Hollywood Lost by Ace Collins

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Hollywood Losthollywoodlost

1936 – California

Struggling to make ends meet during the Great Depression, Shelby Beckett flees the Oklahoma dust bowl to find work in the wardrobe department of Hollywood’s largest movie studio. Surrounded by glamour and wealth, Shelby is charmed by box office star Flynn Sparks as well as Flynn’s chief rival, fellow actor Dalton Andrews. As Shelby joins her suitors at opulent parties and intimate dinners, she rubs elbows with the likes of Clark Gable and Cary Grant and is drawn deeper into a lifestyle where her small town values are challenged or ignored.

Lurking in the shadows of this Gatsby-like lifestyle is an unseen evil force that strangles beautiful women. Suspecting a madman is connected to the studio production where Shelby works, homicide chief detective Bill Barrister believes the only way to uncover the identity of the ruthless killer is to offer Shelby as bait.

Hollywood Lost is a romantic suspense novel where separating reality from fantasy is all but impossible; where love is rare, life is cheap, and values are lost in pursuit of fame and fortune.

The Spinster’s Christmas by Camille Elliot

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Regency – England

Spinster Miranda Belmoore has become a poor relation in her cousin’s house. She determines to escape a life of drudgery and disdain from her own family members, who are embarrassed by her straightforward speech and unconventional behavior that does not match with proper society. She is beginning to believe what they tell her—that she doesn’t matter to anyone, not even to God.

Former naval captain Gerard Foremont is having difficulty adjusting to life back on land, bitter that his career has been cut short by his severely injured knee. A Christmastide houseparty with the Belmoores reunites him with his childhood friend, Miranda, but he is appalled at the verbal abuse she endures and wants to help her.

The festivities are disrupted when a cloaked intruder attacks Gerard, with Miranda as the only witness. Now the two of them must uncover who wants to harm him and why, before Twelfth Night ends in murder …

Maggie Bright by Tracy Groot

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maggiebrightMaggie Bright

1940 – England

Clare Childs knew life would change when she unexpectedly inherited the Maggie Bright—a noble fifty-two-foot yacht. In fact, she’s counting on it. But the boat harbors secrets. When a stranger arrives, searching for documents hidden onboard, Clare is pulled into a Scotland Yard investigation that could shed light on Hitler’s darkest schemes and prompt America to action.

Across the Channel, Hitler’s Blitzkrieg has the entire British army in retreat with little hope for rescue at the shallow beaches of Dunkirk. With time running out, Churchill recruits civilian watercraft to help. Hitler is attacking from land, air, and sea, and any boat that goes might not return. Yet Clare knows Maggie Bright must answer the call—piloted by an American who has refused to join the war effort until now and a detective with a very personal motive for exposing the truth.

The fate of the war hinges on this rescue. While two men join the desperate fight, a nation prays for a miracle.

Gathered Waters by Cara Luecht

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gatheredwatersGathered Waters

 1880 – Sweden/America

They want to worship as their hearts demand…

but can they sacrifice everything for it?

Brianna has only ever been what her life demanded. A wife, a hostess, a mother. But when a stand her husband takes ostracizes them from the Lutheran church that controls so much of life in Sweden, Brianna finds herself needing to find a strength beyond her station…a strength that will see her through prejudice and persecution and to a home she never dreamed she would find.
Based on the true story of the author’s family’s journey from Sweden to America, this sweeping saga paints the brilliance of new faith, the bravery of a new land…and the beauty of plunging beneath the waters and emerging a new person, capable of what one never thought one could do.

Author Interview – The Captive Imposter – Dawn Crandall

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Today we get to meet Dawn Crandall and her newest book. There’s lots of buzz going for this series that has come out so quickly you didn’t have to wait very long to read them!

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The Captive ImposterIMG_3368 (683x1024)

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure.

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Questions about Dawn’s Story

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

I had a certain character who I was certain was supposed to die during the course of the book… but when I tried to get past that point in the book while reworking the rough draft, she simply would not let me kill her off. I had to completely rethink things at the three-quarter mark since she wasn’t going to die after all. And now that she’s still alive for the end of the book, I’m planning to write a book about her in the future!

