When Dignity Came to Harlan

 A story of hope and heartbreak.  Anna Beth's parents had dreams of a better life for their family in Harlan, Kentucky.  So they left everything they owned to search for their dreams.  

This is the American story.  So many families came to America for a better life.  My maternal grandparents immigrated to Michigan from England in the 1950s for a better life.  They sold everything they owned and came here to start a new life.  My mother at age 15 didn't know what to expect.  She had to learn new ways of doing things.  Fortunately, she was British so she could understand most of what was being said around her.  She shared with me stories of what it was like and the hardships they encountered. It made me think of Anna Beth's family.

Anna Beth's story could have ended tragically.  By the Grace of GOD, she had the strength to survive.  

I loved Mr. Jingle's character.  He was a friend that Anna Beth could trust and depend on.  It was unexpected how important his role was in her life.  His positive encouragement changed her life.

I received this ebook to review from Celebrate Lit.

About the Book

Book: When Dignity Came to Harlan

Author: Rebecca Duvall Scott

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: January 17, 2021

I made up my mind right then and there that I would just have to wade into this move like wading into a pond or lake I’d never seen before – slow and steady, feeling around for my footing and trying to avoid the sharp edges at the bottom that you never see coming.

***

News of what really happened to me – to us – spread through town like wildfire. It caught from one dry gossip tree to another and burned them to the ground with shame.

***

“Y’can do this, child – show ’em why I call y’Dignity,” my old friend winked at me.                

Skillfully written and sure to draw you in to its pages, When Dignity Came to Harlan is set in the early 1900s and follows twelve-year-old Anna Beth Atwood as she leaves Missouri with her family dreaming of a better life in the coal-rich mountains of Harlan County, Kentucky. Anna Beth’s parents lose everything on the trip, however, and upon asking strangers to take their girls in until they get on their feet, Anna Beth and her baby sister are dropped into the home of Jack and Grace Grainger – who have plenty of problems of their own. Anna Beth suffers several hardships during her time in Harlan, and if it wasn’t for her humble and wise old friend who peddles his wisdom along with his wares, all would be lost.

Based on a true family history, this is a story of heartbreak and hope, challenges and perseverance, good and evil, justice and merciful redemption. It exemplifies the human experience in all its many facets and shows what it means to have real grit.

Take the journey with us and see how, with the unseen hand of God, one girl changed the heart and soul of an entire town.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Rebecca Duvall Scott is an award-winning author with titles holding #1 bestseller within her publishing companies long after release. Her first work was self-help memoir, Sensational Kids, Sensational Families: Hope for Sensory Processing Differences, which she wrote in the years following her son’s sensory processing disorder diagnosis and their family’s successful treatment plan. While her special-needs advocacy helping parents, teachers, and professionals better understand individuals with SPD has a large part of her heart, her roots have always been in historical fiction. Her long-awaited Christian historical fiction novel, When Dignity Came to Harlan, was based on her great-grandmother’s childhood, and Teaching Dignity continues the tender and heroic story. She looks forward to writing more in both the Dignity and Sensational Kids series.

In addition to writing, Rebecca enjoys family, church, educating her children at home, painting, and directing a local homeschool cooperative organization where she works hard to accommodate all special needs.

 

More from Rebecca

From the time I was a little girl, my grandmother would gather me around her kitchen table – usually with homemade peach pies – and tell me stories of our forebears. I found the experiences of those who came before me to be both tragic and joyful, but most of all I found them worthy of being told and never forgotten. When I was 16, I started taking notes on everything my grandmother could remember about her mother (one of the humblest and most heroic of my ancestors) and as a senior in college, I turned in the first 70 pages of the manuscript based on her childhood, When Dignity Came to Harlan. I’ll never forget how on graduation day, my creative writing teacher shook my hand and said, “Rebecca, please finish the story.” It took years to finish my debut novel… I think because I had to grow up and develop a deep enough emotional well to do it justice… but finish the story I did. Little did I know, however, this bestselling and award-winning book, the one I was always meant to write, would be the starter of a new, yet powerfully old-fashioned, Christian historical fiction series!

Blog Stops

deb’s Book Review, February 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 13

Inklings and notions, February 14

Texas Book-aholic, February 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 16

For Him and My Family, February 17

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 18

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 18

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 19 (Spotlight)

Jeanette’s Thoughts, February 19

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 20

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 21

Connie’s History Classroom, February 22

Lots of Helpers, February 23

Elly Gilbert, February 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rebecca is giving away the grand prize package of signed copies of When Dignity Came to Harlan and Teaching Dignity, a handmade ornament, and popular early 1900s candy!!

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/1a45d/when-dignity-comes-to-harlan-celebration-tour-giveaway

Śarah Sundin's UNTIL LEAVE FALL IN AUTUMN

Lucie lived in Paris most of her life.  It was the place she called home.  She might have been born in America but she was loyal to her adopted country until she found herself in danger.  And then she had to make a decision.

Paul was an American businessman who was running a company in Paris.  Was he a German sympathizer?  Lucie struggled with her feelings for Paul.  She was confused.  Who was he?

A very intense story that is based in a historical period of time that we should never forget.  How could this really have happened?  It did.   Will Lucie and Paul survive?  Could they even have a future together?

This was a page turner.  I am always impressed by Sarah Sundin's research.   I enjoy her books.  

I received this book from Revell Books to review.

Sarah Sundin enjoys writing about the drama and romance of the World War II era. She is the bestselling author of Until Leaves Fall in Paris (February 2022), When Twilight Breaks (2021), (2020), the Sunrise at Normandy series, and three more WWII series. Her novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. When Twilight Breaks and The Land Beneath Us were Christy Award finalists, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, and both Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turn were named to Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years."

A mother of three, Sundin lives in California and teaches Sunday school and women's Bible studies. She enjoys speaking to community, church, and writers' groups. Sarah serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. 

The Lady of Galway Manor

 I am a mixture of Scottish, Irish and British ancestry.  I can tell the difference in their accents and their particular slang.  They are separate countries that are part of the United Kingdom.  This story is about the differences and their similarities.

Lady Annabeth of Galway Manor is given the opportunity to apprentice at a silversmiths in Galway.  This silversmith is known for making the Claddagh rings.  I was given a claddagh ring as my wedding ring in a previous marriage. The claddagh ring represents love, loyalty and friendship. I have no idea why her father would agree to this other than he would use this later to persuade her to go on the path he is insistent on. Annabeth meets the people of the town and is drawn in.  She learns their stories and history. She comes to love the area. 

It is a book of the have and the have nots.  The issue is what do they really have.  Stephen and his friends and family have each other to rely on and to assist in times of need.  Lady Annabeth and her family had no one to turn to when disaster struck the Manor.  But the citizens of Galway were there to help.  

Will Annabeth receive the love, loyalty and friendship she so desires?  

I enjoyed this story.  I loved the location in Ireland.  It does make you want to go there and have a pint at the local pub. Maybe there will be a band and a good singalong as well.  

I received this book from Revell to give a review.

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and in other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com.

The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl

Life was going great.  Annabelle loved her home and especially loved the woman who took her in all those years ago.  Annabelle had no worries.   Mum tried to prepare her for the future but Annabelle wouldn't listen. And now she found herself in trouble!!

I loved the book. This is my first by Annemarie Brear.  I enjoyed all of the characters in the book.  I especially liked Nellie.  She had a heart of gold.  Annabelle learned that her "normal" was not everyone else's normal.  She was learning survival skills  by Nellie and by Nellie's children.

The title mentions the peacock shawl.  A shawl is a wrap to keep you warm or protected (a cover).  The spiritual meaning of a peacock feather is a symbol of peace.  I took this symbolism of Annabelle and the infant were wrapped in GOD's love and peace.  It took awhile for Annabelle to realize this and make the difficult decision she needed to make.

As you read this story, you can assume it was going to turn out one way.  It had some twists and turns in the story line that surprises you.  

#BookandTonic. #The Orphan in the Peacock Shawl

#BOLDWOODBOOKS

Yorkshire Dales 1850

As a terrible storm rages, Annabelle Wallis is shocked to find a distressed young woman at her cottage door, heavy with child. Moments later a baby girl is born. But by dawn, the mother has vanished, leaving behind the helpless child wrapped only in a silk peacock shawl.When news spreads that Lady Eliza Hartley, sister to wealthy estate owner, John Hartley, has been found dead, Annabelle realises the terrible secret she has stumbled on. Terrified she’ll be blamed for Eliza’s death, Annabelle flees to the filthy slums of York, where she plans to raise the precious orphan as her own.The cobbled streets of York’s slums are no place for a young woman like Annabelle or a Hartley babe and John Hartley is determined to bring them both home. But Annabelle proves impossible to find.Annabelle can’t hide forever from the wealthy Hartley family, but can she ever give up the baby she loves?

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3bvURLt

Author Bio – 

AnneMarie Brear is the bestselling historical fiction writer of over twenty novels. She lives in the Southern Highlands in NSW, and has spent many years visiting and working in the UK. Her books are mainly set in Yorkshire, from where her family hails, and Australia, between the nineteenth century and WWI.

Social Media Links –   

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/annemariebrear 

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/annemariebrear 

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/annemariebrear 

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annemarie-brear  

Sunrise

Alaska.  Alaska is on my bucket list.    I have dreamed of  going on a cruise to Alaska.  This book brought me right there in the wilderness and the ice cold snow.  Lots of snow!

I can't even imagine living in the conditions that Susan May Warren wrote about in this story.  But Echo not only loved but thrived in its elements.  Except the extreme loss she felt.  These losses shaped her decisions for years to come. Was she able to forgive and move forward?

I enjoyed the book and was intrigued by the unusual (at least to me) names of the characters.  Glad to see that this is Book one of the Sky King Ranch Series.  So more books to come.  

I received this book to review from Revell Reads.

 Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 85 novels with more than 1 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and the Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota. Find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook @SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @SusanMayWarren.

Strength in the Storm

 Strength in the Storm Epic Book Launch

About the Book

Book: Strength in the Storm

Author: Laurel Blount

Genre: Amish Romance

Release date: February 22, 2022

In this touching Amish romance, a brokenhearted woman and a steadfast man discover that the safest place to weather tragedy is in each other’s arms.

After the murder of both her parents, Emma Hochstedler returns to the small community of Johns Mill, hoping to resume her quiet existence. Reclaiming her place proves harder than expected—especially now that a movie is being made about her family’s loss. But then, an old friend offers her a lifeline that gives her new purpose.

Amish builder Samuel Christner is the biggest—and the strongest—man in town. In fact, the gentle giant has only one weakness—Emma. Even though she broke his heart, he won’t let his childhood sweetheart face her troubles alone. He hires Emma as a nurse for his elderly aunt…and finds himself falling for her all over again.

But while romance blooms, storm clouds gather. And when darkness falls, it will take all Sam’s strength—and all their love—to see them through.

BOOK EXCERPT

 Strength in the Storm Excerpt 3

"Ja, it was." Emma's lips curved at the memory. "It wasn't mine, so I was happy enough to pass it off to her, once Mamm said I could. They're a messy job, the chickens, but Miriam never minded. She knew all the hens' personalities, and she liked to name them after our friends. Mamm fussed about that. She didn't think it sounded kind when Miriam would suggest we stew Mahlon's Betty for supper because she'd started pecking eggs." 

Naomi laughed, but Emma's answering smile halted half formed. Her twin brother, Caleb, had laughed, too, and Daed had smothered a smile. Now Mamm and Daed had passed, and Caleb-well, Caleb was lost to them, too. 

Naomi stepped fully onto the porch and shut the kitchen door. "Emma," she said, lowering her voice, "I think we should ask Miriam to take the chickens over again. A job like that, something she used to enjoy so much, it might be a way to coax her outside of the house." 

Emma shook her head, alarmed. "Not yet, Naomi. Yesterday she couldn't even step out to get the mop you needed, and it was just beside the door on the back steps. She'd never manage to go all the way across the yard, and it would upset her to try. It's all right, truly. I don't mind doing the outside chores until she's better." 

Excerpt One: https://carolkeen.blogspot.com/2022/02/strength-in-storm-epic-book-launch.html

Excerpt Two: https://storiesbygina.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/strength-in-the-storm-epic-book-launch/

Excerpt Three: https://nannie3.blogspot.com/2022/01/strength-in-storm.html?m=1

Excerpt Four: https://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/strength-in-the-storm-epic-book-launch/

Excerpt Five: https://englishmysteriesblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/strength-in-storm-spotlight-book-tour.html

Excerpt Six: https://coverloverbookreview.blogspot.com/2022/01/strength-in-storm-epic-book-launch.html

Excerpt Seven: https://musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2022/02/celebrate-lit-presents-strength-in.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Laurel Blount writes inspirational romances full of grit and grace—with characters who’ll walk right off the page and into your heart! She lives on a farm in Georgia with her husband, their four fabulous kids, and an assortment of ridiculously spoiled animals.

A enthusiastic multi-tasker, Laurel writes for both Berkley/Penguin Random House and Love Inspired/Harlequin. She’s the recipient of ACFW’s Carol Award, The New England Reader’s Choice Award and GRW’s Maggie Award. She’s represented by Jessica Alvarez of Bookends Literary Agency.

Strength in the Storm is Laurel’s seventh book—and four more stories are in the works! Stay tuned!

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow

 

You never know where life might lead you.  Sammie never imagined what was in store for her when she met Thomas, an elderly and grouchy man.  This meeting changed her whole life.

It made me think of a time many years ago.  I was getting a divorce. Naturally I was upset and felt that I was not ever going to meet anyone that was a keeper.  I hoped I would.  I prayed I would.  Seven years later, when I least expected it, I met the love of my life.

Sammie was in the same situation. She just about gave up on love.  Hedgehog Hollow opened the door for Sammie.  She learned to love and live again!

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

 

What an exciting story!  Each chapter had me holding my breath. What more can happen?  I loved Penny and her determination to do her job and to do it well.  She showed her bravery in the times that she could have easily fall apart.  Plus Penny's job as a helicopter pilot is very unique and quite cool!!

I don't want to reveal anything to spoil the book.  But there were times,  I thought Penny put herself in risky situations when she knew that she was already in danger.  I was yelling at her, "No, don't".  But she didn't listen to me!

I will continue looking for anything written by Lynette Eason.  It was exciting and a page turner.  

I received this book to review from Revell Books.

Lynette Eason is the best-selling, award winning author of over fifty books including the Women of Justice series, the Deadly Reunions series, the Hidden Identity series, the Elite Guardians series and the Blue Justice series. She writes for Revell and for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. Her books have appeared on the CBA, ECPA, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. She has won several awards including the Carol Award, the IRCC award, the Selah, and the Christian Retailing’s Best 2017 Award. She placed in the top ten in the James Patterson 2016 co-writer contest. The movie, Her Stolen Past, based on Lynette’s novel with the same title, aired February 2, 2018 on the Lifetime Movie Network.

Lynette is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Romance Writers of America (RWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), and Faith, Hope, and Love (FHL) chapter of RWA as well as the Kiss of Death (KOD) chapter. Lynette lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina with her husband and is the mother of two grown (ack! How can that be?) children. She can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com and www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and @lynetteeason on Twitter.

A Heart Adrift

I love Williamsburg and the Yorktown area.  I have been wanting to visit there again to explore the rich history that it shares with you.  I can not thank Laura Frantz enough to give me a taste of what it would be like if I was there in the 1700s.  I am quite impressed with the research that was required to write this glorious story of Henri and Esmee'.  

I'm from Michigan and we do have lighthouses along with the shores of the Great Lakes.  Esmee' desire and eagerness to work the lighthouse was a surprise to me as well as others in the storyline.  She wasn't raised to do such a task.  She knew that she wanted to do more than carry on her mother's ambition.  Esmee' "Heart" was adrift until she found what it desired.  

A great book that kept me up until the late hours this week.  

I received this book from Revell Reads to review.

#AHeartAdrift

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA bestselling author of eleven historical novels, including The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, The Colonel’s Lady, and The Lacemaker. When not reading and writing, she loves to garden, cook, take long walks, and travel. She is the proud mom of an American soldier and a career firefighter. When not at home in Kentucky, she and her husband live in Washington State. Learn more at www.laurafrantz.net.

TYME AFTER TYME

 Time After Tyme Epic Book Launch

About the Book

Time After Tyme is a fun and thought-provoking mystery about secret codes, university intrigue, and two young girls who fancy themselves 21st-century Nancy Drews.

 

When strange, coded messages turn up in the chapel prayer box at Bellevue University, the minister suspects a recent campus death may have been murder, so he enlists the help of amateur sleuths Kathryn Frasier and Cece Goldman to decipher the codes and solve the mystery. But when a couple of young girls get wind of it, they decide to find the killer on their own. Almost everyone on campus has something to hide, and the story fluctuates between the rational search for the truth by the adults, and the occasionally misguided, but surprisingly perceptive, insight of the children.

 

Set on the campus of a modern university, Time After Tyme is both a joyful romp through a cozy mystery and a serious look at the search for truth. The book reminds us of the seasons of our lives, from the irrepressible curiosity of youth to the treasured experience of maturity.

BOOK EXCERPT

“Now, what do you want to know?”
I decided to use the element of surprise. You know, throw something out unexpected-like
to see their reaction. I locked my eyes onto her face. “What do you know about Mr. Tyme’s
death?”
Her pale face went completely white, her eyes got big and round, and her spectacles fell
down onto their bungee cord. I guess there’s a first time for everything. She sat straight up in her
chair and moved a few more books around. I thought maybe she was buying time so she
wouldn’t have to answer me. Sometimes when I bother her, she’ll suddenly remember she has
some books to reshelve, but that didn’t happen. She put her glasses back on and looked at me
again. “Mr. Tyme?” Her voice shot up about an octave. “Why are you asking about him?”
“He died. And I’m going to find out what happened.” There. I said it out loud. I thought maybe
she’d scream and run out of the room.

Excerpt One: https://janemouttet.wordpress.com/2022/01/14/epic-book-launch-time-after-tyme/

Excerpt Two: https://moments-of-beauty.blogspot.com/2021/12/epic-book-launch-time-after-tyme-by-kay.html

Excerpt Three: http://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/time-after-tyme-epic-book-launch/

Excerpt Four: https://nannie3.blogspot.com/2021/12/after-tyme-epic-book-launch-about-book.html

Excerpt Five: https://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/2021/12/22/time-after-tyme-epic-book-launch/

Excerpt Six: https://musingsbymaureen.blogspot.com/2022/01/celebrate-lit-presents-time-after-tyle.html

Excerpt Seven: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/time-after-tyme-book-excerpt/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kay DiBianca is an award-winning author who loves to create literary puzzles in the mystery genre for her readers to solve. Her characters come to life as they struggle to solve murders and create relationships amidst the ongoing themes of faith and family. Her first novel, The Watch on the Fencepost, won an Illumination Award for General Fiction and an Eric Hoffer Award for Mystery. The second book in the Watch series, Dead Man’s Watch, was a Silver Falchion Award finalist.

Kay is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the Collierville Christian Writers Group. An avid runner, she can often be found at a nearby track, on the treadmill, or at a large park near her home. Her background in software development fuels her fascination with puzzles and mysteries, and her dedication to running helps supply the endurance and energy she needs to write about them.

Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, Tennessee. You can connect with Kay through her website at https://kaydibianca.com.

Snowflakes Over The Starfish Cafe

 

• Isaiah 41:10. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Hollie and Jake.  Two people who were shaped by fear.  Everyone has something in their lives that we are afraid of.  Some can not let it go.  Others learn a way to deal with it and move forward.

I, for one, felt that I had no choice but to move forward.  Hollie's Mom left her a precious gift.  She gave her the permission to move forward, to dance.  But will Hollie listen?

I really enjoyed the book.  It expressed the importance of friends.  Friends are family even a dog named Pickles can be a valued family member.

#loveBoldwoodBooks

Pick up a copy and give it a read during the holiday season!! 

JESSICA REDLAND

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.