"Past, future, and love all exist in the door through time..."
Modern
and independent seventeen year old Morgan Westbrook thought she had seen all
there was to her home town of Scarlet, Georgia, but one day while walking in
the woods behind her house she discovers a mysterious door masked behind the
trees. After admiring the door’s timeless beauty she walks through its entrance
to venture into more woods, but what she doesn’t know is that the door is a
gateway through time that takes her back to the year 1863 during the days of
the Civil War in Scarlet.
Without knowing that she had traveled back in time, she stumbles upon Danny
Carson, an attractive young man who is appalled to see that Morgan is wearing
skimpy modern clothes instead of a nineteenth century dress. Although they find
each other completely different than anyone they’ve ever known, they cannot
help but feel drawn to one another. After spending time in another century, she
discovers that she's time traveled back to the year 1863 and that the door took
her there. For months she and Danny journey back and forth through the door to
experience the joys of traveling to both of their centuries. When dilemmas of
unwanted marriage, slavery, and war are thrown at them, they must face the
perils that time travel has delivered them in both the future and the past.
Scarlet Woods is now available from:
Keep reading for a peek into the life of Brooke!
I live in Broken Arrow,
Oklahoma and am a 22 year old young woman who probably will never fully grow
up. As a kid I played with Polly Pockets, swam in my swimming pool practically
every day during the summer, and went on vacations to Disney World with my
family (favorite days of my life). I loved telling stories as a kid by playing
with my Polly’s and dressing up like princesses with my friends. Eventually
everything that went on in my busy imagination I wrote down on paper in the
late hours of the night. When I was in sixth grade I moved into a new house with woods
directly behind my backyard. I’d walk about the woods and loved trampling
through the creek or getting lost in the trees. These trips through the woods
gave me my inspiration for my book trilogy Scarlet
Woods. My main character in my book is Morgan who lives in a house where
the woods are right behind her backyard. My love for trees and anything woodsy
definitely shows in my book and I hope I painted a pretty picture in readers’
heads about what Scarlet Woods looks like. My favorite candies are Skittles and M&M’s.
I put ketchup on practically anything with meat (even with chicken
quesadillas). I’m a great fan of Florence and the Machine, The Beatles, Taylor
Swift, Carrie Underwood, Birdie, and recently The Civil Wars. My favorite books
are The Hunger Games, Shiver, and Wither. My favorite movies are Titanic
and Gone with the Wind. The Vampire Diaries is the wonderful TV
show I’m obsessed with (I’m a Elena lover!!). I hate ads on youtube that I
repeatedly have to skip every single time I want to listen to the newest song
from Glee. I love to smile, laugh,
and purposefully sing loud and off key whenever my brother is around just to
pester him. I have a cat named Phoebe who we named after Phoebe from Friends, a
yorkie named Coco who we named because he likes to eat Cocoa Puffs, and a shih
tzu maltese we named Indy, after Indiana Jones. My favorite princess is
Cinderella, but I think my personality is a tie between Ariel and Belle--so
they’re all my ultimate faves. If I could choose a century to time travel to
I’d probably choose the Victorian age, the roaring 20’s, the 1950’s, or the
1940’s. I think the Victorian age and the 1940’s were probably the most
romantic eras in history and the 20’s and 50’s would probably be the most fun!
Scarlet Woods is Brooke's debut YA novel!
To learn more about her and her trilogy visit her
OKAY! Now here's what I thought!
Scarlet Woods opens with your first glimpse at time travel. The beginning got me excited to keep reading--this was a definite plus right out the gate for Brooke! It isn't all the time that a book grabs me from page one. Maybe chapter one, but the first page...that's an achievement. I hadn't heard anything about this book until I was contacted to join the cover reveal. And boy, did I LOVE the cover. The synopsis definitely caught my attention as well, and I gladly signed up for the tour. I don't read much in the ways of time travel, but this plot sounded fresh and like a hidden indie gem. I was right!
I'm not much of a history buff either, but when I encounter stories set in a time of war, I tend to get really into them. I must have read Rifles for Watie like ten times when I was younger. Brooke did a great job of paralleling both time periods. I enjoyed seeing the contrast between them and didn't feel as though one over powered the other. The historical fiction side to this book was far from dry--she presented the Civil War era in a way that hooks the reader while properly representing the time period. To me, this was a pleasant surprise.
Brooke does an excellent job conveying the things she is passionate about in her writing. Scarlet Woods reads much like what I imagine a Disney movie for teens would. The romance is light and sweet, yet oh so star-crossed and with the right amount conflict.
Brooke's imagery is amazing and her characters are entertaining and real!
I really adore the fact that Morgan likes to spend nights reading. Sounds like a great night to me and this is something that bookish people will instantly connect with! In fact, Morgan's character as a whole is relateable. Although at times her actions rubbed me the wrong way, I did like her and by the end of the book, loved her.
Danny was great as well. There's something about boys that are old school--with all their chivalry and loyalty--that makes for a splendid love interest.
Scarlet Woods is AWESOME. I am so happy it is the first in a trilogy! This book will have you on a roller coaster of emotions. Admittedly, it got a few tears out of me...
So, I make the recommendation--VERY LOUDLY--that you pick up a copy sometime in the near future. If you like light fantasy, romance and beautiful writing...yup, this book is for you.
