Talkshow Thursday: Welcome, Gretchen Carlson!

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Gretchen Carlson!

I’m thrilled to be hosting, fellow ACFW member, Gretchen Carlson whose novels are set during my favorite time-period! Read on to me her, and learn a bit about her inspiration, research, and lots more.

Share a real-life event that inspired your writing:

Born in 1900, my grandmother spoke of her horse and buggy experiences, life through the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and both World Wars. However, she was in her eighties when she shared a Christmas story from 1939 that had been kept secret for decades. The beauty of the event, how a poor struggling farm family got electricity, burned in my heart until I wrote the last page of More Than Grit. Her story is of broken lives, deep friendships and the power of forgiveness. Today’s culture applauds independence and self-sufficiency, but we need more than determination and our own grit.

What research did you do for your story, and was there an interesting tidbit you knew you had to include?

The setting of my debut book, More Than Grit, is rural Kansas in September 1939 which is when Hitler

invaded Poland. As European countries fell, American politics grew hot with debates of Isolationism. As I wove threads of the World War II, I enjoyed reading President Roosevelt’s and Winston Churchhill’s speeches, and I listened to original radio recordings. Each chapter begins with a quote from one of them.

A humorous tidbit I discovered (and included) revolved around the date of Thanksgiving. During the fall of 1939 our national holiday mushroomed into a huge political issue. States and families chose different dates for the holiday.

Is your book a part of a series: Did you set out to write a series?

No … but … I did. When my readers asked for another book, I got busy. I Be Brave is a sequel, however, both books have their own ending. The second book begins in 1940 with the same farm family and many of the original characters. I didn’t dare cut readers’ favorite onery, Old Man, but I added a heart-tugging Down Syndrome teen. Once again, I wove in events of World War II.

What draws you to the time period about which you write?

The people. The Great Depression and both World Wars hammered ordinary individuals into heroes and a resilient generation. I enjoyed researching and telling their stories. Inspiration for one character came from an obituary of a Sunday School teacher in a small rural church who greatly impacted youth.

How are your characters like you? Different?

When I finished writing the last paragraph of More Than Grit, I wept. It hit me that I am like my protagonist. Too often I strive and push, thinking everything depends upon me, but even when I’ve failed to trust God, he pours out his grace—especially through family and friends. My prayer is that my books will remind readers that God is involved in the details of our lives.

About I Be Brave:

While war rages in Europe, a Kansas family faces battles of its own.

In the summer of 1940, as Hitler’s armies destroy Europe, guilt ravages thirteen-year-old Sissy’s heart after her younger brother dies—on her watch. Nothing she does can mend the rift between her and her mother. When an abused and abandoned boy follows Sissy to her farm in rural Kansas, she knows he can’t stay permanently with her broken family, and yet she tries to help him.

Her actions stir up fierce controversy in the community and threaten the loss of her family’s farm, driving a deeper wedge between Sissy and her mother. Even though Sissy risks everything to save the boy, her courage can’t heal the hurt and bitterness which blaze hotter than the Kansas summer sun—unless there is forgiveness. But forgiveness is as elusive as victory in Europe.

Award-winning author of More Than Grit, Gretchen A. Carlson writes books that appeal to readers who love to root for the underdog and who desire to rise above fear.

Purchase Links:
More Than Grit: https://amzn.to/47Wc26d

I Be Brave: https://amzn.to/4uF0zSv

Social Media Links:
Email: gretchencarlsonwriter@gmail.com
Website: https://gretchen-carlson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gretchen.carlson.31
Television Interview: https://www.wibw.com/video/2022/09/27/more-than-grit-gretchen-carlson-author/

Photo Credits:

Author Photo and Book Image: Courtesy Gretchen Carlson

Turkey Dinner: Pixabay

Farm: Pixabay/Albrecht Fietz

Wartime Wednesday: German Maps and Secret Missions

Wartime Wednesday:

German Maps and Secret Missions

In these days of GPS which give instantaneous location information, it’s easy to forget that the technology is relatively new, with the first satellite being launched in 1978. During World War II, the lack of what is called geodetic data – the measuring and representing of Earth’s geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field – was an issue because shelling was done over great distances, often without seeing the actual target through gun sights. Unfortunately, this created situations during which the shells “went awry,” as one source put it.

When word reached the upper echelon of the U.S. Army of enormous stashed of maps held by the Germans, it was decided to create a top-secret intelligence force that would ferret out and capture the documents. Named HOUGHTEAM after the man in charge, Major Floyd Hough, the unit was composed of nineteen specifically selected individuals:

• Four educated civilians: an engineer, a geographer, a linguist who spoke five languages, and a Kentucky socialite who’d mostly grown up in Europe.
• Ten enlisted men who included a Japanese interpreter on loan from OSS and European immigrants who had fled to the U.S. to escape Nazi persecution.
• Five who’d been stationed at Camp Ritchey where they received training in interrogation and psychological operations. They would be responsible for questioning civilians about troop movement as well as prisoners of war.

The men carried 1,800 pounds of cameras and other equipment for creating microfilm records and

11,000(!) index cards that included such information as the holdings of the Army Map Services, lists of technical universities, government institutions, libraries, and other places that ostensibly had the materials they sought, and lists of German scientists indicating which might be willing to cooperate and those who must not be trusted. (Can you imagine flipping through those to find what you needed?

In the autumn of 1944, the unit followed the army into Germany often arriving at a particular city days or even hours after it had fallen to the Allies. Speed was of the essence. Aachen was the first major successful mission, and most scholars feel the information found there hastened the end of the war because of the massive cache of scientific data and records discovered in the library. The project stalled when the Allies were held back, then the terrible winter that saw the Battle of the Bulge.

By March, 1945, the Allies were again on the move, and Hough followed, first to Cologne, then onto Frankfurt, and Weisbaden, collecting bundles of papers, books, maps, and survey reports that had immediate operational value. The interrogation of a captured officer revealed the name of two small towns in the region of Thuringia. The U.S. Third Army was in the midst of taking the area, so Hough gathered his men and headed east to Friedrichroda and Waltershausen. A short search turned up the entire archive of the German national survey agency. Just as important was the discovery of a man they’d been seeking for weeks. Questioning provided the name of yet another small town: Saalfeld.

Four days after the U.S. 87th Infantry took the town, Hough and five of his men rolled in. After explaining to the mayor what they were looking for, he led them to a warehouse which held a thirty-foot by fifty-food room stacked flour to ceiling. They’d found “nothing less than the central map and geodetic data repository for the Germany Army – the mother lode.” Exciting, yet, but Saalfeld was in a section of Germany that was going to be Soviet-occupied territory, and the Russians were on their way.

With a pace not thought possible, Hough borrowed (commandeered?) trucks, planes, and enlisted me from nearby U.S. Army units to load the trucks. He also mandated help from German civilians. By the time Germany had officially surrendered on May 8, 1945, Hough and his team had shipped thirty-five two-and-a-half-ton-capacity trucks with maps, data, and instruments such as stereoplanigraphs (cutting-edge technology used to create topographic maps from aerial photos and worth about $7M in today’s money).

In September, 1945, Hough returned to his old job as head of the Geodetic Division of the Army Map Service in Washington, DC, then went on to travel extensively to international conferences to meet with other geodesists about connecting the rest of Europe to the geodetic network. The project was completed in 1951.

_______________________

Shetland Sunset

Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war?

After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fishermen who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again?

Distraught when the Germans overrun her beloved Norway, Tonje Bondevik refuses to take the occupation sitting down. She joins the fledgling resistance movement, deriving great satisfaction distributing the underground newspaper and performing acts of sabotage…until the day the Nazis come looking for her, and she must flee for her life. Perhaps she should have listened to the handsome Norwegian American when he offered to take her to Shetland.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AWqJk

Sources:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15420353.2021.1922569#d1e130
https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/ref-info-papers/79/index.pdf
https://www.neatorama.com/2019/10/23/The-Untold-Story-of-the-Secret-Mission-to-Seize-Nazi-Map-Data/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/untold-story-secret-mission-seize-nazi-map-data-180973317/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ED50
https://medium.com/@NGA_GEOINT/floyd-w-hough-454ca5ac933f
https://amerisurv.com/2020/03/03/behind-the-lines/
https://community.esri.com/t5/coordinate-reference-systems-blog/the-european-datum-a-history-part-2/ba-p/902120

Photo Credits:
Map: http://www.loc.gov/item/2004629096
Equipment: The National Archives
Floyd Hough Passport Photo: The National Archives

Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction

 

March 2026 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Amish Romance: Feuding with the Amish Farmer by Anne Blackburne -- Lida Mae Beiler and Tom Fisher, both feeling betrayed by their parents, find healing, acceptance and forgiveness, while forging a future together. (Amish Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Children’s Middle Grade /Chapter:

The Case of the Duct Tape Disaster by Becca Wierwille -- A mess of duct tape. A missing dress. Can Scout and Barnaby bring the dress destroyer to justice? Along with her trusty canine sidekick, Barnaby, Scout is determined to crack the case—before the Camp Gala begins and the culprit gets away with it. (Children’s/Middle Grade, Independently Published)

Contemporary Romance:

Fairest Inn All by Amy R. Anguish -- Kari White never planned to rescue a historic inn—or risk her carefully guarded heart. Summoned to coastal Georgia by seven uncles she barely knows, Kari arrives with one goal: fix the failing Apple Inn and leave before old wounds or deeper feelings can surface. But with an aggressive developer closing in, deadlines looming, and the inn’s future hanging in the balance, walking away may cost more than she’s prepared to lose. (Contemporary Romance from Scrivenings Press)

A Father’s Promise by Sandra Ardoin -- Nothing has changed for him, but everything has changed between them. Years ago, Paige Matthews left Hidden Veil to escape her love for Sutton Vance and their opposing visions for the future. Now, struggling to relate to her adopted children, she returns to her hometown with the keys to the house she and Sutton always imagined would be theirs. But nothing in life has turned out as Paige expected. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

The Rancher’s Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin -- Coming home isn’t easy for cowboy Zane Kingsley—but he’s eager to earn back the trust of the woman he never stopped loving. Single mom Molly Jacobs is still grieving the husband she lost six years ago, and the last person she wants to see is the man she blames for his death. When they’re forced to work together at a summer riding program for kids, Molly can’t help but notice the growing bond between Zane and her young son. Can Zane convince her that he’s a changed man and that he’s worthy of her forgiveness…and her love? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

The Police Chief’s Instant Family by Mindy Obenhaus -- Tumbleweed police chief Daniel Montgomery never understood why Emily Kent walked away from him back when they were high school sweethearts. But when tragedy makes them co-guardians of their siblings’ twin daughters, Emily and Daniel find themselves together again after years apart, facing the unexpected challenges of parenthood. As buried feelings rise to the surface, the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore. With old hurts and past secrets between them, will they ever get a chance at their long-awaited happily-ever-after? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

The Hidden Key of Brooke Sumner by Susan L. Tuttle -- Brooke Sumner has been carefully avoiding Storm Whitlock ever since he betrayed her trust. When he also joins Caspar’s mysterious treasure-hunting group, she steps away to focus on her antique shop and keep herself busy rather than work alongside him. Then Caspar invites her back for one final assignment, and Brooke is torn. Returning to Halstead Manor to help the team she’s been a part of find the second half of a key sounds intriguing. It also means this time, she’d be working with Storm. (Contemporary Romance from Kregel Publications)

Cozy Mystery:

One Rotten Apple by Penny Frost McGinnis -- Lyndie Lavender expected apple pie and pumpkins, not murder. With her sister and her aunt’s handsome tenant, she sleuths through Seldom Seen to catch a festival killer. (Cozy Mystery, Independently Published)

General Contemporary:

A Most Peculiar Providence by Angela Hunt -- Joshua Donnelly has lived a careful, orderly life in the old house on Church Street, as his mama taught him. Then, on the coldest night of the year, a newborn baby appears in his care with no explanation and no instructions. Only a prayer answered in the most unexpected way. Heather Thomas arrives in Peculiar carrying her own heartbreak, running from mistakes she cannot undo. When her path crosses Josh’s, the two form a fragile, improbable unit built on kindness, faith, and more hope than sense. (General Contemporary from Hunt Haven Press)

Historical Literary:

Chasing the Wind by William Isley -- Three young men, James an Epicurean, Freddy an atheist seeking knowledge, and Bart desiring wealth, make a pact in 1972 to meet 25 years later to see how their philosophy of life worked out only to discover that their dreams were not only unfulfilling, but deadly, without God. (Historical Literary, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

The Blacksmith’s Songbird by Kimberly Burkhardt -- Beneath the glow of the gaslight lamps and smoky haze of the Big Blue Saloon, nineteen-year-old Laura Shining feels like a songbird trapped in a cage. She longs for freedom, a life away from the leering eyes of the drunken cowhands and controlling saloon owners. When one of the saloon owner’s simmering jealousy turns violent, Laura must rely on courage, friendship, and the love of a man who has forged his way into her heart, to escape the saloon life. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Eyewiness Sketch by Danielle Grandinetti -- CHICAGO, Ill., 1931—CHICAGO, Ill., 1931—Gabriella Salatino, an illustrative journalist for the Di Stasio Giornaliste Agency, never planned to return to her island home at the tip of Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula. Nor did she plan to witness a murder. But when her life is threatened, she has no choice but to hide out under the protective care of the man she left behind. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Shetland Sunset by Linda Shenton Matchett -- Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war? After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fisherman who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

Listen For the Chickadees by Terri Wangard -- John Walsh is a skilled aircraft carrier fighter pilot, but on December 7, 1941, he’s shot down over Pearl Harbor by American sailors. Taken to an aid station, he comes face to face with … Gloria Bloch? His friend Daniel’s cousin? She’s all grown up now and a navy nurse. And she’s gorgeous. Gloria’s thrilled to see John. She’s loved him her whole life. As a nurse aboard the USS Serenity, she follows the combat task force across the Pacific. John comes to the Serenity often because he’s frequently wounded. He’s always pleased to see her, but is she more than just a kid from home? (Historical Romance from Scrivenings Press)

Zenith of Tea by R F Whong -- Tomb robber Wang Mijen survived the 1920s with her blade, but her heart remains guarded. When she saves Joseph Cheung, their journey leads from dangerous bandits to a Vancouver teahouse. Can faith and a fight for justice turn a hardened survivor into a woman of hope? (Historical Romance from Vidasym Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:

Unexpected Target by Penny Zeller -- What if a random break-in isn’t as random as initially believed? That’s what Oaklee Newbold thinks when a series of forced entries shakes her quiet neighborhood. With seemingly nothing stolen and no obvious motive, the police are stumped. No one is prepared when the perpetrators strike again. Only, this time they aren’t targeting houses—they’re targeting Oaklee. (Romantic Suspense from Maplebrook Publishing)

Suspense:

