Celebrate Lit: Summer on Sunset Ridge By: Sharlene MacLaren PLUS A GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hey y'all!
Today I have the honor of being next on the blog tour for Sharlene MacLaren's new book: "Summer on Sunset Ridge"




 

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

 

Book: Summer on Sunset Ridge, Freedom Series Book 1  

Author: Sharlene MacLaren  

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Brought up on a Quaker farm near Philadelphia at the brink of the Civil War, plainspoken Rebecca Albright is charitable, peace-loving, submissive—and a feisty abolitionist. Determined to aid the Underground Railroad no matter what the cost, her path collides with that of formidable slave-catcher Clay Dalton. When Rebecca is assigned to nurse Clay back to health following a near-fatal gunshot wound, her uneasiness around him and the questions surrounding his mysterious past complicate their strained but developing relationship.

Sherriff Clay Dalton is grimly fighting several battles of his own as he stays on at the Albright farm to work off his debt to the family that has saved his life and taken him in. He is torn between his past commitments in the South and his unlikely present among this quiet Quaker community in the North. Almost against his will, he begins to ponder the impossible idea of a future with Rebecca.…

When tensions between North and South escalate, Rebecca and Clay find themselves propelled on a journey to discover just who God has called them to be, and they soon realize that each holds a key to the other’s answer.

About the Author

 

Sharlene MacLaren Born and raised in western Michigan, award-winning, bestselling author Sharlene MacLaren attended Spring Arbor University. After graduating, she traveled with a nationally touring Christian vocal ensemble, returning home to Spring Arbor to marry her husband, Cecil, whom she’d known since childhood. Together they raised two daughters. Now happily retired after teaching elementary school for 31 years, “Shar” enjoys reading, singing in the church choir and worship teams, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Her novels include the contemporary romances Through Every Storm, Long Journey Home, and Tender Vow; the beloved Little Hickman Creek series (Loving Liza Jane, Sarah, My Beloved, Courting Emma, and Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek, a novella), and three historic romance trilogies: The Daughters of Jacob Kane (Hannah Grace, Maggie Rose, and Abbie Ann); River of Hope (Livvie’s Song, Ellie’s Haven, and Sofia’s Secret); Tennessee Dreams: Heart of Mercy, Threads of Joy, and Gift of Grace.
 

My Review: This was the first book that I had read by this author. I was very impressed with the way the words flowed off the page. She has a way of captivating the readers and drawing them into the story early on. The characters are very well developed. I learned a lot about Quaker life because of this story. I loved reading a bit about the Underground Railroad - the Civil War era is my most favorite time in American History (For those of you that don't know - I actually have my MA in History with a concentration in Military History). I was fascinated to read about the Quaker's involvement in it. I really liked this book - and am glad to have found a new author.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Stops

January 19: Reading Is My SuperPower

January 19: Giveaway Lady

January 19: A Reader’s Brain

January 20: Books. Books. And More Books.

January 20: The Power of Words

January 21: Bigreadersite

January 21: just the write escape

January 22: Moments Dipped in Ink

January 22: For The Love of Books

January 23: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses

January 23: Genesis 5020

January 24: Pause for Tales

January 24: His Grace is Sufficient

January 25: Book by Book

January 25: A Simple Life, really?!

January 26: A Greater Yes

January 26: Connie’s History Classroom

January 26: A Baker’s Perspective

January 27: Christian Author: A.M. Heath

January 27: Splashes of Joy

January 28: D’S QUILTS & BOOKS

January 28: Christian Bookaholic

January 28: History, Mystery & Faith

January 29: Stuff & Nonsense

January 29: Bibliophile Reviews

January 30: cherylbbookblog

January 30: Daysong Reflections

January 31: Blossoms and Blessings

January 31: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

February 1: Reader’s cozy corner

February 1: Rhonda’s Doings

Giveaway

To celebrate Sharlene’s tour, Whitaker House is giving away:

Grand Prize

Brown and tan fashion purse with cross, multiple interior and exterior pockets and

and

Five Sharlene MacLaren titles: Summer on Sunset Ridge (Forever Freedom #1); Heart of Mercy (Tennessee Dreams #1); Livvie’s Song (River of Hope #1); Hannah Grace (Daughters of Jacob Kane #1); Loving Liza Jane (Little Hickman Creek #1)

Second Prize

“Keepers of the Light” Orange/Cinnamon/Clove candle from www.acheerfulgiver.com and

Summer on Sunset Ridge

Third Prize

Summer on Sunset Ridge

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post to earn 9 extra entries in the giveaway!

