by Crystal Caudill | Nov 30, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the eleventh month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to any country you want to go to but have never been, and my choice of story was Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vestch Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
Millstone of Doubt
by Erica Vetsch
What can I say? I adore Erica Vetsch’s books and this series has definitely ranked top of my list from her. Millstone of Doubt is the exciting sequel to The Debutante’s Code. Just as in the first book, Millstone of Doubt is filled with excitement, suspicious relationships, unexpected twists, and best of all danger. Well maybe, second best. I’m not a huge romance girl, but this book had the perfect amount of romance and a swoon-worthy ending. I’m looking forward to seeing how things wrap up with the next book, Children of the Shadows, which is not yet up for preorder but I am eagerly anticipating its release next year.
This book is great for lovers of Regency romance, spy stories, and romances where you’re never sure who is holding back secrets. It’s a thrilling adventure with depth, romance, and characters you can’t wait to continue to follow.
Genre: Regency Mystery Romance
Plot Overview:
Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill’s owner dead of an apparent gunshot–but no sign of the killer.
Even though the owner’s daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, she may be the only one. It seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can’t take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can, because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage–and his job as a runner–comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him.
Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha’s bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. But when her trusted instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation, Lady Juliette obeys. That is, until circumstances intervene, and she drops right into the middle of the deadly pursuit.
When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case–and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.
Purchase Links:
Amazon Baker Bookhouse Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Indiebound.org
Giveaway
*Special Giveaway note: Erica Vetsch is going to give this month’s winner a copy of her Thorndike and Swann paper dolls.*
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on December 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t 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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for November’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in December?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 22, 2022 | Author Interviews
I had the pleasure of meeting Katie Powner and Moolene at the Fiction Readers Summit in May, and now it is my pleasure to introduce Katie to you. She is a woman with a big heart and impactful stories about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.
Katie Powner lives in rural Montana, where cows still outnumber people. She is a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster) and writes contemporary fiction about redemption, relationships, and finding the dirt road home.
You can connect with her through:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | BookBub
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Katie with rapid-fire.
CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?
KP: Dark
CC: Print or E-book?
KP: Print
CC: Cat or Dog Person?
KP: Cat
Morning Person or Night Owl?
KP: Night Owl
CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
KP: This question isn’t fair, because in Montana winter lasts from October to May. And July and August are really hot and dry and filled with forest fires. So my favorite season in Montana is June.
CC: That is too funny! Well, not the forest fires, but the lack of seasons. Now for a couple of fun personal questions:
What do you like to do when you aren’t reading or writing?
KP: When I’m not reading or writing, I love taking walks, fostering babies, going to high school sporting events, and hanging out with my husband and kids.
CC: I love your fostering heart, and I’m so thankful for the handful of posts that have shared the struggles of that journey. (Reader, you can find those on her blog through her website.)
When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?
KP: I’ve known I wanted to be a writer from the beginning…from when I first learned how to write. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be.
CC: It is so neat to see God use the desires of our hearts for His glory. It’s not an easy road, but I love that you have always wanted to do it.
What has been the biggest challenge for you on your writing journey?
KP: The biggest challenge on my writing journey has been trying to find that all-important balance between writing life and family life, as well as the balance between being committed to what I feel is my calling (and working hard to succeed) and still trusting that God is the one in control and will bring about the results He wants to bring about. It takes a lot of recurring prayer and meditation!
CC: I’m beginning to wonder if that balance between family and writing exists! And success in this writing world and struggling to not have control is a hard one for sure. I love that you actively pray and meditate on what He wants to bring about.
Let’s talk about your newest release, Where the Blue Sky Begins.
Sometimes the hardest road of all is the road home.
When confident and handsome Eric Larson is sent to a rural Montana town to work in the local branch of his uncle’s financial company, he’s determined to exceed everyone’s expectations, earn a promotion, and be back in Seattle by the end of summer. Yet nothing could prepare him for the lessons this small town has in store.
At forty-six years old, eccentric and outspoken Eunice Parker has come to accept her terminal illness and has given herself one final goal: seek forgiveness from everyone on her bucket list before her time runs out. But it will take more courage than she can muster on her own.
After an accident pushes Eric and Eunice together, the unlikely pair is forced to spend more time with each other than either would like, which challenges their deepest prejudices and beliefs. As summer draws to a close, neither Eric nor Eunice is where they thought they would be, but they both wrestle with the same important question: What matters most when the end is near?
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Christianbook | Indiebound
CC: What was some of your favorite research for Where the Blue Sky Begins?
KP: While preparing for Where the Blue Sky Begins, I did a lot of research about stomas, particularly urostomies, because Eunice in the story has a urostomy. I already knew what they were, but it was so fascinating to learn more about this absolute marvel of modern medicine. I mean, to think that doctors can re-route a bladder or a colon to a newly formed opening to save a person’s life…it’s amazing. Not many years ago, a person with a diseased colon would’ve died a slow and painful death. But now, thanks to advancements in stomas and stoma supplies, they can live a long, basically normal life. I loved learning more about that.
CC: We recently had the son of an acquaintance whose life was saved through a stoma. I never really thought about the fact that before they existed, people had such a miserable death. I am definitely glad for that bit of modern medicine.
How do you select the name of your characters?
KP: Names are so interesting. They tell us a lot about a person, even if we don’t realize it on a conscious level. So I take character name-choosing very seriously. I consider their age, their location, their family heritage. I consider their temperament and their character arc. I also consider how their name sounds out loud and how it sounds paired with other prominent names in the story. For example, if you have a William, you wouldn’t want to name his wife Wilma because that would be a tongue twister!
CC: I love how much thought you put into names. They really are such an important part of the story, and once it’s in print, you can’t change it.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
KP: I hope readers will think about their own mortality and consider not only what will happen after they die but what they should be doing now with the life they still have. I also hope they will be encouraged to not judge others so quickly but to give people a chance to show who they really are.
CC: That is so beautiful and so needed. Thank you so much for joining me today and providing such thought-provoking answers. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot?
KP: Actually, I already have a writerly mascot! It’s my stuffed Holstein cow named Moolene. She and I wear matching red Converse shoes and matching retro red bead necklaces. If you follow me online at all, you will see Moolene make appearances fairly often.
CC: Thank you again for joining us. For fun, I’ve included a picture of Moolene. 🙂
Reader, what would be YOUR mascot?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 4, 2022 | Counterfeit Hope, Counterfeit Love, Crystal's Books, Writer's Life
There is a lot to be thankful for this month, and one of those things is the fact that Counterfeit Truth, my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age novella prequel is out in the world. If you like historical romance with a good dose of danger, swoony Secret Service heroes in pursuit of counterfeiters, and feisty independent women who get in the way, you’ll want to check out this series. And you can stick your toes in the water with this novella.
While you can buy it on Amazon, you can get it FREE when you sign up for my newsletter. Just sign up on the sidebar or bit.ly/CaudillNews. This is a great way to try my writing without having to spend a penny. My newsletters go out only once a month, and I pray over every subscriber on that list while striving to make them beneficial to you. I hope to see you there and have the opportunity to get to know you better.
Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age Series:
Counterfeit Truth – Novella Prequel
Read for Free by subscribing HERE. Already a subscriber? Click HERE.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub | Goodreads
She wants to prove the Secret Service is corrupt. He just wants to keep her safe.
Felicity Richmond is determined to prove her place at her male-dominated family newspaper. If Father wants a story on the Secret Service’s corruption, then that’s what she’ll get him—at any cost. But Gregory Thompson is willing to kill rather than be exposed. When her plan to catch him goes horribly wrong, her rescue comes in the form of Secret Service operative Hayden Orton. The one man she longs for but can never have.
Hayden Orton nearly had former operative Thompson in his grasp . . . until Felicity interfered. Now it’s his responsibility to keep her out of the way until Thompson is arrested. Disguising her protection as a chance at an exclusive story, he invites her to join him on an investigation of the Philadelphia Mint robbery.
But Felicity isn’t content to just observe. As they work together—and at odds—to discover the culprit, Felicity stirs up trouble and emotions that leave Hayden wondering if finding the truth might cost him more than he’s ready for.
Counterfeit Love – Book 1 – Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!
Counterfeit Hope – Book 2 – Releases 2/14/2023, Preorder Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub |
Goodreads
Trapped by their pasts, is there hope for a future?
When Secret Service operative Andrew Darlington is brought in to support a US Marshal case involving counterfeiters in rural Indiana, he thinks it’s simply the next rung on his climb to the top of his career. But liars can only climb so high–and Andrew is keeping a dangerous secret he doesn’t ever want to get out. When he clashes with the criminal family that took over the town of Landkreis and killed the Marshal he was sent to assist, his past life is in danger of being exposed.
Widow “Lightning Lu” Thorne has only one goal: escape the clutches of the Thorne family with her son. Her decision to be an informant and testify against the Thornes looked like the perfect answer. Until the Marshal ended up dead. Now the tether keeping her tied to her felonious family is tightening, and a forced marriage to someone else in the Thornes’ clutches threatens to kill any hope of escape.
Andrew and Lu find themselves on the same team–unwillingly. They each believe the other to be the enemy to their future plans. And even if they could learn to work together, the secrets they hold could shatter all hopes and dreams. Despite the encouragement of the local preacher, they’re not even sure God can be trusted–much less other humans. Can either of them escape their past–and the family that is willing to kill their own when they smell betrayal?
On the heels of her smashing debut, this second entry in Crystal Caudill’s historical series maintains the excitement that readers of Michelle Griep, Liz Tolsma, and Elizabeth Camden will love.
We Three Kings Christmas Novella Collection – Tentatively Called “Star of Wonder” – Coming Fall 2023
(Unofficial blurb) Josiah Isaacs’s younger sister, Celestia, knows what she wants for Christmas, a proposal from her friend and fellow astronomy club member, Aldrich Weise. With an entire Christmas-themed voyage from New York to Germany, she has no doubt she can convince him.
News from Germany destroyed Aldrich’s plans for a future with Celestia. Now the two-week voyage he’d long looked forward to sharing with her would be a painful reminder of all he’d soon lose. How was he to protect his heart while still working closely with her brother to discover the counterfeiter lurking aboard his ship?
When exposing the counterfeiter takes a dangerous turn, more than hearts are at risk. Can Aldrich and Celestia survive and hold fast to hope for a Christmas miracle of a future together?
Counterfeit Faith – Book 2 – Coming Early 2024
(Unofficial Blurb)
She’s lost her faith in man. He’s lost his faith in God. Can working together restore their faith?
As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison has dedicated her life to serving the children society has deemed criminal delinquents. When she suspects someone within is using the children for criminal purposes, only one man on the board believes her and is willing to investigate. On the same day he’s murdered, a gallant hero rescues Gwendolyn from being abducted at knifepoint, but not before those involved threaten her family if she continues to investigate. She won’t leave the children defenseless, but who can she trust to help?
Widower and Secret Service operative Josiah Isaacs can’t turn his back on a woman in trouble, but neither can he commit to one when his heart remains faithful to his deceased wife. When a green goods game is tied to the house of refuge where Miss Ellison works and his nieces and nephew are housed, he reluctantly agrees to partner with her to expose the criminals before more children are hurt despite his immediate attraction to her.
As they work together and their relationship grows, Josiah wonders if marrying again might be in his future. However, with the ghost of his wife between them, Gwendolyn isn’t convinced. When evil prevails, her faith in God challenges his doubts. But can he really trust the God who didn’t save his wife to save the children and Gwendolyn?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the tenth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to South America. Don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a book from my book stash.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
So I’ll be honest. I totally BOMBED this month and failed the challenge. SO this month I’m reversing the blog post to ask YOU to post a review of what YOU read. Also, since I totally bombed this month, I figured, maybe now was a good time to announce next year’s challenge.
Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge 2023:
Unlocking an Adventure
January – A Book with Spies
February – A Book with the Underground Railroad
March – A Book with a Gold Rush
April – A Book with a Law Man Hero
May – A Book with Exploration or Pioneering
June – A Book with a Treasure Hunt
July – A Book focused with Heroines in Unusual Professions for Their Time
August – A Book with a Bounty Hunter
September – A Time Travel Novel
October – A Book with a Medieval Setting
November – Book with an Archeologist or Paleontologist
December – A Christmas Novel/Novella set somewhere you’ve never been
(2024 I have plans for a trope-based challenge. 🙂 )
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on November 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t 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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for October’s Challenge? Leave a quick review.
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 25, 2022 | Author Interviews, Writing Craft
Carrie Schmidt is one of my favorite people. Her heart for books, authors, and the reading community is like no one else I know. She seems to do nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe bookish EVERYTHING. The woman wears more hats than shoes on a millipede. I don’t know HOW she juggles it all. But I’m getting ahead of myself. FIRST, let’s get you introduced properly.
Schmidt is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict, KissingBooks fan, book boyfriend collector, and cool aunt. She also loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. Carrie started the popular blog ReadingIsMySuperPower.org in 2015 and since then has had the honor of co-founding the Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat and JustRead Publicity Tours. In addition to these endeavors, she is a regular contributor to Seekerville and has written for magazines such as RT Book Reviews and Christian Market. Carrie now lives in Georgia with her husband, though her roots range from East Tennessee to Central Kentucky and northern Illinois.
You can connect with Carrie on ReadingIsMySuperPower.org, Facebook @meezcarriereads or @meezcarriewrites, and everywhere else social at @meezcarrie.
DEAL ALERT: *Subscribe to the Publishing Gatekeepers newsletter (https://publishinggatekeepers.com/newsletter-signup/) and receive a tip sheet on 12 ways for getting past the gatekeepers.
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Carrie with rapid-fire.
CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?
CS: Milk. Always milk.
CC: Print or E-book?
CS: Yes. LOL. I love having print copies around me, so I can hug them occasionally. But with the amount of reading I do, I pretty much read exclusively on Kindle these days because I can enlarge the font to an obnoxious size to reduce eye strain 🙂
CC: Cat or Dog Person?
CS: Dogs. There’s nothing quite like the unconditional love of a dog.
Morning Person or Night Owl?
CS: The last time I was a morning person was as a little girl when I would wake my parents very sweetly pre-dawn with “I waaaaaked uhhhhh-uhhhhp” lol. I’m definitely a night owl!
CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?
CS: WINTER. But, I should clarify – I mean the northern Illinois kind of winter that I grew up with. The winters we had in Kentucky and now in Georgia really don’t count lol.
CC: How did I not know you grew up in Illinois. I guess since first met you when you were in Kentucky, I just assumed you were a Kentucky girl. Well, let’s see what else I don’t know.
What is your favorite Bible verse?
CS: One of my favorite Bible verses is Micah 7:8 – “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” (NIV). This became one of ‘my’ verses after a season of deep depression and panic attacks in my 20’s and early 30’s. It’s a sweet reminder to me that, even though we may go through times of darkness and/or brokenness, the enemy doesn’t get a vote in our worth or the power of the Savior who is our Advocate. That promise that the Lord will be my light is so tender to me.
CC: Amen. That is such an encouragement and one I need to highlight in my Bible.
What do you like to do when you AREN’T reading or writing?
CS: I love puzzles (word or jigsaw) and I occasionally get the urge to pick up cross-stitching again.
CC: I love puzzles too, but the cross-stitching impresses me. It looks so neat, but I’m not sure I”ve got the patience for it.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? (And I’m laughing as I ask this because I know the answer even before you give it.)
CS: Confession: I don’t want to be a writer. I love reading too much lol. But I DO want to help writers. Everything I do – from my blog to CFRR to JustRead Tours to the Art of Writing Conference and this book – has come from a heart of wanting to give back to the authors who have so many times “stood between my heart & Satan’s knife” (to quote Andrew Peterson’s All the Poets I Have Known song). I love fiction in nearly all its forms, and I love being able to connect authors and readers, in many ways as the go-between for the two groups. That’s why I accepted the invitation to write my section of Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers. It also gave me another way to honor my sweet Dad who went home to Jesus almost a year ago. He always told me I would write a book someday, and now I have.
CC: We appreciate you so much, Carrie! Both on the reader and author side of things. AND I ADORE that your Dad told you that you’d write a book someday. He must be getting a real kick out of watching you from Heaven.
Let’s talk about Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers.![Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers: Winning the Hearts of Agents, Publishers, Editors, and Readers by [Linda Fulkerson, Hope Bolinger, Rowena Kuo, Carrie Schmidt]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UfYkNmYUL.jpg)
Remember when Dorothy finally reached the Emerald City only to be halted by the Gatekeeper, blocking her hopes of seeing the Great and Powerful Wizard?
The path to publication is like that. Agents, and Editors, and Publishers, oh, my! Each one is a barrier between you and a publishing contract.
But what if you understood what agents, editors, publishers, and readers really want?
If you’re struggling to get past the publishing gatekeepers, this book will give you a behind-the-scenes peek at how to win the heart of each type of publishing professional. In fact, Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers won’t just give you a peek—it will give you a guided tour. In this book, four publishing professionals—an agent, a publisher, an editor, and an influencer—share what it takes to unlock each “gate” within the publishing industry.
Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers is a must-have resource for all aspiring authors, and it offers insights to help multi-published authors as well.
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books Depository | Bookbub | Goodreads
CC: You have a real heart for the publishing industry, authors, and books, and I know that is why you agreed to be a part of this great writing resource. Tell our readers what perspective you brought to this collection. How is it different from other writing resources out there?
CS: My perspective is a bit different than the other authors of this book, because I’m talking about what happens after you’ve made it past all the other industry gatekeepers. You have a published (or soon-to-be) book and now you need to get it read. How do you find readers? How do you keep them once you’ve found them? I think the book overall is different from other writing resources because it is written from four separate professional perspectives, each of us bringing our own years of expertise to our distinct sections. It’s like going to a writing conference and taking four different classes without having to change rooms.
CC: I love that and so much cheaper than a writing conference!
What is the most important thing that you hope writers walk away with after reading your section of the book?
CS: My ‘most important thing’ is really three things lol. First, I pray that they are encouraged that their story matters – the one they’re writing & the one they’re living. Second, I hope they walk away with a new perspective and appreciation for readers & influencers and the voluntary-but-vital role each plays in promoting an author’s books. And finally I want them to close the book feeling less overwhelmed about how to find & keep readers.
CC: I love all those things, especially the last one, and I think this book really has given writers a way to feel lest overwhelmed.
There were a couple of places where you talked about surveying readers. Was there anything that you found surprising when conducting your surveys? Or were your thoughts confirmed?
CS: Mostly my thoughts were confirmed … BUT I was surprised when I surveyed readers about what most influences them to try a new-to-them author. However, the surprise wasn’t what does influence them. It was what doesn’t. Two things that I honestly thought would show up, didn’t. You’ll have to read the book to find out what they were 😉
CC: Ha! Ha! I see what you did there, but it is absolutely worth picking up the book to find out!
Thank you so much for joining me today and sharing your wisdom and experiences. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
If you could travel anywhere without worry about cost, where would you travel?
CS: I would love to travel to Scotland some day…. but it would need to be in a private jet or something because flying terrifies me. So I’d want a big plane with just me & my travel companions (and the pilots, of course lol) and a big recliner or bed where I could just take some kind of pill and not wake up until I got there. Hence the need to not worry about cost 🙂
CC: Ha ha! It sounds like you’ll need a good dose of bravery should the opportunity arise!
Reader, what would be YOUR mascot?
