Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Michelle Keener

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Michelle Keener!

Linda: Welcome and thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on Made in Hollywood that released in March of this year. The blurb sounds intriguing. What was your inspiration for your the plot?

Michelle: Hi Linda! Thank you so much for having me! Made in Hollywood is the second book in my Red Carpet Romance Series, so the inspiration was to revisit the Shaw Family and continue their story. As for the details of the plot, I was inspired by the years I spent in Hollywood and the sad stories I heard and witnessed of young women who were drawn to Hollywood by the idea of fame and fortune, but ended up in truly terrible situations. I wanted to highlight the other side of Hollywood, the shadows behind the bright lights, and share the good news that God’s love and grace can reach even the darkest areas. 

LM: Made in Hollywood is the second book in your A Red Carpet Romance series. Did you start out to write a series, or did that just happen? Can we expect more stories in this series? 

Michelle: It was completely unplanned! I was about halfway through writing Mission Hollywood, the first book in the series, when I realized that Noah, the big brother of my main character, needed his own story and his chance for love. It was actually a huge shock to me since I hadn’t planned on writing a series, but Noah ended up being one of my favorite characters and I couldn’t abandon him. So, Made in Hollywood is his story. Even more shocking, I now have two more books planned in this unplanned series! Book 3 is currently with my publisher and is expected to be released in late 2021, and book 4 is in the second draft stage. 

LM: Research is an important part of writing. What sort of research did you do for Made in Hollywood? 

Michelle: I drew a lot on my personal experience in Hollywood. I am a Los Angeles native, though as

a Marine Corps wife I have moved many times since then, so I utilized much of what I saw and lived in Hollywood for all of the books in this series. 

LM: You’ve written fiction and nonfiction. How do you approach the two genres differently? The same? 

Michelle: I have very different approaches to my fiction and nonfiction works. For my novels, I start with a general outline and then dive in, letting the character stake the lead in the first draft. I am often as surprised as my future readers by the twists and turns the books take. In my nonfiction books though, I do a lot more research, planning, and structuring to make sure the teaching flows well and that I am sharing God’s Word with integrity and care. 

LM: In addition to being an author, you serve in ministries and lead writing workshops. How do you balance your activities with your family life? 

Michelle: I’m still working in that! Between writing, homeschooling, and ministry, I often find myself busier than I would like. I am learning the fine art of prioritizing. I am truly blessed to have an incredibly supportive husband who steps in when I need time to write or participate in ministry work. We make a great team! 

LM: If money were no object, where is your idea of the ultimate vacation? 

Michelle: Hmmm…I love to travel and see new places so if money were no object, I would take a cruise around the world, with my husband of course. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see so much of this incredible world we live in. Plus, if I only had to unpack once, that would be a huge bonus! 

 

LM: Quickies: 

Michelle:

Favorite childhood book: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien 

Coffee, tea, or soda? Coffee in the morning, Coke in the afternoon, peppermint tea at night. 

Walk, bike, or drive? Walk. 

LM: What is your next project? 

Michelle: I have three projects in various stages. Book 3 in the Red Carpet Romance Series is in editing with the publisher, book 4 is in my laptop awaiting revisions, and I am currently researching my third devotional which I hope to have ready in the summer of 2021. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Michelle: I love to connect with readers and writers! My website is http://www.MichelleKeener.com and if you subscribe to my newsletter you will receive a free ebook of my first devotional You Are. I am also active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can find me on all three sites @MKeenerWrites 

About Made in Hollywood

When a pastor’s son saves her life, can a prodigal daughter dare to believe in second chances? 

Noah Shaw is almost thirty and he still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. Torn between running his business as a limo driver for Hollywood’s elite, and feeling called to ministry, he prays for direction. But he never expects that direction to include finding a woman near death on the front steps of his father’s church. 

Hannah left her family and her faith when she moved to Hollywood looking for adventure. Instead of finding fame in the movies, she was lured into the life of an exotic dancer. Hopeless and ashamed, suicide seems like her only escape. Until the night Noah saves her life. The Shaw family welcomes her into their home and gives her a chance to start over. When the shadows of her former life threaten to expose her past, she must choose between running away or fighting for the new life she’s built and the man she’s grown to love.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3p5skRD

Traveling Tuesday: France During WWII

 Traveling Tuesday: France During World War II 

 

Located three hours from Paris by train, Vichy sits in the middle of France. From the 1880s until June 1940, the city could be compared to a high-class Las Vegas. Filled with casinos, restaurants, and brothels, Vichy also offered mud baths from the mineral-rich sulphurous waters, running warm from the surrounding Auvergne volcanic mass. The town became famous as a cure center for rheumatism and liver complaints. 

 

Then came the Battle of France in May 1940. In a matter of six weeks, Germany pushed through the Ardennes, then along the Somme Valley, and finally the Maginot Line, arriving in Paris on June 10, 1940. Twelve days later Marshal Pétain signed an armistice with Germany that came into effect on June 25. Prime Minister Reynaud resigned rather than sign the agreement. Parliament then voted on July 10 to make Pétain leader of the newly established regime known as Vichy France. 

 

By the time Hitler arrived in Paris, Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle was attending the Anglo-French Supreme War Council in Briare along with French Prime Minister Paul Raynaud who asked to be released from the agreement the country had made with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in May 1940 so France could sign the armistice with Germany. 

De Gaulle was then given the mission to travel to London and discuss a possible evacuation to North

Africa. On the 18th, he was given permission to address the French people on BBC radio at which time he denounced Pétain’s “treason” and encouraged the citizens to resist the occupation. He was tried “in absentia” in France and sentences to death for treason. De Gaulle considered himself the last remaining member of the legitimate Reynaud government and considered Pétain’s assumption of power to be an unconstitutional coup d’état. De Gaulle’s government in exile operated from London until the Allies recaptured Paris in August of 1944. 

 

The armistice cut France in half with Pétain’s puppet government policing the so-called “free zone” of the south while the Germans remained in the occupied north. Eventually, the Germans violated the agreement and moved their troops into southern France, rendering Pétain a useless figurehead. The media was tightly controlled and promoted anti-Semitism and anti-Bolshevism. 

 

Living conditions were difficult, French citizens responsible for covering the expenses of the 300,000 strong occupying army. Onerous regulations, strict censorship, incessant propoganda, and regular curfews were aimed at breaking the spirit of the French people. Two million French soldiers were imprisoned, carrying out forced labor. Jews, communists, political refugees, and other “undesirables” were rounded up and either sent to labor camps or killed outright. 

 

By early July, resistance began to pop up, first individually, then in small cells, and finally in concerted efforts that were supported by Britain’s Special Operations Executive organization. The Resistance attracted people from all walks of life and with diverse political views. An early problem for the group was the lack of military experience and inability to secure weapons and ammunition. 

 

The landings at Normandy in June 1944 was the beginning of the end for the French occupation. In the middle of August, the Resistance began to rise against the Germans. Employees of the Paris Metro, the Gendarmerie, and police went on strike followed by the postal workers. Employees throughout the city joined them causing a general strike on August 18. The Resistance prepared for a siege and set up barricades all over Paris and skirmishes broke out over the course of several days. The Allies entered on the 24th and General von Choltitz shortly thereafter. 

_____________________ 

Amazon has put the ebook edition of Spies & Sweethearts on sale for only $0.99! Grab your copy today. 

 

About Spies & Sweethearts 

 

She wants to do her part. He’s just trying to stay out of the stockade. Will two agents deep behind enemy lines find capture… or love? 

 

1942. Emily Strealer is tired of being told what she can’t do. Wanting to prove herself to her older sisters and do her part for the war effort, the high school French teacher joins the OSS and trains to become a covert operative. And when she completes her training, she finds herself parachuting into occupied France with her instructor to send radio signals to the Resistance. 

 

Major Gerard Lucas has always been a rogue. Transferring to the so-called “Office of Dirty Tricks” to escape a court-martial, he poses as a husband to one of his trainees on a dangerous secret mission. But when their cover is blown after only three weeks, he has to flee with the young schoolteacher to avoid Nazi arrest. 

 

Running for their lives, Emily clings to her mentor’s military experience during the harrowing three-hundred-mile trek to neutral Switzerland. And while Gerard can’t bear the thought of his partner falling into German hands, their forged papers might not be enough to get them over the border. 

 

Can the fugitive pair receive God’s grace to elude the SS and discover the future He intended? 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3nAXcJq

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Amy Grochowski

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Amy Grochowski 

 

Linda: Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on your debut novel Forever Home and second release The Christmas Visitor. Where did you find your inspiration for these stories, and did you set out with the intention of writing a series? 

Amy: Thank you for having me, Linda. The inspiration for the series is two-fold, I suppose. First, there’s the romantic magic of the setting, Prince Edward Island, and then the mysterious appeal of the Amish. My personal experience with the Amish comes from having lived in a small, predominantly Mennonite community for several years and working for a Beachy Amish family. So, when I learned that Canadian Amish communities were settling on Prince Edward Island in early 2016, this series idea was born in my heart and mind. 

LM: Research is important for any book. How did you go about researching your books, and was there an especially interesting fact you wanted to include in the stories? 

Amy: I love research. Of course, I love to read, which means I do an enormous amount of research

through books and articles. I also try to fact check my ideas by talking to Anabaptist friends. While writing The Christmas Visitor, I wanted to include a genuine feel for PEI during Christmas. While I couldn’t travel to the island during that time, I was able to connect with PEI residents through Facebook, which was a lot of fun. 

 

LM: Are any of your characters based on you or people you know? 

Amy: Our experience and history shapes us and our stories, that’s undeniable, really. But these characters are truly fictional. Lydia, Joel, and Samy did become very real to me as their story developed. So did Mattie and Winston in the Christmas novella. They are all fictional, but very real to me. 

LM: You had a full career in nursing before becoming an author. What made you decide to seek publication and what was your writing journey like? 

Amy: Nursing was a rabbit trail, for me. I always wanted to be an author. Life took some twists and turns I couldn’t foresee, and nursing was a great plan B—for which I am very grateful. I loved being a nurse, but the day came when the dream to write reawakened. Fortunately, I have a supportive spouse who encouraged me to go for it. I entered contests, joined writer’s groups, took courses, fell flat on my face, and kept re-writing. I learned to make criticism my ally. The journey to publication was a marathon, not a sprint. Honestly, after publication the marathon continues, so I’m glad I love writing. I hate running, by the way. I’m much happier with a pen… or keyboard. lol 

LM: How do you balance your writing career with your home schooling responsibilities? 

Amy: My boys are getting older, so they don’t require as much one-on-one supervision, which helps. We keep a routine, so everyone knows what is expected. I have dedicated writing hours early in the morning, as well, before the school day even starts. There’s also flexibility with homeschooling, so even though we have a schedule, I can make changes as needed for work. For us, it’s all normal. 

 

LM: What is your next project? 

Amy: I’m finishing up the next book in the series, Runaway Home, and also working on a devotional of the book of Philippians. 

 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Amy: My Facebook page or Goodreads are my favorite social media hang-outs. I also find email is a great way to stay in touch. In fact, if readers go to my website and sign up for my email newsletter, they will get a free Prequel Chapter to the Amish Dreams on Prince Edward Island series. I love hearing from readers and email is a terrific way for us to stay in touch. 

Website and Email Sign-up: https://www.amygrochowski.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amygrochowski

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20100379.Amy_Grochowski

Forever Home: Amish Dreams on Prince Edward Island, Book One 

 

A Canadian Amish farmer 

A Lancaster Amish businesswoman 

A Prince Edward Island foster child 

 

Providence brings together a mismatched family, giving all three a second chance for love. Only love may never have had such a tough job.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3a60QXH

Traveling Tuesday: A Day in the Life of a Lighthouse Keeper

 Traveling Tuesday: A Day in the Life of a Lighthouse Keeper 

 

With the exception of Brewster Light in the Boston, Massachusetts harbor, the remaining 278 U.S. lighthouses are automated. But for over 250 years, men and women toiled to maintain these navigational structures. 

 A keeper’s job wasn’t quite a 24-hour job, but it could be. Rising before dawn, he or she was responsible for numerous routine duties, the most important of course being to keep the light illuminated according to a daily schedule. The schedule varied from station to station, depending on location, weather conditions, and other factors. During severe storms, the light had to be operational 24 hours a day until the storm was over. 

 Other duties included keeping the lens cleaned and in working order, cleaning and polishing the brass fittings, and keeping the outside windows clear in all weather (rain, snow, sleet, and ice), making repairs to the lighthouse and any other buildings, and keeping the property maintained. Logs were an integral part of the job as well. The keeper was required to account for every item used on the station, both as a past activity and to determine what supplies would be needed for the following season. A daily event log was also required.

Salt air is corrosive, and as such, peeled paint from the wooden and metal structures, so the keeper

spent an enormous amount of time painting. Says James Sheridan who grew up during the 1910s at Saugutuck Light where his father was a keeper, “Things that I remember mostly about his duties, were, there seemed to always be a paintbrush in his hand. The government put great stock in painting. They painted and they repainted and they painted, until paint usually built up so it had so many coats there were no sharp edges at all anymore. Not such a thing as a sharp edge in any corner of a piece of wood. It always had a curved edge.” 

From 1791 until 1852, the Treasury Department’s Lighthouse Establishment had jurisdiction over the lighthouses and keepers, however it wasn’t until1852, when the United States Lighthouse Board was created that keepers were given written rules. Two more editions were issues, their third of which had eighty-seven pages and outlines 131 separate tasks keepers were to perform. The Board operated until 1910 when the Lighthouse Service was created and moved under the Department of Commerce. In 1939, the Service was merged with the U.S. Coast Guard. 

During the winter months when travel was at a minimum or nonexistent depending on location, lighthouses would shut down, leaving the keeper with long hours to fill. Reading was one of the many hobbies a keeper developed. In response, the Lighthouse Service began to assemble and distribute portable libraries to the lights in 1876. A typical library consisted of fifty books, usually a mix of history, fiction, poetry, scientific works, and a Bible. At first, the libraries remained at the station for six months, however, because of their popularity, they moved every three months. 

Would you have wanted to do this job? 

___________________________ 

Legacy of Love (Keepers of the Light)

Will their love come at a cost? 

 Escaping Boston to avoid a marriage of convenience aimed at garnering society’s respect for her family name in the shadow of her father’s war profiteering, Meg Underwood settles in Spruce Hill, Oregon. Despite leaving behind the comforts of wealth, she’s happy. Then the handsome Pinkerton agent, Reuben Jessop, arrives with news that she’s inherited her aunt’s significant estate, and she must return home to claim the bequest. Meg refuses to make the trip. Unwilling to fail at his mission, Reuben gives her until Christmas to prove why she should remain in Spruce Hill and give up the opportunity to become a woman of means. When he seems to want more than friendship, she wonders if her new-found wealth is the basis of his attraction.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3neY9XJ

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Daphne Self

 

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Daphne Self!

Linda: Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on the release of your memoir Journey On. What made you decide to write the book and how difficult did you find it to share such a personal story?

Daphne: When I came to a crossroads, of sorts, and found myself facing two choices, surrender to the pain or surrender to the Lord, I knew I needed help. So I contacted a FB group, Heartwings, and a lot of the women there sent verses to me. I used these verses to write in a journal, detailing my thoughts, my fears, my pain, and my hopes. It was meant to be a way of coping with my condition. Then one night it occurred to me, if I feel this way and was brought to the brink of despair, what about those who have it worse than me? What about those who don’t have anything or Anyone to lean upon? So I knew that I needed to share my story. And it is hard to share a piece of yourself with total strangers, but sometimes to help another, it has to be done. 

LM: In the past you’ve described yourself as a hybrid writer, plotting out certain guidelines for your characters and then letting the rest come organically. How was your process different for writing a memoir? 

 

Daphne: Writing this journal, this memoir, was more of a free flow. I treated it as though I was writing in a diary. Even though it was purely organic in thought, the verse at the top of each page guided my thoughts. 

 

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do? 

Daphne: Play the piano or cello. I used to play the flute, but the sound of a piano and cello are so

soothing. 

LM: What is a piece of advice you’d like to give fledgling writers? 

Daphne: Don’t ever stop writing. Your season may not have come yet, but trust that the Lord will see you through to your dream. And always do your research! And connect! Connect with other authors and readers. 

LM: Here are some quickies: 

Daphne: 

What was your favorite childhood book: Too many to count, but there are two that I remember fondly when I was a small child: The Fat Cat by Jack Kent and Disney’s The Black Hole. 

Would you rather walk, ride a bike, or drive: Walk. I miss hiking. 

Where is your favorite vacation spot: The Florida Panhandle….the latest spot was at Santa Rosa Beach. 

LM: What is your next project? 

Daphne: I am working on the third book of A Southern Saga titled Carolina Sunrise, a story about three brothers and the life changing decisions they make one summer. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Daphne: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authordaphneself

Website: www.authordaphneself.blogspot.com 

Instagram: @authordaphneself 

MeWe: Daphne Self 

Rumble: PSYKDELICRBT (this is my gamer tag) 

YouTube: Daphne Self 

Bookbub: Daphne Self 

About Journey On: 

We all have a valley to walk in our lifetime, yet what if that shadowed valley never ends? What do we do when our chronic illness steals so much from us? Journey On: Through This Shadowed Valley is my journal, my journey. It chronicles my ups and downs, my doubts, my praises, and my dreams. I’m giving you an inside look at being newly diagnosed with a chronic condition and chronic pain. It’s my hope that you find you aren’t alone in the fight as you read my words and the words of six other people who have learned to live with their chronic conditions. Our illness may be a thief, but we can still live life to its fullest! I invite you to travel with me in Journey On: Through This Shadowed Valley. Together we thrive!

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/37uRuln

Release Day: Legacy of Love

 Release Day: Legacy of Love

I'm excited to announce today's release: Legacy of Love. I'm back in the 1800s for this story which is part of the Keepers of the Light series. The fictional community of Spruce Hill, Oregon is centered around a lovely lighthouse on the coast, south of Astoria. Researching life in the Pacific Northwest was fascinating, and I loved learning about its deep history that reaches back centuries. I hope my book honors these stalwart men and women who crossed a continent to make a new life.

Legacy of Love is available for purchase or Kindle Unlimited. Grab your copy today!

Amazon

Will their love come at a cost? 

Escaping Boston to avoid a marriage of convenience aimed at garnering society’s respect for her family name in the shadow of her father’s war profiteering, Meg Underwood settles in Spruce Hill, Oregon. Despite leaving behind the comforts of wealth, she’s happy. Then the handsome Pinkerton agent, Reuben Jessop, arrives with news that she’s inherited her aunt’s significant estate, and she must return home to claim the bequest. Meg refuses to make the trip. Unwilling to fail at his mission, Reuben gives her until Christmas to prove why she should remain in Spruce Hill and give up the opportunity to become a woman of means. When he seems to want more than friendship, she wonders if her new-found wealth is the basis of his attraction.

Fiction Friday: December New Releases!

 Fiction Friday: December New Releases!

Check out these Christian and Clean-N-Wholesome releases. Lots of great stories to add to your TBR pile. Grab your copies today!

Season of Hope by Brenda S. Anderson  (Contemporary, 12/22/20)— Life is good for Ronnie Coborn. She’s newly married to a man who loves her and dotes on her daughter. A man handpicked by Ronnie’s father, a popular pastor at a megachurch who’s been married to her mother for forty years. Yes, life is good. Until a shocking revelation exposes the fact that everything in her idyllic life—her marriage, family, and faith—is based on a lie. 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2I1vo18

Hope’s Reward by Carol Ashby (Historical, 12/01/20) — When a gladiator slave becomes a Christian and runs away from his life of killing to join other believers, his rescue of a Roman woman makes him her escort on a dangerous journey that opens unexpected futures for both of them. 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3fYOMIC

The Mulberry Leaf Whispers by Linda Thompson (Historical, 12/15/20) — A WWII Japanese naval officer. The teenage daughter of a legendary Christian samurai. Three centuries separate them, but a crucial question binds their destinies together. Which lives have value?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2JxGN9n

For the Love of Emma by Starr Ayers (Historical Romance, 12/10/20) — A rose-covered grave, seventy-nine letters, and a scribbled note unearth buried emotions and the timeless beauty of first love. Inspired by actual letters found in her mother’s trunk, Starr pens a poignant love story set in the throes of the Great Depression and portrays a young couple’s quest to keep their love alive, regardless of events that threaten to tear them apart.  

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2VvpEzM

Depending on You by Melissa Jagears (Historical Romance, 12/04/20) — Can the joy and hope of Christmas restore their love before it’s too late? Leah Whitsett’s life was ideal until the disastrous day she nearly died because of her husband’s deceit. When he returns home weeks before Christmas, she knows the best gift she can give him is forgiveness, but how can she relinquish her hard-won independence knowing he plans to turn their family’s life upside down again? Bryant has always known his wife was a gift he’d never deserved, but how can he provide for her in a town that no longer wants anything to do with him? He longs to atone for the misery he’s put his loved ones through, but when he brings a family member home for the holidays, he and Leah may end up even further apart. With emotions high and their marriage at stake, will the season bring the hope they need…or are the rifts too large to mend?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/39vcDi2

Legacy of Love by Linda Shenton Matchett (Historical Romance, 12/08/20) — Escaping Boston to avoid a marriage of convenience aimed at garnering society’s respect for her family name in the shadow of her father’s war profiteering, Meg Underwood settles in Spruce Hill, Oregon. Despite leaving behind the comforts of wealth, she’s happy. Then the handsome Pinkerton agent, Reuben Jessop, arrives with news that she’s inherited her aunt’s significant estate, and she must return home to claim the bequest. Meg refuses to make the trip. Unwilling to fail at his mission, Reuben gives her until Christmas to prove why she should remain in Spruce Hill and give up the opportunity to become a woman of means. When he seems to want more than friendship, she wonders if her new-found wealth is the basis of his attraction. 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/36uoeMc

Deadly Amish Reunion by Dana R. Lynn (Romantic Suspense, 12/01/20) — Jennie Beiler’s husband was supposed to be dead, so she’s shocked when he rescues her from an attacker. Although Luke has no memories of his Englisch wife, it’s up to him to protect her from someone who won’t stop until she’s dead. Can the peaceful Amish community he returned to after losing his memory shelter them and their son this Christmas when danger strikes again? 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3mJVNiY

Christmas Protection Detail by Terri Reed (Romantic Suspense, 12/01/20) — When a call from a friend in trouble leads Nick Delaney and Deputy Kaitlyn Lanz to a car crash that killed a single mother, they become the baby’s protectors. Now figuring out why someone is after the child is the only way to save her. But they must find answers soon…or this baby’s first Christmas might just be Nick’s and Kaitlyn’s last. 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/36xPPw6