Have you ever daydreamed about leaving your everyday life behind? Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst, the woman who inspired the novel The Whip, had that dream. But it wasn't boredom that made her muse about a new life. It was something much darker: revenge.
After her family was murdered all she wanted was to avenge their deaths. To do that she left everything behind: her home, her life, even her sex. She headed West, disguised as a man, searching for the murderer. As a man, Parkhurst found a job as a stagecoach driver, found fame as the killer of an outlaw and even found love in unexpected places. But none of it was as important as the search for the man who had destroyed her family.
The Whip is full of characters that truly show you who put the "wild" in Wild West. It's a book full of adventure, romance, and history that is almost too amazing to believe. It's a book that makes you wonder, how far would I go for love?
Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: Hansen Publishing Group, LLC
ISBN-10: 1601823029
ISBN-13: 978-1601823021
Twitter Hashtag: #WhipNovel
The Whip is available as a print and e-book at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, as well as your local independent bookstore.
We don't have a written interview for you today because Karen is traveling on her book signing tour across the southwest--through various storms, no less!--but we interviewed her for a feature article, It's Not Easy Being a Historical Fiction Writer: Experts' Insight into the Genre, in the latest issue of WOW! And we have a video interview she conducted with NPR radio book critic Peter Robinson, below. They chat about The Whip while sitting in an old Wells Fargo Stagecoach. Enjoy!
Book Giveaway Contest: If you would like to win a copy of The Whip, please leave a comment or ask a question to be entered in the random drawing. The giveaway contest closes this Thursday, April 26 at 11:59 PM PST. For an extra entry, link to this post on Twitter with the hashtag #WhipNovel, then come back and leave us a link of your tweet. We will announce the winner the following day, Friday, April 27. Good luck!
Karen Kondazian’s life dream was to be a CIA spy . . . until she turned eight and she was invited to appear on Art Linkletter’s Kids Say the Darndest Things. After several days of missing school to tape the show Karen realized that acting was indeed her true calling. Karen has an extensive list of both theatre and television roles she’s played and also teaches at the Lee Strasberg School of Theatre and Film in Hollywood. Karen’s first foray into writing also stayed in the acting realm: The Actor’s Encyclopedia of Casting Directors. But now she’s branched out into historical fiction with a main character that any actress would love to play!
(Photo: Karen at Charley Parkhurst's grave site at Pioneer Cemetary in Watsonville, California. Click to enlarge. Charley was the first woman to vote in the US!)
Find out more about Karen by visiting her online:
Book website: http://www.thewhipnovel.com/
Author website: http://karen-kondazian.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheWhipNovel
Twitter: @thewhipnovel
-------- Blog Tour Dates
Wednesday, April 25 @ Book Bags and Cat Naps
Are you tempted to add real people to your novel? Novelist Karen Kondazian posts about Writing Historical Figures.
http://bookbagsandcatnaps.com/
Thursday, April 26 @ CMash Loves to Read
We all deserve second chances! Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst got one in the 1860s and you get one today to win The Whip, a novel based on her life.
http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com/
Friday, April 27 @ Thoughts in Progress
Women have lived as men through the ages for all types of reasons. Learn about some of these women from author Karen Kondazian. Her debut novel, The Whip, was inspired by the story of one of these women.
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 1 @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
Win a copy of the historical novel The Whip, and learn more about the author, Karen Kondazian.
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 2 @ Peeking Between the Pages
After reading a review of The Whip, a novel that takes place in the Wild West, you'll be eager to enter and win a copy of Karen Kondazian's debut novel!
http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/
Thursday, May 3 @ Peeking Between the Pages
A real character. Those three words just about sum up Charley Parkhurst's whole existence. Learn more about the life of this historical character that inspired the novel, The Whip.
http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/
Friday, May 4 @ Selling Books
Learn more about turning fact into fiction with an interview of Karen Kondazian, author of The Whip: A Novel.
http://SellingBooks.com/
Tuesday, May 8 @ Books, Books, the Magical Fruit
Stop by today for another fascinating interview with Karen Kondazian, and enter to win her debut novel, The Whip!
http://www.booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 9 @ Musings from the Slushpile
Where do you find inspiration for novels? Karen Kondazian, author of The Whip, shares her map to inspiration. Stop by and never lose your way again!
http://blog.juliealindsey.com/
Monday, May 14 @ Me and Reading
Need to know the secret to novel writing? Karen Kondazian tells you how to tap into your creative inspirations.
http://www.ingasilbergbooks.com/
Wednesday, May 16 @ Dianna's Writing Den
Learn more about Karen Kondazian and her tips on writing in today's interview!
http://diannaswritingden.com
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| Karen Signing at Book Soup, Hollywood, CA |
To view all of our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar here.
Get Involved! If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email Robyn or Jodi at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.
Book Giveaway Contest: Enter to win a print copy of The Whip by Karen Kondazian! Here's how you enter:
1. For your first entry, just leave a comment on this post! Just leave Karen a comment to be entered in the random drawing.
2. For an extra entry, link to this post on Twitter with the hashtag #WhipNovel then come back and leave us a link to your tweet.
The giveaway contest closes Thursday, April 26 at 11:59 PM PST. We will announce the winner in the comments section of this post the following day--Friday, April 27, and if we have the winner's email from the comments section, we will also notify them via email.
Good luck!
28 comments:
Sounds like an awesome read! Would love to win a copy.
Smiles~
Marilyn
While I mainly write children's books, historical fiction is an area that fascinates me greatly and I would love to know what are some of the best resources Karen has found regarding researching content for historical novels? Internet? Local library? Interviews with historical society representatives?
Oh yeah, I would LOVE to win this book!
Donna L Martin
www.donasdays.blogspot.com
I've heard of Charlotte Parkhurst. This sounds like a fascinating book.
Real people are so much more interesting than fictional. This sounds like one of my summer reads!
Cindy4books@ameritech.net
I remember the first time I read about Charley Parkhurst. I think it's great that you have taken the story and make it real. I look forward to reading it.
Sounds like a page turner & great summer read. Please drop my name in the virtual cowboy hat! (not-so-anonymous: Kathy El-Assal)
Looks like a fantastic read. Can't wait!
Historic fiction and women's rights - two things right up my Alley! I look forward to reading it.
Good luck Karen!
https://twitter.com/#!/
Is this what you're looking for? I'm a bit new to this stuff.
Sounds so fascinating. Currently I'm working on an historical nonfiction book which I later want to turn a certain aspect of that story into an historical fiction. Loved the interview in the Wells Fargo Coach.
Sounds like a facinating book!!
How could a person look at the cover of this book and NOT want to read it?
tweet - https://twitter.com/#!/navywyfe/status/194983104040026112
The twist to this western story makes for a good read!
Elaine R
emrosser@shaw.ca
This book sounds terrific. I would love to win.
cp1935@oppcatv.com
LOVE TO READ.
This sounds like a WINNER.
jimpat34@broadstripe.net
Question for Karen Kondazian: When you turn fact into fiction, how do you determine what to include or how to change the story to turn it into a story the length of a novel? So looking forward to reading this one!
williams_blds at hotmail.com
I tweeted this at https://twitter.com/#!/happigurl24/status/195238031496712192.
williams_blds at hotmail.com
I like to read non-fiction!
theyyyguy@yahoo.com
I've heard this is a terrific story
diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com
this book looks awesome
JenniferB
ejxd95@gmail.com
I wanna win this prize!
Tim Moss, yupbucket@hotmail.com
sounds like a good read, one I'd get lost in
This sounds like a wonderful read!
lanalbradstream(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love historical fiction. I would love to review this for my Goodreads account. :D
Ravyngoth@yahoo.com
It sounds like a great read. I love reading Westerns that are more than standard. Thanks for the giveaway. garrettsambo@aol.com
Happy Friday!
Thank you for your comments! We held a random drawing via random.org, and the winner is... happy-girl-24! Congratulations! You won a copy of The Whip by Karen Kondazian. :)
Please contact us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com with your mailing address and we will forward it to Karen for you. We will also follow up with an email.
For everyone else: please check out the rest of the stops on Karen's tour for more giveaways and inspiration from Karen. Write on!
Thanks again for the giveaway. I enjoyed the book and have posted reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.
Lisa W.
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