Desert Phoenix
Inspired by a True Story
by Suzette Bruggeman
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Pub Date Apr 18 2023 | Archive Date Jul 31 2023
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Description
Once she'd been Lou - an innocent, idealistic schoolgirl growing up in a wonderland of kindenss and love with dreams of becoming a teacher...
Nevada’s gold country, 1901.
No longer young or fresh, Tempa is staring face to face with the whore’s unholy trinity: alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide. While her best friend, Belle, has chosen laudanum, Tempa finds escape in literature, which she shares with the illiterate prostitutes in a book club-like setting at the cribs. Forced into prostitution as a girl after losing her family to yellow fever, Tempa also retains a sense of self-worth by using her knowledge of herbs to heal others.
When she nurses Henry—a good-natured, young German immigrant on the run from a man who has reason to want him dead—Tempa sees a future she longs for but cannot allow herself to claim. So when the noose tightens around Henry’s neck, she ransoms her life for his.
At once a sweeping love story and a harrowing account of the harshness of the American Old West, DESERT PHOENIX is the tale of a prostitute who gains an unlikely ally in her struggle for physical and emotional survival. Based on local history and family stories passed down from Bruggeman’s grandfather, this engaging and evocative novel for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kate Quinn interweaves Tempa’s rise from the ashes of her old life with Henry’s turbulent passage into manhood.
A Note From the Publisher
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Advance Praise
“Desert Phoenix is a moving, profound, and soulful work of historical fiction that portrays a truly epic love story, made all the more powerful by its historical basis.” —The Independent Reviewer of Books
“A meticulously detailed historical drama…admirably crafted…with high stakes and compelling characters.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Bravo! You’ll want to stand up and cheer as a prostitute named Tempa struggles to make her way in the wild and woolly West, willing to overcome everything for the man she so deeply loves. Especially when you realize that there really was a Tempa and this story is based on the truth.” — Carol Bradley - Bestselling author of Saving Gracie
"A surprisingly heart-gripping read!” - Reedsy Discovery
Marketing Plan
Prepublication buzz campaign
Digital galley distribution on Book Sirens and NetGalley
Social media posts to support pre-order, book launch, and book reviews
Prepublication buzz campaign
Digital galley distribution on Book Sirens and NetGalley
Social media posts to support pre-order, book launch, and book reviews
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798987270417 |
| PRICE | $6.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 589 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Beverly S, Reviewer
Oh my goodness, this is such a good read. Tempa (Lou) and Henry’s love story is heartbreaking and heartwarming over the years of their life together. The trials they endured to be together is overwhelming at times. This book has it all. Romance, love, friendship, righting of wrongs, trials, suspense and joy. Must read. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely leaving my review.
Raizza Mae C, Reviewer
This book was too heavy for me to finish. I love the main character Lou (or Tempa). Awful things happened to her, and they continued for a long time (eighteen years). She lost so much of the person who she was, and I pitied her.
Tammy B, Reviewer
I loved this book. Some of the bad reviews missed the point, I’m afraid. Readers expecting a standard historical romance were bound to be disappointed. This book is a love story, not a romance - there is a difference. That said, I can’t fault it on the historical side. Well researched and deeply evocative of time and place, Desert Phoenix is as good an old fashioned period novel as you’ll ever find.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.
Linda H, Reviewer
I am a fan of Westerns and romances so Desert Phoenix was a true pleasure. The heart-rending true-life story of Lou/Tempa abandoned to the cruel fate of a prostitute in the mining towns is a reminder that the old days were not always so good. When she meets young Henry, an immigrant boy on the lam from a vengeful cattle rustler, an impossible twelve years age difference and a lifetime of harsh experience stands between them. Determined to love her no matter the cost, Henry embarks on a star-crossed romance that withstands all the ups and downs of their lifetimes. This was an engaging story that will keep you turning the pages for more and hoping for the best before the story ends. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you Suzette Bruggeman for sharing this story and Net Galley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Cindy H, Reviewer
This is one of the best stories I have read in a long while. Lou was a prostitute, but her heart was still tender enough to help others. Life is not fair, but Lou was strong enough to survive. It was not a story that is written every day and I liked the surprise of this story. Kudos to the author for such an amazing story! I look forward to reading more from this author.
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