Hi, everyone! The Leighton Family Saga has been put on hold for a while. I’ve had a difficult time marketing the first book, Toil Under the Sun. Let’s face it — most readers don’t like to read about poverty or bricklayers. Any historical fiction/romance with a duke is much more appealing. Nevertheless, I will continue it as time allows.
In the meantime, the book did receive a favorable four-star review with Readers’ Favorite.
Author Vicki Hopkins tells an amazing story about two siblings at odds with one another. It’s very relatable and an enjoyable read. Toil Under the Sun gives the reader the feeling of being from the lower classes, trying to survive and thrive in such a way that you can easily step into William’s shoes. I always like learning about pieces of history that I hadn’t before and Hopkins’s book has urged me to research further into Manchester, their bricklayers and how the unions really operated back then. I will definitely be looking out for the other Leighton family saga books! A must-read for fans of dramatic and historical fiction dealing with social issues and family relationships.
I entered the book in the Writer’s Digest self-published book awards for historical fiction and received the following Judge’s Critique:
A well-written story and readers who enjoy the triumphs of hard work, the context of historicals, and the adventures that happen when a character decides to change their destiny will be really satisfied and have a lot to escape into and enjoy.
Visit the Toil Under the Sun’s book page for more information on book one. Reviews from readers who enjoy historical fiction have been somewhat favorable.
All my best,
Vicki
