From the author's website... "When Susannah goes to Dakota territory as a mail-order bride she finds something she never dreamed she would—true love. With no prospects for marriage and her parents recently deceased, Susannah Underhill agrees to go west to the Dakota territory to marry her minister’s homesteading brother, Jesse. But Susannah is painfully shy, doesn’t see herself as worthy of love from either a husband or from God, and lives in constant fear that Jesse is going to ship her back to Detroit. In spite of her petite size and the fact that Susannah doesn’t look like she could survive on the prairie, Jesse quickly discovers that his new wife is a greater blessing than he even hoped for. The years she spent as her father’s veterinary assistant allow her to save Jesse’s ox and twin calves and to help neighboring farmers with their animals. But Susannah’s feelings of unworthiness are deeply rooted, and she can’t believe that Jesse’s praise—or the tenderness and love he shows—could possibly last. The thawing of her heart seems almost as distant as Spring in the midst of the winter blanketing the Dakota prairie."
As an avid reader, I am frequently asked if I ever want to write. My answer is always "No". I enjoy the art of reading more then the art of writing. That said, though, I would definitely write if I could write a (debut, no less!) novel like Ms. Richmond has written with Spring for Susannah. She has taken a story that could be very trite and predictable and crafted a story that surprised me. While it is a "Christian" romance, it read more like a historical fiction novel.
Ms. Richmond has written characters that I have thought about even after I finished reading. The relationship between Susannah and Jesse was what made the story but their relationships with the secondary characters made the story fill out.
I am always struck by the amount of faith people of that time had. I cannot imagine leaving everything I know behind to live in what, at that time, was, essentially, wilderness to marry a man I did not know. Yes, this is fiction but it is based on the countless stories of women who did just that. I loved the strength that Susannah found... not only through Jake's love but through herself and her actions.
~~Thanks to the author and Amy at Litfuse for a preview copy in exchange for this review.~~
From Anne Easter Smith's website... "In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, Anne has found her most engrossing character yet. Cecily earned two monikers from her contemporaries: Rose of Raby for her fair-haired beauty and Proud Cis for her fierce loyalty and courage in the face of the many history-making events she experienced in her eighty years. This was a woman who could have been queen had her husband lived to win the day over Henry VI and his queen, Margaret of Anjou, in the winter of 1461. History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of Ludlow Castle, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, Duke of York who she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match, and together they face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her own hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and the kingdom. As civil war escalates between the cousins of Lancaster and York, Cecily will lose her love, her favorite brother and her dearest child. But in the end, she will watch proudly as her oldest son takes his father’s place at the head of a victorious army and is crowned at Westminster Abbey as King Edward IV."
My thoughts... I am always a little surprised at how little of the English Monarchy I know about. So, I love to read well-written fiction that not only gives me a great story but teaches a bit in the process. Anne Easter Smith has delivered with Queen By Right! Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, is someone I had only heard about as a peripheral character in other novels. She is the mother of two kings and an ancestor to the British Royal Family that captures our attention even today.
I was pleasantly surprised to read the first page and see the setting... Baynard's Castle February 8, 1461". Why is that so surprising? Well, February 8th is my birthday! So, I knew that I would have a "kinship" with Cecily... which by the way is such a great name!
Having never read a novel by Ms. Smith, I have to say that her writing style is perfect for a historical novel. She adds the perfect amount of research so that I'm not completely lost. I love dialogue in novels but found that I actually enjoyed the narrative passages more in this novel. Ms. Smith writes so eloquently and uses dialogue to enhance the story. I honestly think she could write nonfiction that is interesting and "fall asleep" boring. I also enjoyed how she used flashbacks to show Cecily's thoughts about events in her life. I honestly think she could write nonfiction that is interesting and "fall asleep" boring.
Like I said, I don't know that much about her so having the maps, the family tree and the Dramatis Personae (cast of characters) and glossary to refer to was so helpful. This is why I will never give up "real" books. It's just easier to flip to the front (or back) as opposed to trying to navigate on an ereader. Ms. Smith wrote not an interesting Author's Note but there is included a book club guide and an interview. These are really helpful tools that increased my enjoyment of this novel.
** Thanks to Anne Easter Smith, the publisher and Amy from Historical Fiction Book Tours for providing Queen By Right, in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.
***GIVEAWAY***
Anne Easter Smith has graciously offered a copy of Queen By Right to a reader of Bags, Books & Bon Jovi.
I'm keeping this simple... just leave comment about this novel or Ms. Smith's guest post and you'll be entered to receive this book. You can also enter Tuesday when I post my review... you'll just need to comment on my review or tell me what other Queen By Right blog review you read. So... maximum... two entries!
The contest (open to US readers only) will start when this post is published and I will choose a winner at 11:59pm Tuesday June 21, 2011.
I am excited to be part of Anne Easter Smith's virtual book tour for her latest historical novel, Queen By Right. You can find other reviews as well as Anne Easter Smith's guest posts here... http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/05/virtual-book-tour-for-queen-by-right-by.html
Please come back tomorrow as I will be posting my review of Queen By Right.
