At the Corner of
Fiction & History
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Books
Meet Me at the Clock
Step into the opulent world of The Hotel Hamilton, where the chandelier sparkles while a maid’s aspirations fade into the woodwork.
Vancouver, Canada, 1927. A hotel maid’s duty is to never be seen. That’s no problem for Clara, who finds safety in her station. But for her sister, Louisa, it’s cold outside the limelight.
Clara is content being an obliging working girl, but she doesn’t feel worthy of the leadership responsibilities the hotel matron seems intent to thrust upon her. Torn between the unspoken limitations of her social standing and the demands of a fast-changing world, Clara is paralyzed by her fear of stepping out of line.
Louisa, an aspiring actress, is grateful for her employment at the prestigious hotel, but the feeling that she is meant for more haunts her as she sleepwalks through her days. Though Louisa’s ambitious nature yearns for a life in the theatre, she hasn’t auditioned in months. When she finally steps back into the spotlight, she brings her demons along with her, unable to forget what happened the last time she was on stage.
Already challenged with holding their family together, the sisters face the limits of their bond when prejudice and cruelty rear their dark heads. With Clara trapped in her comfortable cocoon and Louisa terrified of repeating the past, the sisters must learn from each other in order to stand against injustice and chart their own path through life.
Welcome to the Hamilton
A family fallen on hard times. Two sisters with different dreams. Can a luxurious hotel forever change their lives?
Vancouver, Canada, 1927. The Roaring Twenties are anything but extravagant for seventeen-year-old Clara Wilson. With her family struggling to make ends meet and under the threat of eviction, she applies for a job at the soon-to-be-opened Hotel Hamilton. But with her impulsive, adventure-seeking sister quick on her heels, she may find herself battling more than she anticipated.
Feeling the intense burden of responsibility and doing her best to navigate the opulent hotel’s rigorous training program, her hopes for survival crumble when she encounters rivalry from an out-of-place socialite. And as both women strive to win the coveted position, Clara fears she could be losing the only way to keep her family afloat.Will Clara overcome extreme adversity and save her loved ones from ruin?
Welcome To The Hamilton is the heartwarming first book in the Hotel Hamilton historical fiction series. If you enjoy resilient protagonists, illustrious backdrops, and blossoming sibling relationships, then you’ll adore Tanya E William’s tale of strength.
Becoming Mrs. Smith
A heart warming tale of love, life, and friendship. Becoming Mrs. Smith is sure to transport you back in time to pre-war, small town America where a young couple’s love story begins to unfold.
Violet’s heart flutters from the scarlet fever she survived as a child, and it beats faster at the sight of John Smith, the man she plans to marry. America is entrenched in WWII, and when John enlists, Violet is certain she won’t ever forgive him for dashing their dreams.
As the realities of war slowly overtake her life, Violet’s days are filled with uncertainty and grief. She struggles to maintain her faith in John, as the world as she knows it, crumbles around her.
Becoming Mrs. Smith is a beautifully written, emotionally charged novella that paints a vivid picture of the life and times of America’s home front during World War II. The inspiring, and at times, heartbreaking story of a woman’s struggle to reclaim what she lost is both poignant and heartfelt.
War stole the man she loves, and childhood illness weakened her heart–perhaps beyond repair. While guns rage in Europe, the war Violet faces at home may be even more devastating.
Stealing Mrs. Smith
South Dakota 1942
Bernice Rosin refuses to settle for anything less than a happily-ever-after. Following the ordeal of caring for her dying mother only to be abandoned at an orphanage, she’s had enough misery to last a lifetime. Heading west for the luxury of the big city, she vows to find someone who can keep her safe and financially secure.
But her reckless search for a suitor only leads to heartbreak and scandal. So when she meets a soft-spoken WWII vet with more to offer than money, she knows she’ll need a whole new set of charms to make it to the altar.
Can Bernice free herself from the past and finally discover a place she belongs?
Stealing Mr. Smith is a stand alone story in a compelling historical fiction family saga. If you like emotional journeys, troubled characters, and thought-provoking dilemmas, then you’ll love Tanya E Williams’ engaging novel.
A Man Called Smith
South Dakota, 1949. WWII veteran John Smith longs for the life he lost after the tragic death of his wife during childbirth. But in the desperation to provide for his two small children, he is manipulated into an unsuitable marriage by a young woman with a dark neurosis. Tormented by his own grief and the ravages of war, John is blind to his children’s turmoil and pain.
Washington State, 1964. John’s sixteen-year-old daughter Calla dreams of a life beyond her vindictive stepmother. Forced to care for her younger siblings with a list of household demands larger than she is tall, Calla knows it’s only a matter of time until she can escape the abuse and begin anew at college. But her dreams crumble when her heartless stepmother claims the college fund for her own selfish purposes. As John fears he is too late to stop the war within his home, Calla vows to build a new life worth living.
Can John survive the consequences of war on the home front? Can Calla find the strength to rediscover the meaning of family?
A Man Called Smith is the heartwarming and heart wrenching conclusion to a gripping historical fiction series following the life of John Smith. If you like courageous characters and narratives told over multiple generations, then you’ll love Tanya E. Williams’ emotional tale.
All That Was
Seattle, 2015. Emily Reed refuses to dwell on her emotions. When the first-year attorney is assigned a church archival project, she dives into the records to hide from her own heartache. But when she discovers her parents were married in this very chapel, she is forced to confront the grief she buried a decade ago.
After she died in 1935, Elizabet Thomas was devastated when her beloved husband wasn’t waiting for her on the other side. A lost soul, she’s wandered their church for the past eighty years, desperate to find him. And now she must persuade a young, living lawyer that the historic building needs to be preserved rather than sold and torn down.
Discovering a diary among the disarray in the building’s basement, Emily is first engrossed and then moved by the dead woman’s words. And as the fate of her home unravels, Elizabet realizes she and the grieving archivist have more in common than she ever would have guessed.
Can Emily and Elizabet save themselves and their cherished sanctuary?
All That Was is an uplifting standalone women’s literary fiction novel deeply woven with historical elements. If you enjoy dual-perspective storylines, complex female characters, and the rekindling of lost hope, then you’ll love Tanya E Williams’s soul-stirring tale.
Breathe
It is all attainable… if you just Breathe
It all comes down to breath. If we don’t breathe deeply enough, we cannot fill ourselves with the joy and beauty of the world around us. If we don’t release that breath, we cannot let go of all the hectic ugliness that goes hand in hand with living in a modern and complicated world.
When you start on this photographic journey-this path of quiet insight and reflection-you will start to breathe again. You will immerse yourself in these diverse and beautiful images and thoughtful words, and find rejuvenation for your heart and mind.
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Shepherd – a book discovery tool
If you are looking for that online experience that is similar to a visit to your local bookshop, then let me introduce you to Shepherd. Based on a love of reading and a desire to improve the experience of how we find our next great read, Shepherd creator Ben Fox,...
A stroll through history
As a historical fiction author, it is a rare occurence when I turn my history seeking brain off. Mostly, because history is everywhere and I simply can't stop myself from reveling in its time stamp. We just retuned from a vacation to Vermont. Our goal was to explore...
Do you judge a book by its cover?
I know I do. It's why I've started this collection of covers that make me want to stop everything and read. I am definitely biased, but I think the covers of my two latest novels are also pretty alluring.
