Never Kneel to a Knight, Fortune Bride’s Series, Book 5 by Regina Scott

London England 1812

Viscount Worthington has newly married and Charlotte Worthington, his sister, feels that the time for her to find usefulness elsewhere has arrived. She can’t abide being a burden in her brother’s household and feels that she has something to offer. Charlotte approaches Miss Thorn and Fortune the cat to see what employment can be had. Miss Thorn has just the job. To Charlotte’s surprise and the surprise of Matthew Bateman, a man known as the Beast of Birmingham, Fortune Employment Agency offers the assistance of a lady of quality as an etiquette teacher. The Bateman sisters and Matthew lack polish for they’ve never needed such elegance before. Circumstances involving The Beast’s heroic activity have elevated their status making this education necessary. And Fortune approves.

This is a fun and entertaining read and Regina does a wonderful job of varying personalities that are believable and enjoyable. The sisters’ interactions were wonderful. Petunia or Tuny and Daisy, and Ivy made me feel at home! This story drew me along effortlessly and I wish to ask Regina, does your pen or computer keys have instant pizazz on the ready flow setting as your words touch the page? Cause I felt that pizazz as I enjoyed “Never Kneel to a Knight”! There is humor and intrigue, heroic and wise choices that must be made while the characters navigate through the rules of the ton. I enjoy how the names and nick-names fit the characters and how the situations and tension build to a satisfying ending! Yes, I did receive this novel from Regina for a review and this is a true and accurate accounting of my enjoyment and appreciation at experiencing this read.

Questions for Regina:

This story was fresh and sweet. How do you keep your inspiration flowing?

That’s the Lord! Every time a new idea arrives, I just have the thank Him!

Do you have the floor plans to the Bateman house? I could picture it as I read!

I do! For most of my stories, I draw floor plans of the houses and sometimes the grounds around them. And when I’m stuck, I turn to my youngest son, who just finished school to become an architect. He points out where I don’t have enough windows or chimneys and where walls should be. 😊

Have you ever been to a boxing match? Do you like the sport?

Not boxing. I have watched a little on TV, and I must say I can’t watch for long! I admire the power and athletic prowess of the boxers, but I just can’t enjoy watching people strike each other.

What would you like your reader to benefit from because they read “Never Kneel to a Knight”?

I hope they come away with the idea that we can all be our best selves. Where we were born, who raised us, and what we look like isn’t as important as the character we choose to take on. We can all contribute, we can all be a positive force for change.

What do you find most admirable about the “ton”?

The fact that it was a small town in the midst of a very large city. The story goes that only about 10,000 people inhabited the “ton” at any point in time. It’s not hard to make yourself known (or infamous!) in that size group.

What is the least favorite quality about the “ton”?

The gossip and bullying. There seems to have been a real pecking order, and woe to you if you were at the bottom!

Will there be another story in this series and if so, what is it about and when is the publishing date?

There is one more story planned for the Fortune’s Brides series, Never Marry a Marquess, due out the middle of June. The heroine is Ivy Bateman, the sister of Matthew in Never Kneel to Knight. Shy Ivy is happiest caring for her family and baking sweet treats. She never expected the wealthy Marquess of Kendall to propose a marriage of convenience. His baby daughter needs a mother, and Ivy cannot deny the role’s attraction, or the attraction she feels for the handsome marquess. Kendall’s heart went to the grave with his first wife. Now, all he cares about is ensuring his frail daughter survives. Perhaps a grieving lord and a shy lady will discover that love, and a good cinnamon bun, can heal all wounds.

Where do you wish for your readers to contact you?

Readers can find out more about my books, and me, at my website at www.reginascott.com and connect with me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott, Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins), and my blog (www.nineteenteen.com). If they sign up for my newsletter, they can be alerted when the next book is out or on sale.

Pen’s Announcement—New Location—April 2019 Spring Changes

Greetings All,   

                                                                                         

Starting this April, Pens of Praise Writers will meet at the Manitowoc Public Library! The third Tuesday of the month still applies and there is no charge to attend our group. We have a slight adjustment for the time, instead of the 6:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m.  we will now meet from 6:00 p.m.—7:45 p.m. and our reserved room is the Franklin St. Room located on the first floor, to the left of the service desk.

Faith Evangelical Free Church has hosted our writers meetings so kindly for so many years. If you wish to give this church a free will offering as a thank you for their hospitality and generosity, that would be welcomed and appreciated. (This is not expected though.)

Pens of Praise Christian Writers Group – Free Event

Manitowoc Public Library

Franklin St. Room 

707 Quay St, 

Manitowoc, WI 54220

Street parking and parking in rear available. Wheelchair accessible.

Third Tuesday each month

6:00 p.m.—7:45 p.m.

The RECKONING of GOSSAMER POND by JAIME JO WRIGHT

Two stories knit this adventure together with the excellence and vigor that Jaime Jo Wright’s debut novel embodied! What can I say about Annalise Forsythe and Libby Sheffield’s struggles, pain, and challenges? Their concerns merged into mine as I turned pages and tried to keep up and solve the long-kept secrets and reasons for dangers in these two main characters’ lives. Jaime Jo kept one or two steps ahead of me throughout both the historical and contemporary time periods. I enjoyed how easily I was drawn into discovering the differing personalities and their reactions to the events that unfolded, while all along the stories complemented one another all the way to the very end. What heroes and what villains! I refuse to say more for I just can't abide spoilers!

I so very much enjoyed the clever way that the mysteries were hidden and yet when the big reveals commenced, they made perfect sense. This read was an absolute delight for how it kept me on the edge of my seat and my mind spinning to figure out who, what, where, when and why! This author and her novel are definitely highly recommended! I’m grateful for Jaime Jo’s imagination and attention to detail. I applaud her mother for allowing her to read and develop her excellence sense of story when otherwise she’d have been slaving over the drudgery of dishes! Goodness, I even enjoyed her ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at the back of the novel!

And just think, Jaime Jo has another story out, which is called “The CURSE of MISTY WAYFAIR”. Guess who is going shopping for that novel soon! You may visit Jaime Jo at jaimewrightbooks.com and if you do, I think you’ll be glad that you did!

Questions for Jaime Jo:

What keeps your ideas and twists inspiring the ink on your pages?

A lot of imagination. LOL And I read a lot of books just to keep my imagination sharp and learn from other writers. I love watching crime mysteries or historical documentaries. All of those contribute to plots and ideas.

I had to cringe when you mentioned Folgers for that is the coffee I use when I make my sugar and cream drink with a spot of coffee! What is your favorite brand of coffee?

Don’t cringe!! That was Annalise’s snobby opinion. 😊 I actually grew up drinking Folgers with my Gramma and Grampa, so Folgers is a very nostalgic coffee for me. I think it’s a staple for every cupboard. I am a coffee snob, though too. But I’m not particularly loyal to one specific brands. I just tend to like the Fair Trade coffees and locally roasted ones.

Is Gossamer Pond a real place or does it represent a real place?

Gossamer Pond is not a real place. It has small components of little towns in my area but for the most part is a figment of my imagination.

Were the Corbin twins’ real people? I loved how they were interwoven into the story!

They are loosely based off of real brothers. For the most part, they’re completely fictional, but there were twin brother evangelists that came to my town at the turn of the century and really raised havoc in the city. Many of the events in the book, such as the riots were based on actual events.

What message do you want your readers to ‘take away’ from this novel?

Grace! Grace, grace, grace. There’s not enough grace to go around these days. While I believe God does have a firm line of right and wrong, He also shows how He tempers that with an opportunity to receive grace.

I just have to know—are you a seat-of-the-pants writer or are you a plotter?

I’m a skeleton. LOL By the I mean, I plot the skeleton of the story, but as write, that’s when I fill in the muscle and ligaments. I know the high points only when I start out. I am seat of the pants as far as the scenes go.

Who was your favorite character to write in “The RECKONING of GOSSAMER POND”?

Favorite character to write was probably Jacobus. He was just so different. Odd. Blunt. Theological.

Where do you want your readers to connect with you?

Definitely facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaimejowright

Or sign up for my newsletter at http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com

PENS OF PRAISE

CHRISTIAN WRITERS GROUP

March 19, 2019

Tuesday 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Faith Church

2201  42^nd Street, Manitowoc, WI  54220

   Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods

   Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43

EAGLE EYE OR BOUNDLESS BLOOPERS is our lesson this month.  Susan Marlene will direct this class concerning tools and skills to make professional writings for publication. Resource books on this important topic will be examined. Bring paper and pen or your computer for the writing exercises.

An inspired reader given excellent take-away = return readers!

PROMPT: Use your favorite genre to write a one-page piece on spills or spillage!

Let Susan Marlene know if you will attend so that we can provide a printed lesson for you and also save a seat for you!

We are a safe place to share.

Bring your favorite coffee or tea with you! J

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

Yet I Will Trust

“This I know and this I don’t know—yet will I trust.” ¹  Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A man so well quoted, Charles Spurgeon lived in those uncertain times when the Industrial Revolution took hold of England and changed society forever. He grew up in a rural village not yet caught up with those changes, the son of a Congregationalist father and grandfather—independent preachers both of them. Spurgeon became a Christian at a Primitive Methodist meeting in 1850, then converted into a Baptist and not long afterwards, he began preaching. At the age of nineteen, he drew a crowd that overflowed a twelve-hundred-seat church. His listeners grew and he eventually made his home base at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which seated six thousand people.

Charles Spurgeon’s message reached people displaced by the great changes and struggles of this time period in England. His life so rich in prayer and Bible knowledge, coupled with his expectation that God still revealed Himself in the everyday, brought life and hope to society.

Questions did not daunt him. He knew this about God, that he could trust His love, provision, and leading, though the path before his feet seemed dim at times.  His delivery of scriptural truth and revelation about God was unique, for he acted out of stories, marched across the stage, used poetry, drama, and free flowing emotion with gestures fitted for large crowds.

Aren’t you grateful for those who’ve refused to obey the restrictions of tradition to follow the freshness of God’s life-giving truth and abundance? Unrest has been a reoccurring theme in the lives of societies and peoples all through the ages. The protection and truth that God’s word brings is often taken for granted, until those privileges are stripped away.

We may not know all of the answers, but we can offer comfort and direction to others by extending grace and truth, which we become acquainted with as we spend time abiding in Him. Love is stronger than hate, but having a cursory knowledge of His love will not hold us in a tsunami of anger and hatred. It is time for me to have an intimate relationship with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and not a superficial one. How about you?  Are you ready for a life filled with meaning, challenge, and alliance with the Creator of the Universe? If you are, I want to forewarn you that such a life will bring excitement, challenges, and blessings beyond what you could otherwise hope to imagine! Let the adventure begin—if you dare!

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. John 15:4

Cursory—going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial, running

¹ Spurgeon’s sermons on The Death and resurrection of Jesus, C.H. Spurgeon, Preface by Patricia S. Klein Pg. iii – v

Dinner PAWsible A COOKBOOK OF NUTRITIOUS, HOMEMADE MEALS for Cats and Dogs

The first time I checked out this COOKBOOK of nutritious, homemade meals for cats and dogs—I admit it—I was impressed. Not only was I drawn to the various benefits this book offers, but when I tried some of the recipes on the dogs, the joy they shared proved more than I can express! I have to thank my sister Pat for her amazing ability to find such useful and entertaining books such as this one.

This book offers more than recipes. Cathy Alinovi, DVM and Susan Thixton, the PAWsible authors, know that acquiring enough time to cook for ourselves can be challenging. So, they offer advice on mass food production so that you are not always slaving over the hot stove for your pet’s dinners. There is a section about foods that will help your dog or cat with ailments. Each recipe is equipped with serving sizes for let’s say a 10-pound cat or a 30-pound dog. Supplements are addressed and special hints are located at the bottom of each recipe.

Our dog, Cricket, is an amazing addition to our family. Yes, I can even say that after I arrived home today to find my tissue box torn apart all over the living room floor! (I suppose he was bored!) Anyway, Cricket has a sensitive stomach with any changes in kibble. As I eased him into cooked meat and vegetables his movements became normal and problems disappeared. I also have discovered that when I feed him freshly cooked vegies and meat that he does need to be let outside more frequently. The extra moisture in his food has been a challenge on the days that I work full time hours.

With our previous dog, Porschea, I hadn’t tired the real meat diet until her end of life. She loved the chicken and adored me all the more for that change of diet. Also, Porschea had a chronic problem with crystals in her urine. She had been prescribed many different antibiotics to help her with her many bladder infections through the years. Once I started feeding her chicken and lessoned the kibble the crystals disappeared from her urine samples completely! It is my opinion that she would have lived longer and healthier had I fed her fresh meat and vegetables. I know for a fact that she was happier with the real food instead of kibble!

I recently was sick with the flu and I had to resort to can dog food and some kibble with some cooked vegies and noodles or rice for Cricket. But, if I’d followed the recipe book I could have had a stash of casseroles premade for any interruptions and life emergencies. 😊

I appreciate the information that holistic veterinarian, Dr. Cathy Alinovi and Susan Thixton, also know as the “Caped Crusader for Safe Pet Food” share in this book. I have an eye for keeping our pets healthier and happier and these two ladies have researched and compiled their wonderful information for such a time like this! This is a highly recommended book in my opinion! Let me know what you think too!

I never tire of Regina’s historical adventures!  This is book 4 in a wonderful London, England Regency series. Lydia Villers is strong and admirable, but feeling a tad unsettled over this new position with someone who has spurned her previously. I must admit that I didn’t know what to think of Lydia in book 3. I even disliked her at times! In book 4, I found Meredith Thorn and Fortune the cat at their best when introducing Lydia to Frederick, Viscount Worthington. When a lady loves science she will even put up with the discomfort of a past acquaintance who would otherwise have caused her to—run. An imperfect but excellent choice of a hero keeps the tension and questions coming. There is a pleasing thread of mystery throughout this 1812 tale.

Who doesn’t love a mystery? I know that I do!

Regina kept my attention through the entire story and I felt fully entertained and engaged in both the plot and the characters. I love that NEVER VIE FOR A VISCOUNT is set in this wonderful time period. This novel made me smile! Well done, Regina. Also, Regina’s beautiful website http://www.reginascott.com/ includes announcements and her blog page includes interesting tidbits of historical facts.

I did receive this novel for free and I’m thrilled and excited to share this honest and informative review. I love clean, historical fiction with engaging characters who are caught in the whirlwind of difficulties and challenges.

Questions for Regina:

How did you come up with the room spaces used for the scientific experiments?

For Lydia to be able to get easily back and forth to her new position, I knew Worth’s laboratory needed to be located near Miss Thorn’s home on Clarendon Square, which is mostly populated by townhouses. Like most condominiums today, they were narrow and had relatively few rooms. So, I had Worth purchase the adjoining townhouse to his as his base of operations. Using an architectural plan of one such house from the Regency period, I mapped out which rooms might serve for what purpose. For example, Worth’s experiments require access to heat and water, so I gave him the kitchen of the second house. One of his colleagues, Miss Pankhurst, needs more space to store and spread out the textiles she is researching, so I allotted her the old dining room with it built-in cabinets. I also had Worth remove most of the things that might burn—like padded furniture, draperies, and doilies—from all his research rooms to prevent a fire should an experiment go awry. 

If you were to rewrite a character in this story, who would it be and what would you add or take away?

I might rewrite John Curtis, Worth’s rival natural philosopher, to give him a bit more of a backstory    

Or maybe I’ll save that for another book.  

What was the most fun historical aspect to study in this novel?

The ballooning! It is always surprising to me to learn what was available during the Regency period, and what wasn’t. Now we take sandbags and pull cords for granted in a hot air balloon, but those were just starting to be tested in Worth and Lydia’s time. They couldn’t isolate oxygen easily, and helium had yet to be discovered as an element, so their choices for lifting gasses were pretty small. The French had experimented with hydrogen, with sometimes disastrous results!

What would you like to share about your adventures writing this novel or the history you discovered in your research?

Napoleon wanted to conquer England so badly, but England’s might at sea kept him from crossing the Channel easily. So, he started his own air force—of balloons—and the head of it was a woman! Alas, Madame Sophie Blanchard was killed when her balloon caught fire and crashed, before she could make plans for invading England from the air.

What is the take-away that you would love your readers to benefit from reading this story?

Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. God gave you talents, dreams. Embrace them, and benefit the world. That’s what Lydia learns to do.

Will there be a book 5?

Yes, there will! Never Kneel to Knight, featuring Worth’s sister Charlotte, releases in mid-March.  When the thoroughly poised Charlotte Worthington requests that Miss Thorn and her cat Fortune find her a position, she never dreamed the savvy employment agency owner would reunite her with Matthew Bateman, her brother's former bodyguard. Matthew is about to be knighted for an act of valor, and he and his sisters could use some polishing if they're to enter Society after his elevation. Yet how can Charlotte maintain her calm, cool demeanor as their sponsor when she harbors a secret love for him? Matthew Bateman cannot forget the beauty who is miles out of his league. Once a boxer called the Beast of Birmingham, Matthew would like nothing better than to be worthy of Charlotte's hand. As old enemies and new ones attempt to bring him low, can Matthew prove to Charlotte that their love is meant to be?

How do you want your readers to contact you?

Readers can reach me via my website at www.reginascott.com, on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott, on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins, at the blog I share with young adult author Marissa Doyle at www.nineteenteen.com, or on Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/reginascott. If you want to know when the next book is out or on sale, please sign up for a free e-mail alert at http://eepurl.com/baqwVT