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Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama

The Shenanigans of a Bookish Mama journeying through Motherhood, Homeschooling and lots of Books!

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Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill ~ Book Review

April 29, 2022

 



About the Book  


Book: Counterfeit Love
Author: Crystal Caudill
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Series: Hidden Hearts of the Guilded Age, Book 1
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: March 15, 2022

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name--and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors' threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn't all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home--and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career--but that's better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there's no question they're both still keeping secrets--and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.







My Thoughts 


I love and hate when I fall in love with a debut author! I love it because I have found a new author that I can add to my list but I hate it because it means I must be patient until they release their next book! Bookish nerd problems am I right? This book was so good! I was immersed right away and I could not put it down. Crystal Caudill added all the elements needed to have me utterly captivated. 

The characters were so well written and developed. I loved getting to know Theresa and Broderick. You definitely feel the emotions in this story. Goodness, poor Theresa, I felt like nothing was ever going to go right for her. I mean she was clueless of her grandfather's shenanigans and was being the sole provider for the family. I just wanted something to go right for her. Then we meet Broderick, who just happens to be her former fiancee and goodness is he absolutely swoon worthy!! Ladies, let me tell you he is the perfect leading gentleman. You will definitely fall and root for him the entire time. 

The faith element in this story was superb. I really enjoyed seeing the growth in Theresa's faith  throughout the story and I love that it was her friend Lydia who made her truly see that God is always with her no matter the circumstance. Sometimes we need a wake up call and who better to give it to us than a bestie. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was well researched, had outstanding characters, great mystery and plot twists, action and a faith element that we can all relate to and have been through and swoon-worthy moments that are completely amazing! I would love to see more from these characters especially more of Nathaniel. I think he needs his own story but that's just me the reader hoping for more! 

 If you enjoy Christian Historical Fiction you need to make sure you grab this one and add this author to your list! I can't wait to read what she comes up with next!! (Now we patiently wait...)


My Rating: 5 Stars/ Absolutely Loved it!!

Swoon Worthy Level: 💗💗💗💗💗

My Favorite Quote:

" I know you've been struggling, but no matter what happens or what you think you've lost, you cannot lose God. He pursues you with an unstoppable passion. He wants to be with you, and sometimes it takes stripping everything away for us to realize how much we need HIm. If you have nothing left, then turn to the One you do have. He's there waiting."

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.






About the Author


Crystal Caudill is the author of "dangerously good historical romance," with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Crystal can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com

Website: https://crystalcaudill.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalcaudillauthor/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalcaudillauthor/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCaudillAuthor

 GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/crystalcaudillauthor

 BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3575838325 

Newsletter Sign-Up: https://bitly/CaudillNews 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/crystalcaudillwrites/

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Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri Nouwen - Blog Blitz

April 27, 2022

 


 

Welcome to the Blog Blitz for Turn My Mourning Into Dancing by Henri Nouwen, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!


ABOUT THE BOOK


Turn My Mourning Into Dancing Title: Turn My Mourning Into Dancing 
Author: Henri Nouwen 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Release Date: March 8, 2022 
Genre: Christian, Spiritual Growth, Grief 

How do you find hope in hard times? Why is it important to have hope during difficult times? Turn My Mourning into Dancing will help you survive the difficult seasons and learn how to live a full life in the midst of them and beyond. With practical advice, Henri Nouwen will gently point you towards a way of life that is grounded in God’s constancy and rooted within eternal hope. 

In this updated edition, Turn My Mourning into Dancing discusses five movements we experience during hard times: 

 • From Our Little Selves to a Larger World 
 • From Holding Tight to Letting Go 
 • From Fatalism to Hope 
 • From Manipulation to Love 
 • From a Fearful Death to a Joyous Life 

Healing begins with taking our pain out of its diabolic isolation and seeing our sufferings in communion with all humanity, and all creation. Nouwen teaches us that our little lives participate in something much larger. Turn My Mourning into Dancing is a must read for: 

 • men and women looking for growth and insight on life 
 • anyone going through the grief process and searching for real solutions 
 • anyone who has experienced a loss, betrayal, or hard times 

Everyone grieves differently. It is a process, not a science experiment. Mourning shouldn’t last forever. Do you want the kind of life that allows you to dance even in the middle of the darkest night? Get the answers and find hope within your hard times with Nouwen’s works on spiritual growth.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub





EXCERPT


From Holding Tight to Letting Go

For years I have loved watching trapeze artists. The love began when my then- eighty- nine- year- old
father came for a visit. Let’s go to the circus, we decided one day. That evening we watched five South
African trapeze artists—three fliers and two catchers. They danced in the air! The fliers soared and all
was dangerous until they found themselves caught by the strong hands of their partners. I told my
father that I had always wanted to fly like that, that perhaps I had missed my calling!

I am constantly moved by the courage of my circus friends. At each performance they trust that their
flight will end with their hands sliding into the secure grip of a partner. They also know that only the
release of the secure bar allows them to move on with arcing grace to the next. Before they can be
caught, they must let go. They must brave the emptiness of space.

Living with this kind of willingness to let go is one of the greatest challenges we face. Whether it
concerns a person, possession, or personal reputation, in so many areas we hold on at all costs. We
become heroic defenders of our dearly gained happiness. We treat our sometimes inevitable losses as
failures in the battle of survival.

The great paradox is that it is in letting go, we receive. We find safety in unexpected places of risk. And
those who try to avoid all risk, those who would try to guarantee that their hearts will not be broken,
end up in a self- created hell. C. S. Lewis wrote in The Four Loves,

To love at all is to be vulnerable…If you want to make sure of keeping [your heart] intact, you must give
your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries;
avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket of your selfishness. But in that casket— safe, dark,
motionless, airless— it will change. It will not be broken—it will become unbreak-able, impenetrable,
irredeemable…The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from the danger of love
is Hell.

In so many ways, the more we insist on control and the more we resist the call to hold our lives lightly,
the more we have to deny the reality of our losses and the more artificial our existence becomes. Our
belief that we should grasp tightly what we need provides one of the great sources of our suffering. But
letting go of possessions and plans and people allows us to enter, for all its risks, a life of new,
unexpected freedom.

How can we live with greater willingness to let go? Another step in turning our mourning into dancing
has to do with not clutching what we have, not trying to reserve a safe place we can rest in, not trying to
choreograph our own or others’ lives, but to surrender to the God whom we love and want to follow.
God invites us to experience our not being in control as an invitation to faith.

Taken from “Turn My Mourning into Dancing: Finding Hope During Hard Times” by Henri Nouwen. Copyright 2001 Estate of Henri Nouwen. Preface Copyright 2001 Timothy Jones. Used with permission from Thomas Nelson Publishing. www.thomasnelson.com









ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henri Nouwen 

Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996) was the author of With Open Hands, Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer, Making All Things New, and many other bestsellers. He was the senior pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto, Canada, a community where men and women with mental disabilities and their assistants create a home for one another.


TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive two print copies of Turn My Mourning into Dancing (one to keep, one to give!)!

Turn My Mourning into Dancing JustRead Blog Blitz Giveaway 

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight April 26, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 3, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Turn My Mourning into Dancing JustRead Blog Blitz


JustRead Publicity Tours 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

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Shadows in the Mind by Janyre Tromp ~ Book Review + Giveaway

April 26, 2022

 


About the Book 


Book: Shadows in the Mind
Author: Janyre Tromp
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: April 19, 2022

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on--responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who's come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam's experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand--but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn't the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she's terrified he's going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam's mental wounds--or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?






My Thoughts


I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book but I knew I had to read it. I follow the author on Instagram and she seems to have such a sweet humble spirit about her that when I learned she was writing a book I knew I needed to read it and I am so glad I did. It definitely was not what I was expecting though but it was so good. There are few authors that can write two genres and make it into one storyline and that is exactly what Janyre Tromp has done in this story. She combined suspense, psychological thriller and historical fiction all into one amazing package and to think this is just the beginning as this is her debut novel!!

The author has written characters that are believable and you feel their emotions jump out of the pages. When we meet Sam, right away you can tell that this soldier has suffered a lot mentally and physically while away in war. All he wants to do is return home and see his family, especially the baby girl he has not seen yet. For me, that scene was beautiful and so heartwarming despite all the things that are ensuing in the story. Although Anne at times kind of grated my nerves, she was struggling too. She was happy her husband was back but she knew he wasn't the same man anymore and has an inner struggle within herself of wanting to help him and feeling anger towards him. 

There is so much to this story I will not giveaway but I will say this. It is filled with emotion, love, it deals with the topic of PTSD, it has some twists and suspenseful parts that I was not expecting and it was truly a great debut novel. If you enjoy Hitchcokian type stories I highly recommend you give this one a try. I believe you will truly enjoy it! I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with in the future!

My Rating: 4 Stars/ Really Liked it!

I received a copy of this book through I Read With Audra. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.


 



Giveaway 

The prize pack includes:


- A copy of Shadows in the Mind's Eye,

- A custom made silver peach tree necklace inspired by the book,

- A "Light speaks through the broken places" t-shirt also inspired by the book.


Click the link to enter giveaway:

 https://www.audrajennings.com/2022/04/shadows-in-minds-eye-giveaway.html





About the Author


Janyre Tromp (pronounced Jan-ear) is a historical suspense novelist who loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas. 


A firm believer in the power of an entertaining story, Tromp is also a book editor and published children’s book author. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband, two kids, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. 


You can find her on Facebook (@JanyreTromp), Instagram (@JaynreTromp), Twitter (@JanyreTromp), and her website, www.JanyreTromp.com where you can download a free copy of her novella, Wide Open. 







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The Treasure of the Lost Mine by Gregory O. Smith ~ Book Review

April 20, 2022

 



About the Book 


Book: The Treasure of the Lost Mine
Author: Gregory O. Smith
Genre: Children's Fiction/Adventure
Series: Wright Cousin Adventures, Book 1
Release Date: April 8, 2022

Tim broke the nervous silence. “What—what was that?”“I don’t know,” said Robert. “But whatever it is, It’s been locked in there for over a hundred years...”

Meet the five Wright cousins in their first big mystery together. I mean, what could be more fun than a treasure hunt with five crazy, daring, ingenious, funny and determined teenagers, right? The adventure grows as the cousins run headlong into vanishing trains, trap doors, spooky gold mines and surprises at every turn. Have a blast with the Wright cousins as they team up to uncover the real TREASURE OF THE LOST MINE! A Family friendly book.







My Thoughts 


I love reviewing books but some of my favorite books for review are the ones I can share with my kiddos and get them involved in the review process. So whenever I get a children's book to review, I preview it first to make sure it aligns with our standards, and once that is done and is approved by this mama I introduce it to the kids. As soon as the kids saw the cover of this book they were intrigued and wanted to know more about it. It definitely kept them entertained during our morning read aloud time. They hated that the end of the chapters leave you into a cliffhanger, but I for one loved that since it kept them wanting more! 

This is definitely a great book for boys who love adventures! It has bad guys and good guys, family time, gold mines, adventures and even a military tank! My kids were definitely enthralled with the story and enjoyed every minute of it. They can't wait to read the rest of the series. 

As a mom I am looking for good books for my kids. We are pretty conservative in our beliefs so finding good books that align with that is getting harder and harder nowadays but then comes along an author I have not heard of before and my faith is restored, because there are good books for kids out there, we just have to dig a little harder. 

This is a very clean book and filled with a classic adventure that will remind you of the western movies of old times. I highly recommend this not only as a read aloud but definitely for kids ages 8 and up! My kids give it a quadruple thumbs up! 

My Rating: 5 Stars/ We really enjoyed it!

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.



About the Author


Gregory O. Smith enjoys the adventure of hiking to waterfalls, good family movies, driving trains, exploring the Old West. He likes making friends with people all around the world. Hamburgers, onion rings, and homemade ice cream are definitely favorite foods and he really, really likes building fun and useful things like adventure obstacle courses, ride-on railroads, waterwheels, and toys. Learn more about him at his website, GregoryOSmith.com
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The Barabbas Legacy by M.D. House ~ Book Spotlight + Excerpt

April 8, 2022

 




About the Book


Book: The Barabbas Legacy
Author: M.D. House
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Independent
Release Date: December 2021

In this poignant capstone to The Barabbas Trilogy, the man called Barabbas—infamous former thief, murderer and prisoner turned Christian—and his wife Chanah continue their mission of spreading the gospel across the known world as cauldrons of political and military chaos boil across the Roman Empire. 


Nero is increasingly erratic, and it’s only a matter of time before the sharp knives of imperial politics finish him off. Various successors vie for position. Who will strike first, and who will come out on top?

Meanwhile, the rebellion in Judea has intensified, the Jewish zealots exerting great influence over the minds of the people. General Vespasian and his son Titus aim to put a permanent end to the insurrection. How many lives will ultimately be sacrificed on the great altar of Jerusalem? Can the Jewish nation survive the fulfillment of Jesus’s prophecy? What will become of the Jewish Christians and the apostles and sisters who lead them? And where will Barabbas and his family find lasting peace?


The Barabbas Legacy once again brings the early years of the church into vivid detail, concluding the journey of those first saints who sacrificed everything to bring Christ’s message to the world.




 Excerpt 



From Chapter 11, the perspective of Marian, daughter of Barabbas and Chanah


“Fourteen today? Again?” Terisa, the amazingly gracious woman who, with her farmer husband Paerin, had kindly offered to give Marian a place to stay, admired the harvest gathered in Marian’s apron. She stared at Marian, shaking her head and smiling. “Those chickens really like you. They’ve never produced this much for me.”

Marian didn’t know quite what to say. “Oh, I don’t know. I think they’ve just had a couple of good days.”

Terisa clearly didn’t believe that. “Well, keep letting them see you a few times a day. The community could use the extra eggs. And we may have to increase the flock.” She winked, then turned to find a bowl in which to place the eggs. When she located one, Marian helped her unload, then smoothed her apron.

“Is there any mending I can do this morning? I’d start on some new children’s clothes, but I’m waiting on material.”

Terisa thought a moment. “No, I don’t think so. You can check with Catherine, though, when she gets back from visiting some farms a few miles north with her husband. You have time to do some writing. I know you enjoy it, and you’re good at it. I’ve already heard people talking about the stories you’ve completed. You have quite an imagination, grounded in faith.”

Marian lowered her eyes, embarrassed at the compliment. “I’m trying to follow my mother’s example. She inspired a lot of what I write. The apostle Paul, too.”

“I’d love to meet Paul,” said Terisa wistfully. “I doubt he’ll ever come here, but that’s okay. Apostles and sister leaders have visited before, and I’m sure more will in the future. We saw Joanna give a sermon once but didn’t get to talk to her. She was breathtaking. What a powerful woman she was … well, still is, on the other side now.”

Marian nodded agreement as she sat on a stool at their small table in the kitchen. Unsure of how Terisa would handle the revelation, she didn’t mention she had met Joanna, too. Terisa was preparing to make a stew, but Marian wouldn’t be much help at this point, as most everything was ready. It would simmer most of the day.

“Thank you for being so kind to me.”

Terisa looked up from the pot she was filling with ingredients. “You can quit thanking us so often. You’re a blessing. We’re happy to have you. And even if you want to wait a while to get married, that’s fine with us.”

Marian blushed. “It’s not that I don’t want to get married … well, maybe it is a little. I don’t know if I’m ready yet, and frankly, it frightens me to contemplate how I should go about finding a good husband.”

Terisa nodded knowingly. “Well, the really good ones are hard to find. I got lucky, I suppose. The Lord helped, too, I’m sure of that, even though we weren’t Christians yet. Just keep praying and doing good things. He’ll help you figure it out.” She started humming as she continued chopping up vegetables for the stew.

“Yes, I’m sure he will … but part of me wishes I knew the timing, while the other part is afraid to find out.”

Terisa gave her a kind smile. “Don’t overthink it. I know you writers tend to do that sometimes. Be happy, and let it come.” She winked, then turned back to humming and filling her pot.

“Thank you,” said Marian, rising. “You’ve just given me a couple of ideas. I need to write them down.”

Terisa laughed as Marian left the kitchen and headed for her room, where she had a small desk and a chair. Ink and parchment were a little harder to come by in Nazaretum than she was accustomed to, but she was making do. She sat down and began taking a few notes in tiny script. Overthinking things. She would write a story about a young woman who did that in humorously exaggerated ways … a young woman very much like herself.





About the Author


M.D. HOUSE is the author of The Barabbas Legacy, as well as the first two volumes in The Barabbas Trilogy, I Was Called Barabbas and Pillars of Barabbas. He also authored the science-fiction novel, Patriot Star. Before beginning his second career as a writer, he worked for twenty-five years in the world of corporate finance, strategic planning, and business development. Now, Michael lives in Utah with his wife, where he spends his time writing and enjoying his children and grandchildren. Learn more about Michael and his work at www.mdhouselive.com.


Learn more about M.D. House and The Barabbas Legacy at www.mdhouselive.com. The Barabbas Legacy is available on Amazon.



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Love's Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik ~ Book Review + Giveaway

April 7, 2022

 


About the Book


Book: Love’s Fortress
Author: Jennifer Uhlarik
Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical fiction / Romance
Release Date: March, 2022


A Love Story from the Past Brings Closure to Dani’s Fractured Family


Walk through Doors to the Past via a series of historical stories of romance and adventure.


When Dani Sango’s art forger father passes away, Dani inherits his home. Among his effects is a book of Native American drawings, which leads her to seek the help of museum curator Brad Osgood to decipher the ledger art. Why would her father have this book? Is it just another forgery?


Brad Osgood’s four-year-old niece, Brynn, needs a safe home, and Brad longs to provide it. The last thing he needs is more drama, especially from a forger’s daughter. But when the two meet “accidentally” at St. Augustine’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos, he can’t refuse the intriguing woman.


Broken Bow is among seventy-three Plains Indians transported to Florida in 1875 for incarceration at ancient Fort Marion. Sally Jo Harris and Luke Worthing dream of serving God on a foreign mission field, but when the Indians arrive in St. Augustine, God changes their plans. Then when friendship develops between Sally Jo and Broken Bow and false accusations fly, it could cost them their lives.


Can Dani discover how Broken Bow and Sally Jo’s story ends and how it impacted her father’s life?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 





My Thoughts



The Doors to the Past Series has truly been an enjoyable one. This book is another great example of how great this series is. I love dual time lines so this was right up my alley. The characters were engaging and the historical key points were definitely interesting. The author weaves faith in a beautiful way. 

If you enjoy Christian Historical Fiction I definitely grab this one and the rest in the series. They don't have to be read in any order as they are written by different authors and do not relate to each other. 

My Rating: 4 Stars/Really Liked it

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.




About the Author


Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a preteen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a BA in writing, she has won five writing competitions and was a finalist in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenage son, and four fur children.

 


More from Jennifer


Florida has been my home since I was ten, and I’ve visited the city of St. Augustine several times in my many years here. There, I stumbled across the fact that the Castillo de San Marcos, the town’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, was home to several groups of Native Americans in the 1800s. Ever since learning this fact, I’ve considered writing a story about the three-year period from 1875-1878 when seventy-three Plains Indians from various tribes called the fort (known then as Fort Marion) their home. However, since I’m mainly a western and western romance author, all of my story settings to date have been west of the Mississippi—not in Florida. So this interesting historical factoid remained dormant in my imagination for years, waiting for the right opportunity.

 

That opportunity came last year when I was asked to submit an idea for Barbour’s dual-timeline Doors to the Past series. These stories must be set in or around a major landmark, the plot must focus on a newsworthy event, and there must be a bit of a mystery that connects the historical timeline to the contemporary plot. Obviously, as the oldest masonry fort in the United States, Castillo de San Marcos is an important and interesting landmark. Originally built by the Spanish, it later became a British possession, reverted again to the Spanish, and eventually became part of the United States’ holdings. With such a long and varied history, I’m sure you can see why this unique structure would make an interesting landmark around which to base a story.

 

The newsworthy event the plot focuses on is the incarceration of those seventy-three Plains Indians, deemed some of the “worst of the worst” offenders in the Indians Wars of the West. Can you imagine the buzz such an event would create? Once the Indians fell into their routine inside the fort, they were given quite a bit of freedom to interact with the locals and tourists. People came from far and wide to see these men and their historic surroundings along the banks of the Matanzas River. With a simple day pass from the fort’s commander, outsiders could enter, walk among and talk with the prisoners, see the historic fort, and even watch cultural events like dances, powwows, mock buffalo hunts, and archery displays. The Native men could also leave the fort and venture into town to shop or sell handmade goods, from bows and arrows to hand-crafted items made from locally-sourced seashells and plants, to their original “ledger art.”

 

It’s the ledger art that comprises the mysterious puzzle piece connecting the historical timeline of Love’s Fortress to the present day. When Dani Sango learns her long-estranged father has died, she inherits his rundown St. Augustine house. Inside, she discovers a book of Native American art depicting events from one Indian’s daily life. But because her father was a convicted art forger, Dani questions why he would have the strange and rudimentary artwork. She suspects it was his latest scam, so she enlists the help of Brad Osgood, curator of a western art museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, to help her discover where the art originated and how her father came to possess it. In the process, the pair digs deep into the history of the St. Augustine fort and its former residents.

 

I found it fascinating to research this brief period in the Castillo’s long history, and I hope you’ll enjoy the story that came from my efforts.



Blog Stops


Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 26

Remembrancy, March 26

The Christian Fiction Girl, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Inklings and notions, March 28

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 28

Bigreadersite, March 29

For Him and My Family, March 29

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 30

Betti Mace, March 30

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 31

deb’s Book Review, April 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 1

Older & Smarter?, April 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 3

Life of Literature, April 3

Genesis 5020, April 4

For the Love of Literature, April 4

Connie’s History Classroom, April 5

Blossoms and Blessings, April 5

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 6 (Spotlight)

Splashes of Joy, April 6

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 7

Through the Fire Blogs, April 7

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 8

Pause for Tales, April 9

Labor Not in Vain, April 9




Giveaway




To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1c10d/love-s-fortress-celebration-tour-giveaway




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The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel ~ Book Review
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