Friday, September 13, 2024

Once Upon a Courtship

About the Book

Book: Once upon a Courtship

Authors: Kit Morgan, Chautona Havig, Tricia Goyer, Marylu Tyndall, Regina Scott, Marlene Bierworth, Linore Rose Burkard, Camille Elliot, Louise M. Goudge, Lisa M. Prysock, Teresa Slack, Marilyn Turk

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: October 22, 2024

Once Upon a Courtship: A Sweet Historical Romance Collection
A Limited-Time Collection of 12 books from 12 beloved Christian authors spanning rustic landscapes, elegant ballrooms, rugged cowboys, enigmatic spies, and daring pirates! Delight your romantic heart with Colonial, Regency, Victorian, Western, and Gilded Age Romance and preorder your copy today!

Mail-Order Millie by USA Today Bestselling Author Kit Morgan
Imagine mail-order bride Millie’s surprise when she finds out her so-called husband is really a spy working for the president.

Courting Miss Darling by USA Today Bestselling Author Chautona Havig
Muriel Darling thought her heart rode off with a cowboy, but when his boss writes letters, maybe romance is in Miss Darling’s future after all.

The Privateer’s Prize by Christy Award Finalist Author MaryLu Tyndall
Left at the altar, a woman must rely on the man who broke her heart to deliver a message to change the course of the Revolutionary War.

Grace in the Storm by USA Today Bestselling Author Tricia Goyer
As hurricane winds howl, a feisty pirate and a captivating tavern owner find their destinies changed by the storm’s fury.

Leftover Mail-Order Bride by Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author Regina Scott
When mail-order bride Victoria’s groom left her at the altar, she vows to find love, but meets Jack, seeking help on the ranch, love optional.

Clara’s Compassion by Critically Acclaimed Author Marlene Bierworth
Clara’s compassion for workers on the frontier of the Canadian Rockies proves conflicting for railroad boss, Graham, in matters of the heart.

Miss Spencer Meets Her Match by Multi-Award-winning Author Linore Rose Burkard
Miss Spencer attends a Cinderella Ball unwillingly, not knowing the “prince” is in disguise.

Lissa and the Spy by USA Today Bestselling Author Camille Elliot
Seeking a marriage of convenience, plain Lissa becomes entangled with enigmatic Lord Stoude and a secret mission for the Crown.

Abiding Faith, Freedom’s Call by Multi-Award-Winning Author Louise M. Gouge
A pacifist Quaker widow and a prisoner of war officer risk their lives. Will the gap between peace and the American Revolution be a chasm too wide?

Jory’s Story by USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa M. Prysock
When a spy and local adversaries descend, can a governess protect the duke’s children and her heart?

Priscilla’s Promise by Award-Winning Author Teresa Slack
Priscilla Channing wants to honor her father by marrying the man he chose. But he’s not the same man, nor she, the same woman.

The Gilding of Minnie Tucker by Multi-Award-Winning Author Marilyn Turk
A Biltmore maid opens the wrong door and stumbles into a guest whose mutual attraction could be their doom.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

I enjoyed the stories of various authors who are in this collection. They were each unique and featured strong heroines that faced a number of difficulties. I loved the strong faith element in each of the stories portrayed in a realistic way in the lives of those who were facing troubling times or having to make life decisions.

Consider reading this collection if you have a favorite author whose story is included, or you are reading some of these author’s works for for the first time. I really love that you have twelve authors’ stories and get a taste of what their writing style is like. Readers young and mature are sure to enjoy this collection.

I received a complimentary copy of the book through Celebrate Lit. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

About the Authors

Twelve authors bring you stories that span from the Colonial era, through Regency, Victorian, Western, and into Edwardian and the Gilded Age.

More from Chautona

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to write historical fiction? Here’s a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” version that sorta shows how it can go.

If you give an author a historical assignment, she’ll want to choose an era for it. If she chooses Colonial, she’ll need to research what that period included.

She’ll research it and discover that there were lots of places colonized by lots of countries.

She’ll pick one. If she picks American, she may discover how big of a role ships played in that period. A pirate might appear.

If a pirate appears, she’ll jump the Colonial ship for a swashbuckling one and buy an eyepatch—just to get into character.

While learning of how lawless the open sea could be, pictures of a lawless Old West with cowboys and sheriffs might tempt her to leave rolling sea waves for waving prairie seas.

She’ll buy a covered wagon. If she buys that wagon, her HOA will demand she get it out of her front yard. She’ll settle for spurs. The cat will not be amused.

If her cat protests too much, she’ll decide to get him a girlfriend. She’ll go online and order one. That will remind her of mail-order brides. She’ll begin researching. The idea of dip pens and beautiful paper and wax seals will make a serious hit to her budget. She’ll justify it as “research.” If she goes overboard, she might start a story-by-mail service with a new letter sent each week. Reams of paper fill her front yard. The HOA will send a sternly-written letter.

But the deadlines loom on the horizon. She’ll pray for help. Thinking about prayer will remind her that her (not-as-yet-to-be-put-on-paper) fictional town needs a church. And some civilizing. If she prays and all that happens… she’ll research more.

While researching, she’ll remember she meant to do a story from earlier in the century. She’ll buy a ball gown—Regency style. What’s a ball gown with nowhere to wear it? She needs a ball!

If she wants to go to a ball, she’ll need to know how to dance. She’ll sign up for English country dance lessons and learn that the waltz of that time is very different from ours.

She’ll research how it evolved. If she studies well, she’ll learn how scandalized folks were and decides to move her story forward. She likes the waltz. To prove it, she’ll buy vinyl albums of Strauss’ waltzes and play them nonstop.

If she plays the music too late, her neighbors will call in a noise complaint. The HOA will call an emergency meeting. She’ll miss it. She’s too busy deciding between that mail-order bride and an antebellum miss (and stuffing a thousand envelopes to mail tomorrow).

Pictures of waltzes at balls with hoopskirts and satin prompts her to order her own. If she puts it on, it threatens to get stuck when she tries to walk out the front door.

If she gets stuck, she’ll shimmy out of the dress (good thing it was a little big) and lets it sit there as décor.

The HOA comes armed with pitchforks and scissors. Fascinated, she wonders where they got the pitchforks. The gown does not survive.

Her indignation prompts her to reconsider and write something more Gilded Age—the long, close-fitting gowns (except for bustles as big as those hoopskirts!). If she puts one of those on and walks out the front door, she’ll find a man there. Gaping. She may think she looks stunning. If she thinks that, he might pull out a stungun—along with a court order to appear and pay a fine.

When she sees that fine, she may swoon (or it could be she didn’t know how to lace the corset correctly). He’ll catch her and help her to her couch (it’s not a fainting couch).

When he brings her a drink, she may tell him the whole story.

And if she tells him the whole story, he might suggest writing Sci-Fi would be safer.

After a long nap and a weird dream, she decides he’s right. She’ll write about people in space. And chances are, if she researches writing about people in space, she’ll discover that it’s just another Colonial story.

(Oh, and she’ll need a new home. She had to sell hers to pay the HOA fines. Anyone want to subscribe to her story letters?)

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 13

Book Looks by Lisa, September 13

Melissa’s Bookshelf, September 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 15

Texas Book-aholic, September 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 17

Stories By Gina, September 18 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, September 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 19

Devoted To Hope, September 20

For Him and My Family, September 21

Holly’s Book Corner, September 22

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 24

Books You Can Feel Good About, September 25

Madi’s Musings, September 26

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, the Authors are giving away the grand prize of a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5441

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

The Cloverton Charade

About the Book:

A long-held family feud reignites when two rival antiquities brokers arrive at the same house party in Regency England.

Olivia Brannon knows her goals are unconventional. As a young woman in Regency England, her best bet—according to society—is to marry well and secure a steady future for herself. But Olivia has never been interested in convention. She’d prefer to follow in her deceased father’s footsteps and journey to foreign lands in search of rare and valuable antiquities.

Eager to make a name for herself in the antiquities world, Olivia jumps at an invitation to join a wealthy widow at the famed Cloverton Hall to evaluate her private antiquities collection. Secrecy of the task is vital, and in order to conceal her efforts Olivia must pretend to be a house party guest to avoid suspicion and to explain her presence.

Lucas Avery, whose father was a rival of Olivia’s father, has also arrived at the Cloverton Hall house party, hired by the new master of Cloverton Hall—the widow’s nephew—to appraise the renowned Cloverton Hall collection. When Lucas discovers Olivia masquerading as a party guest while covertly conducting her own assessment, he’s keen to renew the family rivalry. But as their paths frequently cross, he’s unprepared for the effect the refreshingly honest—and beautiful—Olivia has on him.

Yet all is not as it seems. Both Olivia and Lucas are shocked by the astonishing discovery of counterfeit pieces, and when the unexpected occurs, everyone is a suspect . . . and Olivia and Lucas both must choose whom they will trust. Only the hidden treasure will allow Louisa and her sister to gain their freedom.

