Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Chosen Historian by Randi Ertz

I left home when I was 21.  I was gone for about 18 months and when I returned...I knew I didn't belong there.  Circumstances prevented me from leaving right away because my father had suffered a series of heart attacks.  So I stayed in the little town of Coos Bay, Oregon and enrolled in the college there, and lived at home to take care of my father. But there was an incident one night at the house.  It wasn't the first of it's kind, but it was at that moment that I knew I had to leave, and that I would never be returning home again to live there or anywhere nearby. 

In The Chosen Historian by Randi Ertz, Evin Driscol has returned to his childhood home in Burlington, Iowa after surviving the Civil War.  Ready to settle down with his childhood sweetheart, Marianne, and run the shoe shop that his family has owned for years, Evin finds out that everyone, including Marianne, have all moved on with their lives.  Marianne is married and living in Chicago and the family business is now being ran by his brother, Conor. After struggling to find his place in Burlington, he decides to leave for Chicago in the hopes of finding Marianne, the woman whose thoughts had helped him survive the war, and with the hope of fixing his one regret; not telling Marianne he loved her.  But moving to Chicago proves difficult when he is attacked in an alley by a coven of Vampires.  On the brink of death, his run away sister, Elli, a member of the very coven that attacked him, steps in to save his life. 

Leaving his past forever behind, Evin is now living in a "present" time where Vampires are living amongst the human race.  Evin isn't only a Vampire, he is a Daywalker.  With his one hundred and seventy-one years of living,  Evin has become an accomplished historian writing books about the supernatural and their impact on human history.  While rapping up his latest book tour and lecturing at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Evin meets and falls in love with Katie Riley, a beautiful blue-eyed blond with the same passion for history. 

In the story you'll read about Katie's connection to Evin's past, be charmed by Evin's kindness and wisdom, watch Evin be hunted by an old member of the coven, witness fighting between Vampires that will make you think you've stepped into a Harry Potter film, and learn that even after all of these years...his sister Naomi is still alive.  And...she's not even a vampire.  Although the book outlines Evin Driscol's one regret as not telling Marianne that he loved her, you'll find as you read the book that Evin's biggest regret is not returning home to provide protection and to keep watch over his family. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Randi Ertz received her Psychology degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago and her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.  She developed a passion for reading during her sophomore year in Germany while reading The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. After arriving in Germany to live with her father, Randi found that her reading skills were behind others in her class.  Determined to do all she could to receive the highest grade possible, she set out to complete all extra credit assignments, including the reading of The Mists of Avalon.  It was the study of this particular book that sealed her love for reading. The Chosen Historian is her first novel. The second book of the series is due out in 2011.

While putting herself through college, Randi worked multiple jobs and has participated in over 300 volunteer hours. After graduating, Randi realized that there was more to life than working 9-5 and bringing home a paycheck.  Randi knew what she wanted and that was to be an author and to own a publishing company that cared about its authors, readers, publishing team and the community. Randi then founded The Little Things Publishing, LLC and launched it in 2010.  TLT Publishing, LLC is dedicated to helping fiction authors publish their works. First time authors often have difficulty becoming published. The Little Things Publishing was created by an obsessed and avid reader/writer who is interested in assisting other writers achieve their dreams of becoming published. We are a unique publishing company looking for diverse writers who are passionate about the books they write.

You can learn more about Randi Ertz and The Little Things Publishing at the TLT Publishing website: http://thelittlethingspublishing.com/

5 comments:

Christine said...

Hhhmmm, seems pretty mellow reading. May have to try it. Vampires are not exactly "my thing" but the author, Randi Ertz has definitely followed her dream. Thanks to you Sabrina/Kate for recognizing her and making synopsis interesting.

Unknown said...

I have purchased the book and just cant wait for its arrival. I am very excited to read it and pass it on to Bobbie. I think she will really enjoy the book. Thanks for turning us onto the book Sabrina.

Krista Cubicleblindness said...

Hey I saw a link to you from The little publishing's twitter account and thought I'd stop by to say HI! I am from Salt Lake City and thought that was cool your "local"

angelabarra99 said...

This sounds great and i will go out and get it for Tanesha ;)

Sara said...

I heart vampire stories! This one sounds very interesting. I think it's super nice of you to highlight the authors, too. Way to go, Sabrina!