Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 304

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Winners!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! 1007 people completed the entire hunt and entered the main drawing, and 335 people also entered the giveaway here on my blog for Anchor in the Storm! Wow! If you missed the hunt, you can still read the posts and discover some fantastic authors!

PRIZES include 3 sets of all 32 books, $500 in Amazon gift cards! And the winners are…

First Prize: Crystal Balzer
Second Prize: Jackie Wisherd
Third Prize: Becky Mikels

Make sure to check your email for a message from Lisa Tawn Bergren so you can claim your prizes!

I’m also giving away a copy of my new novel, Anchor in the Storm. And the winner is…

Anchor in the Storm giveaway: Haley Schmeltzer! Haley, I’ll email you so I can mail you the book.

Today in World War II History—April 27, 1941

German soldiers raise the swastika on the Acropolis, 1941 (German Federal Archive: Bild 101I-164-0389-23A)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 27, 1941: Germans occupy Athens and raise swastika over the Acropolis. Greek government surrenders to Germans. Off Greece, Luftwaffe sinks Dutch liner SS Slamat evacuating British troops to Crete (838/843 killed).

Today in World War II History—April 26, 1941

75 Years Ago—Apr. 26, 1941: Germans take Corinth, Greece. First organ installed at a baseball stadium—at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs.

Today in World War II History—April 25, 1941

The crew of a British Cruiser Mk IV tank studying a map in the Western Desert, Egypt, 30 Apr 1941 (Imperial War Museum)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 25, 1941: German troops under Rommel take Halfaya Pass on Egypt-Libya border and enter Egypt. President Roosevelt calls Charles Lindbergh a defeatist, likens him to Civil War Copperheads (Northerners who opposed Lincoln). Movie premiere of musical Ziegfeld Girl, starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Lana Turner.

Today in World War II History—April 24, 1941

Sunderland flying boats waiting to pick up British troops for evacuation, Kalamata, Greece, Apr 28, 1941 (Imperial War Museum)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 24, 1941: As Germans advance, British forces in Greece begin evacuation to Crete and Egypt; 50,000 troops will be evacuated. Movie premiere of drama Penny Serenade, starring Cary Grant & Irene Dunne.

Today in World War II History—April 23, 1941

Logo of the isolationist America First Committee

75 Years Ago—Apr. 23, 1941: King George of Greece and his government evacuated to Crete as Germans advance. Charles Lindbergh speaks to 30,000 in New York, in the first mass meeting of the isolationist America First Committee; condemns Britain for war.

Today in World War II History—April 22, 1941

75 Years Ago—Apr. 22, 1941: US Army Engineer Replacement Training Center opens at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #15

NOTE: THE SCAVENGER HUNT DOESN’T OFFICIALLY BEGIN UNTIL FRIDAY, APRIL 22 at 11 AM PACIFIC TIME. ALL THE LINKS MAY NOT WORK BEFORE THEN.

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 33 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes! Here’s an overview post with links to all the posts in case you lose your way.

The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergren’s site.
The hunt is BEST VIEWED using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer)
It is open to INTERNATIONAL entrants.
PRIZES include 3 sets of all 32 books, $500 in Amazon gift cards and many authors are offering additional prizes!
There is NO RUSH to complete this hunt—you have ALL WEEKEND. So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books you might want to learn more about!
Submit your ENTRY for the GRAND PRIZE at Stop #33 (back on Lisa’s site) by Monday night (4/25) at midnight mountain.

I’m also giving away a copy of my new novel, Anchor in the Storm, here on this post. Details below…

Welcome Olivia Newport!

What fun to welcome fellow historical novelist Olivia Newport! I’ve had the joy of meeting Olivia at writing conferences, and I know you’ll love what she has to share. Her latest novel gives the popular Amish genre a fresh twist of a Depression-era setting!

Here’s a brief summary of Hope in the Land:

When Henry Edison turns up in Lancaster County to survey farm women about their domestic contributions during the 1930s, the last thing Amish housewife Gloria Grabill has time for is the government agent’s unending questions. Gloria’s hands are already full with a farm to run alongside her husband, a houseful of children, and an English neighbor, Minerva Swain, who has been trying Gloria’s patience for forty years. Gloria’s oldest daughter, Polly, wants nothing more than the traditional path of an Amish farmer’s wife, but everything she does seems to push Thomas Coblentz further away. While the Great Depression shadows the country in gloom, can Amish and English neighbors in Lancaster County grasp the goodness that will sustain hope?

Lessons from the Amish

When I wrote my first Amish novel, I didn’t know there would be many more. But I’m glad there have been, because learning and writing about the Amish teaches me lessons I need to keep learning for the rest of my life. Here are three lessons I’ve learned from researching the Amish.

Avoid assumptions.

The Amish are different in different locations and different periods of history. I have to ask myself, How often do I lump people together with generalizations without first getting to know them? How often do I draw quick conclusions before understanding another point of view?

We are in this together.

We might think we are living “alongside” other groups of people, such as the Amish, with a “live and let live” mindset. Actually we are living through history together, making history together in the ways we interact with each other—and with people who are not like us.

People are people.

Perspectives differ. Interpretations differ about the same words, even in the Bible. But what we have in common is that people are people, and I have a lot to learn from everyone I meet about how they understand the world, how they live out their faith, how they find meaning in life.

Hope in the Land is my seventh Amish novel, and the experience of writing it once again was full of lessons I can take into my own life. How I understand myself. How I understand others. How I can make life better for someone else. How I can find joy in my own gifts. How together we can make our communities stronger in hard times. How we find hope in the land.

Since you’re participating in the Christian fiction scavenger hunt, you already know that stories take us to new worlds and new learning. You may even be able to make your own list of lessons you have learned from stories. Let’s keep learning together!

About Olivia Newport

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her previous novels include the Avenue of Dreams series, the Valley of Choice series, Hidden Falls, and the first three books in the Amish Turns of Time series. Visit Olivia on her website.

Here’s the Stop #15 Skinny:

You can order Olivia’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com or at your local bookstore! 

Clue to Write Down: on an obvious

Link to Stop #16, the Next Stop on the Loop: Olivia Newport’s own site!

ADDITIONAL GIVEAWAY!

But wait! Before you go, I’m offering one copy of my latest novel, Anchor in the Storm! All you have to do is sign up to receive my e-mail newsletter (top right of this page, brown box) or note that you’re already a subscriber—then LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW. The comment is your entry. Contest ends April 25, 2016 at midnight, Pacific Time. I’ll announce the winner here on April 27, 2016.

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of the hunt!

Today in World War II History—April 21, 1941

Greek soldiers in retreat in Greece, April 1941. (German Federal Archive: Bild 101I-163-0318-09)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 21, 1941: Greek First Army surrenders to Germans in northern Greece.

Today in World War II History—April 20, 1941

Luftwaffe bombing Greek battleship Kilkis at Athens, 23 April 1941. (public domain)

75 Years Ago—Apr. 20, 1941: Greek forces in Albania surrender. Luftwaffe launches raid on Athens and Piraeus, sinking five ships—heavy raids will continue for next three days. Riot between Sikhs and Muslims in Bombay, India leads to 400 casualties.