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

My favorite chapters are 18-20 because although my heroine is determined NOT to allow the hero to know how much she’s falling for him (since she’s convinced by certain circumstances that they could never be together), something happens that leaves her a little incoherent, and she ends up telling him more of what was in her heart than she ever planned!

What research book or website used to write this book was your favorite to peruse?

The mountain resort in The Captive Imposter (Everston) is loosely based on a hotel called Mt. Kineo House which used to set on a peninsula at the heart of Moosehead Lake in central Maine. I loved looking at www.baharris.org/historicpolandspring/MtKineo/MtKineo.htm since it included tons of old photos and even the floorplans of each floor! Before I started writing the book, my husband and I even went there on vacation and climbed Mt. Kineo (called Iron Mountain in the book). And for some reason, although I’ve climbed plenty of other mountains with my husband before that point, I was so very tired and worn out from that 1000ft trail up the mountain! It turned out that I was a week pregnant with my son!

Questions about Dawn’s Reading

Who is your favorite Christian Historical hero?

Carl von Reichert/Carl Richards (his Americanized alias) from A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle?

I would choose to sell Lori Benton’s books—her three-time Christy-winning debut novel, Burning Sky, her second book, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and her third which comes out later this month, The Wood’s Edge.

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

I CANNOT WAIT to read Not by Sight by Kate Breslin!—her debut, For Such a Time, was one of my favorite books from 2014! I’m not even that huge of a WWII reader, but I just love her voice and the way the turns her novels take twist my heart!

 

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

I haven’t had a huge amount of reading time lately, but I have The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen on my kindle, and I can’t wait to read it after so many of my readers have been mentioning it lately! I’d meant to start it earlier this year and never got around to it.

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Dawn’s has been nice enough to offer one ebook copy of The Captive Imposter. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

Also Dawn is hosting giveaways of her books and other new releases from author friends all through April. See her blog or Facebook author page for details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The Captive Imposter by Dawn Crandall

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captivemaidenThe Captive Imposter

1891 – Maine

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure.

West for the Black Hills by Peter Leavell

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westforblackhillsWest for the Black Hills

1873 – Dakotas

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Not many people in Mitchell, a small town in the Dakota Territory, would understand him living with the Sioux Indians who rescued him as a boy. Haunted by the murder of his pioneer parents as they traveled west in their covered wagon, he knows it wasn’t Indians who killed them, and his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him.

His only desire is to live quietly on his western homestead and raise Arabian horses. Until he meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Is it his eery and unusual wolf eyes that draw Anna to him? Romance was not part of his plan. Can Philip open his heart and tell her he’s in love before it’s too late?

With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in Mitchell, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger even as his inner battle gets in the way. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family out there in the frontier wilderness?

Deception on Sable Hill by Shelley Gray

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1893 – Illinois

The World’s Fair has introduced many new ideas to Chicago society—but can two individuals from very different backgrounds find love together?

It’s mid-September 1893 and Eloisa Carstairs is the reigning debutant of Gilded Age Chicago society. To outsiders she appears to have it all. But Eloisa is living with a dark secret. Several months ago, she endured a horrible assault at the hands of Douglass Sloane, heir to one of Chicago’s wealthiest families. Fearing the loss of her reputation, Eloisa confided in only one friend. That is, until she meets Detective Sean Ryan at a high-society ball.

Sean is on the fringes of the Chicago elite. Born into a poor Irish family, becoming a policeman was his best chance to ensure security. Despite social boundaries, he is enamored with Eloisa Carstairs. Sean will do anything to keep her safe—even if he can never earn her affections.

Eloisa longs to feel normal again, but a killer is on the loose. In the last month, three debutants have been accosted by an assailant wielding a knife, and Eloisa fears for her safety at every event she attends. As the danger in the city increases, and as the romance between Eloisa and Sean blossoms, they both realize they want to be seen as more than how the world views them. But will they catch the killer before all their hopes come crashing down?

The Creole Princess by Beth White

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1776 – Alabama

Torn between loyalties to family and flag, one young woman is about to discover that her most important allegiance is to her heart.

It is 1776, and all along the eastern seaboard the American struggle for independence rages. But in the British-held southern port of Mobile, Alabama, the conflict brewing is much quieter–though no less deadly.

Lyse Lanier may be largely French in heritage, but she spends most of her time in the company of the ebullient daughter of the British commander of Mobile. When a charming young Spanish merchant docks in town, Lyse is immediately struck by his easy wit and flair for the dramatic. But is he truly who he makes himself out to be? Spies abound, and Spain has yet to choose a side in the American conflict. Is Lyse simply an easy mark for Rafael Gonzalez to exploit? Or are his overtures of love as genuine as Spanish gold?

With spectacular detail that brings the cultural gumbo of the Colonial Gulf Coast alive, Beth White invites you to step into a world of intrigue and espionage from a little-known slice of the American Revolutionary War.

A Sparrow in Terezin by Kristy Cambron

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1942/Present – California/England

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor’s story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

 Present Day–With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairy tale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she’s stumbled into a charmed life–until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

1942–Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace. 

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear–even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

From Boss to Bridegroom by Karen Kirst

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1882 – Tennessee

Being tied up and delivered to the sheriff was not how Nicole O’Malley expected to meet her new boss. Quinn Darling had the audacity to mistake her for a burglar! Now she’s counting the days until she can leave small-town life behind to open her own boutique. But as long as she’s helping two runaways escape their vindictive stepdad, she can’t leave town. 

Quinn’s determined to triumph in his first business venture without the support of his wealthy family. He can’t succeed without assistant Nicole, a beauty as prickly as she is captivating. As Quinn adjusts to the tight-knit community, he’s soon set on another goal: breaking through Nicole’s reserve to capture the love hidden in her heart. 

Wagon Train Reunion by Linda Ford

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1843 – Oregon Wagon Train

Abigail Black had no choice but to break Ben Hewitt’s heart years ago. Her parents had picked another, wealthier groom. Now widowed and destitute, she’s desperate to leave her old life behind. The wagon-train journey to Oregon is full of dangers, but she’ll face anything—even Ben—for a fresh start. 

Ben knows better than to trust Abby again. Between her family’s snobbery and his family’s protectiveness, avoiding her should be easy. Yet he’s still moved by Abby’s sweetness and beauty…along with a sadness and strength he never noticed in her before. Forgiving past wrongs would be a struggle—but the hardest struggle would be letting Abby go once more. 

An Unlikely Love by Dorothy Clark

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1874 – New York

With her focus firmly on spreading her message of temperance, Marissa Bradley is taken by surprise when she meets Grant Winston. Still in mourning for her brother, whose tragic death due to strong drink drives her to speak out on the subject, Marissa cannot think of romance. Yet Grant’s charm draws her in. 

Intrigued by the pensive young woman, Grant determines he must learn more about her. But he never expected to find her protesting his family’s vineyard! When he learns her reasons, he’s sympathetic, but Grant can’t walk away from the business that supports his family and provides his mother a home. How can he choose between his and Marissa’s growing love and his family’s very livelihood?

The Doctor’s Undoing by Allie Pleiter

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1919 – South Carolina

When Dr. Daniel Parker requested an army nurse to help with his orphanage, he expected an organized, sensible matron. Instead he gets young, beautiful, obstinate Ida Lee Landway, whose vibrant outlook and unrelenting optimism turn his work and his life inside out. 

Army life was easy compared to the discipline at her new workplace. Yet Ida is immediately smitten by the children in her care…and impressed by Daniel’s unfaltering dedication. Adding color and warmth to her new surroundings is one thing. Can she also help the good doctor embrace joy—and in so doing, find the family they both deserve?

The Oregon Trail Romance Collection by Various Authors

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The Oregon Trail Romance Collectionoregontrailromancecollection

Risking all their hopes and dreams on promises of fertile land in the Northwest, thousands set off on the Oregon Trail between 1843 and the 1890s. Despite the majestic landscape and daily opportunities for fireside chats, the trail was hardly the place these migrants expected to find romance. In these nine novellas, travelers on the wagon trains experience all the challenges and dangers of the trail. Some will lose much, settle down along the trail, and even turn back home, while others endure to the end. Readers will enjoy traveling along with the romantic adventures in which faith is honed.

