Coronavirus is on our minds constantly right now. I’m not going to write about it, because I don’t have anything groundbreaking to add that hasn’t already been covered ad nauseam.
Honestly, I’m at a loss for words. Each morning I wake up wondering what kind of world I will be stumbling into. I drink my coffee and try to avoid the news on my laptop, but the worldwide impact is impossible to ignore.
We need to stay informed and support one another, but most of all, we need to do our best to keep on living. We need to take care of ourselves, which means we should find healthy escapes that remove us from the vortex of uncertainty—even if that’s only for a half-hour.
I’ve seen emails come through from various companies I’m subscribed to about their Coronavirus situations. I was saddened to read an email Saturday morning from Multnomah County Library, announcing that all public libraries in the Portland area would be closed until further notice.
This particular announcement left a very hollow feeling inside of me that I can’t explain. Of everything I’ve heard and seen online, this one hit me hard. To have our access to free print books taken away overnight is tough to swallow.
I can’t do much in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, but there is one thing I can do as an author…offer an easy escape for the book lovers out there.
This week—until Thursday, March 19 at 11:59 pm PDT—Beneath the Satin Gloves is FREE on Amazon.
I am only able to provide the ebook format at no cost. I do realize that many of you prefer print over digital formats.
So, I am also offering a discounted copy of the paperback edition of Beneath the Satin Gloves at $2 off ($10.99) until the end of March. This sale price merely covers the costs of printing and distribution, which goes to Amazon.
I hope this tiny gesture helps my fellow book lovers enjoy a much-needed escape. Take care of yourself!
Although time travel isn’t usually a go-to genre for me (I find it’s too often spoiled by the usual tropes, cultural inaccuracies, and philosophical blundering), I have to hand it to Skrabanek.
Beneath the Satin Gloves is a brilliantly written addition to this genre, holding the tension between the past and present without letting either get out of hand or go overlooked.
The spy element of this book is brilliant too. Not at all the usual mystery plots or espionage tale, this novel is full of unexpected turns and well-written character development/revelation.
All of which brings me to the setting. World War Two is a common enough subject for fiction these days, and so my hopes were not terribly high with regards to this element of the book.
However, Skrabanek has successfully given her own twist to the subject, writing from the perspective of a female spy working to bring down Nazi Germany from the inside.
The confusion of the protagonist at being placed in this situation (having come from the present era) made this a particularly enjoyable read, as it allowed Skrabanek to explore the themes of the novel from an unabashedly modern perspective without fear of historical discrepancies.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book…an unexpected gem.” – Katherine, Reviewer on Amazon
Britt Skrabanek 
Nice gesture Britt. Your header image is the first abiding image I have of your story.
Thanks, Roy! Stumbled across that image yesterday and I loved it. Very fitting!
Thank you, Britt, for your generosity during a difficult time. Hugs!
You bet! Hugs back at you.
What a jesture, Britt. Thank you. I love everything you write.
Thank you for your longtime support, Dannie! I really appreciate it.
Yes, troubling times are made more manageable when those around us are generous in whatever ways they have to offer. I stepped into the elevator with my groceries the other day behind a woman who was turning her cart around. i punched the button with my knuckle, and she pulled a spray bottle out of her purse, and said “Alcohol spray? I make mine with tea tree oil.” She smiled and spritzed my hands. A moment of generosity much appreciated. Take care.
That’s so nice that your elevator lady gave you a little antibacterial spritz. Thankfully, we are seeing so much kindness through all of this. Hopefully we’ll all be able to move on from this soon.
you’re a star, Britt!
Lots of people need help and support, occupation to deal easily with confinement (when it comes to that in the US too). Reading will definitely be one of the most important activity we’ll be able to enjoy during that time. and reading a great story is always great!
I might take time to read Beneath the Satin Gloves once more! 😉
Take care. Stay safe.
xoxoxo
Jul’
Reading is so important right now…as are other healthy indoor activities like yoga, meditation, and creativity! Now that I’m settled in Milwaukee, I can focus on creativity again since I’m not feeling displaced anymore. Hope you’re well! xo
Good on you being back and settled already!
Creativity will come back in no time, now, I’m sure.
Take care and stay home. Xoxoxo
Wow! A free book! It has to be a good day! Thanks very much, Britt. I haven’t read many books about time travel – just one by Iain Banks and The Time Traveller’s Wife, of course, so I am excited to read yours. Maybe once people have finished Beneath The Satin Gloves, I’d recommend the last book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about life in the court of Henry VIII – sort of time travel, tho I’m afraid you stay in the 1530s and the aftermath of Anne Boleyn’s execution – which is called ‘The Mirror and the Light’. It’s very long – about 900 pages – and someone said in the newspaper here the other day that it might have been made for people who have to sit at home because of Coronavirus. If you’re not familiar with the trilogy – the first two won the prestigious Booker Prize here in the UK – then you are lucky because the earlier two books (Wolf Hall and Bring Out The Bodies) are also substantial reads. Thanks for adding to my book tresures, Briit!
Thanks for the book recommendation! Sounds intriguing. I love historical fiction, as long as it is entertaining. This sounds like it would be right up my alley.
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