My Review:

Olivia Brannon and Lucas Avery both have the same goal in mind, to bring more business to their fathers’ antiquities business. But, Olivia’s goal is even bigger than that as she wants to earn respect for her knowledge and business acuity in a male dominated society. When Olivia is given the opportunity to secretly appraise a costly collection of a well-known societal family she eagerly accepts. But, Lucas is there at the house for the same reason, but employed by another family member.

The friction that is between Olivia and Lucas is almost palpable and certainly adds tension to the story. Olivia has to make the decision whether to bury the past and trust Lucas or continue to keep up her guard. I loved seeing the two of them work together to authenticate pieces of the Miltons' collection.

I love Sarah E. Ladd’s books and always look forward to reading them. She has such engaging stories with an element of intrigue and romance too. I was leaning towards knowing who was the culprit, but I was still a bit surprised. I highly recommend this book for readers both young and mature. It is the second book in the Houses of Yorkshire but it can be read as a standalone.

Things to love:

A house party

Portait painting

Mystery

Exciting capture of villains

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ashes on the Moor

About the Book:

This beautiful hardback collector’s edition includes a new, never-before-published chapter in the romance of Evangeline and Dermot.

The life of an impoverished schoolteacher is not one Evangeline Blake would have chosen for herself. Torn from her home and her beloved sister and sent to work in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, Evangeline must prove herself to her grandfather, a man who values self-reliance above all else, before he will grant her access to her inheritance. Raised to be a lady of refinement, she hasn’t any of the skills necessary to manage on her own nor does she have the first idea how to be a teacher. Yet, failure means never being with her sister again.

Alone and overwhelmed, she turns to the one person in town who seems to know how she feels—Dermot McCormick, an Irish brick mason who is as far from home and as out of place as she is. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot’s tentative friendship deepens and grows. Her determination and compassion slowly earn her the faith and confidence of the skeptical residents of Smeatley, who become like the family she has lost.

But when a secret from her past comes to light, Evangeline faces an impossible seize the opportunity to reclaim her former life and rejoin her sister or fight for the new life she has struggled to build for herself—a life that includes Dermot.

Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman’s courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.

My Review:

Oh, I just love this story! Evangeline and Lucy are thrust into a situation that tears them from each other and Evangeline is forced to teach the children of the village of Smeatley of which she hasn’t the foggiest idea how to do that. I immediately disliked her aunt who gives Evangeline n.o.t.h.i.n.g and expects her to live in a run down school house. Agh! I would have wanted to give up right then, but Evangeline is much stronger than me. She starts to get things in order despite the setbacks that she encounters.

Dermot lives a couple of houses from the schoolhouse and begrudgingly helps Evangeline with learning how to cook. He is an outsider due to being Irish, so he understands how she feels in trying to find her place in the village. Dermot’s autistic son, Ronan, was so endearing with his shy temperament and fitting things into categories that made sense to him. You can not help but hope that all will work out for Evangeline and Dermot, and Ronan.

(More) Things that make this a wonderful story:

Village children and their families

Welsh language

“Papa”

Evil aunt

The yellow door

Overcoming hardships

School and teaching

I had read the first edition of this book and own two copies, but I am so happy to have this expanded hardback edition. It is beautiful and will be a treasured book in my collection. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. You will be reading this story again and again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Love in Cripple Greek

A woman burned by love. A man who has lost his way.

Betsy Callaway hasn’t been the most upstanding person in Cripple Creek. Her first love married, leaving her jaded...and she has now passed the acceptable age for marriage. Sent to be a governess in Denver, her plans are derailed when the stagecoach is met with bandits. In the midst of the chaos, she is reunited with a man she knew as a boy. And the barbs come out.

Nikolai "Nick" Hammond left Cripple Creek to pursue his own dreams, but something about Betsy calls to his heart and draws him back home. The antics that ensue between the pair and the obstacles they face--including their own stubbornness and becoming entangled in a bank robbery--threaten to keep them on separate paths, but their draw to each other pushes them together.

Will the prodigal find home welcoming? Can Betsy hope for real redemption?

Other books in the Cripple Creek Series:

Hope in Cripple Creek

Christmas in Cripple Creek

Faith in Cripple Creek

My Review:

Boy, was Betsy Calloway a character! At first she was as prickly as a cactus and just about as nice as one too. Because of her upbringing, she really didn’t have any idea of how to treat people. If she saw something she wanted, she got it, until… she began to change. I enjoyed seeing the transformation of her life through the patience and kindness Nick Hammond showed Betsy. The message of forgiveness, love, and being able to change with the help of God was evident throughout the story.

There was a mystery and to was fun to be able to discover who the mastermind was behind the bank robbery. If you enjoy western romances with a strong faith message, this book is for you. It is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone you so choose.

