Posted on Leave a comment

Curious George and World War Two

Curious George During WWII (1)

(reprint from 2018)

I love children’s books! Do you? Couldn’t you just sit for hours, flipping through colorful pages in children’s books and soaking up the captivating tales? Watercolor art is a favorite and story set to poetry is the best pleasure ever.

From a little tyke, I grew up reading books like Harold and the Purple Crayon, A Happy Ending Series (with Tippu and Chippy and friends), and Tales of Fern Hollow. As my reading tastes matured, those childhood books still held a place in my heart, but I added to the pile. The Mandie Series, High Hurdles, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and others. Then into my adult years, I didn’t forsake the well-loved books, but included historicals by Sarah Sundin, Cara Putman, Tracie Petersen, Jeanne M. Dickson, Lynn Austin, Joanna Davidson Politano, Janyre Tromp, and so many other wonderful authors.

I could fill a book just sharing them! (If you want to know a great list of fiction authors, visit Fiction Finder or BookBub.)

However, there is one special book I forgot to mention.

Curious George!curious-george-hans-rey-margaret-tisha-martin-author-editor-childrens-literature-fiction-world-war-two

I love that little monkey—and the television shows! But do you know much about the authors? It may surprise you like it did me! This beloved, cantankerous monkey nearly didn’t make it into print.

margaret-hans-rey-curious-george-childrens-literature-tisha-martin-historical-fiction-authorThe authors, Hans Reyersbach and his wife Margaret Waldstein, were Jewish and had to escape when the Nazis invaded France in 1940. Fleeing on “new” bicycles created from spare parts, Hans Ryersbach carried the precious manuscript about a Monkey named Raffy. Margaret and Hans eventually arrived in New York where author and illustrator couple found a home for their manuscript about a curious little monkey that became known as Curious George. The editor at Houghton Mifflin thought child readers needed the friendship of a colorful, adventurous monkey to soften the harshness of wartime. The first book sold in 1941. I’m happy to be able to incorporate Curious George into my own WWII novel when my character Laurie’s little cousin is born in 1944. Even my fictional characters get to enjoy this crazy monkey!

“I know what I liked as a child, and I don’t do any book that I, as a child, wouldn’t have liked.” — H. A. Rey

If you’d like to read further, check out The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey, linked to Barnes & Noble.

Leave me a note in the comments! I look forward to the conversation!

What are some of your favorite childhood books and why?

What are some of your favorite adult books and why?

Image credit: Forward.com
Article Source: The Vintage News

Posted on Leave a comment

ACFW May 2018 New Releases

May 2018 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

 

Children’s:

Feebs to the Rescue by Kathy J Perry — Feebs the kitten is new to the farm. She’s a long way from the farmhouse and doesn’t know her way home in the dark. Her new friend, Ollie the dog, needs help. Can she find the courage to lead a night rescue? (Children’s from Chickadee Words, LLC)

Nibbler and Captain Make Peace by Kathy J Perry — Nibbler the beaver works hard to keep his lodge and dam perfectly patched. A river otter knocks a hole in his great work. Now he’s so angry, he could almost spit nails. Can he learn how to handle his anger? (Children’s from Chickadee Words, LLC)

Rascal’s Trip by Kathy J Perry — Rascal the raccoon is sorry he ignored the warning signs He’s surprised by a whirlwind and he’s taken for the ride of his life. Now it’s up to the Bandana Buddies to help him learn the importance of thinking ahead. Can he stay out of trouble long enough to get back home? (Children’s from Chickadee Words, LLC)

Contemporary Romance:

Solo Tu: Only You by Narelle Atkins — Can two high-school teachers, a girl from Tuscany and a boy from Australia, risk everything for love? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck — Can two high-school teachers, a girl from Tuscany and a boy from Australia, risk everything for love? (Contemporary Romance, Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Hometown Reunion by Lisa Carter — Widowed former Green Beret Jaxon Pruitt comes home to face his toughest battle: reconnecting with his toddler son. He also makes an unwitting enemy of childhood friend Darcy Parks when he takes over the kayak shop Darcy hoped to buy! For little Brody’s sake, she’ll stay until summer’s end. But could a growing connection turn their temporary truce into an unexpected forever? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Room on the Porch Swing by Amy Clipston — When her best friend Savilla dies, Laura steps in to help Allen raise his infant daughter. She soon finds herself coping with the jealousy of her boyfriend Rudy, and her own growing attraction to Allen. Have Laura and Allen been brought together to console and support one another…or is there an even deeper purpose they must fulfill? (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Cowboys of Summer by Mary Connealy, Tina Radcliffe, Lorna Seilstad, Sherri Shackelford, Cheryl St. John, and Missy Tippens — Six of Christian fiction’s most beloved authors join forces to bring you a collection of humorous, romantic and heartfelt novellas set against the sultry heat of summer. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Bella Notte by Heather Gray — As a photographer who works primarily with fashion, Piero Carter is used to having his pick of beautiful women who want to be seen by his side. Felicity von Wolff is a makeup artist whose job takes her around the world. That’s all the adventure she craves. She has little use for Piero the Playboy. But when Felicity peeks over the wall she’s built to protect herself, she discovers there’s more to the people around her than she ever realized. What will it take for Piero and Felicity to stop hiding from life and open their eyes to the rich beauty God has in store for them? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Honeysuckle Dreams by Denise Hunter — Regardless of what any blood test says, Brady Collins will go to any lengths to keep his son. Even pretend his friend Hope is his fiancée. Local radio celebrity Hope Daniels has finally been offered her dream job. But if the truth comes out about her arrangement with Brady, she may miss the chance of a lifetime and stand in the way of a dear friend’s dreams. As Brady and Hope make sacrifices to help each other in their times of need, they risk uncovering a truth neither of them expects to find. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Finding Love on Bainbridge Island Washington by Annette M. Irby — A “broken” therapist with PTSD finds a fresh start at her family’s beach cabin, but when her parents hire her ex-boyfriend to finalize repairs on the place, they’re forced back into close proximity. He’s falling for her again. But can anything heal the past? (Contemporary Romance from Mountain Brook Ink)

And Cowboy Makes Three by Deb Kastner — Coming home with a baby and no wedding ring was just what everyone in Cowboy Country expected from bad girl Angelica Carmichael. But she’ll brave their scorn to fulfill Granny Frances’s dying wishes, even if it means ranching with Rowdy Masterson…her jilted ex-groom. Rowdy’s still bitter but this new, softer Angelica—paired with a precious baby—might be too lovable to resist! (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Falling for You by Becky Wade — A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin — then suffered the consequences when their relationship fell apart. Now that a decades-old mystery has brought them together again, they’ll have to confront their past and the feelings they still harbor for one another. (Contemporary Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

General Contemporary/Women’s Fiction:

Long Way Home by Brenda S. Anderson — Stuck on a six-day road trip with the man who once bullied her, can Lauren Bauman learn that love keeps no record of wrongs? (General Contemporary, Independently Published {ACFW QIP Author})

The Hidden Side by Heidi Chiavaroli — The Hidden Side is about a family that is torn apart by the unspeakable actions of one of its members and how a woman from the past helps them to heal. (General Contemporary from Tyndale House)

Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt — It’s been ten years since Payton Thatcher’s twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine—until her middle sister Jillian’s engagement pulls the family back together to plan the festivities. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart. (Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Tyndale House)

Where Hope Begins by Catherine West — Savannah Barrington has always found solace at her parents’ lake house in the Berkshires, and it’s the place that she runs to when her husband of over twenty years leaves her. Though her world is shaken, and the future uncertain, she finds hope through an old woman’s wisdom, a little girl’s laughter, and a man who’s willing to risk his own heart to prove to Savannah that she is worthy of love.
But soon, Savannah is given a challenge that she can’t run away from. Forgiving the unforgiveable. Amidst the ancient gardens and musty bookstores of the small town she’s sought refuge in, she must reconcile with the grief that haunts her, the God pursuing her, and the wounds of the past that might be healed after all. (General Contemporary from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

General Historical:

Faithful by Carol Ashby — When a foolish choice lands one man in a fight for his life, unlikely friendships are born, love blossoms, and broken relationships are restored as his best friend’s faith and courage guide the quest to rescue him. (General Historical from Cerrillo Press)

Historical Romance:

All for Love by Mary Connealy, Kristi Ann Hunter, and Jen Turano — Three of Christian historical fiction’s beloved authors come together in this romantic and humorous collection of novellas featuring prequels to their latest series. Mary Connealy’s “The Boden Birthright” journeys to the Old West, where ranch hand Chance Boden’s determination to be his own boss is challenged by his employer’s pretty daughter. Kristi Ann Hunter’s “A Lady of Esteem” follows a Regency-era young lady whose chance at love and reputation in society are threatened by a nasty rumor. Jen Turano’s “At Your Request” tells of a young woman who is humbled at her newly lowered status in society when she is reunited with the very man whose proposal she rejected. (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

The Perfect Bride by Debbie Lynne Costello — Avice Touchet has always dreamed of marrying for love and that love would be her best friend, Philip Greslet. She’s waited five years for him to see her as the woman she’s become but when a visiting lord arrives with secrets that could put her father in prison, Avice must consider a sacrificial marriage. Philip Greslet has worked his whole life for one thing—to be a castellan—and now it is finally in his grasp. But when Avice rebuffs his new lord’s attentions, Philip must convince his best friend to marry the lord against his heart’s inclination to have her as his own. (Historical Romance from Forget Me Not Romances)

Backcountry Brides Collection by Angela Couch, Debra E. Marvin, Shannon McNear, Gabrielle Meyer, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, and Pegg Thomas — Travel into Colonial America where eight women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry. Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Rebecca’s Song by Dawn Kinzer — A small-town teacher who lost hope of having her own family, and a big-city railroad detective driven to capture his sister’s killer, must do what’s best for three young orphans who need them both. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Love’s Silver Lining by Julie Lessman — A soft-hearted suffragist incurs the wrath of a bull-headed bachelor when she reforms his favorite girl at the Ponderosa Saloon. (Historical Romance (Western), Independently Published)

Redeeming Light by Annette O’Hare — While Sarah weathers the deadly storm inside the lighthouse, her prayers are for Frederick, caught in the midst of the tempest. (Historical Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])

To Claim Her Heart by Jodie Wolfe — Elmer Smith didn’t need a man when she competed in the Cherokee Strip Land Run and she sure as shootin’ doesn’t need one to keep her land either. (Historical Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)

Romantic Suspense:

No Safe Place by H. L. Wegley — A young man returning from the far country trying to regain his honor, and a young woman with a heart broken by her parents’ rejection because of her newfound faith, each have what the other needs, but will the assassin who put them on his hit list allow them enough time to discover what they have in each other? (Romantic Suspense from Trinity Press International)

Speculative:

No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens — As far as David Galloway knows, he can’t die. He wonders where he fits in the world, in God’s plan for the past and the future. He believes himself to be the only person on earth who hasn’t aged in over a century. He’s wrong about that. (Speculative from Barbour Publishing)

Young Adult:

Porch Swing Girl by Taylor Bennett — Left at her grandma’s house in Hawaii after a family tragedy, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway is desperate to fly home to Boston and stop her father before he does anything drastic. (Young Adult from Mountain Brook Ink)

Posted on 38 Comments

January 2018 Multi Book Giveaway

chloe-ridgway-181789

When the weather’s so cold you have frost on the windows, it’s time to curl up indoors with a fuzzy blanket, burning candle, and a good book for a good, long afternoon. Check out these great reads—and enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway at the end! Four books, four winners!

Author: Sharlene McLaren

sharlene maclaren daring hearts tisha martin author editor giveaway 2018 januaryBook Giveaway: Their Daring Hearts 

Blurb:
Levi Albright rebelled against his Quaker roots to fight for abolition in the Union army in the first year of the Civil War.Two years later, 19-year-old destitute orphan Josephine Winters, with chopped hair, boy’s clothes, and new name, “Gordon Snipp,” enlists in the Union army out of sheer desperation. Just over five feet tall and barely weighing as much as a newborn calf, Snipp seems to Levi to be barely old enough to hold “his” gun. But despite being teased by the regiment, Snipp quickly earns admiration for skill with a musket and unequaled bravery. When Levi explains one night that he is a Quaker leading a regiment, it leads to a late-night discussion of faith and a developing friendship. But Snipp’s secret can only be hidden for so long. After an injury forces Josie to reveal her real identity, Levi is angered by her deception. Worse, Josie is marched out of the company without a chance to explain—or even say goodbye. Will their friendship survive? Or will the hatred saturating the war-torn nation affect even the heart of a peace-loving Quaker?
sharlene maclaren author photo tisha martin author editor january 2018 giveawayAbout Sharlene:

Born and raised in west Michigan, Sharlene attended Spring Arbor University. Upon graduating with an education degree in 1971, she taught second grade for two years then accepted an invitation to travel internationally for a year with a singing ensemble. In 1975, she married her childhood sweetheart. Together they raised two lovely, wonderful daughters, both of whom are now happily married and enjoying their own families. Retired in 2003 from 31-years of teaching, “Shar” loves to read, sing, travel, and spend time with her family, in particular, her wonderful, adorable grandchildren!

A Christian for 45+ years, and a lover of the English language, Shar has always enjoyed dabbling in writing–poetry, fiction, various essays, and freelancing for periodicals and newspapers. Her favored genre, however, has always been romance. She remembers well the short stories she wrote in high school and watching them circulate from girl to girl during government and civics classes. “Psst,” someone would whisper from two rows over, and always with the teacher’s back to the class, “Pass me the next page.”In recent years, Shar felt God’s call upon her heart to take her writing pleasures a step further and in 2006 signed a contract for her first faith-based novel; thereby, launching her writing career with Through Every Storm. With a dozen books now gracing store shelves nationwide, she daily gives God all the praise and glory for her accomplishments.

Shar has done numerous countrywide book signings, television and radio appearances, and countless interviews. She loves to speak for women’s organizations, libraries, church groups, women’s retreats, and banquets. She is involved in Apples of Gold, a mentoring program for young wives and/or mothers, and is active in her church as well as two weekly Bible studies. She and her husband, Cecil, live in Spring Lake, Michigan with their beautiful white collie, Peyton and their rag doll cat named Blue.

Visit her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharmaclaren

Visit her website: http://www.sharlenemaclaren.com

What is your 2018 goal?

We were just discussing this on my Facebook page the other day. My 2018 goal is to dig deeper into my daily Bible reading. Too often, out of busyness and my sometimes hectic life, my Bible reading becomes more of a task than a treat. I do too much “surface” reading and not enough “in depth”. I want to read it more for content and truly understand what I’m ready through study and concentration. I’m praying the Lord will guide me in this because I tend to get distracted by so many other things that vie for my attention.

Author: Joyce Valdois Smith

Joyce-Smith-My-Grandpa-Forgot-My-Name-Tisha-Martin-author-editorBook GiveawayGrandpa Forgot My Name (a children’s book) paperback
Blurb: Grandpa has become forgetful. Adam is sad Grandpa has to leave his farm, but he’s excited to have him come to stay at his house. Adam doesn’t understand why Grandpa is confused, however, he realizes the only thing that matters is that he loves Grandpa, and Grandpa loves him. Adam’s happy to be Grandpa’s little boy.

Joyce also has a new-releaseRomance Along the Rails releases January 23, 2018. It will be available for pre-order on Kindle this week, and you may purchase it here:

What is your 2018 goal?

My 2018 goal is to finish the manuscript for my second novel, (working title, Accepted in the Beloved). Romance Along the Rails is the first of a series of 4 books entitled The Harvey House Legacy. The first is set in 1885, the second in 1900. I also want to publish another children’s book in 2018.
What was your favorite holiday memory?

My favorite thing about the Christmas Holiday was spending time with family and friends. We had Christmas dinner at our house with two of our daughters and their families including six grandchildren, then we traveled to Columbia, SC to spend a week with our son and his family, two more granddaughters.

joyce-smith-january-2018-giveaway-tisha-martin-author-editorAbout Joyce:

Joyce Valdois Smith is the wife of Bob, mother to four married children and grandmother to twelve amazing grandchildren. She is a retired public health and school nurse Writing has been her longtime passion. Joyce is an author of Christian historical and contemporary fiction as well as children’s books. She is active in her church. She lives with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lady Catherine (Katie), in Southwest Missouri.

Facebook: Joyce Valdois Smith
Twitter: @JValdoisSmith

Author: Daisy Townsend

perf5.500x8.500.indd

Book GiveawaySarah’s Legacy, an e-book

Blurb:  Exuberant, 18-year-old Polly Dye is torn between wanting to please her mother and wanting to please Garrett, the man she is dating. To add to Polly’s unsettled feelings, she and her family move into a house that evokes a chilling sensation as she steps over the threshold. Polly can’t decide whether this disturbing feeling means that something bad has happened here or that something bad is going to happen.

Soon Polly discovers the diary of the original owner of the house, Sarah Davis. She hopes that by reading it, her questions about the apprehensive feelings she has in the house will be answered. Instead, she finds herself wrestling with the many losses that Sarah experienced while still maintaining her faith in God. What good is a God who doesn’t protect one from pain, Polly’s utmost goal in life?

As Polly experiences losses of her own and learns through the mistakes that Sarah made, Polly realizes it’s not enough for her to have faith in her mother’s faith.   Will Sarah’s legacy enable Polly to make that faith her own and will her questions about the house be answered?

Daisy TownsendAbout Daisy Townsend:

Daisy Beiler Townsend has been published in magazines and periodicals more than eighty times. Researching the history of their home in Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, in 1998 led to beginning a historical novel inspired by the lives of  former residents of their home in the late 19th – early 20th century. In 2014 Daisy published her first book, Homespun Faith, an autobiographical devotional, and then completed  Sarah’s Legacy. She and her husband, Donn, live in  Pennsylvania and have three children and six grandchildren.

Follow Daisy on social media:

www.homespunfaith.com

https://twitter.com/DaisyDonaisy

https://www.instagram.com/daisybeilertownsend/

https://www.facebook.com/DaisyBeilerTownsend/

What is your 2018 goal:

My 2018 goal is to finish the first draft of the second book in the Sarah’s Legacy series. That’s what I’m working on now.

Buy Links for Daisy’s Books:

ttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sarahs-legacy-daisy-l-townsend/1127572697?ean=9780692989555

https://www.amazon.com/Sarahs-Legacy-Daisy-L-Townsend-ebook/dp/B077W16NCS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516210570&sr=1-1&keywords=sarah%27s+legacy+

Author: Pegg Thomas

Book Giveaway: 

Cvr_BouquetofBrides.inddA Bouquet of Brides Collection (my story being “In Sheep’s Clothing”) I’d be happy to give away the winner’s choice of paper or ebook—but to U.S. residents only. If outside the U.S., an ebook.
Blurb:
Peter Maltby might be all good looks and charm, working in the new mill fulling wool, but Yarrow Fenn fears he is the Crown’s agent in disguise who will destroy the only livelihood she has.
It released January 1st.

What is your 2018 goal? 

I’ve now sold four novellas to Barbour for their collections. My 2018 goal is to sell a full-length novel.
What did you enjoy most about the holiday season?
What I enjoyed most was family. We don’t make a big to-do about the wrappings of Christmas. We love to spend time together, play board games, watch old–as in black and white–movies, and visit with friends.

About Pegg: 

PeggThomasHeadshot2017-resizedPegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. They raise sheep and chickens, keep a few barn cats, and Murphy the spoiled rotten dog. A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.” Pegg is published in the Barbour historical romance collections. In March 2017, Pegg took on the mantle of Managing Editor of Smitten Historical Romance, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.

Giveaway Details!

Runs from Friday, January 19, 2018, to midnight CST Thursday, January 25, 2018.

Ebooks open to lower 48 US and worldwide. Print books only open to lower 48 US states.

Winners will be announced the following Friday.

No purchase necessary to enter, but if you like what you see, we’d appreciate a few follows and likes on our social media pages!

Click link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the News:: Coming up next Friday: interview with the characters from WWII author Liz Tolsma’s latest novel, The Melody of the Soul! — and includes a giveaway!

Be sure to come back next week!