Showing posts with label Dual timeline. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

My Thoughts and More on Jane's Secret by Jennifer D. Tirrell

About the Book

Book: Jane’s Secret

Author: Jennifer E. Tirrell

Genre: Split-Time

Release Date: June 2, 2026

At the heart of Jane’s Secret lies an heirloom – a mysterious key passed down through generations. Jane Ingleton, a young English woman from the medieval era, uncovers a secret. Bound by blood but

separated by centuries, the two women unravel a hidden family secret in a thrilling quest of truth that could change everything.

Jennifer E. Tirrell’s richly layered suspense story weaves between the Tudor period and present day and pulls readers into a world of hidden truths, historical intrigue and modern-day discovery. Her storytelling is both immersive an elegant, offering a gripping journey that fans of mystery, history and strong female leads will savor.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This is a dual time-line story that spans 500 years. Present day Kaitlyn who lives in the United States and her ancestor, Jane who lived in England. At the center of this mystery is a key and what it unlocks many in both timelines and throughout the years have been searching for its secrets.

There is danger to both women. Even to Kaitlyn who is hundreds of years removed from Jane and her time. But what the mystery of this key unlocks is just too great for any generations to give up on.

I did enjoy going back in time to the manor house of Jane. I really felt for her and the loss of her beloved father, the secrets she was trying to unravel, and the absolute cruel stepfather she had now. Her story was harrowing and her life's journey was interesting to watch unfold.

Kaitlyn too is thrust in danger. This key and what it unlocks causes her to leave the USA and step back on the land of her ancestors. Little does she know the danger and the love that awaits her. Her adventure is just getting started.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Jennifer E. Tirrell was orphaned by the age of three and kinship-adopted. Her writingoften includes the natural beauty around her. She uses creation, and the Word of God, topoint both adults and children to the Creator. Her stories are shaped by faith, confirmedby history and centered on Truth.

When Jennifer is not writing, there is a good chance she is taking a walk or baking cookies.She is thrilled to have received her crown of white hair and six dear grandchildren–so far!–to go

with it. Jennifer and her husband, Bobby, live life to the fullest in the Coastal Carolinas.

More from Jennifer

Have you ever wondered if your ancestors prayed for the generations who would come after them—prayed for you? During the Tudor period, life was lived much closer to death than it is today. Illness, hardship and uncertainty were constant companions. Because tomorrow could never be assumed, eternity felt very near. Faith was not merely tradition; it was something tested daily. I have often thought that whatever survives testing is usually the thing most worth keeping. I felt that sense of history in a very personal way when my daughter and I visited the small chapel just outside London where my ninth great-grandmother is buried. On her stone memorial she is carved wearing a garment with a book hanging from it—The Book of Common Prayer. Seeing that image made me pause and wonder what prayers she might have spoken for the generations that followed.

Just across from the chapel stands Thornton Hall, where she once lived. When my daughter and I were welcomed inside as ninth and tenth generation Tirrell descendants and ushered into the drawing room for tea, the weight of that history felt suddenly real. Standing in that house, I couldn’t help but imagine the lives that had unfolded there centuries before. Inside the chapel, a memorial window for Jane Ingleton shows a woman wearing a mantle bearing the arms of the Tyrell family—our name later spelled with an “i”—and holding both a red and a white rose. That image captured my imagination. Jane’s Secret is a completely fictional story inspired by those moments. The historical record left only fragments, but sometimes fragments are enough to spark a story. From them grew a fast- paced suspense novel that weaves together history, faith, and the enduring power of prayer—and the possibility that blessings offered long ago may echo farther than we realize.

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, June 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 5

Devoted To Hope, June 6

The Lofty Pages, June 7

Texas Book-aholic, June 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 9

For Him and My Family, June 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy , June 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 11

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 12

Holly’s Book Corner, June 13

Cover Lover Book Review, June 14

Lily’s Corner, June 15

Pause for Tales, June 16

Vicky Sluiter, June 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, June 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer if giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/vvJon/janes-secret-celebration-tour-giveaway

Friday, June 5, 2026

My Thoughts and More on Sunflowers in Paris by Ashley Rescot

Sunflowers in Paris JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Sunflowers in Paris by Ashley Rescot, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Sunflowers in Paris
Series: The Strings of Sisterhood #2
Author: Ashley Rescot
Publisher: Rescot Creative
Release Date: April 7, 2026
Genre: Clean Contemporary Split-time Romance

After a career-altering injury, violist Adrienne Pearson digs deep into her French roots. As the second of five sisters, she seeks individuality. But when several of her family members and friends decide to join her on a French excursion, she must navigate old and new relationships while finding her place in a foreign land. Will she rediscover her voice in the home of her ancestors?

Jean-David Béranger, a brooding, reclusive French journalist, finds his life upturned when his eccentric godmother invites an entourage of American students to live with them while studying music at the local conservatoire. Can Adrienne, a beautiful American sunflower girl, dismantle the fortress surrounding his heart and convince him to turn toward the light?

Sunflowers in Paris takes the reader on a journey through the Loire Valley, Versailles, and Paris, the City of Light, weaving elements of historical and contemporary French life with a centuries-old cold case about a real, 18th-century composer.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

About the Author

Ashley Rescot is a professional violinist, educator, writer, and Fulbright Scholar. An aficionado of music, pedagogy, family, faith, and language, she writes about her life as a musician. With degrees in both violin performance and French literature, she hopes her stories will inspire the next generation of musicians, encourage music professionals, and educate others about the exciting world of music.

Connect with Ashley by visiting rescotcreative.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

My Thoughts:

I have not had a chance to visit Paris yet, but this novel was a great at putting the reader right there. Adrienne Pearson is going to France, to dive into her French history. She is also nursing a broken heart and broken dreams since an accident has deprived her of playing her beloved viola. Here she meets Jean-David a journalist who quite likes his privacy. We get a front seat view of their developing relationship and the growth and hope that both need to move on with their lives.

This is a dual timeline, and we get a bit of a mystery playing out in the past that involves a real composer, Jean-Marie. Reading Jean Marie's journal entries gives us a peak into the past along with the characters to unravel what actually happened. Very intriguing and somewhat sad.

I also want to mention the cover. It is just so happy and bright that makes it so eye-catching. I know you can't judge a book by its cover; I just really liked the creativeness with it that does do justice to the story. Overall, this is a new to me author that took me into the musical world which I don't know much about in a foreign setting that makes me want to hop on a plane. Add a bit of mystery and a romance and I am all set.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive French chocolates and a copy of A Change in Tune and Sunflowers in Paris!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 1, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 8, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN 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!

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

My Thoughts on Secrets of the Desert Rose by Marilyn Turk

About:

Three Women. Two generations. Their friendship survived the war. Their secret survived even longer.

Monique and Audrey, one French and one British, grow up in French Algiers on the coast of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. Best friends, they keep each other’s secrets into adulthood when World War II changes their world and Algiers sides with the Hitler-based Vichy government. Audrey joins Charles DeGaulle’s resistance army, the French Foreign Legion, while Monique stays to work in the underground resistance aiding the Allied invasion of North Africa.

In present day, American born great-granddaughter Nicole, a graduate student in archaeology, goes to North Africa for an internship. The now centenarian Monique (Mimi), debilitated by a stroke, urges her to find the Desert Rose. Nicole finds different types of desert roses, but none are the right one until she stumbles onto information that hints the desert rose might not be a flower after all. While Sami, her instructor in Algiers, helps her find the desert rose, he also has to protect her from people who want the heirloom ring Nicole wears which has its own secret.

Will Nicole find the secret before it’s too late?

My Thoughts:

In this dual timeline story, we have three women who's past and future all intertwine. The past story line gives us Monique's and Aurdrey's story, from the time that they met as young girls to World War 2 which leaves a huge mark on both women's lives. In their different parts of the world, they fight the best they can, love wholeheartedly, and both experience losses that are life changing. Between them they have a secret that both have decided to tell no one.

Fast forward to 2019 and Nicole, the great-granddaughter of Monique gets too go to her Mimi's far away homeland of Algiers on an archaeological trip. With a mission from Monique to find the desert rose, Nicole sets off on an adventure of a lifetime. Little does she know of the danger she will encounter and the deeper truths that she will discover.

I enjoyed the back and forth between the two major timelines and all three of the women's perspectives. This was a first for me to read about the War's reaches to North Africa. The searching for the secret was interesting and the telling of it was both heart wrenching and heartwarming. I was not expecting that.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

My Thoughts on Echoes of a Silent Song

About:

When a choral composer and conductor falls victim to creative block, he resorts to his fallback plan of teaching high school choir. Callum Knight’s goal at Peterson High is simple: rediscover his muse, extract himself from teaching, and get back to Boston as quickly as possible.

As the long-suffering accompanist at the high school, Peterson-native Blair Emerson has watched the revolving door of choir directors and their negative impact on her choirs over the last few years. She is less than impressed when a disheveled Callum stumbles in on his first day.

But then they discover an unsigned, unfinished, and handwritten choral composition by a clear musical genius. Blair recalls rumors of Iris, a Peterson student from the 1970s who composed music but was found dead during her senior year. Blair and Callum work to determine if the piece is hers, and the truth they uncover shakes both of them to the core.

With rhythm and flair, Amanda Wen takes readers on an unexpected journey into the depths of a small town’s history in this riveting first book in the Melodies and Memories duology.

My Thoughts:

It has been a little bit since I have read an author Wen novel, and this one was something else. First off, music is like a foreign language to me. I can't read it or make it, but I certainly do enjoy listening to it. It is a beautiful art form that is described so well in this story that I could almost hear it. Especially as this story speeds up and hits that ever-important climax.

This is a duology and both stories are connected to one another. Blair and Callum are two people who are forced to work together and do not exactly get along from the get-go. Callum sees his time as a teacher as only a place holder till he can get his creative juices flowing again. Blair on the other hand is dedicated to her job and these students and hates that Callum is only a stand in, nor does he seem to care. He is also very grumpy; she is very prickly. However, when Callum realizes that Blair just might be his muse that gets his music making going, their hidden passions for one another knocks out their animosity towards each other. I enjoyed watching their love story progress.

This is also a bittersweet mystery of a young student composer, Iris, who was said to have committed suicide in her senior year. We get inside of her head and hear her story and what was actually happening. Her story was very raw and at times painful and eye opening as well.

This was a riveting story of hurting people finding not only love again, but also the truth of the past.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

My Thoughts and More on Through Water and Stone by Karen Barnett

Through Water and Stone JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Through Water and Stone by Karen Barnett, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Through Water and Stone

Series: National Parks

Author: Karen Barnett

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Release Date: September 23, 2025

Genre: Christian Fiction, Dual Timeline

In 1948, Zion National Park ranger Henry Eriksson and his wife, Alma, are less than one year removed from their infant son's sudden death in a flash flood, and the weight of the loss hasn't diminished with time. When Henry discovers an abandoned baby in a hatbox on his morning rounds, he's unsure how to react, but Alma is delighted, and she reignites with purpose at what seems to be a miracle from God.

Nearly eighty years later, Talia Eriksson leaves her job at an athleisure company in Palo Alto, California, in disgrace and returns to Zion National Park to reconnect with her grandfather and review her life goals. But when an at-home DNA test exposes family secrets, Talia and her newfound friend, law enforcement ranger Blake Mitchell, work together to search for answers.

Talia navigates the rocky path into her past with Blake by her side, what she discovers may alter everything she knew to be true about herself. With the uncertain future looming, Talia must learn that family is deeper than genetics and that trusting God can mean being still and clinging to the Rock.

About the Author

Karen Barnett

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of nine novels, including When Stone Wings Fly, Where Trees Touch the Sky, and the Vintage National Park novels. A former national park ranger, she’s also a hobby photographer and enjoys teaching writing workshops with both Cascade Christian Writers and West Coast Christian Writers. She and her family live in Albany, Oregon.

Connect with Karen by visiting karenbarnettbooks.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Thoughts:

This was an interesting dual timeline story that interconnected with unknown family ties. I liked that the first story line took place in the 1950's, for whatever reason I am intrigued by that time era. The rebuilding after the wars, etc. The setting also really takes you away, especially for me, as I have yet to visit these National parks that author Barnett so expertly describes in her stories.

There are some hard parts about losing one's child and the grief that accompanies that. That is the first couple's struggle and then they find an abandoned newborn, which raises all kinds of questions as this mystery unfolds.

The second storyline was just as interesting. Especially as Talia begins to question the methods the company she works for makes their sports clothing. This really hit home as far as the poisons that could be in our clothing that we wear. Very interesting stuff.

All in all, this was a pretty good read, tying up the past with the present, allowing our characters to grow in their faith journeys.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Through Water and Stone and $20 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight October 1, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 8, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

Thursday, April 18, 2024

My Thoughts on The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels

About:

A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him

A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his

And the family whose history is still being written

***

Toulouse, France--1879

Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists' pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella's sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. A's long the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen.

East Lansing, Michigan--Present Day

Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella's greatest work--a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.

This dual-timeline story from award-winning author Erin Bartels takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one's dreams.

My Thoughts:

If you enjoy art, hidden identities, and finding out about your family history, then this book is for you. In this dual timeline, we have two women who are trapped in their circumstances. Beginning with 1879 and the current time, we see these two women's stories merge into quite a twisty tale.

Vivian Torrens, 1879, has lived a rough life. An orphan, brother dead, a servant looked down upon, and a woman, she really has no hope of a better life. But due to an incident, meant to harm, she becomes acquainted with a renowned artist, his wife, and a friend who is also a fellow painter. Through this association she begins to discover painting and a love for it. However, before she can get too comfortable, her heart is broken and other women's jealousies and vendettas sends the past that Vivian has been trying to hide from, roaring back for her. So, she must leave and change her identity again. But on her adventures, she meets some of the real-life Impressionist painters and the author gives artist Mary Cassat a voice in this story.

In the present-day Esther Markstrom is running an art museum in Michigan that is mostly dedicated to her famous ancestorial painter. Esther is an artist herself who often feels tied down as she must care for her mother, another artist, but a woman that is dealing with mental illness. Esther has become the mother instead. However, circumstances lead Esther on a hunt on who the mysterious woman with the dark hair who appears in many of the paintings done by her ancestor. What Esther discovers rocks her world. Main themes are identity- knowing yourself and your worth and a woman's role and limitations in culture, especially in the past.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Erin Bartels writes character-driven fiction for curious people. Her readers know to expect that each of her novels will tell a unique story about fallible characters so tangible that it's hard to believe they are not real people. Whether urban, rural, or somewhere in between, her settings come alive with carefully crafted details that engage all the senses and transport the reader to a singular time and place. And her themes of reckoning with the past, improving the present, and looking with hope to the future leave her readers with a sense of peace and possibility.

Erin is the author of We Hope for Better Things, The Words between Us, All That We Carried, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water, and Everything Is Just Beginning. A two-time Christy finalist and winner of two 2020 WFWA Star Awards and two Michigan Notable Book Awards, Erin has been a publishing professional for more than twenty years. After eighteen years in Lansing, Michigan, Erin and her family are busy enjoying the simple blessings of a less urban life in a small town outside the capital city.

You can find her online at ErinBartels.com, on Facebook @ErinBartelsAuthor, and on Instagram @erinbartelswrites.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

My Thoughts and More on What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma

About the Book

Book: What I Promise You

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release Date: February 1, 2024

A Family’s History Is Lost to the Ravages of WWII in Southwest France

1942

Noémie Treves, a young, pregnant Jewish woman, had her entire world shattered when she is arrested and taken to the Camp de Rivesaltes transit camp in Southwest France. No sooner does she arrive, though, than she assists in helping two young girls scheduled for transport escape to a nearby maternity hospital. The matron there befriends her and changes her name to help hide her. But nothing goes according to plan, and Hannah finds herself doing the unimaginable to save one precious life.

2022

Caitlyn Laurant is haunted by recent events in her life and hopes becoming a nurse on the mission field will help her forget. While in training, she and her friends travel to France where her grandfather was born. What should have been an easy search for his birthplace turns into anything but and reveals secrets that no one alive has ever heard.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This is a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. It is a story that has three timelines that we are tracking. One taking place in a period of time in France during 1942, the 2022 timeline, and a timeline that takes place in one day during 1955. All are relevant and pieces to the puzzle of the story the author is telling.

What I Promise You is a WWII story that was unique in that it focused on expectant mothers and their children in an occupied France. I cannot even imagine the horrors and fears those women experienced living in a war zone without husbands or family. The author has some really great notes at the end of what was fiction and what was not.

Even though this has some very sad parts, and those were hard to read, this was a book I needed to finish. It was somewhat of a mystery too, as all the past parts and the characters fit together to make up the picture that those in 2022 are trying to uncover and upsets all they thought they knew. The narrator in the timeline of 1955 was a mystery person till the end reveal. Even though that timeline's chapters were brief, they were the chapters that seemed to propel the story forward. I really enjoyed how the author told this story and how it all fit together.

Again, this was a hard read in some parts, but overall, the story was rewarding as it showed that in the face of evil, good will make the necessary sacrifices.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.

More from Liz

The Story behind the Cover of What I Promise You

In the late summer, I got the preliminary cover for What I Promise You. While Barbour Publishing always does a great job with their covers, and the one they sent was very nice, I wasn’t crazy about it because it didn’t tell the story at all. The mansion that plays such a big part in the novel was nowhere to be seen. Barbour is fantastic when it comes to working with me to get great covers, so I asked if we could include the real mansion that the story is based on. Turns out that they were having trouble getting copyright permission to use any image they could find of the maternity home.

That was disappointing. But I got brave and let them know that I took a picture of it when I was in France last year, and they could use it, but I’m not a very good photographer and I only used my iPhone. I attached the photo to the email and didn’t hear anything for a while.

Then in October, I wanted to include a preorder link to the book on social media or something and went to Amazon to grab it. And there was the cover. I went back and forth between the cover and my picture, and sure enough, it was the picture of the maternity home I had sent them! So I not only wrote What I Promise You, but some of my photography is on the front. I never thought that would happen. Am I in the wrong profession?? Just kidding!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 27

Life on Chickadee Lane, February 27

Lots of Helpers, February 28

Lighthouse Academy Blog, February 28 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 29

For Him and My Family, February 29

Betti Mace, March 1

Devoted To Hope, March 1

She Lives To Read, March 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 2

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 3

Texas Book-aholic, March 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 4

Blogging With Carol, March 4

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 5

Lily’s Corner, March 5

Bizwings Book Blog, March 5

lakesidelivingsite, March 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 6

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 7 (Author Interview)

Southern Gal Loves to Read, March 7

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 8

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, March 8

Cover Lover Book Review, March 8

Connie’s History Classroom, March 9

Holly’s Book Corner, March 9

Pause for Tales, March 10

Labor Not in Vain, March 10

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, March 11

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 11

Lights in a Dark World, March 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and print 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/2a3ce/what-i-promise-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, November 18, 2023

My Thoughts and More on Remain True by Thomas Nye

About the Book

Book: Remain True: Amana

Author: Thomas Nye

Genre: Christian Romance

Release Date: January 31, 2023

Rebounding from a failed relationship, Author Timothy Hayes escapes to the beautiful Amana Colonies to begin a new life. Smalltown Iowa, during the 2020 pandemic, proves lax with social distancing. Social awkwardness, however, is at an all-time high as a host of quirky neighbors crowd Tim’s personal space. Tim’s pug must go for walks which opens the door for adorable children, annoying neighbor men, old ladies who want to tell their life story, and a matchmaker set on “fixing Tim up.” Several attractive young women emerge as contenders for Tim’s heart. A woman twice his age infatuates him with her magical gift of storytelling. Remain True is a dual timeline. Tim’s life in 2020 becomes interwoven with the storyteller’s history, resulting in a surprising singular conclusion. No matter what happens in life, God will Remain True.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Upon opening this book, I was not sure what this story would be all about. I had never known about the Amana people, who are lot like the Amish and Mennonite and as I began reading it was a story that took place during 2020, during the pandemic. This is the second book in so many days that I have read that has the pandemic in it. As with the last one, it is not something I ever wanted to read about again, but this story began to draw me in, especially with all of the quirkiness and I had questions.

Tim is an author who has gone through a divorce. He has moved, with his dog who also is an important character, to start over. He has moved to a home in Amana for peace and quiet and to get away from people. But what he finds in that town is that people are not scared of the pandemic, in fact they are all living their lives as normal and bringing him into the bustle. Which is not what he wants at all, at first.

Tim's neighbor is an old woman who insists he come over and visit for tea. As he reluctantly does, she begins a story about a young girl named Blondie who lived at his house. Tim becomes very invested in her story, this reader as well, as we learn about Blondie's family, friends, and life as she grows up. Not only that, but Tim sees a picture in a shop that mesmerizes him of a beautiful young Amana woman.

What happens as the story is told is a help for Tim, as he comes face to face with his own failings, especially in his marriage. The story being told begins to unravel into real life, and dots become connected, and we find along with Tim that the world is not such a big place sometimes after all.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Thomas Nye, author of the beloved Amish Horses Series, writes romance novels with an Historical flare and a touch of humor. He and his wife live on an acreage her grandparents bought in 1918. They have five grown children, nine grandchildren, and a team of draft horses. Their home is situated between an Amish community and the Amana Colonies, a perfect location to inspire his writing.

More from Thomas

Most of us have experienced some dark episodes in this life. How do we find our way back into hope and sunshine? My wife and I have been married for almost 43 years, but about halfway through we were separated for 4 months. The storyline of Remain True has almost nothing in common with the details of my dark time. The difficult emotions and subsequent hopefulness of God’s graceful intervention led me to write this novel.

For Timothy Hayes, life has become incredibly dark. In the opening scene we find him reluctantly removing his wedding band and placing it in a miniature, coffin-like box. To make matters worse, Tim’s personal struggle coincides with the heaviness of the Coronavirus outbreak. His will to live is shrinking. Tim visited the Amana Colonies ten years earlier and thought of the villages as a hauntingly beautiful getaway where he could sulk.

God has another plan.

Small town Iowa is not the place to isolate, even during Covid, as it proves an epic failure in social distancing. Social awkwardness, however, is at an all-time high as a host of quirky neighbors invade Tim’s personal space and refuse to allow him any opportunity to submerge into depression.

I hope those who read Remain True will be able to relate with Tim’s struggle enough to rejoice with him as God provides a ray of sunshine during his darkest hour.

My wife and I found hope and restoration and are looking forward to our 43rd anniversary. We thoroughly enjoy grandparenting our 9 grandchildren (and counting) together. God is good!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 8

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 9 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Texas Book-aholic, November 10

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 12

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 13

lakesidelivingsite, November 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 15

Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)

Exploring the Written Word, November 16

For Him and My Family, November 17

Pause for Tales, November 18

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 19 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 19

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Thomas is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/28d2e/remain-true-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, November 4, 2023

My Thoughts on The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

About:

Two women--a century apart--embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England's Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford--the owner's handsome grandson--who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd's staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she's left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father's death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte's grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

My Thoughts:

In this dual timeline, we have two women who have fathers that they never really knew. Charlotte, in 1912, loved her father very much, but when he suddenly dies, she finds out he was not the man she thought he was. She and her mother and siblings now are destitute, so they head back to her mother's father and to her childhood home, Longdale Manor. Except they are not welcome and must impose on kind childhood friends for shelter. What seems to be the end of the world happens to be an awakening of true love for Charlotte. If only she can trust the man who wants to win her heart.

In the present-day story, Gwen is an art historian, and her grandfather has sent her to the Longdale Manor to help an old family friend. Gwen had also made a mistake in the art world that has caused a lot of trouble for her grandfather's company. So, she goes, but with reservations and shame. Having lost her mother some years ago, and not being able to ask her more questions, Gwen hopes to find the father who abandoned her and her mother. She never met him and understandably has questions for him. However, what she is finding out about him may mean she is better off not knowing him at all. She too has a chance at a love match, but trust is an issue for her as well.

Longdale Manor reaches across the years to both of these women and their broken hearts, the love they ultimately want, and a Father's hand to hold and rely on.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal. Learn more at carrieturansky.com.

Friday, October 13, 2023

My Thoughts on The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

About:

It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy's eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta's younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd's best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater's history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater's curse unravels Kit's life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.

My Thoughts:

Well, oh boy! This is the kind of story that you really need to clear your whole schedule for. It is not a short book either, but the level of intensity, creepiness, and just needing to know what happened is very high. This just might be my favorite Wright book yet.

This is a dual-time story, with one timeline taking place in 1915 and the other in the present day. Greta Mercy, from 1915, is poor and has sole responsibility for her four younger brothers after her parents’ deaths and the untimely death of her older brother. She is essentially alone in the world. She has siblings and a couple of good friends, Oscar and Eleanor, but they are from the right side of town and have money.

The greatest fault Greta has, I think, is not trusting them more. They loved her and her family. Greta knows this, but that pesky pride gets in the way. From the start, things go from bad to worse for Greta, and her freedom and possibly her survival depend on finding the truth and her missing brother. This dangerous search amps up throughout the whole novel. The town and the theater are hiding some sinister secrets.

