Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

Interview: Cynthia Hickey + GIVEAWAY

27 Oct

Cynthia Hickey

Multi-published and Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold more than 260,000 copies of her works. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at http://www.cynthiahickey.com

Welcome to Buzzing About Books, Cynthia!

When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?

I started writing seriously in 2007 and got my first book contract. I haven’t stopped since and now have over 30 books in either ebook or print form

What is your writing process like?  Do you write daily?  Are you a plotter or a pantster? 

I am a pantser, with a very small outline. I write Monday thru Friday from 8 to 2, and sometimes on Saturday if I have a deadline approaching. This is my job, which I love, and I treat it as such.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Least favorite?

My favorite is finishing a new book. I would have to say marketing is my least favorite

What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your research? 

My Harvey Girl series through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents line was very interesting in the fact that these ladies of old played such a big part in taming the west. Many of these women who worked the restaurants along the Santa Fe Railroad married at the end of their six-month contract and moved west.

Please tell us about your latest release, Handcarved Christmas.  Handcarved Christmas

Laura Worth answers an advertisement for a bride and leaves Missouri to meet her groom in Montana. When she gets there, she realizes her husband-to-be, Ben Cooper, has no knowledge of having sent for her. She is devastated, even more so when she breaks a precious heirloom. Ben’s heart goes out to the beautiful woman and he marries her in answer to his mother’s dying wish. As Christmas approaches, the two wonder whether their marriage will hold the love and intimacy God intended it to have. Will Ben win the heart of his unexpected gift?

Who or what inspired this special story? 

I thought it would be a lot of fun to have two people who knew nothing about each other, form a loving marriage from a surprise Christmas gift.

In Handcarved Christmas, an unexpected gift becomes a great blessing.  Have you experienced such a gift in your life? 

Not really, but wouldn’t it be fun?

The heroine, Laura Worth, treasures a precious heirloom.  Do you treasure any special heirlooms?    

I have a large volume of Little Women with handpainted pictures within the pages. I treasured this book as a child and it holds a prominent place on my bookshelf.

What special traditions or celebrations do you and your family enjoy during the holiday season?

We hang a stocking for Jesus. Before we can dig into our stockings or open presents, we must give Jesus something only we can give Him.

Is there anything else you would like to share?  What will you be working on next? 

I am working on a new series for Harlequin Heartsong presents dealing with natural disasters in America’s history and how love finds you despite adversity.

Thank you so much, Cynthia!  Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

http://www.cynthiahickey.com

 

GIVEAWAY!

A Doctor's Heart
Cynthia has graciously offered to give away one copy of A Doctor’s Heart!  Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered to win.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow this blog
◦ Sign up to follow this blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email

Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.

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Review: An Apple for Christmas + GIVEAWAY

22 Oct

An Apple for Christmas

An Apple for Christmas by Darlene Franklin

Ruby Nelson trades her job in the laboratory for teaching in a small girls’ school in Vermont. Twin sisters challenge her position—and their father captivates her imagination. Will the orchard grower graft Ruby onto his heart?

Thoughts:

An Apple for Christmas is a wonderful novella! Darlene Franklin has penned a story as sweet and delicious as the apples she has written about. The endearing characters delighted and charmed me, as did the engaging storyline!

I loved An Apple for Christmas and I highly recommend this novella!

 

Darlene

Connect with Darlene on her author page at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/ or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Poet.Darlene.Franklin

Purchase your copy of An Apple for Christmas for only $0.99!

 

GIVEAWAY!

On Monday, I shared a lovely interview with Darlene Franklin.  She has graciously offered a Kindle copy of An Apple for Christmas to one lucky reader, so be sure and leave a comment to be entered! 

Commenting here and on Darlene’s interview post will earn you 2 entries in the giveaway!  The giveaway ends Saturday, October 25 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

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Interview: Darlene Franklin + GIVEAWAY

20 Oct

 

DarleneWelcome to Buzzing About Books, Darlene! Please share a little about yourself.

My greatest claim to fame is that I write full-time from a nursing home. I live in Oklahoma, near my son and his family, and continue my interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. I am an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. I have written over thirty books and has written more than 250 devotionals.

When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?

After I was divorced, 23 years ago now, I felt compelled to write about the things God was teaching me. Once I got into the habit of writing every day, I never stopped.

What is your writing process like? How has it changed in the last few years?

I tend to have a warm up routine. I check any recent interviews and blog spots for comments, emails to answer, sales trends to follow . . .in other words, I waste a lot of time. My computer rests on a movable table in my room. Turn on light and computer and television and get to work.

When I entered the nursing home 2 years ago, I had to adjust my daily goals. I have less time to write, and so I take longer to write a book. I do play fewer online games than I used to.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

My favorite part? Brainstorming ideas. Seeing the finished product. The satisfaction that the process worked and I have another good book on my hands.

The least favorite is the writing itself. It is long and hard and boring. At times, it is agonizing. In the book I’m currently writing, I’m reliving my days of raising troubled teens as a divorced mother.

What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered while doing research?

I was in the Colorado History Museum researching the history of Italians in Colorado when I heard elephants bugling. When I tracked down the exhibit, I learned that circus elephants who spent their winter months in Denver helped with clearing the streets after the worst storm in state history. That scene made it into my story, Dressed in Scarlet.

An Apple for ChristmasPlease tell us about your latest release, An Apple for Christmas.

An Apple for Christmas is Book 4 in the Christmas Traditions series. Ruby Nelson trades her job in the laboratory for teaching in a small girls’ school in Vermont. Twin sisters challenge her position—and their father captivates her imagination. Will the orchard grower graft Ruby onto his heart?

What inspired this delightful story?

I have been writing about Vermont for years – nine books in all, from the Revolutionary War to contemporary. I don’t expect to write any more books set in Maple Notch. But I love the setting (I’m a native New England), so I looked at Vermont industries in the 1890s and was surprised to learn they were leaders in apples nationwide. So I wrote my apple story.

In An Apple for Christmas, I enjoyed the characters’ names and their meanings. How did you decide which names to use?

Choosing Mac(intosh) for the hero was the easy part. I originally chose the last name “Brown” but then decided that Cortland was a fine last name which also happened to refer to apples.

Choosing the girls’ names was harder. Today there are several apples with female names. However, few of them were in production in the 1890s. Margil and Pippin were among the few I could confirm were grown in the United States in that period.

I could nearly smell the scent of apples as I read, especially during the scene where Margil was cooking in the kitchen! What are some of your favorite apple treats?

McDonald’s apple pies. Apple pie of any kind. Apple crisp. Caramel apples, except I can’t chew them anymore.

Is there anything else you would like to share? What will you be working on next?

Thank you for asking. I am finishing up my 8th Maple Notch story, Runaway Love. It should come out from Harlequin Heartsong Presents next August. After that, I will write the final book of the series, Homecoming.

In December, my novella Miss Bliss in the Bear will appear in The Preacher’s Bride Collection. This year, people seem drawn to Colorado Melodies and The New England Romance Collection.

Thank you so much, Darlene. Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

For now, the best places are my author page at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/.

They can also find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Poet.Darlene.Franklin

An Apple for Christmas is available on Amazon. 

 

GIVEAWAY!

Darlene has graciously offered to give away one Kindle copy of An Apple for Christmas!  Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered to win this delightful novella.  This giveaway ends Saturday, Oct. 25 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

To earn additional entries, you may do the following:
◦ Let me know you follow my blog
◦ Sign up to follow my blog if you are not a follower
◦ Share this giveaway through Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email

Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what you have done to earn additional entries.

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Review: Sadie’s Gift + GIVEAWAY

17 Oct

Sadie's Gift

Sadie’s Gift by Niki Turner

Colorado Springs, 1921 — Nurse Sadie Hubbard wants to give the children at the preventorium a wonderful Christmas. Heartbroken Nathan Wells hopes to return to Chicago and mourn his brother’s death alone. When an accident brings them together, their plans for the holiday collide. Will they find a way to work together in the spirit of Christmas?

Thoughts:

Niki Turner shares her gift of writing in this inspiring novella. I loved the originality of the storyline and the vulnerability of the characters! From heart-wrenching to heartwarming, Sadie’s Gift is a wonderful Christmas story you don’t want to miss!

I loved Sadie’s Gift and highly recommend this novella!

 

GIVEAWAY!

On Monday, I shared a fascinating guest post by Niki Turner.  She has graciously offered an ebook copy of Sadie’s Gft to one lucky reader, so be sure and comment on Niki’s post to be entered!  The giveaway ends tomorrow, October 18 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

 
About the Author:

NikiTurnerNiki Turner is a novelist, journalist, blogger, and the production manager for the Rio Blanco Herald Times weekly newspaper. Her first completed manuscript earned second place in the Touched By Love 2009 contemporary category romance contest. She writes for local newspapers, and won second place for best agriculture story at the 2013 Colorado Press Association annual convention. She also blogs at www.nikiturner.net and is a co-blogger at www.inkwellinspirations.com. Niki is the Colorado Area Coordinator for American Christian Fiction Writers and is involved in establishing an ACFW chapter on Colorado’s Western Slope, where she resides. She published “Sadie’s Gift” as one of the Christmas Traditions novella collection. Her next project, “Santiago Sol,” will be published by Pelican Book Ventures, LLC, as part of the Passport to Romance novella collection.

Connect with Niki on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Purchase Sadie’s Gift on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

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The Fruitcake Challenge + GIVEAWAY

3 Oct

Fruitcake Challenge cover jpg

The Fruitcake Challenge by Carrie Fancett Pagels

When new lumberjack, Tom Jeffries, tells the camp cook, Jo Christy, that he’ll marry her if she can make a fruitcake, “as good as the one my mother makes,” she rises to the occasion. After all, he’s the handsomest, smartest, and strongest axman her camp-boss father has ever had in his camp—and the cockiest. And she intends to bring this lumberjack down a notch or three by refusing his proposal. The fruitcake wars are on! All the shanty boys and Jo’s cooking helpers chip in with their recipes but Jo finds she’ll have to enlist more help—and begins corresponding with Tom’s mother.

Step back in time to 1890, in beautiful Northern Michigan, near the sapphire straits of Mackinac, when the white pines were “white gold” and lumber camps were a way of life. Jo is ready to find another life outside of the camps and plans that don’t include any shanty boys. But will a lumberjack keep her in the very place she’s sworn to leave? When hope runs out, will God provide a way for Jo to achieve her dreams?

Thoughts:

I opened the pages of this novella and stepped into a lively lumber camp of 1890! Carrie Fancett Pagels brings to life a delightful cast of characters, as well as the sights and sounds of Northern Michigan.

There are so many things I adored about this delectable tale! Equal parts entertainment and encouragement, mixed with savory nuggets of history, dashes of sweet romance, and pinches of humor sprinkled throughout, make a perfect holiday treat!

I loved The Fruitcake Challenge and highly recommend this novella!  Download your copy for only $0.99 from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

 

GIVEAWAY!

Carrie is giving away an ecopy of The Fruitcake Challenge to one lucky commenter on this post!  Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered.  The giveaway ends October 8th at midnight CST.

More ways to win:

On Wednesday, I shared a wonderful interview with Carrie.  She has generously offered ebook copies of The Fruitcake Challenge and Return to Shirley Plantation to one lucky reader on that post, so be sure and comment on Carrie’s interview to be entered!  The giveaway ends October 8th. 

 

Connect with Carrie:

Carrie brick headshot pmCarrie Fancett Pagels Ph.D. is an award-winning, best-selling, and multi-published Christian historical romance author. Carrie was a psychologist for twenty-five years. Married for twenty-seven years with two children. Carrie resides in Virginia’s Historic Triangle and enjoys reading, traveling and researching. She’s a finalist for the 2014 Maggie Awards for Excellence.

Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com
Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
Facebook Author Page
Facebook Personal Page
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
LinkedIn

Links to purchase:

The Fruitcake Challenge (2014) on Amazon

A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Guidepost Books (2013)

Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance (Helping Hands Press, 2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print

Return to Shirley Plantation on Barnes and Noble in ebook

God’s Provision in Tough Times Lighthouse of the Carolinas (2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print

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Interview: Carrie Fancett Pagels + GIVEAWAY

1 Oct

Carrie brick headshot pmWelcome to Buzzing About Books, Carrie!  Please share a little about yourself.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Britney!  I call myself “Tired Old Mommy” because with my Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and having our second child when I was 44, I’ve earned that title!  God blessed us with that son, who was prayed into our lives (and yes he’s ours not adopted.)  We have an adult daughter who is an electrical engineer, so I have bragging rights to being the mother of an Electrical Engineer (even if I have no idea what all those squiggly lines mean on her differential equations, etc.!)

I was a psychologist for 25 years, working primarily with children and teens. I specialized in leaning difficulties. My doctorate is in School Psychology. Because of the severity of my RA, I was unable to continue working as a psychologist. But God has provided another path.

When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?

I thought I’d be a psychologist until I was in my 70’s or even older because this was a career I trained hard for. But at the time I pursued my education I had turned my back on God. I’ve been writing since childhood. When I was in grad school, I dropped out and wrote my first complete novel, a secular fiction, and thank God when I shopped it around in 1979, no one picked it up.  I returned to grad school and didn’t write fiction again (that I remember) until I finished my Ph.D. Then, pretty much every year I’d start working on a project.  But it was only after I began to get more ill that I spent more time on my writing.

What is your writing process like?  Do you write daily?  Are you a plotter or a pantster? 

God has to prompt me to write but I do believe He has anointed my writing, so I have a commission from Him to do so. I normally am doing some writing or writing-related activity daily. Absolutely a plotter but I allow some pantsering as the characters may take me different directions.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Least favorite?

I love, love, love getting to spend time bringing the characters and stories and settings to life on “paper.”  I detest those grinding final edits. They need to be done, though.

Historical fiction requires extensive research.  What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your research? 

I’ve found that some of the most interesting stuff is “wrong!”  For instance, one of my yet-to-be-published stories was inspired by a great history which a docent told in error!

I am always intrigued by the names authors choose for their characters.  How do you choose your characters’ names? 

Often they are taken from my own genealogical background, from friends, or in this latest story I borrowed Jo’s name from “Little Women” which was one of my favorite stories!

Please tell us about your latest release, The Fruitcake Challenge.

Fruitcake Challenge cover jpgThe feisty 25-year-old daughter of the camp boss is challenged by a cocky new axman to “make a cake just as good as my mother made” and he’ll marry her! She initially has her dander up and wants to get him good for being such an arrogant shanty boy (and heaven knows she’ll never marry one of those because she wants OUT of the lumber camp!)  But the story is really about hope. Because Jo has to let go of her earthly hopes to allow God to give her His hope which then results in the best outcome for her good. That’s what He wants for us!

Who or what inspired this special story? 

I discovered a few years ago that my grandfather, Christy Isley Skidmore, was born in Traverse City, Michigan, not in Kentucky, which is where he was from. I’d always wondered why he’d gone into lumberjacking and when I learned this about his birth, I realized he’d likely been born while my great-grandfather was lumbering in northern Michigan. I have no proof of that. But I do know that my Kentucky-born maternal grandmother did work as a camp cook in Grandpa’s camp and that my mom helped her. My mother’s personality is infused into Jo. I imagined just what she’d do with a cocky, educated, irritating lumberjack!

I adored The Fruitcake Challenge and thought of fruitcake for days after reading the novella.  Will you be sharing any fruitcake recipes with your readers? 

Yes! Thanks so much, Britney, and thanks for being part of the Christmas Traditions promo team!  As we get closer to Christmas I’ll be sharing recipes. I have a Fruitcake Pinterest board set up now!  Would your readers please share one of their recipes?

What is a favorite holiday treat in your family? 

The birthday cake for baby Jesus is one. I love a Noel log but I rarely make them. I do so enjoy Claxton fruitcake!!!

Is there anything else you would like to share?  What will you be working on next?

 Thank you, readers, for coming by! Please pray for me because my unpublished novel, Grand Exposé, which is out on submission as part of a proposal, is up for the Maggie award as it is a finalist in the contest!

An editor at the ACFW conference encouraged a group of us to submit a proposal to her based on a one sheet she looked at. So I’m doing up my part of that proposal and also another for that same company!

Thank you so much for sharing this delightful interview, Carrie! 

Thanks for having me on, Britney!

 

Connect with Carrie:

Carrie Fancett Pagels Ph.D. is an award-winning, best-selling, and multi-published Christian historical romance author. Carrie was a psychologist for twenty-five years. Married for twenty-seven years with two children. Carrie resides in Virginia’s Historic Triangle and enjoys reading, traveling and researching. She’s a finalist for the 2014 Maggie Awards for Excellence.

Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com
Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
Facebook Author Page
Facebook Personal Page
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads
LinkedIn

Links to purchase:

Return to Shirley Plantation PM cover

The Fruitcake Challenge (2014) on Amazon

A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Guidepost Books (2013)

Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance (Helping Hands Press, 2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print

Return to Shirley Plantation on Barnes and Noble in ebook

God’s Provision in Tough Times Lighthouse of the Carolinas (2013) on Amazon in ebook and in print

 

GIVEAWAY!

Carrie has generously offered to give away an e-copy of Return to Shirley Plantation and The Fruitcake Challenge to one lucky winner!  Leave a comment, including your email address, to be entered.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, Oct. 8 at midnight CST. 

Questions:  Do you enjoy fruitcake?  Do you have a favorite fruitcake recipe or other holiday recipe to share? 

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Playing By Heart

24 Sep

Playing By Heart

Playing By Heart by Anne Mateer

Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But when she receives a shocking telephone call from her sister, Jewel, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

After the sudden death of Jewel’s husband, Jewel needs Lula’s help. With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister. But the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Neither subject belongs anywhere near the halls of academia, according to Lula!

Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year, determined to do well and prove herself to the town. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys’ coach, Chet, to learn the game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She’s returning to college as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.

However, the more time she spends in Dunn, the more Lula realizes God is working on her heart–and her future is beginning to look a lot different than she’d expected.

Thoughts:

Playing by Heart is a charming tale, rich in history! Written from dual points of view, Anne Mateer expertly shares this story through both Lula’s and Chet’s perspective. I really enjoyed these endearing characters and this unique way of storytelling.

I always love finding interesting facts in fiction and adored the history of this story, especially the bits from Anne’s own family. With her beautiful writing voice, Anne Mateer plucked my heartstrings and struck a perfect chord with Playing by Heart!

 

Bethany House Publishers is sponsoring a fun giveaway to celebrate the release of Playing by Heart.  Click the graphic to be taken to the official entry page.  Good luck!

Anne-Mateer-Giveaway-graphic

 

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts expressed are my own.

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$0.99 Sale- A Home for My Heart

9 Sep

AHomeForMyHeartSpecial

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com

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Book Spotlight: Honor

3 Sep

Honor

Honor by Lyn Cote

 “Who will you be, if not the lady of High Oaks?”

When unexpected circumstances leave Honor Penworthy destitute, she is forced from her Maryland plantation—and the slaves she hoped to free. With no marketable skills, her survival hinges on a marriage arranged through the Quaker community to artisan Samuel Cathwell. Samuel is drawn to Honor, but he has been unwilling to open his heart to anyone since losing his hearing as a child.

A move west brings the promise of a fresh start, but nothing in Honor’s genteel upbringing has prepared her for the rigors of frontier life with Samuel. Nevertheless, her tenacity and passion sweep her into important winds of change, and she secretly becomes involved in the Underground Railroad. Samuel suspects Honor is hiding something, but will uncovering the truth confirm his worst fears or truly bring them together?

Strong women. Brave stories.
Set against the backdrop of dramatic and pivotal moments in American history, the Quaker Brides series chronicles the lives of brave heroines fighting to uphold their principles of freedom while navigating the terrain of faith, family, and the heart.

To read an excerpt from Honor, visit Lyn’s website. 

Follow Lyn Cote’s board Honor-Quaker Abolitionist Heroine, Book 1 of “Quaker Brides” on Pinterest.

 

Lyn Cote

In 1997, Lyn Cote’s first book, Never Alone, was chosen for the “new” Love Inspired romance line. Since then, Lyn has had over thirty-five novels published. In 2006 Lyn’s book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, and her book Her Patchwork Family was a finalist for the Carol Award in 2010 and Her Healing Ways won in 2011. These are two of the highest awards in the romance genre.

Lyn’s brand “Strong Women, Brave Stories,” always includes three elements: a strong heroine who is a passionate participant in her times, authentic historical detail and a multicultural cast of characters. Lyn also features stories of strong women both from real life and true to life fiction on her blog http://BooksbyLynCote.com

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$0.99 Sale- At Every Turn

12 Aug

AET-_99

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