Linda Shenton Matchett's Blog, page 84

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kimberly Rose Johnson

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kimberly Rose Johnson
I love a good mystery, and I know you do too, so I'm thrilled to welcome Kimberly Rose Johnson to my blog today to talk about her latest release, The Sleuth's Miscalculation. Grab a cuppa and join us!


Linda:  Thanks for stopping by my blog, and congratulations on your latest release TheSleuth’s Miscalculation. What was your inspiration for this particular story?
Kimberly: Hi, Linda. Thanks for having me on your blog! Nancy Drew books inspired this story, which is the first in a series. My heroine, Nancy Daley, is the town librarian and the sleuth. She will be a point of view character in every book.
LM:  What a great idea. I loved reading Nancy Drew as a child. How do you decide where to set a story?
Kimberly: I like to use fictional towns so I have complete creative license over the story world. Lately, I’ve been setting my books in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which is where I live.
LM: Lots of research goes into each story to ensure accuracy. What is an “aha” or “wow” moment you had while conducting research for one of your books?
Kimberly: Believe it or not, part of my research was reading Nancy Drew books. I was more of a Hardy Boys girl growing up, but I’ve really enjoyed the Nancy Drew books as an adult. I don’t do a lot of research in advance of writing. So when something comes up in the story that I need to know I either stop writing and research it, or leave a note for myself to come back after I’ve visited such and such.
LM:  You’re a prolific writer. Have you ever experienced writer’s block, and if so, what did you do to push through it?
Kimberly: Unfortunately, yes. How I deal with it really depends on the situation. Sometimes it’s a matter of creative fatigue, and I need a break. I give myself permission to take a short nap, or read some fiction, which usually gets my creative juices flowing again.
When I write myself into a corner and I don’t know how to get out of it, I have been known to cut thousands of words to get back on track. I’m a pantster, which means I don’t plot ahead very much. I start with a story idea and generally know where I want the story to go, and how I want it to end, but everything in between is a mystery to me until I’m actually writing. Most of the time being a panster works well for me, but not always.
LM: Who are some of your writing “heroes?” 

Kimberly: This could be dangerous because I know I’ll forget someone, but I’ll give it a whirl. I admire Margaret Daley, Dee Henderson, JoAnn Durgin and more. It’s really tough to name names.
LM: Here are some quickies:
Kimberly:Favorite childhood book: Can I get there by Candlelight? By Jean Slaughter Doty. This is a story about a girl and her horse. They travel into the past when she steps through an iron gate in the woods. I still have this on my bookshelf. Telling you about it makes me want to read it again. J
Favorite season: Fall
Favorite place to vacation: Disney World
LM: What is your next project?
Kimberly:  I am going back and forth between my romantic mystery series and a contemporary romance series. The next book I need to write is for my Brides of Seattle series title TBD. 
LM: Where can folks find you on the web?
Kimberly: http://www.kimberlyrjohnson.com is my website and all my links are there. I would love for readers to follow me on BookBub and/or Amazon.
Thanks again for hosting me!
Book Blurb: Librarian Nancy Daley loves a good mystery and enjoys moonlighting as a consultant for the sheriff's department. When license plates go missing in Tilton County, she's on the case. This time things are different - she's been partnered with the new deputy, and he's not interested in her help. To make matters worse, she's angered the wrong person and now she's being threatened.
Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton County to be a sleepy small-town, but he's miscalculated. He'd come to town for a fresh start with his nephew-one without the issues big cities deal with. Had he made a mistake? To complicate matters, he told he must consult with the sheriff's daughter who is not in law enforcement. When the minor case they are working on morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary.
Can they solve the mystery before it's too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction?
Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C5S8ZL6

Traveling Tuesday: Ohio Does its Bit

Traveling Tuesday: Ohio Does its Bit


I recently read Tamera Lynn Kraft’s Red Sky Over America, a novel about Oberlin College, and the role it played during the Civil War. The book’s Afterward included lots of information about the college and Ohio’s stance on slavery. Fascinated, I got to wondering about how Ohio contributed to WWII, another war that heavily impacted the U.S.
The war hit Ohio immediately when it took dozens of its citizens during the attack at Pearl Harbor. Three Ohioans were posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroism during the incident, including Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Machinst’s First Mate First Class Robert R, Scott, and Seaman First Class James Richard Ward. About twelve percent of the state’s population served in the armed forces during the war. Of that number approximately 23,000 lost their lives, making the ultimate sacrifice.
Like many other states, Ohio’s manufacturing plants were converted from civilian to defense industry production. (Click for photos of a Tire Plant Conversion). One of those businesses was Willys-Overland Motor Company, now famous for its Jeeps.
In 1940, the government asked over 130 automobile companies to submit designs for a lightweight vehicle that could travel over numerous types of terrain. The challenge included a deadline of just forty-nine days. Willys-Overland was the second of two companies that succeed in making a submission. The government initially chose Bantam as the winner, but Bantam’s facilities were too small and unable to meet the demand. Given Bantam’s design, Willy-Overland made modifications that included a larger engine. These changes enabled them to win the contract. As a result, they produced almost half of the 700,000 jeeps manufactured during the war.
Goodyear Aircraft Company located in Akron also participating in producing wartime materiel by manufacturing 104 airships for the military. The plant also manufactured the F4U Corsair for the Navy. From its humble beginnings of thirty-nine employees, Goodyear grew to over thirty-five thousand employees by 1942.
During the war, the US Army Air Force created numerous airfields in Ohio to train pilots and aircrews of fighter planes and bombers. After the war, some were converted to municipal airports, while others reverted to agricultural fields. Others remained as installations during the Cold War.
As with citizens all over the country, Ohioans collected scrap, grew victory gardens, and lived with rationing. They purchased war bonds, operated Red Cross and USO centers, and performed myriad Civil Defense duties. Their men went to war or worked in the defense industry, and their women joined the ranks of the employed, doing their bit to ensure the future of freedom.

Blog Tour: The Captured Bride

Blog Tour: The Captured Bride

About the Book Title: The Captured Bride  
Author: Michelle Griep  
Release Date: June 1, 2018  
Genre: Historical Romance

A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart. Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought. Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

Click here to purchase your copy!My ThoughtsThe Captured Bride is an exciting, fast-paced story that contains a wonderful mixture of mystery and romance. The two main characters, Mercy and Elias are complex, realistic, and I loved both of them. Mercy is strong-willed yet struggles with insecurities and guilt. Elias deals with feelings of failure and regret. As much as I love history, I don’t know more than the basics about the colonial days in America, so I greatly enjoyed the information the author weaves throughout the story. There is also an afterward that contains additional interesting historic facts. The author uses all the senses in her descriptions giving me the ability to smell the forests, horses, and campfires; hear the jingle of bridles, bird song, and raging rivers; and feel the rain on my face. The time period is rustic and rugged, and there are some violent scenes, but they are not gory or gratuitous. I was breathless by the end of the book and look forward to reading it again and again.
I received a copy of the book for free from CelebrateLit Publicity, and a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, Undercurrent and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Guest Post from MichelleA Visit to Fort Niagara  

Whether you’re a history buff or don’t have a clue what the French and Indian War was about, there’s a destination in upstate New York that’s fun to visit for the whole family . . .

My husband and I made the trek to this living history site last summer. I had no idea what to expect, other than what was advertised as a “reenactment camp.” For those who don’t know, this is when volunteers who adore history come together to present a particular event, such as a battle. These people usually choose a real person from the era upon whom they fashion their modern day persona. They dress, speak, eat and live as that person might have. Here I am with some of my new friends.

Generally around the 4th of July, the 1759 Battle of Fort Niagara is recreated in a 3-day extravaganza of soldiers, muskets, canons and an entire market place to peruse selling period-related items. Some of the things that surprised me about stepping back into the mid-eighteenth century were:
How much smoke muskets kick outOnce the battle begins, it’s hard to see who is your enemy or allyCanons are really loudEverything wasn’t as black and white as it seems in pictures—gowns and uniforms were very colorfulWhat makes this event so spectacular is that they take the entire 20 day siege and condense it into 3 days. If you visit every day, you’ll see and experience exactly what happened. You’ll be there to see the British, Colonial regulars and Iroquois allies sneak out of the tree line to shoot at some French soldiers who were pigeon hunting just outside the fort. You’ll hear the war whoops and barrage of angry French epithets roaring on the air. You’ll even get a chance to taste some of their food as you wander around inside the French Encampment set up inside the fort walls. To experience a bit of the danger, sights and sounds of what Mercy and Elias lived through in The Captured Bride , Fort Niagara really is a fantastic place to visit.
Blog StopsJune 10: Inklings and NotionsJune 10: Just the Write EscapeJune 11: Faithfully BookishJune 11: The Power of WordsJune 11: Genesis 5020June 11: Baker KellaJune 12: My Writer's LifeJune 12: Christian Chick's ThoughtsJune 12: Luv'n Lambert LifeJune 13: Among the ReadsJune 13: Book by BookJune 13: D's Quilts and BooksJune 14: Moments Dipped in InkJune 14: Splashes of JoyJune 14: Artistic NobodyJune 14: Bibliophile ReviewsJune 15: Pause for TalesJune 15: All-of-a-kind MomJune 15: Mary HakeJune 15: Big Reader SiteJune 16: Connie's History ClassroomJune 16: Simple Harvest ReadsJune 16: Two Points of InterestJune 17: The Christian Fiction GirlJune 17: Day Song ReflectionsJune 17: Novels CornerJune 18: Kathleen DenlyJune 18: A Reader's BrainJune 18: RemembrancyJune 19: Proud to be an Autism MomJune 19: Texas Book-aholicJune 19: Christian author, J.E. GraceJune 20: Reading is my superpowerJune 20: Red Headed Book LadyJune 20: Margaret KazmierczakJune 20: MommynificentJune 21: Debbie's Dusty DeliberationsJune 21: Janice's Book ReviewsJune 21: Jeanette's ThoughtsJune 22: With a Joyful NoiseJune 22: Pink Granny's JourneyJune 22: Carpe DiemGiveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize of a signed copy of The Captured Bride and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card!!

Click below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d06e/the-captured-bride-celebration-tour-giveaway

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Editor/Writer Tisha Martin

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Editor/Writer Tisha Martin
I'm sitting down today with writer and editor Tisha Martin. Grab your favorite beverage and join us!
LM: I read your delightful short story Puddle of Remorse. Where did you get your inspiration for the story?
Tisha: First off, it’s great to be here, Linda! Thanks for letting me join the blog today! So glad you read Puddle of Remorsebecause I enjoyed writing it. Great question! In college, I was sharing a meal with friends, and one of my friends told of her adopted deaf sister who got into heaps of trouble. I don’t remember what the little girl got in trouble for, but it inspired me to write the story. Plus, the Deaf culture is close to my heart because I have a deaf twin sister. (Even though she didn’t act like Bevy in my story, she was cantankerous. She chased me and my siblings with a garden snake one summer. . .)

Linda:  Ha! Siblings can be a challenge! You are both author and editor. How difficult is it to turn off your internal editor when you are writing?
Tisha: Haha, great question! Want to know the startling truth? I can’t. That’s why I do both! However, when I’m writing a scene and I know there’s issues to fix, I make a Comment in the page margin and I keep writing. It also helps that I think a lot about my topic before I write, so that I’m able to write more when I actually do sit down and write.
LM: What writers influence you the most?
Tisha: Ha! That’s a dangerous question . . . because you may get a huge list. If I had to choose, I’d have to say Sarah Sundin, Judith Pella, Cindy McCormick Martinusen, and Vian Smith, to name a small few. But really, following agent blogs, reading my authors’ manuscripts, and learning about editing have helped my writing tremendously. I love learning from others!
LM: Here are some quickies:
Favorite Color: Every shade of green (except grass and forest greens)Favorite Place to vacation: Um…wow, I don’t know! I’d love to vacation on Mackinac Island, Prince Edward Island, or travel to all the national museums in the US.Favorite Food: Mashed potatoes
LM: What are your passions outside of writing?
Tisha: I love to garden, sew, read, ride horses, and guest blogging. And edit (oh wait, that’s my day job! Seriously, though, it’s an equal passion!).
LM: What advice can you give to not-yet-published writers?
Tisha: I’m so happy you asked! Love encouraging not-yet-published writers! If I could share two pieces of advice: 1. Develop a teachable spirit because we don’t know everything, and agents, editors, and publishers are there not to condemn us or our writing but to help us and encourage us to be the best author we can be and to write the best book that God has given us. 2. Start building your platform now. It’s crucial to our writing career. Platform is a fancy way of saying “relationships.” Think of it as a conversation with someone in the grocery store or the library, only it’s on social media. People like to talk about food and books.

Wartime Wednesday: “He who works with his arms”

Wartime Wednesday: “He who works with his arms”

One does not have to be a scholar to understand that WWII impacted American society on many levels. The massive number of women who entered the workforce is a topic often discussed as having major repercussions. But in the early days of the war, company vacancies could be filled by doubling up a man’s workload. For the women, it was more acceptable for them to volunteer than take a job, so grandmothers, mothers, and daughters doled out donuts for the Red Cross, danced with young men at the USO, acted as airplane spotters, air raid wardens, and messenger girls.
But as the war ground on, more and more men were called up or chose to enlist. The agricultural industry was hit particularly hard as more than six million men left the farms that fed not only Americans, but her troops and her allies. With crops rotting in the fields, the Federal government struggled to find an answer. Despite a rallying cry from journalists, celebrities, and even first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to use women to fill the vacancies, farmers and the Department of Agriculture sought any answer but that one. In fact, prisoners and prisoners of war were preferred over women! It took until 1943 to create the Women’s Land Army.
Enter the Bracero Agreement.
The word ‘bracero’ is a Spanish word that literally translated means ‘he who works with his arms.’ A  highly controversial program, the Bracero bill was signed on August 4, 1942 and operated as a joint program with the State Department, Department of Labor, and Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Months were required to hammer out the details that included how recruiting would be conducted, living conditions in the labor camps, salaries, and food. Laws were also implemented that dictated what the braceros could (perform manual labor) and couldn’t (drive tractors or machinery) do. The agreement also stated that the Mexican workers couldn’t be subjected to discrimination or be excluded from “whites only” areas.
“Guest workers,” as they were called, came from Mexico to work the farms on contracts lasting from six weeks to six months, after which the young men would return home. Despite being a “temporary” solution to solve the labor shortage during the war, the program remained in place until 1964. Ultimately, reports indicate that the braceros accounted for less than ten percent of the hired workforce between 1942 and 1947.

Blog Tour: Red Sky Over America

Blog Tour: Red Sky Over America


About the Book

Title: Red Sky over America  
Author: Tamera Lynn Kraft  
Genre: Christian Historical Romance  
Release Date: February 11, 2018

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves. America’s classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.
Click here to purchase your copy!My ThoughtsSet during the turbulent time of the Civil War, Red Sky Over America is a powerful story that explores how the war divided families, churches, and communities because of different beliefs about states’ rights and slavery. Playing off the expression “Red sky at night, sailors delight…” the title does an excellent job of capturing the effect the time period had on America the character and America the country. I struggled a bit to relate to the protagonist, America, because she waffled between sticking to her convictions about abolition and adhering to social customs and her father’s mindset, but she was very much a product of her time. Several points of view were used to tell the story, including one of the slaves, which I enjoyed and effectively immersed me into the era and personal situations of the characters. Colloquial dialogue was used, but not to the point of being distracting. Even though I am well-versed in the Civil War era, I was unfamiliar with the role played by Ohio and Oberlin College. The author wove lots of interesting information throughout the story without being textbookish or dry. I was disappointed that every slave owner in the book was portrayed as evil and/or unfeeling and somewhat cliché. Because of the subject matter, there are periodic episodes of violence, and although difficult to read, are not gratuitous. This is the first in a series, and I look forward to the next book.
I received a copy of this book for free from CelebrateLit Publicity, and a favorable review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.About the Author Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’s been married for 39 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren. Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

Guest posts from Tamera Lynn Kraft100 Steps to Freedom

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Before the Civil War, Ohio had the largest Underground Railroad of any state in the Union. It is believed that every county in Ohio had a route. Many slaves would escape over the Ohio River and through Ohio on their way to Canada. This was a dangerous undertaking because, even though Ohio was a free state, the Fugitive Slave Law made it so anyone helping escaped slaves could be fined and jailed.

One small town, Ripley, Ohio, is believed to have helped more slaves escape than any town in Ohio. Ripley is located on the banks of the Ohio River across from Mason County, Kentucky.

One man who helped slaves escape was a freed black man named John Parker. Parker was educated by his master in Virginia and eventually bought his freedom. He traveled to Ohio and opened a foundry on Front Street facing the Ohio River. He was the first black man to earn a patent for one of the inventions he used in his foundry. At night, he would search the Ohio River looking for escaped slaves and helping them find their way to an Underground Railroad Station.

Rev. John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister, owned a house on top of a hill in Ripley. He built one hundred steps to the house that could be seen on the other side of the river. At night, he would light a lantern and hang it from the porch to signal slaves that it was safe to cross. It is estimated that over 2,000 slaves escaped through the Rankin House. None of them were ever recaptured. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote her famous novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, about the escape of the slave, Eliza, after hearing the story from Rev. Rankin.

Rev. John Rankin’s house is in my novel, Red Sky Over America. John Parker also is introduced as a minor character. The story takes place on the Ohio River in Kentucky across from Ripley where all these exciting events happened.

Oberlin College: A School Ahead of Its Time

My current novel series, Ladies of Oberlin, is about 3 women roommates who graduated from one of the most amazing colleges in American history, Oberlin College. Book 1, Red Sky Over America focuses on America, a woman attending Oberlin who is an abolitionist studying to become a missionary. The problem is her father is a slave owner. Here’s a little bit about this amazing college. 

Oberlin College, founded in 1833 in Northern Ohio, was a college ahead of its time in many ways. In 1835, it became the first college in the United States to regularly admit African Americans. It’s also the oldest co-educational college in the US. In 1837, it admitted four women, three of whom graduated and earned a college degree. Mary Jane Patterson, another Obeberlin graduate, became the first African American woman in 1862 to earn a Bachelor of Arts college degree.

One of Oberlin’s founders once bragged that “Oberlin is peculiar in that which is good”. Oberlin was peculiar in many ways in advancing the causes of the time. Charles Finney, the second president of the college, helped it earn its controversial reputation. He was the fiery evangelist of the Second Great Awakening, a Christian revivalist movement in the early and mid 1800s.

Oberlin College was the hotbed of abolitionist activity and a stop for the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was once called “the town that started the Civil War” because of its participation in the Oberlin Wellington Rescue in 1858. Slave catchers came to Oberlin to capture an escaped slave and return him to Kentucky. Most of the town came to the slave’s aid and rescued him. For their trouble, over twenty were arrested and put on trial for violating the Fugitive Slave Act. During the raid on Harper’s Ferry by John Brown, three men from Oberlin participated.

Oberlin College was also well known for the women who graduated from the college and participated in the suffrage and prohibition movements. Lucy Stone, considered a pioneer for the women’s movement, graduated from Oberlin College in 1847.

Oberlin was also very well known in the missionary movement of the late 1800s. Between 1860 and 1900, 90% of missionaries sent overseas by the American Missionary Society were graduates of Oberlin College. Between 1899 and 1901, thirteen missionaries from Oberlin were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion of China. An arch in Tappan Square at the center of Oberlin pays honor to their sacrifices.
Blog Stops
Here are Tamera's Remaining Blog Stops:
June 3: Ansel Book BlogJune 4: Artistic NobodyJune 4: Big Reader SiteJune 5: Christian Author, J.E. GraceJune 6: Simple Harvest ReadsJune 6: Reading is my SuperpowerJune 7: Two Points of InterestJune 7: Margaret KazmierczakJune 8: A Baker's PerspectiveJune 9: Pause for TalesJune 9: Red Headed Book LadyJune 10: Bibliophile ReviewsJune 11: Texas Book-aholicJune 11: Have a Wonderful DayGiveaway















To celebrate her tour, Tamera is giving away a themed basket with autographed books of Resurrection of Hope, Alice’s Notions, Red Sky Over America, a copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (the book is mentioned in the novel) and a copy of Then Sings My Soul (stories about the hymns), plus a $10 Amazon Card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cebb/red-sky-over-america-celebration-tour-giveaway

A Place to Call Home: A book review

A Place to Call Home: A book review
I read one contemporary novel for every eight or ten historic fiction books I read. As most of you know or at least may have figured out based on the title of my blog (History, Mystery & Faith) I'm a history geek. I love to research, write, and read about the past, especially the World War II era. But as a member of the CelebrateLit blogging team, I periodically chose to try a new author or review a book about a contemporary book with a plot line or topic that intrigues me.

Such was the case with Merrillee Whern's A Place to Call Home. I love books about second chances-in fact that is a theme that is often found in my own books, so when I saw the blurb for Merrillee's book, I jumped at the chance to read it. The male protagonist, Kurt Jansen, is released from prison after serving six years for the false charge of killing his wife. With a secret of her own, female protagonist, Molly Finnerty, hires him to renovate her home. Can you see why I wanted to read this book? Here are my thoughts about it:

Author Merrillee Whren
A Place to Call Home is the first book by Merrillee Whren I have read, and it won’t be the last. The protagonists Kurt Jansen and Molly Finnerty are complex and realistic characters that I really liked and related to. I enjoyed the fact that Kurt’s and Molly’s pasts are handled differently in the book. The premise of the story is that Kurt is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Molly also has secrets that are fed to the reader bit by bit, and often in response to something that has happened to Kurt. The story hooked me immediately, and was well-researched. Other than a few repetitive words (lots of wry smiles), the writing flows well and the dialogue is natural. Kurt’s kids are precocious without being obnoxious, and the minor characters are sufficiently developed. The mystery is mostly solved off stage and gives a satisfactory ending to the story.
I received a copy of the book for free from CelebrateLit Publicity, and a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.
Book Blurb:After serving six years in prison for the false charge of manslaughter in the death of his wife, Kurt Jansen must overcome a world of bitterness if he wants to start a new life. But his first priority is securing a restoration job to pay a private investigator to find the real killer and a lawyer to get his kids back.
Hiring a convicted wife-killer isn't what kind-hearted Molly Finnerty bargains for as part of the prison ministry she supports. However, she begins to believe Kurt's claim of innocence and gradually finds a great deal to like about him-perhaps more to like than she should.
Can they overcome the past and find forgiveness and love?
Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CCTO9BS

Wartime Wednesday: Mr. Walker and the Postal Code System

Wartime Wednesday: Mr. Walker and the Postal Code System

In these days of email, electronic billing, and online bill paying, it may be difficult for some to realize that at one point in our history over twenty-eight billion pieces of mail were sorted each year without benefit of zip codes. By 1943, that number had increased to thirty-three million pieces of mail. In addition, the ranks of postal workers were depleted as men left for the armed forces, either by enlistment or draft. As a result, hordes of incoming inexperienced clerks filled the vacancies, slowing down the sorting and delivery process.
Postmaster General Frank C. Walker created the postal code system to alleviate the issue. A lawyer by training, Walker opened a practice with this brother until 1913 when he was elected to a term as a Montana state representative. He then enlisted in the Army during WWI and saw action on the Western Front. After the war, he returned home to his law firm until 1925 when Walker moved to New York City where he managed and was general counsel for a chain of movie theatres owned by his cousin.
It is curious that he appears to be apolitical until 1931 when he co-founded the Roosevelt for President Society. I could find no record of his interest in politics or any sort of life-changing event that might cause him to enter the political arena. A year later, he became treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, and two years after that he was appointed Secretary of the National Emergency Council (a New Deal agency). By 1940, he was Postmaster General.
The one and two digit postal code system Walker devised was primarily implemented for large cities and heavily populated areas, creating 124 zones; e.g., “Minneapolis 16, Minnesota or “Birmingham 7, Alabama” where numbers sixteen and seven indicated a particular zone within those cities. The codes caught on quickly and remained in place until 1963 with the introduction of the five digit zip code (Zone Improvement Plan).

Blog Tour: Together Forever

Blog Tour: Together Forever


About the Book  Title: Together Forever, Orphan Train Book 2  
Author: Jody Hedlund  
Genre: Inspirational historical romance  
Release Date: May, 2018

Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children’s Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she’ll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited. Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won’t go away–and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Click here to purchase your copy!My ThoughtsTogether Forever is a well-written novel that includes a little of everything-history, intrigue, and romance. I was drawn into the story with the first sentence, and finished the book in just a few sittings. I fell in love with Drew whose heart of children, integrity, and faith in God fights with his feelings of guilt and self-doubt. Marianne also struggles with her own gilt which creates a delicious tension between her and Drew. I love historic novels that educate me, and Together Forever did not disappoint. I learned about the orphan trains of the mid-1800s and life in the Old West, which intrigued me enough to do follow up research. Dialogue and description effectively immersed me into the era. This is the second book in the series, and I easily read it without having read the first book. Those who enjoy the Civil War era, the Old West, and historic fiction in general should like this book. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, educational, and encouraging book for the summer, look no further!
I was given a copy of this book for free from CelebrateLit Publicity, and a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher’s Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.

Guest Post from Jody Hedlund 30,000 Abandoned Children

Imagine a city where 30,000 abandoned and homeless children live on the streets. Sounds like something from a futuristic dystopian novel, doesn’t it? Or something that might happen after a war or apocalypse or major disaster, right? This exact thing actually happened in the 1850’s. And the city was New York City. It’s hard to believe, but an estimated 30,000 homeless children roamed the dirty city streets and alleys of New York City. 30,000. Children. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s the size of a town. Historians look back on that time and try to make sense what led to such horrific conditions for children. Of course, the influx of immigrants was at an all time high. Jobs and housing were scarce. Diseases were rampant. Hunger and poverty became a norm. (Orphan Train Depot) 

As more and more people became aware of the enormous problem within the crowded slums, courageous heroes rose up and attempted to do their part to make a difference. While we may not always agree with the methods that were used to save the thousands of homeless children, we can admire the men and women who could no longer sit idly by. The Children’s Aid Society was started by Charles Loring Brace as one such attempt to help the hordes of homeless children. His “Emigration Plan” is better known today by the term “Orphan Trains.”


My latest series tackles various elements of the orphan train movement. Together Forever , releasing in May, highlights the placing agents, those devoted people who rode the trains with the orphans. The agents spent weeks and months on the road caring for the children, all the while trying to place them in loving homes. (If you’d like to try out the series, start with my FREE novella, An Awakened Heart .) Like the brave men and women who came before us, may we always strive to do our part to make a difference!


Blog StopsHere are Jody's remaining blog stops:
May 28: A Baker's PerspectiveMay 28: Simple Harvest ReadsMay 29: Faithfully BookishMay 29: God's Little BookwormMay 29: Christian Chick's ThoughtsMay 30: Cover to Cover and Everything In BetweenMay 30: Neverending StoriesMay 30: Maureen's MusingsMay 30: Big Reader SiteMay 31: Inklings and NotionsMay 31: To Everything There is a SeasonMay 31: To Points of InterestMay 31: Christian Author, J.E. GraceJune 1: Have a Wonderful DayJune 1: Lighthouse AcademyJune 1: Godly Book ReviewsJune 2: Redheaded Book LadyJune 2: For the Love of BooksJune 2: Vicky SluiterJune 3: Proud to be an Autism MomJune 3: Bibliophile ReviewsJune 3: Texas Book-aholicJune 4: Connie's History ClassroomJune 4: Pause for TalesJune 4: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly KissesJune 4: Reader's Cozy CornerGiveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Click below to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/cee5/together-forever-celebration-tour-giveaway

Story Sparks Multi-author Giveaway: Last but not Least Linda Shenton Matchett

Story Sparks Multi-author Giveaway: Last but not Least Linda Shenton Matchett
Welcome to the final stop of the Story Sparks Multi-author Blog Tour. May 21-26, 2018 readers get a chance to enter and win ebooks from six different authors. Linda Shenton Matchett is today’s featured author. One lucky winner will receive a copy Love’s Harvest. Today, Linda will be talking about History, Mystery, and Faith. Read on to discover what sparks Linda’s creativity and to enter the rafflecopter to win her heartwarming retelling of the biblical book of Ruth.
I’ve been making up stories since I was young. In fact, I recently found my notebooks from back then and had quite a laugh reading my childish scrawl and teenaged angst. Even then, my fertile imagination was apparent.
During interviews and speaking engagements I’m often asked where I get my ideas. The short answer is: I find them everywhere. But that’s not very informative, so I’ll let you in on my secret. I’m constantly on the lookout for “what-if” kernels-sparks, if you will.
For example, if I’m in a public location I people-watch. Not in a creepy, stalker kind of way, but rather “I wonder what those two people are talking about because one of them looks happy-sad-stressed-angry-insert-other-emotion.” In fact, I can usually lasso my husband into the game when he’s with me.
Other things that spark my imagination are newspaper or magazine articles, books or movies I think should have ended or been written differently, historical events, and incidents that happen to me, my family, or friends.
Here are the sparks for each of my books:
Love’s Harvest: I got the idea to write a modern retelling of Ruth from Francine Rivers’ book Redeeming Love which is based on the book of Hosea.
Love Found in Sherwood Forest: The Love Inspired line was open for submissions. They provided myriad locations and trios of objects from which authors could select. (e.g., England, arrows, flowers, and a secret passage or Virginia, a winery, an antique car, and a stolen painting). LI didn’t pick up my story, but another publisher did.
On the Rails: We visited the Grand Canyon about ten years ago where I learned about the Harvey Girls-young women who traveled from the East to be waitresses for the Fred Harvey Restaurant Company during the late 1800s and early 1900s. I was intrigued and did a bunch of research which led me to some of the women’s memoirs.
A Love Not Forgotten: I was asked by a publisher to write a story that culminated with a Spring wedding. While brainstorming, I saw a sitcom on which one of the characters was hit on the head resulting in amnesia.
A Doctor in the House: I read a book about the English country homes that were requisitioned by the government for use as barracks, hospitals, evacuee centers, etc. Combined with learning about Dr. Margaret Craighill, the first female Army doctor during WWII and reading accounts where the Americans were criticized for “being late to the last war, and late to this one,” I knew I had my story.
Under Fire: This is one of the first manuscripts I wrote, and it came about as a result of my coursework with Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild and attendance at the Crimebake Mystery Writers’ Conference. Classes about brainstorming and panel discussions ignited several ideas that culminated in the eventual plot.
See how easy it is? Take a look around today, and make a list of how many sparks you find.
   Love’s Harvest:Noreen Hirsch loses everything including her husband and two sons. Then her adopted country goes to war with her homeland. Has God abandoned her?
Rosa Hirsch barely adjusts to being a bride before she is widowed. She gives up her citizenship to accompany her mother-in-law to her home country. Can Rosa find acceptance among strangers who hate her belligerent nation?
Basil Quincey is rich beyond his wildest dreams, but loneliness stalks him. Can he find a woman who loves him and not his money?
Three people. One God who can raise hope from the ashes of despair.
Linda's Links:Sign Up for Linda's Newsletter: Newsletter sign upFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlindamatchettPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchettBlog: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett
Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/dp/B01DMB3ZX2
Rafflecopter Entry: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/edit/1/