From her website... "In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, Anne has found her most engrossing character yet. Cecily earned two monikers from her contemporaries: Rose of Raby for her fair-haired beauty and Proud Cis for her fierce loyalty and courage in the face of the many history-making events she experienced in her eighty years. This was a woman who could have been queen had her husband lived to win the day over Henry VI and his queen, Margaret of Anjou, in the winter of 1461. History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of Ludlow Castle, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, Duke of York who she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match, and together they face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her own hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and the kingdom. As civil war escalates between the cousins of Lancaster and York, Cecily will lose her love, her favorite brother and her dearest child. But in the end, she will watch proudly as her oldest son takes his father’s place at the head of a victorious army and is crowned at Westminster Abbey as King Edward IV."
I would like to welcome her and thank her for giving us a little more insight into this interesting woman and the times she lived in.
Thank you Kathy, for hosting me here at Bags, Books & Bon Jovi. – Anne Easter Smith
Medieval ideas of love and marriage: A Guest Post by Anne Easter Smith
Cecily Neville and Richard, duke of York, are said to have had one of history’s few real love matches in an arranged marriage. This probably came about because they were together at Cecily’s father’s castle of Raby from an early age. Richard was orphaned when he was only four, and after being put in the care of Sir Robert Waterton for several years, his wardship was eventually purchased by Ralph Neville, earl of Westmorland. And so Richard would have met and been under the same roof as Cecily when he was twelve and she was eight. It was not long afterward that Ralph wisely betrothed his youngest daughter to the young duke. Richard Plantagenet had a strong claim to the throne (but that’s another story!), so when he married Cecily she became the highest ranking of all the Neville clan.
When Ralph died in 1426, he willed the wardship to his wife, Joan, who was then placed in the king’s household with Cecily and Richard until Richard took his place at court, probably when he was 17. In Queen By Right I have the couple married before November 1429 when we know Richard received a Papal indulgence to have a portable altar and a confessor “for the duke of York and his duchess” (so we know they were married by then).
You might ask why it was unusual for theirs to be a love match? As lovers of historical fiction, I’m sure you know that most marriages from the gentry up to the royals were those of political and economical expedience. Many contracts were arranged between families when their offspring were only a few years old. But these young people might live at opposite ends of the country from each other and never meet until the legal age for marriage arrived: 12 for girls and 14 for boys. Sometimes--in the case of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou--one or other had someone stand proxy for them and you might be married before you even saw your husband! Imagine dreaming about your knight in shining armor or your Guinevere and being forced to live the rest of your days with Eygor from Frankenstein or Cruella Deville. Yes, a familiar love grew between couples in many cases, but it was hardly what we know today as conjugal bliss! Romantic love was most definitely missing for these very often mismatched pairs; can you blame them for looking for it elsewhere?
And so early in the medieval period, the troubadours began to sing about love and romance, which quickly spread to literature and pretty soon, anyone born with a silver spoon in his or her mouth were caught up in what we would probably call affairs today. We now refer to this idealized version of romance as “courtly love.” We would laugh at it now as it was highly exaggerated and artificial; we would also deem it highly dangerous as it’s most exciting aspect was secrecy. When a knight or lord fancied a lady, he was supposed to let her know by sending her secret gifts, singing her songs or penning poems. The lady on the other hand was supposed to only afford her pining lover a mere nod of approval and hint at affection. The relationship was more of a mistress dominating her servant, and the men apparently went for it.
Did they go all the way? You betcha! In fact medieval intellectuals believed that romantic love had to be adulterous because everyone knew that marriage was just for begetting children, thus real love was precious and lovers should be allowed to carry on in secret. Andrew the Chaplain, a medieval clergyman, wrote: “Love rarely survives when it becomes common knowledge.” And Heloise (the lover of Abelard) is said to have stated: “The love freely given matters. The name of ‘wife’ may seem more sacred or more worthy, but sweetest to me will always be the words ‘lover, concubine or whore.’” Quite controversial for even our time, wouldn’t you say!
Back to Cecily and Richard. Compared with many of their rank in the 15th century, there is no evidence of Richard ever having a mistress--or a bastard that has surfaced in this age of genealogy fascination--and Cecily faithfully followed her husband around the country or to France or to Ireland or wherever his career took him dragging her children with her. When Richard returned from 10-months exile in Ireland and the king had tried to stop his progress from the North Wales coast to London, the first person he sent for was Cecily, who raced up to meet him at Worcester, to where he’d pushed his way down, gathering men as he went. It was one of the few times she went to him without her children. I am sure it wasn't to talk about the weather or how little George and Richard were, I think they were hungry to wrap their arms about each other.
For more information please visit Anne Easter Smith's WEBSITE and FACEBOOK PAGE.
***GIVEAWAY***
Anne Easter Smith has graciously offered a copy of Queen By Right to a reader of Bags, Books & Bon Jovi.
I'm keeping this simple... just leave comment about this novel or Ms. Smith's guest post and you'll be entered to receive this book. You can also enter Tuesday when I post my review... you'll just need to comment on my review or tell me what other Queen By Right blog review you read. So... maximum... two entries!
The contest (open to US readers only) will start when this post is published and I will choose a winner at 11:59pm Tuesday June 21, 2011.
A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.
A word from Elizabeth: I am a college librarian in central Florida by day, but by night I can be found pounding out inspirational historical novels the moment the sun goes down. I love writing books about fiercely intelligent people who are confronted with profound challenges. As a rather introverted person, I have found that writing is the best way for me to share my faith and a sense of resilience with others.
As for who I am? I love old Hitchcock films, the hour before sunset, a long, sweaty run through the Florida countryside, and a glass of good wine. After spending my entire adult life on a college campus (either as a student or a librarian) I have finally been able to pursue my ultimate goal of writing professionally.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.
When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.
But time has changed them both.
Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.
Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts, and lives, hang in the balance?
If you would like to read the first chapter ofThe Lady of Bolton Hill, go HERE. To purchase The Lady of Bolton Hall, please click here...http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764208942
I am definitely loving novels set in The Gilded Age. And this book, the Lady of Bolton Hall, is no exception. Setting alone, though, cannot carry a story. No worries here... this is such a well-written novel. I found the dialogue especially good and, unlike a lot of novels where dialogue is almost a "filler", Ms. Camden really took care to use it to move the story forward as well using it to define the characters.
I've been reading on some "romance" forums the debate of epilogues... do we love them or should the story end when it ends? Well. I'm definitely on the "love them" side of that debate. And the epilogue of The Lady of Bolton Hall is the cherry on a great ice cream sundae. Why that particular analogy? Because there's some Häagen-Dazs ice cream in my new freezer! Anyway, the epilogue just closes the book on such a great note. I love to how the characters have changed and are living their "happily ever after".
~~Thanks to Bonnie at CFBA and the publisher for sending me a copy of The Lady of Bolton Hall in exchange for my review.~~
From Java's blog... "Blogging is a funny thing...we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, "who is this person!?" I know them...but yet I don't know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to "meet" each other! Every Sunday Never Growing Old will post four get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!! Java will add a linky so we can follow who participates and get to know them better!! Be sure to link the POST and not just your whole blog!! I have decided to change the meme to four questions each week.
Questions:
1. What is was the last piece of candy that you ate? Right before I started reading Java's blog, I ate a mint. My favorite, too :D
2. Do you "read" in the bathroom? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! I have never, ever understood this concept. Really... you cannot find anywhere in your entire home that's more comfortable to read? Besides taking a relaxing bubble bath or shower, the bathroom is a very utilitarian room... do what you need to do, wash your hands and get out.
3. I can't stand when someone _________? ... has not mastered the concept of "common courtesy". Saying "please" and "thank you" is truly not a difficult thing. Thank you :D
4. Do you do daily, weekly or monthly grocery shopping? For whatever reasons, my husband has been doing the grocery shopping for about the past year. He goes, generally, about once a week with our daughter. I love not going!
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment so I can check out your answers!
I began First Line Friday because first lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel. The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also, share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought provoking...scary...funny? Join in, if you enjoy first lines as much as I do! Be sure to use my great First Line Friday graphic and leave me a comment so I can read your blog! I'm not the only one with a meme celebrating first lines... Becky at Page Turners at http://pageturnersbooks.blogspot.com/ hosts Book Beginnings... check her blog, too.
"Even before it all went bad, she had the feeling it was going to be a rotten day." The Death Artist Jonathan Santlofer
This is about as good as a first line can be! Granted, it's a novel of suspense and I know it's going to go bad but to read it in the first line...genius! I just hope the rest of this novel is as well written.
I know this is First Line Friday but I have to talk about this amazing cover! It's beautiful and kind of scary all at once. This book is set in the art world with murders that mimic famous works of art. I'm very intrigued.
I bought this book today at the Friends of the Library book sale. M and I braved the first day crowds and found some great books. As I was looking through the tables, I overheard a woman say to her friend that she would scream with joy if she found the book in hardback. So, I asked her what book. She told me The Stand by Stephen King. I told her I'd look. And, seriously... not five minutes later... I found a withdrawn library copy in a box under the table. I handed it her and, while she didn't scream with joy, she was very happy.
Sunday is $5 a bag day and we'll go back and get enough books to read over the summer... even though I think we're still reading some of the books we bought last year :D
From the author's website... "Headstrong. Unconventional. Until life turns upside down… Julia Colter struggles to accept life under her controlling brother’s greed. The suitors he selects would benefit him, but are far from the ideal husband for her. When her rebellion against her brother puts her life at risk, she turns to her friend for help. Adam Larson longs to train horses and plans to head west to the Arizona Territory to see his dreams fulfilled. When his sister’s best friend shows up in the middle of the night, he agrees to help her flee. The decision changes his life, in more ways than he expected. Can Julia forget the pain from her past and open her heart to love?"
This is the second in The Prescott Pioneers series... and as much as I loved the first novel, A Dream Unfolding,(here's my review...http://bagsbooksandbonjovi.blogspot.com/2011/04/dream-unfolding-by-karen-baney.html), I think I liked A Heart Renewed even more!
I was really drawn to Julia in the first book and was excited to read her story. Even though it was sometimes difficult to read, it made her story real. Her strength of character was evident through the book and her actions were defined by that strength as well as her commitment to her faith.
Ms. Baney uses her research to create a story that moves along at its necessary pace. By that, I mean that it just "flow". The story is not bogged down in research yet the author gives enough detail to put me, the reader, in the scene. I love this time when our country was being settled by courageous and faithful people. Their desire, like Julia's, was to make a better life. It is that desire that creates such a wonderful novel.
I've said it before but the main reason I love series is to revisit favorite characters. It takes a talented writer, IMO, to take a main character from one book and continue to write him/her in such a way to further their story. Ms. Baney has written these characters so that we know how they are doing but she doesn't allow them to overshadow the (now) main characters.
I enjoyed reading Ms. Baney's author's note at the end of the book as these always provide such great insight into the writing process. I love the little "tidbits" that fill out the story that I just enjoyed. My favorite sentence..."Look for book 3 in the Prescott Pioneers series: A Life Restored coming in late 2011." One word...YAY!!!!
~~Thanks to the author, Karen Baney, for providing a copy of A Heart Renewed, in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review,~~
The trade paperback edition of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI is in stores today, with a beautiful new cover and bonus reader material... which is one of my favorite things when reading historical fiction.
This is a re-post of my review. I originally posted this as Mr. Gortner's novel was first released. If you haven't yet read this novel and love strong female protagonists, you are in for a treat!
From C.W. Gortner's website... "At the age of fourteen, Catherine de Medici, last legitimate descendant of the Medici blood, finds herself betrothed to the King Francois I’s son, Henri. Sent from her native Florence to France, humiliated and overshadowed by her husband’s life-long devotion to his mistress, when tragedy strikes her family Catherine rises from obscurity to become one of 16th century Europe’s most powerful women. Patroness of Nostradamus and a seer in her own right, accused of witchcraft and murder by her foes, Catherine fights to save France and her children from savage religious conflict, unaware that her own fate looms before her—a fate that will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, reputation, and the passion of her own embattled heart. . . From the splendors of the Loire palaces to the blood-soaked battles of the Wars of Religion and haunted halls of the Louvre, this is the story of Catherine’s dramatic life, told by the queen herself."
C. W. Gortner, half-Spanish by birth, holds an M.F.A. in writing, with an emphasis on historical studies, from the New College of California and has taught university courses on women of power in the Renaissance. He was raised in Málaga, Spain, and now lives in California. Acclaimed for his insight into his characters, he travels extensively to research his books. He has slept in a medieval Spanish castle, danced in a Tudor great hall, and explored library archives all over Europe. His debut historical novel The Last Queen gained international praise and has been translated into eight languages to date. His new novel, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, will be published on May 25, 2010. He is currently at work on The Princess Isabella, his third historical novel, and The Secret Lion, the first book in his Tudor thriller series,The Spymaster Chronicles. You can visit C. W. Gortner’s website at http://cwgortner.com/
My thoughts about The Confessions of Catherine deMedici... This novel was incredible from the first line (and you know how much I love first lines!)... "I was ten years old when I discovered I might be a witch." to the last sentence... you didn't really think I'd share that, did you?!?
I love historical fiction but have, until recently, read mostly about fictional characters. I really didn't know a lot about Catherine de Medici. I didn't "google" her until after I had finished this novel. I wanted to read this book without any preconceived ideas. Because I wasn't as familiar with Catherine's story as I should be (shhh... don't tell my history professors :D), I was very grateful for the map of France and the family tree of The Valois. I referred to both and didn't get lost with names and places. It's details like this that tell me that the author put thought into everything about his novel. If there are too many characters or places and I have to constantly go back and read a page or two to figure things out, I'm more likely to stop reading. A quick glance at the map and family tree assured that this novel read effortlessly. I appreciate things like that in my books.
Mr. Gortner chose to tell Catherine's story from her point of view. This, in my humble opinion as a reader, can make or break a story. He did it, flawlessly. There was never a point in the story when I "lost" Catherine's voice and "heard" the author's. Everything was as Catherine would interpret it... the dialogue flowed, the characters (both primary and secondary) were presented as she saw them and the settings described through her eyes. To take Catherine from a young girl through her tumultuous life and have me feel empathy for a Queen who, historically, is regarded as ruthless, domineering and, even murderous, takes great skill as a writer. To do it from her own point of view without losing historical facts and perceptions seems to very easy for Mr. Gortner.
