Best Book Kiss of 2021--a Review of Candice Sue Patterson's "Saving Mrs. Roosevelt"

Boy howdy, this is a good one. Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is a unique WWII story. I think one of the things I liked most about it was that I hadn’t read one quite like it before.

Candice Patterson’s heroine was a different type (a Maine fisherwoman—not too assuming, not too graceful), and she plopped her in a unique setting with high stakes and a really cool premise. She provided a compelling bit of history about the first women’s coast guard, and the suspenseful plotting kept me riveted. I had my inklings about the primary culprit in the story, but I was only partly right. It’s a page-turner! To top it off, there’s a charming romance, and the couple’s first kiss—va-va-voom and holy sizzle, batgirl! That scene was worth a re-read and goes down as my favorite book kiss of 2021. I don’t normally have a favorite book kiss, by-the-way, but this one definitely satisfied. If you’re reading the entire Heroines of WWII series or only picking and choosing the ones that grab your attention, don’t miss Saving Mrs. Roosevelt. It’s sure to be a favorite.

The Suspense Kept Me Riveted~ A Review of As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

I so enjoyed reading Kate Breslin's new novel, As Dawn Breaks. Ms. Breslin explored an aspect of WWI that I knew next to nothing about. I'd heard of the Canary Girls, but didn't know anything much about their role in the war. I was enthralled learning about the lives and dangers of the young women who worked in munitions factories--and in such an interesting setting as Scotland. Throw in a whole lot of espionage, sabotage, a false identity, a woman in hiding from a nasty suitor, and the moment-by-moment chance that her whole world might blow up--literally... Well, that made for a page-turning read. 

The suspense kept me riveted, the history was informative, and the romance was very sweet. Everything in the story read with great plausibility, and I am amazed at the research that the author put into learning about the making of munitions as well as the roles of the military and Scotland Yard during the war.

If you love WWI romance, you should definitely add Kate Breslin's new read to your list.

The Healing is Gentle and Believable - A Review of Rescuing Her Heart by Cindy Ervin Huff

Rescuing Her Heart is a western, an historical romance, and addresses themes of women’s fiction all rolled up in one. I’ll be honest, when I started reading, I made some presumptions about how the story was going to go, (because I can’t help myself—just ask anyone who watches a movie with me). I figured I had it pretty well pegged. But that was most definitely not the case. In Cindy Huff’s story, she layers plenty of upsets and surprises. There’s adventure and a variety of characters that add richness to the story. But what I liked most about it was the gentle, believable way the author brings about healing to the heroine, Delilah James. She has been through unimaginable hardship and abuse, and I wouldn’t have believed it could end well if the author rushed the process. But Delilah’s healing doesn’t come fast and easy when the hero Jed Holt comes along. Her trust in him and in others has to be very well-earned. The author does a good job of working the characters through the process slowly and realistically. If you like a good western that has bad guys and shoot outs, if you like an historical romance about mail-order brides but not in the typical sense, and if you like a story that feels like the healing is real and that will take you to unexpected places, then you’ll enjoy Rescuing Her Heart.

This Story is Gold--A Review of "The Gold in These Hills" by Joanne Bischof

I have yet to be anything but impassioned by a Bischof read, and that’s a fact. I wasn’t sure what to expect in The Gold in These Hills, because it was a split-time novel, the first I’ve read like that from Ms. Bischof. 

But as usual, the story pulled me right in, in equal parts, historical and present day. I was surprised at the way the present-day story turned out, yet pleasantly so, and I loved that the two parts didn’t mirror each other in the romance department. They stood alone, and yet were intricate to one another. This was the first I learned about the practice of salting gold mines. I’d heard the term before, but never knew what it meant. A really, really excellent read! Five+ stars! Thanks to NetGalley for a download of the book.

One Step Ahead of Danger--a Review of "A Picture of Hope" by Liz Tolsma

One step ahead of danger! That’s were Liz Tolsma keeps readers moving in her novel A Picture of Hope. 

This was my first Tolsma novel, and it did not disappoint. With Nazis around every corner, hunting down children deemed unworthy, as well as other innocents, this story had many breathless moments interspersed with gentle, introspective ones. Some of the historical events mentioned were hard to read for their total evil, yet importantly included. At times, during this story of resistance, I wanted to shake the impetuous heroine, yet it was her very nature that allowed her the bravery to act when necessary, and to come to the rescue of many other characters, children and elderly alike. I liked the hero, Jean-Paul, for his intelligence and fearlessness, and I thought the relationship with his father especially enriching to the tale. If you enjoy WWII fiction, be sure and add A Picture of Hope to your reading list.

An Early Review of Shiloh, by Lori Benton

With her typical flare for bringing frontier history and romance onto the page and holding readers in a grip until the end, Lori Benton continues her story of redemption and love begun in Mountain Laurel. While Ian and Seona rediscover love and carve a new beginning in the wilderness through faults and stumbles, other characters' stories come to life too. I also loved how this story intertwined some of the authors earlier works (while not being a sequel to them in itself). Especially enthralling to me was the return of characters from her novel Burning Sky. (Oh, how I loved that story!) I've always imagined a happy ending for one particular character from that book. (Can you guess who I mean?) Anyone else who has loved that story will enjoy finding that and other happily-ever-afters in Shiloh. Adventure, danger, suspense, along with second chances and new beginnings--you'll discover them all in Lori Benton's rich, new historical. 

I received an ARC from Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my honest review.

Shiloh, Book 2 in the Kindred series releases October 5th, 2021. You can pre-order it now.

About the Book

December 1795
A year has passed since Ian Cameron reluctantly sent his uncle’s former slave Seona and their son, Gabriel, north to his kin in Boston. Determined to fully release them, Ian strives to make a life at Mountain Laurel, his inherited plantation, along with Judith, the wife he’s vowed to love and cherish. But when tragedy leaves him alone with his daughter, Mandy, and his three remaining slaves, he decides to return north. An act of kindness on the journey provides Ian the chance to obtain land near the frontier settlement of Shiloh, New York. Perhaps even the hope for a new life with those he still holds dear.

In Boston, Seona has taken her first tentative steps as a free woman, while trying to banish Ian from her heart. The Cameron family thinks she and Gabriel should remain under their protection. Seona’s mother, Lily, thinks it’s time they strike out on their own. Then Ian arrives, offering a second chance Seona hadn’t dared imagine. But the wide-open frontier of Shiloh feels as boundless and terrifying as her newfound freedom―a place of new friends and new enemies, where deep bonds are renewed but old hurts stand ready to rear their heads. It will take every ounce of faith and courage Ian and Seona can muster to fight for their family and their future . . . together.

FREE BOOK! FREE BOOK! FREE BOOK! Historical Fiction ~ The Green Veil

FREE BOOK ALERT!

Wednesday, September 1st through Sunday, September 5th only.

If you’ve never read The Green Veil, Book One in the Empire in Pine saga, here’s your chance to grab the e-book for free.

Get it here now!

1841 ~ Lumberman's daughter, Colette Palmer has always loved timber cruiser Manason Kade, even though she’s too young for him to take her seriously. Leaving Michigan to settle with her family in the Wisconsin wilderness, and separated from him by miles and years, she grows into a woman and, when her heart is broken, makes her vow to another.

Manason longs to plant roots of his own in Wisconsin Territory, and he finally gets his chance. When the new Kade Forest Works challenges the illegal log harvesting of a rival company, however, Colette's husband will stop at nothing to ruin him, even using Colette as a pawn.

Logging enterprises collide as the territory nears statehood. In the midst of turmoil, Manason and Colette meet again. Now, she will have to choose between her first love and her commitment to her marriage vows, while her dreams, her faith, and an empire in pine hang in the balance.

GET THE GREEN VEIL

A WWII novel Not Too Heavy, Not Too Light, but Just Right--Review of The Cryptographer's Dilemma, by Johnnie Alexander

If you enjoy a vintage story with an FBI/police procedural feel and a gentle romance, you'll enjoy this August release by Johnnie Alexander. The novel introduces an entire new series that celebrates heroines of WWII.

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon

In The Crypographer’s Dilemma, Eloise Marshal, the grieving heroine, is an unassuming code developer, content behind her desk, who is pulled into the FBI, trained, and assigned to the task of decoding encrypted messages that may uncover saboteurs in the USA. She can’t do this inside her comfort zone but is partnered with Agent Phillip Clayton whom she first met in the home of his uncle. She considers Phillip arrogant and uncooperative. Of course, he's dealing with his own issues that have nothing to do with her. Their relationship takes a turn, but so does the danger as they follow a trail across the country together. I think the story especially shines when the two MCs share little quips back and forth and we see them drawn out of themselves as they are pulled closer together.



The author must have done a ton of research to bring readers this aspect of the war—the code developers and those assigned to protect the country from infiltrators bent on doing us harm. I learned about actual incidents I’d not heard of before. I recommend this engaging read, a WWII novel that is not too heavy, not too light, but just right.



I appreciate Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Frontier Fiction Fans Rejoice! A Review of "Sarah's Choice" by Pegg Thomas

Frontier fiction fans rejoice! Here’s a novel that doesn’t smooth history’s ragged edges with a 21st century file. I was totally immersed in this dramatic, heart-pounding world of life at Fort Pitt while under siege during Pontiac’s Rebellion—a brief period just when the French and Indian War ends that is seldom touched on nowadays, and probably largely forgotten by many modern readers. Pegg Thomas will take you back to that rugged wilderness in the story of Sarah Feight, a woman whose hopes and dreams are shattered in terrifying moments, and whose future is faced with shadows and decision almost unfathomable in the making. Lovers of a richly developed romance will enjoy the gentle healing story that follows. They will admire the character and strength of the hero, Leith McCully, as well as the cast of characters who people the fort. Pegg Thomas’s depth of research is evident in her portrayal of the period, the setting, and all the many historical tidbits that occurred during those bold and tragic days, despite which bring about a bright and hopeful ending that is satisfying and sumptuous in the telling. Don’t miss it!

Pre-Order Sarah's Choice Here

A Review of J'nell Ciesielski's "The Ice Swan"

The opening line grabbed me: The night burned red with the flames of revolution. J’nell Ciesielski’s latest is a vast, well-researched epic which brought to mind the famed disappearance of the princess Anastasia but with a much more favorable outcome. The novel takes readers on a terrifying flight from the palaces of a crumbling regime in Russia, to the heroic medical front of WWI and into the seedy underworld of France, and finally to reprieve on a regal estate in the highlands of Scotland. There was no telling where the story would turn next, which for me is a sure-fire way to keep me on edge and turning pages. I enjoyed the way the author delved into the thawing of the heroine’s heart and the hero refuses to be put off by her rebuffs. There was always the shadow of the past lurking, waiting to spring, even when things appeared safe and settled. Even the less likeable characters like the heroine’s own mother, added to the tension and conflict of the story.

If you enjoy dynamic romance seeped in rich history, and touching a number of aspects of WWI you might have missed, you’ll want to read The Ice Swan. (Releases July 6, 2021)

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for a preview of the book. This is my own honest opinion.

I hope you like book parties, because...

I have been mad about them this spring! And I have two more to go, but they won't both have the same giveaways involved, so don't miss either.

This Saturday, May 13th

Join me with historical fiction authors Linda Matchett, Nancy Farrier, Cathrine Ulrich Brakefield, and Vickie McDonough--contributors on the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog, as we celebrate Mid-Month Madness with some great fun and lots of books and swag giveaways!

The party will take place in two locations, with opportunities to win on both. So stop by the live Facebook event on Saturday here: https://www.facebook.com/HeroesHeroinesandHistory

and on the blog here: https://www.hhhistory.com/

THEN....

ON MAY 26TH

My final party of the season -- and possibly until year's end-- is the Colonial Quills 10-Year-Anniversary party. The format is the same as the other party with both a FB live event and blog event. There'll be more giveaways, chatter, and time to meet with fellow historical fiction and historical romance authors who've written on CQ over the last decade. 

Here's the page for the FB live event: https://www.facebook.com/colonialquills

Here's the blog: https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/

PREPARE FOR BIG NEWS DURING THE CQ EVENT!

I have a special announcement to make, and I'm giddy with excitement!

See you at the parties!

The Gospel and Cultural Diversity -- a guest post by Jenny Fulton, author of the new book "Princess Lillian and Grandpa's Goodbye"

Jenny Fulton is a special guest author on More Reason to Write today. Her brand new heart-tugging children's book, just released, helps children come to terms with the tough topic of death and eternal life in a tender and understandable way. Welcome Jenny, the author of Princess Lillian and Grandpa's Goodbye.

The Gospel and Cultural Diversity

by Jenny Fulton

Conversations about diversity, race, and inclusion seem to be everywhere. Is there room for these discussions within Christianity? What does God think about these matters?

Is there such as thing as one Christian culture that looks the same no matter where you are in the world?

Does converting to Christianity require that a person turn their back on everything related to their culture?

Does cultural diversity have any place in the kingdom of God?

From Genesis to Revelation, here are some scriptural passages and reasonings that can guide these discussions and have led me to my conclusions on these matters.

Reaching the World

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1, NASB

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world.” – Psalm 19:1-4, NASB

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” – Romans 1:20, NASB

God longs for us to see and know him. Perhaps for this reason, when he created the physical world, He poured Himself into it. He put his character on display throughout the entire earth. The sky speaks of his beauty and never-ending presence. Storms display his strength and power. Stars speak of how much God cares for each individual in the midst of countless others. The Sun tells of God’s desire and ability to bring light and life. Water describes his refreshing, life-giving presences. By means of the heaven and earth God created, he reaches out to everyone in every culture and beckons them to himself.

Foreign Followers of God

Genesis records a lineage of righteous people stemming from Adam to Abraham. For his divine purposes, God singled out a specific group of middle eastern people to work with. Through them, he would display his character to the rest of the world, bring forth the Messiah, and complete his greatest act of salvation.

However, that doesn’t mean God excluded those who were not of this people. Genesis 14:17-20 records Abraham’s interactions with a foreign king as he was traveling through the land his descendants would one day inherit.

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.” – Genesis 14:18, NASB.

In the midst of the land that God would one day give to Abraham’s descendants was a king who followed God. He reigned over a city that would one day be renamed Jerusalem. Although Melchizedek wasn’t part of “God’s chosen people,” he was chosen by God to serve him in a special way. Did the culture in Salem look exactly the same as it did among Abraham’s family? Not likely. But they served the same God. Melchizedek’s significance shows up again in the book of Hebrews (5-7).

Other foreigners in the Old Testament who followed God include King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldeans, King Darius of the Medes and Persians, and the entire city of Nineveh (from the time they repented in Jonah to when they returned to evil and God destroyed them).

Foreigners in the Lineage of Christ

The first chapter of Matthew is one of two places in which the lineage of Christ is recorded. In this account, four foreign women are mentioned.

Tamar was a Canaanite who followed the customs of the day to produce an heir for Judah and security for herself. Her actions were deemed righteous.

Rahab was a harlot in Jericho who recognized God’s hand at work in the land, lied to city officials, saved the lives of Israelite spies, and lived out her life with the Israelites. She is mentioned in Hebrews 11 in the “Hall of Faith.”

Ruth was a Moabite woman who left her home to follow Naomi back the land of Israel. “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.^[1]”

Bathsheba was first married to Uriah the Hittite, a man who proved himself to be more righteous than the king at that time. While it doesn’t specifically say if Bathsheba was an Israelite or not, she was married to one.

The relevance of these women to this discussion is this: God was already proving his love for people of all nations and including them in his story. Although he warned the Israelites countless times not to marry foreign women who would cause them to turn after other gods, the emphasis was on the second part (turn after foreign gods) rather than the first (marry foreign women).  

The Jews and the Gentiles and Allowable Differences

According to the people of Jesus’ day, there were two groups of people. The Jews and everyone else, a.k.a. the Gentiles. The book of Acts records the Holy Spirit’s movement from God’s Chosen People to everyone else whom God also loved.

·       At Pentecost (Acts 2), the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they shared the Gospel in the language of every Jew who was in Jerusalem.

·       In Acts 8, Philip was sent to an Ethiopian eunuch who was searching for the truth. After explaining the Gospel and baptizing him, Philip was taken away and the Ethiopian court official continued on his way.

·       Acts 10 records the account of the Roman centurion Cornelius who desired to follow God. Before bringing Peter to visit, God gave this loyal apostle a vision in which he showed Peter that following the Jewish food customs weren’t a necessary part of living out the Gospel. Whereas Jewish culture dictated that their people shouldn’t associate or eat with Gentiles, God showed Peter that in his kingdom, this wasn’t the case.

·       When Peter shared God’s word with the Gentiles in Caesarea, “ the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.^[2]”

·       After Saul converted to Christianity and became the apostle Paul, God sent him to minister to the Gentiles. The Gentile version of Christianity didn’t look like the Jewish version. They didn’t follow the Jewish laws and customs.

·       In Acts 15, a council was held in Jerusalem to discuss the cultural differences and practices among the two groups. Were these differences allowable or not? Could there be cultural differences within the body of believers? After a great deal of discussion, the council wrote a letter with their conclusions. “...“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”^[3]”

·       1 Corinthians continues this look at look at different practices within the body of believers. Paul’s conclusion: different practices are allowable as long as they remain within God’s moral absolutes and are done from a place of faith.     

“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do ^ainstinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,” – Romans 2:14

Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

So, does converting to Christianity require that a person turn their back on everything related to their culture?

According to Acts and 1 Corinthians (and other places), there are cultural elements which are neutral and allowable. The Roman centurion didn’t stop being a Roman or a centurion. However, his faith dictated what kind of Roman centurion he became.

However, every culture, every walk of life, has some aspects that don’t line up with God’s heart and mind. God calls all of us, from every nation and culture, to come away from that which isn’t good, from that which doesn’t reflect his character, and to draw closer to him in our hearts, minds, and actions.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may ^dprove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

From Every Nation

God is not limited to one culture and one nation. His Gospel isn’t for only one group of people. Instead, his love reaches through all of creation. It stretches into the cultures, languages, and practices of all people and calls everyone to follow him.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;” – Revelation 7:9, NASB

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16, NASB

What Do You Think?

I pray these passages may guide discussions. I’d love to know what you think and any question you have, so let me know in the comments below.

 

About the Book:

 Princess Lillian and Grandpa’s Goodbye

Can two worlds exist at the same time?

Little Princess Lillian learns the spiritual world can interact with the physical. Imaginary is used to explain a reality, how heaven reaches down to earth as a young girl observes her grandpa awaiting his entrance into his eternal home.

How do you explain death and heaven to a child?

Led through a long hall in a hospital, Princess Lillian holds her mom's hand as an angel whispers comforting words.

Incorporating bits of Native American and Christian tradition, an intimate celebration of a loved one's passing occurs as a family says good-bye to a man eager to meet his best friend, the King Above All Nations.

Purchase the Book

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

 

About the Author

Jenny Fulton is a wife, mother, children's book author, YA fantasy author, blogger, and freelance writer with a B.S. in Bible, a B.S. in elementary education, and an endorsement in K-12 ESL. After graduating from Grace University in 2007, Jenny worked as a teacher in a variety of cultural and educational settings, both abroad and in the United States. She is a storyteller, a follower of Christ, and a seeker of truth.

An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Jenny grew up hearing stories from her dad about the supernatural workings on the Navajo Reservation. Her days are now mostly spent raising her three young daughters (homeschooling two of them) and writing as much as time and opportunity allows.

Jenny is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Faithwriters.com, and is an author with Capture Books.

Connect with Jenny:

Website: https://heart-soul-mind.org/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JennyFultonWriter

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorFulton

 

---

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ru 1:16.

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ac 10:44–45.

^[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ac 15:28–29.

Bent Tree Bride ~ an Epic Romance from America's Southern Frontier ~ Book Feature

I love, love, love frontier fiction! If there is a particular genre that best stands a chance of finding a lifelong home on my bookshelf, it's historical fiction set on the American frontier. So when I had the chance to get hold of Denise Weimer's brand new release, Bent Tree Bride, you can bet I grabbed it. 

I was already familiar with the the hero in the story, Sam Hicks, as he was first introduced to readers in Denise's previous novel, The Witness Tree, but Bent Tree Bride is a stand-alone. Best of all, the book is an epic romance set in the south, in a region I'm much less familiar than I am with the great "up north", so I was prepared to learn about some rich history along the way.

The Story

Susanna Moore can’t get him out of her mind—the learned lieutenant who delivered the commission from Andrew Jackson making her father colonel of the Cherokee Regiment. But the next time she sees Lieutenant Sam Hicks, he’s leading a string of prisoners into a frontier fort, and he’s wearing the garb of a Cherokee scout rather than the suit of a white gentleman. 

As both Susanna’s father and Sam’s commanding officer, Colonel Moore couldn’t have made his directive to stay away from his daughter clearer to Sam. He wants a better match for Susanna—like the stuffy doctor who escorted her to Creek Territory. Then a suspected spy forces Moore to rely on Sam for military intelligence and Susanna’s protection, making it impossible for either to guard their heart.

My Takeaway

From the first compelling moment in her father’s library, when Susanna Moore ducks away and finds herself nose to nose with the stoic Sam Hicks, through the upheaval of a wilderness war in which both are dragged to the brink of survival, readers will root for their forbidden love to find its way. While following their adventure, devotees of history will delight in the author’s attention to detail, whether it’s the scrubbing of a pot with a corncob, or the executing of military maneuvers by a Cherokee regiment. Denise Weimer’s Bent Tree Bride presents an epic segment of history wrapped in a romance not to be forgotten.

Amazon Purchase Link

About the Author

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance and romantic suspense, mostly set in her home state of Georgia. She’s authored a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas. As a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, she also helps others reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

Connect with Denise here:

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Book Review: To Dwell Among Cedars by Connilyn Cossette

Connilyn Cossette has brought another Biblical saga to life in the pages of To Dwell Among Cedars, a story of the Ark of the Covenant and of God’s judgment, His mercy, and the redemption and forgiveness of those who feel beyond His reach. In it, she pens a stirring romance between vivid characters that come to life off the page and are not easily forgotten. (She gives them the most awesome names!) There were moments that moved a little bit slow in the earlier part of the book, but the unfolding drama and suspense heighten as the story reaches the turning point and beyond. A beautifully written novel I enjoyed very much.

When a History Lover says concerning Historical Fiction: “What’s the Point?”

I read that remark on a social media post recently. Someone was talking about writing historical fiction, and a history buff, ghosting the page, asked, “What’s the point?” as if there was no real value in reading fiction as an expression of history.

Of course, if you love historical fiction like I do, his comment rankles you as it did me. The implication that fiction has no value, no place in the world of studying history, seems both sad and blinded, doesn’t it?

I know that people love historical fiction for different reasons, but let me tell you why I love it. 

When I was growing up, I thought I hated history. It was boring. It was names, dates, and events, all taught to me in a tangled up timeline that I could not make sense of. “History” seemed too vast and limitless for me to grasp. God created…and after that, things went in so many directions through such a spread of time that I couldn’t even fathom what was happening when and how these events all gelled together.

I graduated high school still thinking that I had no interest in history.

Then came historical fiction. Suddenly, by the deft pen of an able writer, a world opened to me. A world of history in context. A world where individuals moved through day-to-day lives, ate, slept, and loved. A world of people I cared about, even though they weren’t real—because the world around them was real. I began to understand the time periods and political upheavals representative of those eras. I started seeing what individuals who lived through them might have seen and I shared in their emotional experiences.

Without context, history meant nothing, and I could only learn little from it. But once it was peopled with individuals I cared about, it meant a great deal more.

Now to clarify, real people of history—the Ben Franklins and Marie Antoinettes, the peasants and kings, the scientists, explorers, missionaries, and poets, and all the other biographical individuals—I know they’re real. Yet even most biographies written about famous and infamous individuals lack the other important factor beyond what they did within their spatial context, and that’s how they behaved in an emotional context. Fiction allows us to see them (usually from the outside) but in an emotional context.

And that is specifically why I love historical fiction. While I understand that it is peopled with made-up individuals in pretend harrowing situations, it is also surrounded by the real, the ones who lived and walked among characters, the places and events that existed in which they had to survive. And that, my friends, has made me love history.

Why do you love historical fiction, or do you still not get it?

NOTE: This month is the last chance to sign up for my newsletter if you want to get in on next month's FREE READ, a novelette that is an expanded epilogue to Mist O'er the Voyageur and a prologue to my January 2022 release of the sequel Song for the Hunter.

 

Sign up, and you'll receive The Long-Awaited Spring in my March issue of Northwoods Faith & Fiction, PLUS you won't have to wait to receive the free short story Lone River Woman.

Sign up here: Northwoods Faith & Fiction

A cheerful heart is a good medicine (Prov. 17:22)

by Guest Author Carol McClain

The last chapter of 2020 closed a few days ago, but not without promising us more heartache in 2021. Our pandemic hasn’t finished with us, and we will find more grief and hardship for many more months.

Now, aren’t you glad you decided to read this blog piece?

But my prognostication comes with hope.

Find the humor.

The very act of smiling—even a fake smile—can change your mood. Go on and give it a try. We’re all in quarantine, so no one can see you grinning when you don’t want to (unless you have your Zoom video running. PLEASE, always remember, if your camera is on, colleagues can see what you’re wearing or not wearing).

For me, humor has been my mechanism for coping. A big zit on my nose? I don’t hide it with a burqa. I tell myself, “Own it, Carol. Make it work for you.” Or I ask for Ms. Pimple for rent. I recently read a cartoon that made me laugh. It is hilarious for this ex-pat New Yorker and the jab at the mighty Empire State’s governor. 

We can find laughter from the pandemic. And laughter is a good medicine. Not only did God tell us this. The Mayo Clinic confirmed it.

According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter has the following benefits:

1. Cachinnation stimulates many organs.

2. Chuckling activates and relieves your stress response.

3. Mirth releases tension.

4. Hilarity improves your immune system (Take that, COVID-19!).

5. Got pain? Get snickering. Pain will flee (or escape my escapades in the thesaurus, or my poet’s penchant for alliteration).

6. Glee increases personal satisfaction.

7. And proving my initial point, guffawing improves your mood.

Don’t take my word for it. Check out the article.

If you don’t trust the Mayo Clinic, do a concordance check on your favorite version of Scripture.

So, here’s my shameless self-promotion. Skip this portion if you have no interest in considering my book (or you don’t mind breaking my heart). All my writing, even when dealing with intense subjects such as child slavery, drug addiction or loss, is always dosed with humor. People return to me time and again and speak how my book made them laugh (even after they cried).

This week, I’ve re-released an old book now called The Perils of Cheryl. It’s a LOL novel about divorce, dating, and the divine. One reader said her husband repeatedly asked her what was so funny as she snorted and chortled in bed reading the novel.

Once more: Don’t take my word for it. Check out The Perils of Cheryl

Also, don’t take my word about humor being biblical. Here’s another reference from Proverbs.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity;  she can laugh at the days to come” (Pr. 31:25).

To find out more about Carol McClain visit: carolmcclain.com. Aside from laughing, signing up for my email makes me happy.

Happier still is the purchase of The Perils of Cheryl.

You can connect with McClain on Facebook at: facebook.com/author.Carol.McClain

On twitter and Instagram: @carol_mcclain

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

McClain is the award-winning author of four novels. The New York Yankee on Stinking Creek is the first-place winner of The Dragonfly Book Award for best novel.

McClain writes novels about the redemption of the unredeemable. Even her most serious works are laced with humor. She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.

She is a past president of ACFW Knoxville and its current treasurer/secretary. She facilitates Postmark Writers, an offshoot of the LaFollette Art Group. She teaches online courses and is a clinical supervisor for WGU.

In addition to the above, she’s served on the Board of Connections to Recovery, an organization dedicated to keeping addicts sober. She’s mentored recovering addicts, and at one time, had been a foster mother–the complexity and difficulty of that calling proved she was better off writing about it than performing it.

(Is there nothing she can’t do?)

Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, and a budding potter.

She lives in Tennessee with her husband, kitties, and Springer spaniel, and soon will own a passel of Nigerian Dwarf goats.