Ready for a new Marriage of Convenience? We have debut author Christine Hill Suntz delivering us one of the newest. Welcome, Christine!

Canada , Toronto , 1830s , 1800s Foreign , Laundry, Lawyer , Disguised/Dual Identity, Widowed , Marriage of Convenience/Arranged Marriage, Upstairs/Downstairs , Suntz-Christine Hill

The Lawyer and the Laundress Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life. When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady. If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

Christine’s Website

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Questions about Christine’s Story

 

Did any of the characters in this book “surprise” you?

Granny definitely surprised me. She was meant to be an unimportant side character, almost a plot device. But every time I wrote her into a scene, she took over! I know it sounds unbelievable that a character could control a scene (isn’t the writer supposed to be in charge?), but that’s Granny! When I finished the story, I realized why Granny had emerged as such an important character. Our society favors youth, and it’s easy for us to ignore the wisdom of the older generation. I hope Granny can remind us to listen to the elders God has placed in our lives to teach, guide, and encourage.

 

Why did you choose the geographical location and year in which your book is set?

The Lawyer and the Laundress is set in 1837 Toronto, the site of the short-lived Upper Canada Rebellion. Every Canadian child learns about this rebellion in school, and it has lived in my imagination for years alongside its leader, William Lyon Mackenzie, a fiery Scot who was an orator and politician…not a military leader. Although the rebellion failed to achieve its goals, we look back on this event as the beginning of responsible government in Canada. I am so excited to bring this time period to life for my readers.

 

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

As part of my research for The Lawyer and the Laundress, I bought a washboard, made soap, and washed the old-fashioned way. I made lye from hardwood ashes and tallow from beef fat to make my own soap (FYI, this is way hard). I boiled, soaked, scrubbed and rinsed my clothes. My arms got a workout and my clothes were clean! And suddenly all those scenes in old books when kids get in trouble for getting their clothes dirty made a lot more sense. Laundry was hard work.

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Questions about Christine’s Reading

What Christian Historical Novel taught you something about the craft of writing because it was so well done? Tell us a bit about what it taught you. I keep raving about Laura Frantz’s The Indigo Heiress. She creates nuanced characters whose thoughts and actions never stopped surprising me. This book is also a masterclass in how to do marriage of convenience well. So much goes into the setup to make character motivations and decisions believable. Laura Frantz does it perfectly.

What Christian Historical Novel are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out? I`m so excited to read Jenelle Hovde`s No Stone Unturned which releases July 15th. Regency Romance is one of my favorite genres and this one has enemies-to-lovers, ruins, and mystery, too. It`s going to be a perfect, sparkling summer read.

Christine is giving away either a (signed 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.**

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Look at this mysterious cover. Doesn’t it look intriguing? I love how the house is prominently features and the author’s going to tell you why in the interview. Welcome, Joanna, to the Index!

England , At Sea/Water Travel, Estates/Manors, Island , 1900s , 1900s Foreign, English (1901-1914) Edwardian Era , Inventor, Physical Handicaps , Mystery, Opposites Attract, Save the Inheritance/Legacy , Mental Problems, Secrets , Politano-Joanna Davidson

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House A clever young woman, a contested will, and an estate that does not easily give up its secrets. It is 1901 when clockmaker and tinker Sydney Forrester receives a most unusual inheritance. Blakely House, the island estate of an estranged uncle she’s never met, seems almost alive, revealing and hiding its secrets at will. It is filled with remarkable inventions, including an intriguing unfinished automaton Sydney is itching to get her skilled hands on. The estate is also home to a number of peculiar people–including two men intent on removing this interloper from the island. Convinced that Sydney has something to do with their uncle’s death, the late master’s nephews contest the will and work against their cousin at every turn. Sydney finds a sometimes-ally in the estate’s butler, an ex-adventurer who ran aground on the island years ago. But when a mysterious man washes ashore with a stunning surprise that upsets everything, Sydney must prove she has inherited the late master’s brilliance as well as his property–or someone else will.

Joanna’s Website

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Questions about Joanna’s Story

What inspired this story?

I once asked my engineer husband how alternating current worked, and that magic question was like plugging in the Christmas tree—he absolutely lit up! In his two hour explanation, complete with animated rabbit trails, I was blown away by his untapped genius. He explained hydraulics, electricity, physics, and vintage innovations that never made it to the market. I felt like Alice stepping into Wonderland, seeing a whole world of gadgets and mechanics I hadn’t really thought about before. Seeing the inner workings of his brain, too. Somehow he made it all fascinating.

I took that energy and enthusiasm and brilliance gleaned from my husband into a really fun story about a clockmaker heroine who inherits the estate of an industrialist. I filled that house with all the quirky inventions that never made it big, and brought to life a few from my own imagination. It felt like Wonderland, just like the conversation with my husband, and it absolutely lit up my creativity! I let that house take on a life of its own and then dropped a brilliant but somewhat shy heroine into the midst of it, letting her run around and figure out the puzzle of unfinished inventions. The story evolved from there.

 

Did any of your characters “fight” with you until you succumbed and changed their personality or the story choice you were forcing them into?

My heroine absolutely wouldn’t become the bold, independent, outspoken character I wanted her to be. Instead, she bent into this quirky, clever, intensely tender person who has the creativity and scattered personality of someone with ADHD. So… she was basically me. It’s always wise to write what you know, but I knew this personality too well, and didn’t want to be that vulnerable. Yet every time she opened her mouth or made a move, she took on this persona I hadn’t meant to write. Mostly because it resembled mine more than I wanted it to. She took on all my faith doubts, asked all my deeper questions, and wrestled with what to believe. She struggled to fit into a world that truly wasn’t made for people like her. She found intense delight in unsolved puzzles and couldn’t resist rescuing someone in need. And by the end, I fell in love with her spunk and compassion. I’m thankful for what she made me face, and the questions we asked together. I so enjoyed getting to know Sydney Forrester, and watching her come alive in her story.

 

Why did you choose the geographical location in which your book is set?

I set this book on a made-up island within a real chain of islands, but the coolest part was the house—the house! It’s a real home from Northumberland that was powered totally by water pressure (hydroelectricity) and bursting with brilliant gadgets. Built by a lawyer-turned-industrialist in the late nineteenth century, this house called Cragside was the source of incredible wonderment and inspiration for this story. It was like the first smart house, and every nook and cranny had odd little gadgets that automated processes and kept the house functioning. He never tried to invent the large moneymaker, but to relieve the burdens of everyday people—the kitchen received most of his brilliance. From automatic dishwashers to hydraulic dumbwaiters and rotisseries, shiny metal and mechanics glistened from top to bottom. The tiny trinkets and “just because” inventions intrigued me most, and gave Cragside its unique charm.

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Questions about Joanna’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Roseanna White writes such creative plots set in similar eras to mine. We both gravitate toward many similar elements, like family secrets, dynamic characters, and authentic love stories. Michelle Griep writes absolutely thrilling Victorian-era novels that have a gothic flair like mine, but are even darker and grittier. Abigail Wilson writes great historical mysteries set in the same time period with a lovely romance thread.

What Christian Historical Novel taught you something about the craft of writing because it was so well done? Tell us a bit about what it taught you. A Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts taught me about rich, textured characters and how to bring them to life through small details. This author paints beautiful backstories for her characters, and gives you little sips of them so you’ll see the full scope of a character. Every character and scene in her books feels so real. They’re the sort that stick to your soul and make you want to both argue with them and pray for them. She’s a masterful storyteller.

Joanna is giving away either 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.**

If you can’t see the Rafflecopter on this post, go here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway