Announcements

10 Year Anniverary & New Releases Winners: Carrie Fancett Pagels' Butterfly Cottage - Melanie B, Dogwood Plantation - Patty H R, Janet Grunst's winner is Connie S., Denise Weimer's Winner is Kay M., Naomi Musch's winner is Chappy Debbie, Angela Couch - Kathleen Maher, Pegg Thomas Beverly D. M. & Gracie Y., Christy Distler - Kailey B., Shannon McNear - Marilyn R.
Showing posts with label Christian historical romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian historical romance. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Autumn Tea Party for CQ Authors' New Releases!


Welcome to our Colonial Quills Autumn Tea Party for our authors' new releases!!! Come on in and take a place by the fire as we serve you tea and treats!

Carrie Fancett Pagels:


Mercy in a Red Cloak audiobook



I'm delighted that my colonial-era suspenseful romance is available in paperback, ebook, and now audiobook! Set during the time of Pontiac's War, after the French-Indian War, it took me about seven years to finally have this story released. The audiobook narrator is Bill Anciaux, at fine narrator and he brought Shadrach Clark's and Mercy Clarke's story to life.

Storyline: Famed colonial scout, Shadrach Clark, is sought out in the Straits of Mackinac, when he has gone missing. His dear friend, Mercy, whose circuit-rider father is also missing, joins in the search. Set during the time of Pontiac's War, can love still blossom?

GIVEAWAY: An autographed paperback copy!



Four lovely stories in this collection from Barbour Publishing. I was delighted to write another Mackinac Island-set story. This novella begins right before my Maggie Award winning story My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island. I had so much fun writing this story because I got to hang out with some of my favorite characters again, such as little Jack Welling.

In Desperate Straits by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Mackinac Island, Michigan, 1894

Desperate for work, Margaret Hadley dresses as a young man to secure a dray driver’s position. When soldiers at the fort threaten her, Mackinac Island’s newest teacher, Jesse Huntington, intervenes.


Denise Weimer:

Today I'm celebrating the release of The Witness Tree, my historical romance set in 1805 Cherokee Territory. 




Past betrayal has turned John Kliest’s passion to his work as a builder and surveyor in the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina. Now, to satisfy the elders’ edict and fulfill his mission in Cherokee Territory, he needs a bride. But the one woman qualified to record the Cherokee language longs for a future with his younger brother.

Clarissa Vogler’s dream of a life with Daniel Kliest is shattered when she is chosen by lot to marry his older brother and venture into the uncharted frontier. Can she learn to love this stoic man who is now her husband? Her survival hinges on being able to trust him—but they both harbor secrets.


The Witness Tree on Amazon

I'll be sharing more about the Moravians and Cherokees during my 5:30 time slot on the Facebook party, when I'll also be giving away e-book copies of both The Witness Tree and my new contemporary romance, Fall Flip (Fall Flip on Amazon), plus a Moravian-themed goody pack. If you'd like to win a PRINT copy of The Witness Tree, leave a comment here on our blog (U.S.).


Janet Grunst:

Janet Grunst here. Thanks for joining us for our fall release party.

I’m privileged to be a part of THE HIGHLANDERS, the second Smitten Historical Romance Collection that releases November 15th. While the four stories are all about men from the Scottish Highlands, two are set in America and two are set during the Colonial period. They are all quite different from each other. My story The Year Without Summer takes place in 1816 in the Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland. At the party, I'll share some fun details about the book's cover and more about the stories.

I will be giving away a signed copy of The Highlanders to one USA commenter on the blog. Enjoy the party. 


Naomi Musch

Hi there, Colonial Quills Readers! Everyone finished brewing their tea yet? I’ll just stir a dollop of honey into my cup while I tell you about my upcoming release, also in THE HIGHLANDERS collection, available for pre-order and going live on November 15th. 

In this novella collection spanning two centuries and featuring Highlander heroes, my story A TENDER SIEGE is about grieving widow Lachlan McRea of his Majesty’s 42 Highlanders wounded during Pontiac’s War in the Battle of Bushy Run. Begging God to take him, and longing only to see his lost wife and child again, Lachlan is discovered by Wenonah, an Odawa widow living on her own precarious edge of safety and need. In aiding one another, Lachlan and Wenonah’s perils increase, but if he can let go of the woman he once loved, he might yet find healing for both body and soul.

The Highlanders Collection is four novellas spanning two centuries, with four distinct authors’ voices, settings, and story styles. Pre-order is available, and by signing up for my newsletter, you can get a sneak peek at the complete first chapter of A TENDER SIEGE.
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Another recent release of mine isn’t Colonial, but I hope you’ll take a peek. THE BRIGHTEST HOPE concludes my Echoes of the Heart WWI and post war series. 

Holly Allen is a well-adjusted war widow who’s developed a knack for running the family press. Her world is turned upside down when she hires “front man” Hugh Phelps to give customers the man-in-charge image they want. With the ghosts of his past, Hugh is anything but a white knight riding in to sweep her away from her cares. Yet when new beginnings finally do seem possible, old heartaches from the war come calling. Now it might only be in letting go of everything dear that they both discover what real love is.



Want to enter to win a signed, full paperback set of the series? Copy and Share the image below on social media and tag me in the post, and I’ll add your name to the drawing. (If it’s easier, you can go to my FB author page or Twitter profile page and share it from there.)

https://amazon.com/author/naomimusch

Angela Couch 

Nothing like a tea party to warm spirits. Not that there was much time for tea or parties in the middle of the war for American freedom. After three years, my Hearts at War series is complete:




It started deep in the Mohawk Valley with the Battle of Oriskany, where Rachel Garnet looses her father and stumbles upon (quite literally) a wounded British captain. They don't expect him to last the night, but when he starts to recover, how will they keep his presence a secret?

 Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility meets the wilderness of Colonial America.



Book two took us south with Daniel Reid. After three years service in the Colonial Army, and he's still not ready to go home to the Mohawk Valley. He takes a message to the legendary Swamp Fox, and finds himself in a tangle of spies and intrigue, where he can't be certain who he can trust.




Book four brought us home. Burying his wife is the hardest thing Joseph Garnet has done, until he's called to leave his young son and baby daughter to fight Iroquois raiders. When one of the marauders tries to steal his horse, the last thing he expects is to end up tussling with a female. The girl is wounded, leaving Joseph little choice but to haul her home to heal—an act that seems all too familiar.


And finally, it all comes together.
The war for American freedom is over, and the British have gone back to England. Not knowing what has become of his family since he was forced into the Continental Army nine years earlier, Myles Cunningham wants to go home as well. He returns to the Mohawk Valley with the understanding that he is believed to have been shot for deserting—fiction that might be made real if anyone recognizes him as the son of a Tory and a King's Ranger.
Everything is wonderful in the growing community along the Mohawk River, except Nora Reid is still alone. With her brother happily settled and both her younger sisters starting families of their own, Nora feels the weight of her twenty-four years. A long walk leads her to the overgrown rubble of the Cunningham homestead where a bearded stranger begins to awaken feelings she'd lost hope of ever experiencing.
With secrets abounding—including whether Myles even cares for her—Nora must determine what she is ready to give up and how far she will go to secure his affections. She begins to break through his defenses, but Myles can't risk staying. Not if he loves her.

Read more and find buy links on my website: www.angelakcouch.com 

Between here and the facebook party, I will be giving away an e-book of each of these stories!
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Our Facebook Party begins at 5 pm Eastern Time tonight, October 30th, 2019.

Comment here on the blog for giveaways associated with this post and come by the Tea Party tonight for more fun and giveaways! As always, thank you so much for celebrating with us!

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Giveaway & Review - Victorian Christmas Brides Collection


The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection: 9 Women Dream of Perfect Christmases during the Victorian Era

(Note: Three members of Colonial American Christian Writers contributed to this collection: Carrie Fancett Pagels, Rita Gerlach, and Gabrielle Meyer.)

Reviewed by Tina St. Clair Rice, CQ Reviewer

I love reading Christmas stories, especially those set in 1800’s Victorian era as this one is.  Written by 9 well-known gifted authors, giving the reader a variety of not only enjoyable stories but their own unique writing styles. Each story takes us on a journey through various locations in England, Canada and America. On our “travels” we see how each characters’ desire is to have the perfect Christmas despite the circumstances they find themselves in. They may face turmoils, love letters from the past that seems to be surrounded by mystery and surprising clues to follow, missing jewels, an unexpected pre-arranged marriage, second chances at love, water-cure for patients, faith and so much more. I so enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the countrysides, clothing, and customs of the era depicted in each story and the inspirational elements. I especially enjoy reading the author’s historical note at the end of her story. A delightful collection to read anytime of the year.

1. One Golden Ring by C.J. Chase
1855 Devonshire, England. Tristram Nowell and Marianna Granville must forgive past grievances if they are to move forward to at least a friendship. But will their new stations in life be an obstacle and prevent even that?  A cute, fun story.

2. Star of Wonder by Susanne Dietze
1875 County Durham, England. Celeste Sidwell and Bennet Hett have plans to undo what their fathers have planned for them, however, things didn’t turn out as they had hoped. This novella has a lot of interesting and mysterious elements to it as well as a surprise or two, making it a fun story to read. 

3. The Holly and the Ivy by Rita Gerlach
1900 near Washington DC. I enjoyed reading Lily Morningstar and Andrew Stapleton’s story. It was fun watching as they tried to read between the lines of the love letters Lily discovered and ultimately discover who the mysterious writer is and to whom he is corresponding with. Will they learn who the letters are from or will it forever remain a mystery?  I still have, and cherish, the love letters my own husband wrote to me while he was serving in the Navy, which made this story even more interesting.

4. Love Brick by Brick by Kathleen L. Maher
1857 Elmira, New York. SarahAnn Winnifred and Rufus Sedgwick are from different social classes, however, their hearts are drawn to each other.  Can this unlikely couple build something lasting together or will their differences put a wall between their hearts?  As a retired RN, I especially enjoyed reading about the medicinal water-cure of the time in this novella.

5. A Christmas Promise by Gabrielle Meyer
1899 Cambridgeshire, England.  Ashleigh Pendleton and Christopher Campbell are in shock once they learn of the long ago promise their own mothers, now deceased, planned for them. Can they somehow undo that promise or will they even want to after getting reacquainted?  I enjoyed this fun novella which had me chuckling at times.


6. The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1867 Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit, Michigan.  Eugenie Mott and Percy Gladstone unexpectedly meet and end up helping each other in ways neither had anticipated.  I love the way Eugenie is helping the war widows. . .Kathleen, Nancy, Anne, Melissa, Tina, Deborah and Lucy. . .to be functional in areas they had not been prior to her help.  The name she calls the ladies, The Sugarplum Ladies, fits perfectly. These ladies soon find themselves helping Percy in the midst of his staffing crisis. I especially enjoyed the historical notes at the end of the story.  A cute, fun and delightful story.

7. Paper Snowflake Christmas by Vanessa Riley
1837 Framlingham, England. Ophelia Hanover and Geoffrey Landson have a challenge before them when he comes to take guardianship of Ophelia’s young son. It’s Christmas!  Will he listen to reason or will the snow storm keep him snowbound for Christmas?  I enjoyed the backstory, which gives an added element to the story?

8. Father Christmas by Lorna Seilstad
1880 Blackpool, England.  Beatrix Kent and Hugo Sherman are of different social classes and have suffered in their past.  Can love find a way to bring joy and music to these two at Christmas?  A cute, fun story.  

9. A Perfect Christmas by Erica Vetsch
1880 London, England. Melisande Verity and Gray Garamond may work in the same store but they are from different social classes and he’s her boss.  I found the window display and the outcome of the contest interesting.  Gray’s grandfather is one of my favorite characters. Gray could learn a lot from him in regards to the store and the true meaning of Christmas.  Will Gray open his heart or will he follow his own plans? A cute and fun story.

Links:
Purchase:

NOTE: Carrie Fancett Pagels will be signing books with fellow author C.J. Chase in Williamsburg, Virginia, at the College of William and Mary Barnes & Noble Bookstore on the Duke of Gloucester Street (near Colonial Williamsburg) on Sunday afternoon, November 18th, from 2-6 pm. If you're in the area, come on by! 

Giveaway: A copy of The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection. Leave a comment to enter. Extra points if you have added this book to Goodreads (put GR at the end of your comment.)




Wednesday, November 15, 2017

My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley: Lily’s Dilemma by Andrea Boeshaar -- Review by Tina St.Clair Rice




Review by Tina St. Clair Rice
This story is set in 1816 Middletown, Virginia where Lillyanna “Lily” Laughlin lives with her Aunt Brunhilda “Hilda” Gunther and two younger brothers, 14-year-old Jonah and 12-year-old Jed. Since the recent death of her father, Lily now cares for her brothers as well as their small farm and home.  However things soon change when she learns she no longer owns part of the land across from her beloved home.  Her guardian, Silas Everett, sold it without even discussing it with her and her family to a stranger, Captain McAlister “Mac” Albright.  I enjoyed the way Lily and Mac initially meet, although it was rather embarrassing for Lily, and hoped maybe something more than friendship would develop between them.  Unfortunately Lily and her family's troubles were only beginning thanks to a very deceitful and evil man.  Lily and her family quickly became favorite characters.  I admire Lily’s dedication to caring for her family. Not only is she lovely and has a beautiful singing voice, she has a giving heart, strong work ethic, kind spirit and strong faith. Will her new neighbor see all those godly qualities in her?

I felt for Mac and the reason he left his family home and moved to the Shenandoah Valley.  He has had his own troubles in the past but with his friend, John Blake to help, he hopes to make a fresh start in Middletown.  Will his past troubles follow him there?  He soon became another favorite character in this story.  He is physically strong...and very handsome...which he will need in order to work the farm and orchard he just bought, and his honesty and integrity are admirable.

Mac’s friend John, Lily’s two brothers and aunt, along with some of the other secondary characters are just as endearing and bring much to the storyline.  John especially, who is lighthearted and fun and often brings smiles and laughter.  There is one character who I did not like at all, Silas Everett.  He is an evil, conniving man, out for his own selfish wants regardless how he obtains them or who he hurts in the process. 

The author certainly developed the characters in this story well...some I grew to love and one I did not like at all.  The characters experience humor, more than one sweet romance developing, adventure and suspense, deceitfulness and conniving, evil intentions, trust….others and oneself as well as trusting and learning God’s plan for each of them, love and faith. I enjoyed the spiritual aspect of the storyline.  Oh, I love the ending, perfect!

The historical details and descriptions of the Shenandoah Valley are beautifully done and invite the reader to step off the pages into the valley itself. The author has a note in the back of the story explaining the history of Middletown of 1826 which is very informative.  I like that the stories in each of the My Heart Belongs series (10 stories) are based on actual historical locations and plan to read the other 8 that I have not read yet.


~I received an e-book copy via Net Galley (no monetary gain were exchanged), this is my honest review~

Bio: Tina St.Clair Rice is Colonial Quills' Reader/Reviewer. A former nurse, Tina lives in Maryland with her family. Tina enjoys Christian historical fiction and is a beta reader for several authors.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Author Interview with Pegg Thomas

Available in April of 2017, Pegg’s debut story, Embattled Hearts will be part of The Pony Express Romance Collection published by Barbour.

Alannah Fagan grew up learning how to take care of herself in the Kentucky wilderness. But when her mother’s death leaves her with a brutal stepfather, her only hope is escape. Together with Conn, her younger brother, she flees their westbound wagon train with no plan other than to survive. Stewart McCann is the middle son of a northern Virginia family with seven brothers. He moved west because he refused to take sides in the Civil War. But when a battered young woman and her brother take refuge at his Pony Express station, he finds himself in the middle of another type of battle. A battle for his heart.





Thank you for being with us today PEGG! I so enjoyed reading Embattled Hearts.

TR: What is your inspiration for Embattled Hearts?

PT: Thank you for hosting me!
I wish I had a really great answer for this, but I don’t. The story grew out of my research on the Pony Express. I knew I wanted to include the importance of the Pony Express in the Civil War effort. From there, it took turns I even I wasn’t expecting.

TR: Was there any traveling involved in your research, if so, where?

PT: In a backward sort of way. Horseshoe Station was located in an area of Wyoming I’d been through just a few years prior. I had some photos I’d taken, plus I found a hand-drawn picture of the station as it was in the 1860s.

TR: What was the most interesting or favorite thing you learned about the Pony Express?

PT: Most interesting in a weird sort of way was the original advertisement stating—right in print—that orphans were the preferred candidates for riders. Wow! Talk about transparency. You might not survive this, so if you’re an orphan, all the better.

TR: Do you have a favorite character?

PT: Absolutely, it's Cyclops. This horse is modeled—except for the one-eyed part—after my son’s first horse, Jason. He was an off-track thoroughbred, 16.2 hands, solid black, and one of the smartest horses I’ve ever known. I loved writing him into a story.

TR: Do you have a favorite scene?

PT: My favorite scene would be a spoiler. Here's one that tells a bit about the characters:

     If the blue-gray of her eye had been a lance, he'd be skewered to the wall behind the stove. That red hair of hers, wet and bedraggled as it was, warned of a temper loud and clear. He shook his head. What he knew about women would fit in a thimble and not crowd the finger. (Tweet This) Raised in a passel of boys on a remote tobacco plantation, he'd always thought of women as a foreign species. This one, however, looked more like a skinny grizzly bear with a bad grouch on.
     He stirred the mush until it bubbled and thickened, then set the frying pan on the table before scooping a pair of bowls and two spoons off the shelf. He also grabbed a pot of molasses. Maybe it would sweeten her up a bit.
     “Got any cream?” Conn's vivid green eyes held no animosity.
     Stewart grinned. The best way to a boy's heart was through his stomach. “Sorry.”
     Conn shrugged and filled his bowl. His sister remained behind the chair across the room, unmoved since she'd taken her post there. A blast of wind rattled the timbers that framed the cabin, followed by more ground-shaking thunder. She might relax if he left, but he wasn't about to go out in this storm.
     “Please, won't you sit and eat?” He pasted on what he hoped was a welcoming smile. Between her silent scowls and the threat of men coming after them, he'd be happy to see the pair ride off as soon as the weather cleared. But they had nothing to ride and apparently nothing to eat. Likely they didn't have a nickel between them either. He clenched his teeth to keep his smile in place.
     Her gaze flicked to the table and back to him, but she didn't move.
     What was he supposed to do? He couldn't make her eat. The way Conn slurped up the corn mush there wouldn't be any left if she didn't decide soon. She just stared at him. Then it dawned on him that he was staring at her. Oh. Maybe that was the problem.

TR: When did you first become interested in historical Colonial America? How has it impacted your writing? Do you usually blend factual historical events in with your fictional story

PT: I can’t remember ever not being interested in history. I remember visiting the Colonial Fort Michilimackinac as a kid and loving it. Since historical fiction is my favorite genre to read, it didn’t take any big leap to decide that’s what I wanted to write. And to me, historical fiction means there is real history in there. I’m always disappointed to pick up a book called historical fiction and find no historical content whatsoever.

TR: How important is it to you to have characters who live a godly life and a strong faith element woven within your storyline?

PT: My preferred story—mine or another author’s—is where the faith element is expressed in a very organic way throughout the story. I don’t like preachy writing. I don’t want to be beaten over the head with the Bible when I’m reading fiction. What I want to see is character growth and development, flawed characters who find their way to Christ, or hurting characters that find healing with Him.

TR: Just for fun question: Can you picture yourself and your horse, Trooper, speeding away from a Pony Express station across the wilderness toward the next Pony Express station? 

PT: My daredevil days are long behind me, and Trooper is now 25 years old. No, we don’t speed. We’re very happy just plodding along these days.

TR: What are you currently working on and when will it be released?

PT: I just finished In Sheep’s Clothing which is set in Colonial Connecticut Colony. My heroine is a spinner and weaver. The story takes place shortly after King William III signed the Wool Act. It will be published in the Bouquet of Brides Romance Collection in January of 2018.

TR: Anything else you would like to share?

PT: I do have some big news to share. I’ve accepted the Managing Editor position for Smitten, the Historical Romance imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. It’s still a bit overwhelming, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. And I’ll still keep plugging away at my own stories too. That ought to keep me busy enough.  ;)

Readers can connect with me at: