It’s November and that means a new short story anthology from Paper Lantern Writers! For lovers of historical fiction who understand that the smallest thing can change history forever, Echoes of Small Things is for you. Nine captivating tales explore how history’s most pivotal moments often spring from the smallest of seeds. From a girl’s coded message changing the British occupation of India to a woman blazing new trails in the American West, these stories span centuries and continents to reveal the extraordinary power of the seemingly ordinary.

Journey through 12th-century English battlefields and Parisian fashion salons during the Great War; witness a pre-Civil War enslaved family’s pursuit for freedom and live the splendor of 1820s St. Petersburg. Some tales follow real historical figures, others fictional characters caught in history’s currents—but all illuminate how a single choice, a humble gesture, or an unguarded word can echo through time.

Also this month, Paper Lantern Writer Alina Rubin releases Book 4 of her Hearts and Sails series. A Woman on the Knife’s Edge continues the story of Ella, a surgeon. After Jamie Flowers rejects her love, surgeon Ella Parker turns her heartbreak into purpose when she treats Lillian, a young wife trapped in illness and a cruel marriage. When Lillian is confined to a mental asylum, Ella finds herself reunited with her brilliant teacher, Dr. Miller, and offered the position she has always dreamed of.

At first glance, the asylum seems a haven, but beneath the polished halls lies a darker reality. As Ella learns the cost of progress, she realizes that to save Lillian and other patients, she must risk everything.

Meanwhile, Jamie lives under the shadow of a death sentence. Told by Dr. Miller he will not survive past twenty, he plans to die with honor, sacrificing his life to save another. (November 11)

 

BEST COVER

The Royal Artisan by Tessa Afshar (Biblical era, November 21)

“Afshar’s writing shines in this brilliant perspective shift on Queen Esther’s story.” ~MESU ANDREWS, bestselling author on The Queen’s Cook

I appreciate the covers of I, Medusa and Daughter of the Outerworld for the details you probably can’t see in a small picture (snake hair and tree of life). The colors in the other ones are all eye-catching, but the enticing background of The Royal Artisan drew me in most,

The Bridge Between Friends by Norma Curtis (WWII, November 28)

Ripples Through Time by Christina Courtenay (West Mercia/Herford, 873/present day) November 20)

Hemlock Lane by Marshall Fine (1967, November 25)

Daughter of the Otherworld by Shauna Lawless (medieval Ireland, November 11)

I, Medusa by Avana Gray (ancient Greece, November 18)

BEST TITLE

Echoes of Small Things by Paper Lantern Writers (November 1)

“When fleeting moments reshape the world: What if a single conversation could execute a queen? A chance encounter could crown a king? A basket of apples could inspire an art movement?” ~book description

This year is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, so a lot of Austen-related titles are popping up. I included two coming out this month. Daughters of the Nicnevin, The Cathedral of Lost Souls, and Murder at the Scottish Ball all have intriguing bits in the title. Is it bad of me, though, to pick the anthology I was a part of? Echoes of Small Things is a fabulous title!

The Austen Intrigue by Julia Golding (November 28, 1812 London)

The Austen Christmas Murders by Jessica Bull (November 13)

Daughters of the Nicnevin by Shona Kinsella (Scotland 1745, November 11)

The Cathedral of Lost Souls by Paula Brackston (England, 1881, November 11)

Murder at the Scottish Ball by Millicent Binks (Scotland, 1934, November 28)

MOST ANTICIPATED

The Quarry by A. M. Linden (medieval Britain, November 4)

“Set in early medieval Britain and perfect for Lord of the Rings fans, this fourth installment of The Druid Chronicles tells the story of a Saxon sheriff who’s on the hunt for fugitive Druids—unaware that he is being pursued as well.” ~from the book description

Of course it goes without saying that A Woman on the Knife’s Edge belongs here, but I wrote about that one in the introduction. The World That We Are is about Thoreau, and To Kill a Queen about Queen Elizabeth I. Both interest me. I’ve read a lot of WWII stories about children, but still want to read The Stolen Children of War. Uruk intrigues me because I used to teach ancient Mesopotamia. The Quarry, though, is set in medieval Britain and is about druids. That is one of my favorite topics! I can’t believe this is book 4 of the series and I haven’t read it yet!

A Woman on the Knife’s Edge by Alina Rubin

The World That We Are by Andrew Furman (Massachusetts, 1837, November 18)

To Kill a Queen by Amie McNee (London, 1579,November 11)

The Stolen Children of War by Jina Bacarr (Paris, 1943, November 10)

Uruk by James Zwerneman (ancient Mesopotamia, November 4)

 

Need more historical fiction on your TBR? See Paper Lantern Writers’ weekly round up in the Facebook group Paper Lantern Readers. See even more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.

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