She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

Siri Mitchell crafts an amazing novel which captures and showcases New York City's Gilded Age society. From the start I was delighted by heroine Clara Carter's intelligence and joie de vivre. Clara's horrible Aunt has taken over her education and has made it her sole purpose in life to see that Clara marries Franklin DeVries, heir to the DeVries' fortune.

The paces that our girl Clara is put through in order to accomplish this goal would be daunting,even for a Geisha. Siri Mitchell takes us beneath the upper crust with a plot that doesn't quit and characters you will worry about,all the while hoping for the best. Even Clara's evil corset seems to have a life of it's own. Names like Vanderbilt and Astor are sprinkled throughout giving the novel a sense of realism.

I could go on and on, but really, I think everyone should just read this book. It's a WOW!

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

She Walks in BeautyBethany House (April 2010)by

Siri Mitchell





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.



But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.



Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.







ABOUT THE BOOK

For a young society woman seeking a favorable marriage, so much depends on her social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the affections of the city's most eligible bachelor.



Debuting means plenty of work--there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her training soon pays off, however, as celebrity's spotlight turns Clara into a society-page darling.



Yet Clara soon wonders if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she learns her best friend has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries.



When a man appears who seems to love her simply for who she is and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes it's not just her marriage at stake--the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.



If you would like to read the first chapter of She Walks in Beauty, go HERE.