Talk of Tokyo by Heather Hallman - Book Blitz + Giveaway
Talk of Tokyo
By Heather Hallman
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS
1897 Tokyo is no different than anywhere else in the world: men are exploiting women. Specifically, Western men are exploiting Japanese women, and Suki Malveaux holds no punches in her condemnation of their behavior in her weekly column in the Tokyo Daily News.Suki knows firsthand when Western men arrive at Tokyo Bay there’s only one outcome for Japanese women: a child and new mother left behind as nothing more than discarded shrapnel from the heartless war on love.Griffith Spenser is her latest target. He’s been seen with Natsu Watanabe, one of Tokyo’s esteemed war widows. Under full anonymity of the moniker “The Tokyo Tattler,” Suki makes sure Griffith knows exactly why his behavior with Natsu won’t be tolerated.Away from her Japanese mask as a columnist, Suki never intended to meet the cad. When he seeks her out to hire as a tutor for his niece and nephew, she’s faced with seeing him day in and day out without him ever knowing who she really is.Caught in her struggle for anonymity so she can keep battling for women’s rights, Suki’s about to learn the full impact of her words on the people behind the story, especially on Griff.
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EXCERPT
Tokyo 1897
Foreign Quarter of Tsukiji
Shaky hands and racing heart notwithstanding, Suki gave herself a fighting
chance. The incorrigible rake might have accusations, threats, and plans for
retaliation, but she had feminine cunning. While she lacked familiarity with the
mechanics involved in that sort of cunning, she’d seen how furtive glances and
teasing words reduced men to foolishness. The basics of flirtation rivaled
neither the complexity of French verbs nor the convolutedness of English
spellings, both of which she’d mastered with ease.
A maid hastened across the garden and opened the front gate. “Mr. Spenser is
expecting you,” she said in the clear, precise English of servants in Tokyo’s
foreign quarter of Tsukiji.
Suki followed the maid through Spenser’s front garden, past azalea bushes
boasting radiant displays of scarlets, lavenders, and magentas. Flurries of pale
pink temple bells burst forth in a graceful arrangement that bore a decidedly
feminine touch.
Of course it did. Spenser’s gardens would’ve been planted by his former wife.
Suki pictured the fair-haired young woman vigorously fanning herself at last
summer’s festival. She’d worn one of those heavy dresses that trapped sweat and
exacerbated the summer itch. Several months later, news had traveled through
Tsukiji that Spenser’s bride had returned to England for good.
As Suki stared up at the Japanese-style wooden beam home with the gingerbread
trim and second-story dormer windows favored by Tsukiji’s British residents,
dread once again grew in the pit of her stomach. If Spenser had seen fit to
alienate the woman he’d pledged to honor and protect, what did he have in store
for the woman he most certainly despised?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Heather Hallman writes witty, sensual, contest-winning romances set in Meiji-era
Japan (1868-1912). She is the author of the Tokyo Whispers series that includes
Scandals of Tokyo and Talk of Tokyo.
She is fluent in Japanese language, history, and culture, and earned a doctoral
degree in cultural anthropology based on fieldwork research in Japan. She lives
in Tokyo with her professor husband and two young daughters. In her free time,
she can be found translating ancient Japanese poetry and observing the passing
of seasons while sipping green tea. Just kidding, she has no free time. But she
does watch something that makes her laugh while she does the dishes.
Perennial obsessions include the weather forecast (she checks three different
apps at least three times a day, as no single app can be trusted), Baltimore
Ravens football (hometown obsession), and making smoothies that taste like candy
bars.
Feel free to chat her up about any of her obsessions, or, even better, about
historical Japan—any era is fine, she loves them all. She also enjoys exchanging
book recommendations, discussions about the craft of romance writing, and
stories about life in present-day Tokyo.
Buy links for Talk of Tokyo:
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Heather Hallman will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner
via rafflecopter during the tour.
8 Comments
Hello, Readers! Thanks so much for checking out Talk of Tokyo. I’ve lived in Japan for over thirteen years and counting. One of the many things keeping me here is the cuisine. š£šš¤
ReplyDeleteI LOVE sushi. My favorites are bluefish, whitebait (really cheap and really yummy), salmon, salmon roe, and fatty tuna (not cheap but melt-in-the-mouth delicious).
How about you? Fan of sushi or other Japanese dishes? If you’ve got a minute to spare, let me know. I’d love to hear about it.
It’s almost bedtime in Japan, so I’ll be checking comments toward the evening USA time.
Thank you to Jazzy Book Reviews for hosting!
You're very welcome! :)
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
Deletethis sounds so emotional and i cant wait!
ReplyDeleteIt gets really rocky. Emotions all over the place!
DeleteThis is a great excerpt, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marisela.
DeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.