ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Launch Team, Purchase

Beyond the Horizon by Penny Zeller Review and Giveaway

December 10, 2024December 12, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Beyond the Horizon

Author: Penny Zeller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 5, 2024

She’s desperate to keep her job.
He’s desperate for solitude.
What is God’s plan in this complicated situation?

Ruby Shepherdson has worked hard to secure her job as a reporter for The Horizon Herald. After a costly mistake, Ruby’s unforgiving boss gives her an ultimatum to either interview the handsome and reclusive Jake Lynton—or lose her job. But each time Ruby has attempted to obtain an interview, Mr. Lynton has refused. Why would anyone who has saved the lives of four people deny recognition? And why does she find herself drawn to the man?

Jake Lynton just wants to be left alone. Haunted by the past, he runs from both guilt and God by leaving home and somehow finding himself in Horizon, Idaho. His hopes of living as a recluse are foiled when a pesky, but beautiful reporter insists he allow her to interview him about a good deed gone awry. Despite Jake’s efforts, Ruby Shepherdson persists, soon endearing herself to him while somehow remaining endlessly annoying.

Jake’s story isn’t the only one Ruby seeks to publish. When rumors of ill dealings come to her attention, she sets forth to uncover the truth—truth someone does not want revealed. As danger emerges and an unanticipated enemy determines to keep Ruby silent, will Jake fit the pieces together in time to rescue her? Or will he lose the woman who has found a place in his heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith-filled happily ever afters and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. Her books feature tender romance, steady doses of humor, and memorable characters that stay with you long after the last page.

While she has had a love for writing since childhood, Penny began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today Penny is a multi-published author of over two dozen books and is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, birdwatching, reading, running, and playing volleyball.

Penny resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers.

More from Penny

Thank you so much for joining me for the Beyond the Horizon blog tour. I am super excited to share Ruby Shepherdson’s story with you and can’t wait for you to meet newcomer Jake Lynton. Below is an excerpt from the first chapter. Happy reading!

Horizon, Idaho, 1895

For a moment, she was the world-famous reporter, Ruby Shepherdson, author of the latest award-winning article.

Ruby closed her eyes and imagined seeing her name below the numerous articles and stories she submitted to Mr. O’Kane, the editor of The Horizon Herald. The editor from the prestigious Boise City Chronicle, who was just happening to visit his mother in Horizon, would peruse the pages of The Horizon Heraldand become engrossed in one of Ruby’s engaging articles. He would then invite her to submit a monthly story to his well-read publication.

But alas, such a fanciful dream would have to wait.

Ruby resumed scrubbing one of Papa’s shirts on the washboard. There was no fictional editor from The Boise City Chronicle visiting his mother in Horizon. And until Ruby’s shipment of her Smith Premier typewriter arrived from the R. Altman & Company in St. Louis, Missouri, she would continue to dip her pen in ink and handwrite each and every composition she submitted to the cantankerous man who’d become her boss just one year ago last week.

Not that she minded tending to everyday chores, including laundry on Mondays, for she didn’t. As a matter of fact, Ruby’s highest aspirations were to marry someday and be a wife and mother. But until the Lord saw fit to allow a suitable gent into her life, she would continue on the path of writing.

Ruby hung the shirt on the line and proceeded with washing the next item when she noticed a buggy rounding the curve to their farm. She stood tall and placed her hands on her lower back to stretch the tightness from hunching over the washboard. A closer perusal indicated Wilhelmina, one of Mama’s best friends, was paying them a visit.

Wilhelmina, a permanent smile on her round face, folded Ruby into a hug. “It’s so nice to see you. Your ma and I are planning some new recipe ideas, but first, I was asked to deliver a message.”

It didn’t surprise Ruby that Mama and Wilhelmina would be experimenting with recipes. After the Bible, Mama’s favorite book was Recipes from Augusta’s Kitchen, a book she’d purchased when she and Papa first married. “A message?”

“Yes. Tabitha said to tell you that your special purchase has arrived.”

The air caught in Ruby’s lungs. “My special purchase? It has arrived?”

“That’s what she said.”

Not caring how unladylike it might be, Ruby let out an enthusiastic squeal, threw up her hands in excitement, and danced a little jig.

“Might be that you are thrilled to hear this news,” teased Wilhelmina.

“Oh, yes. Not only thrilled but exhilarated. I’ve waited forever for this momentous occasion.”

My Impressions

“There’s nowhere better to be than resting in the Lord’s arms. Reckon that’s the safest place for us to be.”

It’s time for another visit to Horizon, Idaho, circa 1895, guided by Penny Zeller’s historical prairie western voice. In bk 3, Beyond the Horizon of the Horizon series, we meet a struggling female journalist and a curmudgeonly, isolationist farmer.

Ruby Shepherdson is fighting hard to make a career for herself as a journalist, starting by working for the local paper, where her competition is the editor’s rich, spoiled niece. When a chance for the story of a lifetime comes, she begins badgering newcomer Jake Lynton to give her an interview.

Jake is running from his past and God. He moved to Horizon for anonymity, and he has no desire to let a beautiful but pesky redhead bring his past where everyone can see and judge.

I always enjoy Penny Zeller’s humorous, easy story-telling style. The family camaraderie and banter is fun to see. As expected by now, I found several truth nuggets. What surprised me was how much a few of them would suddenly apply to me as real life took a turn as I read the story. That’s when I know I have read a novel I love and want to share- when I find bits that strengthen me in my daily life, even as I’m entertained. Thank you, Ms. Zeller!

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“While perspectives have their place, truth is always the best option.”

“Because people were more important than articles. Even articles that ought to be written.”

“I realized that while I can blame God for what happened, I’ll never know the peace I could know while being distanced from Him.”

“…one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. He does not see time as we do. We see the tintype version, but He sees an enormous painting.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Sweet romantic , humorous, story of Old West with Truth woven in still applies today!

Blog Stops

Madi’s Musings, December 10

lakesidelivingsite, December 10

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 11

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 11

Lighthouse Academy Blog, December 12 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Pens Pages & Pulses, December 13

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 15

Texas Book-aholic, December 16

Pause for Tales, December 16

Book Looks by Lisa, December 17

Cover Lover Book Review, December 18

She Lives To Read, December 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 21

Mary Hake, December 21

For Him and My Family, December 22

Holly’s Book Corner, December 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Penny is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54115

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright Review and Giveaway

April 10, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Night Falls on Predicament Avenue

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: April 9, 2024

In 1910, Effie James is living a dream for two. Her younger sister is harboring a secret that has left timid Effie determined to fulfill her daring sister’s grand plan of seeking out adventure in their small Iowa town. When a British gentleman arrives, disrupting their peace with efforts to find the wife many claim lived her final days at the now abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue, Effie is thrust into intrigue she couldn’t have prepared for. But what she finds inside will forever link her to the scandal staining the house’s walls and to a woman whose secrets promise a curse.

A century later, Norah Richman is living out her late-twin’s dream of running their great aunt’s bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue–a place Norah believes nothing good can come out of after her sister’s abduction and murder thirteen years ago. Her first guest is a crime historian and podcaster, and Norah resolves to stay far away from the charming and enigmatic man–until another guest is found dead. As they dig deeper, something sinister unfurls that will reveal an ominous unknown far greater than the possibility of death itself.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Jaime Jo, the coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire, has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands.

Her literary vocation involves penning Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe.

More from Jaime Jo

True crime did NOT just become popular in this century! Scour the old newspapers for a full and detailed telling of the latest crime. That’s how I got the idea for Night Falls on Predicament Avenue! Yes! I read an old newspaper article from the late 1800’s in which they described in quite delectable detail, the crime scene of a murder in a house with questionable history. That being said, it’s also important to note, that forensics DID just recently become popular in the last 50-100 years. In the 1800’s, if you were murdered, it was common for your neighbor to tour and trample over your crime scene out of curiosity and/or the hope they might be of service in solving the crime. More likely than not, they were merely wanna-be podcast listeners of true crime shows simply born too early for that technological advancement.

My Impressions

“I can hear the darkness.”

“Sometimes findin’ out the truth is too painful. It’s easier to figure out how to get by an’ pretend the past doesn’t haunt you.”

Haunted, I am. Jaime Jo Wright, led by her self-acknowledged muse of Edgar Alan Poe, offers up one of her eeriest novels yet. What makes Wright, with her themes of death and fear so beloved?

For some, it may be the tendency towards the macabre. Wright pens this dual timeline and includes interludes of an unreliable narrator, totally obsessed with death and God’s judgment. At first, I questioned why I was reading something so dark. However, having read several of Wright’s books, I know that eventually the mysteries will be explained, and specters will be unmasked. Eventually, breaking through the dark clouds of the shadow of death, Wright will present that Ray of Hope that shines brightly enough to tunnel through the darkness victoriously.

Small town Shepherd, Iowa, holds secrets as it sees two murders a century apart. In 1901, the bankers’ daughters, Polly and Effie James, witness a terrible occurrence at 322 Predicament Avenue. Polly, terminally ill, becomes almost comatose after being an eye-witness. Effie, the bookish and more rule-oriented of the two, searches for a way to bring her sister back from what she believes is a premature sickness. Society conspires against Effie at every turn. At risk to her own reputation, Effie befriends a newcomer to town and starts investigating with him, breaking every expectation her parents have for her future.

Nearly a century later, Nora Richman owns 322 Predicament Avenue, capitalizing on its dark history to attract visitors to her B and B. A true-crime podcaster comes to stay, ruffling Nora’s nerves as he revives the two murders, one being that of Nora’s twin sister a decade earlier. Nora is a shell of herself since that event, barely able to leave her home, and wants nothing to do with resurrecting the hurtful past. Another death and a second visitor to the house sets in motion a course of events that could totally break Nora.

Fear of death. This is Effie’s predicament. “When a person lived afraid of death, when they could feel death’s cold breath on their neck every moment of the day, there was no courage left to be had. No anticipation. No hope. Only the force of one’s own will to try to outrun the fear before they were eaten alive by it. Before their greatest fear became their worst reality.” Whew, if reading that doesn’t explain Effie’s life and make you, the reader, afraid, I don’t know what will! Anderson, Effie’s English acquaintance, fears something very much.

Nora doesn’t so much fear death as life itself. Nora’s guest, Sebastian, is afraid of something that is altering his life. Nora has so many questions. How can she stop being afraid? Her friend answers, “He left you to live. So live, Norah. Believe there haven’t been mistakes, only a busted-up old world in need of hope.” The real question Wright challenges us, the reader with, is will we surrender to hope or fear? On what basis?

What an incredible wrap-up! I guessed one culprit, but never in a million years would I have nailed the other villain. Wright also drives home the point people are not as we judge them to be.

Bravo, Miss Wright! I’m ready for your next novel of creepy hope!!

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy and a paperback for my keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Death had been a guest here at Predicament Avenue for decades, and it was clear that Death wasn’t ready to check out quite yet.”

“It’s a’right to admit you’re not a’right.”

“It was as if the sun had gone down at 322 Predicament Avenue the night Naomi’s murdered body had been found, and it had never risen again.”

“What was it about being afraid that pushed a person away from God instead of toward Him?”

“Fear steals our joy and is the agony of those with no hope. It will not define us. Fear is the enemy we will defeat.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Nobody can tell a chilling tale like Jaime Jo Wright, yet bring enough hope into it that you are amazed at the journey, begging for more!!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 10

Devoted To Hope, April 10

By The Book, April 11

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 11

Inspired by Fiction, April 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 12

Texas Book-aholic, April 13

Blossoms and Blessings, April 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 14

Blogging With Carol, April 14

Betti Mace, April 15

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, April 15

Live. Love. Read., April 16

For Him and My Family, April 16

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 18

Holly’s Book Corner, April 18

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 19

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 20

Sylvan Musings, April 20

Bigreadersite , April 21

Back Porch Reads, April 21

Lily’s Corner, April 22

Simple Harvest Reads, April 22 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 23

Denise L. Barela, April 23

The Lofty Pages, April 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jaime Jo is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 gift card to Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI and an autographed 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/2af9e/night-falls-on-predicament-avenue-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Lilac Cottage by Carrie Fancett Pagels Review and Giveaway

May 5, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Lilac Cottage

Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels

Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Fiction

Release date: April 12, 2023

Inspirational Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Award-winning Bestselling Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

Lilac Cottage – set on Mackinac Island, Book 2 Mackinac Cottages Series

Out of options, after losing her job and apartment, Rachel Dunmara “camps out” at her deceased Grandmother’s cottage on Mackinac Island. Next door, her childhood nemesis, Jack Welling, is overseeing his family’s remodeling of their home on the West Bluff. When Rachel’s new boss, at a local coffee shop, pushes her to work as Jack’s assistant, for her second job, can they mend their rift?

Kareen Parker, widowed in the past year, returns to the island to share long-held information with her son and to transition ownership of her resort to her son. Her grandson befriends Rachel, who was banned by her family from associating with the Parkers.

After a summer full of secrets that are finally revealed, can three families be healed?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Carrie Fancett Pagels is the award-winning author and bestselling author of over twenty Christian fiction books. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! Raised in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, you’ll find her most summers at the Straits of Mackinac—where many of her stories are set.

More from Carrie

Why I Wrote Lilac Cottage

I had felt the Lord nudging me to write a sequel to my first-ever Women’s Fiction, Butterfly Cottage (after writing 20+ Historical Romances in Christian Fiction). I travel up to the Straits of Mackinac each summer to do book signings, library visits, and to see family and friends. At several of my book signings at the Island Bookstore, on Mackinac Island, I had readers ask if I had a sequel planned for Butterfly Cottage. I met a lovely young reader at one of the signings, who worked at Lucky Bean, my fave coffee shop in the world and it is on the island. Rachel asked me about plans for the next book and I thought – what if I had a young heroine who worked at Lucky Bean for the summer? Ya know, most authors stories start with the what if. So, I also tossed around the notion of what if Rachel was actually camping out in one of the mansions, called “cottages”, up on West Bluff? That spawned my plot thoughts.

When I work, I percolate an idea. I also will not pursue writing a story unless God’s hand is on it. So, I first submitted my will to His. I got the go ahead. I also got a lot of other stuff: Norovirus, Covid, a root canal and crown, a bleed on an optic nerve, and also what I thought might be a heart attack but thankfully it was only my Rheumatoid Arthritis, oh and did I mention recurrent shingles? Yup—all that. So, I figure there must be a reason this book needs to be written for me to have confronted such opposition from the enemy.

This is my very first novel where the main characters are all saved and are all newbies as far as being refreshed in their faith. At my church, one of the pastors preached about how new Christians are so on fire for the Lord and how they are often different from those of us who have been saved for a long time. I wanted to have that reflected in this novel.

I know people have strong feelings about the pandemic. I wanted to make sure I had written something that included some reality of what the winding down was like in 2022, which is when the story is set. My father was born in 1918 during the Spanish Flu pandemic and I always felt that authors from that time didn’t include enough references to how this affected people. I didn’t dwell on Covid in this novel, but I did touch on it in I hope realistic ways, such as shortages of workers.

Whew! One other reason I wrote some of the characters in this book was to give one of my continuing characters, Mrs. Hampy Parker, some redemption. She’s been a Co-dependent in two of my books (Butterfly Cottage and Behind Love’s Wall) and it was time, since she’s now in her early 80’s, for her to get free from that. I enjoyed the new start her character got and it was inspired by one of my friend’s real life stories.

Thank you for being part of the tour!!! And may God bless and keep you!

My Impressions

“I can’t. God can. I think I’ll let God.”

( from Co-Dependents Anonymous’s Twelve Steps.)

Location, location, location! While those may be the three most important words in real estate, they certainly can be important to a reader!

I love this newest book, Lilac Cottage, by Carrie Fancett Pagels for many reasons, but foremost is its setting on Mackinac Island, a tourist place we are somewhat familiar with. I loved remembering the feel of the mist on our faces as we sat on top of the ferry, seeing the Grand Hotel come into view as Rachel Dunmarra and Kareen Parker do. I loved envisioning the crowded streets with people, horses and carriages, and bicycles swerving between the first two. Pagels describes the island so well. And mentioning the iconic Pink Pony? What a treat that place is! And the island bookstore is really there, with its manager, and even Pagels’s books on the shelf!

Wow, when our novel starts, there are so many people and so many threads involved. It was like having a giant skein of yarn that was tangled impossibly. As we meet Rachel, we begin to see her search for significance and family. We see Jack’s need to grieve a sister who died years before. Then we see the Parkers, with their matriarch’s issues and the family’s odd exclusion. And the the characters and their situations seem to multiply. Kudos to Pagels for eventually unraveling that very tangled yarn and producing a masterpiece in the end!

When we visit the island, it is a peaceful time. Yet, Mackinac Island is home to real people, past and present, with real problems. I am amazed at how many skeletons are itching to escape their closets in Lilac Cottage! The mystery, broken relationships, and danger mixed with romance continue until the very end.

Pagels tackles topics like parental rejection, grief denied, narcissism, dependency, COVID, ancestry, fresh faith, and not to be ignored, coffee!😊

If none of this excites you about the book, look at its beautiful cover. That alone would entice me in! So pull up a chair and travel to Mackinac Island. And don’t forget the fudge!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

The truth could destroy her family. But it had to be shared.

“it’s far worse to have a breaking heart and no one to share that with.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I loved revisiting Mackinac Island with Rachel, Jack, their families, and the Parkers!

Blog Stops

An Author’s Take, May 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 3

Blossoms and Blessings, May 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 4

Betti Mace, May 5

She Lives to Read, May 5

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , May 6

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Mornings at Character Café, May 7

For Him and My Family, May 8

Mary Hake, May 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 10

Connie’s History Classroom, May 11

Holly’s Book Corner, May 11

Sylvan Musings, May 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 13 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 13

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 14

Christina’s Corner, May 14

debs book review, May 15

Books I’ve Read, May 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize package of $70 Amazon Gift Card, a copy of Lilac Cottage, and a copy of Butterfly Cottage!!

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/25f56/lilac-cottage-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Lilac Cottage by Carrie Fancett Pagels Review and Giveaway

May 5, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Lilac Cottage

Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels

Genre: Historical Romance, Christian Fiction

Release date: April 12, 2023

Inspirational Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Award-winning Bestselling Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

Lilac Cottage – set on Mackinac Island, Book 2 Mackinac Cottages Series

After a summer full of secrets that are finally revealed, can three families be healed?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Blog Stops

An Author’s Take, May 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 3

Blossoms and Blessings, May 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 4

Betti Mace, May 5

She Lives to Read, May 5

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , May 6

Texas Book-aholic, May 7

Mornings at Character Café, May 7

For Him and My Family, May 8

Mary Hake, May 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 10

Connie’s History Classroom, May 11

Holly’s Book Corner, May 11

Sylvan Musings, May 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 13 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 13

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 14

Christina’s Corner, May 14

debs book review, May 15

Books I’ve Read, May 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize package of $70 Amazon Gift Card, a copy of Lilac Cottage, and a copy of Butterfly Cottage!!

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/25f56/lilac-cottage-celebration-tour-giveaway

Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley

A Brighter Dawn by Leslie Gould Review and Giveaway

April 22, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Brighter Dawn

Author: Leslie Gould

Genre: Amish Romance

Release date: March 28, 2023

Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and enjoys studying church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.

More from Leslie

The historical thread of my dual-time novel A Brighter Dawn is set in Nazi Germany from 1937 to 1939. During that period of time, Germany incorporated Austria, mandatory registration of all Jewish property began, and concentration camps opened. Then came the Night of Broken Glass—the anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Soon following was the German occupation of Czechoslovakia before the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939.

My main character, Clare Simons, is a Mennonite young woman from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who is staying with her uncle and cousins in Frankfurt, Germany. She doesn’t follow current events much and struggles to balance the Nazi propaganda her uncle and oldest cousin believe with the events unfolding around her. Slowly, she begins to see the truth behind the Nazi lies.

One thing that broke up the narrative of the heavy events I researched and wrote about? The food.

When I traveled in Germany with my husband (who had lived there during his Army service years ago), I marveled over the scenery, became engrossed in the history, and definitely enjoyed the food. My background is Swiss, so it wasn’t that the food was unfamiliar. It was just at a level I hadn’t experienced before!

As I researched what Clare would fix for meals, I pored through cookbooks. For added inspiration, hubby and I ate at German restaurants. Jägerschnitzel (seared pork with gravy). Rinderbraten (paprika and caraway spiced beef roasted in red wine gravy). Wienerschnitzel (breaded and fried pork loin with warm potato salad and a vegetable remoulade.)

I noted food in research books, documentaries, and films. The entrees became focal points in the stories, including rabbit stew, a Christmas goose, and Sauerbraten with Spätzle and red cabbage. So did the desserts, including trifle and Black Forest cake.

When I visited Germany with my hubby, one of the things I really loved was stopping in a café for Apfelkuchen (apple cake) and coffee in the afternoon. In one scene in A Brighter Dawn, when Clare and her cousin Lena stop for coffee, they order apple cake too. Then, in another scene, Clare bakes an apple cake for the family of the nearby Jewish grocer who will soon lose their property.

Below is a recipe for a simple and dense German apple cake (which may have originated in Poland and been influenced by a Jewish apple cake recipe).

The food in A Brighter Dawn doesn’t take away from the narrative, but it is a reminder that a nurturing soul, such as my character Clare, can stand against the lies of an evil regime.

German Apple Cake

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter, melted
2 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 cups apples—peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (to soften apple slices before baking, place in a microwavable dish with a lid and microwave them with a Tablespoon of water for 3–4 minutes)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
Beat butter and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well.
Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in apples and walnuts by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. After 30 minutes, put a sheet of foil over the top of the cake to keep it from burning. Cool cake on a wire rack.

Possible Toppings

Before baking:

Crumble: ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, ½ cup flour, 4–6 Tablespoons softened butter. Combine ingredients and evenly spread over the top of cake.

Butterscotch: Sprinkle a package of butterscotch chips over the top of the cake.

Almonds: Sprinkle almond slivers over the top of the cake.

After baking:

Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Sprinkle with white sparkling sugar.

Top with whipped cream.

My Impressions

Leslie Gould has written a very compelling, yet for me, too political story about a young Mennonite woman, Ivy Zimmerman, and her family who live in Oregon. Following a family tragedy, Ivy and her sisters leave their beloved Gran and travel to stay with their estranged Amish grandparents on the other side, who live in PA. As the sisters travel back to PA with their Amish grandparents, they are accompanied by a great-aunt, who tells Ivy a story about another young woman. This woman, Clare, is a relative who visited Germany years ago, and stayed with a family of three sisters.

I enjoyed the dual timeline, even as it surprised me. I loved the historical timeline (narrated in third person)best, but the present-day story (told in first-person pov) is also interesting. I liked learning more about the Mennonites. I was surprised, as Clare is, at the difference in beliefs and practices of the American Mennonites vs. their European counterparts.

Gould wants to make sure the reader understands history and its importance today. While we aren’t responsible for the actions of others, the past can teach us. “But we have a responsibility to it—to caring for those affected by it, by never forgetting, and by doing all we can to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.”

I totally agree with that.

However, this was a difficult book for me to finish. For one thing, there are too many characters to keep them all straight. I also had some difficulty sorting out the which Mennonite group Gould is referring to in places. I felt as if the author had a ton of information she was excited to share, and didn’t pare it down enough for one book.

Gould heavily emphasizes the Ukrainian/Russian conflict before WWII. According to Gould, it’s very clear that the same events are now being repeated.

What I didn’t enjoy: Strong inferences made that being a Christian means you can only hold one political view. I hear that from both sides of the aisle, and it saddens me. Because we are human, we are imperfect, and our politics are imperfect. We will not all agree, but we should all be able to speak our minds respectfully, yet not insist that our way is the only way. Also, I read for enjoyment, not a rehashing of the conflict in the world around us. Realism is ok, but I expected this type of book to be more educational about WWII and the Mennonites, not the strong political statement I felt it became halfway through.

All in all, this is an interesting story, but very political and with too many threads in the tapestry.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“How did my grudges correlate with my will to survive? Not physically survive, but emotionally?”

“What was the difference between a grudge and a boundary?”

“I’d read once that if you flew west on a plane at one thousand miles an hour, you’d be continually in the dawn of one day for twenty-four hours. But I liked the idea. It gave me hope. A new day was always beginning, somewhere.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐

Good- but not a personal fave

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 23

Lakesidelivingsite, April 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 24

Cover Lover Book Review, April 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 26

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 27 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Connie’s History Classroom, April 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 28

Vicky Sluiter, April 28

She Lives To Read, April 29

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 30 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, April 30

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 2

Mornings at Character Cafe, May 2

Bigreadersite, May 3

Bliss, Books & Jewels, May 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 4

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 5

For Him and My Family, May 5

Splashes of Joy, May 6

Pause for Tales, May 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Leslie is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of A Brighter Dawn and one $15 Amazon gift card!!

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/258b9/a-brighter-dawn-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, New-to-Me Author

The Escape Game by Marilyn Turk Review and Giveaway

March 29, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Escape Game

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release date: March, 2023

A Board Game Holds Keys to Prisoners’ Escape

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

After the Nazis started the bombing blitz of England, Beryl Clarke puts her college on hold to return to Leeds, care for her mother, and work as a secretary at the Waddington game company. While she endures the war at home, her brother James fights the enemy in the air. When he is shot down, injured, and captured, James meets American POW Kenneth Anderson, and they plan to escape the Nazi prison camp. Beryl knows there is a board game with escape plans being delivered to POWs by the Red Cross. But how will the men discover the game’s secret?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Marilyn Turkwrites historical fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over one hundred lighthouses, and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.

When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, playing with grandkids, and her golden retriever Dolly.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope and Love; Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; and Word Weavers International.

More from Marilyn

The Story behind The Escape Game

In the process of writing my books, I’ve become fascinated by the real stories that happened during World War II. I’ve discovered information I didn’t know before and am finding out that many people I know, even those older than myself, didn’t know either. Every time I come across an interesting tidbit, I want to write about it. Since my husband knows I look for such things, when he came across a story about how the Monopoly game was used during the war, he shared it with me.

The true story was kept top-secret for over fifty years after the war, so few had heard about it, especially outside the United Kingdom. Of course, my writer’s mind set off asking “What If?” So the story developed about a woman who works for the company that makes the game and what happened after she found out about the secret. What if she had a close relative who had been captured before the British informed their soldiers about the game and he needed to know the information? How could she convey that to him?

I wish I could have gone to the UK for research, but that was not a possibility. Maybe someday. However, the people I contacted there were very helpful, and I was thrilled to make contact with the great granddaughter of the president of Waddintons, the company which manufactured the game. She was able to fill in a few details about the company, although when she was a child, her grandfather ran the company.

One thing many people find hard to believe, based on the horrible treatment the Nazi army inflicted on people they thought inferior, is that the treatment of POW’s was somewhat better, especially for pilots. Thanks to the rules of the Geneva Convention after WWI, the Germans abided by them for the most part. That involved treatment of prisoners who escaped. Most of them were caught and returned to the camp from which they escaped. And normally, the punishment was solitary confinement. The biggest hardship of the POWs besides lack of freedom was the meager food they were given, especially as the war continued, since the Germans themselves were facing food shortages.

The challenge for me as a writer was to accurately describe life in both England and the POW camp. The other big challenge was writing a love story when the two characters were apart for so long. But it’s true that many soldiers fell in love with women they corresponded with back home. That fact is verified in the many letters on record, including the ones my father-in-law wrote to a fellow soldier’s fiancé after the soldier was killed in action. Their relationship grew into love, and after the war, the two met in person at the train station for the first time and married the same day.

My Impressions

“…as members of the Royal Air Force, it is our duty to try to escape.”

Bravo for Marilyn Turk, who, in The Escape Game, has penned a very different kind of WWII book than I have yet read. Part of the Heroines of WWII series from Barbour, each novel stands alone. This is a slightly dual-timeline novel, where we meet Grandmother Beryl at nearly 100, then go back and learn of her life in war-torn England.

So many themes are presented, while the storyline is so engaging, you won’t want to stop reading until you find out what happens to the POW’s. Of course, you’ll want to discover whether the relationship between Beryl and American Kenneth can grow by heavily edited correspondence.

A bereaved widow, young women helping the war effort in ways that take bravery I can only imagine, an elderly lady with no family, and men desperate to escape the POW camp. What wonderfully diverse characters, each with their particular strengths and weaknesses. The thought that impressed me, was from the King of England down to the average Britisher, so many gave so much in the way of self-sacrifice. And many understood the value and hope provided by trusting in God at such a horrific time. Plus, the need to pull together to be successful. Kenneth may have some room to grow in all of these areas! Thankfully, people around him blaze the way spiritually as he attempts to blaze the way physically.

My fave secondary character? It would have to be a tie between Beryl’s mother (what a journey she makes in this book), and Mrs. Dowd (she both complicates and enriches others’ lives).

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“The greatness of any nation is in the spirit of its people.”- King George during WWII

“As far as Kenneth was concerned, if he wanted a miracle, he’d have to create it himself. And if God wanted to help, He was welcome. He could start with a hot dish of jambalaya.”

“He pitied those who didn’t have that hope, because it was hope that kept them going.”