Monday, June 3, 2024

Louise's War

 

I can't get enough of English historical stories. I'm partial to books centered around WWI or WWII.  My maternal relatives lived in Great Britain during both wars.

This is a great story.  I couldn't put it down. The book deals with two families from completely different backgrounds. One is privileged and the other family worked for them.  But war evens the playing field.  Both suffer loss.  Both suffer heartache.   

Louise suffers greatly in her marriage.  But circumstances change when an injured English soldier shows up at her farm. 

It emotionally moved me.  I couldn't put it down.

#rararesources

#boldwoodbooks

#blogtour

#rosieclarke 

Louise’s War

Caught between enemy lines – can they survive?

1914, Hampshire

Jack Barlow has a dream. For generations his family have been in service at Trenwith Estate. If he can survive the ravages of war, he’ll return home to build his own mechanic business and become master of his own destiny.

Louise Saint-Claire, is battling against the odds to run her family farmhouse in German occupied France after her abusive husband is taken prisoner by the Germans. She is determined to survive this brutal and bloody war.

But fate throws Jack and Louise together when she finds the wounded British soldier and she decides to risk everything to keep him safe

What chance can one woman and one man have when caught between the French Resistance and the German army?

Previously Published as Love and War by Linda Sole

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/Louiseswarsocial



Author Bio – 

Rosie Clarke is a #1 bestselling saga writer whose most recent books include The Mulberry Lane series. She has written over 100 novels under different pseudonyms and is a RNA Award winner. She lives in Cambridgeshire.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081537219193 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneHerries 

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RosieClarkeNews 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rosie-clarke 




Saturday, June 1, 2024

GIVEAWAY- AMISH FRIENDS OUTDOOR COOKBOOK


I am so excited that I am ready to burst.  Barbour Publishing has given me the opportunity to give one lucky follower this new release.

Wanda E. Brunstetter has been a favorite of mine for years.  I met her a few years ago and she is  delightful (even more so) than her books are. 

I am honored to be part of this giveaway.

All you need to do is comment on this post what is your favorite outdoor or picnic recipe. That's right, just comment here or on my facebook page: ( https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.fallon.7)  and you could be the winner.  I'll randomly pick the winner on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 12:00 noon EDT.

You can also order this cookbook from:

RECOMMENDED ONLINE RETAILERS:


Friday, May 31, 2024

The Workshop Girl

 

Enid worked hard to keep her family together. She loved her family and she loved Jimmy.  Jimmy was a neighbor boy who just returned to the area.

Everything quickly changed in one night.  That night took everything away that Enid loved. Could Enid survive the trauma? 

Enid is what we would call a survivor.   She wouldn't allow herself to remain a victim.

I really liked Enid.  She was a good friend to Connie, a girl she met in the Workhouse.  She did what she could for her family.  She put herself at risk to protect others. 

I received this book to review from Boldwood. Books.
#blogtour
#LynetteRees
#rararesources

The Workhouse Girl
Once a workhouse girl, always a workhouse girl...

Enid Hardcastle has always had a hard life, but when her family can’t make ends meet and are moved to the workhouse, it feels like things can’t get any worse.
But luckily for Enid, her friendship with local boy Jimmy gives her the strength she needs. Also from the cold, hard streets of Merthyr, Jimmy has made his name as an entrepreneur, repairing boots and hand-delivering them to the fine people of the town.
Enid has seen for herself that you can make a better life for yourself, so with Jimmy’s help, she sets about trying to save her family.
But there are even darker places than the workhouse, and as the rumour mill churns, it appears there’s an even more dangerous fate she will need to avoid…
An emotional and nostalgic historical saga that will have you turning pages, engrossed. Perfect for fans of Sheila Newberry and Lynn Johnson.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/workhousegirlsocial 
Author Bio – 




Lynette Rees lives in Wales and has been writing since she was a child. She's in the fortunate position of being a hybrid author - as well as independently publishing some of her novels, she's also published with Boldwood Books.
The Winter Waif, the story of one young girl's struggle to overcome adversity following the death of her mother, was published by Boldwood Books in January 2024. This will be followed by two other titles focusing on the lives of another two children growing up in the bustling Welsh town of Merthyr Tydifl where the ironworks and coalpits are the main industries and a life of hardship is the norm. The second in the series, The Workhouse Girl, will be published on May the 31st. This book tells the tale of a fourteen year old girl whose family hits hard times when her father loses his job at the ironworks and they’ve little choice other than to enter the workhouse. This will be followed by a third book at the end of the year.
Lynette enjoys the freedom of writing in a variety of genres including: crime fiction and contemporary romance, though her first love is historical fiction which complements her interest in local history and genealogy. When she's not writing, or even when she is writing, Lynette enjoys a glass of wine and the odd piece of chocolate as she creates stories where the characters guide her hand. She honestly has no idea how a story will turn out until the characters tell their own tales in their own unique ways.
The most important thing to Lynette is her family and her stories illustrate this with their warm characters who often show a great deal of compassion for others and the plight they find themselves in.
Social Media Links –   
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlynetterees 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynetteRees0 
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LynetteReesNews 
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynette-rees 



Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Amish Friends Outdoor Cookbook

I have collected numerous cookbooks even though I'm not much of a cook.  It has become kind of a joke in my family that I collect them.

I love Wanda Brunstetter's cookbooks.  I can always find recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious.  

Today I made the BBQ sauce that smells divine.  And tasted wonderful. 

I highly recommend picking this cookbook up especially if you love to cook outdoors.

I can't wait to try other recipes.  


 

Monday, May 27, 2024

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital


I started this around 9:00 pm but before I knew it, it was 3:30 am.  I couldn't put it down. I forced myself to put it down.  I would never get up at this rate.

I have read a few of Lizzie Lane's books.  I have enjoyed everyone.  This is no  exception. I really liked Frances Isabelle Brakespeare.  She had spunk.  She studied hard to be a doctor after suffering a terrible loss.  She was apprehensive about taking the position at Orchard Cottage Hospital.  

Frances barely could take a breather when she arrived at the hospital.  She soon learned that she had much to learn about the community and the residents of this town.

I received this book from Boldwood Books to review.

#blogtour

#rararesources

#LizzieLane

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital

A country town in need of a good Doctor, but will they accept her as one of their own?

Somerset, March 1930

Born in the workhouse and adopted by a former suffragette, Frances Brakespeare was encouraged from an early age to be strong, independent and to pursue a career as a doctor. The tragic loss of the love of her life in the Great War propels Frances to commit to her one true vocation.

Rebelling against the unfair treatment of female doctors Frances is dismissed from her London post and things continue to take a turn for the worse when Izzy, her benefactress dies and Frances finds herself homeless.

With no employment or roof over her head her future seems uncertain until she’s offered a residency at the Orchard Cottage Hospital in Norton Dene, Somerset. a town where quarrying and coal mining scar the land.

It’s a far cry from London and towns narrow minds are not so welcoming of a young, female Doctor, but she’s determined to win through.

At first sight the town seems quaintly old fashioned, a place where nothing much happens but there are secrets and sins bubbling beneath the surface plus a mystery she's determined to solve.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/anewdoctorsocial 



Author Bio – 

Lizzie Lane was born and brought up in one of the toughest areas of Bristol, as the eldest of three siblings. Her mother, who had endured both the depression and war years, was a natural born storyteller, and it's from her telling of actual experiences of the tumultuous first half of the twentieth century that Lizzie gets her inspiration. Lizzie now lives in Bath, preferring to lead a simple life where she can write without interruption.


Social Media Links –  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/baywriterallat1 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baywriterallatsea/ 

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/LizzieLaneNews 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lizzie-lane



Friday, May 17, 2024

Weaver Street at War





The book is based during WW II in England.  I think of my mother while reading this as she was born in England and lived there during the war. She has told me stories of her childhood. She still has her ration book.  She tells me how she had to go to the bomb shelter and her father being a home guard.  She has told me about the dancing in the streets when the war was over and how one young boy burnt his bum jumping over a bonfire during the celebration.

My Mom is 86 now.  Her memories are clear.  She would have had a difficult time reading this book.  Any story based during this time bothers her.  I loved it but of course, I didn't experience what my Mom did.  

The neighbors became family.  They celebrated and mourned together.  They had each other's back.  What is sad is that I don't know my neighbors.  You say hello if you run into them while taking in the mail.  Would it be different if we experienced what they did on Weaver Street?

I have read all three books of this series.  I loved them all.  

I received this book to review from Boldwood Books.

#blogtour

#rararesources

#ChrissieWalsh

#BoldwoodBooks

Weaver Street at War

As World War II takes its toll on Liverpool, only friendship and community can keep the women of Weaver Street smiling.

The neighbours on Liverpool’s Weaver Street have always looked after each other, but when the Second World War takes many of the husbands, brothers and sons away to fight, the women’s friendships are more important than ever.

Matriarch Kitty Conlon is missing her son Patrick, proud but fearful of the fate of his Spitfire, while spinster Mavis welcomes a new lodger, WAAF Anna Carswell who is delighted by the Weaver Street welcome after a loveless childhood. At number nine, Maggie Stubbs worries nightly as her daughter Lily patrols the streets to protect the neighbours during air raids in her role as ARP Warden, and when an unexploded bomb is discovered at the allotment, danger comes terrifyingly close to Weaver Street.

With war raging and Liverpool bearing the brunt of seemingly non-stop bombing, the friends must share the burden of rationing, blackout and news from the front, while helping one another capture all the moments of joy they can. All the time wishing and hoping that soon news of peace will come and finally their lives can start again.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/weaverstreetwarsocial

Author Bio – 

Born and raised in West Yorkshire, Chrissie trained to be a singer and cellist before becoming a teacher. When she married her trawler skipper husband, they moved to a little fishing village in Northern Ireland. Chrissie is passionate about history and that passion and knowledge shine through in her writing.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063501278251 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalshChrissie 

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/ChrissieWalshNewsletter 


Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chrissie-walsh 

 





Monday, May 13, 2024

Embers in the London Sky



Sarah Sundin has become one of my favorites throughout the years.  I know what to expect and she continues to deliver.

This story is based during WW II.  Aleida escapes from the Netherlands to London. She is separated from all that she loves.  Can she survive the loss?  Will she ever trust again?  

A beautiful friendship develops between Aleida and Hugh Collingwood, a BBC reporter. He is battling his own demons.  But together they can accomplish anything.

I loved the story.  It made me think of my family history.  My mother lived in England during the war.  She has told me many stories of the hardships they endured. 

#SarahSundin



Sunday, May 12, 2024

The Toffee Factory Girls




A delight to read.  I grew to love the girls from the Toffee Factory.  

Each girl had a story to tell.  Not one of them shared a similar background.  But yet they became the closest of friends.  We could learn from this. 

I really enjoyed the book.  I look forward to the next installment as it ended with me having a lot of questions. 

This is my first Glenda Young book.  It sure won't be my last.


The Women




I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. It was a page turner.  Every chapter is gut wrenching.  I was too young to remember the Vietnam War.

I read this very quickly.  Great characters.  Fantastic plot.  This is my first Kristen Hannah book.  I will be reading more.



A Safe Haven on Beamer Street

 

Elodie found herself in a terrible predicament.  She must flee from her husband and find "A Safe Haven on Beamer Street".  Her safety and the well being of her child was dependent of it.

There was no better place for Elodie than Beamer Street.  The people on the street were more than just neighborly.   They became family.  Well, one neighbor can be a little bit of a pain.  

I read the previous book "Finding Friends on Beamer Street".  I would recommend reading this first as you get to know the characters that appear in this book as well.

I really enjoyed the book.  I was afraid for Elodie. Her husband was pure evil. 

I received this book from Boldwood Books to review.

#blogtour
#raresources
#SheilaRiley


A Safe Haven on Beamer Street
Liverpool 1924
Trapped in an abusive marriage to Lord Caraway with her beloved daughter Melissa, 24-year-old Lady Elodie Caraway knows she has to escape before her deepest and darkest secrets are revealed giving her husband every reason to seek his revenge. But time is of the essence, if she is to save herself and Melissa.
With the help of lifelong friend Aiden Newman, they swiftly leave Oakland Hall for a new life in Liverpool's docklands. On arrival, Elodie and Melissa are welcomed as lodgers by Molly Haywood’s family, Aidens aunt – no questions are asked.
Changing her name, Ellie dreams of following in the footsteps of her ancestors, setting up an apothecary to help heal those less fortunate and soon Ellie’s talents are called upon to help Mary-Jane Everdine bring her unborn child safely into the world.
But is Ellie’s tragic past about to catch up with her? Can she save herself and her young daughter from the cruel hands of Lord Caraway?
The next thrilling instalment in Sheila Riley’s Beamer Street series.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/safehavensocial



Author Bio – 
Sheila Riley was a ladies hairdresser for over twenty years before hanging up her scissors and taking up her pen. Her burning life-long ambition to write took the form of short stories, and she went on to win the Northwest Libraries Time To Read Competition before her short stories were published in women's weekly magazines.
In 2003 Sheila joined the Romantic Novelists Association's New Writer's Scheme, which gave her the impetus and the confidence to engage in longer projects that included her love of history and research, which took her into another writing direction.
Her first novel went on for a prized second read in the NWS and she was later published by Harper Collins. A few years and more published novels later, Sheila joined award winning Boldwood Books and is proud to say she was one of their very first authors.
Sheila writes heart warming, bestselling historical sagas set in her homeland of Merseyside where, sometimes, there lurks a darker heart entangled in mystery.
Social Media Links –  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheilaRileyAuthor 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1sheilariley 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheilarileynovelist/ 
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SheilaRileynews 
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sheila-riley





Saturday, May 4, 2024

Courting An Amish Bishop

You are never too old to find love.  It's never to late.  Simon was widowed.  He didn't believe he had the time or desire to marry again.  He was busy serving as the Bishop of his community.

Dok Stella was resigned to be on her own.  She tried to convince herself that she was ok with that.  But then she met Simon.

I absolutely loved the book. It had wonderful characters.  How could you not love Lena?  

It made me think back to when I met my husband.  He was widowed.  I was divorced.  I never expected to meet the love of my life in my late 40s.  I was skeptical that I would remarry.  But two days before my 50th birthday, we did.  You never know what is around the corner.  I have been happily married for 17 years now.  I allowed myself to take a chance on love.  Look what I would have missed if I closed that door.

Are Stella and Simon willing to take the chance? 

I received this book to review from Celebrate Lit.

About the Book

Book: Courting an Amish Bishop

Author: Mindy Steele

Genre: Amish/Christian Fiction

Release Date: April, 2024

No One Is Ever Too Old to Love Again

Full of faith, hope, and romance, this new series takes you into the Heart of Amish country.

Simon Graber became a widower and a bishop early in life. His focus is solely on his very close-knit Old Order Amish community—not entertaining the idea of marriage, despite what many of the elders think. When sickness comes to Cherry Grove, Kentucky, Simon reaches out into the next community for help. But help is beginning to look a lot like a second chance when Stella Schmucker agrees to offer her vast herbal knowledge to the sick. Can it be that these two, who have been too busy serving others to entertain the idea of love, have met at just the perfect time for an unlikely courtship?

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Mindy Steele is the award-winning author and bestselling author of over a dozen novels and novellas in Christian fiction. Raised in Kentucky timber country, Steele has been writing since she could hold a crayon on the wall and lives in northeastern Kentucky—where many of her stories are set.

More from Mindy

The Story Behind the Story with Mindy Steele

Courting an Amish Bishop

Sometimes the smallest detail can spark the greatest story.  It can be a laugh, a flower petal, or even a cup of tea. I have always been drawn to little details and there are times when I felt God tapping on my shoulder, saying pay attention to this. So from a brief chat or set of bones found on a wooded path, stories have taken root.

For this story, it was a cup of elderberry tea late one evening that sent my thoughts to wander. I grew up on the edge of Appalachia and had learned a few herbal remedies to quickly ward off the flu or stop poison ivy before the first itch. As an Amish fiction writer, I wondered if the Amish resorted to the same such natural ways. I knew my neighbors used charcoal internally at times, as well as stockpiling burdock leaves to dry in their attic for burns and wounds, but I wanted to know more.

There is a strong belief among many that the Amish refuse modern medicine. This is simply not true. Most prefer modern medicine as a last resort. Though I once had an Amish neighbor who’d run to the doctor quite often for the least little thing.

Coincidentally, I had gone on to a summer book tour in southern Kentucky, and crossed paths with an Amish healer. She was a remarkable woman, full of wisdom and information. I have also been blessed to have Doc Sam, an Amish man, living just down the road, as well as a few Amish women willing to share their thoughts with me.

Healers have a vast knowledge that is not limited to just one thing. An Amish midwife is often sought after for more than when a child is ready to be welcomed into the world. A chiropractor, or muscle stretcher as they are called since no degree has been obtained, can tell you the best remedy for burns, womanly issues, or how to detox your liver.

Stella Schmucker was my most interesting character to write.  As a woman who needed healing in her own life, it was by God’s grace she became one. As I got to know her, I knew a Bishop had to play a major part in her journey. We often think of men in such positions as stern, authoritarian, and well…old. But a man may draw the lot at as young as 30 if he has already held a position of a deacon or minister. I have seldom read a story where the bishop isn’t stern and always reminding us to follow the rules, but what we don’t see is the man under the hat! Simon reveals an outer and inner man, one struggling with loss, yet faithful in helping others. I have been waiting to write a Bishop’s story for some time, and once Stella’s life was laid out in front in me, the match was made.

I hope you enjoy this story and getting to know Ellie, my silver lab Stella borrows to entertain you. Who knows, you might even learn a few herbal remedies too.

Many blessings and good health,

Mindy

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 27

lakesidelivingsite, April 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 29

She Lives To Read, April 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, May 2 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 3

For Him and My Family, May 4

Cover Lover Book Review, May 5

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 6 (Author Interview)

Mornings at Character Cafe, May 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 8

Holly’s Book Corner, May 9

Mary Hake, May 9

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mindy is giving away the grand prize package a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b147/courting-an-amish-bishop-celebration-tour-giveaway


Samantha Price- SECRET

Trust finds herself once again risking everything. One false step she'll be in jail again. This book was more exciting to me than the ot...