I’ve always said if you smack a castle on a book cover, I’ll buy it. Well, it might not be a picture of a castle, but having it in the title on such a pretty cover comes close! 🙂 Welcome, Kristy, to the Index!
|
France , Castles, Foreign Setting , Storming of the Bastille , Badly Injured , Classic Literature Spinoff, Marriage of Convenience/Arranged Marriage, Past/Present Plot or Split Time Periods , Caregiving for Older Adults , Cambron-Kristy |
A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley… Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved old woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . . Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a forgotten castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever. Bridging the past to present in three time-periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations. |
|
*******************************************************************************************************
Questions about Kristy’s Story
What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?
This is the first novel I’ve written where a main character doesn’t have a single line of dialogue—the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castle became that unexpected favorite character as the story evolved. The castle is the silent witness of the stories that passed through the generations, recording the lives of those who lived and fought and died around its ruins. I loved to write a character that is immoveable but alive, ever-present but in the background, and asleep yet awakened, all at the same time!
If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?
It’s a little scary to admit, but Ellison Carver has shades of my own life layered into her—so I kind of am a character! (This is my first novel in which that’s happened…) I wanted to honor the legacy of the generations who’ve lived and passed stories down to us. My grandmother—a college professor like Ellie’s Grandma Vi—battled Alzheimer’s Disease, and it felt right to tell a story from that place of deep understanding. Ellie’s journey in daring to dream of a new tomorrow… it was also similar to the “step-out and step-into your calling” author journey our family has been on in the last several years.
If you could be guaranteed to publish a book set anywhere and at anytime, what setting would you love to set a novel in?
How fun is this question, because I get to say that this is actually going to come true! I’m working on Book #2 in the Lost Castle series now, and it’s in a setting I love (Dublin, Ireland) with a storyline I’ve always found fascinating (WWI and the Easter Rising). After traveling to Ireland for research (with my husband and oldest sons – aka ‘Research Partners’), I fell in love with the land and the spirit of the Irish people. I can’t wait to write their story!
*******************************************************************************************************
Questions about Kristy’s Reading
|
|
If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? A couple of new 2018 titles I’ve recently read (and loved) are: THE WEAVER’S DAUGHTER by Sarah E. Ladd, and THE SEA BEFORE US, by Sarah Sundin. And a little secret I don’t mind sharing? I read every novel by these Sarahs. 😊 They’re the gold-standard for me in air-tight historical research seamlessly woven with skillful storytelling. I’m always swept away by their talent—and transported by their stories! |
 |
What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry? Every Joanne Bischof novel/novella I’ve ever read has drawn such strong emotion, I end up in tears and remember the characters long after the final page. Joanne is a rare talent and I adore everything she writes. |
Kristy is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!
**If you don’t want to enter Rafflecopter, tell me in a comment below: “I’m not entering the rafflecopter, but please throw me in the hat” so I can manually put you in there for a chance.**