Whirligig: Keeping the Promise by Richard Buxton
Publication Date: April 22, 2017
Ocoee Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 496 Pages
Series: Shire's Union, Book One
Genre: Fiction/Historical
The first novel from multi-award winning short-story writer Richard Buxton, Whirligig is at once an outsider's odyssey through the battle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait of America at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion, all fuse into a fateful climax.
Shire leaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhood promise, a promise that will pull him into the bleeding heart of the American Civil War and through the bloody battlefields of the West, where he will discover a second home for his loyalty.
Clara believes she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege, but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her. In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a war that comes ever closer.
My Review
Four Stars
Whirligig" is a great view into what life was like during American Civil War. Buxton very colorfully crafts details about this time period that made me feel like I knew what life was like in Tennessee during this time period. I personally, enjoyed that the main character was an Englishman! It gave a very different perspective to the time period. Clara- the love interest for Shire- is also an Englishwoman. Just like Shire, she struggles with the differences of her upbringing and that of life in America. Slavery and war are big factors in the storyline when it comes to how Shire and Clara view their new life. As I was reading, I felt that Buxton never cheated the reader! He really developed his characters so we could gain insight into what drove them. I also felt sorry for Shire as his desire to help and protect Clara soon become at odds with is new purpose. I'm so glad that this is just the first book of what promises to be a fun and engaging series.Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. His short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. Whirligig is his first novel and the opening book of Shire’s Union trilogy. Current projects include the second book, The Copper Road, as well as preparing to publish a collection of short stories.To learn more about Richard’s writing visit https://www.richardbuxton.net. You can also follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, July 11Feature at A Bookaholic Swede
Wednesday, July 12
Interview at Let Them Read Books
Friday, July 14
Feature at Passages to the Past
Monday, July 17
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Tuesday, July 18
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
Thursday, July 20
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Feature at What Is That Book About
Friday, July 21
Interview at The Book Junkie Reads
Tuesday, July 25
Feature at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, July 27
Review at Back Porchervations
Friday, July 28
Review at Book Nerd
Thursday, August 3
Feature at Just One More Chapter
Monday, August 7
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away one paperback & one eBook of WHIRLIGIG! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on August 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Whirligig