For some reason the link does not want to work - please feel free to copy and paste this into your browser -- it is also in the comments below.


https://promosimple.com/ps/af21

Book Review! A Moonbow Night by Laura Frantz

I was recently given the opportunity to review this book through the Revell Bloggers group. I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Here is a short synopsis of the book:

After fleeing Virginia, Temperance Tucker and her family established an inn along the Shawnee River. It's a welcome way station for settlers and frontiersmen traveling through the wild Cumberland region of Kentucke--men like Sion Morgan, a Virginia surveyor who arrives at the inn with his crew looking for an experienced guide. When his guide appears, Sion balks. He certainly didn't expect a woman. But it is not long before he must admit that Tempe's skill in the wilderness rivals his own. Still, the tenuous tie they are forming is put to the test as they encounter danger after danger and must rely on each other.

With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

My Review

5 stars

This is the second book that I have read by this author. Her writing style captivates her readers and transports them to different areas of history. Ms. Frantz has a way of writing her characters in a way that you feel their struggles, their inner workings and the dangers that they face in their times. Her characters are always well developed. 

This book is carefully researched and written to where you feel like you have transported yourself back into 1777. Temperance and Sion's story is not always a happy one. There is heartache, devastation, and loss. as you read through their stories, you can feel their pain. 

Overall, I really, really liked this book. It is a good clean historical romance. The author is captivating. 

"I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review." 

Purchase the book from Amaon Here: https://www.amazon.com/Moonbow-Night-Laura-Frantz-ebook/dp/B01LZ80Q35/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8

Elizabeth Van Lew -- Union Spy

Elizabeth Van Lew is one of my favorite Civil War Spies -- She was so intriguing to read about - and I loved every moment of her. Ms. Van Lew, along with other women that risked their lives inspired my story that I am working on currently. 

In regards to the American Civil War one of the most effective Union Spies was Elizabeth Van Lew. Van Lew was born on October 25, 1818. She was born in Richmond, Virginia. She was sent to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to obtain her Quaker schooling and she inherited a lot of her Northern sympathies. When she returned home from schooling, “"Slave power," she wrote in her diary, "is arrogant, is jealous and intrusive, is cruel, is despotic." Outspoken and rebellious, she appeared to her neighbors to be more than a little eccentric and soon became known as "Crazy Bet."[1] Once her father passed, her mother and Van Lew freed some of their slaves. Van Lew would then with her mother aid the Northern cause.

Van Lew’s parents were Northerners and once they were married they had moved to Richmond. This was one of the reasons that Van Lew had a Northern Education. This education since was primarily Quaker run, leaned toward abolitionist teachings. These would stay with her always and she would stay connected with the Quakers.

A heart changing experience was during a visit to Hot Springs. Van Lew, who was also called Miss Lizzie, was hanging out with the daughter of a slave trader. The girl was telling Miss Lizzie about some of her father’s experiences as a slave trader. She mentioned how they had recently sold a slave mother and baby on the slave market. When the mother was sold to one master and the baby to another the mother fell over and died. This was a defining moment in her life.

“What a memorable day was the 17^th of April 1861. How can I describe my feelings when on my way down town, looking towards the Capitol, I saw the flag of treason floating over it. [Government] John Letcher surrendered the State.”[2] She was very saddened to see all the anti-Union support. Since she was living in a border state she had been hoping that they would not be a state that would secede. She knew that she had to aid the Union.

 After the secession of the Southern States and the Confederate States of America were created those who supported the Union lived in fear. They would live in uncertainty of their own future. They knew that with the secession war would be imminent. Mobs would go into private houses and attack the loyalists to the Union. The loyalty to the Union was now considered treason and families’ names were cursed and slandered.

At this point the Van Lews were known to be staunch supporters of the Union. Their defiance and resistance to embrace the Confederacy would result in personal threats against them. They knew they had to rethink things to not lose everything. “The Van Lews quickly realized their mistake. To avoid deportation, imprisonment, and even possible execution, they had to lead a double life: pretend loyalty the cause while praying and working for the Union. They took flowers and religions books to the South Carolinians at the fairgrounds.”[3] This worked. The threats ceased toward the Van Lew family for a while.

Van Lew “would send valuable intelligence to Union officers, provide food and medicine to prisoners of war and help plan their escapes, and run her own network of spies. “She is considered the most successful Federal spy of the war,” said William Rasmussen, lead curator at the Virginia Historical Society.”[4]  Once her father died, Elizabeth and her mother freed all the family slaves. Several stayed on to work for the Van Lews. One in particular, helped work in the network of spies that Van Lew had created.

One of the things that Van Lew would involve herself in is making sure that Union Prisoners were treated fairly. The prisoners were fellow loyalists that needed help and could be valuable sources. They could provide information on the strength, position, information on resources of the Confederate Army. She knew that she had to find out a way to get the intelligence and get it to the Federal Authorities.

Once she was able to gain access to the prison, which she did so by baking sweets and treats for prison officials, she set right to work trying to get information. Prisoners soon learned to communicate by underlying words in books. The underlined words would be reviewed and strung together to make a code. Van Lew then learned that she could drain the contents of an egg and fill it with little slips of paper that would contain messages. Once suspicion fell on them again they had to show their Southern colors to cast suspicion off of them.

After a trip with her friend in the Van Lews’ carriage to U.S. Congressman John Minor Bott’s farm, the Union would realize what an asset they had in Van Lew. She dove deeper into helping within the prison. Her aid was no longer tolerated so she had to become more creative. She was able to influence surgeons to place prisoners in hospitals where some of her servants worked. This allowed her servants to visit them and give them food. She would be able to pass information through secret space in custard dishes. The prisoners would send messages back through the same dishes.

One of the biggest boldest moves that Van Lew was involved with was helping Erasmus Ross (who was the nephew of a Union sympathizer) obtain a position in the Libby Prison. This would allow her to create and forge a bond with prisoners that were housed there. One of the courier/helpers, a young 15 year old girl named Josephine helped in a daring move. Union Captain Harry S. Howard and assistant surgeon John R. McCullough were in Libby Prison being treated for minor injuries and illnesses. Josephine brought a pouch of fine Virginia Tobacco with a note in the bottom of it that said “would you like to be free? Then be prepared to act. Meet me tomorrow”.

Josephine and McCullough created a plan to put into action. Howard helped McCullough pretend to be dead. Howard covered him with a blanket and they carried him to a makeshift morgue. McCullough laid there from midday until dusk. After a distraction by other inmates, McCullough and Howard walked right out of the hospital and met Josephine. They were successful due to the help of Elizabeth Van Lew.

She eventually moved into assisting Captain Howard. They knew she was capable and careful. They wanted her to be head of Butler’s spy network which she gratefully accepted. She then had to learn how to cipher messages and would carry a cipher key with her.

She had set up five relay stations that were set up between Richmond and City Point (Grant’s headquarters). Couriers would pick up the messages from Van Lew and take them to one of these relay points where another courier would meet them and continue the journey. These relay points could have been anywhere, such as a vegetable farm on the edge of the city. Information that was passed through these relay stations were able to help Union Major General Philip H. Sheridan launch a series of attacks through and around Shenandoah Valley.

Ulysses S. Grant who was named general in chief of Union Armies in 1864 by President Lincoln was forever indebted to Van Lew. Her intelligence that she and gathered and the couriers that she managed were efficient and helpful.

---

[1] "Elizabeth Van Lew Biography." Elizabeth Van Lew Biography. Accessed July 5, 2016. http://www.civilwarhome.com/vanlewbio.html.

[2] L., Van Lew Elizabeth, and David D. Ryan. A Yankee Spy in Richmond: The Civil War Diary of "Crazy Bet" Van Lew. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1996. Pg. 31

[3] Winkler, H. Donald. Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War. Naperville, IL: Cumberland House, 2010.

[4] "Elizabeth Van Lew: An Unlikely Union Spy." Smithsonian. Accessed April 23, 2016. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/elizabeth-van-lew-an-unlikely-union-spy-158755584/?no-ist.