I received this book through the Love in Cripple Creek Launch Team, and was not required to give a positive review.

About Sara

Sara is a coffee lovin', word slinging, clean Historical Romance author whose superpower is

converting caffeine into novels. She loves those odd tidbits of history that are stranger than

fiction. That's what inspires her. Well, that and a good love story. Sara is an avid reader and

enjoys traveling. Her books range from the Czech lands to the American Wild West and

from ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. Some of her titles include Trail of Fears, The

General's Wife, and the Convenient Risk Series. Please find out more at

https://saraturnquist.com/

More About Sara:

• Tell us a little about your novel.
This is the fourth and last book in my Cripple Creek Series. We meet Betsy in the first book, Hope in Cripple Creek, and she is not a very likable character. More someone you love to hate. But I wanted to see her redeemed. And when I wondered who to pair her with, I imagined a man with strength of character and the ire to put up with her shenanigans. Enter Nick. But how was he to be connected, if connected at all? I went back to the first book and thought...what if he is a prodigal-type story as the banker’s oldest son? Then it clicked!

• Where do you find your inspirations for your books? For this book?
Anywhere...it could be a scene in a movie, a character in a book, or an antique I see. Most often the seed of the story comes from real history. I love the little pieces that aren’t widely known, like the Czech religious civil wars...or the Sanitary Commission in the American Civil War. Such fascinating stuff!

• Do you have a favorite time period to write about?

o I am generally writing where I am inspired to write. But I seem to be homing in on the late 1800s in the American West. So much history there! I never cease to find those odd tidbits that I love to utilize to lay the foundation of a story.

• Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you grew up?

o I've always been a strong writer and I've always written short stories and fan fiction, but when I was a child, I wanted to be a doctor, a vet...or an actress. I know, I know...those are very similar goals.

• When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
o When I started playing with a fan fiction challenge that blossomed into the

idea for my first completed book, I became more serious. I continued to work on that book for years (I was pursuing a Pre-Med degree at the time, so time was limited) and finally completed it. Then I was inspired to write another. And my interest in writing grew from there. I was super nervous about letting anyone read it. I eventually let my husband (who, sweet as he is would have told me it was good no matter what) and let my closest friend have a peek (now she was one honest lady and said she enjoyed it). Still, I had completed four novels before I began sending anything off to get published.

• Is there a favorite place you like to write? A favorite time of day?
o I write whenever I can. I have three school-aged children, so most of the time it’s during school hours. Summer is a free for all most days.

A favorite place? I have a fabulous office that I write at most of the time. But I am known to frequent the local coffee shops and to write from my bedroom at times. It all depends on the mood!

• How long does it take you to write a book?

It depends on how much time I have to write, the number of distractions, and how fast the words come out of me. My first novel took years from inspiration and first word on page to completion. My third novel was completed in just under a month. That novel just seemed to pour out of me! Most novels these days are right at 3 months to plot, write, and edit.

• What current projects are you working on?
I am working on the last book in the Lady of Bohemia Series and the second book in the Railway Romance Series. I don’t generally work on multiple projects at a time, but I am delaying more work on the Railway book until I can make my research trip out West this next month. But the characters are already “talking” to me...oh, how to put them aside??

Thursday, August 29, 2024

So True a Love

About the Book:

Danger and passion collide when a plucky young woman becomes embroiled in a Bow Street investigation alongside a handsome officer.

London, 1803

As the daughter of a renowned actress, Verity Travers is a privileged lady of high society —and the last woman one would suspect of working as a private investigator. But after one case nearly costs her everything, she makes the hard decision to hang up her hat and live the uninspiring life of a gentlewoman. However, when she and her dearest friend become victims of a harrowing armed robbery, Verity finds herself swept back into the clandestine world of mystery and crime as she seeks to bring the thief to justice. There’s just one complication: the persistent and dashingly handsome Bow Street Runner Nathaniel Denning, who always seems to cross her path.

Verity is confident she could accomplish her work quickly if only Nathaniel would stay out of her way. While she appreciates his keen mind and quick wit on a case, his interference is muddling her progress—and her heart. Focusing on the task at hand becomes more and more difficult as she constantly bumps into Nathaniel, who is determined to keep her out of danger.

When the two rival investigators learn they are both pursuing the same cunning criminal, they must figure out how to navigate the delicate dance of cooperation amid a backdrop of increasing peril and an irresistible passion that sets their hearts ablaze.

My Review:

Verity Travers is following in the footsteps of her brother Jack in being a thief-taker, or more accurately, a private investigator. She is guarded, determined, inquisitive, loyal, and fiercely independent, which make her the perfect for this type of work. I love that even when she was faced with danger she didn’t shy away because she wanted to help a friend. Nathaniel Denning is such a dear man. He is loyal, brave, honest, and will do anything for those he loves. His relationship with Verity was so fun to watch as she infuriated him and at the same time charmed him. Things you will love: Exciting first meeting Complex characters Self defense moves Forced partnership Sir Chivalry Art Humor Superstitious grandmama Bozoar pendant Colorful informant Mystery and danger Quotes: "You attract danger like flies to honey." "Like I needed air or food or shelter, I needed Nathaniel Denning." This book has characters from A Heart Worth Stealing, and while you do not need to read it, I highly suggest you do. It’s not because it affects the story, but it provides depth and was so fun to see the return of beloved characters. This is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy. I didn’t think author Joanna Barker would be able to exceed my expectations after reading A Heart Worth Stealing, but she absolutely did. I am really hoping there will be more books with these great characters. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own with no obligation to write a review.

Muldoon's Misfortunes

About the Book

Book: Muldoon’s Misfortunes

Author: EV Sparrow

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: July 16, 2024

A cursed widower forsakes his faith to ensure his hope.

On a verdant island beset by poverty and death, Mick Muldoon dares to escape his misfortunes. Is working a farm and raising a family such an impossible thing to ask? Wasn’t God supposed to answer prayers—not turn a deaf ear?

After surviving the treacherous voyage to America, Mick discovers the rumors of ample opportunity aren’t exactly true. His defective body hampers employment and keeps him dependent upon his peculiar sister. However, an unexpected invitation to move to the heartland guarantees his dreams.

Mick’s own dreadful choices hamper his hopes when he accepts work as a widow’s farmhand. Unbeknownst to him, there’s deception afoot. Mick’s inattention to love causes catastrophe as single fatherhood cruelly shatters his family. Will God miraculously hear his prayers this time?

In Book 1 of Those Resilient Muldoons series, this misguided, wayward widower encounters God’s unexpected presence.

My Review:

Mick Muldoon’s life of loss of his family and his hardships are a poignant depiction of the Irish who immigrated to the United States. Hoping for a better life, it was hard to see the things Mick Muldoon went through that included prejudice and injustice. This was based upon the author’s great grandfather’s life and I enjoyed reading her notes at the end that gave more background for the story.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher and author through Celebrate Lit. All opinions expressed are my own with no obligation to write a review.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sparrow has served on missions, worship, and prayer teams and in Divorce Care and Single’s Ministry. She’s now a published short story writer turned novelist. Sparrow offers readers encounters with God’s unexpected presence through her character’s adventures. She once bought a one-way ticket to Israel to work on a kibbutz and spent a weekend hopping a freight train. As Grammy to seven grandchildren, they ask why she always buys them books.

More from EV

Muldoon’s Misfortunes is Book 1 in Those Resilient Muldoons historical fiction series.

In Ireland’s history, there was a time when it was wild, fraught with peril, and without knowledge of God Almighty. Then came St. Patrick, a real man, determined to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to that pagan island. The transformation of that country from the spiritual darkness it worshiped was phenomenal. Yet ancient superstitions remain.

Certain aspects of my great-grandfather’s life in the 1800s inspired my Irish main character, Mick Muldoon. Mick’s faith is a traditional type and a profound piece that holds together Irish communities. He often secretly doubts God cares anything about him. He could be invisible for all the attention He pays to Mick’s prayers. But God, being who He is, won’t allow that misconception forever. Mick encounters God’s unexpected presence several times without recognizing it. God persists in pursuing him.

When we’re brokenhearted, we can easily miss the signs of His presence. We may grapple with our beliefs or more intimacy with God in the modern world as well. Do we believe our God can’t see us, or hear our prayers, or that He struggles with drawing close to us because we’re unworthy and He is holy? Do we make choices because of our misbeliefs that can unbalance the God ordained, spiritual strength triangle of faith, hope and love?

Mick’s faith weakens further with his disappointments and influences of the wild and lawless lands during the Gilded Age. He sets damaging things into motion that he could’ve avoided. He’s glad to be finally free of the religious culture of Ireland and living like his chums, and what’s wrong with that?

Because he believes God didn’t pay any attention to him, he doesn’t expect any consequences. He’s in control of his own life now. The results of his choices bring him face to face with his choices, and a holy God He thought ignored him, and the blessings He bestows despite Mick’s misbeliefs.

I hope readers will find more faith in a loving God from Mick’s story as well.