Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 178
June 12, 2019
The King’s Mercy, by Lori Benton
When Scottish soldier Alex MacKinnon is captured after the Battle of Culloden, he’s granted the king’s mercy–exile to the American colonies rather than execution, but it’s a mercy he loathes. Indentured to Edmund Carey to be a blacksmith on his plantation, Alex only dreams of escape. Somehow.
Joanna Carey, Edmund’s step-daughter, was thrown into the position as mistress of the plantation at too young of an age. Burdened by compassion for the slaves and the weight of her responsibilities, Joanna has a different vision for the plantation and takes great comfort in her faith, fed by itinerant preacher David Pauling. As her attraction to Alex grows, she angers Phineas Reeves, the overseer and the man her father wants her to marry, but a man she doesn’t quite trust.
As much as Alex tries to remain detached from the plantation, he’s drawn to the hurting souls around him. Elijah, the former blacksmith, disfigured in a mysterious explosion. Jemma, the young slave girl who dresses like a boy and works in the shop rather than the kitchen. And Joanna herself.
A string of accidents and tragedies strike the plantation, endangering the Careys’ livelihood. Is it possible for one person to be responsible for all the accidents? When suspicion turns to Alex, he faces a choice that will affect the lives of everyone he has come to care for.
Lori Benton is simply a master. Her characters and setting are live things, at turns warm and heartbreaking and sinister. The King’s Mercy is a touching and tense story, with a strong and meaningful faith story, and the characters will stay with you. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2019
The Land Beneath Us Giveaway Winners
Thank you for joining me for the cover reveal for The Land Beneath Us, Book 3 in the Sunrise at Normandy series, which is scheduled to be released from Revell Books on February 4, 2020. The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and will be available on other sites soon. Pre-orders for the e-book and audiobook will be available at a later date.
I was so touched by all the wonderful comments – and I know the amazing people at Revell who designed the cover are just as thrilled.
There were 300 entries in the six-book giveaway! And the six winners are…
Melissa M. (honey bee email address)
Sarah Venable
Ginny Logan
Melissa Jordan
Jackie Hoch
Judith Jennings
I will contact each of you by email.
Thank you again!
D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour
ALSO…don’t forget to join in the D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour! Seven authors of historical novels set in World War II are commemorating the brave men who stormed the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago. We’re also giving away TEN books, including the entire three-book Sunrise at Normandy series. This giveaway ends 16 June 2019.
June 6, 2019
D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour
D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour
June 3-11, 2019
Welcome to the D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour! Seven novelists are commemorating the brave men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Thank you for joining us as we remember their heroism and sacrifice.
Our novels illuminate different aspects of the war—from the landing beaches of Normandy to Nazi-occupied Europe to the US Home Front. Each day, visit with a new author as we share about our stories, our research, and our unique settings. With each blog post, you’ll have the opportunity to win that author’s novel–plus a chance to win a packet of ALL NINE featured novels and a gorgeous signed hardback copy of Everything We Have: D-Day 6.6.44, the new commemorative book from the National World War II Museum!
Giveaway Details
For a chance to win ALL TEN books, please visit each blog, collect the answers to ALL SEVEN questions, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below or on the BLOG TOUR PAGE. The contest opens June 3, 2019 at 1 am PST and closes June 16, 2019 at 11 pm PST. The winner will be announced on Monday, June 17, 2019. *Note* Several of the titles will not be released until later—these will be mailed after the release dates.
To win the prize of ALL TEN books, you must have collected ALL SEVEN answers. The winner must be prepared to send ALL SEVEN answers within 48 hours of notification by email, or a new winner will be selected.
Sunrise at Normandy Series
by Sarah Sundin
The Sea Before Us
As D-day approaches, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton is teamed up with Dorothy Fairfax, a British officer. Once they piece together family and reconnaissance photos to map Normandy, will Wyatt’s bombardment plans destroy what Dorothy loves most?
The Sky Above Us
In 1944, fighter pilot Lt. Adler Paxton battles the Luftwaffe over Nazi-occupied Europe, numbed by loss and hidden sins. Violet Lindstrom serves in the Red Cross, where she arranges activities at Adler’s air base. Love blooms. But D-day draws near. And secrets never do stay buried.
The Land Beneath Us (coming Feb. 4, 2020)
Private Clay Paxton trains with the US Army Rangers, his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal. Leah Jones works as a librarian at the army base, hoping to find her lost sisters. But can her dream of love be fulfilled before his recurring dream of his own death in battle comes true?
D-Day – Immense and Personal
Out in the living room, Mrs. Paxton sat by the radio. She looked at Leah, face stark.
It was today, and Leah sank onto the couch and tuned her ears to the announcer’s cultured voice: “Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing Allied armies this morning on the coast of France.”
“That’s all the news they have.” Mrs. Paxton’s voice wavered, and she turned off the radio dial. “Naval forces—my Wyatt. Air forces—my Adler. Allied armies—my Clay. Our Clay.”
~The Land Beneath Us
When it came time for me to write my post for this D-day tour, I froze. For the past three years while writing my Sunrise at Normandy series, I’ve been immersed in this single momentous day. So immersed that I didn’t know where to begin to convey how immense and yet how very personal it was.
On a grand scale, we see the months of planning, the enormous volumes of plans, the hundreds of thousands of men and women working out the details of supply and shipping and logistics and personnel.
On a small scale, we see a single Wren (Women’s Royal Naval Service) typing up her dispatches in London and fretting about her sweetheart. We see Gen. Dwight Eisenhower chain-smoking in his trailer at Allied Battle Headquarters in Southwick, momentarily blinded to what’s happening to the armies he’s sent into battle.
Read more: Tour of Southwick House
The map room at Southwick House, with the giant wooden wall map actually used on D-day, Southwick House, England, September 2017 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
On a grand scale, we turn to the sea, where over 5000 vessels and 195,000 naval personnel are responsible for transporting soldiers, bombarding enemy positions, and guarding against enemy attack from the air and the sea. We see ships and sailors from the United States, Britain, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Greece.
On a small scale, we see a Coastguardsmen from New Jersey, seasick and homesick, trying to maneuver his bullet-ridden landing craft through booby-trapped beach obstacles as artillery blasts past him. We see a French naval officer, peering through binoculars at his own village on the Norman shore and giving the sickening order to open fire, knowing the only way to free his land is to fire upon it.
The USS Oglesby bounded over the waves toward Omaha Beach. The forward guns pumped shells straight ahead at the shack, and the aft guns fired to starboard at the battery.
Acrid brown smoke filled Wyatt’s nostrils.
Although he hadn’t been named after Wyatt Earp, he felt like that famous lawman riding into town with his six-shooter. The wind buffeted his face, and his Texas blood galloped. “Yee-haw!” he yelled.
~The Sea Before Us
“Target of Opportunity” On D-Day, destroyer USS Emmons comes dangerously close to shore to battle with German gun battery on Omaha Beach. Painting, Watercolor on Paper; by Dwight C. Shepler; 1944. (US Naval History and Heritage Command)
On a grand scale, we look to the sky, where 11,000 Allied aircraft flew, transports and bombers and fighters, many painted in black-and-white “invasion stripes” to avoid friendly fire from below. We see them dropping paratroopers and bombing enemy positions and strafing roads to prevent the Germans from reinforcing the beaches.
On a small scale, we see an RAF glider pilot from Manchester, cracking wry jokes as his aircraft drifts down in the darkness toward a bridge that must be secured, wishing he’d written one more letter to his son. We see a California boy flying a B-26 Marauder, bombing Utah Beach from an astonishingly low altitude while machine-gun bullets whiz past, praying for the first time in a decade and determined never to stop praying again.
The clock read 0555, and Adler made another turn. Ahead of him, the clouds thinned.
Maybe he could see something on the ground and get his bearings.
He got his bearings all right.
Framed by the ragged hole in the clouds, the gray ocean below teemed with ships. Warships heaved shells—right over dozens of tiny landing craft. Everything aimed for the golden stretch of beach dividing gray sea and green land.
“Here I am, flying in circles, doing nothing.” If only Adler could help down there. His hand tightened around the stick, longing to tilt it forward and strafe behind the beaches.
~The Sky Above Us
US B-26 Marauder over Utah Beach, 6 June 1944. The medium bomber has been specially marked for D-day with black and white stripes on the fuselage and wings, which were to identify itself as a friendly aircraft to ground units. (USAF photo)
On a grand scale, we turn to the land, the shores of Normandy, where 156,000 soldiers from Britain, the United States, Canada, and France land on five beaches stretching about fifty miles. We see tanks and rifles and machine guns, uniforms and helmets and gas masks. And we see tens of thousands of German soldiers, defending the land they’ve conquered and enslaved, knowing it ultimately means defending their own homes.
On a small scale, we see a farmer from Manitoba, pounding onto Juno Beach, roaring to prevent the fear from pooling in his stomach. We see a Virginia grocer crouched at the seawall on Omaha, urging his buddies forward after all their officers were killed, even as his own brother lies dead on the beach. We see a medic risking his life, over and over, to drag the wounded to safety.
Read more: D-Day – Tour of Omaha Beach
Clay charged down the bow ramp and into frigid water up to his waist. His heart raced, and he plunged forward, his shins slicing the water, his boots fighting for traction.
Up onto the beach, maybe thirty yards deep. Pebbles scattered underneath his boots, hit his calves.
Clay scrabbled ahead, rifle and gaze high. Three grapnels disappeared over the cliff, and the ropes flopped against the earthen face. “Come on, boys!”
~The Land Beneath Us
Army Rangers of the US 5th Ranger Battalion in an LCA landing craft about to board their troopship for D-day, Weymouth, England, 1 June 1944 (US National Archives)
On a grand scale, we see the nations wait with bated breath. If the invasion succeeds, the war may come to an end soon. If not, what will they do?
On a small scale, we see a wife in London who refuses to stop knitting until she hears word from her husband. We see a mother in Ohio who jumps whenever the doorbell rings, afraid it’ll be the telegram she dreads. We see a teenage boy in Vancouver skipping school so he can pray for his brother.
Seventy-five years later, it’s hard to see it all, to see the immensity of the largest amphibious operation in history and the intensity of the hundreds of thousands of personal dramas that played out that day.
So today, let’s remember and let’s be thankful.
Question
How many Allied aircraft flew on D-day?
Write it down or enter it in the Rafflecopter giveaway right away.
Rafflecopter Giveaway
To enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below, enter your name and email address (we need these to notify the winner). Then select an author’s name and enter the answer to that author’s question. You only need to enter the Rafflecopter once to be entered in the giveaway, but you can earn up to seven entries by answering all seven questions in the Rafflecopter. But don’t forget…to win, you must have collected ALL SEVEN answers. You can enter the Rafflecopter each day, or you can enter all your answers at once any time before June 16, 2019 at 11 pm PST. US mailing addresses only, please.
Sarah Sundin
Sarah Sundin is a bestselling author of historical novels, including The Sky Above Us and The Sea Before Us. Her novel The Sea Before Us is a finalist for the 2019 Reader’s Choice Award from Faith, Hope, and Love, When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award and won the INSPY Award. A mother of three, Sarah lives in California and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups.
Bonus Giveaway
For a chance to win the entire three-book Sunrise at Normandy series, please share this post on social media (one entry) and/or be a current subscriber to my email newsletter or subscribe now – click the “subscribe to my newsletter” box in the upper right corner of this website (one entry), then leave a comment below telling what you did. You can earn a total of two entries. US mailing addresses only, please. The winner will receive the first two books now, and the third will be sent in February 2020 when it releases.
D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour Schedule
Make sure you visit all seven authors! Links will go live on the post date.
June 3: AMANDA DYKES, author of Whose Waves These Are
June 4: CATHY GOHLKE, author of The Medallion
June 5: LIZ TOLSMA, author of When the Heart Sings
June 6: SARAH SUNDIN, author of the Sunrise at Normandy series: The Sea Before Us, The Sky Above Us, and The Land Beneath Us
June 7: AMANDA BARRATT, author of My Dearest Dietrich
June 10: VALERIE LUESSE, author of Almost Home
June 11: MELANIE DOBSON, author of Memories of Glass
June 5, 2019
Cover Reveal – The Land Beneath Us
Today, on the day before the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings, I’m pleased to reveal the cover for my upcoming D-day novel The Land Beneath Us, Book 3 in the Sunrise at Normandy series, which is scheduled to release on February 4, 2020.
The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon, and will be available on other sites soon. Pre-orders for the e-book and audiobook will be available at a later date.
Today I’m giving away six books—the winner’s choice of The Land Beneath Us paperback or audiobook (when released in 2020), The Sky Above Us paperback or audiobook, or The Sea Before Us audiobook.
Sunrise at Normandy Series
One fateful night drove three brothers apart.
One fateful day thrusts them together…D-Day.
The Land Beneath Us
(Book 3, coming February 4, 2020)
A dream as dangerous . . .
A love as solid . . .
As the land beneath them.
In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal, Clay has only one thing to live for—fulfilling the recurring dream of his death.
Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and belong to the community, even as she uses her spare time to search for her real family—the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago.
After Clay saves Leah’s life from a brutal attack, he saves her virtue with a marriage of convenience. When he ships out to train in England for D-day, their letters bind them together over the distance—but can a love strong enough to overcome death grow between them before Clay’s recurring dream comes true?
Return to the shores of Normandy, this time on the ground, as the third Paxton brother faces the past—and the most fearsome battle of his life.
Cover Reveal Video
If you’d like to see the video I did on Facebook Live, telling about the history behind the story, it’s posted to YouTube:
Giveaway
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post and enter the Rafflecopter below (US mailing addresses only, please). Giveaway ends Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 11 pm Pacific Time. I’ll announce the six winners here on Monday, June 10, 2019 and by email.
D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour
ALSO…don’t forget to join in the D-Day 75th Anniversary Blog Tour! Seven authors of historical novels set in World War II are commemorating the brave men who stormed the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago. We’re also giving away TEN books, including the entire three-book Sunrise at Normandy series.
May 31, 2019
Today in World War II History—31 May 1944
USS Thurston (AP-77) boarding staff 5th ESB (Engineer Special Brigade) for Omaha. In the background the Weymouth Pavilion; June 1944 (US National Archives)
Destroyed commissioner’s bungalow and tennis court, Kohima, India, Mar-Jul 1944 (Imperial War Museum)
75 Years Ago—31 May 1944: Countdown to D-day: In England, the loading of assault forces for Operation Overlord (D-day) begins for Force O (Omaha Beach).
At 0700, first “Corncob” blockships that will be sunk for “Gooseberry” breakwaters depart Britain, the first ships to sail for D-day.
Japanese Lt. Gen. Sato Kotoku orders withdrawal from Kohima, India against orders.
May 30, 2019
Today in World War II History—30 May 1944
Army Rangers of the US 5th Ranger Battalion in an LCA landing craft about to board their troopship for D-day, Weymouth, England, 1 June 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—30 May 1944: Countdown to D-day: In England, the loading of assault forces for Operation Overlord (D-day) begins for Force U (Utah Beach).
Germany approves the summary execution of downed Allied airmen who strafed passenger trains or civilians (“Terrorflieger”).
May 29, 2019
Today in World War II History—29 May 1944
USS Block Island (CVE-21) off Norfolk, VA, 15 Oct 1943, with 9 FM-1 Wildcats and 12 TBF-1C Avengers (US Navy photo)
75 Years Ago—29 May 1944: Off Canary Islands, German U-boat U-549 sinks escort carrier USS Block Island, the only US carrier sunk in the Atlantic (6 killed); US destroyer escorts Ahrens and Eugene E. Elmore sink U-549 in return.
First tank battle is fought in the Southwest Pacific, on Biak Island off New Guinea (US defeats Japanese).
May 28, 2019
Today in World War II History—28 May 1944
British Adm. Sir Bertram Ramsay, Allied Naval Commander for D-day, and US Navy Rear Admiral John Hall, commander of amphibious operations, aboard command ship USS Ancon, 25 May 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—28 May 1944: Countdown to D-day: Gen. Dwight Eisenhower sets H-hours for each force.
At 1800, Adm. Sir Bertram Ramsay orders “execute Operation Neptune,” announcing D-day (June 5) and H-hour for each force.
Allied naval units for D-day go into lockdown with no one permitted to leave ships or bases.
May 27, 2019
Remember
US Coast Guardsman honors the fallen in the Pacific, Memorial Day, 30 May 1944 (US Coast Guard photo)
On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country.
We live in freedom because they fought tyranny.
We live without fear because they faced danger.
We live in comfort because they gave up all comforts.
We live because of their sacrifices.
Let’s never take these gifts for granted. They were purchased at high cost.
Over 1 million Americans have given their lives in war (Source: English, June A., Jones, Thomas D., Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States at War, New York NY: Scholastic Reference, 1998).
American Revolution: 4,435
War of 1812: 2,260
Mexican-American War: 13,283
Civil War: 498,332
Spanish-American War: 2,446
World War I: 116,708
World War II: 407,316
Korean War: 33.651
Vietnam War: 58,168
Gulf War: 293
War on Terrorism (Source: icasualties.org): 4571 in Iraq, 2426 in Afghanistan
On this Memorial Day, take a moment to remember. And take a moment to thank God for freedom and life.
Today in World War II History—27 May 1944
US LSTs and LVT(A)s unloading at Biak, May 1944 (US Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—27 May 1944: Countdown to D-day: at night, the German Luftwaffe bombs Portland and Weymouth harbors, where Allied D-day forces are assembling; destroyer USS McCook is lightly damaged, but is repaired in time for D-day.
US 41st Infantry Division lands on Biak Island in Geelvink Bay of New Guinea and faces heavy resistance.
