About the Book

Science has always been her haven…until a secret expedition proves more dangerous than she bargained for.

Lady Elise Stanton loves the Lord, her family, science, and William Degraf. William was always around to help with her experiments—at least, until she reached marriageable age. Unable to convince him that it is not a noble bloodline that makes a man worthy, but a noble heart, she turns to science to soothe her disappointment. She’s admitted to the School of Scientifica in London, far from her home at Brighton Castle. She’s eager to join a scientific expedition intent on tracking down a large meteorite strike. The hope is their study will unlock secrets of the universe, which will help mankind. Superstitions and fear surrounding the stones threaten the expedition. As dangers mount, William’s unexpected arrival could be the answer to her prayers…or the harbinger of more peril to come.

William Degraf chooses to join the king’s army to escape the growing secret love he has for Lady Elise. He is a low-born innkeeper’s son and not worthy to marry a lady of noble blood. His plan is to rise in ranks and one day earn great honors to declare for her hand. That hope is shattered when he loses his right leg in battle while saving his best friend from the enemy’s lance. When he receives information that a group of assassins have been hired to kill the king and all with noble blood, he must warn Elise and her family. Can he reach Elise in time to protect her from danger, then stand aside and watch her marry another?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

Jan Davis Warren is a mother, grandmother, and a young-at-heart great-grandmother. Her wonderful husband passed away the same year she won the ACFW Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense. That win and many others are encouraging reminders that God wants her to continue writing even in the tough times. Learn more at www.janwarrenbooks.com.

More from Jan

Writing The Stone and the Secrets was as much a joy as it was a challenge.

The hero and heroine of this book were first introduced in book 2, The Sword and the Secrets. Several readers loved Elise and William so much, they wanted to know more about them. The Stone and the Secrets is Elise and William’s story.

Book 3, The Stone and the Secrets was also to complete the series, but as soon as it was finished, I knew there would have to be one more. I already have the title, plot, and the characters, but I’ll share more about that another day.

As a writer, I love getting to know the characters. Before the story is finished, it’s like I’ve known them their whole lives. It’s fun, but challenging to allow the characters to evolve without pushing them to the end too soon. Spoiler alert. I absolutely LOVE a happily-ever-after ending. It gives me, as the author, a satisfying feeling of closure. You can laugh, but it’s true.

The hero and heroine in The Stone and the Secrets are not the typical h/h you might imagine living in medieval times.

The beautiful and intelligent, Lady Elise Stanton has a long and impressive royal linage. Because of her heritage, protocol demands she marry someone with an equally impressive noble bloodline. The problem is, Elise has no interest in protocol, titles, or matchmaking, and refuses to be courted by empty-headed men who know nothing of using a forge, or mending a broken carriage axle. She’s a scientist whose curiosity about the how things work has gotten her into trouble since she was old enough to take things apart. With her creative mind, she is always thinking of new things to invent. Her first attempt to fly almost got her killed, but for our hero, William Degraf’s timely intervention.

He’s saved Elise many times during their childhood—a challenge he gladly accepts for he loves her deeply. However, William’s love for Elise is not to be. He must sacrifice his love so she can fulfill her destiny, which means marrying a man with title and wealth, neither of which he has. He is strong, handsome, and of noble character, but has not a noble bloodline.

Once Elise becomes of marriageable age, he realizes seeing her courted would be too painful, so he joins the king’s army. By becoming a knight, he hopes to forget her.

As I got to know Sir William Degraf, a knight of the king’s army, I can tell you, there’s not a braver or more loyal man to be found in all of England.

In the title, The Stone and the Secrets, the stone was initially meant to represent the meteorites, which Elise is determined to locate. She feels they are the answer to finding a unique metal needed for a secret project.

To my unexpected delight, in the midst of writing this story, I realized the “stone” also represents the Lord, our Corner Stone, the Rock of Ages, the Stone that the builder rejected, and much more.

This is also an adventure story, so, of course, there’s hidden treasure and several villains, each with a goal to kill, steal and destroy. Assassins, murderous pagans, and a madman intent on revenge, all who are determined to wreak havoc along the way.

Which begs to question. With so much coming against them…

Can William reach Elise in time to save her, this time from a fate worse than death?

And, with William being a lowborn commoner, and Elise of noble blood, how can they possibly have their happily-ever-after?

I’m so excited. I can’t wait to tell you. They…

Oh, no, I’ve used up all my allotted words. Sorry, I guess you’ll have to read The Stone and the Secrets to find out.

May God bless and keep you, and give you peace.

