Carrie Turansky's Blog, page 27

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Friends,

I want to thank you for your support, encouragement, and kind reveiws of my books! I appreciate every reader who invests their time reading my stories. I hope they are a blessing and encouragement to you.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy decorating the house, setting a pretty table, and sharing the day with family and friends. I look forward to making some of our family’s favorite dishes for our Thanksgiving meal. We’ll be roasting a turkey and making stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and 7-layer salad. For dessert I’m making a gluten-free apple pie and mini pumpkin tarts.

Melissa decorating the 7-Layer Salad

Creating the 7-Layer Salad is a fun project you might like to try. We cut colorful peppers into small squares, and then use them to add a special design to the top of hte salad. The design usually relats to some event in our family that year. We’ve featured the flag of Sudan when our daughter Melissa and her husband Peter were working there. The year our son Ben married Galan, we created a design with wedding bells and their initials. Last year we topped the salad with the name of our daughters’, Megan and Lizzy’s, new business, Dog Wash Depot. I’m smiling just thinking of all the fun we’ve had. Here’s a link to the recipe and some photos of our celebration.

No matter what the circumstances are for you this year . . . there is always one thing that never changes . . . and it’s always a great reason to be thankful:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34

I hope your Thanksgiving is fun and relaxing and you enjoy some good food and fun times with family and friends. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Carrie

Escape to England Giveaway

Hi Friends,  Just a quick note to tell you about a fun giveaway that’s going on now through December 1. I’ve teamed up with English historical authors Julie Klassen and Sarah Ladd to connect with readers and giveaway some books and prizes!

Entering is easy. Just follow the link at the end of this blog post to our giveaway page on Facebook. Fill out the Rafflecopter form there and you could win a copy of all three books, a lovely English bone china teacup, tea, chocolate, and a DVD of Pride and Prejudice!

Would you like to know more about Sarah’s book, A Lady at Willow Grove Hall, and Julie’s new book, The Secret of Pembrooke Park? Just click on the titles to visit their websites. They are both talented authors with wonderful books I recommend to you!

To enter the giveaway go to: http://on.fb.me/14GEJCf

Blessings and Happy Reading,

Carrie

New Audio Book and Giveaway

Hi Friends,

Have you ever listened to an audio book? When The Governess of Highland Hall released in audio a few months ago, I decided to download it and listen. And I was surprised to discover I loved hearing the story read aloud, not just because I’d written it, but because the narrator’s style and pace allowed me to picture the story in my mind and enjoy it in a new way.

Since then I’ve listened to Jan Karon’s new book, Somewhere Safe and Somebody Good, and I loved it! I listened to Edenbrooke and Blackmoore, both by Julianne Donaldson. They are beautiful Regency romances, very clean and proper. And I also enjoyed Sarah Ladd’s newest book, A Lady at Willowgrove Hall. I recommend all these books to you!

Would you like your own audio copy of The Governess of Highland Hall and The Daughter of Highland Hall?  Just visit my book page, and you’ll find links to Tantor Audio and Amazon for Audible.

If you’d like to try out an audio book and see if you enjoy listening, Aduible, an Amazon company, offers a free 30-trial period. That’s what I did for the first month, thinking, “I’ll just try it for free and then close my account. But I enjoyed it so much, and the price was so reasonable, that I decided to continue on. Here’s a link to Audible to learn more.

I’d like to introduce two of my reading friends to the joy of listening to audio books, so I’m giving away a CD set of The Governess of Highland Hall and another CD set of The Daughter of Highland Hall this weekend. Just leave a comment below and tell me which set you’d like. I’ll choose a winner for each set on Sunday evening, Novemlber 9th and post the winner on Monday.

Thanks for your interest in my books and for sharing the journey with me!

Blessings and Happy Reading . . . and listening,

Carrie

Final Prize Package Giveaway

Hi Friends,

Wow, what a month this has been! Thank you for all your encouraging emails and wonderful reviews for The Daughter of Highland Hall. This Friday, Oct. 31 we will be giving away the final prize package in honor of the book launch. Stop by my blog and scroll down to enter the drawing, then share it with your friends! I’d love to see you or one of your friends win these prizes. They include:

A hard cover copy of the beautiful new book by Jessica Fellows: A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey.

 

A lovely English bone china teacup with a strawberry design.

 

Downton Abbey coasters.

 

A copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall

To enter click the image below and fill out the entry form. Thanks for sharing this giveaway on Facebook, Twiter, and Pinterest!

Happy Reading!

Carrie

Scavenger Hunt Stop #23

Follow the clues for a Chance to Win a Kindle Fire HDX or 30+ novels!
Welcome to the Autumn 2014 Scavenger Hunt. You have arrived at Stop #23. The hunt begins at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on October 17, 2014. You may have arrived here before the start which could mean all of the sites aren’t ready quite yet. Once the official start has begun, you should go to  Stop #1  and then work your way through the sites, gathering clues and entering bonus giveaways, until you reach the final stop which will also be on the site of Robin Lee Hatcher.

The hunt ends on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at one minute before midnight (Mountain). That means you have all of the weekend to finish it, so take your time. Enjoy reading the exclusive content the authors have prepared for you. You will collect a CLUE IN RED at each stop. Write them down as you go. At the end of the hunt, you will enter the clues into a Rafflecopter form at this final stop #35. (The answer will make sense, even if you aren’t familiar with the quote.)

The hunt is open to international entries. The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HDX. Two runners-up will receive a new release from each of the participating authors. IN CASE YOU FIND A BROKEN LINK…  Robin Lee Hatcher has prepared a “cheat sheet” with direct links to each author’s post in case a site goes down or a link gets broken. We hope there will be no such issues, but just in case, please make note of the URL for the  Participating Authors & Stops  page  so you can check back and be able to complete the hunt.





Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce Kathleen Fuller, the author of “A Gift for Anne Marie”, one of the four novellas in An Amish Second Christmas! Kathleen is the author of over twenty-five books, including the best-selling Hearts of Middlefield series. She and her husband of twenty-one years, James, have three children and divide their time between Ohio and Arkansas. A former special education teacher, Kathleen also enjoys traveling, reading, watching football, and of course, chocolate. You can connect with Kathleen on the web: www.kathleenfuller.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter (@The KatJam).

About An Amish Second Christmas: My novella in this collection, A Gift for Anne Marie, is a sequel to the novella A Miracle for Miriam in An Amish Christmas. Miriam’s niece, Anne Marie, is looking forward to the upcoming Christmas holiday. She and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving…in ways everyone predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.

“Characters in each story are sweet, kind and caring. . . . Each author brings a separate writing style, creating a cozy holiday collection.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 stars

 You can purchase your copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and CBD, or wherever books are sold!

Keeping Christmas Simple, by Kathleen Fuller

Although it’s only October, thoughts (and retail stores!) are already turning to Christmas. In my years of writing Amish fiction I’ve taken away a few tips for keeping life simple, including managing the Christmas season.

Focus on the Reason for the Season. This saying has become cliché and for some, a bit trite, but it’s very true: Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Parties, plays, musicals, Christmas decorations, gifts—these are all fine, but Jesus is lost in the holiday shuffle, then we’ve missed the point of the holiday.
Make family a priority. The Amish often celebrate Second Christmas—a time after Christmas day where extended family and friends get together for food, fun, and fellowship. Christmas itself is spent at home with close family. Whether you’re spending time with a few family members or as many relatives as possible, enjoy each moment together.
It’s the thought that counts. According to media advertising, the pressure is on to give the best, and often most expensive, gifts. But sometimes the smallest token or gesture can mean more than the highest priced present.

Whatever your plans are for Christmas, make sure it’s a time of celebrating faith, family, and friends. Bask in the joy of the season. Merry Christmas!

The Scavenger Hunt Skinny:

Thanks so much for stopping by my site and participating in the new Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt. Before you move on to Stop #24, which is Kathleen Fuller’s site, to pick up your next clue, be sure to write down this Stop #23 clue: A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN

Also, please note: Many of the authors use Rafflecopter for their giveaways. Rafflecopter requires JavaScript to work. If you can’t see the form, please turn JavaScript on in your browser in order to enter. Rafflecopter sometimes doesn’t work on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device and can’t see the entry form, then you’ll need to find a computer.

But Before You Go . . .

As a bonus here on my site, you can earn a chance to win a signed copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall. All you have to do is fill in the Raffelcopter form below. This bonus giveaway is for US mailing addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Daughter of Highland Hall ~ Book Launch Giveaways

Hi Friends,

It’s time to celebrate the release of The Daughter of Highland Hall, Book Two in the Edwardian Brides Series!

The official launch date is October 7th, but we’ll be celebrating all month with special events, and we’ll be giving away five prize packages right here on my blog. Keep reading and make plans to celebrate with us!

Local Book Launch: Come join us Sunday, October 5th, 10:00 am, at Calvary Chapel Living Hope in Robbinsville, NJ. I’ll be sharing briefly in the service, and then signing books after. We’re giving away copies of The Governess of Highland Hall and The Daughter of Highland Hall, one per family. Come enjoy British tea time refreshments and pick up your fee book. For more information click here.

California Book Launch: Downton Abbey Inspired ~ Book Signing Luncheon Tea at Paris in a Cup in Orange, CA, on Saturday, October 18th, 10:30 am. I’ll be sharing about my visit to Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed and tell the story behind my new book. Paris in a Cup is lovely, and the food is awesome! This is event is almost sold out, but give them a call and see if there is still room for you to attend.

The Daughter of Highland Hall Giveaways:  We’re offering five Edwardian Prize Packages, and we’re giving the first one away on Launch Day, Oct. 7th. But you can continue to enter all month. The other four prize packages will be given away on October 10, 17, 24, and 31! Check back each Friday to see if you are a winner.

October 7th Prize Package “Tyntesfield Treasures” includes items I brought back from my last trip to England. Tyntesfiled is the beautiful estate that is the inspiration for Highland Hall. This package includes: Tyntesfiled tea towel, Tyntesfield mug, Tyntesfield Chapel stained glass sun catcher, Vintage Tea Time Recipes Cookbook, and a signed copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall.

October 10th Prize Package includes a Downton Abbey 2015 Calendar, An Edwardian style necklace from Belle on a Budget, A lovelyEnglish bone china tea cup, and a copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall.

October 17th Prize Package includes a canister of Downton Abbey Tea, London Clock Tower necklace, a lovely English bone china tea cup, and a copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall.

October 24th Prize Package includes a Downton Abbey Puzzle, An antique key beaded pendant from Belle on a Budget, a lovely tea cup, and a copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall.

October 31 Prize Package includes A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey hard cover book, Set of four Downton Abbey Coasters, an lovely English bone china teacup, and a copy of The Daughter of Highland Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet the Characters of The Daughter of Highland Hall

Hi Friends,

Only 12 more days until the release of The Daughter of Highland Hall! On October 7th you should be able to download an eBook copy, purchase a paperback at your local bookstore or online, or listen to the audio book. To pre-order your copy, just click on the cover on the right.

One of the first steps in creating the story is developing the characters. I like to find historical photos as well as modern photos to help me picture them and imagine what they might do or say.

Here are some of the chacters you’ll meet in this new book. If you read The Governess of Highland Hall, then you’ll remember Katherine (Kate) Ramsey, the eighteen-year-old niece of Sir William Ramsey, the master of Highland Hall. She is beautiful but strong-willed, and she was quite a challenge for her governess. In The Daughter of Highland Hall Kate steps forward as the heroine, a young debutante who goes to London for her first season with the goal of finding a suitable husband, perferably one who is wealthy and titled. Kate has a lot to learn about what’s most important in life and relationships! When I first start planning a new book I like to find historical photos as well as modern photo for my characters. Here are a few I found for this book.

The hero is also a character you met briefly in The Governess of Highland Hall, Jonathan Foster, brother of Julia, the Governess. Jon is a medical student, who is nearing the end of his training and poised to choose his path for the future. His strong faith and commitment to his family and serving those in need make a marked impression on Kate.

 

You’ll also meet Dr. Alfred Pittsford, director of the Daystar Clinic helping the poor in London’s East End; Lady Louisa Gatewood, Kate’s overbearing aunt, who is insistent on controling Kate’s choices and future. Some of your favorite members of the staff – Lydia Chambers, Kate’s lady’s maid, Ann, the nursery maid, and Mr. Lawrence, the Butler keep their roles. William and Julia return in this book, as well as William’s troublesome brother, David Ramsey. I hope you enjoy them all!

Check back on Tuesday September 30th for more info about the book launch giveaways!

Blessings and Happy Reading!

Carrie

Ann and Lydia

Dr. Alfred Pittsford

Lady Louisa Gatewood

David Ramsey

Edwardian Servants~Part Two, Lydia’s Story & a Giveaway!

I enjoyed the Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit at Winterthur Museum in Delaware.

Read Edwardian Servants~ Part One here.

Lydia Chambers, lady’s maid to Kate Ramsey, is one of the main characters in The Daughter of Highland Hall. We first met Lydia in The Governess of Highland Hall, shortly after she arrives at the grand estate for her first job. She’s a sweet, caring young woman who is eager to learn what’s needed to be a proper maid. When Kate travels to London for her first season, Lydia comes along. When Lydia learns her sister is in trouble, she goes to Kate for help. The two grow closer as they carry out a plan to help Lydia’s sister, Helen . . . but that leads them into all kinds of trouble. What kind of trouble? You’ll just have to read The Daughter of Highland Hall and see.

Working as a servant in Edwardian times was not an easy task. Beside the long hours of demanding physical work, there were many rules the servants needed to remember. Take a look at these!

Never let your voice be heard by the ladies and gentlemen of the house.
Always ‘give room’ if you meet one of your employers or betters on the stairs.
Always stand still when being spoken to by a lady and look at the person speaking to you.
Never speak first to ladies and gentlemen.
Servants should never offer any opinion to their employers, not even to say good night.
Never talk to another servant in the presence of your mistress.
Never call from one room to another.
Always answer when you have received an order.
Every servant must be punctual at meal times.
No servant is to take any knives or forks or other article, nor on any account to remove any provisions, nor ale or beer out of the hall.
No gambling, or oaths, or abusive language are allowed.
The female staff are forbidden from smoking.
No servant is to receive any visitor, friend or relative into the house.
Any maid found fraternizing with a member of the opposite sex will be dismissed without a hearing.
The servants’ hall is to be cleared and closed at half-past ten at night.
Any breakages or damage to the house will be deducted from wages.

 

I’m excited to share the rest of Lydia’s story with you! The Daughter of Highland Hall releases, Tuesday October 7th, but you can pre-order your copy now and be one of the first to read this new book in the series!

I’m giving away one advanced reader copy of the Daughter of Highland Hall to a US reader who leaves a comment below and answers this question: If you were going to work as a servant in Edwardan times, which position would you take and why? The drawing for the winner will be held Sunday evening, Sept 21st, so be sure to enter by 9:00 pm Eastern. Please share this blog with your friends!

Would you like to know more about Edwardian Servants? Check out these links: Edwardian Promenade’s article about Edwardian Servants, Jane Austen’s World Article, The Daily Mail Article, Information about the Manor House Series.

Until next time, Happy Reading,

Carrie

Edwardian Servants~Part One

We’ve grown to love the servants on Downton Abbey – Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Patmore, Anna, Daisy, Mr. Bates, Mr. Mosely, and even Thomas and Jimmy. They all seem to be enjoying meals together and forging friendships below stairs, and then they are occasionally called upstairs to set the table or snuff out a candle or two. But what was life really like for servants in Edwardian England? As I researched The Governess of Highland Hall and The Daughter of Highland Hall, that was a question I needed to answer.

I learned a great deal by reading Life Below Stairs by Alison Maloney and watching Manor House, a PBS which is a cultural-reality series that took contemporary people and had them live as the staff and family in a manor house would in the early 1900’s.

The truth about how most servants lived in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century is quite different than what we see portrayed on Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs. Clipping your master’s toenails, ironing his shoelaces, spending 17-hour days doing back-breaking work with no employment rights were just some of the realities facing servants in Edwardian Britain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One and a half million British people worked as servants at the beginning of the Edwardian era, that means one in four people was employed as a domestic servant, and most were women. Upon entering service, servants were often given new names that were generic and easy to remember. Henry, John, and William were popular choices for men, while many female servants were frequently named Mary, Sarah or Emma.

Servants often worked seven days a week, from as early as 5 am until as late as 10 or 11 pm, for very low wages. They were occasionally given a half-day off once a week, but sometime employers didn’t allow even that. Most servants did not work in big stately homes full of fellow workers and camaraderie, but in a middle class town house as the only servant. Instead of enjoying a lively dinner after serving the family upstairs, these servants would live and eat alone in Britain’s dark and damp basement kitchens. Servants in grand houses fared a little better, but they were often hidden from the family by a complex maze of servant stairs and hidden passages throughout the home.

There was a strict hierarchy among members of the staff, and everyone was expected to know their place and show proper respect. The butler and housekeeper ruled over the other servants.

The Servants Roles and Responsibilities

The butler – in charge of the house, coachmen, footmen and wine cellar.
The housekeeper – responsible for the housemaids and carried keys to the china and linen cupboards.
The ladies maid – the mistress of the house’s personal attendant, helping her dress and do her hair.
The valet – the master’s manservant, attending to his requests and preparing his clothes and shaving tools.
The cook – ran the kitchen and larder, overseeing the kitchen, dairy and scullery maids.
The governess - educated and oversaw for the children.
The nursery maid – cared for the children, helped them dress, assisted the governess.
The hall boy – worked 16-hour days, lighting all the lamps and candles and polishing the staff boots.
The tweeny – in-between stairs maid earned £13 a year, worked seven days a week from 5am-10pm.

Come back September 19th for part two and a Special Giveaway of an audio copy of The Governess of Highland Hall!

Would you like to know more about Edwardian Servants? Check out these links: Edwardian Promenade’s article about Edwardian Servants, Jane Austen’s World Article, The Daily Mail Article, Information about the Manor House Series.

Until next time, Happy Reading,

Carrie

One Month and Counting!

Click the cover for links to pre-order a copy from your favorite store.

Hi Friends,

It’s only one month until the October 7th release of the Daughter of Highland Hall! Review copies have gone out to my wonderful promotion team, Carrie’s Reading Friends; and exciting plans are taking shape for the rest of September, October, and November.

GoodReads Giveaway, Daughter of Highland Hall, Sept 7 – October 6th
Online Book Launch Celebration on my blog with weekly giveaways starting October 7 and continuing each Friday in October.
Local Book Launch Celebration Sunday, Sept. 5th at Calvary Chapel Living Hope
California Book Launch Celebration Saturday, Sept 18th at Paris in a Cup Tea Salon & Cafe
Fall Savenger Hunt Blog Hop Giveaways 17 – 19
LitFuse Blog Tour
Fun guest posts on Novel Crossing, and several other blogs
Sarah Ladd and I are teaming up for a fun English Historical Romance Giveaway in November

I hope you’ll sign up on the right to receive my email newsletters and blog posts, then check my Facebook Author Page often so you don’t miss any of these fun giveaways and events!

I appreciate my faithful readers, and I hope you’ll have fun celebrating this book launch with me!

Blessings and Happy Reading,

Carrie