by Crystal Caudill | Nov 5, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for suggestions as to what to read each month, may I recommend joining my Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, or visiting Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
October Verse: A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
Challenge Theme: A mute/deaf character or a character who advocates for others
November Verse: A time to love and a time to hate.
Challenge Theme: An enemies-to-lovers book
A Thieving at Carlton House
by Erica Vestch
Review by: Crystal Caudill
The delay in this review just proves how crazy my reading life has been, but after many interruptions and long periods of not getting to read, I FINALLY FINISHED A THIEVING AT CARLTON HOUSE!!!! And I should have tossed aside all my responsibilities sooner. LOL Who needs clothes, food, doctor appointments, rides to and from school, or any other thing that stood in the way of my reading pleasure?
Sigh. I absolutely adore the fact that this new series is following Bertie and Philippa. Philippa is a former courtesan (aka prostitute who serves high-class clientele) who is working through the challenges of running a growing ministry that helps rescue women from a similar lifestyle. I love Philippa and her heart for women, and my heart aches as she wrestles to realize her worth not only as a person who can be loved, but as a child of God. Her struggle with forgiving her father is one that I think many of us can identify with, at least in the forgiving of someone who has done us harm–not for their sake but for our own. It’s a hard and difficult road to walk, and I loved walking that road with Philippa.
And then there is Bertie. Oh, good ole loveable Bertie, who has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. I am thrilled he gets his own series. That man has so much depth and it was good to see his internal struggle as he begins to come into his own and build his own team. I cannot wait to see how he grows and develops over the next two books . . . and, let’s be honest, how his relationship with Philippa will grow. I’m in a season right now where I am enjoying the romances that actually take several books to build, and this series is top of my enjoyment list. 🙂
I highly recommend this series from Erica Vestch.
Genre: Regency Mystery
Plot Overview:
The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.
It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.
Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society’s best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.
But when two of Philippa’s rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
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Recommendations for November:
- The Letter Tree Rachel Fordham
- Counterfeit Hope by Crystal Caudill
- The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton
- Red Siren byMaryLu Tyndall
- Dauntless by Dina L Sleiman
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 22, 2024 | Author Interviews
Liz Tolsma is one of those amazing women that you don’t realize JUST how amazing she is until you get to know her. It’s been a rough year or two for her, and it’s been an honor to pray for her over that time. Just as is her generous nature, Liz is offering a copy of What I Left for You to one lucky person. You can find out the details on how to enter for your chance to get a copy at the end of this blog post. Now I’m glad to give you the chance to get to know this wonderful author, mother, Christian, and friend.
Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, prairie romance novellas, a romantic suspense, and an Amish romance. She is the host of the popular podcast Christian Historical Fiction Talk and is also an editor. She resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son, daughter-in-law, and daughter are all U.S. Marines. In her free time, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.
You can connect with her through: Website | Newsletter | X | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub | Goodreads
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Liz with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
LT: Is neither an option? I really don’t like either one.
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
LT: Test the waters
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
LT: For this one, I’d like both!
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
LT: Silly socks. I can be silly, but I do it in private rather than in public, so the socks make sense.
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
LT: Hmm. Probably passwords, especially if I can use face recognition because I can’t remember my passwords.
CC: I am so thankful for password apps and face recognition. LOL, so let’s dive in to getting to know you a little better.
What fiction book has most impacted you?
LT: “Love Comes Softly” by Janette Oke. It’s the first Christian novel I read, and it opened my eyes to the genre. After I discovered it, I read all I could find, and one day, decided maybe I could write a book too. It’s the one that got it all started.
CC: Janette Oke has had such an impact on so many. She to had a major impact on my life and my eventual writing journey.
What does your writing process look like from beginning to end?
LT: It depends on the book. Sometimes I have no deadlines or longer ones, so that allows me to do more research and story and character development on the front end. When I have a tight deadline, I have to do all that on the fly and often have more rewrites. Overall, I don’t work off an outline. I love to see what develops much the way a reader would. That’s the most fun part of writing to me.
CC: I admire you for being able to do it that way. I used to be like that, but I feel like I prefer to have an outline more often than not, even if very loose.
What has been your biggest struggle on this writing journey?
LT: The marketing part of the job has been the hardest. I never went to school for it and never took any classes. I’m learning as I go, and I’m still learning, especially with the way marketing and social media are ever-evolving. Sometimes I wish I wrote forty years ago when the publishers did all that for you!
CC: Boy do I feel you on this one. It all feels like so much and so overwhelming. There just aren’t enough hours in the day.
How have you seen God work through your writing journey?
LT: He has always brought the right story and the right publisher to me at the right time, even when I doubted it would ever happen. Throughout, he’s taught me to rely on him more and more and less on myself. It’s a lesson I have to keep learning. Trust isn’t an easy thing, and letting go of the way I have my life laid out so God can work is difficult. But he has proven himself faithful, and that’s what I lean on.
CC: I feel like I must not be learning this lesson very well, because I have to keep learning it over and over and over and over again. LOL but He has and does prove Himself faithful.
Do you have any advice for those who might want to write their own stories?
LT: Write. This is supposed to be a longer answer than that, but that’s the first step. You can’t learn how to be a better writer unless you’ve tried it, just like you can’t learn to be a better skater if you’ve never stepped on the ice. So get out there and write. And work hard to improve. This applies to aspiring authors and those who are already published. Even the world’s best figure skater continues to go to practice and work with a coach. So it is with writers. We can always strive to be better.
CC: I agree! May we always strive to be better and grow as writers.
Before we dive into your inspiration, etc, for What I Left for You, allow me to introduce my readers to the story itself.
What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma
A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939
1939 Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023 Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook
CC: Where did you get the idea for this story?
LT: The idea came to me when I was doing research for my family tree. I had discovered that I’m descended from an ethnic minority living in what is today southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and western Ukraine. Originally, it was supposed to be about a Jewish woman who fled Ukraine and found refuge in the area my family is from, but the current state of affairs in Europe prevented me from traveling there for research, so I changed it to focus more on what happened to my people, and I found a treasure trove of little known information there.
CC: I love (and sometimes hate the personal process of) when God changes our stories so completely from what we thought they should be. He really does some amazing stuff when we give Him that room.
Which readers will be the ones to most love this book?
LT: Anyone who enjoys war or WWII novels will love this, and anyone who enjoys genealogy, because it delves into that. Since it’s dual time, set both during WWII and the present day, readers who like historical novels and those who like contemporary will enjoy it. It would also be great for anyone who loves little known facts because this book is filled with them.
CC: I love how this book appeals to so many people. You just can’t go wrong.
Who was the most challenging character to create? What made them so difficult?
LT: Helena was the hardest character to put together because she is so different than I am. From the time she was little, she wanted a different life than what she had, and she wasn’t afraid to go and get it. She fought for those who were marginalized, even when she was one of those people, as she often was. She was tough. I don’t know if I could survive what I put her through. It would only be by God, that’s for sure.
CC: I know there are people who say the same thing about you when they see and get to know you.
What was some of your favorite research you discovered while preparing for What I Left for You?
LT: My daughter and I were blessed to be able to travel to Poland to research What I Left for You, and it was an amazing experience. We visited the villages where my ancestors were from and saw the church my great-grandmother was baptized in. In the strangest way, I felt so much like I belonged there, that I had come home at last. Having my daughter along made the entire experience that much sweeter. And then we spent time researching in Krakow and eating plenty of really good Polish food! I could go on and on, but you can read more about my trip at the end of the book. If you ever have the chance to go to Poland, jump on it.
CC: I am more than a little jealous tha you got to travel to Poland and do all that amazing research. I look forward to reading more about your trip in the back of the book.
How did this story affect you as you wrote it?
LT: Because I was writing about my people, it definitely affected me. It was so deeply personal, and I cried for all they suffered when they wanted nothing more than to be left in peace to live the lives they had for over six hundred years. God showed me all my ancestors endured, and I’ve come to appreciate all they fought so hard for to give me the life I have. They would stare in amazement to see my “big” house (all that room for five people) when they lived with as many as eleven people in a two-room house. I try not to take my life and my blessings for granted.
CC: It is SO easy to take what we have for granted. I know I do.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
LT: I hope that I will learn where “home” is, and that is with the Lord in glory someday. This earth and its charms are fleeting, but that is where our permanent residence will be.
CC: Amen and praise the Lord for that. This poor broken world is not what I want for my home.
I always like to end with a fun question so . . .
You find a genie in a lamp. What three wishes would you make?
LIT: 1. A few million dollars so I could take care of my parents, my kids, me and my husband, and my sisters and their families. 2. A lab puppy. I miss my labs and want another one so much! 3. A private island just for me and my family to vacation on and get together in one place.
CC: I love each one of those! You are definitely very family-oriented.
Readers, I hope you’ll check out What I Left for You and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author.
Reader, do you know any little known historical facts?
Giveaway
Liz Tolsma is generously giving away one copy of What I Left for You to one contiguous U.S. resident, 18 years or older. Just complete the Rafflecopter entries below for your chance. Entries close 11:59 p.m. EST on 10/29/2024.
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by Crystal Caudill | Oct 17, 2024 | Uncategorized
Thank you for your interest in the Written in Secret preorder promotion!
Scroll down to see the details for the giveaway and bonus goodies.
Already know what you need and are ready to fill out the form? Click here.
ABOUT WRITTEN IN SECRET
In the heart of nineteenth-century Cincinnati one woman holds the power to rewrite history.
What happens when fiction becomes reality? In the corruption-infested Queen City, danger lurks in every shadow, but Lydia Pelton refuses to stay silent. She writes under a pseudonym, E. A. Dupin, crafting crime novels to exact justice and right the wrongs she sees in society. When a serial killer decides to be the sword to her pen, Lydia is confronted with the consequences of her words. Four men are dead, and the city blames her.
With murders on the rise, Officer Abraham Hall’s only lead is Lydia’s fiction, and he is thrust into an investigation with the “Killer Queen of Romance.” Despite his misgivings about the woman, he realizes that even with his reputation for catching elusive criminals, he needs her help. But his unexpected attraction to Lydia proves as difficult to manage as the woman herself.
As the mystery unfolds, Abraham and Lydia race to rewrite the ending, not only for Cincinnati’s citizens, but for their own hearts too.
“Danger, mystery, hidden identities, villains, heroes, and gallantry! Everything you would expect in a dime novel, but better!” —Erica Vetsch, author of the Of Cloaks & Daggers series
“What a cracking start to a new series! I always enjoy sneaking a peek behind the curtain of a writer’s life, and this tale of authorly misadventure between the Killer Queen of Romance and an upright police detective has something for everyone. Definitely worth diving into!” —Carolyn Miller, best-selling author of the Regency Brides and Regency Wallflowers series
Preorder Links (More being added as they come to my attention)
Print Links:
Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop.org | Christianbook.com |
Ebook Links:
Amazon | AppleBooks | Barnes and Noble | GooglePlay | KOBO |
If requesting from your library, this information may be helpful:
Title: Written In Secret
Author: Crystal Caudill
Publisher: Kregel Publishing
ISBN: 9780825449079
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Preorder Promotion Information
THANK YOU so much for your interest in preordering Written in Secret or requesting it your local library purchase it. You have NO idea how important preorders are for a book. Anyone who preorders or requests their library to purchase the book will receive a set of bookmarks, bookish stickers, and a signed bookplate with exclusive access to digital content that will come out release week.
In addition to that, everyone will get one entry for the monthly giveaways. Every month starting in October and ending March 11, I’m going to give away one prize pack for a total of six prizes and six winners.
How to enter:
Preorder your digital, paperback, or hardback copy from your favorite retail site. Fill out this form. You only need to do it once to be entered to win. Non-winning entries will be rolled over to next month’s giveaway.
*No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve chances of winning. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.*
Alternate method of entry – Request your local library to purchase a copy of Written in Secret or mail a note with your name, email, and mailing address to
Crystal Caudill, Author
P.O. Box 84
Demossville, KY 41033.
Dates and Prizes:
*International residents will get a gift card in lieu of the prize pack.
Giveaway #1 – print copy of Counterfeit Truth, library card zipper pouch, book light (Opens October 1, closes October 31. Winner will be contacted the week of November 1 by email).
Giveaway #2 – print copy of Counterfeit Truth, library card zipper pouch, book light (Opens November 1, closes November 30. Winner will be contacted the week of December 1 by email.)
Giveaway #3 – Bookish tote with matching pen and notebook (opens December 1, closes December 31. Winner will be contacted the week of January 1 by email.)
Giveaway #4 – print copy of Counterfeit Truth, library card zipper pouch, book light (Opens January 1, closes January 31. Winner will be contacted the week of February 1 by email.)
Giveaway #5 – Bookish tote with matching pen and notebook (opens February 1, closes February 28. Winner will be contacted the week of March 1 by email.)
Giveaway #6 – Bookish tote with matching pen and notebook (opens March 1, closes March 11. Winner will be contacted the week of March 11 by email.)
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by Crystal Caudill | Oct 15, 2024 | Character Interview
One of my favorite perks of being an author is the ability to read books for endorsement. I was blessed to meet Eleanore Wainright through the opportunity to endorse A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado by Kathleen Denly. In fact, here is my endorsement for Eleanore’s story:
“With unexpected twists, a second chance romance, a mystery, and a beautiful historic California beach setting, Denly weaves a Christmas tale that will entertain and delight. It’s the perfect quick read for any season, and especially for those who love a touch of Christmas all year long.”
Kathleen Denly is graciously offering an e-copy of her book, Harmony on the Horizon, the first book in her Chaparral Hearts series (all set in the early days of California). You can find the details for that giveaway at the bottom of this interview. Before I get to introduce you to Eleanore Wainright, let me introduce you to her story.
A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado by Kathleen Denly
When death visits Coronado, will secrets of the past keep them from uncovering the truth?
Her entire life, Eleanore Wainright has been molded to fit the ideal society wife in the glittering world of New York’s elite. Her father’s aspirations for her are clear: marry a man of wealth and status, and secure their family’s future. But when she arrives at the Hotel del Coronado with intentions to do just that, Eleanore’s carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when she comes face to face with Thomas Harding, the man who shattered her heart and disappeared without a trace.
Working as a bellboy at California’s newest and most prestigious resort, Thomas never imagined crossing paths with Eleanore again, let alone amidst the backdrop of a suspicious death.
As the investigation continues and tensions rise, Eleanore and Thomas are forced to confront not only the ghosts of their past but also the secrets that threaten to destroy their future and the futures of those they hold dear. With the eyes of New York’s elite upon them, they must choose between the responsibilities they’re expected to fulfill and the love they’ve always yearned for, risking everything in the process.
Purchase Links: Amazon
Now for our interview with Eleanore.
CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Eleanore. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?
EW: What a pleasure to meet you! I’m Eleanore Wainright, daughter of Mr. Rupert Wainright of Wainright Steel Enterprises. It was my father’s request that brought me to the Hotel del Coronado with the goal of obtaining a proposal from Mr. James Mitchell. James’s family owns two railroad lines and were included in the recent publication of Mr. McAllister’s “Four Hundred” list – a list of New York’s most elite families. James is the sole heir to his family’s fortune and my marrying into a Four-Hundred family would open many doors of opportunity for Father. James seems pleasant enough, but I worry what he’ll think if he discovers the mystery novels I’ve been publishing under a pseudonym. Would he order me to quit writing? And then there’s Thomas Harding, the childhood playmate who stole my heart before breaking. I thought I’d never see him again. What is he doing working as a bellboy at this hotel? Whatever his reason, I’ve done my best to avoid him. Unfortunately, I do need his help finding the truth behind this tragic death. The Coroner’s investigation is definitely going in the wrong direction. I just hope we can figure things out before my father discovers we’ve been spending time together.
CC: What or who is your biggest problem in life?
EW: I thought I had my future figured out. I would marry James Mitchell, continue writing my mystery novels in secret, and share a life with James and Father among New York’s most elite families. Then Thomas reappeared and suddenly things are far more complicated and confusing. How can I still feel attracted to a man who promised me the world and then left without saying goodbye?
CC: Oh that is so hard. And given I know the details of this story . . . I can say that figuring out where the future leads in one crazy ride.
How would you describe your relationship with God?
EW: I believe in the Lord, but understanding His will for my life can sometimes seem as clear as a cup of hot chocolate. It sure would be nice if He could send me a letter in plain writing letting me know which path I should follow. It seems no matter which future I choose someone is going to wind up hurt.
CC: Boy do I feel that one! As much as I love hot chocolate, I’d prefer my plans to be as clear as a road map with step-by-step directions.
What is your greatest skill that helps you through the story or makes you appealing to a possible love interest?
EW: My intense curiosity makes me keenly observant. This not only feeds my mystery novels, but can come in rather handy when determining whom to trust and even in helping a loved one find their lost item.
CC: Curiosity and keen observation are wonderful traits that you demonstrate beautifully in this story.
If you were to describe yourself as an animal, which animal would it be and why?
EW: My compulsive curiosity would probably make me a cat, but I think I’d prefer to be a fly that could visit room after room unnoticed but observing everything. Although, no, maybe not a fly. They’re ugly, noisy, and are frequently squashed. Perhaps a butterfly would be better. They’re small enough to slip through small cracks, can still fly, don’t make a sound, and aren’t likely to be squashed. Yes. I do think I would enjoy being a butterfly.
CC: Smart choice to be a butterfly instead of a fly. I wouldn’t have thought about it in that way. Before we wrap up, I have one more question for you.
If there is only one thing you could tell the reader, what would it be?
EW: Never accept something at face value. Rarely are things entirely or only as they seem and people often misrepresent themselves or situations (intentionally or unintentionally) based on how they view the world. Questions are the key to truly understanding the world we live in and the people who share it with us. Always ask more questions. Find the truth.
CC: It’s so wise to realize the way people seem or portray themselves (whether intentionally or unintentionally) is influenced by how they view the world. Until we understand how they view the world, it can be difficult for us to truly understand them.
Readers, thanks for hanging out with Eleanore and me today. If you’d like your chance for a free e-copy of Harmony on the Horizon, check out the information below. And tell us in the comments, has there ever been a time when you’d misjudged a person until you go to know them better?
About Kathleen Denly:
Kathleen Denly writes stories to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. Award winning author of the Chaparral Hearts series, she also shares history tidbits, thoughts on writing, books reviews and more at KathleenDenly.com.
Kathleen lives in California with her loving husband, four young children, two dogs, and ten cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.
Connect with Kathleen: Website | Kathleen’s Reader Club | Facebook | FB Reader Group | Instagram | GoodReads | BookBub | Amazon
Giveaway Information
Kathleen has graciously offered an e-copy of Harmony on the Horizon for one lucky winner. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Drawing runs until 11:59 p.m. EST on 10/22/2024.
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by Crystal Caudill | Oct 8, 2024 | Character Interview
I absolutely adore all of Erica Vetch’s characters, and Miss Philippa Cashel is no different. I am almost halfway through her story, but due to life, deadlines, and having to start a massive project over, Miss Phillipa and Bertie glare at me from the shelf. They do not like where I left them, and I can’t say I do either. Even as I’m forced to wait to find out what happens, I am NOT forced to wait to talk to her for this interview. I’m counting it as one of the benefits of getting to count my blog as part of my job. So before spending time with Miss Phillipa, let me introduce you to her story.
A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch
The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. His superior, The Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk: in order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways. The duke is willing to let Bertie name his own investigative team, but his recommendation that the team include Philippa Cashel has Bertie on his guard. Does the duke-known for his behind-the-scenes machinations-have an ulterior motive?
Philippa Cashel escaped her life as one of society’s best-known courtesans, devoting her life to helping other women in dire straits. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about joining his team as an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not in cloak-and-dagger skullduggery. Her hope is that if she labors hard enough at her charity work, she might begin to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness. When one of Philippa’s rescued girls is arrested for stealing the royal jewels and another is murdered, Philippa will risk partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop the killer. Two brilliant minds-with two wary hearts-and one cunning deceiver are on a collision course in Regency England.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Baker Book House | Christianbook
Now for our interview with Miss Philippa.
CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Miss Philippa. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?
PC: I find it so difficult to introduce myself, as I do not wish to hold on to the past, but my past has shaped so much of my present. Though I hope my present is what is shaping my future and I can put the early years of my life behind me. You see, I am the illegitimate child of an earl and his long-time mistress. At least she was his mistress until he decided one day that she was not. This action forced us onto the streets of London, and I supported us the only way I knew how…and consequently became one of the most sought-after courtesans in the city. But the love of my half-sister and her husband showed me that I could leave that life and forge a new one, rescuing women who used to be as I was. A Thieving at Carlton House shows me embarking on the biggest part of my new way of life…forming a charity for women in dire straits. Though I’m about to find myself in some dire straits of my own!
CC: Why, yes. Yes, you are. But some of the worst dire straits bring about some of the most amazing futures, and I’m eagerly trying to meet my word count goals so that I get to see what that is.
What or who is your biggest problem in life?
PC: From the outside, people would say my biggest problem in life is trying to overcome my past as a ‘fallen woman’ but I know that my greatest problem is the unforgiveness I’m toting around concerning my father’s abandonment, and how that’s eating at my soul.
CC: Unforgiveness is so difficult to overcome. How often do we think that it doesn’t hurt anyone by the person you deny it to when really it is us who suffer the most? I feel for you as you walk this road.
Since you have such a difficult past, I’m sure tha thas affected your relationship with God. How would you describe your relationship with Him?
PC: When I was on the streets, my relationship with God was best described as adversarial. Now I would describe myself as a fledgling in my faith, a bit tentative, and always wondering if I’m worthy of His love. I’ve a long way to go, it seems.
CC: It is definitely a life-long journey.
How do you think others view you? Do you feel this is an accurate representation of you? Does it bother you or make you feel good about yourself?
PC: Most men tend to see me as an object, a pretty thing to parade around. Though not my brother-in-law or strangely, Sir Bertrand Thorndike, with whom I work in a secret capacity for our Majesty’s Government. My father views me as something he’d rather forget…and has done an admirable job in that endeavor. The new pupils at the Eleos School for Women in Need, hopefully see me as a friend and mentor.
CC: I know those girls would be in a completely different place without you, and I am certain they look up to you as a friend and mentor. I know I would.
Tell us a little bit of the personal journey you go on throughout this story. What areas of growth do you find yourself facing?
PC: Though I have some very real danger, it is the road to forgiveness that I find the most arduous to traverse.
CC: Amen and hugs.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
PC: I would change my circumstances more than myself. I would have been a much-cherished daughter of a happily married couple, secure in their love and never forced out onto the streets. At times, I have despised my face and form, as they are appealing to many men, but I was also grateful for it, as it allowed me to live a certain way, with beautiful things and plenty to eat at that time of my life.
CC: I think there are aspects of all of our past circumstances that we wish we could have changed, but the older I get the more I realize those difficult circumstances were needed to make me who I am today. There would be many a girl’s life who would be still on the street if you hadn’t walked through what you did, rose above it by God’s grace, and then turned it into a ministry.
What is your greatest skill that helps you through the story or makes you appealing to a possible love interest?
PC: I’m resilient. And I can read people. I can sense when someone is lying or hiding something. And I am a very good listener.
CC: I happen to know for a fact that these skills are very helpful for you in this story . . . and attractive to a certain man.
If you were to describe yourself as an animal, which animal would it be and why?
PC: A cat. Wary, a bit aloof, and only comfortable in a situation where I feel safe.
CC: I can see that!
How would you describe the love interest of the story?
PC: I am in no danger of falling in love. My past makes romantic love impossible. I must concentrate on healing from my trauma and focus on pouring my affection into the girls I rescue…though if I was to fall in love, it would have to be someone I respected, and who had a generous nature, who saw me as a person of worth, not an object to own and display.
CC: I think God is in the business of surprising us with the secret desires of our heart. I’m certainly looking forward to reading the rest of this book . . . and the rest of the series. I am sure there will be much that will surprise you and us (the readers).
If there is one thing you could tell the reader, what would it be?
PC: Harboring unforgiveness against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person gets ill. You only damage yourself by not forgiving…forgiving doesn’t release the other person of responsibility. Forgiving keeps that person’s actions from ruining your life.
CC: Definitely a life lesson for us all . . . and a hard one to learn.
Readers, you probably can already anticipate what I have to say: GO GET PHILIPPA’S STORY, A Theiving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch. We MUST know what happens to Philippa and how God chooses to work in her life.
Let me know in the comments: Have you read The Gentleman Spy (where we first met her) or A Theiving of Carlton House? What do you think of Philippa?
About Erica Vetsch:
Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com and you can find her on Facebook at The Inspirational Regency Readers Group where she spends way too much time!
Connect with Erica: Website/Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub
