'Dreamland' on Discount: 99 Cents for Ebook

I'm pleased to share news of an excellent savings--my new novel DREAMLAND is priced at 99 cents for the ebook in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The price is lowered for a Bookbub promotion, but anyone can take advantage of the 99 cents price.

To order, click here.

New York City, 1911: Rebellious young heiress Peggy Batternberg reluctantly accompanies her family for a holiday at the luxurious Oriental Hotel, on the Atlantic Ocean. But less than a mile away, Coney Island, “America’s Playground,” beckons with forbidden delight — and danger for Peggy and those she loves most.

The reviews:

“I could practically taste the salt-water taffy and smell the ocean air as I read Bilyeau’s latest, set in 1911 Coney Island. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, DREAMLAND is a rollicking ride.” — Fiona Davis, bestselling author of 'Chelsea Girls'

“DREAMLAND is like the best chocolate: rich, dark and satisfying.” — Libbie Hawker, author of The Ragged Edge of Night

"A Must-Read Book for Winter 2020" — Town & Country magazine

"A marvelous book!" — Ellen Marie Wiseman, author of What She Left Behind

“This fast-paced, engrossing novel from Bilyeau gives readers an up-close and personal view of New York’s Gilded Age” — Library Journal (starred review)

'Bilyeau is at the height of her talents in the immersive and gripping DREAMLAND' — Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author

'Bilyeau’s thrilling novel plunges deep into Dreamland’s maze of pleasure and menace' — Marlowe Benn, bestselling author of Relative Fortunes

'An outstanding thriller...This fascinating portrait of the end of the Gilded Age deserves a wide audience.' 

— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

My Story on the Romanovs and the Windsors

I'm pleased to share the link to my story on Town & Country on the last full meeting between the Romanovs and the Windsors on the Isle of Wight in 1909.

Two families sat down to dinner aboard the yacht Victoria and Albert on August 2nd, 1909, to be served an exquisitely prepared meal: cold quail, timbales of pear, and glace. The table, set for 44 guests, was dotted with vases of red roses. Such a presentation was only to be expected.

Not one but two crowned monarchs were dining that evening: England’s King Edward VII and his nephew, Russia’s Czar Nicholas II. It was a seismic summit. The British Empire held sway over some 400 million people; Nicholas ruled one-sixth of the world. But it was also a deeply personal event.

That very morning, the Russian Imperial family—41-year-old Nicholas, his wife, 37-year-old Czarina Alexandra, and five children, ranging from 13-year-old Olga to the 5-year-old Tsarevich Alexei—had arrived at the rendezvous off the Isle of Wight on their own yacht, the Standart.

The two families were intertwined twice by blood: Nicholas’s Danish mother, Marie, was the sister of Edward’s wife, Queen Alexandra, while Czarina Alexandra was the favorite granddaughter of Queen Victoria, King Edward's mother.

The four-day visit was far from the first meeting of these two royal families. For a generation, various members had gathered in England, Russia, Germany, and Denmark for weddings and funerals and summer holidays, just like any other set of relatives. But this was to be the last such coming together of the two full groups.

The Romanovs’ 1909 journey, when they all made a point of going ashore to the Isle of Wight to see Queen Victoria’s once-beloved Osborne House, took place towards the end of the Edwardian Long Summer, a time marked by leisurely teas and emerald-lawn garden parties and novels by E.M. Forster. But storm clouds were gathering on this summer visit. In addition to growing tensions within their respective countries, Russia, Edward VII and Nicholas II did not have the easiest relationship.

Read the full story here.

'The Ghost of Madison Avenue': Free for 2 Days

One of the most challenging aspects of the coronavirus crisis is our feeling of helplessness. I live in New York City, one of the hardest-hit regions. We are staying in our apartment except to buy food and other necessary supplies. My son has had to shift to online learning at his college and my daughter has lost her part-time job as a public library aide working with children. It's a super anxious time.

So... what can I do? One thing is to make a book free. Everyone's reading more right now, but we might not have bottomless-pit wallets. The only one of mine that I control the price of: THE GHOST OF MADISON AVENUE. For March 18th and March 19th, it's free.

THE GHOST OF MADISON AVENUE is set in 1912 New York, and tells the story of a young Irish American widow who eagerly takes a job at J. P. Morgan's private library. She soon discovers it is a place like no other, with its secret staircases, magical manuscripts, and mysterious murals. But that’s nothing compared to a person Helen alone sees: a young woman standing on Madison Avenue, looking as if she were keeping watch. In learning the woman’s true link to the Morgan, Helen must face the pain of her own past. She finds herself with a second chance at happiness—if she has the courage.

Download the free ebook here: https://amzn.to/2YFjbmG