A Hope Remembered by Stacy Henrie

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1920 – England

Nora Lewis just wants an escape after losing her fiance in the Great War. When she inherits property in England, she boldly packs up and leaves America for a fresh start. But, if not for her dashing new neighbor, Colin Ashby, she’d be lost. Even as their friendship deepens, Nora knows a British aristocrat would never be free to love an American orphan, no matter how much the war has changed the world …

After his brother’s death in the war and his own experiences as a pilot at the front, Colin returns home broken, only to discover his family’s estate is also in ruin. The pressure is now on him to save his home and the Ashbys’ place in society with a well-bred match to a wealthy heiress. Too bad he finds more of a kindred spirit in Nora, the beautiful American next door. She, too, has faced the rigors of war and survived. Now the ex-soldier will have one more battle to fight–this time for love.

Love of the Summerfields by Nancy Moser

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loveofthesummerfieldsLove of the Summerfields

1880 – England

When the Weston family returns to Summerfield Manor at the close of the London social season, both village and manor relax into their normal existence. But for four women, turmoil awaits. Each must battle the restrictions of her position as her faith and character are tested.

Adelaide Weston, the feisty and domineering dowager countess, is thrust out of her carefully structured life of duty by the reappearance of her first love.

Ruth Weston, the manor’s reclusive, guilt-ridden countess, struggles to emerge from self-imposed exile to embrace her marriage, her family, and the duties of her position.

Ruth’s loyal lady’s maid, Molly Wallace, juggles the demands of her job, the needs of her own tumultuous family, and a secret romance.

And Lila Hayward, a shopkeeper’s daughter, finds herself in love with a viscount’s son who’s engaged to Ruth’s spoiled daughter. Lila is sorely tested when she is obliged to act as liaison between the two, putting her in constant contact with the man she loves but can never hope to win.

None of these women expect a decades-old secret to unsettle the balance of her life–and the lives of everyone in Summerfield. Each will have a choice to make between her own happiness and a truth that will turn their carefully-ordered world upside down.

Daughter of the Cimarron by Samuel Hall

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1928 – New Mexico

It’s 1928 … the Great Depression lurks just around the corner.

Divorcing a cheating husband means disgracing her family, but Claire Devoe can’t take it anymore. Forced to provide for herself, she travels the Midwest with a sales crew. Can she trust the God who didn’t save her first marriage to lead her through the maze of new love and overwhelming expectations? The long twilight of the Great Depression-with its debt, disgrace, drought, and despair-becomes the crucible that remakes her life.

Daughter of the Cimarron is the fictionalized tale of the author’s mother as she went from ragtime to breadlines, from the silent cities and melancholy towns to a dugout overlooking the Cimarron Canyon, from brokenness to strength.

Behold the Man by Brock and Bodie Thoene

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beholdthemanBehold the Man

30- Israel

Behold the Man is the culmination of the Jerusalem Chronicles and brings readers to an encounter with the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

How could Jesus—who preached righteousness before God, and love and mercy toward neighbors—be so hated and pursued? To the Temple officials, he was a threat to the livelihood and authority of the priesthood. To Herod Antipas, he was a threat to his ambition to be the King of the Jews. And to the Roman overlords, he was seen as a dangerous threat; a man who commanded an army of the common people. He could heal wounds, offer miraculous provisions, and even raise from the dead. If Jesus had accepted popular acclaim and become an earthly king, he would have been unstoppable.

Jesus’s last days are explored through three people who interacted with him: Governor Pilate, for whom Judea will either make or break his career; Pilate’s wife, Claudia, desperately seeking aid for her much loved, crippled son; and Centurion Marcus Longinus, caught in the middle between loyalty to the Empire, love for Claudia, and an ever-increasing belief in Jesus as the Son of God. After encountering Jesus, none of them will ever be the same.

Daughter of the Regiment by Stephanie Grace Whitson

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daughteroftheregimentDaughter of the Regiment

Civil War – Missouri

Irish immigrant Maggie Malone wants no part of the war. She’d rather let “the Americans” settle their differences-until her brothers join Missouri’s Union Irish Brigade, and one of their names appears on a list of injured soldiers. Desperate for news, Maggie heads for Boonville, where the Federal army is camped. There she captures the attention of Sergeant John Coulter. When circumstances force Maggie to remain with the brigade, she discovers how capable she is of helping the men she comes to think of as “her boys.” And while she doesn’t see herself as someone a man would court, John Coulter is determined to convince her otherwise.

As the mistress of her brother’s Missouri plantation, Elizabeth Blair has learned to play her part as the perfect hostess-and not to question her brother Walker’s business affairs. When Walker helps organize the Wildwood Guard for the Confederacy, and offers his plantation as the Center of Operations, Libbie must gracefully manage a house with officers in residence and soldiers camped on the lawn. As the war draws ever closer to her doorstep, she must also find a way to protect the people who depend on her.

Despite being neighbors, Maggie and Libbie have led such different lives that they barely know one another-until war brings them together, and each woman discovers that both friendship and love can come from the unlikeliest of places.

Love’s Unfading Light by Naomi Rawlings

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Love’s Unfading Light lovesunfadinglight

1880 – Michigan

Tressa Danell is finished with men—from the wastrel who left her a widow, to the smelly trapper who keeps proposing, to the banker who wants to repossess her bakery. Every hour is spent working to pay off her late husband’s debt and keep a roof over her son’s head, though it’s doubtful she can do both for very long. But one thing’s certain—she’ll never be beholden to a man again.

Tired of living in a small town that blames him for actions his father committed ten years ago, Mac Oakton is scheduled to leave Eagle Harbor. So why does the pretty widow at the bakery keep tugging at his heart? He can’t get involved in her predicament when he’ll only be around for two more weeks.

But when Tressa’s burdens overwhelm her, they both face a decision. Can Mac set his own plans aside to help? And can Tressa accept his support if that means giving up her independence … and being obligated to a man again?

The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews

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The Pharaoh’s Daughterpharaohsdaughter

BC – Egypt

Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile.

     When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.

  As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?

Mist of Midnight by Sandra Byrd

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Mist of Midnight mistofmidnight

England

In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands.

Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her…and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca’s name, but her home and incomes.

That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father’s investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”?

A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.

The Tomb by Stephanie Landsem

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tombThe Tomb

33 – Middle East

In this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life.

Everyone in Bethany admires Martha—the perfect Jewish woman. She feeds and clothes her loved ones, looks after the family farm, and meticulously follows every precept of the Pharisees’ strict laws. But Martha is hiding a secret. At her sister’s marriage feast, she gave her heart and her innocence to a young musician who promised to return and marry her, but instead betrayed her love and abandoned her.

Seven years later, only two people in Bethany know of Martha’s secret sin: her brother, Lazarus, and Simon, the righteous Pharisee to whom Martha is betrothed. When Lazarus falls ill, Martha is faced with a choice: send for Jesus to save her dying brother—risking the wrath of Simon who threatens to betray her—or deny Jesus’ healing power and remain trapped in her tomb of secrecy and lies.

Meanwhile, on the shores of Galilee, Isa roams the wilderness, tortured by demons and knowing only that someone is waiting for him. When he is healed by Jesus, he finds that seven years have passed since his descent into madness. Isa journeys home to Bethany only to find he is too late to win back Martha’s love.

When Martha risks all to heal Lazarus, will Jesus arrive in time, or will he—like Isa—come too late?

Soul Painter by Cara Luecht

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1890 – Illinois

Miriam watches the people jostle their way below the windows of her warehouse home, never thinking to look up at her as she paints their faces. But Miriam’s gift as an artist goes beyond a mere recording of what is: Miriam paints their futures. Only once was she wrong. One woman doesn’t match the future Miriam saw. The bright girl was supposed to grow into a respected businesswoman. Instead, Ione disappears nightly into the shadowed alley next to the cathedral with the other prostitutes. Then one night, while walking through the city fog, Miriam finds Ione broken and beaten. Miriam is forced to open her home to the stranger whose face she knows so well and open her life to change she never could have foretold. Women are missing—some found floating in the river, some never seen again. The deacon from the cathedral is the first to help. Soon Miriam’s solicitor, Michael, aids her in rejoining society so they might uncover the evil at work in the corrupt city…and awakens feelings she had never considered before. Finally engaged with the world she has so long observed, finally stirred by love and friendship, Miriam realizes the responsibility of her gifting. No longer can she just paint what will be. She must now help Ione find the future she is meant to have…and find her own along with it.

