Blog Tour: The Dark Between | Sonia Gensler | Spiritualism | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on The Dark Between blog tour for author Sonia Gensler. This tour is hosted by Sara at Novel Novice.

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Spiritualism

I’ve long known about the popularity of mediums and séances in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It took me a while, however, to comprehend the true nature of Spiritualism—something I once thought referred to a practice but actually is considered by its followers as a religion. Spiritualism was quite popular from the 1840s to the 1920s and is still practiced today. Cambridge, England, has its own Spiritualist Church, which clarifies their beliefs as follows:

All religions believe in life after death but only Spiritualism shows that it is true by demonstrating that communication with departed spirits can and does take place. Spiritualist Churches provide one of the venues where communication, through Mediumship, is possible and many loved relatives and friends take advantage of this opportunity to continue to take an interest in our welfare. [. . .] It is scientifically proven that matter (being part of the creative force, or energy) cannot be destroyed; it merely changes its form. Spirit, as part of the Creative Force is, therefore, indestructible. On the death of the physical body, the spirit continues as an integral part of a world, which interpenetrates our world but in a different dimension. This world is referred to as the Spirit World. (http://www.cambridgespiritualchurch.co.uk)

One thing that interested me was how most mediums were women, and thus Spiritualism became an avenue for women to gain power and prestige. http://www.thecontrarianmedia.com/2011/07/spiritualism-and-the-rise-of-the-feminist-movement/">This article from The Contrarian sums it up nicely:

Spiritualism gave women a platform, one that came with certain degrees of power, freedom and equality absent in contemporary society. The practice also cultivated an air of mystery around the medium, which in turn drew the attention of both men and other women in ways seemingly impossible in other professions. It conferred wealth and fame. In looking at the early years of the feminist movement, you could justifiably point to the séance table as a symbol of equality.

One could see how the lure of such freedom and wealth might corrupt. I’ll be addressing that issue in another blog entry along this tour.

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At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.

The Dark Between, a supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of the mind, is perfect for fans of Sarah Rees Brennan, Alyxandra Harvey, and Libba Bray.

Author's Website

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Each stop on the blog tour is also revealing a code word that can be used to enter a contest on Sonia's website for a DARK BETWEEN prize pack, including a finished copy of the book. Go to Sonia Gensler's Blog to enter the contest. 

The code word for this blog is: SPIRIT

Check out the other stops on the tour:

Sept. 2 - Mundie Moms
Sept. 3 - Candace's Book Blog
Sept. 4 - Once Upon a Twilight
Sept. 5 - Small Review
Sept. 6 - Reading Teen

Sept. 9 - Book Chic Club
Sept. 10 - The Story Siren
Sept. 11 - Ruby's Reads
Sept. 12 - Page Turners Blog
Sept. 13 - Icey Books