Thursday, April 13, 2023

My Thoughts - The Lost Melody Series: A Midnight Dance #2 Author: Joanna Davidson Politano -- and A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

A Novel-Tea Evening Blog Tour Sign Ups JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors including Lynn Austin, Susie Finkbeiner, Jocelyn Green, Laura Frantz, Kate Breslin, Amanda Barratt, and Joanna Davidson Politano, sponsored by JustRead Publicity Tours!

You are Invited

A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors
September 2, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago

Join us at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers.

Learn More about A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

About the Authors

Lynn Austin

LYNN AUSTIN, whose titles include Long Way Home, Chasing Shadows, and If I Were You. Connect with her at LynnAustin.org.

Amanda Barratt

AMANDA BARRATT, whose titles include Within These Walls of Sorrow, The White Rose Resists, and My Dearest Dietrich. Connect with her at AmandaBarratt.net.

Kate Breslin

KATE BRESLIN, whose titles include In Love’s Time, As Dawn Breaks, and Far Side of the Sea. Connect with her at KateBreslin.com.

Susie Finkbeiner

SUSIE FINKBEINER, whose titles include The All-American, The Nature of Small Birds, and All Manner of Things. Connect with her at SusieFinkbeiner.com.

Laura Frantz

LAURA FRANTZ, whose titles include The Rose and the Thistle, A Heart Adrift, and Tidewater Bride. Connect with her at LauraFrantz.net.

Jocelyn Green

JOCELYN GREEN, whose titles include The Metropolitan Affair, The Windy City Saga series, and The Mark of the King. Connect with her at JocelynGreen.com.

JOANNA DAVIDSON POLITANO

JOANNA DAVIDSON POLITANO, whose titles include The Lost Melody, A Midnight Dance, and The Love Note. Connect with her at JDPStories.com.

Purchase Tickets to Attend A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Lost Melody
Series: A Midnight Dance #2
Author: Joanna Davidson Politano
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
"Haunting. Riveting. Filled with hope."--Michelle Griep, author of Lost in Darkness

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. Vivienne had no idea the woman existed, and yet her portrait is shockingly familiar. When the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.

The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know.

But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |Bookshop.org | Christianbook | BookBub

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears, A Rumored Fortune, Finding Lady Enderly, The Love Note, and A Midnight Dance. She loves tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives and is eager to hear anyone's story. She lives with her husband and their children in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan.
Connect with Joanna by visiting jdpstories.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

MY THOUGHTS

The Lost Melody is written by Joanna Davidson Politano. This is book 2 in the Midnight Dance Series. This book was such a beautiful amazing read. I found myself lost within the first few pages.

This book is set in England in 1886. We see Vivienne Mourdant, a well-known concert pianist. However, her father has passed away and his debts passed to her. The most interesting one is Hurstwell Asylum. She goes there searching to what these mysterious payments are for. She quickly finds out that there are no answers to her questions. She is told that Rosemond Swansea does not exist. Vivienne decides to go undercover as an aide to try and find out what is going on.

Vivienne digs deep and tries to find out who Rosemond is. She finds out more then she bargained for. The author has wrote in so many twists and turns you will be wondering who you can trust. The author writes her scenes with great detail so you feel like you are watching it unfold.

Thank you to the author, publisher and JustRead Publicity Tours - all thoughts are my own.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a tote bag, one bag of Pride and Peppermint Novel Tea, plus a $20 egift card to BakerBookHouse.com!

JustRead A Novel-Tea Evening Giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 12, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 19, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Saturday, April 8, 2023

My Thoughts -Rose Author: Rena Groot

About the Book

Book: Rose

Author: Rena Groot

Genre: Christian Historical Romantic Fiction

Release date: April 28, 2022

Strong, determined Rose finds more than she bargained for on a wagon train headed out West on the Oregon Trail. Will she be able to leave the comforts of high society behind to survive the rigors of the trail? Will she humbly admit her need for strength, hope and courage from God? What is God saying to her about Lachlan, her surprise chaperone? Why did God bring Lachlan into her life if their dreams collide? Rose has dreams of being a teacher in town. Lachlan’s dream is to be a rancher, far from any town. Must Rose abandon her dreams to embrace his…or will she let this gentle giant of a man leave to pursue his own dreams?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hi. My name is Rena Groot. I have a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. I have been a teacher in Canada and China, have published eight books, I have designed a digital course called Broken to Beautiful-Transformed By God’s Power, I have been a tour manager from the Rockies to the Pacific, have been a missionary to the ends of the Earth, a mom of four—and the most important part—I am a child of God.

More from Rena

My middle name is Rose. I was named after my grandmother, Rose. As far as I know, I never met my father’s mother, Rose. Her life, and my dad’s, were an enigma to me. While writing this book I found out Rose had two other grandchildren I knew nothing about—my brother and sister I didn’t know existed. God is so amazing! (This is attached to the email)

One of my favorite recipes is fry bread. On days we stay in camp, I make enough for the week. It gets a bit hard towards the end of the week, but softens when it’s dipped in stew. Here’s the recipe: Four cups flour, one quarter cup shortening—I use bacon fat—four teaspoons baking powder, three-quarters cup of milk, one teaspoon salt, and oil or fat for frying. If the dough is too thick or thin, Willow said to play with it until it feels just right. It can also be made into a dessert if you put milk, cinnamon, and berries on top.

Johnnycake’s delicious with beans. It’s so easy to make. You need two eggs, two cups of sour milk, one half cup flour, two tablespoons molasses, one teaspoon salt, two cups cornmeal, one teaspoon baking powder, and two tablespoons butter. You mix all the ingredients then bake it in a Dutch oven over the fire until it’s cooked.

Cheese is easy to make. It’s a good way to use the two gallons of milk we get from our cow and the goat each day. We are getting so much we have been sharing. Willow showed me how to gently heat the milk in a pail on the fire until it’s blood warm. Rennet is needed to make cheese, so I use a flask made from a cow’s stomach because it has rennet in it. I had no idea. I pour the hot milk into the stomach flask and wait. After it’s been left a few hours, I pour it out, break up the curds, and mix them with salt. I wrap the curds in a cloth and put them in a round wooden frame called “the follower.” (Thankfully, Lachlan had the good sense to buy one of those also). The curds are pressed in the follower. The cheese is usually aged for at least two months before it can be eaten.

Blog Stops

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 3

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 4

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 6

Simple Harvest Reads, April 7 (Author Interview)

Connie’s History Classroom, April 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 9

By The Book, April 10 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, April 11

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, April 12 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 12

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 13

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 14 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, April 15 (Author Interview)

Sheila’s Reading Corner, April 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rena is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/2525e/rose-celebration-tour-giveaway

Monday, April 3, 2023

My Thoughts - The Escape Game Author: Marilyn Turk

About the Book

Book: The Escape Game

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: March, 2023

A Board Game Holds Keys to Prisoners’ Escape

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

After the Nazis started the bombing blitz of England, Beryl Clarke puts her college on hold to return to Leeds, care for her mother, and work as a secretary at the Waddington game company. While she endures the war at home, her brother James fights the enemy in the air. When he is shot down, injured, and captured, James meets American POW Kenneth Anderson, and they plan to escape the Nazi prison camp. Beryl knows there is a board game with escape plans being delivered to POWs by the Red Cross. But how will the men discover the game’s secret?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over one hundred lighthouses, and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.

When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, playing with grandkids, and her golden retriever Dolly.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope and Love; Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; and Word Weavers International.

More from Marilyn

The Story behind The Escape Game

In the process of writing my books, I’ve become fascinated by the real stories that happened during World War II. I’ve discovered information I didn’t know before and am finding out that many people I know, even those older than myself, didn’t know either. Every time I come across an interesting tidbit, I want to write about it. Since my husband knows I look for such things, when he came across a story about how the Monopoly game was used during the war, he shared it with me.

The true story was kept top-secret for over fifty years after the war, so few had heard about it, especially outside the United Kingdom. Of course, my writer’s mind set off asking “What If?” So the story developed about a woman who works for the company that makes the game and what happened after she found out about the secret. What if she had a close relative who had been captured before the British informed their soldiers about the game and he needed to know the information? How could she convey that to him?

I wish I could have gone to the UK for research, but that was not a possibility. Maybe someday. However, the people I contacted there were very helpful, and I was thrilled to make contact with the great granddaughter of the president of Waddintons, the company which manufactured the game. She was able to fill in a few details about the company, although when she was a child, her grandfather ran the company.

One thing many people find hard to believe, based on the horrible treatment the Nazi army inflicted on people they thought inferior, is that the treatment of POW’s was somewhat better, especially for pilots. Thanks to the rules of the Geneva Convention after WWI, the Germans abided by them for the most part. That involved treatment of prisoners who escaped. Most of them were caught and returned to the camp from which they escaped. And normally, the punishment was solitary confinement. The biggest hardship of the POWs besides lack of freedom was the meager food they were given, especially as the war continued, since the Germans themselves were facing food shortages.

The challenge for me as a writer was to accurately describe life in both England and the POW camp. The other big challenge was writing a love story when the two characters were apart for so long. But it’s true that many soldiers fell in love with women they corresponded with back home. That fact is verified in the many letters on record, including the ones my father-in-law wrote to a fellow soldier’s fiancé after the soldier was killed in action. Their relationship grew into love, and after the war, the two met in person at the train station for the first time and married the same day.

My Thoughts

The Escape Game is written by Marilyn Turk. This is part of the Heroines of World War II series. The series is written by multiple authors and focus on a strong and brave female. The books can be read as stand alones. However, I have been fortunate enough to read all of them and they cover such a wide variety of stories. I love that there is some true historical story within the fiction.

This one is set in Leeds, England. Beryl Clarke came home from college when the war started. She lost her father to it, and her brother is currently involved with the conflict. Her mother, has been slowly fading away after the death of her husband. Beryl has a lot on her plate. She works two jobs and is caring for her mother.

Her brother James and his friend/college classmate, Kenneth find themselves reunited in a not so great situation. Being a POW as a pilot had it's perks since the Nazi's did honor the Geneva Convention for the most part. Both of them try and concoct a plan to escape the Nazi POW camp.

One of Beryl's jobs is secretary at Waddington Game Company. She accidently discovers that the owner is going to be used to assist in the escape plan of the POWs. Monopoly is one of my favorite games and I love that it had a secret meaning. I really thought this was a super cool concept.

The author has shared how much she enjoyed her research. I also did! I love learning some new stuff within a story. The story is well written and the characters are well developed. Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.