by Crystal Caudill | Feb 20, 2018 | Book Reviews
Join the Discussion: Check out the Community Question below and comment.
The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz
In high school, I was obsessed with the American Revolution. I lived, breathed, and dreamed every detail I could find about the American Revolution. Stories that (thankfully) will never see the light of day were written.
As terrible as those amateur stories were, I am happy to report that The Lacemaker is no amateur story. Laura Frantz crafted a wonderful story that draws you so completely into the complexities of those first days that it is a shock to your system when someone *ahem – children I’m referring to you* interrupt your reading for something as trivial as being fed.
Who can eat when the balance of a nation is hanging on a lacemaker’s thread?
Genre: Historical Romance, American Revolution
Plot Overview: Lady Elisabeth “Liberty” Lawson is days away from her arranged marriage taking place when she is abandoned by her fiancé and family. As daughter of a prominent British leader, she is suspected to be a spy and struggles to survive in her hometown of Independence Men. No one is willing to come to her aid, save the Welsh Independence man, Noble Rynallt. An enemy to the crown, he has his own struggles to contend with, but the former-lady-turned-lacemaker cannot be ignored. As tensions grow, Liberty must make a choice – join the Independence Men or turn her back on her father and country? Whatever the choice, the cost could be her life.
What I loved: I will say my absolute favorite part of any story that takes place during the American Revolution or Civil War is the complexities of how families were affected. The relationship between Elisabeth “Liberty” and her family is so complex that I just relish every detail. Her father so wonderfully reflected the Independence Men’s view of England while her mother was the independent spirit that refused to be broken. The broken family was such a wonderful symbol of Britain’s relationship with it’s colonies. I don’t know if she meant that symbolism or not, but I absolutely loved it.
Favorite Character: It is such a hard toss up between Liberty and Noble. Liberty is such an amazing young woman who really grows from the submissive daughter to a woman who learns to fend for herself without compromising her morals. She is brave, kind-hearted, and the woman I hope I would be under such circumstances.
Noble is the swoon worthy hero every romance needs. He is a man who watches out for the needs of others, has a strong sense of obligation and duty to bring this nation to independence, and Welsh heritage makes you want to cuddle up next to him in real life. I won’t give away the details, but he is a great leader and a man who will do anything for those he loves. Such a brave man.
Who would like this: Anyone who love historically accurate stories with love, romance, danger, and self-sacrifice (no one dies). Those who especially love the American Revolution and the complex relationships between the British and those seeking independence.
Rating and Why: I give this story 5 stars. I loved the complexities of the story, the romance that was exciting but clean, and all the historical characters. It was masterfully created and a pure joy to read.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this story on #netgalley through the publisher for review purposes. The opinions above are completely my own and not influenced in any way.
Join the Discussion: What is your favorite aspect of reading books set in the American Revolution? Do you like the battles? Espionage? Relationships? Love between opposite sides? Romance against all odds?
If you read the book: Which character did you identify with most?
Purchase Links:
Christianbook.comBarnes and NobleWalmart.comAmazon.com
by Crystal Caudill | Jan 30, 2018 | Author Interviews
Welcome friends to another author interview! Today I would like to introduce to you Carelene Havel.
Carlene Havel writes Christian-themed romances and historical novels. She has lived in Turkey, Republic of the Philippines, and numerous US states. After a career in human resources and software development, she began writing in 2005. The Havels live in Texas, surrounded by their extended family.
WC: Thank you, Carlene, for doing this interview. Your bio says you have lived in numerous places. What brought you to those places?
Carlene: My husband was in the US Air Force. He went wherever his military duty required him to go, and I followed. I’d never been on an airplane before getting married, nor had I traveled much. I had no idea what adventures awaited me after saying, “I do”.
WC: Please, tell your husband thank you for serving, and thank YOU for being a military wife. That comes with its own set of challenges. You both are appreciated.
Which place was your favorite to live in? Why?
Carlene: I was born and raised in Texas, and some of my ancestors were here since before it was part of the United States. Therefore, to remain in good standing with my family, I have to proclaim my home state as my fave.
However, the most exotic place was Turkey. We lived at Karamursel Air Station near the village of Yalova, across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul—one of the world’s most delightful cities.
My friends and I fearlessly drove all over the country in a Volkswagen beetle, enjoying the historic ruins. I never developed a taste for their strong coffee but did fall in love with the hot tea (they call it chai) served everywhere in Turkey.
I’ve been back twice in the intervening years, but there’s nothing like actually living somewhere to soak up the full richness of a culture. Turkey and its honest, industrious people will always have a special place in my heart.
WC: Those sound like very cherished memories. What things did you learn by living in a different country?
I learned that people are very much the same, despite variations in language, dress, and customs. Beneath those superficial differences, there is that universal human heart. We all love our children and yearn for them to have a better life than ours. Given the chance, most people are decent, generous, and helpful. And, yet, every population has its share of rascals and handful of evil monsters.
WC: The Bible is full of rich, wonderful words. What is your favorite Bible verse?
Carlene: This question always challenges me because my favorite changes from time to time. I love John and Romans, but today I’m thinking about a beautiful verse from Isaiah 42:2.
WC: Writing is a very solitary undertaking, but I have found God to be present in the writing and in teaching us as we go. What is something God taught you on your writing journey?
Carlene: Patience! Authoring a book is quite an undertaking, but writing “the end” on the manuscript is not even the midpoint of the trip. Finding the right publisher or self-publishing, and working with a cover designer draw out the process to the point the writer wonders if the book will ever see the light of day. And, oh, that editing–combing through your book so many times you know it by heart, still finding misspelled words, dangling participles, and far too many commas. Then, when the baby is at last delivered, it’s time to tackle the uphill climb called marketing.
WC: I enjoyed reading Song of the Shepherd Woman. I think my favorite aspect was how you connected the Gospel story to the lives of your characters. What was the hardest part of interweaving your story with the Gospel?
Carlene: I started to ponder what happened to the shepherds who were in the fields on that first Christmas. Were all of them followers of Jesus for the rest of their lives? Suppose one of these young men went astray. What would the remedy be? Perhaps later in life he reluctantly takes responsibility for a helpless child, a little girl who reminds him of the power of simple faith. These thoughts rattled around in my head, gradually forming the characters who became Avram and Channah. After I fell in love with them, I felt compelled to write their story.
WC: The details you used really showed the amount of research you did. How did you do most of your research? (Books, internet, interviews, travel?) What was something you learned that really surprised you?
Carlene: My writing partner, Sharon Faucheux, is the main historian, while I’m more the story-teller. Sharon uses reference books and the internet for most of her research. I read a nonfiction book about how to breed and take care of sheep before starting to write “Song of the Shepherd Woman”.
I also happened to be in a Bible study with a woman who shared some tidbits from her experience raising sheep. I sent an email to an Australian sheep farmer we located through the internet and clarified a few lingering questions.
The most surprising thing I learned is how helpless sheep are. Just about everything frightens them, and those who know them best maintain they are downright stupid.
WC: That is really powerful when you think about it in the context of Jesus calling us sheep. No wonder He wants to be our shepherd, and seeing how shepherds really do care for their sheep in your story is such a wonderful reflection of his love.
What is the main thing you want your readers to take away from this story when they walk away?
Carlene: I hope my story encourages readers to trust steadfastly in God, even when human logic says faith is foolish.
WC: I love to ask just for fun questions. What is on the top of your Bucket List for 2018?
Most books! Pelican Book Group has contracted my novella “Parisian Surprise”, a contemporary Christian romance, which I hope will be released sometime this year. Also, I’ve almost finished a novel about a man’s attempt to heal his broken marriage. I have some simmering ideas for a sequel to “Song of the Shepherd Woman” as well.
Thank you, Charlene, for sharing about your travels, your book, and all the wonderful insight you have gained from that. My beloved readers, you can have a chance to win an e-copy of Charlene’s novel by commenting below AND entering the Rafflecopter give away below. Entries open Tuesday 12 AM (EST) 1/30/2018 and close on Monday, 2/5/2108, at 11:59 PM (EST).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So readers, what is on your 2018 Bucket List?
*Legal Jargon: No Purchase is necessary. This contest is open to all readers in the world, 18 years and older who are legally allowed to participate in such a giveaway as allowed by their local laws. The Write Call does not exchange prizes for reviews. Reviews are appreciated, but not required.*
by Crystal Caudill | Dec 26, 2017 | Book Reviews
Long Time Gone
by Mary Connealy
As usual, I enjoyed another one of Mary Connealy’s stories. One word of warning about this book though, don’t try to read it before reading No Way Up. While Mary does a good job of filling in details you would have missed, the very first sentence picks up where the last book ended. Immediately where it left off.
I enjoyed getting to know Justin a little more – especially the rivalry between him and Cole. The love he showed for his annoying big brother, the rest of his family, and Angie makes him a hero in my book. He is a hard-working man that any woman could swoon over.
Angie was a heroine that grew on me. I never disliked her, but she took some getting used to. I loved watching her grow to become an independent woman capable of taming the West. She moves forward from her past to become a woman I cheer for and envy.
The Cimarron Ranch is still in trouble throughout the book, and the mystery behind what is really going on begins to unravel.
I am looking forward to reading the third and finding out what the real story behind the trouble is. Not to mention Cole and Mel are the hero and heroine – Squee!!!
“The Boden clan thought their problems had ended with the death of a dangerous enemy, but have they truly uncovered the real plot to take their New Mexico ranch? Rancher Justin Boden is now in charge. He is normally an unshakable and rugged man, but with his brother, Cole, shot and in mortal danger, even a tough man faces doubts. And it doesn’t help that Angie DuPree, the assistant to the doctor trying to save Cole, is as distracting a woman as Justin ever laid eyes on.
With her and the doc’s timely skills, Cole looks to be on the mend, and Justin and the rest of the Bodens can turn their attention back to the dangers facing them. It’s clear now that everything that’s occurred is part of a much bigger plot that could date back to a decades-old secret. Can they uncover all the pieces before danger closes in on them, or is the threat to the ranch even bigger than any of the Bodens could imagine?”
– Blurb from Amazon.com
Purchase Links:
BarnesandNoble.com ChristianBook.com Amazon.com
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 26, 2017 | Author Interviews
Today I am extremely excited to present to you debut author, Joanna Davidson Politano. Joanna is an amazing writer with such a heart for God. Her writing transports you to another time and makes you forget the stresses of contemporary life. From the first time I read her work before it was ever contracted, she became my favorite author. Now that I have a physical copy of her book in my hands, I realize she is even better than I remembered!
And because I want to share her wonderful writing with you, one lucky entrant will win a copy of Lady Jane Disappears. Check out the details below.
Without further ado, allow me to introduce, Joanna.
Joanna is a work-from-home mom of one super cute little girl and one handsome little dude. She is married to her hero Vince, who is her love and polar opposite. She writes, he tears it up with the red pen. She breaks cars and other mechanical things, he puts them back together. He’s nailed the “speak the truth” thing, and she brings the “in love” part. But the real spark to her marriage is that he does not like chocolate and she… like it a normal amount. They love and live from their little house in the woods near Lake Michigan, which is undergoing a constant renovation.
WC: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy, crazy life to answer these questions. I am so excited for your debut release date! Too bad we can’t have a debutante ball to celebrate.
You have a beautiful, wonderful, young family. How do you manage to get writing done while chasing around a one year old and a four year old?
JDP: Two words: Nap time! I put important things first (God time, children), and somehow all the needed writing time materializes because God can do things like that. I live by the principal that children are never a distraction from the important work—they are the important work. When I’m living (and “momming”) well, I write well. So I guess it’s really about these two words: TRUST GOD!
WC: When writing a story, what is the most important thing to you? The plot, the characters, the journey, or something else altogether?
JDP: I enjoy the characters, especially their dialogue, but the entire process of writing is invaluable to my entire life. It’s the way God gets my attention, teaches me the nuances of his truths, and keeps me very dependent on him. There’s no room for self-reliance when you’re a slow writer who’s also trying to be a mom—and you have deadlines to meet.
WC: Writing historical fiction is a research heavy genre. What made you choose the Victorian era?
JDP: I chose this era because some of my favorite writers lived and wrote in those years. It’s a time of industrial change and interesting political shifts… and beautiful gowns and flowery writing.
WC: Your voice is amazingly refreshing! Like taking a stroll through a Victorian garden. What author’s inspired your writing?
JDP: Thank you so much! I think my conversations 
with God is where my writing voice originated. As far as writers, I’d say Daphne Du Maurier for atmosphere, Charles Dickens for characters, Martha Grimes for witty lines, and Mary Higgins Clark for tension. I could never hope to rival them, but I sure enjoy reading and dissecting their work!
Lady Jane Disappears is your debut novel. How does it feel to have something you wrote in other people’s hands?
A little like a voluntary invasion of privacy! I never intended this novel to be published—it was my practice novel in which I meant to explore all the elements of a book I truly enjoyed so I could find my own niche. Somehow the freedom of writing for practice loosened the most authentic storytelling in me, and it worked better than when I tried hard. Go figure.
It’s hard to release private thoughts and personal artwork into the world and open it up for critique, but I love being authentic and open, too. Hopefully something I say strikes a chord with someone else, and I believe it might, only because God put me on this path, gave me things to write about, and then facilitated the publication of those words. Hopefully he has a reason for it besides the exercise of me baring my heart.
WC: What has God taught you along this journey?
JDP: I can’t do anything—anything—without him. He can give and he can take away. Writing, mothering, or even breathing is all done by his say-so and can be taken away just as quickly. I’ve truly learned to trust-fall into God every single day. I’ve learned about writing, deadlines, marketing… but mostly I’ve learned how to have an intimate hand-in-hand relationship with God.
WC: What inspired you to write Lady Jane Disappears?
JDP: You know, it’s a funny story. As a kid, I had this way of meting out justice—I wrote kids in my class into anonymous stories that ended up getting passed around the class. How fun, I thought, if an overlooked girl did the same thing in a Victorian household? What sort of wonderful chaos would that create in a straight-laced era full of covered-up sins and thin facades? So I wrote about a serial novelist who writes everyone around her into her novels and publishes them under a pen name. Oh, the trouble she caused!
WC: Give us a high and a low. What was the best/easiest thing about writing Lady Jane Disappears? The worst/hardest part?
JDP: Honestly, I loved all of it. Because it was a “practice” novel, I simply enjoyed putting it on paper and it flowed quite easily. I included every element I love in a novel, not pausing to care about what should or shouldn’t go into a book. It was also published pretty easily (after many MANY failed attempts with previous stories—don’t get me wrong, I was no overnight success). I think the best part was writing the ending—oh, how I love endings! The lowest… wondering what to write next that would be as much fun!
WC: Last question and it is just a fun one that my husband asks when he interviews people. Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized 
horses? Any particular reason why?
JDP: One horse-sized duck! I could never explain to 100 horses of any size why I was trying to fight them, because you could never get that many to listen at once.
WC: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this interview and for writing such an amazing book. I absolutely cannot wait for others to read it.
Connect with Joanna: Facebook https://jdpstories.com/ Newsletter
What about you, my reader friends? Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck sized-horses? Why?
Comment below and then enter the drawing through the rafflecopter link below for a chance to win your own copy of Lady Jane Disappears. (After having trouble reaching the winner in my last interview, I think this might be the easiest way to contact a winner.) Then come back next week to find out the winner and read my review on her official release day, October 3rd! *Open to residents of the 48 Contiguous United States* comments close at 11:59 PM, Oct. 2nd.
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 13, 2016 | Book Reviews
The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson 
I have finally reached Melanie’s The Merchant’s Daughter in my TBR pile and all I can say is, why did I wait so long? I will readily admit that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale of all time, and Melanie did an amazing job with the story.
For those hardcore fairy tale fans – the ones who read the original versions by Anderson and the Grimm brothers – you will not be disappointed. Melanie did a fantastic job of sticking to the core elements but fleshing them out into a real life scenario that is just as magical as the fantasy presented to us through the historical renditions.
Even though I was very familiar with all the different variations of Beauty and the Beast, I was still wonderfully surprised and held in suspense throughout the story. It is easy to fall in love with kind, sweet Annabell who has her own wounds and broken past.Lord Ranulf le Wyse is an amazing beast who is all at once ferocious and yet gentle. My heart went out to him almost immediately.
Spiritual truth was woven masterfully and naturally throughout the story. I found myself transported and looking at the Holy Writ, as Annabell calls it, in a whole new light and with an excitement that I sometimes forget.
I highly recommend this book and would sum up this review with The Merchant’s Daughter is a fairy tale that reaches down to the soul and brings joy just by reading it. You simply must read this, and heart be still, Melanie has written a whole Fairy Tale Romance series.
The newest book Silent Songbird comes out in November.
Check out the links to purchase and connect with Melanie Dickerson below:
Amazon.com Barnes and Noble Melanie’s Website
“An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf’s bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff’s vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf’s future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.”
– Blurb by from Amazon
