Naomi Dawn Musch's Blog: NEW Discussion Guide, page 3

November 3, 2021

The Suspense Kept Me Riveted~ A Review of As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin


I so enjoyed reading Kate Breslin's new novel, As Dawn Breaks. Ms. Breslin explored an aspect of WWI that I knew next to nothing about. I'd heard of the Canary Girls, but didn't know anything much about their role in the war. I was enthralled learning about the lives and dangers of the young women who worked in munitions factories--and in such an interesting setting as Scotland. Throw in a whole lot of espionage, sabotage, a false identity, a woman in hiding from a nasty suitor, and the moment-by-moment chance that her whole world might blow up--literally... Well, that made for a page-turning read. 

The suspense kept me riveted, the history was informative, and the romance was very sweet. Everything in the story read with great plausibility, and I am amazed at the research that the author put into learning about the making of munitions as well as the roles of the military and Scotland Yard during the war.

If you love WWI romance, you should definitely add Kate Breslin's new read to your list.



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Published on November 03, 2021 09:11

November 2, 2021

The Healing is Gentle and Believable - A Review of Rescuing Her Heart by Cindy Ervin Huff


Rescuing Her Heart is a western, an historical romance, and addresses themes of women’s fiction all rolled up in one. I’ll be honest, when I started reading, I made some presumptions about how the story was going to go, (because I can’t help myself—just ask anyone who watches a movie with me). I figured I had it pretty well pegged. But that was most definitely not the case. In Cindy Huff’s story, she layers plenty of upsets and surprises. There’s adventure and a variety of characters that add richness to the story. But what I liked most about it was the gentle, believable way the author brings about healing to the heroine, Delilah James. She has been through unimaginable hardship and abuse, and I wouldn’t have believed it could end well if the author rushed the process. But Delilah’s healing doesn’t come fast and easy when the hero Jed Holt comes along. Her trust in him and in others has to be very well-earned. The author does a good job of working the characters through the process slowly and realistically. If you like a good western that has bad guys and shoot outs, if you like an historical romance about mail-order brides but not in the typical sense, and if you like a story that feels like the healing is real and that will take you to unexpected places, then you’ll enjoy Rescuing Her Heart.




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Published on November 02, 2021 07:41

October 2, 2021

This Story is Gold--A Review of "The Gold in These Hills" by Joanne Bischof

I have yet to be anything but impassioned by a Bischof read, and that’s a fact. I wasn’t sure what to expect in The Gold in These Hills, because it was a split-time novel, the first I’ve read like that from Ms. Bischof. 


But as usual, the story pulled me right in, in equal parts, historical and present day. I was surprised at the way the present-day story turned out, yet pleasantly so, and I loved that the two parts didn’t mirror each other in the romance department. They stood alone, and yet were intricate to one another. This was the first I learned about the practice of salting gold mines. I’d heard the term before, but never knew what it meant. A really, really excellent read! Five+ stars! Thanks to NetGalley for a download of the book.

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Published on October 02, 2021 08:38

One Step Ahead of Danger--a Review of "A Picture of Hope" by Liz Tolsma

One step ahead of danger! That’s were Liz Tolsma keeps readers moving in her novel A Picture of Hope. 


This was my first Tolsma novel, and it did not disappoint. With Nazis around every corner, hunting down children deemed unworthy, as well as other innocents, this story had many breathless moments interspersed with gentle, introspective ones. Some of the historical events mentioned were hard to read for their total evil, yet importantly included. At times, during this story of resistance, I wanted to shake the impetuous heroine, yet it was her very nature that allowed her the bravery to act when necessary, and to come to the rescue of many other characters, children and elderly alike. I liked the hero, Jean-Paul, for his intelligence and fearlessness, and I thought the relationship with his father especially enriching to the tale. If you enjoy WWII fiction, be sure and add A Picture of Hope to your reading list.


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Published on October 02, 2021 08:16

September 8, 2021

An Early Review of Shiloh, by Lori Benton

With her typical flare for bringing frontier history and romance onto the page and holding readers in a grip until the end, Lori Benton continues her story of redemption and love begun in Mountain Laurel. While Ian and Seona rediscover love and carve a new beginning in the wilderness through faults and stumbles, other characters' stories come to life too. I also loved how this story intertwined some of the authors earlier works (while not being a sequel to them in itself). Especially enthralling to me was the return of characters from her novel Burning Sky. (Oh, how I loved that story!) I've always imagined a happy ending for one particular character from that book. (Can you guess who I mean?) Anyone else who has loved that story will enjoy finding that and other happily-ever-afters in Shiloh. Adventure, danger, suspense, along with second chances and new beginnings--you'll discover them all in Lori Benton's rich, new historical. 

I received an ARC from Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my honest review.

Shiloh, Book 2 in the Kindred series releases October 5th, 2021. You can pre-order it now.


About the Book
December 1795
A year has passed since Ian Cameron reluctantly sent his uncle’s former slave Seona and their son, Gabriel, north to his kin in Boston. Determined to fully release them, Ian strives to make a life at Mountain Laurel, his inherited plantation, along with Judith, the wife he’s vowed to love and cherish. But when tragedy leaves him alone with his daughter, Mandy, and his three remaining slaves, he decides to return north. An act of kindness on the journey provides Ian the chance to obtain land near the frontier settlement of Shiloh, New York. Perhaps even the hope for a new life with those he still holds dear.

In Boston, Seona has taken her first tentative steps as a free woman, while trying to banish Ian from her heart. The Cameron family thinks she and Gabriel should remain under their protection. Seona’s mother, Lily, thinks it’s time they strike out on their own. Then Ian arrives, offering a second chance Seona hadn’t dared imagine. But the wide-open frontier of Shiloh feels as boundless and terrifying as her newfound freedom―a place of new friends and new enemies, where deep bonds are renewed but old hurts stand ready to rear their heads. It will take every ounce of faith and courage Ian and Seona can muster to fight for their family and their future . . . together.


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Published on September 08, 2021 09:00

September 1, 2021

FREE BOOK! FREE BOOK! FREE BOOK! Historical Fiction ~ The Green Veil

FREE BOOK ALERT!

Wednesday, September 1st through Sunday, September 5th only.

If you’ve never read The Green Veil, Book One in the Empire in Pine saga, here’s your chance to grab the e-book for free.

Get it here now!


1841 ~ Lumberman's daughter, Colette Palmer has always loved timber cruiser Manason Kade, even though she’s too young for him to take her seriously. Leaving Michigan to settle with her family in the Wisconsin wilderness, and separated from him by miles and years, she grows into a woman and, when her heart is broken, makes her vow to another.
Manason longs to plant roots of his own in Wisconsin Territory, and he finally gets his chance. When the new Kade Forest Works challenges the illegal log harvesting of a rival company, however, Colette's husband will stop at nothing to ruin him, even using Colette as a pawn.
Logging enterprises collide as the territory nears statehood. In the midst of turmoil, Manason and Colette meet again. Now, she will have to choose between her first love and her commitment to her marriage vows, while her dreams, her faith, and an empire in pine hang in the balance.
GET THE GREEN VEIL

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Published on September 01, 2021 06:10

July 10, 2021

A WWII novel Not Too Heavy, Not Too Light, but Just Right--Review of The Cryptographer's Dilemma, by Johnnie Alexander

If you enjoy a vintage story with an FBI/police procedural feel and a gentle romance, you'll enjoy this August release by Johnnie Alexander. The novel introduces an entire new series that celebrates heroines of WWII.


Available for Pre-Order on Amazon


In The Crypographer’s Dilemma, Eloise Marshal, the grieving heroine, is an unassuming code developer, content behind her desk, who is pulled into the FBI, trained, and assigned to the task of decoding encrypted messages that may uncover saboteurs in the USA. She can’t do this inside her comfort zone but is partnered with Agent Phillip Clayton whom she first met in the home of his uncle. She considers Phillip arrogant and uncooperative. Of course, he's dealing with his own issues that have nothing to do with her. Their relationship takes a turn, but so does the danger as they follow a trail across the country together. I think the story especially shines when the two MCs share little quips back and forth and we see them drawn out of themselves as they are pulled closer together.



The author must have done a ton of research to bring readers this aspect of the war—the code developers and those assigned to protect the country from infiltrators bent on doing us harm. I learned about actual incidents I’d not heard of before. I recommend this engaging read, a WWII novel that is not too heavy, not too light, but just right.



I appreciate Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
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Published on July 10, 2021 07:31

June 2, 2021

Frontier Fiction Fans Rejoice! A Review of "Sarah's Choice" by Pegg Thomas




Frontier fiction fans rejoice! Here’s a novel that doesn’t smooth history’s ragged edges with a 21st century file. I was totally immersed in this dramatic, heart-pounding world of life at Fort Pitt while under siege during Pontiac’s Rebellion—a brief period just when the French and Indian War ends that is seldom touched on nowadays, and probably largely forgotten by many modern readers. Pegg Thomas will take you back to that rugged wilderness in the story of Sarah Feight, a woman whose hopes and dreams are shattered in terrifying moments, and whose future is faced with shadows and decision almost unfathomable in the making. Lovers of a richly developed romance will enjoy the gentle healing story that follows. They will admire the character and strength of the hero, Leith McCully, as well as the cast of characters who people the fort. Pegg Thomas’s depth of research is evident in her portrayal of the period, the setting, and all the many historical tidbits that occurred during those bold and tragic days, despite which bring about a bright and hopeful ending that is satisfying and sumptuous in the telling. Don’t miss it!

Pre-Order Sarah's Choice Here


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Published on June 02, 2021 07:37

May 31, 2021

A Review of J'nell Ciesielski's "The Ice Swan"



The opening line grabbed me: The night burned red with the flames of revolution. J’nell Ciesielski’s latest is a vast, well-researched epic which brought to mind the famed disappearance of the princess Anastasia but with a much more favorable outcome. The novel takes readers on a terrifying flight from the palaces of a crumbling regime in Russia, to the heroic medical front of WWI and into the seedy underworld of France, and finally to reprieve on a regal estate in the highlands of Scotland. There was no telling where the story would turn next, which for me is a sure-fire way to keep me on edge and turning pages. I enjoyed the way the author delved into the thawing of the heroine’s heart and the hero refuses to be put off by her rebuffs. There was always the shadow of the past lurking, waiting to spring, even when things appeared safe and settled. Even the less likeable characters like the heroine’s own mother, added to the tension and conflict of the story.


If you enjoy dynamic romance seeped in rich history, and touching a number of aspects of WWI you might have missed, you’ll want to read The Ice Swan. (Releases July 6, 2021)


Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for a preview of the book. This is my own honest opinion.

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Published on May 31, 2021 04:52

May 13, 2021

I hope you like book parties, because...

I have been mad about them this spring! And I have two more to go, but they won't both have the same giveaways involved, so don't miss either.

This Saturday, May 13th


Join me with historical fiction authors Linda Matchett, Nancy Farrier, Cathrine Ulrich Brakefield, and Vickie McDonough--contributors on the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog, as we celebrate Mid-Month Madness with some great fun and lots of books and swag giveaways!


The party will take place in two locations, with opportunities to win on both. So stop by the live Facebook event on Saturday here: https://www.facebook.com/HeroesHeroinesandHistory

and on the blog here: https://www.hhhistory.com/

THEN....

ON MAY 26TH


My final party of the season -- and possibly until year's end-- is the Colonial Quills 10-Year-Anniversary party. The format is the same as the other party with both a FB live event and blog event. There'll be more giveaways, chatter, and time to meet with fellow historical fiction and historical romance authors who've written on CQ over the last decade. 

Here's the page for the FB live event: https://www.facebook.com/colonialquills

Here's the blog: https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/

PREPARE FOR BIG NEWS DURING THE CQ EVENT!

I have a special announcement to make, and I'm giddy with excitement!

See you at the parties!


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Published on May 13, 2021 09:31

NEW Discussion Guide

Naomi Dawn Musch
There's a brand new DISCUSSION GUIDE up for THE GREEN VEIL, Empire in Pine Book One. If you love big historicals, this is a great time to take a peek and consider introducing THE GREEN VEIL to your bo ...more
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