Michelle Shocklee's Blog

ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW - A 2025 Christy Award Finalist!

 

I'm honored and thrilled to share that my historical 

WWII - Vietnam War era novel 

ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW 

is a Finalist in the prestigious Christy Awards!

The Christy Award celebrates excellence in Christian fiction, and honors the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community, symbolizing the best aspirations and accomplishments of writers who write from a perspective of faith and who create stories with matters of belief at their core.Winners will be announced at the Christy Award Gala Webcast Friday, November 7, 2025 at 7 PM Central.

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She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

For more information, visit Tyndale House Publishers 

or find the book at your favorite bookseller! 

Blessings, 

Michelle

THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE and A Guide to Oak Ridge, Tennessee

 

Have you ever wanted to visit the setting of a novel? 
If you're like me, when I read a book, more often than not, I come away with a strong desire to see the setting in person. It's so fun when readers let me know they've been inspired to visit the settings of my novels, which include Nashville, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Tullahoma, TN. 
My new novel THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE is set in Oak Ridge, TN. Located 20 miles from Knoxville, Oak Ridge is a quaint town tucked in the beautiful hills of East Tennessee. I had a grand time researching the history of Oak Ridge for the novel, but I also thoroughly enjoyed spending time in what was once known as a "Secret City" during World War II. Why was it secret? Because Oak Ridge is where all the uranium for the Little Boy atomic bomb was enriched before being sent to Los Alamos, NM, where the bomb was assembled.
Many of the locations I used in the book are still there, although they look a bit different than they did in 1945 and 1979. I was also happy to indulge in some delicious food at a couple local restaurants, just like some of the characters do in the story!
Readers, if you have an opportunity to visit Oak Ridge, here's a guide to some of the must-see sights, many of which are mentioned in THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE! But if you can't travel to the town, I hope you enjoy the photographs, information, and links I've included in the guide.
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STOP #1: The American Museum of Science & Energy

The American Museum of Science and Energy is a science museum in Oak Ridge, TN, designed to teach visitors about energy, especially nuclear power, and to document the role Oak Ridge played in the Manhattan Project. LOTS of fascinating information and hands-on exhibits. The museum also offers Bus Tours. 
NOTE: I will be speaking at the AMSE Nuclear Science week on October 23, 2025. Stay tuned to my social media outlets for details. 
STOP #2: The Guest House
The Guest House provided a comfortable resting place for official visitors to Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project. Well known figures including General Leslie Groves, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson spent many nights socializing and resting in the Guest House. After the war, it was used as a motor inn. Today the historic building is a Senior Living Community. 

Front porch of the Guest House
Chapel on the Hill
STOP #3: Chapel on the Hill
Completed in October 1943, this standard military chapel was one of three military chapels constructed at Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project. A Baptist minister named it “Chapel on a Hill” during a dedication prayer on September 30, 1943. In THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE , Mae attends church and a wedding at this chapel, located up the hill from the dormitories. 

STOP #4: The Tennis Courts
Tennis courts were used for more than just tennis during the war. Being one of the few places in town that was paved, tennis courts were ideal for dancing on warm summer nights when recreation halls were too hot. Mae and her friends from the dorm enjoy dancing at the tennis courts in the book. The National Park services hold dances at the tennis courts during the warmer months. The last two dances this year will be on September 18 and October 23, 2025. I'll be in Oak Ridge on October 23 and plan to dance the night away!
A view of the tennis courts from in front
of the Guest House
STOP #5: Jackson Square
Jackson Square lies at the center of the historic district, which once served as the city’s original town site. During World War II, this area was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today Jackson Square features a variety of eclectic shops, delicious restaurants, lush gardens, and historic displays.


  STOP #6:  The Swimming Pool
Prior to its construction in 1945, the site of the community swimming pool featured a small, spring-fed pond. In THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE , Mae and her roommate Sissy visit the pool and have their photograph taken by Ed Westcott, the only person allowed to take pictures of Oak Ridge during the war. The real photograph Mr. Westcott took of young women at the pool inspired my descriptions of Mae and Sissy. You can find it on the Pinterest Page I created for the book. 



STOP #6: K-25 Museum and Viewing Platform
Now we'll head out of town and go approx. 15 miles to the K-25 site. While the enormous building Mae worked in is no longer standing, visitors can see the giant "footprint" of it from the brand new viewing platform, right next to the K-25 History Center. It's astonishing to see just how big K-25 was! You don't want to miss this!
US Government photograph; public domain
A bike from K-25,
just like the one Mae rode!


STOPS #7 & #8: It's Time to Eat!
While you're in Oak Ridge, you'll want to grab a slice of delicious pizza from Big Ed's. You'll also want to take a short drive to Clinton, TN, and treat yourself to something yummy from Hoskins Drugstore & Soda Fountain. Laurel and Jonas enjoyed dining at both of these restaurants in the book. 




For more information, stop by The Oak Ridge Convention & Visitor Bureau.  You can also take a Self-Guided Walking Tour. Maps are available.

I hope you've enjoyed this virtual trip to Oak Ridge. If you get a chance to go in person, have fun visiting the Secret City!


For more information on where to purchase your copy of  THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE , a WWII - Manhattan Project story,click HERE !!

Blessings, Michelle

Why I Wrote UNDER THE TULIP TREE

Hello!

I continue to be immeasurably grateful so many new readers are discovering my historical novel

  UNDER THE TULIP TREE! 

Thank you! We're closing in on 20,000 ratings on Goodreads, and the book has been an Amazon #1 Bestseller in different categories off and on for several months now! 

Whoop!

While I fully understand there are readers who did not like the book--and that's okay!--many of you are curious as to why I chose to write about slavery. 

To answer that question, as well as many others, I made a video for a book club a few years ago that explains it all. I talk about discovering the Federal Writers Project Slave Narratives, the development of Frankie's character, and my how my own background plays a role in my desire to celebrate diversity through my novels. 

Click the link and take a listen! 

WARNING: If you haven't read the novel yet, be aware that there are a few spoiler-ish comments, although I don't give away details of the story itself. 

If you haven't read the novel yet, here's some purchase information!

Blessings,

Michelle

Link to video: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.shocklee/videos/513184534313672

What does "WITH" mean to you?

 

With.

It's not a very exciting word, is it? With is a preposition, and a preposition's job is to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. 

"Come with me to the store."

If you're like me, your focus is on the who and the where in this example. Most of us don't even notice the word with when we read it.

Recently it's gained more attention, mainly because it's being used at the end of the sentence rather than as a connector to other words. 

"Come with," or "Do you want to go with?"

As a writer, this trend bugs me, but proper usage of the word is not what this post is about. Today, I want to share how the word with has become incredibly meaningful to me lately. 

Let's start in Genesis. 

When God made Adam and Eve, he walked with them in the garden (3:8). God's desire has always been to have fellowship and relationship with us, but sin gets in the way. Adam and Eve sinned when they disobeyed God's command not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Their shame made them hide from God when they heard him walking in the garden. 

BUT...

The relationship between God and man will be fully restored according to Revelation 21:3:

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

In Luke 23:43, while Jesus is hanging on the cross, he says this to the criminal next to him:

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Thankfully, we don't have to wait until then to have a relationship with God. Matthew 1:23 says:

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel--which means 'God with us.'"

Wow! 

God loves us so much that he wants to be with us. Jesus left heaven and came to earth to be with us. While he was here, Jesus....

ate with us. sat with us. talked with us.prayed with us. walked with us. cried with us.laughed with us.did life with us. 

Yes, he did those things with the people who lived back then, but "us" also means you and me. Before Jesus returned to heaven, he said:

 "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

In John 14:16, he said:

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth."

And in Acts 1:5, Jesus tells the disciples:

"...you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

So...in a nutshell:

God was with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Jesus was with the disciples and all of humanity on earth.

The Holy Spirit is with us now. 

We will be with God on the new Earth for all eternity. 

I think "with" is my new favorite word!

Blessings, 

~Michelle

10,000!!!

 

I'm celebrating!!

My novel Under the Tulip Tree hit 10,000+ ratings on Goodreads this week!!! THANK YOU to everyone who read, rated, reviewed, and shared about this historical split-time novel. You've made it a #1 Bestseller!

To keep the party going, I'm giving away a signed copy of Under the Tulip Tree AND a signed ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of my upcoming release The Women of Oak Ridge! 

To enter the giveaway, I need a few things from you! 

FOLLOW me on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/michelleshocklee/  "LIKE" the post about the Giveaway!TAG someone in the Comments of the Giveaway post. SHARE the Giveaway post in your stories!If you're not on Instagram, you can still enter the giveaway! FOLLOW my Facebook Author Page (different from my personal page) at:   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMichelleShocklee1"LIKE" the post about the Giveaway. TAG someone in the comments of the Giveaway post.SHARE the Giveaway post on your Feed. The winner will be announced Saturday, June 21. USA residents only, please. 
For more information on Under the Tulip Tree, click HERE!
For more information on The Women of Oak Ridge (releases 9.9.25), click HERE!

Happy Reading, y'all!~Michelle

Publishers Weekly Review of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE

 I'm always grateful when Publishers Weekly 

reviews one of my books! 

Not every secret needs to be told.Some just need to be forgotten.

In the hills of Tennessee, two women work at a Manhattan Project site during World War II and uncover truths that irrevocably change their lives in this captivating new story from award-winning Southern fiction author Michelle Shocklee.

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and send money home to her impoverished family. She knows little about the work she will be doing, but she’s told it will help America win the war. Not all is what it seems, however. Though Oak Ridge employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs, Mae’s roommate begins sharing disturbing information, then disappears without a trace. Mae desperately attempts to find her but instead comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation—one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willett is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where thousands unknowingly worked on the atomic bomb. Intrigued because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt, hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research. But Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her time in the Secret City. Mae’s friends, however, offer to share their experiences, propelling Laurel on her path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman. As Laurel works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

Standalone Southern historical fiction great for fans of Lisa Wingate, Donna Everhart, and Lynn AustinA compelling dual-timeline novel set during WWII and the 1970s about the weight of secrets and the power of forgivenessIncludes discussion questions for book groupsRELEASES September 9, 2025

To PREORDER, click HERE!
To read the full PW review, click HERE!

Ladies in Red Givaway!

 IT'S A GIVEAWAY!

When it comes to eye-catching book covers, it's hard to beat an image of a heroine in bold RED clothing. So we've put together this amazing giveaway: 15 novels featuring ladies in RED on the covers, for 15 lucky readers. The covers are stunning, and so are the stories inside! 


I'm giving away a signed copy of my historical split-time novel ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW, with the lovely Ava on the cover. Set in Tullahoma, Tennessee during WWII and the Vietnam War, this split-time historical novel is a story of family, sacrifice, regret, and secrets. Here's the back-of-the-book blurb:

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.
1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

Giveaway ends May 31st and is limited to entrants with U.S. mailing addresses. 
To enter, click HERE and follow the instructions!

GOOD LUCK!!!

When GOD Says Wait

Waiting is hard. 

We wait for a lot of things in life. Jobs. A spouse. Children. Retirement. Peace. But when the thing we're waiting for is healing--for ourselves or for someone we love--the waiting can be excruciating.

This morning my Bible reading took me to Luke 13:10-17. Jesus is traveling from town to town, often teaching in the local synagogue. This time he's there on a Sabbath, the holy day of rest in Jewish custom. One did not do any work on the Sabbath and spent the day reflecting on God's goodness. 

On that particular Sabbath, a woman is in the crowd, listening to Jesus. We don't know her name. We don't know if she's married, single, or widowed. We don't know if she was with anyone or if she was alone. We don't know if she was a regular attender to synagogue or if she'd heard about Jesus and wanted to see him for herself. The latter is a possibility, considering her situation.

What is her situation?

The woman is crippled. Stooped over to the point that she hasn't stood up straight in over eighteen years! The Bible says it was caused by a spirit, and Jesus later says Satan himself had kept her bound in the affliction. I can only imagine the physical pain she's been in for all those long years. Her bones no doubt ached. Her muscles were atrophied. She couldn't sleep well. She stared at the ground whenever she walked. Then there was the emotional pain that comes with being different. Children probably made fun of her. Adults ignored her when they passed her on the streets. Words like "unclean" were whispered. She was someone to avoid. 

On the day Jesus comes to town, this woman, despite all she's been through, is in the synagogue. The very place she needed to be in order to meet Jesus face to face. Although there's much we don't know about this woman, Jesus knew everything about her! He'd heard her many prayers through the years. He knew when he walked into the synagogue that day that she would be there. 

Picture the scene in your mind: Jesus is at the center, a scroll of scripture in front of him, sharing the Good News about the Kingdom of GOD with the crowd. But in the middle of his teaching, Jesus pauses. He sees the bent woman in the women's section. He speaks to her and calls her over. He touches her with his hands. And in that moment, he heals her. 

"Woman, you are freed from your disability." And immediately she was made straight. (v. 12-13)

Everything the woman had been waiting for--for eighteen long years--became reality in a moment! Her rigid spine straightened. Her muscles grew strong. She stood in amazement...and then she glorified GOD! We don't know why she had to wait for eighteen years, but two thousand years later, her story is still being told. 

Are you waiting for something? 

Something you've been praying about for a long time? Are there times when you wonder if GOD even hears you or cares? The woman in our story probably felt the same things. Hopelessness is heavy. Fear is debilitating. Trust is hard, especially in the midst of pain. But the thing the woman didn't know that day was that eighteen years into all of the pain and heartache, she would come face to face with the Living GOD. He would see her, speak to her, touch her, and heal her. 

Jesus knew that woman, and he knows us, too. He has plans and purposes for us. Our job is to trust him while we're waiting. 

If you have a prayer need, I would be honored to pray with you. It will be kept confidential. Send me an email at: AuthorMichelleShocklee@gmail.com

In times when I've been waiting for GOD to see, speak, touch, and heal, I've found this song encouraging. I hope you do too!

Grace and peace, 

~Michelle

COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY!

 Hello, all!

I'm thrilled to share the title and cover of my upcoming 2025 release with you! 

Here she is!

Isn't she gorgeous?! I'm positively in love with the details of this cover, because it gives readers a wonderful glimpse into the story. I wasn't sure how the designer would incorporate all the fascinating historical details that make up the setting of Oak Ridge in 1944, but she surpassed my expectations! The factory you see behind Mae, the main character in the World War II story, is taken from a photograph of one of the plants that enriched uranium for the atomic bomb! 

Here's a summary of the story:

“Not every secret needs to be told. Some just need to be forgotten.”

1944. Maebelle Willett arrives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, eager to begin her new government job and earn money to send home to her family who desperately needs it. Though knowing little about the work she will be doing, she’s told it will help America win the war. With information closely guarded in Oak Ridge, employees are forbidden from discussing their jobs with anyone, so it is all the more troubling when Mae’s roommate begins sharing concerning information and then disappears without a trace. As Mae desperately attempts to locate her, she comes face-to-face with a life-altering revelation—one that comes at significant cost.

1979. Laurel Willet is a graduate student in Boston when she learns about the history of Oak Ridge, Tennessee where thousands worked unknowingly on the atomic bomb. Laurel is intrigued by this, especially because she knows her Aunt Mae was employed there. Hoping to add a family connection to her thesis research, Laurel decides to spend the summer with her aunt. She’s surprised when Mae adamantly refuses to talk about her work in the secret city. When Mae’s friends offer to share their experiences, it sets Laurel on a path to uncovering the truth about a missing woman and what really lies behind her aunt’s silence. As she works to put the pieces together, the hidden pain and guilt Mae has tried so hard to bury comes to light . . . with potentially disastrous consequences.

I had a grand time researching the history of Oak Ridge, known as a "Secret City" during World War II.  I'll share more about the fascinating history that went into the book in the coming months. 
PREORDER information will be available soon!The book will release in September 2025! 
STAY TUNED to my social media pages and this BLOG for updates!
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IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate the Cover & Title reveal of THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE, I'm giving away ONE copy of an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the book as soon as they're available. To participate in the drawing, you'll need to do a few things:  TO RECEIVE TWO ENTRIES : I want to grow my Instagram account. To receive TWO entries for the giveaway, please:1) "FOLLOW" my page 2) "LIKE" the post with the cover of  THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE  3) TAG a friend in the comments  TO RECEIVE ONE ENTRY : go to my Author Michelle Shocklee Facebook page and please: "FOLLOW" my page TAG a friend in the comments on the post with the cover of  THE WOMEN OF OAK RIDGE .  TO RECEIVE ONE ENTRY : Leave a comment on this BLOG POST and tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when I say "Oak Ridge, Tennessee." (If this is your only entry, please include a way for me to contact you.)
That's a total of up to FOUR entries available for each person!  
The GIVEAWAY ends Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM CST.USA only. Winner will be notified through Instagram or Facebook. 
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THANK YOU for helping me celebrate a new book! I can hardly wait to share this story with you!
                       ~Michelle

Happy 2025!

 

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is shocked that we're already on the 5th day of a new year! Where did 2024 go? 

Our family experienced much excitement in 2024, which I'll share in a minute. I also had a new book release, and I signed a contract with Tyndale House Publishers for more books in the future. Truly, God's blessings were abundant, and we look forward to what He has for us in 2025!

As one year comes to a close and a new one begins, I like to chose a word I hope to mediate on in the coming months. The Hebrew word for meditate is "hagah." It means to moan, growl, or mutter as you "chew" on whatever it is you're meditating on. The imagery that comes with hagah is that of a lion enjoying a fresh kill. The beast will "hagah" over the meat, gnawing, purring and moaning, with eyes half-closed in pure enjoyment. 

On December 31, I decided my word for the new year would be CONQUER. I've been reading in the Book of Revelation the past few weeks, and the English Standard Version Bible uses the word "conquer" in place of overcome or victorious used in other versions. In the seven letters to the churches, Jesus says 'to him who conquers,' he will give various wonderful blessings (Rev. 2-3). One definition of conquer is: overcome and take control of (a place or people) by use of military force. I absolutely love that, because we have an enemy in this world who is seeking to destroy us. To destroy our families. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10-18 we need to put on our "armour" every single day in order to take a stand against the enemy's schemes. I am determined to wear my armour every day and be one of those who conquer and defeat the enemy with the help of the Lord.

But on January 2, the very familiar word PRAYER captured my attention in a new way. Our church begins each year with a period of prayer and fasting, and I like to read Isaiah 58 whenever I fast. I began doing this back in 2015, and although I don't fast as regularly as I should -- in Matthew 6:16, Jesus says " when you fast," not IF you fast -- I learn something new nearly every time I read this Old Testament passage titled "True Fasting." This week, however, what I learned wasn't about fasting. It was about prayer. 

Perhaps it's because I've been in the Book of Revelation lately, but on the morning of Jan. 2, I suddenly thought about the golden bowls in heaven mentioned in Revelation 5:8. There, the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures are holding harps and "bowls full of incense, that are the prayers of God's people." That means that when our prayers, spoken with humility and in true surrender to God, leave our mouths or thoughts, they wing their way to heaven where they are collected in golden bowls. They become eternal. 

WOW!!! 

Because of this "wow," I now have a brand new appreciation and reverence for what prayer should be. Like most people, I have times when my prayers are deep and worshipful, while other times it's a few words spoken in haste as I rush through my day. But when we recognize that our prayers are being collected in heavenly bowls and are like incense--a pleasing aroma--to God the Father, that should make us stop and consider the importance and true honor it is to speak directly to the One who sits on His throne in heaven. Our words don't need to be eloquent or memorized, but simply words spoken to our Father from our hearts.

My prayer bowl full of Words from past years.

So, I have two words to mediate on in 2025: Conquer and Prayer. 

Do you choose a word for the new year? 

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And they lived happily ever after...

Our family celebrated two weddings in 2024! Both of our sons were blessed to marry the girl of their dreams. Hubby and I couldn't be happier.

 

Congratulations to Taylor and Erica!

Congratulations to Austin and Kaley!

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BOOK NEWS! 

My latest novel, All We Thought We Knew, released in October 2024 and is available online or in bookstores. Set on a Tennessee horse farm during World War II and the Vietnam War, the story is centered on the Taylor family and everything they face during each war. Visit my website for purchase options.  

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

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My next novel will release  in September 2025!

I hope to have a Cover & Title Reveal soon! Stay tuned to this blog and to my social media pages!

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IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate a new year, I'm giving away a signed copy of ONE of my four books shown at the top of this Blog! 

To enter, you need to do TWO things:  

1. Leave a comment on this Blog page and tell me what you're most looking forward to in the new year. Be sure to include a way for me to contact you (via social media or email). 

2. Follow me on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/michelleshocklee/ 

OR if you don't have an Instagram account,

Follow me on my Author Facebook page  (which is different from my personal Facebook page):

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMichelleShocklee1

Prize winner will be announced January 12, 2025.

USA only, please. 

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May you and yours have a very Happy 2025!

Blessings,

Michelle