Alternative History – The Book Diva's Reads

Author Q&A with Elizabeth Crowens – A WAR IN TOO MANY WORLDS

Good day, my bookish divas and divos. It’s another chilly morning here in West Virginia, but the fall foliage is truly a wonder to behold. When I’m not spending my time reading, I simply gaze out my windows at the unbelievable beauty that is the seasonal foliage displayed on the surrounding hillsides. Although I’d love to spend some time in the future traveling to bookstores and libraries around the world, there are plenty of sights to behold here in West Virginia and in the United States first. Until I get to embark on my travels, I’ll sit back and enjoy visiting with a variety of different bookish folks. Today, I’m honored to welcome Elizabeth Crowens, author of A War in Too Many Worlds. Ms. Crowens will be answering a few questions for us about herself and her writings. I hope you’ll enjoy what she has to share, add A War in Too Many Worlds to your ever-growing TBR list, and follow the tour to learn more about this book and its author. Thank you, Ms. Crowens, for joining us today and participating in this author Q & A.

colorful Q&A graphic image with red "Q", gold "&", and green "A." The letter "A" also has a white figure seated on the top of the letter holding a blue book.

What’s on your bucket list?

More travel. I made five or six trips to the UK to research the Time Traveler Professor series. The pandemic put a real damper on that in the past two years, and it still has, but at least I got to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg before the Ukrainian invasion. I haven’t been overseas since and don’t feel all that comfortable yet. Looks doubtful if I’ll get to China anytime soon given the politics and the pandemic, and India was in dire shape. I still want to go to Tibet and Nepal. We’ll see…

What’s also on my bucket list, having the Time Traveler Professor series made into a streaming series like Doctor Who and being a creative advisor on the project. See below for the casting suggestions.

Your book is a movie! Who’s in your dream cast?

Funny you should ask, because I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for many years, so I’m always thinking along those lines.

Arthur Conan Doyle – Hugh Jackman
H.G. Wells – Rufus Sewell, from The Man in the High Castle and Victoria.
Harry Houdini – Michael Weston, played Houdini in the short-lived series, Doyle and Houdini
John Patrick Scott – Our protagonist has been the hardest one to cast. Also when the first book in the series starts out in 1898, he ages, and Book Three, A War in Too Many Worlds starts in late 1917. For a younger version, I’ve had my eye on Robert Sheehan, who plays Klaus in The Umbrella Academy or Timothée Chalamet. For the older versions, Cillian Murphy, from Peaky Blinders. Both are Irish actors but could play one who is Scottish.
Francois Poincaré – First choice: Sasha Baron Cohen, Second choice: Rami Malek. Francois reminded me a lot of Freddie Mercury. Obviously, Rami played him in Bohemian Rhapsody. Sasha was originally under consideration for that role.
Sophia Poincaré – possibly Marion Cotillard or Michelle Williams
Maria von Braun – Leonie Benesch, a German actress in the recent Around the World in Eighty Days and the television series Babylon Berlin and The Crown.
Leonora Offenbacher – Sarah Silverman
Rebecca Wells – Kate Winslet
Finneas “Finn” Fertle – Matt Smith, from Doctor Who and The Crown
Not sure about Helga, Max Pushkin, and Wendell Mackenzie.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Spread the word. Post an excellent review on both Amazon and Goodreads, even if you won the book in a giveaway. I hate to emphasize algorithms and statistics, but that’s how their search engines work. The more reviews, the more an author will get discovered. ♦

A War in Too Many Worlds

by Elizabeth Crowens

October 17 – November 11, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A War in Too Many Worlds by Elizabeth Crowens

The Time Traveler Professor

The secret diaries of John Patrick Scott pick up at the close of 1917. British intelligence sends Scott to work undercover in Berlin with his old partner-in-crime, Wendell Mackenzie, as his outside contact in Paris. Back on the Western Front, Scott discovered his ability to see the ghosts of the dead. Unsure if that’s a blessing or a curse, he takes this one step further, employing spirits in the world of deception and intrigue. As the Russian monarchy crumbles and the Red Baron meets his final match, for Scott, true love is always beyond arm’s reach. His long-lost patrons and paramours, Sophia and Francois Poincaré, resurface but as potential enemies of the Crown.

