Rathuun: King of the Prairie places a buffalo—not a cowboy, scout, or settler—at the center of a western shaped by violent change. Rathuun survives the grizzly attack that kills his twin, only to grow into the animal every hunter wants to claim as wagons, telegraph lines, railroads, and rifles transform the plains around him. By giving its most dangerous frontier to the creature being pursued, David Fitz-Gerald approaches familiar western history from a strikingly different direction.

Rathuun: King of the Prairie
Author: David Fitz-Gerald

Frontier & Pioneer Western Fiction; US Historical Fiction; Action/Adventure

Date Published: March 20, 2026

With all the swagger of a classic western, a legendary buffalo claims his rightful place among the genre's most iconic heroes. 

Meet Rathuun. Born in an idyllic canyon, tragedy strikes on his first day. A grizzly bear scatters the herd, devours his twin, and leaves him to shiver and die. But the buffalo calf with a white spot on his chin survives. 

The plains are changing fast. Wagons roll west in endless streams. Telegraph wires stretch across the horizon. Locomotives scream down polished rails, slicing through the earth. Extinction seems imminent when everyone wants to kill the biggest buffalo on the prairie. 

Native people shoot arrows and drive herds over cliffs. Hide hunters slaughter millions. An obsessed buffalo assassin is determined to wipe them all out and change the world forever. There's an army of barking rifles, and they're all pointed at Rathuun. 

Will the hunters take Rathuun's head and leave his carcass to rot on the prairie? 

This sweeping epic thunders across the American West, taking listeners to unforgettable western landmarks. If you like classic westerns, thrilling action, and high-stakes historical adventures, grab your copy by the horns.

Welcome to the prairie!

Rathuun’s perspective changes the scale of the traditional western. Telegraph wires, locomotives, wagon traffic, and rifles are not merely signs of expansion here; they are forces closing in on a living creature whose survival has become inseparable from the fate of the prairie itself. The combination of an animal protagonist, a relentless pursuit, and a landscape undergoing permanent transformation gives the novel a distinctive tension. Its classic-western swagger remains intact, but the largest presence on the plains is also the one with the most to lose.

This novel is suited to western readers interested in the land and its wildlife as much as its human conflicts. The buffalo-centered viewpoint should also appeal to those who value survival stories, pursuit narratives, and historical fiction that examines westward expansion through its consequences. Readers drawn to large-scale action, changing frontier landscapes, and protagonists forced to endure overwhelming odds will find Rathuun’s struggle especially compelling.

David Fitz-Gerald writes frontier and pioneer western fiction from the wilds of western Vermont—about as far west as you can get without slipping into New York. 

Though he’s never wrangled beeves to market, Dave was a top hand on his grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondack Mountains… before he turned ten. He’s lived most of his life on dirt roads. Whenever he gets the chance, he travels west to recharge his spirit on the windswept prairies. 

He’s an Adirondack 46’er which means that he’s hiked to the top of every mountain in the park. In 2018, Dave completed the 1960s fitness craze by hiking 50 miles in one day. That’s one heck of a long walk, but not nearly as grueling as the iconic trails that he chases in his fiction. 

Even after all these years, Dave still has his head in the clouds like Ken from MY FRIEND FLICKA, and a quiet, self-reliant spirit like Sam from THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. That blend of wonder, heart, and spirit runs through the characters he portrays. His editor states he is “exceptionally good at creating real moments between characters”—and readers seem to agree. 

Dave’s breakthrough series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail won Chanticleer’s Grand Prize for Book Series. He’s now the author of nearly twenty novels and counting, and as long as there’s coffee in the kitchen, Dave will be plotting one adventurous story after another.

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Rathuun’s strongest hook is also its boldest choice: the legendary figure at the heart of this western is the buffalo being hunted. His fight to survive turns the advance of rails, wires, wagons, and rifles into an immediate threat rather than distant historical scenery. That shift in viewpoint gives the adventure both its momentum and its weight, inviting readers to see the changing prairie through the eyes of the creature who stands to lose it.

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Historical fiction often asks us to remember the events that shaped the modern world, but the most memorable stories also explore the resilience of the people who lived through them. IYSH by Greg Price is a sweeping historical saga that examines courage, perseverance, and the enduring impact of war across multiple decades. Rather than focusing solely on survival, the novel follows the long journey of rebuilding a life after unimaginable loss, offering readers a story that is as much about hope and determination as it is about history.

Fiction

Date Published: 04-17-2025

This book is a great fit for readers who enjoy:

• Historical fiction set during and after World War II
• Sweeping, character-driven stories that span decades
• Themes of courage, resilience, and hope
• Emotional journeys centered on survival and rebuilding
• Fiction inspired by real historical events

Greg Price is a writer, human resource expert and an ordained minister. He has traveled extensively throughout the world and shares his experiences by translating them into literary characters who inspire and motivate the reader. Greg immigrated to the United States from south Africa and currently lives with his wife in Mississippi.

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This morning, I have a nautical-themed historical fiction novel in our book spotlight! Learn about Perilous Shores from the The Sea Hawkes Chronicles and author Thomas M. Wing. Be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.  

Historical Fiction/Nautical Fiction

Date Published: June 23, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

The murder of his wife at the hands of British soldiers prompts American privateer Captain Jonas Hawke’s vow to make Britain pay. 

A grief-stricken Jonas strikes deep into the heart of the enemy, driven by his personal vendetta. When he raids a port city, one of his men crosses an unthinkable line, which forces Jonas to come to terms with the anguish that distorts his definition of justice. 

Concerned his wrath will bring irreparable harm to the cause for America’s freedom, Jonas grapples with his role as a warrior and as a man. When he learns the Royal Navy is hunting his ship, he fears his deadly decisions may have cost him and his crew everything. It’s too late to turn back. Instead, he must continue on and face the inevitable perils of war. 

Perilous Shores is a gripping, action-packed, and historically authentic tale of revenge, survival, and one man’s relentless pursuit of his country’s independence.

about the author

Tom’s first novel, Against All Enemies, earned gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and Literary Titan. In Harm’s Way, the first in the Sea Hawkes Chronicles series has also garnered several awards. 

He resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughter and a cat and a dog. Whatever free time he has is still spent on the water. 

For more about the author and to follow his blog about nautical and naval trivia, visit his website.

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This morning, I have a historical fiction novel to share! Learn about Between These Walls by Michael Newman! 

A Gripping Journey Through History's Darkest Corridors

Date Published: March 26, 2020

In the summer of 1988, New York art curator Daniel Singer receives a mysterious package from West Berlin, sealed with security tape that will shatter everything he thought he knew about himself and his family. What begins as a simple delivery transforms into an extraordinary odyssey that spans continents and decades, pulling Daniel into a labyrinth of secrets that have been carefully guarded for over forty years. 

Newman masterfully constructs a dual timeline that oscillates between May 1945 and July 1988, creating a narrative bridge across generations. In the dying days of World War II, on the American occupied side of Germany's Elbe River, US Army Medical Corps Colonel Samuel Singer stumbles upon the shot-up wreck of a smoldering SS staff car. Inside: a badly injured driver, a dead German Army officer carrying the ID of a Nazi war criminal, and a young blonde woman, also dead in the back seat. This haunting discovery sets in motion a chain of events that will echo across four decades. 

The story sweeps across the battlefields of World War I, through the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust, into the founding of Israel, and through three Middle East wars. Each historical moment is rendered with meticulous attention to detail and emotional authenticity. 

The involvement of the Mossad, Israel's legendary intelligence agency, adds layers of intrigue and suspense to Daniel's quest. As he uncovers shocking truths about his heritage, Daniel must navigate a treacherous landscape where the past and present collide, where old wounds remain fresh, and where the consequences of long-buried secrets threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Following one American family and two German families, Newman crafts a narrative that explores not just acts of evil and callous indifference but also acts of heroism, generosity, and love in the time of Adolf Hitler's rise and eventual defeat.

Newman's research was exhaustive and deeply personal. He traveled throughout Europe, visiting the actual locations that appear prominently in the book. He walked the streets of Berlin, discovering the stolpersteine, the engraved brass plaques embedded in the cobblestone streets marking where Jewish families lived before the Nazis deported them to their deaths in Auschwitz. He ventured to the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden near Munich, Hitler's wartime summer home perched high in the Bavarian Alps. Most significantly, he visited Mauthausen concentration camp itself, where his own father had been imprisoned by the Nazis in 1944-45. 

"My visits to Mauthausen, Berlin and Hitler's summer home at Eagle's Nest were the motivators for me to write Between These Walls," Newman explains.

"These places provided me with the inspiration and ideas for the plot and premise of the book. With the global rise in antisemitism, the words 'Never again' couldn't ring truer."

Between These Walls is available for purchase through multiple platforms, making it accessible to readers worldwide. The novel is available in both paperback and Kindle editions. 

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about the author

 Michael Newman brings an unparalleled authenticity to Between These Walls because he writes not as a distant observer of history, but as someone whose life has been indelibly shaped by it. The son of Holocaust survivors, Newman has always had a deep interest in the Second World War, not as an academic pursuit, but as a personal mission to understand and honor the experiences that defined his family's existence. He received first-hand accounts of what happened during WWII in the concentration camps, particularly Mauthausen, where his father was imprisoned. 

Newman's mother, aunt, and grandmother were hidden by Righteous Gentiles in Budapest during World War II. His father fought in the Hungarian Army, dug trenches in a forced labor battalion near Stalingrad, and later endured eight terrible months at Mauthausen in Austria. In 1956, at age twelve, Newman himself became a refugee, slogging through mud and snow, dodging guard huts to escape into Austria after the crushed Hungarian uprising against the Soviets. 

Years later, as a successful self-made real estate magnate and founder of InterRent, a real estate investment trust on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Newman could have allowed his professional achievements to define him. Instead, he chose to honor his heritage by telling a story that needed to be told. He has since taken his wife, three children, and one granddaughter on trips to Mauthausen, ensuring that the next generation never forgets. 

During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, concerned over what he perceived as one-sided news coverage against Israel, he had the opportunity to travel, surreptitiously, to Israel. Using a connection with an Israeli intelligence colonel, Newman spent a week in the war zone, visiting bomb shelters, air raid command centers, and troops in the field. This experience became a model for a character in his book who helped Israel fight for independence in 1948. 

"I am not a religious person, but I do identify myself with what happened during the Holocaust and I am very much a Zionist and support the founding of Israel," Newman says. 

This conviction breathes through every page of Between These Walls, giving the novel an emotional authenticity that resonates with readers across all backgrounds. 

Today, Newman lives on Toronto's waterfront with his wife, Dixie, and their Morkie, Mia. Surrounded by five children and eleven grandchildren, he has transformed the pain of his family's past into a gift for future generations. Writing books, as Newman admits, is "a career change I wasn't expecting to make at this stage of life. It's been gratifying for the ego." He is currently working on a sequel with the working title A Daughter's Revenge, and has hired a screenwriter on spec to craft a six-part series based on his first book.

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This morning, I have a historical fiction novel in our book teaser spotlight! Learn about The Beauty of Individual Things and author K. Thomas Yoo! 

Historical Fiction / Jazz Age Romance

Date Published: 07-14-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

 

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The Beauty of Individual Things follows Margot Andrews, a young American woman swept from New York high society into the dazzling yet fractured world of 1920s London. When the transactional demands of privilege collide with betrayal and violence, leaving her disillusioned and adrift, she escapes to the freshwater shoreline of lost childhood summers. 

 

With her past unrecoverable and her future uncertain, Margot searches for a different life amid Detroit’s dynamic and monied Prohibition era—with its yacht races, rumrunners, and industrial might. Set against a city on the rise, she must navigate her family’s ruthless pursuit of social standing, the magnetic pull of charismatic boat racer Ellis James, and the relentless echoes of her past. The story explores the weight of loneliness and the personal cost of love and reinvention as Margot decides whether to remain a fragile ornament of her family’s design or forge an identity that is beautiful, imperfect, and entirely her own.

about the author

 

 Karen Thomas Yoo was born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She graduated from the University of Michigan and received an MBA from Duke University. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found in her garden or on a paddleboard in Lake Michigan. A mother of three grown children, she lives in Grosse Pointe with her husband. This is her first novel.

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Today, we are joining the book blast for historical fiction novel Eliza Waite! Learn about the book and author Ashley E. Sweeney and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.  

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 05-16-2016

Publisher: She Writes Press

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Multi award-winning author Ashley E. Sweeney’s fourth novel, The Irish Girl, released December 2024. Her previous novels, Eliza Waite, Answer Creek, and Hardland, have won a total of 20 awards, including the Nancy Pearl Book Award, Independent Press Award, WILLA Literary Award, and New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Sweeney, a native New Yorker and graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, spends winters in Tucson and summers in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

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Today, we are joining the week-long book blitz for historical fiction novel Lila's Journey! Learn about the novel, read an excerpt and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.  

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 05-19-2024

Publisher: Mustard Seed Press

read an excerpt from Lila's Journey

She kept up a brisk pace through the wooded path as the sun peaked in and out of the clouds, shifting the shadows of the trees. Some of the trees had shed their leaves, but the mighty oaks still clung to theirs, and they rattled in the breeze. She kept her arms under her cloak for warmth but slowed momentarily when the sound of the rattling changed. She did a quick turnaround but saw nothing. “Must have been some critter scampering about,” she said, and picked up her pace again. 

It happened so fast it scarcely registered.

Large hands overpowered her and grabbed her from behind, one covered her mouth, the other circled her waist. A surge of adrenaline triggered a painful heartbeat in her chest. She screamed through the clamped hand, but the sound was choked off. Lila struggled to free her arms from inside her cloak while she wildly kicked backwards. The harder she fought, the fiercer the grip. Lila raised her leg and shot it backwards again, this time hitting a shin. A rough voice cursed in her ear. 

She was lifted off her feet and shoved against a tree, snapping the side of her head against the trunk. Pain shot through her head. Dazed, she made a feeble attempt to grab the arms. A hand slapped hard against her face. Spots danced before her eyes with the disappearing daylight, then nothing.

When Lila came out of the fog of unconsciousness, she found herself in darkness. She was blindfolded. She was on a horse with someone sitting behind her, someone with unspeakable body odor whose breath reeked of whiskey. What was happening? Who has done this? She had a throbbing headache, made worse with each step of the horse over the uneven ground. 

Reaching for her head, she realized her hands were bound together. Why am I tied up? This makes no sense. She was a captive and there was nothing she could do to give herself any advantage. The realization sent her into a frenzy of fear, and tears swelled under her blindfold. Dear God, what am I to do?

Now fully awake, her heart pounded as she tried to clear her head. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, no idea where she was, no idea who sat behind her in the saddle. She shuddered to think who her captor was and what he had in mind.

about the author

When she’s not writing, Jane is singing in a choir, exercising in some fashion, or soaking up nature from a shady spot in the yard with a good book. She and her husband live in Kansas and have two children and six grandchildren. She treasures time spent with their far-flung family and still entertains the fantasy of appearing on Dancing with the Stars for Grandmas, although the clock is ticking. . . 

Jane is a member of Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, and Wyoming Writers, Inc.

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A moment of trust can shift into something far more complicated—and far more lasting—than anyone expects. Boy Altared leans into that tension, tracing a coming-of-age journey shaped by authority, belief, and the quiet unraveling of innocence. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent era, it blends personal struggle with the larger cultural shifts of the time.

Learn about Boy Altared and author J.S. Pavoggi--and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: April 1, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Intrigued by his grave past, Father Nelson brings him into the church as an altar boy under the mentorship of Harry, an older acolyte. The priest quickly gains control over Jamie, using the boy’s complicated history and his own undisputed authority to initiate a dark turn in their relationship. Jamie falls deeper into the world of religion, and his blooming friendship with Harry becomes a needed distraction from the somber realities of the church. 

Shaped by major cultural events, from the Manson murders to the moon landing, to Woodstock and the Civil Rights Movement, Jamie’s life unfolds as he navigates religion, power, and loss of innocence. A haunting coming of age story, Boy Altared explores a seismic shift into adulthood during one of the most turbulent decades in history.

 J.S. Pavoggi was born in 1957 and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the sixth of eight children in a devout Catholic family. He attended parochial school, served as an altar boy, and came of age during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era and the cultural upheaval that followed. 

After a 40-year career in public service with the United States Postal Service—where he also served as a union representative—Pavoggi experienced a life-altering heart procedure that changed the way he saw the world. What began as an impulse to write a better streaming series evolved into a powerful, fictionalized account of survival and healing. 

His debut novel, Boy Altared, is a deeply personal work of historical fiction rooted in memory, silence, and resilience. Pavoggi lives in Arizona with his wife of 38 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

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