crying over this great loss to our heritage. But the Popol Vuh survived. Its story possessed me. I felt I’d gone out to look for my roots, and they’d taken a hold of me. The result was this novel, and I’m ecstatic that DAUGHTER OF FIRE will be published this summer.”

Catalina de Cerrato is being raised by her widowed father, Don Alonso, in 1551 Guatemala, scarcely thirty years since the Spanish invasion. A ruling member of the oppressive Spanish hierarchy, Don Alonso holds sway over the newly relegated lower class of Indigenous communities. Fiercely independent, Catalina struggles to honor her father and her late mother, a Maya noblewoman to whom Catalina made a vow that only she can keep: preserve the lost sacred text of the Popol Vuh, the treasured and now forbidden history of the K’iche’ people.

Urged on by her mother’s spirit voice and possessing the gift of committing the invaluable stories to memory, Catalina embarks on a secret and transcendent quest to rewrite them. Through ancient pyramids, Spanish villas, and caves of masked devils, she finds an ally in the captivating Juan de Rojas, a lord whose rule was compromised by the invasion. But as their love and trust unfold, and Don Alonso’s tyranny escalates, Catalina must confront her conflicted blood heritage―and its secrets―once and for all if she’s to follow her dangerous quest to its historic end.

DAUGHTER OF FIRE is an engrossing story about loyalty and prejudice, love and oppression, and embracing one’s identity. It’s a must-read for Summer 2024!

To help celebrate the release this new novel, we are hosting a virtual book tour with this wonderful list of book influencers who will post reviews, features, and giveaways. We hope you will follow along:

Monday, July 22 Jess N Books AND Amber Shelf

Tuesday, July 23 Tomes and Textiles AND Lauren’s Book Vibes

Wednesday, July 24 Totahly Booked

Thursday, July 25 Kera’s Always Reading

Friday, July 26 WBTB Book Reviews

Sunday, July 28 Purrfect Pages

Monday, July 29 Lit Wit Wine Dine

Tuesday, July 30 Angela Reads Books

Wednesday, July 31 Sue The Bookie

Thursday, August 1 Meg’s Book Club AND Love My Books 2020

Friday, August 2 Karen’s Library

Saturday, August 3 Books On My Mind

Sunday, August 4 Marisol Reads Books

Monday, August 5 Spookish Mommy

Tuesday, August 6 Mabel Journals

Wednesday, August 7 Bookalong

Thursday, August 8 Sarah And Her Bookshelves

Friday, August 9 Linda’s Book Obsession AND Michelle Loves Books

Saturday, August 10 Books and Coffee MX

Sunday, August 11 Secret Reading Life

Monday, August 12 We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Tuesday, August 13 Books with Bethany

Wednesday, August 14 Paperbacks N Frybread

Thursday, August 15 – Lexijava

Friday, August 16 Subakka Bookstuff

By otrpr

July Virtual Tour For New Historical Fiction THE CURSE OF THE FLORES WOMEN by Angélica Lopes, Translated by Zoë Perry

In this haunting novel about the enduring bonds of womanhood, a young girl weaves together the truth behind her family history and the secrets that resonate through generations.

“With each page, Alice’s role as the guardian of an important piece of Brazilian folk art, itself a feminist symbol, becomes more clear. Lopes…makes it clear that sisterhood is integral to survival.” ―Booklist

Angélica Lopes is a celebrated script writer, journalist and YA author from Rio de Janeiro, who got her start writing Brazilian soap operas that attracted millions of viewers daily. THE CURSE OF THE FLORES WOMEN is her first adult novel, a beautifully written tale about women activists in the early 1910s in the fictional town of Bom Retiro, Brazil and in modern times in Rio de Janeiro. Foreign rights have already been sold to France, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Portugal, and now with the help of the talented translator, Zoë Perry, Amazon Crossing will publish it for the first time in English on July 1, 2024.

“I wanted to set the fictional story of the lacemakers in a period when the debate around women’s issues and their achievements was just beginning,” Angélica explains. “I also wanted to tell a story about the unity of women in the face of domestic violence. I wanted a story of women coming together, not in conflict or working against each other. I am overjoyed that it will now reach an English speaking audience.”

Eighteen-year-old Alice Ribeiro is constantly fighting―against the status quo, female oppression in Brazil, and even her own mother. But when a family veil is passed down to her, and she discovers it hides a secret coded tale of domestic violence that happened 100 years before, she is compelled to uncover the hidden history of the women in her family while also fighting for the rights of all womankind.

Seven generations ago, the small town of Bom Retiro shunned the Flores women because of a “curse” that rendered them unlucky in love. With no men on the horizon to take care of them, the women learned the art of lacemaking to build lives of their own. But their peace was soon threatened by forces beyond any woman’s control.

As Alice begins piecing together the tapestry that is her history, she discovers revelations about the past, connections to the present, and a resilience in her blood that will carry her toward the future her ancestors strove for. Filled with an eclectic cast of female characters, a colorful setting marked by feuding families and a ruling oligarch, and generational secrets, THE CURSE OF THE FLORES WOMEN is historical fiction at its best.

To celebrate the publication of this new release, we are hosting a virtual book tour with this fantastic lineup of book influencers. We hope you will follow along:

Monday, July 1 – Dive Into A Good Book AND Lauren’s Book Vibes

Tuesday, July 2 – Tomes And Textiles AND Jess N Books

Wednesday, July 3 – Amber Shelf

Thursday, July 4 – Kera’s Always Reading

Friday, July 5 – Linda’s Book Obsession AND Mabel Journals

Sunday, July 7 – Booking With Janelle AND Lit Wit Wine Dine

Monday, July 8 – Armed With a Book

Tuesday, July 9 – Sarah And Her Bookshelves

Wednesday, July 10 – Reading With Nicole

Thursday, July 11 – What’s Better Than A Book

Friday, July 12 – Books With Bethany

Saturday, July 13 – Books and Coffee MX AND Marisol Reads Books

Sunday, July 14 – Purrfect Pages

Monday, July 15 – Angela Reads Books

Tuesday, July 16 – Bathtub Bookworm

Wednesday, July 17 – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Thursday, July 18 – Spookish Mommy

Friday, July 19 – Sue The Bookie

Saturday, July 20 – Melann Rosenthal AND Meg’s Book Club

Sunday, July 21 – Subakka Bookstuff

Monday, July 22 – Love My Books 2020

Tuesday, July 23 – Paperbacks N Frybread

Wednesday, July 24 – Bookalong

Thursday, July 25 – Bookapotamus

Friday, July 26 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews AND What Is That Book About

Saturday, July 27 – Bookish Spren

Sunday, July 28 – Secret Reading Life

Monday, July 29 – Book Things With Brit

Tuesday, July 30 – Gloriana Wong

Wednesday, July 31 – We Break For Books

By otrpr 1 Comment

May 2024 Virtual Book Tour for PLAYING FOR FREEDOM: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl – Zarifa Adiba

A passionate musician growing up in the war-torn streets of Kabul takes her forbidden talents abroad in this triumphant memoir from debut author Zarifa Adiba.

In PLAYING FOR FREEDOM: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl (Amazon Crossing; May 7, 2024), Zarifa Adiba, with co-author Anne Chaon, shares her harrowing upbringing in the war-torn streets of Kabul, finding salvation through music, and ultimately taking her forbidden talents abroad.

As an Afghan girl, Zarifa Adiba has big, unfathomable dreams. Her family is struggling, her country mired in conflict. Walking to school in Kabul, Zarifa has to navigate suicide bombers. But Zarifa perseveres, nurturing her passion for music despite its “sinful” nature under Taliban law. At sixteen she gains admission to the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and at eighteen she becomes the lead violist, co-conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world.

Despite Zarifa’s accomplishments―which include a stunning performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland―her future in music demands a reckoning with her life back home. Some of her friends from Zohra are forced to marry, a few either disappear or are killed in bomb blasts, but Zarifa continues to study so she can live her dream and the dreams of her friends who are taken so soon. Her so-called “bad girl” identity puts her at odds with her culture and her family.

PLAYING FOR FREEDOM is the deeply compelling story of a young woman who dares to compose a masterpiece even with all odds stacked against her.

To celebrate the release of this harrowing memoir, we are hosting a virtual book tour with engaging book bloggers who will share reviews, Q&As, excerpts and giveaways. We hope you will follow along:

Tuesday, May 7 – We Love Big Books and We Cannot Lie

Wednesday, May 8 – Angela Reads Books

Thursday, May 9 – Kera’s Always Reading

Friday, May 10 – Meg’s Book Club

Saturday, May 11 – Books and Coffee MX

Sunday, May 12 – Purrfect pages

Monday, May 13 – Booking With Janelle

Tuesday, May 14 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Tuesday, May 14 – Armed with a Book

Wednesday, May 15 – Totahly Booked

Thursday, May 16 – Secret Reading Life

Friday, May 17 – Reading for the Seasons

Tuesday, May 21 – Jen’s Towering TBR

Wednesday, May 22 – Love My Books 2020

Thursday, May 23 – WBTB Book Reviews

Friday, May 24 – Sue the Bookie

Monday, May 27 – Nurse Bookie

Tuesday, May 28 – The Maddie Hatter

Wednesday, May 29 – Books n Bikram

Thursday, May 30 – Danish Mustard Reads

Friday, May 31 – Paperbacks n Frybread

By otrpr Leave a Comment

February Virtual Book Tour for AFTERSHOCK by Zhang Ling

A catastrophic disaster in China triggers a mother’s heartbreaking choice and a daughter’s reconciliation with the past in AFTERSHOCK, the engrossing novel by Zhang Ling, author of A Single Swallow and Where Waters Meet. Perfect for fans of Amy Tan, Lisa See, and Min Jin Lee.