Jan Davis Warren

Blog Stops

Connect in Fiction, November 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 2

Texas Book-aholic, November 3

Inklings and notions, November 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 5

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 6

Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 7 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 7

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 8

deb’s Book Review, November 9

Connie’s History Classroom, November 10

Mary Hake, November 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 12

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 13

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 14 (Author Interview)

The Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/12b89/the-stone-and-the-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway

 

About the Book

When Julianna’s final mission proves more deadly than she imagined, help comes from the most unlikely of places.

Raised in a castle on the remote border of England and Scotland, Lord John Stanton is the last male heir of his royal lineage. He has the responsibility to marry and carry on the family name, but a secret vow to God, after a near-fatal battle wound, could change his future from royal heir to humble servant of the church. His journey to the monastery to become a monk is interrupted when he meets a dangerous, but beautiful, woman who has plans and secrets of her own

.

Abandoned by her father and raised in an institution as property of the Crown, Julianna Westerfield longs to be free to pursue love and have a family of her own. Trained to be a spy and assassin, she has a chance to earn her freedom by completing this last and most dangerous assignment. Her mission to uncover a murderous plot and the identities of the Black Guard has already cost several agents their lives, and now the assassins are after her. To survive she must depend on a handsome monk and his cantankerous donkey.

Was it divine intervention that caused John and Julianna’s paths to cross? Can they put aside their differences and join forces to deliver stolen papers containing vital information to the king in time to save countless lives?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts

About the Author

Jan Davis Warren is a mother, grandmother, and a young-at-heart great-grandmother. Her wonderful husband passed away the same year she won the ACFW Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense. That win and many others are encouraging reminders that God wants her to continue writing even in the tough times. Learn more at www.janwarrenbooks.com.

More from Jan

The Sword and the Secrets is a Historical Romantic Suspense. It is written as a Medieval Christian fiction story set in England around 1209. I chose to keep the historical details to a minimum because of the inconsistency I found in researching this particular time and place. I humbly apologize to you lovers of more in-depth historical facts. I would’ve loved to have traveled to England for more hands-on research but the pandemic made that impossible.

I live in a once-rural area in Oklahoma. Urban development is fast encroaching transforming peaceful pastures into busy neighborhoods. I know it’s called “progress”, but I miss knowing all of my neighbors by name. In the good-old-days, my husband and I loved raising our children here on the farm. As a family, we had all kinds of poultry and livestock, so I can’t resist including a variety of animals in my stories from time to time.

Rosita and her daughter, Daisy, were two of our favorite donkeys on the farm. I’ll never forget when Daisy was born. I think her ears were almost long as her legs. Speaking of donkeys, did you ever hear the story about how the donkey got its cross? I included it in the book.

Precious is the name of the donkey in The Sword and the Secrets. Her mother was killed when she was but a few days old, and she was raised by an old woman who took her into her home and treated with the care and affection of the child she never had. Needless to say, Precious is smart and creative when it comes to getting her way. When her elderly master is about to die, the woman is directed by God to entrust Precious into Lord John Stanton’s care.

For the war-weary hero of this story, Lord John Stanton’s secret battlefield vow to serve God and the Church became more complicated when he was charged with the responsibility of caring for the contrary donkey. His intent to walk to London to join a monastery was supposed to be peaceful and most of all, solitary. It wasn’t until after John accepted the animal that he found out that the donkey’s elderly master had taught Precious not to budge unless first called by name. It was to keep her from being stolen, which served her well. But the name sticks in the hero’s throat every time he must submit to calling her Precious to make her move.

John’s plans also never included protecting a beautiful spy with secrets of her own.

The heroine, Julianna Westerfield was a fun surprise to me. As the story took shape in my mind, I thought the hero would meet the heroine by coming to her aid against brigands. Perhaps she was a princess fleeing her wicked guardian, etc. That however was not the way the story unfolded. As I came to Julianna’s part, I realized she had a colorful past of her own.

I love it when the story develops into something I never expected. 

The beautiful heroine of The Sword and the Secrets, Julianna Westerfield is not the princess I first envisioned but an indentured servant. She was abandoned as a child at the Grandfork Institute for Higher Learning. It is an institution run jointly by the Crown and the Church for the sole purpose of training spies and assassins to do their bidding.

I hope you’ll join John and Julianna (and Precious) on their quests and perchance uncover their deepest secrets.

May God bless and keep you and draw you ever closer to Him.

Blessings!

Jan Davis Warren

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 20

Connect in Fiction, April 20

Texas Book-aholic, April 21

Inklings and notions, April 22

For Him and My Family, April 23

deb’s Book Review, April 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 26

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 26

Connie’s History Classroom, April 27

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 28

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 30

Romances of the Cross, April 30

CarpeDiem, May 1

Adventures Of A Travelers Wife, May 2

Mary Hake, May 2

Blogging With Carol, May 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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/10ad1/the-sword-and-the-secrets-celebration-tour-giveaway