I know not all authors choose the covers of their novels but I have to say that this cover is so striking. I hope Mr. Gortner had some say with this cover and is pleased with the results. I have seen The Confessions of Catherine deMedici at the bookstore and it is truly eye-catching. I know a huge trend in historical fiction cover art is women wearing beautiful period gowns. This cover takes it a step beyond. Yes, Catherine is wearing a beautiful period gown but she is standing in a hall that is dark, almost ominous... foreshadowing, maybe?
There is a afterword in which the author shares some of his thoughts about writing this novel as well as some other historical notes. I appreciate this because, after reading the book, I can tell he was thoughtful and careful he was to tell Catherine's story.
I read this novel with a more critical eye than I normally do as I knew I would be reviewing it. I came away thinking that it was so well-written and interesting that I would not have been disappointed if I had purchased it... which I will do for Mr. Gortner's other books. I'm now quite a fan of his work. Please check out his website for information about his other works.
***Thanks to Dorothy and Cheryl at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/ and Random House for sending me The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner to read and write an honest review on my blog.***
From the publicist... "A Heart that Yearns for More. Colleen Coble leads her readers on a search for significance. What do I have to offer this world? Can I really be loved for who I am on the outside and not for how others view me? Where does my true significance come from? In her third installment of the Mercy Falls series, The Lightkeeper’s Ball, award-winning author Colleen Coble will answer these questions while leading her readers down a path of betrayal, desire and ultimate fulfillment. The Mercy Falls series centers on a small town in California and its lighthouse. Coble uses the lighthouse as a reminder that Jesus is our lighthouse always leading us home. In her latest addition to the series, the main characters must wrestle with their desire to find fulfillment in more than their work and money while being hunted by those who are holding on to resentment and unforgiveness. Olivia Stewart’s family is one of the Four Hundred—the highest echelon of society in 1910. Living in New York with her mother, Olivia is twenty-five and unmarried, and her mother is threatening an arranged marriage if she does not pick a suitable match soon. But Olivia wants someone who will love her for more than her name. Her sister Eleanor has headed to the Wild West of California to meet and marry Harrison Bennett. Harrison is the son of her late father’s business partner, Claude. Olivia’s father had specified in his will that the Bennett and Stewart families be joined in order for his family to receive half of the rights to the Bennetts’ diamond mine. But when Claude Bennett arrives in New York to inform Mrs. Stewart and Olivia that Eleanor has drowned, everything changes. Now Olivia must marry Harrison, or her family will be left with no income. But Olivia is not convinced that her sister’s death was an accident. So she heads to Mercy Falls, California, under her formal title, Lady Devonworth, in order to seek the truth and to hide her identity from Harrison. But the truth she finds may not be what she expected. Harrison Bennett is full of dreams. His father insists he run their business, and his mother tells him that he should not waste the gift God has given him. But all Harrison really wants to do is build and fly aeroplanes. And it doesn’t help any that his fiancé drowned and now the nosy Lady Devonworth keeps asking him questions about something so private and hurtful. Yet there seems to be something more than skin deep with her, and he would like to discover what it is. Can Olivia and Harrison both find the meaning in life that they desire? In her last novel in the Mercy Falls series, Coble does not disappoint. With murder, suspense and desire, readers will enjoy peeling back the layers and discovering that this is more than your average romance novel. They will be perched on the edge of their seats trying to solve the mystery of Eleanor’s death while discovering that the true worth of an individual never comes from a name or accomplishments. True worth can only be found in Christ."
An interview with Colleen Coble, author of The Lightkeeper’s Ball Q: Did you always dream of becoming a writer? Why did you choose the romance genre? I wrote my first story in the first grade. It was about a horse that had twin colts. The teacher praised it and the writing seed was planted. I love illustrating God’s love through romance. I especially love the suspense I put into all my books as well. I have a strong streak of justice and it plays out in the suspense element.
Q: What inspired you to write a historical series based in the early 1900’s? What would you have enjoyed about living in that time period and what would you have found the most difficult? I happened to read an article about the Gilded Age and it mentioned how that era was so similar to today’s. I was intrigued with that, plus I wanted to choose a time period that wouldn’t be too much of a departure from my contemporary books. In that era, there were still cars and telephones! I would have loved the simpler lifestyle. However, I would miss my jeans! How vain.
Q: Society at the turn of the century was very preoccupied with appearances and impressing other people. How is that not so different than our society today and how can we keep from falling into that same trap? That’s exactly right! The parallels between the two eras are astounding. I’ve been at the cancer hospital this week with a dear friend, and it was a reminder of how fragile this life is. We seek THINGS when God wants us to seek Him. We need to keep our eyes set on eternity and remember that THIS life is the real dream. When we reach heaven, we will finally start to really live.
Q: Bitterness and unforgiveness led to the death of Olivia’s sister. Why is it so important to forgive those who have wronged us? An unforgiving spirit hurts us much more than the person we hate. It makes us ugly and crowds out the love we want to show other people. God is love, not hate. Bitterness is the very opposite of the attitude God wants us to have.