Present-day Kit has it a little better—same town and theater, though. However, her story also starts with an unbelievable reality. While on a ghost-hunting show in the Barlowe Theater, her best friend disappears, it seems, into thin air. No amount of searching gives any kind of clue about her whereabouts. Her family doesn’t know where she is, and the detectives working on the case are having a hard time piecing things together. Then someone begins to target Kit for reasons she cannot even fathom. Throw in Kit’s abandonment issues and a hunky guy that really gets on her nerves, and you have a story that is quite literally hard to put down.

If you are looking for a creepy October read with twists and turns and ghostly figures, yet ending with hope’s message, pick this one up.

I was provided a copy of this novel by Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Jaime Jo Wright (JaimeWrightBooks.com) is the author of ten novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also a two-time Christy Award finalist, as well as the ECPA bestselling author of The Vanishing at Castle Moreau and two Publishers Weekly bestselling novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her family and felines.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

My Thoughts and More on The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson

About the Book

Book: The Keys to Gramercy Park

Author: Candice Sue Patterson

Genre:Christian / Historical / Romance

Release date: April, 2023

Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan

Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Investigative historical journalist Andrea Andrews is tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. If she could find and write the next breakout story, she could secure a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But not much happens in lower Manhattan out of the ordinary until she discovers post-Civil War counterfeit bills hidden in the wall of her historic district apartment.

Politics have always been Beau Davidson-Quincy’s passion, despite his family’s real estate empire. His clean image and single status make him a target in the media as he prepares to build his campaign for New York governor. He has nothing to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that could destroy his family’s reputation.

Two centuries earlier, wounded Civil War veteran Franklin Davidson lost everything—his house, his wife, his standing in society. In his darkest moment, he’s awarded a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. Secrets are meant to be kept, and Franklin will take his to his grave.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This was a pretty intriguing and mesmerizing dual-time story that had me from the first pages. I usually enjoy one timeline better than the other, but this time I was anxious to get to both, especially as the secrets were coming to light.

In the past, during and after the Civil War, we have two twin brothers, Franklin and Edward. Theirs is a complicated relationship and we get both of their points of views. Without giving too much away, one of these men was a villain, and I was not sure what to make of him and what happened. It was very heartrending.

The present times were just as intriguing. They were told in Andrea's, an historical investigative journalist, and Beau's, who has some high ambitions for being governor of New York until something is found that could destroy his chances. And Andrea, the girl he is trying to get to date him, so happens to find this.

The back and forth of the timelines, the characters from each, the moral dilemmas, and long held secrets kept the pages turning and I can say this is one of the most interesting dual-time stories I have read.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Candice Sue Patterson studied at the Institute of Children’s Literature and is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons in a restored farmhouse overtaken by books. When she’s not tending to her chickens, splitting wood, or decorating cakes, she’s working on a new story. Candice writes Modern Vintage Romance—where the past and present collide with faith. Her debut novel How to Charm a Beekeeper’s Heart was a 2012 ACFW First Impressions finalist and made INSPYs Longlist for 2016.

More from Candice

A locked secret garden in Manhattan with historical significance and the only ones privileged to step inside are the wealthy residents who purchase a key—count me in! The plot for The Keys to Gramercy Park was born at our dining room table when my husband looked up from the book he was reading and asked if I knew about Gramercy Park. I hadn’t, so we started Googling and discovered it was a real garden in Manhattan built in 1841 for the cream of society. The fact that it’s been off-limits to the public for one hundred and eight-two years instantly brought all kinds of story ideas to my mind.

Not long after, I discovered that Barbour Publishing Inc. was looking for dual-time stories to fill their Doors to the Past series. I love reading dual-time novels but I’d never written one. I love a good challenge, so I began plotting and before I knew it, I had another first—creating a villain.

I’ve only ever seen the New York City skyline from the New Jersey ferry that travels to and from the Statue of Liberty, so after the story was contracted, I spent several weeks researching Manhattan and Gramercy Park. New York is full of rich history and it was so fun to stumble across the historical details of The Player’s, Edwin Booth, and the stories behind each home along Gramercy Square.

One of my favorite things about writing this story was the juxtaposition of the timelines. We don’t have the present without the past, and what happens in the past affects the future, but the future can also determine how we view, feel, and learn about the past. That’s essentially what The Keys to Gramercy Park is about—the butterfly effect of past events reaching ahead two centuries with dire consequences. I love how in one scene the characters are sending telegraphs and in the next scene, they’re sending text messages.

What’s your favorite thing about dual-time novels? Make sure to check out the other books in the Doors to the Past series!