“Translated from Chinese, award-winning author Zhang’s latest book traces the fractures of Xiaodeng’s past and present, weaving in vignettes from her mother, brother, and husband to craft a multigenerational saga. This beautiful, quietly profound story examines the resilience and fragility of humans in the face of disaster. But at its heart, AFTERSHOCK is about family and how we protect the ones we love.” – Booklist

In the summer of 1976, an earthquake swallows up the city of Tangshan, China. Among the hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for survival is a mother who makes an agonizing decision that irrevocably changes her life and the lives of her children. In that devastating split second, her seven-year-old daughter, Xiaodeng, is separated from her brother and the mother she loves and trusts. All Xiaodeng remembers of the fateful morning is betrayal.

Thirty years later, Xiaodeng is an acclaimed writer living in Canada with a caring husband and daughter. However, her newfound fame and success do little to cover the deep wounds that disrupt her life, time and again, and edge her toward a breaking point. Xiaodeng realizes the only path toward healing is to return to Tangshan, find her mother, and get closure.

Spanning three decades of the emotional and cultural aftershocks of disaster, Zhang Ling’s intimate epic explores the damage of guilt, the healing pull of family, and the hope of one woman who, after so many years, still longs to be saved.

Here’s the impressive lineup of bloggers who will post reviews, features, and giveaways. We hope you will follow along:

2/5 – Kera’s Always Reading

2/6 – Nurse Bookie

2/7 – We Love Big Books and We Cannot Lie

2/8 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

2/9 – Reading with Nicole

2/12 – Lilacs and Literature

2/13 – Aimee Dars Reads

2/14 – Purrfect Pages

2/15 – Totahly Booked

2/16 – Secret Reading Life

2/19 – Love My Books 2020

2/20 – Books and Coffee MX

2/21 – Michelle Loves Books

2/22 – Sue the Bookie

2/22 – Meg’s Book Club

2/23 – Danish Mustard Reads

2/25 – Subakka Bookstuff

2/26 – Dai 2 Dai Reader

2/26 – The Maddie Hatter

2/27 – Reading with Melann Rosenthal

2/28 – Lexijava

2/29 – Gloriana Wong

3/1 – Books n Bikram

By otrpr Leave a Comment

November Virtual Tour for MOTHERLAND: A Memoir by Paula Ramón translated by Julia Sanches and Jennifer Shyue

From Venezuelan journalist Paula Ramón comes a powerful memoir about one woman’s complicated relationship with her family as her beloved homeland collapses into ruin.

In the span of a generation, oil-rich Venezuela spiraled into a dire state of economic collapse. Journalist Paula Ramón experienced the crisis firsthand as her middle-class family saw their quality of life deteriorate. In her deeply personal new book MOTHERLAND: A Memoir, Ramón poignantly and eloquently recounts what it was like growing up in Venezuela when Hugo Chávez won his first election through his death and beyond. Translated by the talented Julia Sanches and Jennifer Shyue, MOTHERLAND will be published in English for the first time by Amazon Crossing on October 31, 2023.

“This book is a very personal story, but also very relatable to people who are trying to come to terms with who they are, their relationships to their families and their loyalties to their countries,” Ramón said. “I’m thrilled about this new English version because it allows me to share this story – mine and my country’s – with more people.”

MOTHERLAND is not a political book, but rather a poignant and sentimental search for one’s roots and for the answers to the often-asked questions: What defines us? Who are you in a new country? What truly matters?

By the time Ramón started high school in the 1990s, Venezuela was already experiencing turbulent times. The crisis got progressively worse. In the decades that followed, public services no longer functioned. Money lost its value. Eventually, her mother couldn’t afford to buy food, which was increasingly scarce. The once-prosperous country fell into ruin. Like many others, Ramón’s family struggled to survive each day in their beloved city, Maracaibo—until, one by one, they each made the unbearable choice to leave the home they loved.

In the end, it was Ramón’s mother, a widow, who stayed behind, loyal to the only home she’d ever known. In this heartbreaking mix of lived experience, family chronicle, and journalistic essay, Paula Ramón explores the anguish of her own relationships set against the staggering collapse of a country.

MOTHERLAND is a uniquely human account about the ties that bind—and the fragile concept of home.