Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 411

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 19, 1943: Third Moscow Conference begins: Allies agree to strip Germany of territory acquired since 1938; Stalin agrees to demand Axis unconditional surrender.

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 18, 1943: First Roman Jews sent to concentration camps; of 1200 Jews arrested in Rome, only 16 will survive the war.

Scavenger Hunt Stop #25!

Follow the clues to win an iPad Mini, free books and more!

Welcome to the Fall Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

Follow the clues to discover 25 authors of new Christian fiction. We each have an article to share with you. The scavenger hunt starts October 18, 2013 at noon, Mountain Time (11 am PDT) and ends October 20, 2013 at midnight, Mountain Time (11 pm PDT).


Collect the clues in red on each post, beginning from Stop #1 and finishing at Stop #25 (here!), then fill out the Rafflecopter form on Lisa Bergren’s site. Be ready to provide the completed clue quote, gathered from all 25 stops when you head to Stop #26 to enter.
Grand Prize: A new iPad Mini2nd & 3rd Prizes: A copy of every book on the hunt—25 books with a total value of over $300!Contest is open to international entrants.
For those of you who started at the beginning of the hunt, congratulations! You’ve reached the final stop! If you’re just joining in now, that’s perfectly fine—start here, and work your way around the circle.

Welcome, Lisa Tawn Bergren!


I’m so excited to introduce multi-published author (and I do mean multi) Lisa Tawn Bergren. Not only is she the mastermind of the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt, but she shares my love for travel and history.

Lisa T. Bergren is an award-winning, best-selling writer of over forty books in many genres, from children's picture books to adult nonfiction. But her happy place is writing novels. You can find her on the web at LisaBergren.com, Facebook.com/LisaTawnBergren, and Twitter.


  Lisa’s newest novel, Glittering Promises , released October 1. Her popular Grand Tour series concludes as Cora Kensington journeys farther into Italy, wrestles with a terrible ultimatum from her father, and comes to terms with the Father who will never fail her.

 America’s newest heiress must decide if her potential fortune is rationale enough to give up her freedom and all that God is leading her toward. And when her newly-discovered siblings are threatened with ruin, her quandary deepens. Then as Cora nears Rome, more journalists are track the news story of the decade—“Copper Cora,” the rags-to-riches girl—and want to know more about her family and the men vying for her attention. Meanwhile, a charming Italian countess decides that if Cora isn’t going to claim Will’s heart, she might just try...


Exclusive from Lisa Tawn Bergren!

Since my current Wings of the Nightingale series is set in Italy, I was thrilled to see the Italian connection with Lisa’s book and article. Make sure to read all the way to the end to see how you can win a “Taste of Italy” CD, with authentic Italian music and Italian recipes from Gourmet magazine!

Top 10 Places to See in Rome…with Some Advice on Particulars

  At the Borghese GardensI’ve been blessed enough to go to Rome three times, and the last time, I spent ten days there with my daughter, Emma—a special treat. You could spend WEEKS in this city, but if you’re like most people and only have a few days, go armed with this knowledge, as you tour:

1) The Forum/Palatine Hill: Go with a good guide and a picture book showing how it once was, or it will make no sense.



Piazza Navona
2) The Pantheon: Especially eerie-cool at night, when you can spot the moon through the giant oculus in the ceiling.

3) The Colosseum: Book a tour (we went with Dark Tours) that includes the hypogeum (the “basement,” not open to the general public). Gives you extra perspective to the grand, old structure to walk where the gladiators walked.

 4) Galleria Borghese & the Borghese Gardens: Rent a cute little cart to ride around the vast gardens—romantic for couples or a fun respite for kids!

5) The Sistine Chapel: Gaze upon it with the perspective that it was painted by many (not just Michelangelo) and was there to undergird papal authority.

6) Piazza Navona: Grab a gelato after dinner and stroll along the best public square in Rome. Lined with palaces and studded with some of the loveliest fountains in the city, you can watch street performers and artists at their work.

  At the top of the Vittorio Emanuel Monument7) The Catacombs of San Callisto: It’s a bus ride out of town, but it’s very cool to see Rome’s first Christian cemetery; it has four levels and features crypts for popes and saints.

8) The Appian Way on a Sunday (Via Appia Antica): It’s closed to all traffic besides tour buses, and you can rent bikes and take a leisurely ride.

9) Trevi Fountain: Go very early in the morning or very late at night to avoid the obnoxious masses of people, and a higher population of pickpockets. With your back to the fountain, toss a coin with your right hand, over your left shoulder, if you want to return to the Eternal City (Or keep your money for more gelato. You'll need it.

10) Vittorio Emmanuel Monument: Ignore what’s down below; pay the 7 Euros to ride to the top and take in one of the best views of the city; it lends great perspective on how vast the city is, where the walls are, etc.

You can purchase Lisa Tawn Bergren’s novel, Glittering Promises, at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com, or at your local bookstore.

THE SCAVENGER HUNT SKINNY:

Before you go, write down STOP #25 clue: others!
 
This is the final stop in the scavenger hunt! Whether or not you’ve made the complete circuit, your next stop is Lisa Bergren’ssite! If you’ve finished, fill out the Rafflecopter form at stop #26 at LisaBergren’s site to be in the running for all the big prizes! If you’re just joining in, you’ll find stop #1 on Lisa’s site also!

Bonus Prize: “Taste of Italy” CD!

If you’d like to win the “Taste of Italy” CD, which contains 16 authentic Italian songs and 8 Italian recipes from Gourmetmagazine, leave a comment below with the following...

1) Answer this question: from Lisa’s article, which site would you most like to see—or which site have you already seen and loved?

2) Please leave your email address so I can contact the winner—and in the following format: sarah[at]sarahsundin[dot]com.

3) Also, if you don't already subscribe to my quarterly email newsletter, please sign up, using the box in the upper-right corner of my website. In your comment, please state whether you're a new or long-time subscriber.

Today in World War II History

Monte Cassino and the Benedictine Abbey
(US Army Center for Military History)70 Years Ago—Oct. 17, 1943: Germans haul art from Monte Cassino Abbey to Rome as Allies approach; most of the monks, nuns, orphans, schoolchildren, and refugees go to Rome as well. Last German auxiliary cruiser in Pacific, Michel, sunk by US sub Tarpon off Chi Chi Jima.

Today in World War II History

  70 Years Ago—Oct. 16, 1943: New subway system opens in Chicago. New song in Top Ten: “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old.”

Today in World War II History

70 Years Ago—Oct. 15, 1943: British Fourteenth Army activated under Lt. Gen. Sir William Slim, in India. US Ninth Air Force re-formed as a tactical force at Sunninghill, England under Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton (Eighth Air Force to be strategic force).

Today in World War II History

  (US Air Force)70 Years Ago—Oct. 14, 1943: Schweinfurt mission: US Eighth Air Force sends 320 B-17s to bomb ball-bearings plant at Schweinfurt, Germany, 60 B-17s lost; heavy losses lead to temporary suspension of daytime bombing without escort. Prisoners at Sobibor concentration camp destroy extermination facilities; 350 escape, 100 recaptured, about 50 join partisans.

Today in World War II History

  Self-Propelled 105-mm. Howitzer on a Pontoon Treadway Bridge at the Volturno
(US Army Center for Military History)70 Years Ago—Oct. 13, 1943: US Fifth Army crosses Volturno River in Italy, securing beachhead and valley. Italy declares war on Germany.

Today in World War II History

  70 Years Ago—Oct. 12, 1943: Portugal allows Allies to use air and naval bases in the Azores. US Fifth Air Force & RAAF begin major assault on Rabaul, New Britain, key to Japan’s South Pacific defense; 349 bombers strike, sinking 5 ships.

Today in World War II History

  Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, September 1942 (US Navy photo)70 Years Ago—Oct. 11, 1943: Vice Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher succeeds Thomas Kinkaid over North Pacific Area. World Series concludes: New York Yankees defeat St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1.