Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

Author Interview- Mona Hodgson

The celebration continues! The Quilted Heart by Mona Hodgson released yesterday and I am thrilled to share Mona’s interview, as well as several giveaway opportunities. I hope you enjoy this delightful author interview and will join us again Friday for a special character interview with Elsa Brantenberg. Also, don’t miss the giveaway details given at the bottom of the post!

Welcome, Mona! Thank you so much for joining us!

Hi, Everyone! Britney, thanks so much for the opportunity to join you all here. I appreciate your interest in my Historical Fiction.

Mona, please share with us the inspiration for The Quilted Heart novellas.

Intersections inspired the concept of The Quilted Heart novellas. First, a visit to Historic Saint Charles, Missouri, in 1999 and the desire to write a story set there. Then, the idea to use quilting and a quilted heart as a metaphor for a transformed heart in a series of talks for Christian Women’s Retreats. Next, a heightened awareness of the effects of Retinitis Pigmentosa on my extended family and a desire to tell the story of a women struggling with blindness. When I had an opportunity to write a grouping of novellas as a prequel to Prairie Song, Book 1 in Hearts Seeking Home, a wagon train series, all of the above factors intersected to create The Quilted Heart omnibus–Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples Along the Shore.

I am drawn to book titles and each of these novella titles has such special meaning, as does the title of the omnibus, The Quilted Heart. How did you choose your titles?

The poet in me loves imagery and metaphor. I mingled that with my appreciation for God’s creation and the characters’ situations for the titles to the novellas. Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples Along the Shore. The Quilted Heart is a transformed heart, again, a metaphor for the way God’s transforming love makes us into a new creation.

The Quilted Heart is full of historical details and descriptions. How did you research the various aspects of life in Saint Charles, Missouri, following the Civil War?

I perused websites and books about Saint Charles and the Civil War, but, at heart, I am a hands-on researcher. In March 2012, I returned to St. Charles. I toured the area with someone from the tourism bureau, met with the archivist at the St. Charles County Historical Society, wandered through several museums in the area, and strolled the cobblestone streets and along the river.

One of my favorite things about these novellas is the spiritual wisdom that is shared when the women of the St. Charles quilting circle gather together. Who are some of the special women in your life who have shared their spiritual wisdom with you?

June Adams, after whom I fashioned the character of Hattie Adams—Miss Hattie–in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series. Patsy Clairmont, a National Conference Speaker, who said things like “Normal is only a setting on your dryer.” She wrote a book by that title.

Quilts are so special and each one tells a story. Are you a quilter and/or do you have any quilts that are special to you?

It was the imagery and metaphor that led me to first speak at women’s retreats about The Quilted Heart and then write these stories. I’m not a quilter, but I had two grandmothers who were and my Sis Linda is a quilter. I have the first quilt Linda made to commemorate the birth of my first daughter, Amy.

Rather than being three individual stories, the characters in The Quilted Heart can found throughout the novellas as well as in the Hearts Seeking Home series. How did you decide to write these stories this way?

I love exploring community, which leads me to write ensemble casts. I like to “live” in community with my characters from story to story (even series to series). In my first series, The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek, the four novels feature four sisters and a sister-in-law whose journeys take place in the backdrop of a boardinghouse and mining community. In The Quilted Heart, it’s the farming and riverside community of St. Charles, Missouri. In Prairie Song, the story that follows The Quilted Heart, the members of The Boone’s Lick Wagon Train Company, journeying west, provides the ensemble cast of characters.

The Quilted Heart is a prequel to the Hearts Seeking Home series. Prairie Song is the first book in this series and was released in August. After reading The Quilted Heart, I felt like I was catching up with old friends in Prairie Song and I can’t wait to continue their stories! What can you share with us about Book 2? Do you have a release date?

Mountain Whispers is the sequel to Prairie Song and the conclusion to the wagon train company’s journey west. Unfortunately, I don’t have a release date yet for Mountain Whispers but as I do, you’ll be able to find it on my blog and Facebook Mona Hodgson Author Page, https://www.facebook.com/Author.Mona

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions! How can readers connect with you online?

It was my pleasure to join you all here, Britney. Here’s where you can find me online:

www.monahodgson.com/blog

https://www.facebook.com/Author.Mona

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/602227.Mona_Hodgson

http://www.pinterest.com/monahodgson/

http://www.novelcrossing.com/author/3004/monahodgson

https://twitter.com/MonaHodgson

Giveaway Opportunities:

1. BUZZING ABOUT BOOKS DRAWING

I am giving away one copy of The Quilted Heart here on my blog. See Monday’s post for details and comment to win.

2. BLOG TOUR DRAWING

Leave a comment here, then comment on Mona Hodgson Author Page before Friday, January 31st to enter the BLOG TOUR DRAWING for one of three signed copies of The Quilted Heart. Tell Mona which blog you visited (Buzzing About Books) and commented on! You can enter once for each Participating Blog you visit and comment on.

3. BOOK RELEASE PARTY

Don’t miss Mona’s Facebook Release Party for THE QUILTED HEART!

Please save the date for a Book Release Party on Facebook, Friday, January 24th! You’ll find her in the Notes Section on her “Mona Hodgson Author Page” from 4 pm to 6 pm (Mountain Time). To calculate what time this is for you, click here: http://www.thetimezoneconverter.com.

Mona will answer questions, give away prizes, and share photos and behind-the-scenes stories about the three novellas included in The Quilted Heart omnibus, set in Saint Charles, Missouri.

Tags: Blog tour, Christian fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Mona Hodgson, The Quilted Heart

Comments 14 Comments
Categories Author Spotlight, Blog Tour, Books, Giveaways

The Quilted Heart Celebration and GIVEAWAY

20 Jan

Join me this week in celebration of the release of The Quilted Heart!

Today, I am sharing my thoughts and offering one copy of The Quilted Heart to be given away. Wednesday, I will feature an author interview with Mona Hodgson, as well as details on how to enter her three book giveaway. Friday, I will share a character interview with Elsa Brantenburg, as well as more giveaway opportunities!

The Quilted Heart by Mona Hodgson

The Quilted Heart releases tomorrow, January 21. You can order your copy from Amazon, other online retailers, or your favorite bookstore.

Synopsis:

Like a beautiful patchwork quilt, the three novellas in The Quilted Heart tell stories of lives stitched together with love and God’s unending grace.

Once a week, Elsa Brantenberg hosts the Saint Charles Quilting Circle at her farmhouse on the outskirts of the riverside town of St. Charles, Missouri. The ladies who gather there have all experienced heartache related to the intense hardships of the Civil War, and together, they are facing their painful circumstances with friendship and prayer. Can the tattered pieces of their hearts be stitched together by God’s grace?

Dandelions on the Wind
When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg’s St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household. But when Gabi’s father, Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren, and she feels compelled to find another job. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan?

Bending Toward the Sun
Dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, Emilie Heinrich is convinced she doesn’t have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie’s eye and her heart. Will she be forced to choose between honoring her father and a future with a husband and family of her own?

Ripples Along the Shore
Change is brewing in St. Charles. A group of brave souls are preparing to head west on the Boone’s Lick Wagon Train, led by the mysterious and handsome Garrett Cowlishaw, who served as a Confederate soldier in the war that killed Caroline’s husband. Despite her dislike for him, Caroline is tempted to join the wagon train and start fresh somewhere new, but when Mr. Cowlishaw forbids her—a single woman—to travel with them, will one man’s prejudice destroy Caroline’s hope for a new future? Or will the ripples of God’s love bring the answer she needs?

Thoughts:

Mona Hodgson’s wonderful characterization brings the characters of The Quilted Heart to life. Each character is special and their life stories are beautifully quilted together in this novella collection. “Like a quilt is made up of remnants…scraps, so is your life and mine.”

The Quilted Heart novellas are bursting with details and descriptions, adding richness and depth to their engaging storylines. I clearly envisioned Saint Charles, Missouri, its residents and its businesses. I delighted in learning of the goods bought and sold, foods prepared, and quilts made with loving hands.

The spiritual elements are one of the most endearing facets of The Quilted Heart. The wisdom and scriptures that are shared are a blessing to all who read this book. “God, the Divine Quilter, has the perfect patchwork pattern for our lives. Each will be different as sunshine and snowfall.”

The Quilted Heart is a book that I love having on my shelf and is one I will read and enjoy again and again! It is also a book that I want to share, so I have ordered one copy to give away. Please see the giveaway details below and enter to win!

Biography:

Mona’s writing credits also include several hundred articles, poems and short stories, which have appeared in 50 different publications. Mona is a speaker for women’s groups, Christian women’s retreats, book clubs and reading groups, schools, and conferences for writers and librarians.

GIVEAWAY:

I am excited to be giving away one copy of The Quilted Heart by Mona Hodgson.

Leave a comment, along with your email address, to be entered.

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
Comment on any of The Quilted Heart posts this week

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

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Saturday, January 25 at midnight CST. The winner will be drawn and contacted January 26. Good luck!!

I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

Tags: Bending Toward the Sun, Christian fiction, Dandelions On The Wind, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Mona Hodgson, Ripples Along the Shore, The Quilted Heart

Comments 24 Comments
Categories Books, Giveaways, Reviews

Sneak Peek and GIVEAWAY!