Arthur Conan Doyle vows to retrieve his stolen time machine from H.G. Wells. Scott is still at odds with Doyle, who still refuses to publicly acknowledge his contributions for ghostwriting Sherlock Holmes, and Doyle encounters Harry Houdini in the most unlikely of places. Get ready for a wild ride.

Time Traveler Professor, Book Three: A War in Too Many Worlds, pairs murder, mayhem and mysticism in a mashup where The Lost World meets The Island of Doctor Moreau. Stay tuned for Book Four, The Story Beyond Time, the final book in this epic series.

Praise for A War in Too Many Worlds:

“You’ll find that time stands still as your turn the pages and enjoy the roller-coaster plot, the only disappointment arriving when you reach the final moments of this extraordinary story… and want more.”

Terry Shepherd

“Meticulously researched and wholly evocative of its time period; rich detail, immersive atmosphere and clever use of documented Victorian interests in the paranormal give Crowens’s latest novel distinct authenticity. The difficult task of channeling such bold and beloved icons as Doyle, Wells and Houdini is confidently and capably handled. Brimming with specificity, historic flavor and intriguing supernatural fancy, A War in Too Many Worlds is an impressive feat of fact weaving into fiction; sure to please history buffs as well as the more fantastical at heart in equal measure.”

Leanna Renee Hieber, award-winning, bestselling author

“Pack your best time-traveling attire, your sense of humor, and your open mind. A War in Too Many Worlds by Elizabeth Crowens, the third book in the Time Traveler Professor series, is a vibrant, explosive treatise on the intersection of magic, science, and spirituality. The book is both a loving nod to an era when magic and science were separated by a hairsbreadth, and a Jungian exploration of time, memory, and mysticism. Though the topics are erudite, the author’s wit and humor combined with karmic twists, musical accompaniment, and a historical who’s who, keep the book moving to its thrilling and unexpected climax. The entire series is highly recommended, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Kerry Adrienne, USA Today bestselling author

“This genre-bending trip through time and space offers the same delightfully loopy charm as a Doctor Who episode—but with its own irresistible allure, as if Douglas Adams and Jules Verne collaborated with a little help from Kafka. Crowens jumps effortlessly from the mournful haunts of Berlin during the Great War to the unpredictable travels of H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. Exotic—and yet strangely familiar—characters keep popping up to entertain us. However, even among the amusements are laments of lost loves and lost opportunities—along with ghosts (both real and imagined)—all of which elevate the story. Indeed, together with the many fantastic elements, we are moved by the strivings and desires of the all-too-human characters, who will stick with you long after you get to the last page.”

R.J. Koreto, author of the Lady Frances Ffolkes and Alice Roosevelt historical mysteries

“Take your favorite elements for a paranormal mystery adventure— from Victorian times into the 20th century, historical (and then some) characters like Conan Doyle, Jung, Houdini, and a few surprises. Add the MacGuffin of a mysterious red book, and you will understand the delights of Elizabeth Crowens’s series featuring the Time Traveling Professor. Things come to a head in the third book in this delightful series. If you need to escape this world for a bit, try the one she has so beautifully built for you.”

Jim Freund, host of the radio program Hour of the Wolf

Book Details:

Genre: Alternate History / Time Travel
Published by: Atomic Alchemist Productions
Publication Date: August 16th, 2021
Number of Pages: 310
ISBN: 9781950384075 (paperback)
Series: Time Traveler Professor, #3
Purchase Links #CommissionEarned: IndieBound.org Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository.com | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | The Mysterious Bookshop

Author Bio:

Currently New York City-based worked in the entertainment industry in NY and LA for over 25 years. Writing credits include Black Belt, Black Gate, and Sherlock Holmes Mystery magazines, stories in Hell’s Heart and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated A New York State of Fright, and three alternate history/SFF novels. Recipient of the MWA-NY Leo B. Burstein Scholarship, City Artists Corps / New York Foundation of the Arts grant, a Glimmer Train Honorable Mention, an Eric Hoffer First Prize, two Grand Prize and five First Prize Chanticleer Review awards, including a 2022 Grand Prize in the Chanticleer Review Cygnus Awards for Science Fiction for A War in Too Many Worlds.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Crowens:
www.ElizabethCrowens.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @ecrowens
Instagram – @crowens_author
Twitter – @ECrowens
Facebook – @thereel.elizabeth.crowens

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaway entries!

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Giveaway:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elizabeth Crowens. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

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Book Showcase: THE DAY LINCOLN LOST by Charles Rosenberg

The Day Lincoln Lost by Charles Rosenberg
ISBN: 9781335145222 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781488055799 (ebook)
ISBN: 9781488208461 (digital audiobook)
ISBN: 9781094104683 (Audiobook on CD)
ASIN: B082YDB7D4 (Audible audiobook)
ASIN: B07XC2XV63 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: August 4, 2020

An inventive historical thriller that reimagines the tumultuous presidential election of 1860, capturing the people desperately trying to hold the nation together—and those trying to crack it apart.

Abby Kelley Foster arrived in Springfield, Illinois, with the fate of the nation on her mind. Her fame as an abolitionist speaker had spread west and she knew that her first speech in the city would make headlines. One of the residents reading those headlines would be none other than the likely next president of the United States.

Abraham Lincoln, lawyer and presidential candidate, knew his chances of winning were good. All he had to do was stay above the fray of the slavery debate and appear the voice of reason until the people cast their votes. The last thing he needed was a fiery abolitionist appearing in town. When her speech sparks violence, leading to her arrest and a high-profile trial, he suspects that his political rivals have conspired against him.

President James Buchanan is one such rival. As his term ends and his political power crumbles, he gathers his advisers at the White House to make one last move that might derail Lincoln’s campaign, steal the election and throw America into chaos.

A fascinating historical novel and fast-paced political thriller of a nation on the cusp of civil war, The Day Lincoln Lost offers an unexpected window into one of the most consequential elections in our country’s history.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

Kentucky

Early August, 1860

Lucy Battelle’s birthday was tomorrow. She would be twelve. Or at least that was what her mother told her. Lucy knew the date might not be exact, because Riverview Plantation didn’t keep close track of when slaves were born. Or when they died, for that matter. They came, they worked and they went to their heavenly reward. Unless, of course, they were sold off to somewhere else.

There had been a lot of selling-off of late. The Old Master, her mother told her, had at least known how to run a plantation. And while their food may have been wretched at times, there had always been enough. But the Old Master had died years before Lucy was born. His eldest son, Ezekiel Goshorn, had inherited Riverview.

Ezekiel was cruel, and he had an eye for young black women, although he stayed away from those who had not yet developed. Lucy has seen him looking at her of late, though. She was thin, and very tall for her age—someone had told her she looked like a young tree—and when she looked at herself naked, she could tell that her breasts were beginning to come. “You are pretty,” her mother said, which sent a chill through her.

Whatever his sexual practices, Goshorn had no head for either tobacco farming or business, and Riverview was visibly suffering for it, and not only for a shortage of food. Lucy could see that the big house was in bad need of painting and other repairs, and the dock on the river, which allowed their crop to be sent to market, looked worse and worse every year. By now it was half-falling-down. Slaves could supply the labor to repair things, of course, but apparently Goshorn couldn’t afford the materials.

Last year, a blight had damaged almost half the tobacco crop. Goshorn had begun to sell his slaves south to make ends meet.

In the slave quarter, not a lot was really known about being sold south, except that it was much hotter there, the crop was harder-to-work cotton instead of tobacco and those who went didn’t come back. Ever.

Several months earlier, two of Lucy’s slightly older friends had been sold, and she had watched them manacled and put in the back of a wagon, along with six others. Her friends were sobbing as the wagon moved away. Lucy was dry-eyed because then and there she had decided to escape.