Special Target by Jerusha Agen -- For tough-as-nails Chicago social worker Ashley Sorenson, it’s nothing new to risk her life for hurting children. But Ashley faces a special challenge when Matthew Borden, a sixteen-year-old with Down syndrome, is orphaned. Finding a suitable foster home for the boy becomes the least of her problems when someone starts threatening her and Matthew. (Thriller/Suspense, Independently Published)

Suspense – Police Procedural:

Logan’s Way by Urcelia Teixeira -- Logan’s Way is the long-awaited turning point of the Angus Reid Mysteries. What begins as a procedural investigation becomes a dangerous descent into family secrets, small-town corruption, and a system built to quietly erase inconvenient lives. The deeper Angus searches, the higher the cost. Because some truths don't set you free. This isn’t just another investigation. This is the one that will shake his foundation. (Thriller/Suspense Police Procedural, Independently Published)

 
Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Hadley the Hippo is What She Eats by Kayla E Green -- Hadley the Hippo is hungry, and she won't rest until she finds something to eat. But as she walks through her jungle home, she finds that the snacks in the jungle have an odd effect on her-they change her color! (Children’s Picture Book)

Trading My Way To You by Elle Ann Brown -- When a hopeful nurse barters her way toward a new home, the only thing more complicated than the trades is falling for the man she’s not allowed to love. (Contemporary Romance)

Frazzled Moms Play Matchmaker by Stephanie Paige King -- Two moms play matchmaker to pair up their cantankerous colleagues only to find out the hard way that love can't be managed or organized, no matter how hard you try. (General Contemporary)

Sunshine Alley by Gail Kittleson -- Sunshine Alley is a sweeping, multi-generational saga set against the historical backdrop of rural Texas, the American home front, and the fractured battlefields of the War in the Pacific. (Historical Romance)

Shadows Over Hotel Grim by Robin Caroll -- In the heart of Texarkana at the Texas/Arkansas state line in 1946, the Hotel Grim stands as a beacon of grandeur, but beneath its elegant facade lurks a shadow of fear. The Phantom Murderer, a cunning and elusive serial killer, haunts the areas teenagers like to use as a “lovers’ lane,” preying on unsuspecting victims. (Historical Suspense)

Shield of Fire by A L Evans -- When Elizabeth’s supernatural special-ops team joins forces with local law enforcement to dismantle a human trafficking ring, they expect monsters of the mortal kind, but what they uncover is far darker. (Speculative Fiction/Romantic Fantasy)

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Terri Wangard

Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome Back, Terri Wangard

I enjoy Terri's books and admire her dedication to research. I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for her latest releases Listen for the Chickadees. Get to know Terri, then grab a copy the book. You'll be glad you did. 

What does your writing space look like?

It’s wide open. After eighteen years of writing in a cramped bedroom, I’ve taken over office space from our now defunct family business, along with one of the computers. I can spread notes out and leave them there. The computer works as it should, unlike my laptop that moves the cursor around without my knowing it until I have a huge mess.

How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines?

By avoiding them. I’m not a procrastinator by nature and have always avoided having to complete something at the last minute. My first series of three books was already complete when I signed the contract. This latest book wasn’t started when I received the contract and I knew a moment of panic when I realized my original story plan wasn’t going to work and I had to come up with an alternate in a hurry. Fortunately, it came together quickly and I’m so happy with it.

How do you develop your characters? (e.g. decide on their vocation, names, etc.)?

My characters are how I’d like to be. Seamstress, artist, plant whisperer, musician; those are not my

talents. For the men, I’ve had an astronomer (I’ve been fascinated with the solar system since learning about it in the second grade.), lawyer, journalist, photographer. These are white collar occupations. My dad was a home builder and my siblings and I had to help by mucking out basements after storms or putting in itchy insulation. Result: I want clean jobs. Most of my stories take place overseas during wars, but hometowns are usually in Wisconsin because that’s what I’m most familiar with.

Tell us about your road to publication.

In the early 2000s, I wrote a short novel that I submitted to a line of Christian romances. They had the manuscript for a year before rejecting it. Meanwhile, I’d written another one, but then put writing aside. In 2008, I read Debbie Macomber’s Twenty Wishes, about a group of women fulfilling wishes they’d always wanted to do but never did. I decided to write again. My first writers’ conference was in 2010 and I had appointments with agents and editors for the next several years. A friend had her YA series published by a small publishing house, and I submitted my proposal. Friends & Enemies was published in 2016.

If your book is part of a series: Did you set out to write a series? Why did you decide to write a series?

My debut novel was meant to be a stand-alone, but an editor told me I’d likely need a series to land a contract. Fortunately, I had so much material from researching B-17s that writing two more books was no problem. For the current series, it seemed like the expected thing to do.

How has your series changed since your original plan?

This series was originally planned as war brides from unusual places. In other words, not from England or France. That’s what Seashells in My Pocket was, set in Brazil. Iceland was the planned setting for book two, No Leaves in Autumn, but finding the bride turned out to be a hassle. In the initial planning, I’d read that a Canadian unit was in Iceland, including women. That doesn’t seem to be the case and the rule of thumb in writing historicals is, if you can’t verify something in three sources, forget it. I had to sneak a French Canadian woman into the American Red Cross. The new book was the real problem. Today is the 84th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin, Australia. That event was supposed to kickstart the book, but it didn’t take me long to realize I didn’t have a full-length novel there. When I hit on the idea of Gloria being John’s bride, it was “Hallelujah!”

What writers or books have influenced you?

My debut novel was inspired by a collection of letters written in 1946-1947 by distant cousins in Germany to whom American relatives were sending them care packages. These letters provided a fascinating look at their lives before, during, and after the war, although not nearly as complete a picture as I wished. I had a vague idea based a book on them, but had no clear direction. Then I read Robert Vaughan’s Touch the Face of God. This is the story about a B-17 pilot and the woman he hopes to marry. Aha! My storyline came together in Friends & Enemies.

What books are on your nightstand right now?

I’m reading the print copy of Elizabeth Camden’s Beyond the Clouds and on my Kindle, I’m reading an ARC of Jen Dodrill’s No Egrets, to be followed by an ARC of Linda Matchett’s Shetland Sunset.

What is your next project?

I’ve submitted a proposal for a collection of three pre-WWII novellas featuring Americans heading for home before war engulfs them. My current work in progress is contemporary with a WWII tie-in.

Listen for the Chickadees

She’s loved him forever. He’s never seen her as more than a memory from home. Then Pearl Harbor changes everything.

December 7, 1941 shatters the illusion that anyone is safe.

Navy nurse Gloria Bloch wakes to the thunder of enemy planes over Pearl Harbor, certain of only one thing: John Walsh, the boy she has loved since childhood, is far from danger aboard an aircraft carrier. Or so she believes.

When panicked American gunfire brings John down over the harbor, their reunion is brief and breathtaking, forged in chaos neither can escape.

As the Second World War drives the United States into the Pacific conflict, Gloria and John are swept onto separate paths of duty. Gloria serves aboard the hospital ship USS Serenity, tending shattered bodies and wounded souls. John flies combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot and combat photographer, risking everything to document a war that refuses to leave him untouched.

Their paths cross again and again in fleeting moments between air raids and surgeries, courage and fear, longing and loss. With every meeting, the feelings they have buried deepen. But war demands more than love. It demands sacrifice, tests faith, and steals time without warning.

When separation stretches into silence, Gloria must face the terrifying possibility that hope itself has become another casualty of war.

As war and distance threaten to pull them apart, only the smallest signs remain: a whistle, a painted bird, and a promise worth holding onto.

Listen for the Chickadees is a Christian World War II historical romance set against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy, and the Pacific War. It is a story of steadfast love, quiet faith, and the courage it takes to trust God when tomorrow is uncertain.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/4aGFBKT 

Connect with Terri:

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1076843c6329/sign-up-for-terris-newsletter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terriwangard/

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

Website: http://www.terriwangard.com

Photo credits:

Author photo and book image: Courtesy Terri Wangard

Space: Pixabay/Mattia Verga

Chickadee: Pixabay/Veronika Andrews

Movie Monday: Gilda

 Movie Monday: Gilda

Released March 14, 1946 in New York City and nationwide a month later, Gilda is considered one of Hollywood’s best film noirs. The movie met with mixed reviews from critics, but most agreed that Rita Hayworth (in the title role) and Glenn Ford gave noteworthy performances. Audiences flocked to see it, and the movie earned almost $6M worldwide on a $2M budget.

Gilda was directed by Hungarian immigrant Charles Vidor who arrived in the U.S. in 1922 after having served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I. He initially worked as a basso for an opera company and eventually made his way to Hollywood where he secured an assistant’s job with director Alex Korda, another Hungarian immigrant. Vidor did well in the silent film era and came to the attention of executive at Universal Pictures after his success with the 1929 movie The Bridge.

The plot per imdb is “Just arrived in Argentina, small-time crooked gambler Johnny Farrell is saved from a gunman by sinister Ballin Mundson who later makes Johny his right-hand man. But their friendship based on a mutual lack of scruples is strained when Mundson returns from a trip with a wife, the supremely desirable Gilda, who Johnny once knew and learned to hate. The relationship of Johnny and Gilda, a battlefield of warring emotions, becomes even more bizarre after Mundson disappears.”

Gilda is actress Rita Hayworth’s first major dramatic role. By this time, she had already appeared in

dozens of films, but most were comedies or romantic comedies. The movie shot her Hollywood star even higher, but for Rita, there were drawbacks to being labeled a femme fatale. She was angered to learn her likeness was put on an atomic bomb being tests in the Marshall Islands alluding to her being a “bombshell.” Years later she commented that the men she dated “go to bed with Gilda but wake up with me.”

The film was also a big hit for Glenn Ford whose father had told him early on, “It’s alright for you to act, if you learn something else first. Be able to take a car apart and put it together. Be able to build a house, every bit of it. Then you’ll always have something.” The role was Ford’s first postwar film after having served in the Marines. He entered as a private and was promoted to sergeant before being medically discharged.

Even though Gilda was produced after the Hays code was implemented (“A set of industry guidelines for self-censorship of content applied to motions pictures.” Wikipedia), the movie pushed the envelope of acceptability with Hayworth’s attire (form-fitting black satin) and her “legendary one-glove striptease, “Put the Blame on Mame.””

Code “don’ts” include:

• Profanity
• Licentious or suggestive nudity – in fact or in silhouette
• Inferences to sexual perversion
• Illegal drug traffic
• Ridicule of clergy

Nominated for the grand prize at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, Gilda didn’t receive any Academy Award nominations, however in 2013 was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Have you seen this classic?

____________________

Shetland Sunset:

Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war?

After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fishermen who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again?

Distraught when the Germans overrun her beloved Norway, Tonje Bondevik refuses to take the occupation sitting down. She joins the fledgling resistance movement, deriving great satisfaction distributing the underground newspaper and performing acts of sabotage…until the day the Nazis come looking for her, and she must flee for her life. Perhaps she should have listened to the handsome Norwegian American when he offered to take her to Shetland.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4AWqJk

 
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilda_(film)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038559/
https://www.criterion.com/films/27909-gilda
https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/10460
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gilda
https://moviecrashcourse.com/2019/08/13/gilda-1946/

Photo Credits:

Movie Poster: By Robert Coburn - Scan via Heritage Auctions. Cropped from the original image., Public Domain.

Movie Still: By Columbia Pictures - DVD with the film & the trailer, Public Domain.

Movie Still: By Trailer distributed by Columbia Pictures - DVD with the film & the trailer, Public Domain.

On Tour: Fear, Faith & Freedom

 

About the Book

Book: Fear, Faith, & Freedom, Breaking Through Life’s Challenges with God’s Help

Author: Jenn Dafoe-Turner

Genre: Christian Memoir/Devotional

Release Date: November 25, 2025

Fear, Faith, and Freedom: Breaking Through Life’s Battles with God’s Help is a raw, redemptive journey from despair to deliverance. With deep vulnerability and spiritual clarity, author Jenn Dafoe-Turner invites readers into her story of pain, trauma, addiction, and ultimately, transformation through the power of Jesus Christ. Blending compelling personal narrative with creative retellings of Scripture, this book offers readers more than a testimony—it offers a path toward healing and wholeness.

Each chapter explores a different “battle” of life—fear, addiction, shame, identity, self-sabotage, church hurt, and more—and how God’s truth can bring lasting victory. Through heartfelt storytelling, biblical wisdom, and practical reflection, Jenn shows that freedom isn’t found in fixing ourselves but in surrendering completely to the One who sets captives free.

Structured as a spiritual memoir with devotional elements, each chapter concludes with a “gentle challenge,” reflection questions, a Scripture memory verse, and a heartfelt prayer. This format makes the book ideal for personal study, recovery groups, or women’s ministry settings.

Whether you are struggling with your own dark night of the soul or mentoring others through theirs, Fear, Faith, and Freedom will remind you that no battle is too great for God. His love meets us in the most broken places—and leads us, one step at a time, into a life marked by courage, hope, and the certainty of His grace.

 

Click here  o get your copy!

 

About the Author

Jenn Dafoe-Turner is a pastor, author, and spiritual midwife who helps birth purpose and nurture hope in the lives of others. Drawing from her own journey of brokenness, healing, and faith, Jenn walks alongside people in seasons of transition—guiding them to hear God’s voice, embrace their identity, and step boldly into their calling.

With decades of ministry experience, Jenn combines biblical wisdom with practical coaching to create safe spaces for transformation. Through her writing, speaking, and coaching, she equips others to trade fear for faith, move from confusion to clarity, and discover the joy of living out their God-given purpose.

As the Spiritual Midwife, Jenn’s heartbeat is simple: “Where truth is formed, purpose is born.”

More from Jenn

Fear, Faith & Freedom: Why This Book Had to Be Written

There are moments in life when fear speaks louder than faith.

Moments when freedom feels distant.

Moments when we wonder if God is still working—even here.

Fear, Faith & Freedom: Breaking Through Life’s Challenges with God’s Help was written for those moments.

I didn’t write this book because I had life figured out. I wrote it because I didn’t.

Why I Wrote Fear, Faith & Freedom

This book was born out of lived experience—through seasons of uncertainty, surrender, recovery, and deep wrestling with God. I have walked through fear that felt paralyzing, faith that felt fragile, and freedom that came one step at a time.

For years, I carried the quiet question many believers hold close to their hearts: Why, God? Why this path? Why this pain? Why me?

What I discovered is that God often does His deepest work not in the absence of fear, but in the midst of it. Faith isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about learning to trust the One who does. And freedom isn’t a single moment; it’s a journey of daily choosing truth over lies.

This book is my offering to those who feel stuck between where they are and where they long to be.

What’s Inside the Book

Fear, Faith & Freedom is part devotional, part reflection, and part invitation.

Inside these pages, readers will find:

• Honest stories of struggle, surrender, and spiritual growth
• Biblical insights that meet real-life challenges head-on
• Reflective prompts that invite readers to pause, pray, and engage personally
• Encouragement without platitudes—because healing doesn’t happen through clichés
• A clear message of hope: God is present, purposeful, and faithful, even in the mess

Rather than offering quick fixes, this book walks alongside readers, reminding them that God’s help is not distant or delayed—He is near, attentive, and deeply compassionate.

What Readers Can Expect

This is not a book that talks at you.

It’s a book that sits with you.

Readers can expect to feel:

• Seen in their questions
• Understood in their struggles
• Gently challenged to release fear
• Invited to trust God more deeply
• Encouraged to step into lasting freedom

Whether someone is navigating grief, addiction recovery, burnout, faith fatigue, or simply longing for deeper peace, this book offers space to breathe and room for God to work.

Who This Book Is For

Fear, Faith & Freedom is for:

• The believer who feels weary but the seeker who wants faith that feels real, not rehearsed
• The reader who needs reassurance that God still shows up
• Anyone ready to move forward—even if they’re taking small steps

If you’ve ever wondered whether God can bring beauty out of broken places, this book is for you.

Because fear does not get the final word.

Faith is still alive.

And freedom—true, God-given freedom—is possible.

Blog Stops

Simple Harvest Reads, March 4 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 5

Artistic Nobody, March 6 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 7

Guild Master, March 8 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, March 9 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 10 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 11

Books Less Travelled, March 12 (Author Interview)

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, March 13 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 13

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, March 14 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, March 15

Vicky Sluiter, March 16 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, March 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 17

Author Interview

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? — My favorite thing about writing is that the possibilities are endless of what I can write about. Everyday there are lessons to be seen and learned. God shows up in the mundane moments of life and turns them around.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? — My English teachers were right, if I had followed the writing process my writing would be that much stronger.

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing? — I wrote a short devotional for church and a lady said to me, “I wonder what God will do with that talent?” I won’t forget anytime soon because it was a confirmation of something I was too scared to dream.

What is one thing you wish you could do? — I have always wanted to be able to sing but I am not gifted in this area. As a matter of fact, the only note I can carry are in hymnals…lol I sure do admire those who can sing. One of my favorite musicians is one of my friends and when she plays when she thinks no one is listening, is breathtaking. She makes her instrument sing.

What was your favorite childhood book and why? This is a hard question. I have so many. In the Heat of the Night. The Sweet Valley High Series. Ramona the Pest. I fell in love with reading when I was learning to read. I was an advanced reader. It was the first time I remember feeling proud of myself at school. I devoured books and was soon reading small chapter books. Books offered an escape from the daily reality to another world. Worlds where I could put myself in the story and run away.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jenn is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

https://gleam.io/P9bMt/fear-faith-freedom-breaking-through-lifes-challenges-with-gods-help-celebration-tour-giveaway

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Sherry Shindelar

 Talkshow Thursday: 

Meet Sherry Shindelar

I'm pleased to welcome fellow Heroes, Heroines, and History blogger Sherry Shindelar. Grab a "cuppa" and learn a bit about her and her books.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I have been in love with stories since I was a child. I’d swing for hours on my swing set, pumping my legs back and forth, dreaming up stories in my head. Even then, I had a flair for romance, creating new love interests and episodes for Star Trek’s Captain Kirk.

My favorite possession at age nine was a set of author playing cards (a matching game with photos of famous authors). I wanted to be an author when I grew up and bring stories to life on the written page, stories that would impact my readers.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

The best part is seeing readers get excited about something I’ve written, seeing it impact and capture their hearts.

How did publishing your first book change your writing?

The next book was the most difficult book I’d ever written. Now that I had a contract, I had a deadline, and I’d never written a novel on a deadline before. Even worse, I was stressed wondering if everyone would love book two as much as they loved book one. I came to an end of myself, and I told the Lord I couldn’t do it without Him. The Lord saw me through. I finished the story with an exciting ending that I didn’t even expect until about three weeks before the deadline. Book three was much easier. I knew that with the Lord’s help I could do it. I’m now writing book four. Stress and writer’s block flare up occasionally, but I pray about it and take one step at a time.

What sort of research did you do for your story, and was there an exceptionally interesting tidbit

you knew you had to include?

I read a lot of books. I usually start out by contacting the library in the county were I plan to set the story. For Texas Reclaimed, that was Weatherford in Parker County, TX. I read about early settlers in the area and the development of the town in the mid-19th century. I discovered that it was a very dangerous place to live in the 1850’s and 60’s. There were lots of Comanche raids, and most of the men left the area for several years to fight in the Civil War. The line of settlement retreated more than one hundred miles in some areas. But one cool thing I learned was that to protect against the dangers of attack, some of the earlier settlers in Parker and Palo Pinto Counties built double log cabins: two cabins joined by a wide, enclosed hall. They also built heavy shutters for their doors and windows, and for their stables.

I also read diaries and accounts of Andersonville Prison Camp, where my hero spent the last year of the war, accounts of laudanum dependency in Civil War soldiers, and Charles Goodnight’s biography.

Finally, my favorite part of research is travelling to the area. I didn’t travel to Weatherford, but two years ago, I travelled to West Texas and Oklahoma visiting canyons and museums, including the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City and the Plains & Panhandle Historical Museum in Canyon, TX. Both of these had life-size replicas of a Western town, and these inspired my descriptions of some of the buildings in my story.

Tell us about your road to publication.

A visit to a historic home in the Shenandoah Valley, when my husband and I were newly married, spurred my love for history and planted the seed for a story. A few years later, I wrote the novel, then buried it in a box in my closet when it didn’t get published right away. I returned to college to earn a degree in creative writing and eventually a PhD in literature, wondering if I’d ever reconnect with the stories in my head, the ones buried deep in my heart.

Then, in the summer of 2019, the Lord opened my heart to fall in love with writing all over again. And it has been my daily passion ever since. I pulled out the box and unburied the past. My new writing life was born.

I rewrote my first novel from scratch, then I wrote another novel, Texas Forsaken, as I waited for a YES from an agent or editor/publisher. After no’s from several of the biggest publishers (no’s because it wasn’t the right timing for a Civil War story or an Indian captive story), I felt like I was moving toward my goals at turtle speed.

But God had a plan. In His perfect timing, He threw open the doors for me to receive my first book contract in June 2023, four years from the time I fell in love with writing all over again. And when it finally happened, the Lord answered my prayers beyond my expectations!

How are your characters like you? Different?

All of my heroines have parts of me in them. The traits are often magnified and perhaps exaggerated a bit in their storybook lives, but the roots of the personalities lay within me. My heroines are smart, hardworking, and determined. They are slow to trust, and a bit skeptical, but when they fall in love, it’s for keeps. They also prioritize the Lord first (after they come to fully know Him), then the hero/husband, and if they have children, the children come next. Their goal/calling is close behind. In their case, it might be holding on the family ranch, or something similar, while in my case, it’s my writing. Either way they pour their hearts into their calling. What most people who know me don’t know, is that I, like my characters, have a feisty and occasionally short-tempered side, except in my case, it’s usually only my husband sees this part of me.

Finally, unlike my characters, I am a bit reserved, and I’m not nearly as brave as they are when it comes to setting on adventures and taking risks. Also, definitely unlike them, I’m skittish about riding a horse, and I hold on to the reins for dear life.

If your book is part of a series: Did you set out to write a series? Why did you decide to write a series?

Texas Reclaimed is the third book in my Lone Star Redemption series. I wrote the first book, Texas Forsaken, as a stand-alone story (it was loosely inspired by the real-life narrative of Cynthia Ann Parker), but when my publisher offered me a contact, they asked for a three-book series. I wasn’t about to say no to a three-book contract! A missing sister that I briefly mentioned in the first book became the heroine of book two, Texas Divided, and book three focused on a nugget of a story idea I already had, but I connected to other characters in the series.

What draws you to the time period about which you write?

I love to write about the Civil war and I love to write about the Western frontier. The war ripped the land, families, and hearts apart. I enjoy creating stories about love that can’t be quenched by any battlefield. No matter the time period or the setting, I love romance. In addition, I’m also captivated by the Texas frontier, the wide open spaces, the horizons that seem to stretch on forever, and the canyons. I admire those who fought and sacrificed to make their homes there.

What is your next project?

I’m busy working on Book #4, starring Evelyn, who is a female newspaper reporter at a time when almost all reporters were male, and Jake, who is an Indian agent trying to keep peace between the Comanche and the settlers. Evelyn writes an article that gets Jake’s brother killed. Meanwhile, I have a novella coming out June 30th. It is part of a collection called Freed by the Frontier, and it is a prequel to my first book, Texas Forsaken. It is Eyes-Like-Sky and Dancing Eagle’s love story.

About Texas Reclaimed:

Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family's past and a man with a war-scarred heart?

 
Cora Scott is determined to hold onto her family's Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half brother, Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. Though Ben's generosity and strength draw her, the man's private struggle she stumbles upon—too reminiscent of her father's alcoholism—makes her question whether she can trust her heart to him.

Ben McKenzie arrives in Texas intent on fulfilling his promise to his dying friend to protect Cora and Charlie. While using his inheritance to save their ranch, he battles not only the loss of their cattle but also his dependency on laudanum—a medicine that turned into a curse after his imprisonment at Andersonville. As his feelings for Cora deepen, he must choose between his promise to his father to take over their Philadelphia newspaper and his growing dream of a life with Cora in Texas.

When a Comanche warrior begins courting Cora and Ben's responsibilities in Philadelphia threaten to tear them apart, they must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome their fears and forge a future together on the Texas frontier.

About Sherry:

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she isn’t busy writing, she is an English professor, working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2025 Maggie winner, 2023 ACFW Genesis finalist, 2023, & 2021 Maggie finalist, and 2022 Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of forty-one years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/46QlE2a

Connect with Sherry:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherryshindelarauthor/
Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherryshindelar/
FB Author: https://www.facebook.com/historylitgirl/
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/134972322-sherry-shindelar
Bookbub author page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/527022753

Photo credits:

Author photo and book image: Courtesy Sherry Shindelar

Western town: Pixabay/ddzphoto

Barn: Pixabay