It’s another month of our Tackle Your TBR Pile reading challenge. So dig through that stack of books you’ve been meaning to read that’s taller than you and start reading!

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 from my shelf can be found here.*

This Month: August – Classic Book

Next Month: September – Animal on the Cover

I’ve always loved Treasure Island and almost every movie version I’ve seen. Treasure Planet is my favorite and probably always will be. I haven’t read the original story since middle school, and I was SOOOOO hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed when I finally reread it again. Y’all, I was not. There is a reason why Treasure Island is a timeless story. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michael Page, and it was every bit as engaging as I remembered. You wouldn’t even think the book was written in the 19th century. It felt as exciting and easy to understand as anything written today. I truly adored it and will probably relisten to it every year. I definitely recommend it, especially if you have kids. It would make a wonderful read-aloud, even if you just have Michael Page do the reading. Truly, it was a thrilling read.

I’m thinking about picking up The Little Princess next. That’s one that I’ve seen the movies for (Shirley Temple ALL THE WAY), but I’ve never read the book for. Then I might reread Dracula, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, or Rebecca. I do love the classics. 

Giveaway Details

Here’s your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. Comment with what YOU read for your chance to win! Entries close on 7th of each month. Open to legal U.S. residents and international residents. *International winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card in lieu of a book from the prize shelf due to shipping costs.* See Giveaway Policies for more details.

Welcome to my Romance Trope Bracket Tournament. Once a month, I’m going to post a new matchup.

Comment with YOUR vote for which trope YOU prefer to read.

Then visit the tropes below to see my book recommendations for each trope.

Opposites Attract

The hero and heroine, who are opposites in temperament, personality, or other characteristics, end up falling for one another despite those differences.

Here are four of my favorite opposites-attract stories!

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell

Beyond These War Torn Lands by Cynthia Roemer

Christmas at Whitefriars by Elizabeth Camden

The Convicts Courtship by KyLee Woodley

Anonymous Love & Secret Admirer

Involves characters who fall in love without knowing each other’s true identities, or a character who has romantic feelings for another person but keeps their identity hidden, often expressing their affection through anonymous gifts or letters.

Here are three of my favorite anonymous love / secret admirer stories.

Letters for Phoebe by Sally Britton

A Secret Correspondence by Kasey Stockton

An Agreeable Alliance by Kasey Stockton

Teatime with Amos Ravensworth,

from The Sovereign Liberty series

by T. Elizabeth Renich

I’m so glad you’ve joined me today for a special afternoon tea. I’ve got a cup of Darjeeling Autumnal, a tray full of shortbread cookies, cucumber sandwiches, and scones with the requisite clotted cream and jam. Help yourself to anything you like and whatever beverage makes the day perfect.

Today, it is my personal joy to introduce you to Amos Ravenscroft. I always enjoy getting to know characters outside of the books they’re in, and Amos is no exception.

In addition to getting to know the character, T. Elizabeth Renich is giving away a print copy of A Declaration of Hope to one lucky U.S. resident. You’ll find the details at the end of this post, but don’t miss the interview!

Let’s dive in!

Let’s dive into our Speedy Six

CC: Invisible or read minds?

AMOS: Invisible. It’s my job to stay out of sight, especially when carrying dispatches.

CC: Carriage trip or ship?

AMOS: Because I’ll inherit a shipping company one day, I’ve spent a fair amount of time on schooners and have crossed the Atlantic multiple times.

CC: Fancy restaurant or home-cooked meal?

AMOS: Serenity makes the best Chelsea-style buns as a sweet treat. Mostly when she needs something from me.

A Taste of A Declaration of Hope

Let’s Get to Know Amos Ravenscroft

CC: Before we start diving too deep…

Please introduce yourself to our guests.

AMOS: I’m my mother’s fourth son, and being the youngest, my father’s estate would by law go to the eldest brother, leaving me with nothing but what I could earn through trade. A long-time family friend who sired no son of his own decided to adopt me when I was eight years old, and one day I will inherit his business interests. I am closest to my sister, Serenity, and I love horses—almost as much as I love Jessa Northcraft. I once played a fiddle duet with a well-known Virginia burgess in Williamsburg, at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern—he had a way with words. When I was young, my brother-in-law used to tease me that I was no good at keeping secrets, but as I’ve grown into my majority, I have become one of the most trustworthy couriers the Virginia Committee of Correspondence and delegates rely upon to carry important information to General Washington’s encampments. With the war on, every day holds a new challenge. We have a Declaration of Independence, but the fight with the British to gain our freedom still rages.

CC: That sounds like an interesting and dangerous job you have… and a very important one.

What do you want and what is standing in your way?

AMOS: I want Jessa to hurry up and get older. You see, she’s a bit younger than I am, and her mama wants us to wait before entering into any kind of betrothal. Every time I get sent with orders to ride, it gives me room to breathe—I can hardly breathe when she’s about—and I don’t like being separated from her so often. I think it scares her, because she knows what could happen if I were captured. Her brother, my friend Asher, has no objection to the match and insists it will be inevitable. I confess, the impatience is starting to wear thin.

CC: Ah. The passions and impatience of young love. 

If you had time to read a book, what would you pick?

AMOS: After I finished my general education at William & Mary, Mr. Wythe became my tutor. I spent long hours studying both volumes of Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England—because we have a similar legal system here in Virginia. Serenity used to read to me, but my escape and enjoyment came more from playing fiddle tunes or carving trinkets for Jessa than reading books.

CC: Sounds like you might make a good lawyer in Virginia, and a great leader as the new country forms itself.

As the fourth son, what was your childhood like?

AMOS: My mother died shortly after she gave birth to me. Serenity took over mothering duties and kept on even after Grandee came to live with us. My father was ill, and he went away to Italy for a climate less damp than England’s. Becoming the heir to Kerrigan Shipping changed what my life could have been, and for that, I am grateful.

CC: It sounds like you had a very difficult family situation. You and your sister must be very close.

Doing what you do must come with many difficulties. Who or what scares you the most?

AMOS: I am going to have to confront Serenity’s husband for choices he has made. He claims he loves her and never wanted to hurt her. He broke her heart, and if I ever find him again, well, the Almighty just might have to send some heavenly intervention.

CC: Yikes. I’m glad she has you to protect her, but how sad that you feel you must intervene. 

How do you think others view you?

AMOS: I am tallest of all the Ravensworth brothers, so the older ones can’t look down on me anymore. Serenity was slow to accept I had grown beyond the little boy years, even after my voice changed and she had to crane her neck to meet my eyes. She wanted very much to keep our family all together, but instead it scattered. She didn’t want me to come to America by myself, and we learned to love the Colonies. Now, she and Jessa see me as reliable and dependable, and both of them are quite proud of me. But it pains me to have to withhold information from them on occasion. Military secrets, or otherwise.

CC: It sounds like they really are the two most important women in your life. I’m glad they have you.

A Sweet Finish

CC: Unfortunately, it is time to wrap up our interview. I always love finishing with a fun question.

What is the weirdest thing on your bucket list? 

AMOS: I have yet to earn the title of “Uncle Amos” —if that happens, it means Sis has a child, and that would mean a dream come true for her—and a miracle has taken place.

CC: I’ve just recently become an aunt after thinking my brother would never get that blessing. I understand what you mean and hope she gets her miracle baby…and it sounds like reconciliation with her husband.

That’s it for now. If you enjoyed getting to know Amos Ravenscroft and are curious about their journey, I highly recommend you check out A Devoted Hope. Before we clear the table and pack away the tea stuff, I have a question for you.

What do you think would have been the hardest part of living during the American Revolution?

Leave your comment below and join the teatime fun. Until next time, may your days be filled with good books and cups of tea (or your favorite beverage)!

T. Elizabeth Renich is the author of six historical novels set against America’s Revolution and Civil War. She worked for two NFL teams and has visited all fifty United States of America. International travels have taken her to Germany, Japan, Ireland, Israel, Scotland, and England. She hunts historical markers and shares hope as an ovarian cancer survivor. Her love of photography is evident in albums documenting research trips and life in general, illustrating how she gives glory to God for the great things He has done.

Connect with the author:

Website  |  Newsletter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Gorgeous Georgians Group 

Giveaway Details

Here’s your chance to win a copy of A Devoted Hope. Comment on the blog and enter using the Google Form below for your chance to win! Entries close at 11:59 EST on 8/20. Open to legal U.S. residents. see Giveaway Policies for more details.

Giveaway Details

Here’s your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. Comment with what YOU read for your chance to win! Entries close on 7th of each month. Open to legal U.S. residents and international residents. *International winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card in lieu of a book from the prize shelf due to shipping costs.* See Giveaway Policies for more details.

Teatime with Author, Laura DeNooyer

I’m so glad you’ve joined me today for a special afternoon tea. I’ve got a cup of Canadian Vicar, a tray full of shortbread cookies, cucumber sandwiches, and scones with the requisite clotted cream and jam. Help yourself to anything you like and whatever beverage makes the day perfect.

Today, it is my personal joy to introduce you to Laura DeNooyer. Laura writes “Standout Stories: Redeeming the Years the Locusts Ate,”  and her newest release, The Broken Weathervane, is available for you to enjoy now.

In addition to getting to know Laura, she is giving away the choice of an eBook or print copy of The Broken Weathervane. You’ll find the details at the end of this post, but don’t miss the interview!

Before we dive into the interview, allow me to introduce you formally.

Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels are perfect for fans of Patti Callahan Henry, Erin Bartels, or Amanda Cox. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip.

Connect with the author:

Website  |  Newsletter  |  LinkedIn  |  Amazon  |  BookBub  |  GoodReads

*When you sign up for Laura’s newsletter, you’ll get 7 Wizard of Oz-inspired Recipes and a prequel.

Let’s dive into our Speedy Six

CC: Invisible or read minds?

LAURA: Be invisible. There’s no way I’d want to read people’s minds! Though I wish I could do better at reading between the lines of what they say. 🙂

CC: Road trip or airplane?

LAURA: Road trip! I aim for taking a road trip at least once a year.

CC: Fancy restaurant or home-cooked meal?

LAURA: I don’t need fancy, but I love going out. I’ll also take a home-cooked meal if someone else is cooking.

Tea Sandwiches and Savories

CC: Before we start diving too deep…

What kind of stories are your favorite to write?

LAURA: I love writing the kind of stories I like to read. Whether contemporary or historical, I enjoy writing about the challenges of working through dysfunctional family drama and complex relationships. I like delving into the gray, murky areas of life, into false appearances and misjudgments. My stories serve food for thought along with hope and second chances—tales that “redeem the years the locusts ate.”

Story ideas call to me without regard for genre boundaries. All That Is Hidden is Southern historical fiction set near the Smokies in 1968. A Hundred Magical Reasons is biographical historical fiction—and dual timeline. Both would be considered literary fiction. Another dual timeline story, The Broken Weathervane, qualifies as contemporary women’s fiction (2015 and 1950s). My next two books will be women’s fiction and Biblical fiction, respectively.

Perhaps the common thread is a small-town setting with multi-layered family drama that raises difficult questions, thoughtful questions. The stories encourage pondering while also uplifting readers. They all make good book club discussions.

CC: “Serve food for thought along with hope and second chances” sounds like when someone picks up your books, they’re in for a story to chew on.

Do you read fiction while you are writing?

LAURA: Absolutely! As an author of both historical fiction and contemporary women’s fiction, I need to know the books readers are drawn to. I need to find comparable titles to know how my own novels fit into the genre, both Christian fiction and general market. 

I’ve enjoyed many dual timeline novels by Melanie Dobson, Patti Callahan Henry, Susan Meissner, Michelle Shocklee, and others. Only after reading numerous dual timeline novels did I tackle the task of writing one.

Reading a variety of fiction keeps me tapped into the book world and also functions as a way to learn from other authors doing their craft. As I read, I ask questions: How does the author draw me in and make me care for these characters? How does she keep tensions high, raising the stakes? How is this story resonating with me and why?

CC: I can tell you are a very analytical reader. Sometimes I’ll read to be analytical, but I think you must be much better at it than me!

What is your favorite part about writing?

LAURA: I love the creative process. Sometimes that means putting stories together like a puzzle. Other times it means writing without a clear plan in order to discover a story. The first draft is fun as long as I take my editor hat off and just see where the story goes. It usually turns out awful! But it’s a good starting point. Editing can be tedious but rewarding as the story takes sharp turns and starts to sparkle. 

The joy is in the journey, but it’s also in the positive feedback from readers. Nothing compares to knowing my story touched a reader. I’m very grateful when readers tell me my story moved them, made them think differently about a situation, or gave them cause for reflection.

One reader wrote this about The Broken Weathervane: “You’ve written a deeply compassionate novel that treats mental illness, family loyalty, and love with rare nuance, allowing truth to emerge without spectacle, and healing to feel earned rather than convenient.”

Scones with Cream and Jam

This is always my favorite part of high tea … and of book talks! Who doesn’t like to learn about a new story? Before I start asking #AUTHOR questions about her book, allow me to whet your appetite with the book description!

CC:  Let’s talk about The Broken Weathervane? 

What was the inspiration for this book?

LAURA: My dad shared a family story about his father and uncle who were in business together with their youngest brother, who struggled quite a bit. The two older brothers did everything in their power to help him succeed in his own businesses and later let him work at theirs. I loved the way they cared for him despite all the difficulties they encountered. I’d always wondered what the issues were.

This was the spark of the 1950s timeline in my novel. Then the characters took on lives of their own.

Last year, my dad was in hospice for five months. I was glad I had the chance to tell him I’d dedicated the book to him. He was surprised and pleased. It was bittersweet launching a book (with a time frame out of my control) while watching him decline. He passed away nine days after the book was released. Until then, he was rooting for me the whole time.

CC: Oh what a difficult road to walk, and what a blessing that he got to root for you through it until the end.

What is the most fascinating piece of research that shaped your story?

LAURA: Two major things I had to research were mental illness treatments in the 1950s and the current small campus university setting. Those treatments played a big part in the lives of my 1950s characters and the story’s direction. Learning about typical treatments during that time period was both enlightening and alarming.

Several women in my neighborhood book club are college professors, so I enjoyed tapping into their knowledge and experience regarding college protocols, grant proposals, and faculty/staff dynamics.

I enjoyed learning about 1950s grocery store trends, including common food brands back then. During that time, Swift & Company packaged peanut butter in reusable glass tumblers that featured The Wizard of Oz characters. Nowadays they are still collectors’ items. Being an avid Wizard of Oz fan, I had to include these glass peanut butter jars at the Buckwalter Brothers Grocery.

CC: How fun! Especially with your connection to The Wizard of Oz in your previous story.

What do you hope readers will take away from your story?

LAURA: My hope is that book club discussions about the characters’ situations will help increase understanding, transparency, and empathy for those who suffer from mental illness. Open conversation is that important first step toward reducing the stigma associated with it. A fictional story is the perfect catalyst for that.

When a family member is physically ill or in an accident, church folks will line up outside your door to bring comfort or casseroles. It’s an easily shared prayer request. But when a family member has an episode related to mental illness, it is shrouded in secrecy and shame. Thus, the people most needing prayers and support don’t get them.

I am most blessed when readers write to tell me how The Broken Weathervane resonated with them due to their own experiences with friends or family members struggling with mental illness.

CC: As a person who has loved and struggled with loved ones with mental illness, this is so true. I’m glad your story provides an avenue for understanding and discussion.

A Sweet Finish

CC: Unfortunately, it is time to wrap up our interview. I always love finishing with two questions. 

First, if someone has never read one of your books before, where should they start?

Laura: This really depends on the reader’s interests. All my books are character-driven with thematic depth that inspires great book club discussion. Two are dual timelines with a Midwest setting; one is Southern fiction. 

I’d recommend A Hundred Magical Reasons to lovers of literary biographical fiction for a whimsical dive into the life of The Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum.

The Broken Weathervane will intrigue those interested in a literary mystery where family loyalty collides with truth. All That Is Hidden is a coming-of-age novel where a small southern town is threatened by northern exploitation and a father’s secret.

CC: Fantastic. I think you’ve made it easy for anyone to figure out where to start.

Which part of the roller coaster do you like to sit in? 

Author: Answer

That’s it for now. If you enjoyed getting to know Laura DeNooyer and are curious about their book, I highly recommend you check out The Broken Weathervane. Before we clear the table and pack away the tea stuff, I have a question for you.

When it comes to stories, do you like it when a story gives you a new perspective on a topic or a people group? What other books have made you think?

Leave your comment below and join the teatime fun. Until next time, may your days be filled with good books and cups of tea (or your favorite beverage)!

Giveaway Details

Here’s your chance to win a copy of The Broken Weathervane. Comment on the blog and enter using the Google Form below for your chance to win! Entries close at 11:59 EST on 7/14. Open to legal U.S. residents. see Giveaway Policies for more details.

 

It’s another month of our Tackle Your TBR Pile reading challenge. So dig through that stack of books you’ve been meaning to read that’s taller than you and start reading!

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 from my shelf can be found here.*

This Month: June – Somewhere you want to travel

Next Month: July – Patriotic theme, time period, or occupation

Flying across the pond and having tea in England is HIGH on my dream list, so it wasn’t hard to choose a Michelle Griep book. I’ve fallen behind on her books, so I used this month as a chance to get caught up on at least one of her books. 

I loved the second-chance, friends-to-more romance between Bram and Eva. Overcoming the past hurts felt realistic, and of course, the swoon factor was up. Bram was a man of integrity, faith, sacrifice, and insecurities that made him lovable. Eva’s own past guilt, financial struggles, and the struggle to know what was best for her sister had me invested in her and Penny’s future right from the beginning. It’s always a palate cleanser to read one of Michelle’s books, and I have no idea why I waited so long to catch up with this one. It has all the things I love, mystery, history, adventure, and a romance that is sweet, enjoyable, and swoony. 

Giveaway Details – Winner Diana H.

Here’s your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. Comment with what YOU read for your chance to win! Entries close on 7th of each month. Open to legal U.S. residents and international residents. *International winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card in lieu of a book from the prize shelf due to shipping costs.* See Giveaway Policies for more details.