A.B. Michaels
A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’ degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing the kind of enthralling, page-turning fiction she loves to read.
Michaels currently lives in beautiful Boise, Idaho with her husband and two four-legged “sons,” who don’t seem to know they’re just dogs. She is an avid reader, traveler, and bocce player, as well as a terrible but enthusiastic golfer. |
The Art of Love: The Golden City Book One
Historical Fiction
At the end of the Gilded Age, the “Golden City” of San Francisco offers everything a man could want—except the answers August Wolff desperately needs to find. After digging a fortune from the frozen fields of the Klondike, Gus heads south to start over and put the baffling disappearance of his wife and daughter behind him. The new century brings him more success, but the city some call the new Sodom and Gomorrah can’t fill the hole in his life. Amelia Starling is a wildly talented artist caught in the straitjacket of Old New York society. Making a heart-breaking decision, she moves to San Francisco to further her career, absorbing the pain of a sacrifice no woman should have to make. Brought together by the city’s art scene, Gus and Lia forge a connection. But the past, shrouded in mystery, prevents them from moving forward as one. Unwilling to face society’s scorn, Lia leaves the city and vows to begin again in Europe. Gus can’t bear to let her go, but unless he can set his ghosts to rest, he and Lia have no chance at all. The Art of Love is Book One of the Golden City series. |
The Depth of Beauty: The Golden City Book Two
Historical Fiction
In San Francisco’s Chinatown circa 1903, slavery, polygamy, and rampant prostitution are thriving—just blocks away from the Golden City’s elite. Wealthy and well-connected, Will Firestone enters the mysterious enclave with an eye toward expanding his shipping business. What he finds there will astonish him. With the help of an exotic young widow and a gifted teenage orphan, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, where lust, love and tragedy will change his life forever. A stand-alone novel, The Depth of Beauty is Book Two of The Golden City historical fiction series. It was nominated for a RITA award in 2017 in the category of general fiction. |
The Promise: The Golden City Book Three
Historical Fiction
April 18, 1906. A massive earthquake has decimated much of San Francisco, leaving thousands without food, water or shelter. Patrolling the streets to help those in need, Army corporal Ben Tilson meets a young woman named Charlotte who touches his heart, making him think of a future with her in it. In the heat of the moment he makes a promise to her family that even he realizes will be almost impossible to keep. Because on the heels of the earthquake, a much worse disaster looms: a fire that threatens to consume everything and everyone in its path. It will take everything Ben’s got to make it back to the woman he's fallen for—and even that may not be enough. "… a compact and delightful little volume. Set during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the aftermath, this story is concerned with two characters who meet by chance, one trying to survive the quake and the other tasked with trying to ensure San Francisco itself survives... It is a good read and I was moved to tears at one point towards the end. Don't let its brevity put you off; it is a sweet book and well worth a read.” Nicky Galliers/Historical Novel Society The Promise is Book Three in A.B. Michaels' historical fiction series "The Golden City." Other titles in the series include The Art of Love, The Depth of Beauty, The Price of Compassion and Josephine's Daughter. All novels in the series are stand-alone reads. |
The Price of Compassion: The Golden City Book Four
Historical Fiction
It’s 1907 and former surgeon Tom Justice sits in a San Francisco jail on murder charges. The attorney hired to defend him is perplexed: the doctor hasn’t confessed to the crime—if there even was a crime—but why won’t he declare his innocence? The reasons are complex, reaching back to Tom’s youth and influencing the decisions Tom makes about his family, career and even the women in his life. An absorbing tale of medicine and morality in turn of the twentieth century America, The Price of Compassion is a stand-alone novel, Book Four in A.B. Michaels’ historical fiction series, “The Golden City.” |
Josephine's Daughter: The Golden City Book Five
Historical Fiction
In the late nineteenth century, Wealthy and headstrong Kit Firestone chafes under the strictures of the Golden City’s high society, especially the interference of her charming but overbearing mother, Josephine. Kit’s secret rebellion leads to potentially catastrophic results and keeps her from finding true happiness. When her brother nearly dies from a dangerous infection, Kit defies convention and becomes a working nurse. Through her troubled romance with a young doctor and a series of dramatic events, including a natural disaster and her mother’s own critical illness, Kit begins to understand who her mother truly is and what their relationship is all about. She may not get the chance to appreciate their bond, however, because, through no fault of her own, a madman has Kit in his crosshairs. Set amidst the backdrop of the Gilded Age and beyond, Josephine’s Daughter explores many of the social and medical issues facing women of that era—issues that resonate today. Independence, reproductive rights, birth control, childbirth, and parenting are all put to the test in Josephine’s Daughter, Book Five of A.B. Michael’s series, The Golden City. |