SPOTLIGHT: Fern Flower
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Whoever composed the adage "don't judge a book by its cover" knew NOTHING about the book industry.
I always look at book covers, and if I was physically able to take a vote from all of you--my readers--I'll put money on the probability that you do, too. That being said, this week's guest on the Journal has one of the most glorious covers that I've ever seen. Scroll down and take a look, right now!
And allow me to welcome Kathleen Shoop to my blog page. You can get plenty of info below on both the book and Kathleen's world. But I'll interject that this story has several things that intrigue me. First, ballet. I have never been a good dancer, but I adore watching it. And the musician in me always comes out to play whenever I hear a Tchaikowsky ballet score. There's just something fanciful about a staged ballet production with full orchestra.
There's that. But Kathleen is also incorporating a volatile period of history in this tale. Both World War I and the Russian Revolution were world-changers, so this book promises to have quite an emotional punch. If you're as intrigued as I am, be sure to check out the blurb and buy links. And here's to another wonderful book-baby out in the wild, as we authors love to say!
Read ON, everybody!
ALL ABOUT THE BOOK
St. Petersburg 1908-1917
Born into privilege as the daughter of the Tsar’s favored vodka maker, Mila appears to have everything: wealth, status, and a household devoted to her happiness. But behind the gilded doors of her family estate, she is trapped by the cruelty of a stepmother whose greatest wish is to give birth to her own child.
Each summer on Ivan Kupala Eve, Russia turns its gaze to river bends and forest floors in search of the legendary Fern Flower—a mythical bloom said to grant fortune, power, and the deepest desires of the heart. Only one person had ever found it.
Until Mila.
Years later, in the fading grandeur of Petrograd, Mila and her friends slip into the fabled Stray Dog Café, once the sanctuary of Russia’s most daring artists and dreamers. Inspired by its ghosts, murals, and memories, Mila's group resurrects the work she'd first imagined as a child. The Fern Flower is a breathtaking ballet drawn from folklore, magic, and the secrets of Mila’s past.
But in the fiercely competitive ranks of the Imperial Ballet School, talent is never enough. Though Mila wrote the ballet and her gifted musician friend composed its score, rivals question whether Mila is worthy of claiming the coveted lead role.
As World War I intensifies and revolution ignites, the Russia Mila knows begins to collapse. Family secrets surface, loyalties are tested, and the people she loves begin to disappear. When her parents flee and her young brother’s life hangs in the balance, Mila is faced with an impossible choice: remain with the found family who helped her chase her dreams or risk everything to save the person who needs her most.
With Russian folklore, imperial grandeur, and the fierce beauty of ballet, The Fern Flower is a sweeping tale of ambition, friendship, sacrifice, and the magic that survives even when the world is falling apart.
ALL ABOUT KATHLEEN
Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, PhD’s novels have won awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more.
Kathleen has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom and has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide. She co-coordinates Mindful Writers Retreats and co-coordinated the 2023 Pennwriters Conference.
She frequently teaches and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.
CONNECT WITH KATHLEEN
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(Kindle & Apple)
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