A debut author brings us a unique look at World War II centered around horses, welcome Nicole Miller to the Index!

Poland , 1930s , 1939-1945 (US WWII) , World War II , Horse Trainer, Military, Spy , Based on Actual Characters or Events , Miller-Nicole M

Until Our Time Comes 1939 – Poland American horse trainer Adia Kensington is living her dream of working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland, where they breed the best Arabian horses in the world. But her plans to bring the priceless stallion Lubor to the US are derailed when the German army storms into her adopted country in 1939. Little does she know this is just the beginning of six long years of occupation that will threaten her beloved horses at every turn. Major Bret Conway is at Janów Podlaski under the guise of a news reporter, but his true mission is intelligence gathering for the British. That and keeping Adia safe, which is harder and harder to do as she insists they must evacuate 250 horses to save them from being stolen, sold, or eaten by the invading forces. What follows will test their physical, mental, and emotional strength, as well as their faith in God, humankind, and each other.

Nicole’s Website

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Questions about Nicole’s Story

What inspired this story?

This story was inspired by my research into my own horse’s bloodlines and the history surrounding one particular horse’s escape of Nazis in World War II. I’d always loved horses and history, and the blending of these two threads wove together a story that I simply had to write. As I’d come to find out, my own horse that I’ve owned for 23 years was descended from the very same farm, from some of the horses who survived the war.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I love telling stories about how animals impact humans. Horses, in particular, have been an important part of my life, and in this novel, I enjoyed presenting the idea of human’s duty to care for the helpless. I loved bringing horses to life with unique personalities (because, trust me, they all have their own attitudes.) I also had fallen in love with the main setting, Janów Podlaski, and this farm became like a character of its own.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

My favorite character is a little pickpocket named Ewan who in many ways is the hero of the entire tale. He’s quirky, courageous, and brutally honest. I envisioned him as so many children might have been—both terrified at the war on his doorstep, and enduring nonetheless. He’s really the hero we all hope we’d be in the face of danger.

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Questions about Nicole’s Reading

Nicole is giving away either a paperback (USA Only) or an ebook (Internationals Entry welcome). Enter the Rafflecopter below!

**If you don’t want to enter the 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.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need something out of the ordinary? The heroine is an ornithologist and the hero is an architectural salvage dealer–have you seen that combo in a book before? Welcome Jocelyn to the Index!

New York , New York City , 1920s , 1900-1930 (US Early American), Roaring Twenties , Scientist, Unusual Profession , Physical Handicaps , Illness , Green-Jocelyn

The Hudson Collection Elsa Reisner’s lifelong dream of working as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History is fading as the job begins to drain her passion. But fate takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to catalog the bequest of a recently deceased patron whose Gothic country mansion holds secrets and treasures waiting to be discovered. As Elsa delves into her task, she forms an unlikely bond with the estate’s delightful gardener and her daughter, as well as an architectural salvage dealer who still bears scars from the Great War. Together, they embark on a thrilling treasure hunt for a missing relic intended to safeguard the servants’ futures before the estate is sold. At the same time, Elsa’s body seems to betray her with new symptoms from a childhood disease that isn’t through with her yet. With the brooding veteran and her handsome colleague joining the search, Elsa must navigate the tangled web of secrets and hidden motives along with the changing state of her health. As her deadline looms ever closer, will she be able to secure a new life for her friends before the estate slips from their grasp?

Jocelyn’s Website

Others in this Series:

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Questions about Jocelyn’s Story

Were there any historical facts that you discovered in your research that made you change something in your story?

Yes! I didn’t realize when I first came up with the idea for this story that the eugenics movement was in full swing during this time period. Knowing that really helped shape the character arc for the protagonist.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

For Elsa’s career as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History, one of the resources I used was a guide on how to skin and stuff birds, published by the AMNH right around the time my novel takes place. For Luke’s career as an architectural salvage dealer, I had a fascinating interview with a man who works with the period rooms in the Daughters of the American Revolution museum.

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that you thought was strange or surprising?

All kinds of things. The most surprising was the true story of the Incubator Babies sideshow on Coney Island. At that time, hospitals didn’t have incubators so premature babies rarely survived. But parents who allowed their babies to benefit from the incubators in this sideshow often were able to take their babies home after they grew enough under nurses’ care there. People paid to see the incubator babies, which is really uncomfortable, but those babies had a much higher survival rate than preemies that didn’t have the opportunity to grow in an incubator.

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Questions about Jocelyn’s Reading

Jocelyn is giving away a paperback (USA Only). Enter the Rafflecopter below!

**If you don’t want to enter the 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.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway