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An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

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1905 – Pennsylvania

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

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2275 BC – Middle East

Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge–and it’s about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction. And when the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

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1860s/Present – Kansas

Is Siobhan too far gone to respond to the song of a God who’s calling her back to him?

When a new customer brings a badly damaged violin into Siobhan Walsh’s shop, it is exactly the sort of challenge she craves. The man who brought it in is not. He’s too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles.
Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as the new worship pastor. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a repair shop, he’s fascinated with the restoration process–and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work.

As their friendship deepens and turns into more, they both discover secrets that force them to face past wounds. And the history of the violin reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected.
On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell’s family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father’s prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she’d resigned herself to a spinster’s life. But Levi Martinson’s gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love–and Deborah’s shaky faith–to the ultimate test.

Relying on the Enemy by Danielle Grandinetti

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1931 – Wisconsin

She’s protecting her children. He’s redeeming his past. But there’s nothing convenient about saving their patchwork family.

All widowed mother Marian Ward wants is to provide for her girls. However, she faces the dead of winter with no income and dwindling resources. Then she overhears a nefarious conversation, putting her life and that of her children in immediate danger.

Aiming to make amends to the Wards, Gilbert steps in when the threat to Marian escalates. It costs him dearly. Either lose his career or marry her, and be tied to his past until death do them part.

He leaves the decision to Marian, who will do anything to protect her girls, even marry the son of the man who ruined her family. How will their fledgling trust prove strong enough to fulfill their vows as winter tightens its grip and desperation stalks at the door?

Nellie by Amy Walsh

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1931 – Pennsylvania

Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium.

Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity — though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal.

Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale. As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House?

Wild Heart’s Haven by Lacy Williams

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mid 1800s – Oregon trail

Rachel never wanted to travel into the wilderness. The westward trail has stolen everything from her. Her home. Her family. Her husband. Now a match made out of necessity has trapped her in a marriage with a man she can’t stand.

Owen likes Rachel about as much as his horse likes a burr under its saddle. She’s bossy and stubborn with an independent streak a mile wide. And a baby on the way.

He can’t help feeling responsible for the prickly mother-to-be. A marriage of convenience is the right thing to do. But that doesn’t mean he has to like it. He just has to survive it until they reach Oregon.

Love’s Grand Sweet Song by Jennifer Lamont Leo

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1915 – Illinois

Waitress Francie Forrester has a voice like an angel, but few people in her small Midwestern town have ever heard it, except in church. Between working and keeping an eye on her irresponsible mother and younger brother, who has time for music? Her misty daydream of becoming an opera singer must remain exactly that—a dream—until a new friend unexpectedly sets her on a rocky path leading to Chicago’s glittering opera stage. To rise from slinging spaghetti to singing grand opera takes a lot of courage and hard work, but Francie’s up to the challenge. At least, she hopes she is.

Law student Henry Jasper is torn between his strong feelings for Francie and his sense of duty toward his family. After caving to his father’s unreasonable demands, he despairs of ruining his one shot at real happiness. But just when a chance meeting reignites his hope, the dark winds of the Great War threaten to blow it out again.

While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden

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1913 – New York

Amid the hushed city, two hearts must navigate danger and deception, bound by a love that outshines the stars.

Katherine Schneider’s life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.

Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her . . . even as he keeps his deepest secrets hidden at all costs.

Finally His Bride by Jody Hedlund

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1862 – Canada

A new world. A new hope. An unexpected love.
What life awaits these brides?

With the cotton mills closed and hunger rampant in Manchester, England, Willow Rhodes’s family encourages her to join the bride ship bound for the Pacific Northwest, where she is assured of employment. Willow agrees to go with the hope that eventually she can save enough money for her family to join her.

Rebellious knuckle-boxing champion Caleb Edwards loves Willow more than life itself. But Willow has been adamant that she sees him as a friend and nothing more. Unable to watch her sail away, Caleb uses his prize money to pay for passage to Vancouver Island to be with Willow.

After arriving, Willow finds work as a maid and Caleb is a farmhand on the same property. As Caleb struggles to keep his feelings for Willow from growing, he’ll do anything for her, even take the blame for a theft to keep her safe. As the crime catches up to them, they’re forced to make choices that could finally rip them apart forever.

To Marry an English Lord by Robin Lee Hatcher

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1895 – Idaho

Sometimes love is a risk worth taking.

Sebastian Whitcombe, Viscount Willowthorpe, comes to America to experience the great Wild West for himself before it disappears for good. The adventure comes with a convenient bonus—it postpones his father’s edict that he take a wife from the British aristocracy. Sebastian isn’t so much against marriage as he is an arranged marriage to the wrong woman.

Jocelyn Overstreet hasn’t returned to her family’s eastern Idaho cattle ranch in six years. She’s far too busy managing the New York City offices of Overstreet Shipping. But when her older brother has a serious run-in with a bison, she returns to the ranch only to find the Overstreet home invaded by visitors from England, one of them a disturbingly handsome viscount who disarms her defenses at every turn.

Sebastian’s future lies in England where the Earl of Hooke is determined to choose his son a wife. New York City holds Jocelyn’s future with scant time for romance, much less marriage. The attraction between her and Sebastian seems doomed to fail.

Amidst the clash of their worlds, Sebastian and Jocelyn find that the risk of love, against all odds, might just be a risk worth taking.

Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson

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1388 – England

Only the hidden treasure will allow Louisa and her sister to gain their freedom.

All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It’s a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It’s the hope that has kept her defying her uncle’s efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.

After her uncle starts to parade Louisa’s twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she’d imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey.

Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is “Jack” and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa’s own past keep the young couple apart?

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

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1900s – Ireland

As daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love–and sees it as her ticket away from the sleepy village that only comes alive during the annual matchmaking festival. Enter Lord Osborne’s son, Andrew, who has returned to the festival after being disappointed by a rival matchmaker’s failed setup. Catríona seizes the opportunity to make a better match for the handsome man–and for herself!

Cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is in desperate need of a wife after loss left him to handle the farm and raise his daughter on his own. Shy and lacking the finer social graces, he agrees to attend the matchmaking festival to appease his daughter. But when he arrives, it’s not any of the other merrymakers that catch his eye but rather his matchmaker–who clearly has eyes for someone else.

Catríona will have to put all her expertise to work to make a match that could change her life forever. Will her plan succeed? Or will love have its own way?

Miss Iris by Kit Morgan

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1889 – Oregon

A lonely rancher
A visiting heiress
And one Leopold Wadsworth III…

Iris Jameson wasn’t about to be saddled with the likes of Leopold Wadsworth III. Her friend Penelope had already escaped the cad! And now Iris’ parents want her to marry him? Ha! The arrogant snob could go jump in a lake for all she cared. Still, it was a sticky situation, and her only hope of quelling her parents’ ludicrous plans was to go somewhere and lay low for a while. A long while. So, she did the only thing she could think of. She went to Fiddler’s Gap to visit Penelope!

Wilson Mitchell sent away for a mail-order bride along with the rest of the men in Fiddler’s Gap. But considering the type of women they were hoping for, the wait could be long, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his sanity. Then he stumbled upon the most beautiful creature in the world in his meadow, and was smitten. Problem was, Iris Jameson didn’t come to Fiddler’s Gap to get married. A rich heiress like her wasn’t going to so much as glimpse in his direction. But doggone, he kept running into her! How was he ever going to keep from falling in love? But when Iris is threatened, his heart and his fists settle the matter for him.

Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy

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1869 – Traveling

Her only chance at freedom waits across the horizon.

Upon uncovering her tyrannical father’s malevolent plot to commit her to an asylum, Beth Rutledge fabricates a plan of her own. She will rescue her mother, who had already been sent to the asylum, and escape together on a wagon train heading west. Posing as sisters, Beth and her mother travel with the pioneers in hopes of making it to Idaho before the others start asking too many questions.

Wagon-train scout Jake Holt senses that the mysterious women in his caravan are running from something. When rumors begin to spread of Pinkerton agents searching relentlessly for wanted criminals who match the description of those on his wagon train, including Beth, she begins to open up to him, and he learns something more sinister is at hand. Can they risk trusting each other with their lives–and their hearts–when danger threatens their every step?

Trust and Trickery by Christine Dillon

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BC – Gibeon

Whispers of Wisdom by Marguerite Martin Gray

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1747 – France

Nicole wanders the ancient halls of Château Chenonceau, stirring up whispers from the secrets of a queen.

Craving the wisdom of the philosophers of the day, Nicole straddles the line between servant and high society. Will acting as one of higher status bring her closer to her dreams? Perhaps not, but a treasure hunt with the knight in the tower might fulfill her longing for a while.

Pierre would avoid the senseless salons full of man-made wisdom, throwing every pamphlet aside. Yet, he journeys to Chenonceau to glean knowledge from the estate manager. His goal reaches beyond the glittery, false, societal affairs to the fields of wheat, vineyards, and orchards. No fairy tales or treasure hunts for him. Not until his encounters with Nicole invade his practical world.

Whispers and secrets conjure a treasure hunt, involving the heart as well as the mind.

Author Interview and Giveaway – Of Love and Treason – Jamie Ogle

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Welcome Jaime to the Index with a book set in Rome that talks about St. Valentine just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Of Love and Treason , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Of Love and Treason

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything. 

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

 But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

Jaime’s Website

ogle

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Questions about Jamie’s Story

Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

Chapters 46 and 47 are some of my favorites. It’s a point in the story that is so long in coming, so full of tension and emotion—and the ending makes me laugh every time. It’s another one of those moments when one of the characters took over the writing and did something no one was expecting—myself included.

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

My male main character is Saint Valentine. His story of courage, bravery, and self-sacrificing love captured me from the moment I read the snippets of legend that remain. The more I researched him and the history that surrounded his life, I knew it was a story that had to be written.

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

There’s a scene early in the book where Valentine goes home to find his aunt Beatrix mixing perfume and forcing him to smell her newest concoctions. Although I’d already plotted the entire book, that was the first time Beatrix had ever popped into my brain or onto the page. She brought so much life, wisdom, and personality to the story, I can’t imagine it without her.

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Questions about Jamie’s Reading

What was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it?

I just finished The Girl from the Papers, by Jennifer L. Wright. Her stories are gripping, and I loved the message that no matter how far gone we think we are, we always have the choice to stop and turn to God.

The Girl from the Papers

What Christian Historical Novel are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out?

There are so many upcoming releases that I’m super excited for! Laura Frantz is an author I love for her slow-burn, tension-filled romances, and I’m really excited to read The Seamstress of Acadie, which released in January.

The Seamstress of Acadie

What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now?

All that is Secret by Patricia Raybon is up next on my TBR and I’m super excited to read it! I love a good mystery, and I couldn’t resist the Sherlock Holmes vibes and a heroine who is a female New Testament theology professor. Clearing my schedule now!

allthatissecret

Jamie 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.**

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Protecting the Mountain Man’s Treasure by Misty Beller

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1869 – Montana

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, loyalty, a hidden fortune…and a bride he can’t remember marrying.

Jude Coulter is far more comfortable in his family’s sapphire mine tucked in the Montana mountains than on the bustling streets of New York City, where he’s been sent to deliver a shipment of gems. His relief at boarding the train for the first leg of his journey home is short-lived when an accident renders him unconscious.

Angela Larkin worked hard to earn this assignment for the Treasury—an undercover mission to determine the source of the sapphires brought each year for auction in the city. When an accident causes her target to lose his recent memory, Angela jumps at the opportunity to create the ideal ruse. Jude seems surprised to learn the two of them had married and were returning from a glorious wedding trip, but his severe head injury keeps him from protesting…for now.

But the accident is far from the worst threat they face. When enemies close in, Angela and Jude must depend on each other to survive the treacherous journey home. As the danger mounts, so too does an attraction neither of them anticipated. But can their love withstand the revelation of their tangled beginnings?

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

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1940 – England

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

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1898 – New York

The only thing more shocking than Arthur Stanhope III’s unexpected death is the revelation that his will bestows his company―and most of the vast fortune that goes with it―to the nearest male heir, leaving his mother, wife, and daughter nearly impoverished. His widow, Sylvia, quickly realizes she must set aside her grief to ensure their daughter, Adelaide, is launched into society as soon as the appropriate mourning period passes. If Sylvia can find a wealthy husband for Addy before anyone realizes they’re practically destitute, there will be little disruption to the lifestyle they’re accustomed to.

Sylvia’s mother-in-law, Junietta, believes their life could use a little disruption. She has watched Sylvia play her role as a society wife, as Junietta once did, despite what it cost them both. Junietta vows to give her granddaughter the power to choose a path beyond what society expects.

But for Addy to have that chance, both mother and grandmother must first confront painful truths about their own choices. Only in bringing their secrets to light can they hope to reshape their family inheritance into a legacy more fulfilling than they ever dared dream.

What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma

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1942/2022 – France

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.

A Season of Harvest by Lauraine Snelling

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1868 – Nebraska

Can her dreams for the future–and a budding romance–survive the trouble that comes calling?

Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed catalog, with or without her siblings’ help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he’s here to stay and she doesn’t have to carry everything by herself.

As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever.

Claiming the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund

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1878 – Colorado

Serena Taylor is hiding in Colorado’s high country to protect her son from her late husband’s family, and she knows the best way to keep custody of him is by marrying again. With single women in short supply, she has her pick of men. But having been in one loveless marriage already, she’s given up on love and simply wants to find a good father for her little boy.

After multiple failed relationships, Weston Oakley’s meddling family has determined that he will never be able to find a wife. To placate them and prove they’re wrong, Weston tells them he’ll have a wife by Christmas. The only problem is that he’s been hurt one too many times and is reluctant to give his heart away again.

When Serena and her little boy end up at Weston’s ranch on a cold winter’s night, a mix-up leaves Weston with little choice but to propose. He offers her a marriage of convenience that will benefit them both. While neither Weston nor Serena are looking for love, it begins to grow anyway. Will they be able to stake their claim on love before danger catches up and threatens to tear them apart?

Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle

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270 AD – Italy

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

The Foxhole Victory Tour by Amy Lynn Green

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1943 – North Africa

Vibrant and scrappy Maggie McCleod tried not to get fired from her wartime orchestra, but her sharp tongue landed her in trouble, so an overseas adventure with the USO’s camp show promises a chance at a fresh start. Wealthy and elegant Catherine Duquette signs with the USO to leave behind her restrictive life of privilege and to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the handsome pilot whose letters mysteriously stopped arriving.

The two women are joined by an eclectic group of performers–a scheming blues singer, a veteran tap dancer, and a brooding magician–but the harmony among their troupe is short-lived when their tour manager announces he will soon recommend one of them for a coveted job in the Hollywood spotlight. Each of the five members has a reason to want the contract, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to claim it. As their troupe travels closer to the dangerous battlefront in Tunisia, personal crises and wartime dangers only intensify, putting not only their careers but also their lives on the line.

Up from Dust by Heather Kaufman

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11AD – Israel

Martha of Bethany is no stranger to adversity. After her mother’s untimely death, Martha shoulders the responsibility of raising her siblings–quiet and studious Lazarus, and wild and rambunctious Mary. She finds solace in friendship and the beginnings of first love, but just as Martha begins to imagine a new future, hardship strikes again and her dreams crumble into dust.

Ten years later, Martha’s friend pleads for the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to come and heal her husband. When Martha discovers that the carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she’s not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he continues to perform miracles, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist, renewing Martha’s hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

A Cherished Betrothal by Denise Weimer

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1775 – South Carolina

Escape with the Prodigal by Danielle Grandinetti

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1930 – Wisconsin

Only a Christmas miracle will save an unwed mother and the lumberjack protecting her.

Since her late fiancé was killed in a supposed logging accident, Meredith Hughes knows her only safe choice is to keep her unexpected pregnancy hidden, especially from her father. But Supervisor Emyr Hughes, demands his daughter remain at the logging camp with him through the winter, leaving Meri at his mercy.

Patrick Martins has no interest in responsibility and going up to the lumber camp is a chance to get away from Crow’s Nest and his hovering grandmother, nosy great-uncle, and drunk of a father. If only his older brother wasn’t at the camp, too.

Though Patrick doesn’t expect to be taken with his boss’s daughter, when Meri’s volatile father learns of her pregnancy, Patrick refuses to let harm come to Meri and her unborn child, even if he has to sacrifice his life and that of his brother in order to save her.

Independence Trail by Betty Woods

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1873 – Texas

To escape an arranged marriage to benefit her father’s business, Heidi Schultz runs to the ranch owned by her sister, Lily, and brother-in-law, Toby. No one will ever run or ruin her life again. She’ll find a job in nearby San Antonio and fulfill her dream of living on her own. She’ll never surrender her independence to anyone, especially not to a man. But when her father finds her, Heidi agrees to Toby’s idea to postpone her plans for a new life and stay at the ranch a while longer just to be safe.

Jethro Bannister likes his life as foreman for Toby Grimes. Memories of the way his Georgia family turned on him don’t plague him while living on a secluded Texas ranch. With God’s help, he’s made peace with his painful past. Until Heidi interrupts his carefully arranged, placid world of quiet. The too talkative woman could worry the horns off an entire herd of longhorns. Plus her family problems remind him too much of what he left behind.

Watching Lily and Toby love and depend on each other chisels away at the wall of independence Heidi has built to protect herself from being betrayed again. Despite their misgivings, Heidi and Jethro form a tenuous friendship based on their common wish to be left alone. They understand each other better than anyone else around them does. Confiding in one another deepens their friendship more than either intends. Will Heidi and Jethro’s past wounds bond them together in an unexpected love or push them apart?

Polly by Naomi Musch

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1919 – Minnesota

The Great War has ended, but Polly Holloway’s heart is shattered when her fiancé finally returns home—with a French war bride. Now her future feels desolate, until she fastens onto the idea of using her skills and a special cookbook to turn her grandfather’s Victorian house into a fashionable ladies’ tea room. Yet, how will she endure the patronage of the woman who stole her sweetheart? Moreover, the suave tavern owner down the block is interfering in her business, personal and otherwise. Heaven only knows what goes on behind his doors.

Ross Dalton can no longer sell liquor in his establishment. With prohibition in force, it’s a mixed blessing. Ross met God on the battlefield, and he wants to start fresh, but he must earn a living. Converting his bar into a coffee house offers a partial solution. Still, bootleggers are pressing him to pedal their moonshine, and the girl up the street is convinced his place is a front for a speakeasy. She’s awfully cute when she turns up her pert little nose at his friendly overtures. How can he convince her he isn’t going to tarnish the neighborhood or ruin her business? And will she believe he’s a changed man when the bootleggers double down?

The Resolute by MaryLu Tyndall

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1696 – At Sea

Pregnant, in prison, and about to be hanged for piracy, Lady Gabrielle Hyde has lost all faith in God, man, and life itself. Unlike her wildly adventurous family, all Gabrielle ever wanted was to settle down with a good man and have a bevy of wee ones. Then how did she end up about to take her last breath at the end of a rope?

Captain Cadan Hayes despises women of noble birth. Betrayed by his wife and her lover, he spent five long years as a prisoner-slave on Barbados. Now, as a fierce and successful pirate, he longs to enact revenge on the man who ruined his life.

When Cadan discovers that Gabrielle carries the son of his enemy, he captures her to use as bait. What he didn’t expect was that the lady would be the one to trap him! Ship battles, sword fights, kidnappings, and a hunt for lost pirate treasure send the couple on a wild adventure that could either grant them their hearts’ desire or end up in disaster for them both.

Miss Penelope by Kit Morgan

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1889 – Oregon

A Lonely Sheriff
A Runaway Heiress
And a town full of Musicians?

Fiddler’s Gap needs women! And Sheriff Aubrey Cole has come up with an idea to get some. After all, if the town doesn’t grow, no one will move there let alone any businesses. They’d really like a bank, among other things, so it’s time to do something about it. But the men of Fiddler’s Gap aren’t look for just any ‘ol brides. They’re looking for virtuous women who are also virtuosos! Why? Because the entire town is made up of musicians! Sheriff Cole (the first violinist) is the first to get a bride. Problem was, he had no idea she was coming! She just showed up.

Heiress Penelope Smith has always dreamed of being part of an orchestra. So when her father decides to marry her off to Leopold Wadsworth the third, she makes a run for it. Her only hope is an ad in the local paper by a lawman seeking not just a virtuous woman as a bride, but a virtuoso! That was good enough for her! When she shows up in Fiddler’s Gap unannounced, her only interest was to join the town orchestra. But when she saw how small the town was, she didn’t see any point in staying. But she couldn’t go back either. What to do?

Will the efforts of the handsome sheriff keep her in town long enough to fall in love? Or will she leave him flat?

Author Interview and Giveaway – Calling on the Matchmaker – Jody Hedlund

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Isn’t this a beautiful cover to begin a new series with? I love when the heroes are on covers instead of only the heroines. Welcome Jody Hedlund to the Index!

Calling on the Matchmaker ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Calling on the Matchmaker

Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she’s not worthy of a family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. When Finola sabotages yet another unwanted relationship her parents arranged for her, her father calls upon the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. Finola quickly realizes her usual tricks won’t work on him, however, as she cannot outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.

A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning–and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know about love and sacrifice.

Jody’s Website

Jody Hedlund

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Questions about Jody’s Story

 

What inspired this story?

Since I love romance more than anything else, I thought the matchmaker idea would be a fun way to tie a series together. As I began researching matchmaker stories, I realized that there is a long tradition of Irish men being matchmakers. So, the Irish matchmaker takes the stage in all of the books.

Knowing I wanted to use the Irish, I researched places that had large Irish populations in the 1800s, and St. Louis was one of them. As the Gateway to the West, St. Louis was full of danger, disease, and disaster—all of the things that make for a great story and the perfect setting for the Shanahan family.

In particular, I chose the year 1849 as the starting point for this series because a number of tragedies occurred in St. Louis at that time, including a deadly cholera epidemic and a tragic fire along the riverfront.

 

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

Obviously I love the hero and heroine! But aside from them, Bellamy McKenna, the matchmaker, is one of my favorite characters in this series. He is in the process of beginning to take over the matchmaker duties from his father and has some different, less conventional ways of bringing about matches. He’s not only intuitive, but he’s also very clever. Readers will hopefully fall in love with Bellamy (and maybe, just maybe, he’ll get his love story eventually too!).

 

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

A story set in St. Louis in 1849? What’s so special about that? Why read a story set there?

Lots of reasons, actually! Let me tell you just a few:

• 1849 St. Louis was a year for DIVERSITY. As the “Gateway to the West,” people from all over the world were arriving every day, many with the hope of traveling to California to get rich from the gold that had just been discovered.
• 1849 St. Louis was a year for DEATH. A deadly cholera epidemic plagued the city for months and thousands died.
• 1849 St. Louis was a year for DISASTER. An enormous fire broke out among steamboats on the levee and destroyed large portions of the city.

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Jody is giving away either a  paperback. (USA and CANADA 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.**

 

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The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz

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The Seamstress of AcadieGoodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1754 – Canada/Virginia

As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada’s Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family–French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral–are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America’s borderlands.

As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William’s, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.

A Summer on Bellevue Avenue by Lorri Dudley

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1895 – Rhode Island

In the world of the elite, reputation is everything…

Wealthy heiress Amanda Mae Klein is set to marry the man she loves, Wesley Jansen—the only person she trusts to help ease her anxiety among the social climbers of high society. Then the daughter of a union boss falls down a flight of stairs at Wesley’s oil company’s office in the middle of the night…and the woman claims Wesley pushed her.

Seeking solace from the growing scandal, Amanda flees to the mansion-dotted seaside of Newport. Wesley follows and sets about disproving the rumors while winning back the trust of Amanda. But soon, Amanda finds not only her social status but her life at risk. As grievous events pit the two against each other, will their love find a way to survive?

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