Melanie Dobson and Free Books!

Inspired by an incredible rescue in Amsterdam during World War II, Memories of Glass shines light on Holland’s darkest history and her bravest heroes.

Before we visit with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of my romantic-comedy novel set, Love at Millicent's Tea Shop, is:

quilting-lady@...

Congratulations! I'll get your book set right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's chat with novelist Melanie Dobson, author of the time-slip novel (with stories from both the present and past), Memories of Glass (Tyndale House Publishers, September 2019).

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of almost twenty books, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical novels including Memories of Glass, Hidden Among the Stars, and Catching the Wind.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I love old cemeteries! My poor husband isn’t quite as enamored by this passion-of-mine, but I could spend hours upon hours reading epitaphs and wondering at the stories.

I so agree! I imagine as a historical fiction writer, you get a lot of story inspiration from the little information provided on the epitaphs.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Memories of Glass.

Memories of Glass is a time-slip novel inspired by the Dutch men and women during World War II who rescued more than six hundred Jewish children from a deportation center in Amsterdam.

Almost eighty years later, Ava Drake, the director of the prestigious Kingston Foundation, begins to uncover the devastating story about her family’s role in financing Hitler. As she and a child advocate named Landon West dig into the past, Ava discovers that her story is intertwined with the West family and an elderly Dutch woman who has spent a lifetime remembering a boy who was lost during the war. A boy she never expected to find.

What is it about your lead characters that will make your readers care about them?

Josie van Rees is a student in Amsterdam who delivers letters for the Dutch resistance. She wants to rescue the Jewish children being deported by their Nazi occupiers, but it seems impossible for her to help.

In the contemporary story, Ava Drake begins to research her great-grandfather’s work as an investor during World War II, but her entire family, it seems, is determined to stop her from finding the truth.

Who is one of your favorite mainstream authors?

Kate Morton is a master of the time-slip genre. I love how she weaves together a story with lyrical prose and a mystery that spans generations

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I just finished the stunning time-slip novel by Amanda Dykes called Whose Waves These Are . This story takes readers on a journey to an island in Maine with characters that will—well, read the reviews and then the book. It’s one of those beautiful stories that’s impossible to summarize in a few words.

I don't think I realized how prevalent the time-slip genre was. I've loved every novel I've read in that style so far. They've always made history feel more relevant to what's happening in the contemporary world.

What are you working on now?

I just returned from a trip to Germany, researching for my next novel. This new story is about the Nazi quest to find their Aryan roots and a female archeologist in the 1940s who has to make some terrifying choices to survive. It’s also a story about a woman years later trying to out what happened to her family.

Where else can readers find you online?

I love connecting with my readers! The best places to find me are on my website: www.melaniedobson.com, on Facebook, and at @MelBDobson on Twitter

The book can be purchased online via the following button:




Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

A friend and I recently launched the new website timeslipfiction.com. Do you have a favorite time-slip (also known as split-time) novel?

Thank you, Melanie, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your novel. Readers, Melanie has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE