ROMANCING MARK TWAIN: Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn with E. E. Burke

Ever since their debut in 1886, Mark Twain’s indelible rascals Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have gotten into many scrapes. Aside from sequels written by Twain, the two have been immortalized in film, in stage musicals, on television, video games, manga, and even in zombie stories. Now, novelist E. E. Burke has Tom and Huck lighting out in a whole new territory: grown-up romance (no, not with each other). Burke joins us for a special Valentine’s week program sharing her love for Twain and why she has created two new adventure novels filled with action and romance: Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn. Joining Ms. Burke in conversation will be The MTH&M’s Director of Interpretation, Rebecca Floyd.

Tom Sawyer Returns: The New Adventures

St. Petersburg, Missouri, 1864 – The country is at war, a divided state languishes under martial law, and a once-peaceful river town throngs with soldiers, spies, and sedition. Caught in the middle is Becky Thatcher. Once a pampered only child, she now faces poverty and despair after her father is unfairly jailed for treason.

When hope seems lost, the last person Becky expects to show his face is the man who broke her heart. Instead of improving matters, Tom Sawyer’s unexpected arrival—injured and missing crucial memories—catapults them into a web of intrigue involving her disloyal cousin, Tom’s relentless brother, and a childhood friend who promises safety and security in return for her hand in marriage.

Taming Huck Finn: An Adventurous Love Story

Missouri River, 1870 – On a vast, untamable river separating civilized society from the wild frontier, steamboat pilot Huck Finn lives life on his own terms, avoiding any entanglements that might tie him down. Until he’s named guardian of an eight-year-old orphan.

At first, the chronic wanderer looks for a way out. But when a waspish-tongued spinster makes a questionable claim on the child, Huck’s sympathetic heart takes control of his better judgment. A snap decision alters his course, leading them all on a wild trip upriver fraught with conflict, danger, betrayal, and—to Huck’s surprise—temptation. This adventure could cost Huck his life. Or worse, his freedom.

FREE virtual event, although donations are gratefully accepted. REGISTER HERE.

Copies of Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn signed by the author are available for purchase through the Mark Twain Store; proceeds benefit The Mark Twain House & Museum. Books will be shipped after the event. We regret that we are NOT able to ship books outside the United States as it is cost-prohibitive to do so.

———————

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E.E. Burke describes herself as a history geek and a sucker for a good love story. She has recently released a new edition of her bestselling series, Steam! Romance and Rails, which combines Western action and adventure with romance and suspense. Another five-star series, The New Adventures, features a re-imagining of two beloved American characters in Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn.

Her novella, Victoria, Bride of Kansas, part of the multi-author American Mail-Order Brides series, is a Kindle Top 100 Bestseller and a semifinalist in the 2016 Kindle Best Book Awards. E.E. has earned accolades in regional and national contests, including the RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart®. Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to living the dream–writing stories readers can get lost in.

Programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are made possible in part by support from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, and the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign and its Travelers Arts Impact Grant program, with major support from The Travelers Foundation. For more information call 860-247-0998 or visit marktwainhouse.org.