MY FAIR REGENCY, Tales from the Holidays, Throughout the Year, by authors Ann Chaney, Shannon Donnelly, Cora Lee, Courtney McClaskill, Charlotte Russell & Regina Scott

 

This anthology is just in time for the holidays and are wonderful for all year round! These are offerings from six different authors. I dove into Regina Scott’s story THE AERONAUT’S HEART: AN ALT-HISTORY REGENCY STEAMPUNK ROMANTIC ADVENTURE! 

Regina writes clean fiction filled with adventure and historical atmosphere! Her characters are written so deeply that I feel like I’m sitting across from them at the dinner table! This Regina offering continues the Steampunk Romantic Adventure series THE REGENT’S DEVICES, which starred characters Loveday Penhale and Celeste Blanchard, which I also highly recommend. 

These stories are short enough for those with busy schedules! Holidays are busy times, as we all know, but these shorter stories will offer entertainment that entertains!  

Here are the authors of this anthology! 

Oxford Mathematician DESTROYS Atheism (15 Minute Brilliancy!)

FACING THE ENEMY by Best-Selling & Award-Winning Author, DiAnn Mills

FACING THE ENEMY Published on September 5th!!  

​DiAnn’s suspenseful tale gripped me immediately. FACING THE ENEMY is a romantic suspense that has me wishing it would be done up into a movie. Let me tell you why! 
​
Trenton Jacobs showed up after a lengthy separation from his family to connect with his sister, Special Agent Risa Jacobs. They enjoy an amazing reconnection, only to have their meeting end in tragedy. This story keeps the adventure churning while the visceral emotions and healing swirl throughout, keeping me curious—what will happen now? What are they going to do? How can they get out of this? 

 She and Special Agent Gage Patterson, her FBI partner, work in the violent crimes against children division. Yet, along with the guilt and grief Risa carries over her brother’s death, a secret forces her to leave her job and the partner she cares deeply about. She returned to teaching English in the local university. But danger is a breath away, and continues to pursue her and put other peoples’ lives in danger. 

This story has deception, secrets, betrayal, danger, and everything you wish to have in a clean romantic suspense novel. This novel holds a special place in my heart and my bookshelf. Once you read it, you will understand why. This title is appropriate.

DiAnn’s ability to connect the complicated feelings Risa experiences over Trenton’s tragedy is nearly tangible. Anyone who has experienced a loss like this will relate. Yet, she weaves strong emotions, secrets, threats, and complicated relationships into a moving page-turner. When DiAnn says, “Expect an adventure!” She means it! Sit yourself down because you will want to read until you know the answers to the questions that will be very natural for you to ask. I appreciate all the different characters and how the details pull together into a fantastic story that I’ll never forget. 

I was given FACING THE ENEMY for an honest review. Mostly, I was honest, but if I said all I have in my heart for this book, you might feel I’m gushing, so I withheld a bit. I highly recommend reading, keeping, and giving this story to others. It is well written, with incredible characters and plot. Full of adventure. I can easily say that DiAnn keeps her promises. 

Find out more about DiAnn Mills and connect with her at: https://diannmills.com/

IF I WERE YOU, by Bestselling Author, Lynn Austin

 

(1931 -1950)
 
This novel, IF I WERE YOU, is a deep dive into the hearts, dreams, and tragedies experienced by two very different women, Audrey Clarkson and Eve Dawson. They’d become friends as children at Wellingford Hall, the Clarkson’s home. Both were blessings and challenges to one another, making this a page-turner.  This heart-wrenching journey through loss, and World War II, chases through expectations of their class situations and the conflicts and fall out of war.
 
These complicated women struggle and grow and experience many emotional highs and lows in a way that will endear themselves to those who read IF I WERE YOU. I highly recommend this stunning novel by Lynn Austin. This author is a talented writer and storyteller. My hope is that you will give her a try!
 
Well done, Lynn Austin! This is a reread for sure!
 
You can find Lynn Austin and her list of nearly thirty novels on her website https://lynnaustin.org/

COME ON SEPTEMBER!!! 

Danger pursued FBI Special Agent Risa Jacobs, and she didn’t know that it was coming!

She’d worked in violent crimes against children’s division of the Houston FBI. This sounds like it is another thrilling novel by Best-Selling Author DiAnn Mills! It will release in September, and I’m giving you a heads up on this new romantic suspense by an author who keep telling me to expect an adventure and wouldn't you know-- DiAnn comes through at all times!

Pre-orders for FACING THE ENEMY are available on Kindle right now!  :) Paperback and Kindle, audio, and hardback are just a click away!  :)

 

FRONTIER CINDERELLA is a delightful story. It's not all sugar and lace, and it feels different than Regina Scott's other fictional offerings. Still, it fits in with the previous Frontier Bachelors series and warmed my heart. I love it when a new series has characters that link with an older one. Don't you? FRONTIER CINDERELLA caused me to reminisce about the stories leading up to this one, and when this story ended, I felt euphoric! 

Katie Jo McAllister has that quiet fire about her. I liked her immediately and celebrated her strength and growth as the story's difficulties progressed. Regina placed the right mix of unique character and beauty—in more ways than one—to make this story shine. Harry Yeager—I recognized him from former stories, and Regina gave him such a workout! Well done, Harry, and well done, Regina! 😊 

The Wallin support characters had me smiling. Regina, how do you keep all our fictional friends straight in your head because they were well-rounded and simply amazing! Zeke was inspiring, and Cole McAllister was quite challenging!

I loved the challenges and obstacles faced by Katie Jo and Harry. (Both internal and other.) I'm sure that some real-life people from the past experienced what these characters lived. So reader, if you want a clean historical romance with a story of substance, I'm sure you will enjoy FRONTIER CINDERELLA! Though I was given this novel for a review, I am giving you my honest evaluation and reactions to Regina's story. This one is well worth your reading time.

Questions for Regina:

This is not the most original question but what or who inspired you to write Katie Jo’s character?

Katie Jo just appeared one day as I was writing the previous book in the series, Her Frontier Sweethearts. I suppose I’ve always had a soft spot for Doris Day’s portrayal of Calamity Jane. Katie Jo’s that sort of gal—she may not wear frilly dresses, but she’d be the first one in line to offer help if you needed it.
 
Did you roleplay any of your scenes to create a different direction or choice for any of your characters?

Not for this book, though I have had my sons act out portions of my books in the past. They always loved the sword fight scenes in my Regencies. 
 
What is your favorite recipe made with anise?

I can’t give you one, because I actually hate the flavoring! But it was a common one in the Victorian age and on the frontier, so my characters tend to use it.
 
I would love to know what you would like for your reader to take away from your story since you don’t write fluff and always offer interesting historical information and relationships with resolution or wisdom.  
 
Thank you! I hope readers finish the story knowing they are loved, just as they are. We don’t need fancy clothes or a prestigious job to be welcomed at the table of our heavenly Father. He made us to love and be loved, and He loves us wherever we are.
 
What novel do you have lined up next and what do you want to tell us about it? 

Next up, in July, is Never Admire an Adventurer, the second book in my Fortune’s Brides: Guarding Her Heart series, about four elite soldiers trying to make their home in England during the Regency. Kristof Tanner’s assignment to guard an heiress is hardly the adventure he craves, until Julia Hewett concocts a pretend engagement to keep her father from matchmaking. But when danger arises, they must work together to uncover the culprit. Will they discover the greatest adventure of all is falling in love?

You can find out more about Regina Scott at her website:
https://reginascott.com/  

 

THE LOVE LETTER is a story that grips two time periods, merging them into a fascinating and relatable tale. One that I’m thrilled to promote to others. Let me tell you why.  

Rachel dives deeply into each of her main characters, bringing rich layers of personality imprinted with hurts that motivate other characters in a moving way. If asked which timeline I loved better, I would have difficulty choosing. I fell quite happily into both the historical and more contemporary times.

The beautiful gold thread that weaves these two stories together to make one beautiful experience is love. But not always in the way this reader would expect.

Esther Kingsley delightful personality made me eager to visit the pages that revealed her true nature. I found myself cheering her on. Her precious faith and loyalty touched my heart. Hamilton Lightfoot’s struggles and opposition caused me to ponder just where their story would lead. And then, for the contemporary novel, Chloe Daschel’s journey, drive, and talent were a beauty to behold. Last but not least, Jesse Gates, the writer who was seeking more, would have to face inward struggles that a lesser man would run from.

This story is moving, interesting and inspiring. I highly recommend this novel and this author. She gave a lovely interview, and I invite you to come to know Rachel Hauck as she shares her answers.

QUESTIONS FOR RACHEL

Rachel, you write historical and contemporary fiction equally well. What inspired you to choose the 1780s timeline for this story?

 

 

RH: It's been a minute since I wrote this book but if I recall, the premise was, "What if the unrequited love of our ancestors somehow fell on us."  If great, great grandpa and grandma couldn't be together, could their love for each find their descendants. Could they fall in love? I wanted some distance between the contemporary and historical story so no obvious family details could be known. I wanted Esther and Hamilton to be lost to Chloe and Jesse. Also, I love our Revolutionary history and the Battle of Cowpens was critical to Colonial victory. Also, it was a time when love letters were an important part of courtship. Since we had no official postal system in 1781, letters were difficult to send. 

 

I refuse to write spoilers for this or any other story, but still, I’m curious, who is your favorite character in this novel that links the past and present? Why?

 

RH: I love all of the characters and their connections are pretty intertwined. I think it's Hamilton's love for Esther that links the past and the present. I love how heroic he is throughout the story.  

 

 

I read online that you wanted people to know about this story. What message do you want to convey to your readers with these situations and characters?

 

RH: There was a sense while writing the book that love never really dies. I don't have any proof of that, or Bible, but I know God's love for us never dies. I try to weave in metaphorical ways to show God's love and care of humanity throughout the story. I also believe stories that glimpse at our history are great reminders of our blessings. 

 

So for a fun question, where is the craziest place you ever wrote down a scene or plot point that you used in a published story?

 

RH: Great question! I can't think of a crazy-crazy place but I've written on airplanes, in bathrooms, while walking, even jotted notes in the middle of church worship. (Though not when I'm leading.) I do have special moments with the Lord in prayer that leads me to a story point. Usually something that reflects who He is.

 

 

What is your next novel to be published, and what do you want to tell us about that gem in the making?

 

RH: My next book is The Best Summer of Our Lives, coming June 27th. I'm really excited about this one. I mused over it for a couple of years before putting together a proposal. It's about four best friends who have the power of their love and friendship tested one summer. It's set in the summer of 1977 and 1997 so I hope readers will enjoy the flashback to the past, whether they were alive or not. :) Go to my website for more information and how you can sign up for the Release Day Zoom Party! It's going to be fun. 

 

You may find Rachel on her website 

www.rachelhauck.com

 

 

Greetings All,

I’ve been away, yet you are not out of mind!
 
You are such an amazing group of writers!

We have had some requests to hold daytime meetings. So I put out an email asking if the 2nd Tuesday of the month would be okay. After a few back-and-forth emails from several writers, it sounds like 1:30 p.m. may work well. If we get a location that could support online, we can merge our Jitsi and in-person meetings. Let me know via email or on this post what your thoughts are!
 
Mega blessings and joy,
Sue

 

PENS OF PRAISE
CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP
                         
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
 
 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
 
JITSI online MEETING
 
Meeting Held at Your Home - USA
Your sofa or chair. Your choice of refreshments—from your fridge—no running to Kathy’s house for treats! 😊
 
"Ideas, Ideas, Ideas...  What do I write next?"  How do you come up with and develop your next plot?  Sarah Grosskopf will offer some strategies and suggestions for finding ideas for your next project and developing a basic idea into a plot.  Where do ideas come from?  How much of a plot do you need to get started?  If you get stuck, what do you do next?
 
PROMPT:  Bring a list of ideas for your next project.  They can be as general or specific as you want.
 
Inspired readers given excellent take-away = return readers!
           We are a safe place to share and Pens Meetings are free.
 
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Becky McLafferty @ rebeccamclafferty@gmail.com or
Susan Marlene@ susanmarlenewrites@gmail.com