Q: This is the third book in your Mercy Falls series. Addie and Katie were the main characters in your first two books. Olivia was given a true gift in the friendship of Katie and Addie. What does it take to find trustworthy and loyal friends? Why do you think that we all desire to find friends like these? You have to first be a friend. You have to be open and giving of yourself to have those kinds of friends. A true friend tells you the truth in love, and that’s an important component of the give and take of real friendship.
Q: What do you hope that your readers will take away from reading The Lightkeeper’s Ball? I hope the readers who feel they have to earn love will take away the realization that their true worth is that Jesus loves them and died for them. They are valuable beyond comprehension. When we can step into the role of daughters and sons, we can realize our true potential.
My thoughts... I love series books but I don't love when series books end. Every page I turned brought me closer to the end of a series I really enjoyed. That said, though... The Lightkeeper's Ball is a satisfying conclusion to The Mercy Falls series.
As mentioned in previous reviews, I really love The Gilded Age in novels. Not only is this book set in the time period but it also takes readers to the rugged coast of California. It is also a mystery and that adds another aspect that I love in novels. It wasn't just "thrown" in. Ms. Coble wove it seamlessly into the story that is also about love, friendship, truth and faith.
I enjoy series novels because I can "catch up" with characters from previous novels. It was satisfying to see Addie and Katie again and see what their story has become.
The Mercy Falls series was my introduction to Ms. Coble's writing. I hope her other novels are as wonderful as this series.
~~Thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist at The B&B Media Group as well as the author and the publisher for sending me The Lightkeeper's Ball.~~
From Margaret George's website... "New York Times best-selling Margaret George captures history’s most enthralling queen—as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart. One of today’s premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma—the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel-bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England’s greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was she really like? In this novel, her flame-haired, look-alike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth’s rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth’s throne, Lettice has been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family. Their rivalry, and its ensuing drama, soon involves everyone close to Elizabeth, from the famed courtiers who enriched the crown to the legendary poets and playwrights who paid homage to it with their works. Intimate portraits of the personalities who made the Elizabethan age great—Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake—fill these pages, giving us an unforgettable glimpse of a queen who ruled as much from the heart as from the head, and considered herself married to her people. This magnificent, stay-up-all-night page-turner is George’s finest and one that is sure to delight readers of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, and Hilary Mantel."
When I received this ARC, I was a little intimidated by its size. It's almost 700 pages! But I LOVE BFBs...big fat books! Honestly, though, it was quite a page turner. I think the reason I love historical novels so much is that I am really taken to another place. I love that I am learning history, as well. I like to think I am an educated person but I am always pleasantly surprised at how much I learn when I read novels like Margaret George's Elizabeth I.
This is my first Margaret George novel. Her writing style "clicked" with me. I think it was the first person narration that I enjoyed the most. There's no way I can remotely relate to being Queen of England in 16th century England. Reading her story through her eyes, as it were, made Elizabeth more of an empathetic character as opposed to just a historical figure. Her thoughts, action and reactions were made more real because, through her, I understood her motivations.
I think Ms. George made an interesting choice in telling Elizabeth's story as a ruling monarch in the "evening" of her life. We don't see her character being "set". We see the product of all that has gone before her and made her the Queen.
Here is an excerpt taken from the author's website... "Excerpt Chapter 1 The Vatican, March 1588 Felice Peretti, otherwise known as Pope Sixtus V, stood swaying before the stack of rolled Bulls. They were neatly arranged like a cord of wood, alternating short and long sides, their lead seals hanging down like a row of puppy tails. “Ah,” he said, eyeing them with great satisfaction. They seemed to radiate power. But one thing was lacking: his blessing. Raising his right hand, he spoke in sonorous Latin: “O sovereign God, hear the prayer of your servant Sixtus. Acting in accordance with my office as the vicar of Christ, his representative on earth, who has the power to bind and loose, to forgive sins or withhold forgiveness, I have pronounced judgment on that wicked woman of England, the pretender queen. She is hereby excommunicated from the body of Christendom until such time as she repents. In order that those living under her rule do not go down into damnation with her, we bless the Enterprise of England. Aboard the ships of the great Armada will go these Bulls of excommunication and sentence upon Elizabeth, the pretender queen of England, calling for her deposition, in order that her subjects may be rescued from her impiety and perverse government. They will see the happy light of day when Christ’s avengers set boots upon English soil. There they will be distributed to the faithful. Merciful God, we ask this in the savior’s name, and for his Holy Church.” The sixty-eight-year-old pope then slowly circled the pile, making the sign of the cross and sprinkling it with holy water. Then he nodded to the Spanish envoy standing quietly to one side. “You may transport them now,” he said. “The Armada leaves from Lisbon, does it not?” “Yes, Your Holiness. Next month.” Sixtus nodded. “They should arrive in plenty of time, then. You have waterproof canisters for them?” “I am sure they will be provided. King Philip thinks of everything.” * * * * * * * * Chapter 4 ELIZABETH May 1588 The whip cracked and snapped as it sought its victim. I could see the groom cowering in the bushes, then crawling away in the underbrush as the whip ripped leaves off a branch just over his head. A stream of Spanish followed him, words to the effect that he was a worthless wretch. Then the face of the persecutor turned toward me, shining with his effort. “Your Majesty,” he said, “why do you keep my whip?” It was a face I had thought never to see again—that of Don Bernardino de Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador I had evicted from England four years earlier for spying. Now he rounded on me and began fingering his whip as he walked toward me. I sat up in bed. I could still smell the leather of the whip, lingering in the air where it had cracked. And that smirk on the face of Mendoza, his teeth bared like yellowed carved ivory—I shuddered at its cold rictus. It was only a dream. I shook my head to clear it. The Spanish were much on my mind, that was all. But . . . didn’t Mendoza actually leave me a whip? Or did we just find one in his rooms after he hurriedly left? I had it somewhere. It was smaller than the one in the dream, useful only for urging horses, not punishing horse grooms. It had been black, and braided, and supple as a cat’s tail. Spain’s leather was renowned for its softness and strength. Perhaps that was why I had kept it. It was not light out yet. Too early to arise. I would keep my own counsel here in bed. Doubtless devout Catholics—secretly here in England, openly in Europe—were already at early Mass. Some Protestants were most likely up and studying Scripture. But I, their reluctant figurehead, would commune with the Lord by myself. I, Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England for thirty years, had been cast by my birth into the role of defender of the Protestant faith. Spiteful people said, “Henry VIII broke with the pope and founded his own church only so he could get his way with Anne Boleyn.” My father had given them grounds with his flip quote “If the pope excommunicates me, I’ll declare him a heretic and do as I please.” Thus the King’s Conscience had become a joke. But out of it had come the necessity of embracing Protestantism, and from that had grown a national church that now had its own character, its own martyrs and theology. To the old Catholic Church, I was a bastard and usurper queen; thus I say that my birth imposed Protestantism upon me. Why must England, a poor country, be stuck with subsidizing three others—the French, the Dutch, the Scots—and facing Spain, the Goliath champion of Catholicism? God’s teeth, wasn’t it enough for me to defend and manage my own realm? The role was a sponge that soaked up our resources and was driving us slowly but inexorably toward bankruptcy. To be the soldier of God was an expense I could have done without. Soldier. God must be laughing, to have handed me his banner to carry, when all the world knew—or thought it did—that a woman could never lead troops into battle."
If my review, or better yet, Ms. George's writing has piqued your interest, you can buy the book here... http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-I-Novel-Margaret-George/dp/0670022535/
~~Thanks to Cheryl at Pump Up You Book, Margaret George and the publisher for sending this copy in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.~~
Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of over twenty inspirational novels. Her genres include contemporary stories including John 3:16 and Time Lottery a Christy Award winner, and historical novels of real women-of-history including Just Jane (Jane Austen) and Washington's Lady (Martha Washington). Her newest historical novels are Masquerade and An Unlikely Suitor. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the
Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Sister Circle Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com and her historical blog: http://footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com/
ABOUT THE BOOK
New York dressmaker Lucy Scarpelli befriends socialite Rowena Langdon as she's designing her 1895 summer wardrobe. Grateful for Lucy's skill in creating fashions that hide her physical injury, Rowena invites Lucy to the family mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, encouraging the unusual friendship.
One day Lucy encounters an intriguing man on the Cliff Walk, and love begins to blossom. Yet Lucy resists, for what Newport man would want to marry an Italian dressmaker working to support her family?
Rowena faces an arranged marriage to a wealthy heir she doesn't love, but dare a crippled girl hope for anything better?
And Lucy's teenage sister, Sofia, falls for a man well above her social class--but is he willing to give up everything to marry a woman below his station?
As the lives of three young woman--and their unlikely suitors--become entangled in a web of secrets and sacrifice, will the season end with any of them finding true happiness?
I have definitely found an author to add to my list of favorites! Okay, so I didn't put two and two together and realize that Nancy Moser wrote Masquerade, too. I loved that novel. It was just a few days ago as I started to think about this review that I realized it. Yay!
Not only does Ms. Moser write about The Gilded Age in New York City... which I LOVE!!... but she writes about both the "upper" class and the "working" class. In both novels, women from both classes are the main characters. Of course, their stories parallel but how each reacts is very indicative of the class to which they were born. The common thread that holds the women together is their faith in God.
As perfect as this story was and it really was (it had The Gilded Age, NYC, a little bit of mystery and... FASHION!!), my favorite part was after the novel ended. No, I'm not spoiling the ending but there is a wealth of information that just enhances the book! I would encourage you to actually read it as you read the book. There is a section titled "Fact or Fiction" in which Ms. Moser explains things that you may or may not know about the era. Although, I know quite a bit about The Gilded Age, I did learn a few things that really enhanced the story. There are also illustrations that show what fashionable ladies wore. Yes, Ms. Moser describes the fashions perfectly but to have the illustrations just increased my enjoyment of the story.
I have become one of Ms. Moser's blog followers. You can find it here... http://footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com/. She writes of historical topics that parallel her novels.
Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.
After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late1800s.
Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House. When she visited her publisher back in January of 2010, she was interviewed by the staff. If you'd like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she develops her story ideas and a description of her bumpy journey to publication, click here to listen to a podcast of that interview.
ABOUT THE BOOK
After completing his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past.
Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs in the town her father founded. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she's reluctant to trust him. Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.
Eden believes she's finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth about Levi's prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?
It dawned on me while I was reading this novel that, of course, I knew how it would end. No spoilers but, honestly, we all know how these types of novels end. It's a romance, for goodness sakes!
So, I started thinking why do I love to read these books so much? The answer is the journey. How the characters fall in love and overcome obstacles to have their happy ending is what draws me in. Ms. Witemeyer creates huge obstacles in To Win Her Heart. The main characters, through their faith in God, overcome them. Their journey is hard fought. It was reading this journey that made me a fan of Ms. Witemeyer. She writes "big" scenes and "small" scenes so that each are as important to the plot as the other. She is truly a storyteller.
Get your button here Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. The series is week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Megan Alexander, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beth Engelman, Holley Gerth, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/1-5/8 and the winner will on 5/11. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there! Happy Mother's Day!
PEARL PINS by Margaret McSweeney
At age 49, I am a mom without a mom. This deep longing for my mother continues to surprise me. During milestone moments, I imagine phone conversations with her.
“Can you believe that Melissa is graduating from high school in June? I’m so glad you will be flying to Chicago to be here with us.”
“Wasn’t that a fun family dinner we all had last weekend to celebrate Katie’s ‘sweet sixteen?’ I am so glad you could join us.”
“Isn’t this exciting? I just got a new book contract. Will you please edit my manuscript before I send it in?”
Sadly, this will be my eighth Mother’s Day to spend without my mother. She has missed some poignant milestones in my life and in the lives of my daughters. Both Melissa and Katie were very young when she died so they don’t have a full reservoir of memories about Grandmommy Rhea. However, they do have the legacy of faith that she helped instill in them as toddlers. She loved to send Veggie Tales tapes, Children’s Bibles and devotional books.
Melissa and Katie were blessed to have Nana, (Dave’s mother) around for much longer. Nana passed away two years ago. A few years before Nana died, she gave me a beautiful necklace with a diamond pendant made from her wedding ring along with a pair of diamond earrings. She asked me to give these special gifts to Melissa and Katie for their sixteenth birthdays. Even though Nana wasn’t around to celebrate, my daughters were so happy to receive such special keepsakes from her. Hugs from heaven.
Last week on Katie’s 16th birthday, I discovered an unexpected blessing that had been tucked away in a cardboard container of my mother’s things. A jewelry box with three pearl pins! I gave one to Melissa as a belated 16th birthday gift, and I presented one to Katie for her 16th birthday. This Mother’s Day, I will wear my mother’s pearl pin as a tangible reminder that a mother’s love (and a grandmother’s love) is an everlasting gift from God.
Finding these gifts made me think about what I might leave for my own daughters someday. It isn’t the external value of the gift that matters, but rather the love that it represents.
Is there a special gift or letter that you would like to leave your children?
Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. After earning a master’s degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David. Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother’s Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over eight years. For more information, find Margaret at www.pearlgirls.info and www.kitchenchat.info.
From Karen Baney's website... "The promise of a new life and a chance to start over… Hannah Anderson had the life she always wanted, married to the man of her dreams. When her husband’s brother gets in trouble with the law, the town turns against them, shattering her perfect life. Now they are left with only one choice—to head west to the Arizona Territory in the hopes of creating a new life. Will the journey be worth the cost? Will Colter, after burying his father, is forced to leave the ranch he has called home for nearly thirty years. The journey is dangerous, challenging him and his men. Will he find the new life he was hoping for? Or, is there a new dream quietly unfolding before their eyes?"
I am so happy that I was given the opportunity to read and review this book. It is so good!
It was offered to me as a Christian historical romance and, while it is definitely that, I think it is much more than that. It is a story of all that made the journey West something that still intrigues us.
It is not always an easy read. There were some difficult scenes but that was how it was. I would have been disappointed if Ms. Baney "candy-coated" it. She writes characters who were put in situations, not always of their making, and making the best of it. She writes about their relationship with God as "ordinary". I mean that in the best possible way. It's not forced or "thrown in". It's a part of their character just as their ambition, their honor and their determination. That, to me, is the mark of a great writer.
A Dream Unfolding is the first in The Prescott Pioneers series. I am looking forward to reading the second... A Heart Renewed.
~~Thanks to Karen Baney, the author, for sending me a copy of A Dream Unfolding in exchange for an honest and thoughtful revirew.~~
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I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles. - Audrey Hepburn
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