 

Dauntless by Dina Sleiman

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Medieval – England

Born a baron’s daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father’s failed assassination attempt upon the king. Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village–a group that becomes known as “The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest.” Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he’s forced to reexamine everything he’s known.

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An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund

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An Uncertain Choiceanuncertainchoice

Medieval – Fictitious Country

Due to her parents’ promise at her birth, Lady Rosemarie has been prepared to become a nun on the day she turns eighteen. Then, a month before her birthday, a friend of her father’s enters the kingdom and proclaims her parents’ will left a second choice–if Rosemarie can marry before the eve of her eighteenth year, she will be exempt from the ancient vow.

Before long, Rosemarie is presented with the three most handsome and brave knights in the land. But when the competition for her heart seemingly results in a knight playing foul, she begins to wonder if the convent is the best place after all. If only one of the knights–the one who appears the most guilty–had not already captured her heart.

Author Interview – Sword of Forgiveness – Debbie Lynne Costello

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I’m excited to introduce you to Debbie Lynne Costello today because I certainly don’t think there are enough Medieval Christian books out there! (I love castles and knights 🙂 Make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of the interview!

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DebbieCostello_SwordOfForgiveness_200pxdebbielynneSword of Forgiveness

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

     Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.

 

Questions about Debbie Lynne’s Story

 If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

I’d choose to by Royce. (Just for your information, I have no desire to be a man! But I love his spiritual arc).  Royce struggles with being forgiven. He doesn’t feel worthy. All he sees is his past failings and how they have hurt people. I love how he wants to be a good person but he does it for the wrong reasons. And then God opens Royce’s eyes and heart and he not only sees real forgiveness but accepts it.

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

Yes, while researching I learned more about John Wycliffe and his Lollards. The history behind Wycliffe and his dedicated followers was fascinating and not something I’d heard much about. As I researched more about the Lollards, I discovered that they believed that every man and woman should hear the word of God and sought to get God’s word to the people. That gave me the basis for Pater.

What research book or website used to write this book was your favorite to peruse?

Joseph and Frances Gies have several wonderful books when researching medieval topics. I used several of their books, Life in a Medieval Castle, Life in a Medieval Village, and Daily Life in Medieval Times.  I used Marriage and the Family in the Medieval Ages by Gies to write the wedding scene along with the words that were used for the ceremony.

Question about Debbie Lynne’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

Melanie Dickerson sets her stories in Medieval times, although most of hers are not set in England, she, like me, likes to have intrigue and danger included in her stories like The Princess Spy and her upcoming release The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest.

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

Wow, you are going to make me go back a few years here. I read a lot as a teenager, but then marriage and young children took so much of my time that reading other than my bible went to the wayside.  I was taking my daughter and her best friend to see my parents who lived 12 hours away and my daughter and her friend took turns reading to me to keep me awake. They read to me The Sword of Truth by Gilbert Morris.  I fell in love with the characters and the castles and everything historical. I was hooked.

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle?

MaryLu Tyndall. There is never a dull moment in MaryLu’s books not to mention I love her heroes! They are all so flawed and yet so wonderful. I enjoyed her stories with danger around every corner so much that it really influenced that aspect of my writing. The Redemption, The Reliance, The Restitution, and The Ransom all are great page turners. And I can’t wait for her next installment in  Legacy of the King’s Pirates Series!

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Debbie Lynne has been nice enough to offer one ebook copy of Sword of Forgiveness. I’ll give away a copy of any book mentioned in the interview in ebook form. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

Also Visit Debbie Lynne’s Blog The Sword and the Spirit to enter the big contest she’s throwing for her release!

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Then Sings My Soul by Amy K Sorrells

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1900s/1990s – Ukraine/Michigan

1904, Chudniv, Ukraine. Playing hide-and-seek in bucolic fields of sunflowers, young Jakob never imagines the horrific secrets he will carry as he and his brother escape through genocide-ridden Eastern Europe.

1994, South Haven, Michigan. At age 94, time is running out for any hope that Jakob can be free from his burden of guilt.

When Jakob’s wife dies, he and his daughter, Nel, are forced to face the realities of his worsening dementia—including a near-naked, midnight jaunt down the middle of main street—as well as emerging shadows Nel had no idea lay beneath her father’s beloved, curmudgeonly ways.

While Nel navigates the restoration and sale of Jakob’s dilapidated lake house, her high school sweetheart shows up in town, along with unexpected correspondence from Ukraine. And when she discovers a mysterious gemstone in Jakob’s old lapidary room, Jakob’s condition worsens as he begins having flashbacks about his baby sister from nearly a century past.

As father and daughter race against time to discover the truth behind Jackob’s fragmented memories, the God they have both been running from shows that he redeems not only broken years, but also the future.

The Daddy List by Dewanna Pace

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thedaddylistThe Daddy List

1868 – Texas

Discovering her daughter is holding bank patrons hostage to interview daddy candidates sends widow Daisy Trumbo running to intervene. But when real bank robbers take advantage of the fake stickup, the hero of the day is Bass Parker—the man Daisy blames for her husband’s death. Yet duty compels her to care for him as he recovers from his injuries. 

Bass is determined to make amends to the widow and child of the fallen soldier who took his place on the battlefield. But he slowly finds himself feeling more than obligation to this independent woman and her spirited little girl. Their happiness hinges on Daisy’s forgiveness, but can she let go of the past?

After a Fashion by Jen Turano

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afterafashionAfter a Fashion

1882 – New York

Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.

Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can’t make her fashionable. She’ll never truly fit into Oliver’s world, but just as she’s ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.

A Heart’s Disguise by Colleen Coble

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Late 1860s – Indiana

In the celebratory mood of the recently-ended Civil War, Sarah discovers her betrothed has been keeping a devastating secret.

While the tiny town of Wabash, Indiana, celebrates the end of the fighting, Sara Montgomery attends the parties, but inside she’s fighting a deep sadness. The love of Sara’s life, Rand Campbell, didn’t come back from the front.

So her brother and ailing father persuade her to pledge herself to another man—despite her misgivings. When Sarah finds out that Rand is in fact alive—and that her fiancé Ben Croftner knew it—she indignantly breaks off their engagement.

Croftner doesn’t take rejection lightly—and a single woman with a sick father makes an easy target. He abducts Sarah, his intentions anything but honorable. Then Rand comes to her aid . . . only to reveal that he has been posted at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and asks her to go with him as his wife.

Will Sarah leave her dying father’s side for the only man she’s ever loved? And what plans are forming in the jealous heart of Ben Croftner?

A Harvest of Hope by Lauraine Snelling

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aharvestofhopeA Harvest of Hope

1905 – North Dakota

Miriam Hastings has her future plans in place…
But Trygve Knutson is intent on changing them.

Just a few short weeks into her year-long training at the Blessing Hospital, Miriam Hastings is called home to Chicago, where her mother is gravely ill. With siblings to care for, Miriam pleads to be allowed to finish her training in Chicago. Her nursing supervisor grants her a brief reprieve but extracts a promise that Miriam will return to Blessing and fulfill her one-year commitment.

While in Chicago, Miriam has tried to get Trygve Knutson and Blessing out of her mind, but his letters make that impossible. Trygve is busy building a house, hoping he can convince Miriam to return to North Dakota and marry him. Torn between Trygve’s love and her family’s needs, she doesn’t know what to do.

When Miriam finally returns to Blessing, she buries herself in her work. But no matter how hard she tries to put it off, she has some life-changing decisions to make about her future, her family… and the man who is never far from her thoughts.

What will it take to convince her to stay?

Sword of Forgiveness by Debbie Lynne Costello

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1398 – England

When her father died, she had promised herself no man would own her again, yet who could defy an edict of the king?

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.