Others had tried to escape before her, of course, but most had been caught and brought back. When they arrived back, usually dragged along in chains by slave catchers, Goshorn—or one of his five sons—had whipped each of them near to death. A few had actually died, but most had been nursed back to at least some semblance of health by the other slaves.

Lucy began to volunteer to help tend to them—to feed them, put grease on their wounds, hold their hands while they moaned and carry away the waste from their bodies. Most of all, though, she had listened to their stories—especially to what had worked and what had failed.

One thing she had learned was that they used hounds to pursue you, and that the hounds smelled any clothes you left behind to track you. One man told her that another man who had buried his one pair of extra pants in the woods before he left—not hard to do because slaves had so little—had not been found by the dogs.

Still another man said a runaway needed to take a blanket because as you went north, it got colder, especially at night, even in the summer. And you needed to find a pair of boots that would fit you. Lucy had tried on her mother’s boots—the ones she used in the winter—and they fit. Her mother would find another pair, she was sure.

The hard thing was the Underground Railroad. They had all heard about it. They had even heard the masters damning it. Lucy had long understood that it wasn’t actually underground and wasn’t even a railroad. It was just people, white and black, who helped you escape—who fed you, hid you in safe houses and moved you, sometimes by night, sometimes under a load of hay or whatever they had that would cover you.

The problem was you couldn’t always tell which ones were real railroaders and which ones were slave catchers posing as railroaders. The slaves who came back weren’t much help about how to tell the difference because most had guessed wrong. Lucy wasn’t too worried about it. She had not only the optimism of youth, but a secret that she thought would surely help her.

Tonight was the night. Over the past few days she had dug a deep hole in the woods where she could bury her tiny stash of things that might carry her smell. For weeks before that, she had foraged and dug for mushrooms in the woods, and so no one seemed to pay much mind to her foraging and digging earlier that day. As she left, she planned to take the now-too-small shift she had secretly saved from last year’s allotment—her only extra piece of clothing—along with her shoes and bury them in the hole. That way the dogs could not take her smell from anything left behind. She would take the blanket she slept in with her.

She had also saved up small pieces of smoked meat so that she had enough—she hoped—to sustain her for a few days until she could locate the Railroad. She dropped the meat into a small cloth bag and hung it from a string tied around her waist, hidden under her shift.

Her mother had long ago fallen asleep, and the moon had set. Even better, it was cloudy and there was no starlight. Lucy put on her mother’s boots, stepped outside the cabin and looked toward the woods.

As she started to move, Ezekiel Goshorn appeared in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere, along with two of his sons and said, “Going somewhere, Lucy?”

“I’m just standing here.”

“Hold out your arms.”

“Why?”

“Hold out your arms!”

She hesitated but finally did as he asked, and one of his sons, the one called Amasa, clamped a pair of manacles around her wrists. “We’ve been watching you dig in the woods,” he said. “Planning a trip perhaps?”

Lucy didn’t answer.

“Well, we have a little trip to St. Louis planned for you instead.”

As Ezekiel pushed her along, she turned to see if her mother had been awakened by the noise. If she had, she hadn’t come out of the cabin. Probably afraid. Lucy had been only four the first time she’d seen Ezekiel Goshorn flog her mother, and that was not the last time she’d been forced to stand there and hear her scream.

Excerpt from The Day Lincoln Lost by Charles Rosenberg.

Published by Hanover Square Press.

Meet The Author

Photo by Deborah Geffner

Charles Rosenberg is the author of the legal thriller Death on a High Floor and its sequels. The credited legal consultant to the TV shows LA Law, Boston Legal, The Practice, and The Paper Chase, he was also one of two on-air legal analysts for E! Television’s coverage of the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials. He teaches as an adjunct law professor at Loyola Law School and has also taught at UCLA, Pepperdine, and Southwestern law schools. He practices law in the Los Angeles area.

Connect to the author via his Website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

This excerpt and tour brought to you by Hanover Square Press