GOLD DIGGER, the remarkable Baby Doe Tabor.
1878, Colorado. When Lizzie Doe’s family loses everything in a fire, the twenty-year-old is forced to marry and go west to prospect a gold mine in Colorado, hoping to send money home to her parents. Miners, unaccustomed to such delicate beauty, nickname her Baby Doe, after a newborn deer.
But Baby Doe proves herself tougher than they imagine when she finds herself abandoned, pregnant and running the mine alone. Her pluck gains the admiration of Silver King Horace Tabor, married and twice her age, and running for U.S. Senator. In Tabor, Baby Doe finds devotion and true passion. When scandal and economic ruin threatens Tabor’s life, Baby Doe must make a painful choice.
Baby Doe Tabor was a real-life, deeply complex heroine, rising and falling and rising again with beguiling grit and stubborn spirit.
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: Based on a real-life historical figure, this embellished fictional story details the life of Elizabeth McCourt Tabor, aka Baby Doe Tabor, a strong and determined woman who overcame tremendous hardship to survive. While the bones of the plot are based on facts, the author does an admiral job enhancing the tale and holding the readers interest throughout.
Prose: The author is a gifted writer, weaving a tale from the 19th century that is not only interesting to modern-day readers but which seamlessly balances elements of fact and fiction.
Originality: Despite being based on actual events, this work tells a story few will know. The author blends historical verisimilitude with intrigue, making the story richer and more engaging. The author truly makes the story her own.
Character Development: Lizzie is a vibrant character whose personality shines through from page one, as she presses her evasive husband for information about their destination. Her determination, astuteness, and sheer will permeate the page. Secondary characters are similarly well-crafted.
Blurb: An engaging and beautifully-written story, this fact-based novel celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in one woman's determination to survive.
Date Submitted: April 04, 2019
Gold Digger tells the true story of Lizzie “Baby Doe” Tabor, a beautiful young woman who in 1878 marries the son of a wealthy miner in order to save her family from penury. Shrewd and stubborn, Lizzie fights back-biting Victorian society, wins and loses vast fortunes, and bests conniving politicians in her larger-than-life story. A twisting tale worthy of Mark Twain, with a big-hearted heroine at the center.
Once I started reading Gold Digger I couldn’t put it down! I loved every single word written! This is one historical novel that can’t be skipped! The story of Baby Doe Tabor and the history of mining in the beautiful state of Colorado is mesmerizing and informative. Ms. Rosenberg brought to life a time and place in history that I knew very little about growing up in the South. I rooted for and cried with Baby Doe. I couldn’t begin to imagine how hard life truly was in the 1800’s out West and now I have a kernel of an idea. Thank you for taking me on this journey and I can’t wait for the adventure to continue.
It’s not often I find or read books about that era between the American Civil War and World War I, so it was a happy surprise that I stumbled into reading Gold Digger:The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor.
In Gold Digger, you fall into the life of Lizzie aka Baby Doe. Baby has just been married and is off to Colorado with her new husband in the hopes of striking in big with gold mining. Things don’t go as planned, and Baby Doe finds herself husband- and child-less. What’s worse is the hate many of the townswomen are spewing on her as she fights to take care of herself and forge her own path ahead. In the end, she may find that money isn’t the most important driver in life.
Baby Doe was one of my favorite characters of the many, many books I’ve read, and what’s even cooler is that she’s modeled after a real life woman. She is smart and strong-willed and expects no less from herself than what is expected of men, which is odd for that time period. She’s a dreamer, and unafraid to provide ideas and opinions. Throughout her struggles, she fights to stay true to herself. What an inspiration for women of any age!
If you like what you’ve heard so far, be sure to add Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor to you reading list; it will be available on May 28th. I’m giving this five stars, and I’m telling you, you don’t want to miss out on this woman’s trials and tribulations!
Rebecca Rosenberg brings the past alive with her prose. Gold Digger, The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor is based on the life of Elizabeth McCourt Doe Tabor and obviously a great deal of background research went into the writing of this historical novel. Gold Digger takes us to Colorado mining country with the arrival of newlyweds Harvey and 'Lizzy' Elizabeth McCourt Doe in Denver by rail in April of 1878. We see Baby Doe through years of trying to help Harvey cope with life in general and the expectations of his wealthy East Coast parents, his desertion and the birth and death of their son, divorce from Harvey despite her Catholic faith and the lifetime of censure from Colorado's social class.
We are with her also through much happier times, her later marriage to Horace and the birth of her two daughters, and watch as she copes with poverty, great wealth, and back to poverty, and the death of Husband #2, Horace Austin Warner Tabor in 1899.
Baby Doe Tabor was a remarkable woman, independent to a fault, kind and generous and a remarkable helpmate to both of the men in her life. Her travels through many of the mining towns in the Colorado mountains are so well described you feel like you have been there, at that time, in the cold or the warmth of the sun. And watching Denver grow into the transportation hub of the western Rocky Mountains is an exceptional experience as well.
An exciting look into the past at the life of Lizzie "Baby Doe" Tabor. Lizzie is determined to help her family who has lost everything as a result of a fire. Taking her to Colorado on an adventure to prospect a gold mine, Lizzie has only just begun to know the hardships that she must endure to survive.. During numerous twists and turns, Lizzie stands strong throughout it all. Author, Rebecca Rosenberg, has written a novel that has given her readers a look at the life of Baby Doe and the desperate plight that a young girl's life has taken. I highly recommend this novel to those who love a mix of history, love and adventure. I can't wait to see what else author Rosenberg has in store!
“Rosenberg’s rollicking Western adventure strikes gold with a gutsy, good-hearted spitfire of a heroine and action aplenty.”
What was your experience like working with the IBPA to list your title on NetGalley?
I enjoyed working with the IBPA to list my title on NetGalley and I appreciated their help and guidance. Their response time was great for sending me monthly reports, submitting promotions, forwarding reviews and posting featured reviews. When I was worried I was not getting enough reviews on Gold Digger, they gave me knowledgeable input that Gold Digger was doing quite well!
It is very helpful that IBPA handles all of the technical aspects of posting my book and making updates to the page so that I don't have to do it myself. I feel that having my book listed under the IBPA umbrella offers prestige for my book.
Tell us why listing the book on NetGalley through the IBPA program was the right choice for you.
I learned from my first novel, The Secret Life of Mrs. London, that NetGalley is the professional hub of bloggers, librarians, Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon reviewers, and avid readers who love to share their reviews. The more buzz the better when launching a novel, and NetGalley makes that possible.
We encourage professional reviewers to use the NetGalley link as well as bloggers, Facebook group moderators, Goodreads and Bookbub reviewers. In my opinion, if a reviewer gets the book from NetGalley, they are readers who take the reviewing experience seriously. They usually share the review in at least five places: NetGalley, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, Facebook Groups, Twitter, Instagram, and their own blogs. NetGalley reviewers are connected and powerful influencers. I often use reviews in my marketing, and I feel that NetGalley reviewers carry more credibility.
You ran several marketing campaigns with NetGalley - a Category Spotlight in February and a Featured Title placement in March. Tell us about your strategy and unique goals around these promotions.
First of all, I took a six-month run on NetGalley (instead of three-months) before my launch date in order to reach as many reviewers as possible. When I saw the great marketing opportunities NetGalley offered, it made sense to support my listing with the Category Spotlight and Featured Title placement early on to get attention.
I am hoping to reach different segments of readers in different months with different promotions.
There are many marketing opportunities available through NetGalley, and (if I had the budget) I would use them all throughout the six-month listing! I ran a Category Spotlight in the "Historical Fiction" category, in February, and Featured Placement for "Women's Fiction" in March and again in May. I did another Featured Placement for “Summer Reads” in June, and am waiting to hear if Gold Digger will be included in an upcomingCover Love post.
How have you been leveraging your NetGalley listing and reviews to increase discoverability?
To expand the reach of my NetGalley listing, I posted the link to my book on my Facebook page, in Facebook reading groups, on Bookbub, LinkedIn, Goodreads and to my mailing list.
I’ve also featured some great NetGalley reviews for Gold Digger on Facebook, Instagram, in my newsletter, and with my Review Crew. I use these reviews in my newsletters and social media to whet readers’ interest and add credibility for my books. We take 5-star reviews and make colorful, eye catching posts.
We love the blog on your website. You’ve been posting lots of great supplementary information about Baby Doe Tabor. Tell us a bit more about how your blog fits into your strategy as an author.
My blog serves to interest readers in my books, whether they’ve read my books or not. As with The Secret Life of Mrs. London, I like to justify my two decades of research, by creating background stories and character sketches and trying to interest readers in different aspects of the story. I share my blog across all platforms, from Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, and newsletters, to other blogs.
What are some tips you have for other independent authors?
Get involved with readers and other authors of your genre by joining Facebook Reader groups, Goodreads groups, Bookbub, Instagram, your creating own blog and newsletters. My specific Facebook groups would not work for everyone--authors need to search Facebook groups for those that discuss books in their genre. It is important to read the group rules and observe them. For example, a group may only allow promotion on certain days. Become a contributing member first and contribute to the group as a reader of other books, before posting about your own book. Review other books similar to yours and become an information source for great books.
Often, a person posting about your book will tag you. When that happens, be sure to thank them, or engage in an appropriate way. There are also companies that track mentions of your book on social media: Google Alerts, Talk Walkers, Mention. Find out who is talking about your book and thank them for spreading the word.Enthusiastic readers spread the word about your books! In addition to thanking them, ALWAYS ask readers to: “Please read and review Gold Digger on NetGalley!”
Find and follow Rebecca on her website, Amazon, Bookbub, Facebook, and Goodreads.
