Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve lived a long, richly varied, well-traveled, international life, and I can truly say my education has been worldly. Despite advancements in science and technology, two millennia of patriarchal religious brainwashing have prevented humanity from achieving gender balance in power and peace on earth. Today, more than ever, women who confront societal norms are essential to humanity’s progression and the preservation of our planet. People often open up to me about their most daring and dangerous experiences because they know I won’t judge. Their most intimate and romantic revelations have particularly inspired me, and I have namelessly infused many of them into my books, alongside my own. Empowerment begins with education.


I wrote...

Sacrifices for Kingdoms

By Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin,

Book cover of Sacrifices for Kingdoms

What is my book about?

This book is a captivating contemporary romance that takes readers on an exhilarating journey across continents and cultures. When Elizabeth,…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of A Woman of Substance

Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin Why did I love this book?

This is a spellbinding story that follows the extraordinary journey of a poverty-stricken, young, ambitious woman who worked tirelessly, sacrificed endlessly, endured being used by the unscrupulous, and numerous other sufferings, eventually becoming one of the richest, most powerful women in the world.

It made me feel empowered and gave me the courage to confront and be victorious over many of my own adversities. I think every woman who reads this book will be inspired and strive to be a woman of substance.

By Barbara Taylor Bradford,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked A Woman of Substance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The unputdownable multi-million copy bestseller charting the rags to riches story of Emma Harte

With new Foreword from Fern Britton.

A WOMAN'S AMBITION...
In the brooding moors above a humble Yorkshire village stood Fairley Hall. There, Emma Harte, its oppressed but resourceful servant girl, acquired a shrewd determination. There, she honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.

A JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME...
In the wake of tragedy she rose from poverty to magnificent wealth as the iron-willed force behind a thriving international enterprise.…


Book cover of Outlander

Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin Why did I love this book?

I am in awe of Diana Gabaldon’s achievements as I relate to her writing while raising three children.

At first daunted by the 850-page length, once I started reading, I became enthralled with the fantasy of Claire’s time-traveling into the past and meeting the love of her life. I fell in love with the beautiful boy-man, Jamie. He reminded me of the love of my life. Gabaldon’s handling of the attraction between Claire and the Scottish highlander is beguiling, especially in the sexual scenes.

Weaving their love story into real history, her descriptions, plots, and prose are exquisitely compelling. I am committed to reading the entire series. In a word, Outlander is un-put-downable! 

By Diana Gabaldon,

Why should I read it?

33 authors picked Outlander as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first book in Diana Gabaldon’s acclaimed Outlander saga, the basis for the Starz original series.

One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBS’s The Great American Read!
 
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and…


Book cover of Angelique: the Marquise of the Angels

Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin Why did I love this book?

The first book of the captivating, unforgettable Angélique series hooked me from the very beginning.

Coming from poverty in Paris, the beauty traveled the world in dangerous, exciting, and shocking ways, often using her sexuality to help achieve her desires. I started reading this book when I was a young mother living in Trinidad and have read the entire series during the course of my own world travels.

Angélique epitomizes female survival. Like so many of us, she endures incredible challenges and sufferings alongside joys but eventually triumphs. 

By Anne Golon, Rita Barisse (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Angelique as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Angelique is consumed by the desire for revenge when her husband is accused of witchcraft during the Inquisition


Book cover of Lady Be Good

Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin Why did I love this book?

This particular novel by the ‘Queen of Romance Comedy’  was my first introduction to her stories (I couldn’t help myself after finishing it; I had to read her previous books and then wait impatiently for new releases).

The very proper British, Lady Emma Wells-Finch, is determined to lose her good reputation to avoid marrying a blackmailing Duke. She meets the lazy, suspended American golf champ PGA bad boy, Kenny, who must—contrastingly—gain a good reputation, in order to save his career. Their not-so-proper journey through colliding worlds had me occasionally crying but often smiling in between many bouts of hilarious laughter.  


By Susan Elizabeth Phillips,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lady Be Good as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“[A] sexy and whimsical modern fairy tale.”

—Greensboro News & Record

 

“The always-funny Susan Elizabeth Phillips…has the heat turned up all the way for this one.”

—Detroit Free Press

 

The only four-time recipient of the Romance Writer’s of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, the incomparable Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of America’s most beloved authors—and Lady Be Good is one of the perennial New York Times bestseller’s hottest, funniest, and most delightfully wild romance novels. The uproarious tale of a proper English headmistress hell-bent on destroying her reputation and a disgraced Texas athlete playboy determined to salvage…


Book cover of The Magnolia Palace

Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin Why did I love this book?

Davis takes you on an engrossing adventure into New York’s past—and present—that encompasses mystery, history, suspense, unexpected romances, real family drama, art, heroines generations apart, feminism, and so much more, evoking one’s every emotion.

Her skillful combination of fact and fiction is brilliant, and I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling exposés of buried secrets of the Gilded Age. I fell in love with Davis's descriptions of the artwork and the strong women involved in making the Frick Mansion/Museum a New York icon. I wanted to get on the next plane to New York and feel their spirits that she so believably described, and as an artist, myself, revel again in the esteemed artwork there!

By Fiona Davis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Magnolia Palace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City's most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But…


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The Oracle of Spring Garden Road

By Norrin M. Ripsman,

Book cover of The Oracle of Spring Garden Road

Norrin M. Ripsman Author Of The Oracle of Spring Garden Road

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Too often, I find that novelists force the endings of their books in ways that aren’t true to their characters, the stories, or their settings. Often, they do so to provide the Hollywood ending that many readers crave. That always leaves me cold. I love novels whose characters are complex, human, and believable and interact with their setting and the story in ways that do not stretch credulity. This is how I try to approach my own writing and was foremost in my mind as I set out to write my own book.

Norrin's book list on novels that nail the endings

What is my book about?

The Oracle of Spring Garden Road explores the life and singular worldview of “Crazy Eddie,” a brilliant, highly-educated homeless man who panhandles in front of a downtown bank in a coastal town.

Eddie is a local enigma. Who is he? Where did he come from? What brought him to a life on the streets? A dizzying ride between past and present, the novel unravels these mysteries, just as Eddie has decided to return to society after two decades on the streets, with the help of Jane, a woman whose intelligence and integrity rival his own. Will he succeed, or is…

The Oracle of Spring Garden Road

By Norrin M. Ripsman,

What is this book about?

“Crazy Eddie” is a homeless man who inhabits two squares of pavement in front of a bank in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia. In this makeshift office, he panhandles and dispenses his peerless wisdom. Well-educated, fiercely intelligent with a passionate interest in philosophy and a profound love of nature, Eddie is an enigma for the locals. Who is he? Where did he come from? What brought him to a life on the streets? Though rumors abound, none capture the unique worldview and singular character that led him to withdraw from the perfidy and corruption of human beings. Just as Eddie has…


Don't forget about my book 😀

Sacrifices for Kingdoms

By Patricia D'Arcy Laughlin,

Book cover of Sacrifices for Kingdoms

What is my book about?

This book is a captivating contemporary romance that takes readers on an exhilarating journey across continents and cultures. When Elizabeth, a sophisticated activist and philanthropist from Trinidad, meets Michael, a socially conscious European prince, they are irresistibly drawn to each other. As their love deepens, they must navigate dangerous secrets, political intrigue, and the struggle to reconcile their opposing loyalties.

This sensual and captivating romance explores themes of love, passion, and societal norms, the start to a trilogy, delves into the complexities of relationships, challenges traditional expectations, and showcases the power of sacrifice in the face of danger and adversity. Prepare to be empowered, entertained, and enlightened by this thought-provoking tale.

5 book lists we think you will like!

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