Wednesday, May 28, 2025

My Thoughts on eXtreme Blindside by Leslea Wahl

About:

After winning Olympic silver, teen snowboarder Jake Taylor is struggling with sudden fame when he’s offered a gig he can’t refuse: becoming a spokesperson for a state-of-the-art athletic training facility. Training for its first competition, Jake relies on his faith to help him find ways to use his fame to help others . . . when athletes mysteriously start getting sabotaged one by one. Time is running out for Jake and his girlfriend, Sophie, to figure out what is going on before he is also sabotaged . . . or worse.

My Thoughts:

This is a very engaging read about teenagers and some very real-life adult stuff they are going through. I don't often read YA, but this was well written with a romance that was just beginning and growing.

Jake is a silver-medalist snowboarder and has to travel a lot at times, he is very popular in his new stardom and many girls across the nation find him cute. All of this can be difficult to manage, and Sophie his girlfriend really understands that. I liked the description of the events. I am not a sports person, but the author gave great details that I could see it all unfolding in my head. I also liked that both Jake and Sophie had good heads on their shoulders, their faith was strong, and they respected their parents.

There were great lessons where the media and social media come into play, especially what is truth and what is not. Throw in a mystery and you have a great story that is hard to put down.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

My Thoughts on To Kiss a Knight by Grace Hitchcock

About:

When everything is going right, something must go wrong

Vivienne Poppy's plans are working out quite well. She's run away from her family and the prospect of a horrid marriage of convenience and plans to spend her time writing under her pseudonym, Lady Larkby. Until she discovers the old Larkby title is not as dead as she thought.

Yeoman of the Guard and recently knighted Sir Sebastian Larkby is stunned to discover a Lady Larkby that he does not remember marrying. Suddenly Vivienne is left with a choice: relinquish her pen name, expose her true identity, and break Sebastian's dying grandmother’s heart—or feign marriage to Sebastian to keep the title and fulfill the old woman's wishes.

This witty novel from award-winning author Grace Hitchcock is filled with scandal, mishap, and just the right amount of romance.

My Thoughts:

This was such a fun read that had lots of swoons, and it was swoony. The beginning of this rollicking romance was sublime. It really was like stepping into an action-packed historical drama, I mean how could it not be when you have a damsel in distress being carted away by a handsome highway man.

Vivienne Poppy is an unmarried author. She writes under a non de plume, one that she believes is safe to use. Little does she know that the knight that has that name is alive and well, and so is his grandmother that would like to see him wed and happy. For Vivienne, she just wants to keep writing and maybe trying hard not to think about that handsome highwayman who not only kidnapped her but acted so noble. Plus, she wants to stay away from her stepbrother's marital plans for her.

Sir Sebastian Larkby wants to please his grandmother, and he is willing to go to extremes to do so. There were so many secrets and secret identities and plenty of schemes that Vivienne and Sebastian really had to keep track of. And my favorite of all tropes, a marriage of convenience was put in for good measure too. This is a book that I highly recommend with a romance that will sweep you off your feet with an endearing couple, plenty of banter, mystery, and faith.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

My Thoughts and More on Texas Divided by Sherry Shindelar

About the Book

Book: Texas Divided

Author: Sherry Shindelar

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 25, 2025

He thought he was rescuing her from the Comanche. Now the Civil War soldier must prove he isn’t the villain she thinks he is.

Driven by the looming expectation of becoming a suffocatingly proper lady, Morning Fawn is determined to escape the confines of her uncle’s plantation and return to her adoptive Comanche tribe. But with each failed attempt, her hopes dwindle, and she wonders if she’ll ever find her way back home or if that world is forever lost to her.

Devon Reynolds, disillusioned by the price of affluence and the horrors of war, leaves his privileged life to join the Texas Rangers and later the cavalry. In the military service, he finds purpose . . . until he loses his wife during childbirth while he is away. In an attempt to redeem himself, he takes one last fateful mission to rescue Morning Fawn from the Comanche. But the results force him to question the righteousness of his actions and the cause he serves.

When Devon returns to Texas as a Yankee spy, his path crosses with Morning Fawn once more. Determined to save her from the prison of her uncle’s house and to recover Texas from the Confederacy, Devon is drawn to her fierce spirit and unwavering resolve. But can two wounded souls, each fighting their own battles, find solace and love amidst the chaos of war?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

What happens when the person you thought you rescued is more of a prisoner than before? That is the reality that hits Devon Reynolds when he returns back to Texas as a Yankee spy. The young woman whom he thought he rescued from the Comanche, Beth also known as Morning Fawn, is a prisoner on her uncle's plantation. She is always threatened with drugs and being put into an asylum if she does not control herself, except that she just wants to go back to her Comanche family. She is determined, but she is always caught when she tries to escape.

Devon has been through a lot, like the death of his wife and unborn child. If he can help Morning Fawn while helping the Yankees he will do all he can. The Civil War has been going on for a while and I found it interesting how important cotton was to Texas. It was like gold and the Confederates needed it desperately.

Morning Fawn is a strong woman. She lets her feelings sometimes take control, but I was rooting for her to get out of the situation she found herself in. I am not sure she would have continued to thrive in her Comanche family, but she certainly wasn't with her uncle's. I am glad Devon worked so hard to rectify his mistake.

This story was atmospheric of the Texas culture back then with plenty of danger, extending forgiveness, and the chance to begin anew when the opportunity arose. This was a great addition to this series.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-eight years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

More from Sherry

The Cotton Road

I loved the opportunity to tie the Texas frontier and the Civil War together in Texas Divided, the second book in my Lone Star Redemption series.

I have been an avid student of the Civil War for a couple decades. However, until I started researching for Texas Divided, I had no clue that the Yankees ever invaded Texas. But they did in November 1863. Why? It was because of cotton. By 1863, the Federal blockade of the Confederate coastline was fairly secure, and Texas became the golden gateway for funding the Confederacy.

Cotton from Arkansas, western Louisiana, and east Texas traveled the Cotton Road. This dusty trail ran from the railroad terminus in Alleyton, TX (about seventy miles west of Houston) by way of King’s Ranch near Corpus Christi to Brownsville and across the Rio Grande to Matamoros, Mexico, the largest cotton market in the world during the war. In regards to commercial activity, it rivaled pre-war New Orleans or Baltimore.

A young teamster wrote that from the watchtower at King’s Ranch, the main stop on the way to Matamoros, he could see hundreds of wagons on the road at one time, a long train of dust rising up as they traveled toward Brownsville and the Rio Grande.

At some points the trail was almost a mile wide due to traffic, and more than one hundred miles of it was desert with no water. Puffs of cotton clung to the sagebrush and cacti along the way and lingered for years after the war.

When the cotton reached Matamoros, it was loaded onto steamboats and/or wagons owned by Mexicans and transported to the mouth of the Rio Grande at the Gulf of Mexico. International ships from Britain, France, and other countries hovered there, sometimes hundreds at a time, waiting to fill their hulls with cotton. And the Yankees couldn’t stop them. If a Federal ship fired on a British, French, Mexican, or ship of another nationality, it could have been considered an act of war.

By 1863, cotton, which had sold for .10 cents a pound in 1860, now sold for as much as $1.89 a pound, and one bale averaged 450 – 500 pounds. The money made on the sale of cotton was the financial bloodline of the Confederacy. For example, in just one week in August, twenty thousand pounds of gunpowder arrived in Brownsville, purchased with proceeds from the sale of cotton.

That’s why the Federal Army invaded Brownsville in early November 1863. Their mission was to stop or at least seriously hinder the cotton trade. Doing so could save lives on the battlefield and perhaps bring an earlier end to the war.

The Yankees reached the city without any resistance. However, they found a meager one hundred and fifty bales on the Texas side of the river and could only gaze at the more than ten thousand bales stacked along the Mexican wharves. The Rebs had moved or destroyed everything of value.

The invasion lasted for several months and forced the Confederates to improvise and find new trails for the cotton shipments, hauling the loads via San Antonio to Eagle Pass and Laredo. Unfortunately, the Yankees only netted a hundred or so bales here and there.

Cotton continued to reign until the war efforts in the East bled the Confederacy dry. But for those few months at the end of 1863, hopes were high, especially amongst the two regiments of Texas cavalry fighting for the Union, Texans who abhorred the Confederacy and who had left Texas to avoid being forced into the Reb army. These men returned with the Federal troops in November 1863 to restore Texas to the Union and wreak havoc on the Cotton Road.

Lieutenant Devon Reynolds is one of these Texans, loyal to the Union, and determined to do his part to rescue Texas from the grip of the Confederacy. Except in his case, he trades his Yankee uniform for that of a Confederate and dons an eye patch, operating as a spy and saboteur. But his life becomes complicated and his mission uncertain when he runs into Morning Fawn, the woman he kidnapped from the Comanche eighteen months before. As far as she’s concerned, he ruined her life by sentencing her to her uncle’s plantation. Can he complete the mission and right the wrong? Texas Divided is a story of redemption, faithfulness, and perseverance. The characters come to an end of themselves and discover that God can make a way where there was no way.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 20

Texas Book-aholic, May 21

Blossoms and Blessings, May 22 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, May 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 24

Artistic Nobody, May 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 26

lakesidelivingsite, May 27

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 29 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, May 30

Holly’s Book Corner, May 31

Stories By Gina, June 1 (Author Interview)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 1

Bizwings Book Blog, June 2

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54224

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

My Thoughts on The Pursuit of Elena Bradford by Ann H. Gabhart

About:

Nothing would please her family more than her securing an admirable match, but true love and loyalty are harder to come by than she imagined.

At twenty-two, Elena Bradford has never met a man who made her consider marriage. But when her father dies and leaves the family deeply in debt, Elena becomes their only hope. Her mother uses their last funds to take Elena and her younger sister to Graham Springs, Kentucky, where people find healing by drinking the mineral spring water and healthy recreation through the many daily activities--including dances almost every evening.

As her mother schemes to find Elena a wealthy husband, Elena finds herself drawn to two men her mother would never consider. Charming artist Kirby Frazier spends his days drawing and painting the guests, but his real mission is to find a wealthy bride to finance his dream to go west. Melancholy Andrew Harper has come to Graham Springs in need of healing after a broken heart.

When a beautiful young lady shows up at the Springs with no chaperone and a story that seems suspicious, nearly everyone is charmed and intrigued. But when an unexpected tragedy occurs, Elena, Kirby, and Andrew will all be faced with decisions of life, love, and loyalty.

My Thoughts:

This story was a quietly riveting one for me. It is a story about a woman whose mother insists that she find a wealthy husband to save them from her late father’s financial debts. Elena loved her father very much. She was also content to become a spinster and read and draw to her heart’s content. She only wanted to marry for love, but her prospects were slim to none. Until her mother decides that they will go to Graham Springs, Kentucky, a healing resort of sorts, where the mineral water was said to help ailments.

This was an interesting story as the springs was a unique place. Even though it was set up for sickly people, many people came to enjoy the springs, the beauty, and the dancing the doctor insisted on every night. I had never read about such a place for matchmaking before. Also, the beginning was quite an adventure. For whatever reason, and I did not know this, but sometimes carriage racing was a thing. It was quite dangerous too.

We get four people’s points of view. Elena, her sister Ivy, and the two men who have caught her attention, the sad Andrew and the broke artist Kirby. Would either of these men be good enough for her mother or is she destined to marry someone much older? This was a unique story, one I quite enjoyed at an unusual place filled with different people and a mysterious bit of danger.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Ann H. Gabhart is the bestselling author of many novels, including The Song of Sourwood Mountain, In the Shadow of the River, When the Meadow Blooms, Along a Storied Trail, An Appalachian Summer, River to Redemption, These Healing Hills, and Angel Sister. She and her husband live on a farm a mile from where she was born in rural Kentucky. Ann enjoys discovering the everyday wonders of nature while hiking in her farm's fields and woods with her grandchildren and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. Learn more at AnnHGabhart.com.

My Thoughts and More on Unshakable by K.J. Rowe

About the Book

Book: Unshakable (Casts of Silver Book 4. It can be read as a standalone.)

Author: K.J Rowe

Genre: Teen / Y.A

Release date: January 13, 2025

Self-assured. Perceptive. Determined. Character traits Nick Marshall wears with pride, along with a bit of charm.

He knows himself and what his future holds.

At last, living the life he had long dreamed for himself as a Police Officer, Nick struggles to understand why things he witnessed as a first responder early in his career continue to haunt him. Reoccurring dreams grow a nagging anxiety which, combined with the stress of keeping up with his grueling work roster, as well as extracurricular activities, begin to shadow his professionalism.

Frustrated at himself slipping, Nick begins to take steps to ease his workload when his youth minister drops a bombshell on the Leadership Team that leaves them all reeling, but also sparks a question in Nick’s mind: was he really doing what God wanted him to do?

With rumors starting at work amid a sense of impending threat, Nick continues to pursue the life he’s long envisaged for himself, believing the blessings of God are still upon him. However, when he finds himself in mortal danger, Nick is forced to reconsider everything he’d come to believe and the plans he had for himself.

Will Nick win the battle within his mind and decode the will of God for his life? Will he be willing to let go of his own will and take hold of God’s?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Nick is all set. He has started his career as a police officer; has a girl he is serious about and a great group of friends that help keep him on the straight and narrow. Yet Nick feels like there is a change in the air. He is also dealing with some PTSD from an accident he was on the scene for, and it is giving him some major nightmares. There is also a thread of danger due to some bad decisions a friend has made. This decision has put him and all of his friends and their families in danger.

Like Nick, we can sometimes be very assured of our futures. What we are going to do, where we are going, etc. And like Nick we can certainly be thrown off balance when those dreams and goals are challenged by something else. Something better possibly, but certainly something different. I was also intrigued by a certain speculation that pops up in the story too.

Nick is in for a lot of changes and challenges that are coming his way. I felt for Nick and I am curious as to what is next for this group of friends.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

K.J. Rowe began her writing career in 2012 with the drafting of her Young Adult series called “Casts of Silver”, The series, born out of her own unique experiences and understanding how books can literally change people’s lives has been crafted to spotlight particular issues common amongst young people. To impress upon youth the importance of listening to their inner voice, remembering their self worth and to trust in Gods perfect plan for each of our lives is the mission and vision of this series. Karen lives with her husband and 2 children on a farm in North West Victoria, Australia.

More from K.J.

Hey! Thanks for stopping by!

Casts of Silver is my debut five book series. After a nagging conviction to write, I asked the Lord what it was He wanted me to pen down. The very next morning, I awoke with five clear stories in my mind.

Unshakable is book 4, of 5. It’s been an incredible journey for me writing this series with each of stories including a part of my own testimony. The series is centered around five youth group leaders, with the stories looking at very real circumstances that young people face in today’s world without sugar coating consequences of individual actions.

However, God is always at work.

But where is He when problems arise?

Well, He is always closer than you think and He’s always working for your good!

Enjoy.

God Bless!

Now, who doesn’t love a great healthy(ish) treat while reading a fabulous book? I’ve recently come across this delicious cake recipe and thought I would share it with you all.

DATE CAKE

1.5C Boiling Water

70g dates, chopped

1 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3/4C softened butter

1C Sugar (I used a little less)

2 eggs

2C Plain Flour

1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING

1/2C chocolate chips

1/2C sugar

1/2C chopped nuts of choice (I used Pecans, recipe uses walnuts)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175C, grease 28x18cm lamington pan

Pour boiling water over dates, stir in 1tsp of Bicarbonate Soda. Stand until cool.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then remaining bicarbonate of soda, sifted flour and salt. Fold in date mixture.

Pour into pan, sprinkle over the topping ingredients. Bake for 35-45mins.

Goes well cold or warm with cream. Enjoy!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 8

Life on Chickadee Lane, May 9

Simple Harvest Reads, May 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 11

Artistic Nobody, May 12 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, May 13 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, May 14 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, May 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 15

Blossoms and Blessings, May 16 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 17

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 18 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 19

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 20 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, May 20

A Reader’s Brain , May 21 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, K.J. is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!!

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54222

Friday, May 16, 2025

My Thoughts and More on Levi's Loyalty by Lynne Lanning

Levi's Loyalty JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Levi's Loyalty by Lynne Lanning, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Levi's Loyalty
Series: Mountain Men - Longing Hearts in the Wilderness
Author: Lynne Lanning
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Genre: Historical Romance (Christian)

Levi found out how much void a woman could fill in his heart…

But the heartache and betrayal wasn’t worth it.

He was better off alone… wasn’t he?

Levi enjoys his secluded life on the mountain until his friend convinces him he needs a woman in his life. A wife, when you’ve barely been around people, especially women? If only he could pick one out at the store like a shovel or bag of flour. But Levi falls head over heels—ignoring all the warning signs that something is wrong—until a delay in marrying her reveals her true intentions.

Now, he’s decided heartache and betrayal aren’t worth it. He’s better off alone. But God has a surprise waiting in the wilderness, softening the devastation he had suffered…in the form of a feisty woman who has claimed his mountain home for her own.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author

Lynne Lanning has such an effortless way of evoking emotion from her readers. Her characters are so realistic that the reader can feel their pain during trials and their joy during triumphs. Reviews state: "...it's as if Mrs. Lanning lived through this herself." "Couldn't put it down..." "A real page turner." Lynne enjoys turning history and her love of God into enjoyable, relatable stories with practical life lessons that can benefit people today. Each story tells of true bonds of love and loyalty, mixed with tough times and decisions, with a twist of humor and sometimes devastation...the same is true in life. With a blend of her own family members and heritage along with lots of fiction, it's hard to tell where reality stops and fantasy begins.

Connect with Lynne by subscribing to her email newsletter updates or following her on Amazon.

My Thoughts:

Levi, a true mountain man, has been living on his own for way too long. Some friends let him know he needs a wife. Levi has been chewing on that idea and finds it worthwhile. I liked Levi, he thought considerably about his actions and took his time and praying before deciding. He didn't want to rush and make a mistake, and for the woman that he loved, he truly wanted her to be happy. What he wasn't prepared for was for his heart to be broken. His growth into a strong, loving man was a treat to watch. And as the title suggests, his loyalty knew no bounds.

In steps Charlie a young woman who may be even more lost than he was. What starts off as a tumultuous partnership grows into a trusting friendship. Could it become more? Danger and romance collide in this fun jaunt up the mountains. This was my first read by this author and it checked all the boxes for me.

I was provided a copy of this novel by the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a gift basket with homemade scented soaps (like you'll find in the story), a print copy of Levi's Loyalty, a print copy of one of Lynne Lanning's 2025 Selah Awards finalist titles (winner's choice between To Trust a Heart or Mail-Order Stonemason), and bookmarks!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 12, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 19, 2025. Winners 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 JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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

Monday, May 12, 2025

My Thoughts and More on Embers of Truth by Avrie Swan

About the Book

Book: Embers of Truth

Author: Avrie Swan

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 15, 2025

A fiery heroine teams up with a gruff detective to catch a thief, but the real danger may be trusting each other.

With her family nearing destitution and her home on the brink of foreclosure, Carina Clarke has little left to lose. Yet in one fateful evening, the 1871 Peshtigo Fire destroys the last of all she holds dear and separates her from her sister and friend. Carina vows to find them—even if it means moving to a different city and taking up work at a textile mill while she searches.

Oliver Ramhurst is determined to make his father proud of his work as a Pinkerton detective. His assignment to capture a thief at a textile mill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could be the opportunity he needs—if the feisty Miss Clarke will stay out of his way. When the clever woman offers to help him ferret out the culprit, Oliver reluctantly agrees. But does she want more from him than she’s saying?

As the danger grows and they draw closer to discovering the true identity of the thief, Carina and Oliver realize that nobody is who they seem. Carina must decide who can be trusted and who may be a villain in disguise—for when the hour grows dark, trust may be the only thing that can save her.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This is the second novel that I have read recently about the Peshtigo fires that completely decimated the town and spread its flames to surrounding villages. Happening at the same time as the Great Chicago Fire did, the history and even questions that persisted afterwards intrigues me. This story opens with a young woman who is just trying to save her family home from being foreclosed on, for herself, sister, and mother. However, in one night their lives change forever.

The story picks up again a year later as Carina is searching for her lost sister. Their mother is gone, due to the fires, and she just wants to be reunited with her last relative. Her searching takes her to Milwaukee. Here she meets the maddening Oliver Ramhurst, from Chicago, undercover as a Pinkerton agent. I found his particular job sleuthing very interesting, along with some historical information the author shared in her notes. Especially concerning that Pinkertons were often called in to stop strikes from happening in a factory. I was not aware of that. This particular job for Oliver centers around thieves stealing payrolls at a textile mill, thus preventing the full pay of the workers. You can guess how long that is going to last before a strike happens.

There was danger, mystery, and romance between these two as their lives become intertwined with one another. Along with surmounting the obstacle of the social class that exists between them. Oliver was much higher up on the ladder while Carina was not. This is the beginning of a series and not everything is answered in this first book. Looking forward to reading the next.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Avrie Swan is a Christian author and avid reader with a love for all things historical. Having grown up exploring antique stores and museums, she eventually decided to combine her interest in history with her love for writing and began working on her first full-length novel at the age of fourteen. She especially enjoys writing stories that focus on themes of family, faith, and growth through difficult times.

When Avrie is not writing, she is watching old movies, collecting antique books, and hunting for agates. A native Wisconsinite, she enjoys spending the cold winters indoors with her cat on her lap and a good book in her hand.

More from Avrie

Hello, folks!

What do you do when you run out of your favorite type of book at the local library? Well, in the case of sixteen-year-old me, you sit down and try to write one yourself. Thus was born the first iteration of Embers of Truth, followed shortly thereafter by the second and third. After countless revisions and many cups of coffee, I finally achieved what I wanted—a book filled with mystery and action, with a main character tenacious enough to weather the storms I tossed her way. Carina’s story was a joy to write, and I know sixteen-year-old me would be happy to read it if she could.

In this first book of The Peshtigo Fire Chronicles, I decided to explore the theme of trust and learning to accept help. Carina has difficulty trusting others, an issue born out of past experiences. However, as she comes to learn, we cannot let bad experiences affect the way we see others. Have you ever unjustly judged someone because of something that happened to you, even if it was unintentional? I have. It’s easy to do!

In addition to exploring themes of trust, Embers of Truth also examines what it means to put our goals before helping others. Oliver is determined to impress his father, and while he takes the mill case to help the workers there, he also secretly hopes it will finally make his father approve of his occupation. Putting our needs above others is a part of human nature, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change. Watching Oliver realize this is one of my favorite parts of the story.

Much like Oliver, I also realized several things while writing Embers of Truth. The first was that I would never handwrite a novel again, a decision my right wrist thanked me for. The second was that God is incredibly, incredibly gracious. The third and final thing I realized was that I would have made a terrible Pinkerton detective. I’m much more suited to sitting bundled up under warm blankets with a book than going undercover to find a criminal!

I encourage you, dear reader, to follow along with Oliver and Carina as they traverse snowy Milwaukee and decide whether you could be a detective. Make sure to curl up with a nice cup of coffee or tea and a blanket as you enjoy this intriguing, romance-filled story. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Avrie Swan