Thursday, October 31, 2024

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Aubrey Taylor!

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Back, Aubrey Taylor!

I'm thrilled to welcome Aubrey Taylor back to my blog. Her books are intriguing, thought-provoking, and unique. Get to know this interesting lady and the inspiration for her work.

What was your inspiration for the story?

I have been writing WWII fiction from the German perspective since 2021, but this story is different in that it is a contemporary piece in which a German veteran looks back on his wartime experience. The inspiration comes from my prior research, the many memoirs I’ve read, and conversations I’ve had with people who survived the war as teens. I also have to say that the modern middle schoolers in the story “may have” been inspired by some of the young people in my life!

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


Most of my main characters started out as supporting characters in another book. Some characters just stand out to me. It’s as if they beg me to write their stories. Once I get a particular character in my head, I start seeing them everywhere—in historical accounts, films, on the street—I begin to collect details such as backstory, vocation, hobbies, temperament, mannerisms, and yes, names. Sometimes I just know things on a gut level too. Recently, I have begun interviewing my characters, too. This helps me bring all the pieces together into a cohesive whole, develop the storyline, and decide what can be omitted.

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

For Hans Waldemar, I focused my research on the youngest of Germany’s warriors, members of the Hitler Youth who volunteered for the 12th SS Division in the latter part of the war. There were already young soldiers scattered throughout Germany’s armed forces, but this was the only division entirely composed of Hitler Youth.

Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym? Why or why not?

I am actually considering this now. While there are some marketing reasons for this (the move from
Christian Fiction to the General Market), my primary reason is that I would like to use a name that more clearly connects my German-perspective fiction to my German heritage. It may be as simple as adding one of my ancestral surnames to “Aubrey Taylor,” so that I can continue to use all my current platforms (website, Instagram, newsletter, etc.) without reinventing the wheel.

How are your characters like you? Different?


My characters all carry a piece of me with them, however, I have only recently created a female character who is very much like me—or at least the person I imagine when I think of who I would be without Christ. She looks nothing like me, but her struggles and sins are all too familiar to me. Readers will have to stay tuned. She will not appear until the latter part of 2025 or early 2026 when I release the third book in my new series.

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

I think I was always meant to write WWII fiction. I grew up with the knowledge of the war because my
Grandfather fought at Iwo Jima. I watched my first war movie at 7 years old. It’s also really no surprise that I ended up taking on the German angle, since I have always been the girl that roots for the redemption of the “bad guy,” and there is still so much that needs to be said about their side of the story.

I saw an article online, the subtitle of which was something like, The grandchildren of the Holocaust are ready to speak. I may not be a direct descendent of the perpetrators of the Holocaust, but I am willing to identify myself with them because Christ identified Himself with me. I believe there is still healing that needs to be done on both sides, and I’m grateful to be able to play a small part in that.

What is your advice to fledgling writers?

Getting too hung up on minute details is a pitfall for authors of any genre that involves a lot of research. I have had to ask myself, What kind of historical fiction am I writing? Is my focus on the facts, or the way the story fits into history? The event itself, or seeing the event through the characters’ eyes? Of course I want to be as historically accurate as possible, but if that is hindering my work and getting me stuck, I have to work around it. As authors of fiction, we don’t have to know everything, nor should we, because fiction is by definition creative—and sometimes, you have to creatively work around what you don’t (or can’t) know.

What books are on your nightstand right now?

The Other Trench
, the WWI diary of a German Lieutenant named Alexander Pfeifer, assembled, translated, and edited by Pfeifer’s great-grandson, Philipp Cross. Cross included many of Lieutenant Pfeifer’s photos from the war, and wrote his own historical commentary. The book is an excellent example of what an independent author is capable of when they truly make something their life’s work.

I am also reading My Father Joachim von Ribbentrop, a biography of Adolf Hitler’s foreign minister by von Ribbentrop’s son Rudolf.

I find both of these books nearly impossible to put down. They sink me right into the time periods in which I write. Both books were written by descendants of the men whose lives are being portrayed, and I love the family connection. Rudolf von Ribbentrop might be a bit of an apologist when it comes to his father, but I also think that he had the inside scoop on the man because he actually lived with him, and was privy to things other people were not. He certainly did his research, too. It is well documented and annotated, a good read for anyone with an interest in the Second World War and Foreign Policy.

What is your next project?

I mentioned it a little already and I am very excited at how it is coming along. It is currently a three-book project that spans 1914 (the months before the First World War) until 1945. Book 3 is basically drafted. Book 1 is two-thirds complete, and I am brainstorming ideas for Book 2. I have never worked this way: Gott Mit Uns was kind of an accidental series. This series is intentional, and I am trying to approach it as such. You will recognize a few characters from the Gott Mit Uns Series, one of whom gets his starring, heroic role in the third book of this new project.

BOOK BLURB for Hans Waldemar Remembers Normandy

I told her that I would not stay home while my comrades risked their necks on the front lines.


He was just a youth when he received his baptism of fire in June 1944. Eighty years after the defeat at Normandy, he is asked to share his story, dredging up the horrors of war and challenging his loved ones to discover the truth about the past. Could this be an opportunity to mend the wounds that have never been healed?





Connect with Aubrey!
Website: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o3k4f2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
X: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Release Day: Strength of My Heart

 Release Day! 



I'm pleased to be part of The Strength of My Heart charity anthology. This seven-story collection is available for a limited time and all proceeds benefit Marsha's Place in Henderson, Kentucky, a pregnancy resource center.

My story is A Lesson in Love.

He thinks he's too old. She thinks she's too young. Can these teachers learn that love defies all boundaries?

Born and raised in London, Isobel Turvine knows nothing about farming, but after most of the students in her school evacuate during Operation Pied Piper, she's left with little to do. Then her friend, Margery, talks her into joining the Women's Land Army, and she finds herself working the land at a manor home in Yorkshire that's been converted to a boys' school. A teacher at heart, she is drawn to the lads, but the handsome yet stiff-necked headmaster wants her to stick to farming.

Left with an arm that barely works from the last “war to end all wars,” Gavin Emerson agrees to take on the job of headmaster when his school moves from London to Yorkshire, but he’s saddled with the quirky manor owner, bickering among his teachers, and a gaggle of Land Army girls who have turned the grounds into a farm. When the group’s blue-eyed, raven-haired leader nearly runs him down in a car, he admonishes her to stay in the fields, but they are thrown together at every turn. Can he trust her not to break his heart?

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/4X5JZ1


Thursday, October 24, 2024

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Terri Reed!

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Terri Reed!

I’m so excited to share with you Search and Detect, book 8 of the Mountain Country K-9 Unit continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense. This series follows a joint federal task force consisting of various law enforcement personnel from the Rocky Mountain states. My hero, FBI Wyoming Bureau supervisory special agent Chase Rawlston, along with his Golden Retriever, Dash, lead the investigation into a cold case that is somehow connected to a string of recent murders. With the unidentified suspect, dubbed The Rocky Mountain Killer, threatening to up the body count, Chase has his hands full. But when a local woman, Zoe, and her toddler, Kylie, are targeted, Chase, still grieving from a personal tragedy, is compelled to provide protection, especially since this is happening in his hometown.

Chase was a complex character. He had so many layers to unfold before he could find his way to opening his heart to both God and Zoe. I love to visualize the physical appearance of my characters and keep a photo up on my desktop of them as I write. But to build out the inner being of my characters, I use a wide variety of methods to make a three-dimensional person who readers can relate to as well as root for. So many of us have issues around trust and forgiveness, especially forgiving oneself. Chase had a lot to learn in the course of this story about trust and forgiveness. But then, so do I. I love how God speaks to me through my characters, and I hope you’ll find some inspiration as well.

I hope you’ll enjoy this short excerpt. Chase and Dash make a great team.


“The trap has been set,” Chase said. “Now, we just have to hope he takes the bait.”

Chase’s cell phone buzzed inside his jacket pocket. Still walking, he took the device out. He didn’t recognize the number. He pressed the answer button. “Rawlston.”

The sound of maniacal laughter filled his ears. Unease slithered down Chase’s spine. Hadn’t Zoe said she’d heard a weird sort of laughter before the bomb that destroyed her home exploded?

He halted and held the phone away from him, putting it on speaker so that Rocco could also hear.

“Who is this?” Chase demanded.

Suddenly, Dash started pulling, straining at the end of the lead, scrabbling on the sidewalk. He nearly pulled Chase off his feet. Sharing a concerned glance with Rocco, Chase unhooked Dash and the dog took off like a rocket. Chase ran after him with Rocco and his K-9 close on his heels. Keeping Dash in sight, Chase’s stomach dropped when he realized Dash was headed straight for the town hall building.

The dog veered off to the right side of the building housing the event space and came to a skidding halt. He sat by the wall and barked.

“He’s alerting!” Chase told Rocco. “Evacuate the premises.”

Rocco and his dog peeled away and rushed inside the town hall entrance.

Chase rushed to Dash’s side and quickly attached his leash to his harness. Following the dog’s gaze, Chase searched the ground on the side of the building. His gaze snagged on a patch of earth that had been disturbed near the outer wall beneath a window.

Going to his knees, the soft dirt squishing under his weight, he dug with his hands until he uncovered an explosive device.

His throat closed tight. Zoe and Kylie were in the building. So was his father. Sadie and others. They were all in danger. He couldn’t let anything happen to them.

_____________________

Search and Detect

A bomber with a deadly agenda…and a K-9 team determined to catch him.


When single mother Zoe Jenkins and her baby are caught in an explosion that destroys her home, she’s saved by FBI special agent Chase Rawlston and his K-9, Dash. But who set the bomb? Fearing that the notorious Rocky Mountain Killer he’s been investigating has the mother and daughter in his sights, Chase takes them under his protection. But can he uncover the killer’s identity before more innocent lives are caught in the crossfire?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Mountain Country K-9 Unit

Book 1: Baby Protection Mission by Laura Scott
Book 2: Her Duty Bound Defender by Sharee Stover
Book 3: Chasing Justice by Valerie Hansen
Book 4: Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie K. Black
Book 5: Montana Abduction Rescue by Jodie Bailey
Book 6: Trail of Threats by Jessica R. Patch
Book 7: Tracing a Killer by Sharon Dunn
Book 8: Search and Detect by Terri Reed

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Traveling Tuesday: Historic Honeymoon

Traveling Tuesday: Historic Honeymoon

Forty-one years ago today, I married my best friend. We didn’t have a lot of money, so fancy locations that one had to fly to were out of the question. Instead, we decided to explore Pennsylvania and West Virginia: Gettysburg, Strasburg (Amish country), Philadelphia, Valley Forge, and Harper’s Ferry. By the way, we had rain…lots of rain …the entire week we were away. Check out this photo taken with our little Kodak 110 – awful isn’t it?

First stop: Gettysburg, a mere one hour’s drive from the church where the ceremony was held. We felt very flush putting ourselves up in the Holiday Inn, and the following morning set out for Gettysburg National Military Park, a nine-square mile area that includes the battlefield, cemetery, memorials, and visitor center. We followed the auto tour which took about three hours because of getting out at the numbered stops to explore and read the information. An interesting and sobering experience.

The following day we took a walking tour through Gettysburg and visited the Lincoln Train Museum, Soldier’s National Museum, Lincoln Room Museum, Hall of Presidents and First Ladies, and the Jennie Wade House. (I’m not sure Wes understood at that point just how much of a history nerd I was!)

Day three found us on Route 30 heading a little over an hour northeast to Strasburg, located in
Pexels/Kurt Anderson
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and seemingly the heart of Amish country. Because of my love of trains we took another train ride, this time on the Strasburg Railroad “The Road to Paradise since 1832” according to the brochure. After a 45-minute trip in the fifty-year-old train which featured coal oil lamps and a pot-belly stove, we visited the Train Museum, Traintown, and The Amish Village. Looking back I wonder at the Amish people’s willingness to put themselves on display. For this girl who was raised in urban and suburban locations, learning about running a farm was an eye-opening experience.

Yet another hour east, and we were in Philadelphia where we took the trolley, visited City Hall, Independence National Historic Park, the tavern frequented by the Founding Fathers, Dolly Todd Madison’s house and garden, the Post Office Museum, Ben Franklin’s tenant houses, and of course, the Liberty Bell. As we finished up our day, we were pummeled from above by acorns being thrown by a chattering squirrel.

Pexels/Kevin Ku
We were on the downhill slide of our week, so headed west and stopped in Valley Forge, home of George Washington’s headquarters. More battlefields, cannons, and memorials awaited. The last two days were spent in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a tiny town of 361 at the 1980 census. A gorgeous valley located where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, history runs deep here. The site of John Brown’s raid against the armory in an unsuccessful effort to start a slave rebellion. Named for Robert Harper who purchased the land in 1747, and whose heirs sold a portion to the federal government to build the armory, Harpers Ferry was the site of five battles during the American Civil War. Sources differ about the number of times the town changed hands: one says eight, another twelve. A hike to the top of Jefferson Rock enabled us to see three states (West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland). In case, you're wondering Harpers Ferry lost their apostrophe in 1891 when the United States Board on Geographic Names updated the name.

_______________________

Love and Chocolate

She just needs a job. He wants a career. Is there room in their hearts for love?


Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors and save the farm, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised and refused to supply with milk. Then she discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who unceremoniously dumped her via letter from college. Could life get any more difficult?

A freshly-minted university diploma in his hand, Ernst Webber lands his dream job at Beck’s Chocolates. His plans to work his way up the ladder don’t include romantic entanglements, then Ilsa Krause walks back into his life resurrecting feelings he thought long dead. However, her animosity makes it clear she has no interest in giving him a second chance. Can he get her to change her mind? Does he want to?

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/mdQerZ

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Mark David Pullen!

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Mark David Pullen

I love meeting new-to-me authors, don't you? Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and take a few minutes getting to know Mark David Pullen!

1.What inspired you to write this story?

Believe it or not, I was inspired to write this story because I got bored reading my son to sleep. There are only so many board books you can read as an adult before they start to wear you out. I wanted to write something that would be equally engaging for the person reading the story and the person they were reading it to. And so, I gifted my son with this story.

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

Because I wrote it for my son, I thought it would be fun to make him and my two nephews the main characters. They were relatively easy to develop because I had a lot to work with and all the resources necessary to develop their traits and characteristics.

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

I did a lot of research! Even though I write Sci-Fi/Fantasy and fast-paced Action/Adventure, I researched everything to make it as authentic as possible. I wanted to write about a giant prehistoric frog, and I had no idea they actually existed. They’re called Beelzebufo!

4. Describe your journey to becoming an author.

My journey to publication is a God story. All my life, I’ve been a daydreamer, and that has gotten me into trouble. I got bored reading my son to sleep and thought, “Why not write him a story?” So, I daydreamed one up. I am a trade worker, not even close to a writer at the time, but I sat down and wrote him the story anyway. It was an inspiring experience, and I felt the tug on my heart to finish it and write more.

I wrote the whole thing in about a month and fell in love with writing. It was a whopping 30 pages in a looseleaf binder. I didn’t even have a laptop at the time. I wrote it entirely on my iPhone with a Bluetooth keyboard.

I gave it to my son for Christmas, and the following spring, my wife sent me away via Zoom to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference for Father's Day. Remember, I’m not a writer, but this was a fantastic gift and experience. She even arranged three appointments for me: two with agents seeking work and one with an acquisitions editor for a company I’d never heard of.

Neither agent was interested in my work, and I missed my appointment with the editor, a man named
Terry. Too bad, but I’m not even a writer. I wrote one thing, one time, so what was I to expect? Certainly not for Terry to have an open time slot and ask to meet with me, which is what happened. So we meet. I should have mentioned Terry, and the agents only got the first page of my story to judge whether they were interested in it. Not the front and back, the front of the first page only. Terry loved it and asked for the rest. I could not believe it. He asked for the rest and said he would be in touch.

I sent him the rest of the story, the other 29 pages, and I waited. Terry reached out shortly after that, telling me it was too short and way below the industry standard for word count and content. But he encouraged me to keep working on it and stay in touch. Too bad, but it happens.

Life continues, and a few months later, my phone rings from an unknown number. I answer by mistake instead of hitting the ignore button. But I answer, and it’s Terry. He asks how the writing is going, and I tell him I’m working on it here and there. But I still have real-life obligations, and writing is a hobby, so I work on it when I have time. Terry then explains that his company publishes two books in my categories a year and that he had hoped one would be mine, but time was running out. So I got to work. I bought a laptop, got to work, and finished my story. A month later, during the week of Christmas, Terry called and told me my writing contract was in the mail.

5. 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 book is part of a series. I did not intend it to be, but it is. Once I sat down to write, the ideas and stories kept coming. The second book in the series just hit shelves this September! (Freedom Through the Narrow Gate: The Oasis Chronicles)

6.Why do you write in this genre?

I write in this genre because it’s what interests me. That makes it easy.

7. What advice do you have for fledgling writers?

My advice to fledgling writers is to attend a writer's conference. This is not only for the networking opportunities but also for the coursework and materials that will help you grow in the craft and prepare you to be a small business owner because, as an author, your book is your business.

8. What is your favorite childhood book?

My favorite childhood book is “Mrs. Frisby And The Rats of Nimh.” I love any story with talking animals, especially mice and rats. A little fun tidbit for you is that the second book in my series focused only on talking mice and rats.

About the Oasis King

Dylan, Jack, and Tripp are looking for adventure, but when they find an entryway into a magical land, plagued by the malevolent Stranger, the cost of their new, exciting journey might prove to be too much.

While on vacation at their grandmother’s farm, cousins Dylan, Jack, and Tripp learn of a long kept family secret and the power of wishing on a star. The boys are swept away to the Valley of the Oasis—a strange, primal paradise, where monsters and danger lurk around every turn. They find refuge with a lone hunter and his dogs, who have lost track of time and appear trapped in this magical land.

But the hunter and his dogs cannot rest for long. He is pursued by the Stranger, a strange green-skinned being from another time and place who also seeks to escape the Valley of the Oasis. As they narrowly escape the Stranger’s attacks, the boys worry that they, too, are trapped with no way home. Will the hunter protect the boys and send them home in time, before the Stranger closes in once and for all? The Oasis King is the first in a series of an action-adventure tales for younger readers who seek new lands, heart-racing challenges, and unexpected twists.

Find more information about Mark David Pullen at:

Website: www.theoasisking.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/therealoasisking
Instagram: www.instagram.com/markdavidpullen

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Traveling Tuesday: Milton Hershey's Factory

Traveling Tuesday: Milton Hershey’s Factory

Courtesy Hershey Community
Archives
Milton Hershey is credited as being the first to mass produce the chocolate bar and make it available to the general public at an affordable price. But before he could manufacture the bars, he had to develop the recipe. He’d already learned about adding milk to caramel, but he continued to hit roadblocks with his milk chocolate.

Not a fan of experts, M.S. (as he was called) was desperate, so he hired a chemist. At some point, the man burned a match of milk and sugar, leading to his dismissal. Rather than bring in another chemist, M.S. went to Lancaster caramel plant and called on employee John Schmalbach.

The first step for the men was to scrape the burned remains out of the copper vacuum kettle then clean
Pexels/
Amanda Hemphill
it until the vessel was pristine. Then skim milk and a large amount of sugar was poured into the kettle. Mr. Schmalbach turned on the heat, then gradually raised the temperature of the kettle, allowing the mixture to cook slowly. A few hours passed, and he let it cool. When the lid was opened, M.S. has a batch of “warm, smooth, sweetened condensed milk that accepted cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and other ingredients without getting lumpy.”(1)

After repeating the process multiple times, the men knew production was in the cards.

Ground was broken on March 2, 1903 for the factory, a facility specifically designed to produce a “limited number of products in the most efficient way possible.”(2) Construction was completed in December 1904, and by the following summer, milk chocolate was in production.

As an enthusiast of Frederick Winslow Taylor’s scientific management, M.S. arranged the one-story factory to match architecture with function. Boxcars loaded with cocoa beans, sugar, and other dry ingredients arrived at the east end of the plant, then make their way through the plant, meeting the fresh milk as it arrived at the creamery on the north side of the plant. After it was processed into skim, John Schmalbach’s process of slow evaporation creating the condensed milk. Drying, rolling, and four days of mixing in conching machine produced chocolate that could be molded, then wrapped and boxed.(2)

In the first full year of production, net sales were over $1 million. Not bad for a man with little formal schooling.

(1) Hershey by Michael D’Antonio, Simon & Schuster, 2006
(2) Images of America: Hershey Mary Davidoff Houts and Pamela Cassidy Whitenack, Arcadia Press, 2000
__________________________

Love and Chocolate

She just needs a job. He wants a career. Is there room in their hearts for love?


Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors and save the farm, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised and refused to supply with milk. Then she discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who unceremoniously dumped her via letter from college. Could life get any more difficult?

A freshly-minted university diploma in his hand, Ernst Webber lands his dream job at Beck’s Chocolates. His plans to work his way up the ladder don’t include romantic entanglements, then Ilsa Krause walks back into his life resurrecting feelings he thought long dead. However, her animosity makes it clear she has no interest in giving him a second chance. Can he get her to change her mind? Does he want to?

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/mdQerZ

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Penny Frost McGinnis

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Penny Frost McGinnis!

Grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and get to know author Penny Frost McGinnis and her fabulous books! Spoiler alert: She was a librarian for twenty-four years! My kind of people!

What was your inspiration for the story?

For many years, my husband and I traveled to the Lake Erie islands, on the northern shores of Ohio. We’d visit Marblehead Lighthouse and often take the ferry to Kelleys Island. On the way home from one of our trips, I realized an island would be the perfect place to set a story with romance, a dash of mystery and the promise of hope. Abbott Island was born and it’s modeled after Kelleys Island. The nature trails and quaint town inspired the characters and the hurdles they overcome in life.

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

For the series, I researched how people lived the island life, the pluses and minuses and how the economy stayed afloat. For Home at Last, book three in the series, I researched hidden treasure, farming, the Klondike Goldrush, and baseball. I discovered that many women went to the Klondike, some with spouses, some left their families behind, and some went alone. They were resourceful and opened restaurants and outposts to accommodate the gold rushers. I’m not sure I would have been so brave.

Tell us about your road to publication.

My road to publication has been long. I studied the craft, wrote as often as possible, and attended conferences for twenty-five years before I was published with a small press. I’d been interested in writing from a young age but hadn’t taken the steps to pursue the serious side of writing. After much work, my first novel, Home Where She Belongs was published in 2022, when I was sixty-four years old.

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


Abbott Island is a series of three novels. I chose to write a series to highlight three friends on the island whose lives intertwine. It was fun to see the characters develop and interact with each other. Sadie, Marigold, and Lucy support and encourage each other as they face obstacles and decisions. If you were to write a spin-off book about one of your secondary characters, which one would you choose and why?

I’ve actually written a novella focused on Levi and Charlotte, both secondary characters. The story is included in Christmas in Ohio or can be purchased as the standalone e-book, Home for Christmas. I enjoyed bringing their story to life and getting to flesh out their characters a bit more.

What is your process for writing? (do you outline, have a special place or time of day you write, etc.) What is your favorite part of the process?

I’m a pantser, meaning I write by the seat of my pants. I generally have an idea of where I want the story to go, but I enjoy letting the story develop. I love when the characters speak the story to me and guide the journey.

How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist?

Pixabay/StockSnap
For twenty-four years, I worked in libraries. I spent half of those years as a children’s librarian and half as a copy cataloger. Being around books brings me joy. I grew to understand the publishing process and the creation of books from an interesting perspective. I had learned to make physical books, so I understood binding and as a cataloger learned about the ISBN, and Library of Congress description. The first time I saw my book on a library shelf and the catalog record my heart fluttered a little.

What is one thing you wish you could do?

I wish I could teleport. It would be great to be able to simply be where I wanted to be without driving or flying. It sure would make research trips fun. What is your advice to fledgling writers?

Never give up and seek guidance from God who created you and gave you the talent and desire to write. I had to surrender my will and seek God’s to continue my journey.

What writers or books have influenced you?

Deborah Raney is one of the kindest and most encouraging writers I’ve met. Simply seeing her journey as a writer has encouraged me to keep going. My critique partners, Kathleen Friesen and Kim Garee, have been great and are wonderful authors as well.

What was your favorite childhood book and why?


I loved Little Women and Marguerite Henry’s books. Dr. Seuss books were also a big part of my childhood. I still love rhymes and poetry.

What is your next project?

I’m currently switching gears a bit and working on a cozy mystery series. Cozies are one of my favorite genres, so I want to try my hand at one. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but I’m enjoying it.

Thank you for having me on your blog. I appreciate your support and encouragement.

About Penny: Penny Frost McGinnis, author of the Abbott Island series and picture book, Betsy and Bailey, has lived in the world of books most of her life. She retired from the library life, then launched her writing journey. She and her husband live in southwest Ohio with their golden retriever, Rosie. She enjoys her family, fiber arts, and baseball. Her life's goal is to encourage and uplift through her writing.

Website: https://www.pennyfrostmcginnis.com/

About Home at Last:
Lucy Grayson grew up on Abbott Island. From the age of fifteen, she worked at the General Store. When she bought the business at age twenty-four, she had no idea how much time she would spend working. Now nearing thirty, she finds herself at a crossroads. Tired of the grind at work and convicted by God to make a change, she considers selling the store. If she sells, then what? She loves her family, but she's lonely. The island is small and few job or dating opportunities exist. She's had a lifelong dream tucked in her back pocket for years. Could now be the time?

Owen Miller moved to the island to live on his aunt and uncle's farm after his short-lived professional baseball career ended in injury. Bitter after his ex-girlfriend ditched him for someone with more money, he focuses on his future. He has been keeping a low profile while he works out a plan to help the farm thrive. Using his college degree, he creates a landscaping business and ideas for a Christmas tree farm. The last thing he's looking for is a relationship.

In the spring, mysterious holes pop up on the island and throw Lucy and Owen together, literally. Owen rescues her from a hole in her yard. As they consider why holes are being dug on the island and who is behind it, Owen's uncle shares a story about island people and Klondike gold. Whether the tale is true, Lucy and Owen want to discover who is behind the hole digging and why. In the meantime, will they discover more than the answer to the mystery? Will Owen's walls around his heart come down? Will Lucy have the insight she needs into her future?

Abbott Island book 3 takes the reader on an adventure and digs into the island's history, as Lucy and Owen discover their future.

Monday, October 7, 2024

Movie Monday: The African Queen

Movie Monday: African Queen

While growing up one of my favorite things to do was watch old (1930s and 1940s) movies with my dad. He was (and still is) a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart, so I’ve seen every film he ever made, one of which I watched countless times: The African Queen. Yet, despite my knowledge of the film, I didn’t remember it was set in 1914 or that it was based on the novel of the same name by C.S. Forester, a British author who wrote mostly adventure stories about naval warfare.

For those who haven’t seen it, the premise is that Samuel (Robert Morely) and Rose (Katharine Hepburn) Saylor are brother and sister English Methodist missionaries in German East Africa. Their mail and supplies are regularly delivered by the steamboat African Queen, captained by the Canadian Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). After war breaks out between Germany and Britain, the siblings decide to stay in Kungdu. Tragically, German troops burn the village and take the villagers away to be pressed into serve. Samuel protests the action and is struck by a soldier which ultimately kills him. Charlie and Rose escape in the African Queen. The rest of the movie is the thrills and chills of their journey to safety and love.

Hepburn does a great job of playing the strait-laced missionary against Bogart’s “gin-swilling” rogue, a
character for which he would win his only Academy Award. According to one source “although the screenplay was written with little humor in mind, the chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn was so apparent that director John Huston advised his stars to improvise witty banter.”

The movie was filmed in the Belgian Congo, Uganda, and Turkey during which the rough conditions were difficult for the actors and the crew, many becoming ill over the course of the shooting. The same sight claims “Bogart later boasted that he was one of the few to stay healthy through the shoot, attributing the accomplishment to his drinking of whiskey instead of the local water.”

Here are few fun facts:
  • The African Queen was actually the L.S. Livingston, which had been a working diesel boat for 40 years. The steam engine was a prop, and the real diesel engine was hidden under stacked crates of gin and other cargo. It is now docked next to the Holiday Inn in Key Largo, FL, just off US Highway 1.
  • Lauren Bacall famously ventured along for the filming in Africa to be with husband Humphrey Bogar. She played den mother during the trip, making camp and cooking. This also marked the beginning of her life-long friendship with Katharine Hepburn.
  • The movie was shot mostly on location in Africa, but the water scenes were shot in England - fearing it would be too dangerous to film those on location.
  • John Huston wanted to put real leeches on Humphrey Bogart, but he refused. They compromised by using rubber leeches - with real ones on set with a breeder just to make him queasy. A shot using real leeches was filmed using a double.
  • It has widely been believed that London's population of feral Ring-Necked Parakeets originated from birds who escaped the filming of this movie.
____________________

Love and Chocolate

She just needs a job. He wants a career. Is there room in their hearts for love?


Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors and save the farm, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised and refused to supply with milk. Then she discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who unceremoniously dumped her via letter from college. Could life get any more difficult?

A freshly-minted university diploma in his hand, Ernst Webber lands his dream job at Beck’s Chocolates. His plans to work his way up the ladder don’t include romantic entanglements, then Ilsa Krause walks back into his life resurrecting feelings he thought long dead. However, her animosity makes it clear she has no interest in giving him a second chance. Can he get her to change her mind? Does he want to?

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/mdQerZ

Friday, October 4, 2024

Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction

October 2024 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

General Contemporary:


I’ll Be Home by Darlene L. Turner, by Sara Davison, Helena Smrcek, Melanie Stevenson -- With chaos and confusion all around them, can they find their way home this Christmas? The people in these four stories are all searching for something—an escaped convict, a job promotion from a love interest, connection to a lost parent, answers across time. Christmas should be a time of wonder and celebration, but the obstacles each faces seem insurmountable. Perhaps they will find what they are seeking during this season of miracles and hope. Or maybe, with God’s help, they will discover that the longing of their hearts takes them to places—and people—they didn’t even know they’d been searching for. (General Contemporary, Independently Published)

Chokecherry Valley Collection by Jean Rezab -- One accident. Two devastated families. Paul Richmond's life changed in an instant when his wife and seven-year-old daughter die in a car accident. He struggles to move forward with this huge change. As his two-year sobriety anniversary approaches, he knows he's on the edge of a relapse. He takes a sabbatical from his work as a doctor and works on his in-law's farm to get perspective and try to come to terms with his new life. What if Paul could have the one thing he desires most? To see and speak to his daughter again. (General Contemporary, Independently Published)

Contemporary Romance:


A Match Made at Christmas by Amy R. Anguish, Sarah Anne Crouch, Lori DeJong, Heather Greer -- A mischievous little boy, an interfering friend, a committee of Christmas planners, and a quartet of teenage elves play matchmakers in this fun collection of Christmas romances. (Contemporary Romance, Scrivenings Press)

The Warrior’s B&B by Jennie Atkins -- Is it possible for a man to fall in love with two different women and never suspect they are the same person? (Contemporary Romance from Amazon)

The Dream of a Cowboy by Elsie Davis -- Cowboys who deserve a second chance at love and happiness and the women strong enough to show them the way...Texas style! (Contemporary Romance from Sweet Romance Publishing)

One Starry Christmas by Mary A. Felkins -- A pastor with a past faces his greatest challenge. Redemption. (Contemporary Romance from Gardenia Press)

Wild at Heart by Alyssa Schwarz -- She craves adventure. He's had enough adventure for a lifetime. But when these two friends find themselves searching the skies for an endangered hawk, they’ll find there’s more at stake than the future of Wild Rose Ridge. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Historical:

Brave by Mesu Andrews -- In the tumultuous world of ancient Israel, Ahinoam--a fierce and unconventional Kenite woman--flees her family farm with her dagger-wielding father to join the ragtag band of misfits led by the shepherd-turned-warrior David ben Jesse. As King Saul's treasonous accusations echo through the land, Ahinoam's conviction that David's anointing makes him Yahweh's chosen king propels her on a perilous journey to Moab, only to encounter hardship and betrayal. (Historical from Bethany House Publishing)

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee -- In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them. (Historical from Tyndale House)

Historical Romance:

One Special Christmas by Amanda Cabot -- It will take a miracle to salvage her dreams, but Christmas is the season of miracles, isn’t it? (Historical Romance from ByDand Publishing)

A Christmas at Hotel del Coronado by Kathleen Denly -- Her entire life, Eleanore Wainright has been molded to fit the ideal society wife in the glittering world of New York’s elite. Her father’s aspirations for her are clear: marry a man of wealth and status and secure their family’s future. But when she arrives at the Hotel del Coronado with intentions to do just that, Eleanore’s carefully laid plans are thrown into disarray when she comes face to face with Thomas Harding, the man who shattered her heart and disappeared without a trace. (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)

Beyond Shattered Dreams by Cynthia Roemer -- After months in a Confederate prison camp, Private Will Everett boards the Sultana eager to return home and leave behind the horrors of war. One day into the voyage, the overcrowded steamboat explodes, rendering Will injured and unable to recall his identity. With only a pocket watch and the name Will E. etched inside to guide him, Will begins a relentless quest to find his forgotten past. (Historical Romance from Scrivenings Press)

Healing Hearts by Sherida Stewart -- Two wounded hearts. His shattered by grief, hers burdened by guilt. Will these two hurting hearts be healed by love and faith? A frontier “Beauty and the Beast” tale set in New Mexico Territory. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Middle-grade Chapter books:


The Beastie of Brambly Bald by Amanda Cleary Eastep -- Jack Finch’s plan to gobble up tons of turkey over Thanksgiving Break and work on the Tree Street Kids’ fort has been foiled. Instead, the Finches are traveling to the mountains of North Carolina to visit grandparents Jack barely knows. Thank goodness his best friends Ellison and Roger are coming with him to the cabin on Brambly Bald mountain. But something is lurking in the forest, and soon Jack uncovers a secret bigger than Bigfoot. When the kids come face to face with a real threat, will Jack find a way to protect his friends? Jack braves danger, finds new branches on his family tree, and discovers what it means to be rooted in God’s great family. (Middle-grade/Chapter Books from Moody Publishers)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:


Time to Pay by Susan Page Davis -- A near miss for Tony throws the squad into high gear. Captain Harvey Larson is summoned by the mayor to help solve a crime she doesn’t want publicized. Was the caller threatening her or her husband? Meanwhile, the detectives in the Priority Unit are chasing down other criminals. (Mystery [Police Procedural] from Tea Tin Press)

70 North by Kimberley Woodhouse -- In this thrilling finale, mysteries deepen, faith is tested, and the pulse of cyber threats intensifies against the striking backdrop of Deadhorse, Alaska. (Contemporary Suspense from Kregel Publications)

Romantic Suspense:

Terminal Danger by Jerusha Agen -- When a busload of schoolchildren disappears, Phoenix Gray knows the kidnapper is the unidentified serial killer she’s spent her life trying to catch. This time, she’ll find the killer and bring him to justice no matter what it takes. She and her Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency join the search for the hostages, but they aren’t the only ones who want the criminal captured. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])

Finding Amanda by Robin Patchen -- A gripping tale of trauma, justice, and the extraordinary strength of a man who’ll do anything to protect the woman he loves. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published [ACFW QIP])

Search and Detect by Terri Reed -- When her home is destroyed by a bomb, Zoe and her little girl need protection and FBI agent Chase Rawlston takes on the job while determining if the bombing is related to the serial killer he's tracking. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Assigned to Protect by Melanie D. Snitker -- Police Officer Jenny Durant and FBI Agent Blake Patterson are assigned to protect a witness who is testifying in a high-profile case. Before she can testify, a bomb goes off at the courthouse, throwing everything into chaos. With multiple casualties and another missing defendant, it's impossible to know for sure who the actual target was, and whether this attack is only the beginning… (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Guarding Truth by Kelly Underwood -- The one thing that Former Army Ranger turned elite bodyguard Juliette Montgomery regrets is never telling fellow solider Caleb Styles her true feelings. But how could she? They were co-workers, and then the guy went and saved her life. And that turned out to be the one thing that cost them their relationship. So Juliette has moved on, trying to forget Caleb—and her feelings. Caleb hasn’t forgotten her either. But he has no idea she now lives in Savannah, Georgia…especially since his life is full as guardian of his niece, Ivy, after her parents were killed.… (Romantic Suspense from Sunrise Publishing)

Unexpected Witness by Penny Zeller -- Nurse Mila Casey did not expect to witness a murder in the clinic’s parking lot. Nor did she imagine seeking protection from the at-large killer would land her on a secluded ranch owned by handsome, but standoffish, Roarke Brenneman. Mila finds herself in the center of ever-growing danger as the police are unable to locate the suspect. When the protection of the ranch is compromised and Mila’s location is discovered, can she, with Roarke’s aid, stay one step ahead of a crazed murderer who intends to silence her… (Romantic Suspense from Maplebrook Publishing)

Speculative Fiction:


The Castle Rose by Tabitha Caplinger -- Bastian Roux lived and died a hundred years ago. Kind of. He certainly feels like nothing more than a ghost as he haunts the abandoned Castle Rose Theatre, his only solace found in the notes of his piano. That is until Odette arrives. (Speculative Urban Fantasy from Blue Ink Press)

Western:


Into the Sunset by Mary Connealy -- To finally escape the clutches of her controlling husband and the threat of being recommitted to an asylum, Ginny Rutledge enlists the help of her friends, Maeve O'Toole and Dakota Harlan. Fleeing their own tumultuous pasts, the group embarks on a journey to prove Ginny's sanity. However, as they confront the shadows they wish they could forget, danger looms from unexpected places. (Western from Bethany House)

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

Sundancer’s Joy by Elsie Davis -- Where hope and healing unite… (Contemporary Romance)

A Codebreaker’s Christmas Surprise by Anne Greene -- A secret kept by the US Government for 80 years finally revealed. (Historical Romance)

Fellowship of the Frazzled Moms by Stephanie Paige King -- One mom's simple act of crossing the cul-de-sac ignites a movement for an entire community of women. (General Contemporary)

In Pursuit of the Truth by Melanie D. Snitker -- When the situation escalates to danger, it’s up to Nate to keep them safe. (Romantic Suspense)

The Reluctant Pioneer by Julie McDonald Zander -- In 1847, with her husband and four young sons, a pregnant mother crosses the Oregon Trail, a two-thousand-mile journey to the Pacific Northwest. When tragedy strikes, she must find the strength to continue. (Western)