25 Oct

I am thrilled that Miralee has taken the time to answer a few questions this week! Now, I am delighted to have her answer one final question!

Blowing on Dandelions is currently available and Wishing on Buttercups releases in February 2014. Can you share a little sneak peek at Book 3 with us?

I’d love to! You meet the heroine in Blowing on Dandelions, Leah Carlson, and the hero, Steven, in book two, Wishing on Buttercups. They have their own story in book three, Dreaming on Daisies.

Here’s a short summary to whet your appetite….and it releases October of 2014.

Feisty Leah Carlson has always loved her family’s ranch. But now she needs a miracle to save it … and to turn her pa around.

Mid-March, 1881

Baker City, Oregon

Fiery redhead Leah Carlson didn’t expect at the tender age of fourteen to become caretaker and ranch foreman almost overnight. Empty promises, that’s all she ever got from her pa. Promises he’d change. Promises he’d do better. Promises he’d broken ever since Ma died nine years ago. And lately it had only gotten worse. At least the ranch was safe as long as she worked hard to pay the bills, unless Pa tried to use it as collateral for his drinking debts. But something needed to change. She had to find at least one hired hand—the sooner the better.

Steven Harding never thought he’d be left in the dust emotionally when his mother reunited with his long-lost sister. To make things worse, the banking job in Baker City isn’t what he dreamed it would be, and he yearns for the simpler farm life he experienced as a young man. Then he meets the lovely, green-eyed Leah Carlson, who mistakes him for one of her father’s drinking cronies and gives him a dressing-down. Not long after, she steps into the bank to request a loan. Intrigued, Steven determines to help her, even when the bank refuses, but how? All he seems to do is irritate her.

Still, he can’t shake the idea that he might not only be one of the surprising answers she needs to save her ranch … but to win her heart.

Thank you so much for sharing that sneak peek, Miralee! I look forward to continuing this wonderful series!!

Miralee has generously offered one copy of Blowing on Dandelions to be given away to one of my readers.

Giveaway Details:

Leave a comment, along with your email address, to be entered.

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
Sign up to follow Miralee’s blog
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.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends Tuesday, October 29 at midnight CST. The winner will be drawn and contacted October 30. Good luck!!

Tags: Blowing on Dandelions, Christian fiction, Dancing on Daisies, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Inspirational fiction, Love Blossoms in Oregon series, Miralee Ferrell

Comments 18 Comments
Categories Books, Giveaways, Sneak Peek

Author Spotlight- Miralee Ferrell

23 Oct

I am delighted to welcome Miralee Ferrell!

In Blowing on Dandelions, Miralee speaks to women’s heartfelt struggles—from family dysfunction to single parenthood—-while offering them the faith-filled hope they need, all wrapped in an uplifting, true-to-life romance.

Miralee and her husband, Allen, live on 11 acres in the Columbia River Gorge. They have two grown children and recently their son and his wife presented them with a beautiful new granddaughter. Miralee has been writing since 2005, and her first book was published in 2007.

Since then, she’s had 7 books published, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical fiction, with another 6 under contract. Her western romance, Love Finds You in Sundance, WY, was awarded the Will Rogers Medallion for Excellence in Western Fiction and her newest release, Blowing on Dandelions, is the first in a three book series set in Oregon. Miralee loves interacting with people, ministering at her church, riding her horse and playing with her dogs. She also speaks at various women’s functions and has taught at conferences.

You can find her at:
Web site: http://www.miraleeferrell.com
Blog: http://www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com
Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/miraleeferrell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell

Was it always a dream of yours to write or did you discover your talent through other pursuits?

I know a lot of people talk about God nudging them to write, but that truly happened to me. I had no desire to write (other than personal memories/journals/letters). I was visiting a neighboring church to hear a special speaker. At the end of the service I responded to a call for prayer. The pastor/speaker prayed with me and stopped after a few moments. He shared that he felt God was saying that I should be writing…he didn’t know whether fiction or non-fiction, but that it was important it be published. I took that word home, prayed about it and counseled with my pastor, husband and mother, who all urged me to take it seriously. Two-and-a-half years later (after 3 magazine articles were published) my first book, The Other Daughter, released. Since then I’ve had 7 books published and 6 more are under contract.

When and where do you do most of your writing?

It really varies as to the when, but the where is always in my office on the second floor of our house. Here’s a picture!

Blowing on Dandelions is the first book in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series. What was your inspiration for writing this series?

It all started several years ago, when I bumped into an old friend. Over the course of our time together, she let slip little comments about her relationship with her mother. Let’s just say the comments were filled with pain and grief. Mama was alive, well, and still contributing to that pain.

While giving her a hug, I asked if I could pray with her that God would grant her peace and healing. Through barely contained tears, she refused. Not that she wasn’t grateful, but she couldn’t tolerate the thought of attaining some kind of peace, only to return home to the same situation and have it shattered—or worse, new shards embedded into her healed heart. I went home heartsick and unable to shake the urgency to pray for my friend.

As I asked the Lord what my next writing project should be, He directed me back to those memories. I knew He was showing me that thousands of women ache with the same need—for approval, love, and acceptance their mothers.

I started writing Blowing on Dandelions as contemporary women’s fiction, but after two chapters, I decided it would be better received if set in the 1800s, and rather than women’s fiction it needed to be historical romance with a women’s fiction thread. It was a bigger challenge showing the depth of the heroine’s emotions, as so much was demanded during that era in regards to respect and honor toward parents. Children didn’t speak back to their elders and often repressed how they felt. However, although this is a work of fiction in a historical setting with a strong romance thread, it closely parallels daily events in today’s world.

The second book in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series, Wishing on Buttercups, releases in February 2014 and is currently available for pre-order. Here is a brief summary.

Can Love Survive When Secrets Collide?

She’d kept her secrets safely hidden—those from her past, and those in the present. Some things, Beth Roberts knows, a lady simply doesn’t share, even in the 1880’s West. The townspeople would never understand. No one ever has.

Jeffery Tucker, a handsome young writer, has kept his own secrets. He doesn’t have a right to pry into Beth’s affairs but finds himself strangely drawn to her and intrigued by the whiff of mystery surrounding her.

Beth knows that one day someone will unravel the threads of her past. And when two men from her past arrive, the truth might just hurt . . . Beth’s future and her heart.

As shadowy memories surface, Beth sketches the scenes she sees and is shocked by what—and who—her illustrations reveal. Dare she risk her heart again?

I am thrilled that Miralee has offered a sneak peek at Book 3 in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series.

Please join me Friday as Miralee shares the title, release date, and summary to whet your appetite!

Schedule permitting, Miralee will drop by today, so please feel free to leave comments.

Tags: Christian fiction, Historical Fiction, Love Blossoms in Oregon, Miralee Ferrell, Wishing on Buttercups

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Author Spotlight, Books

Blowing on Dandelions

21 Oct

Blowing on Dandelions by Miralee Ferrell

Synopsis:

Do Dandelion Wishes Actually Come True?

Katherine Galloway knew this moment of calm wouldn’t last, blown away like the dandelion seeds she scattered as a girl. In 1880, three years after her husband’s death, she struggles to run an Oregon boardinghouse and raise two girls alone. Things don’t get easier when her critical, domineering mother moves in. Katherine must make the situation work, but standing up for herself and her family while honoring her mother isn’t easy. And with a daughter entering the teenage years, the pressure on Katherine becomes close to overwhelming. Then she crosses paths with Micah Jacobs, a widower who could reignite her heart, but she fears a relationship with him might send things over the edge. She must find the strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to remake her life, for everything is about to change.

Thoughts:

Blowing on Dandelions will capture your heart with the very first page and won’t let go until the last page has been turned. Even then, the story will linger and leave you eagerly anticipating the next book in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series.

The characters that come and go through the Oregon boardinghouse each have a unique story. Miralee Ferrell does a wonderful job creating rich characters and vivid descriptions. The emotions she so eloquently portrays will warm your heart and inspire you.

Blowing on Dandelions is a beautiful story of strength, determination, faith, hope, and love!

I highly recommend Blowing on Dandelions and can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, Wishing on Buttercups, which releases in February 2014.

Please join me Wednesday for an Author Spotlight on Miralee Ferrell. If her schedule permits, she will be dropping by during the day, so please feel free to leave comments.

* I was privileged to receive a copy of this book through a giveaway on the author’s website. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and no monetary compensation was received.

Tags: Blowing on Dandelions, Christian fiction, Historical Fiction, Inspirational fiction, Love Blossoms in Oregon series, Miralee Ferrell

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Books, Reviews

Prairie Song

18 Oct

Prairie Song by Mona Hodgson

Synopsis:

The first step in a challenging journey is often the one that means the most.

Though it means saying goodbye to the beloved friends and spiritual mentors of her St. Charles, Missouri quilting circle, Anna Goben is certain that she needs to enlist her family in the Boone’s Lick Company wagon train. The loss of her beloved brother in the Civil War has paralyzed her mother and grandfather in a malaise of grief and depression and Anna is convinced that only a fresh start in the Promised Land of California can bring her family back to her. Although the unknown perils of the trail west loom, Anna’s commitment to caring for her loved ones leaves no room for fear—or even loving someone new.

During the five-month journey, trail hand Caleb Reger plans to keep a low profile as he watches over the band of travelers. Guarding secrets about his past and avoiding God’s calling on his life, Caleb wants to steer as far from Anna as she does him, but she proves to be just as he assessed her from the beginning— independent, beautiful trouble.

Led by a pillar of hope, the group faces rough terrain that begins to take a toll on their spirits. Will the wilderness of suffering lead them astray, or will the gentle song of love that echoes across the prairie turn their hearts toward God’s grace and the promise of a new home?

Thoughts:

Prairie Song is the first book in Mona Hodgson’s Hearts Seeking Home series. The novel, set in St. Charles, Missouri in 1866, begins a journey across the country with Boone’s Lick Company wagon train. Before you head west, I encourage you to read The Quilted Heart novellas. These prequel novellas introduce you to the diverse cast of characters.

After the Civil War, some residents choose to remain in St. Charles. Others bid farewell to their family and friends and head toward the Promised Land of California. Their journey is full of trials and tribulation, but faith and hope keep them moving forward.

In Prairie Song, Mona Hodgson paints a vivid picture of life on the prairie. Life on the wagon train is filled with dreams, but also fraught with despair. When fears arise, faith overcomes. The spiritual thread, woven so beautifully into this story, adds to its richness and depth.

Being introduced to the characters in the novellas, I felt like I was catching up with old friends as I read Prairie Song. I loved this beautiful, heartfelt novel and look forward to continuing the journey through the Hearts Seeking Home series. Prairie Song is a journey you don’t want to miss!

Biography:

Mona Hodgson is the author of nearly 40 books, historical novels for adults and children’s books, including her popular Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, The Quilted Heart novellas, and Hearts Seeking Home Series. Her children’s books include bestseller, Bedtime in the Southwest, six desert and princess Zonderkidz I Can Read books, Real Girls of the Bible: A 31-Day Devotional, and her six I Wonder books. Mona’s writing credits also include several hundred articles, poems and short stories, which have appeared in 50 different publications. Mona is a speaker for women’s groups, Christian women’s retreats, book clubs and reading groups, schools, and conferences for writers and librarians.

Tags: Christian fiction, Hearts Seeking Home series, Historical Fiction, Mona Hodgson, Prairie Song, The Quilted Heart Novellas, Wagon train

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Categories Books, Reviews

Wagon Train Wednesday

16 Oct

After reading Mona Hodgson’s Quilted Heart Novellas, I am ready to jump on the wagon train and head west!

Friday, I will be posting my thoughts about Prairie Song, the first book in the Hearts Seeking Home series. Until then, Mona has a wonderful post on her website I think you will enjoy!

Prairie Song by Mona Hodgson

“Here is a peek at the roster and some of the characters who are provisioning farm wagons and a Connestoga, selling off property, and saying goodbye to friends and loved ones for the Oregon Trail.”

http://monahodgson.com/2013/10/boones-lick-wagon-train-company/

Tags: Christian fiction, Hearts Seeking Home series, Historical Fiction, Mona Hodgson, Prairie Song, The Quilted Heart Novellas, Wagon train

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Categories Books, Websites

Dandelions On The Wind

14 Oct

Dandelions On The Wind by Mona Hodgson

Synopsis:

Tattered relationships and broken hearts, like a quilt, can be pieced together by God’s love.

When Maren Jensen took a job on Elsa Brantenberg’s St. Charles, Missouri farm, she never expected to call the place her home. As she grows to love Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, Gabi, Maren is transformed from a lonely mail-order bride-without-a-groom to a beloved member of the Brantenberg household.

But when Gabi’s father, Rutherford “Wooly” Wainwright, returns to the farm unexpectedly, everything changes for Maren. Despite the failing eyesight that caused her suitor to reject her, she can see that Wooly desperately needs to reconnect with the family he abandoned when his grief sent him running toward the army—and into the Civil War. She also senses there could be something more between the widower and herself, if either can move beyond their past hurts.

Comforted and counseled by the wisdom of the women in her beloved quilting circle, Maren begins to discover the cost such decisions demand of her heart. Are her choices in obedience to God, or is she running from His plan? Is it too late for love to be stitched into the fabric of her life?

Thoughts:

Dandelions On The Wind is the first of three novellas in The Quilted Heart stories. These prequel novellas introduce wonderful characters in Mona Hodgson’s Hearts Seeking Home series.

I immediately fell in love with the characters of this story:

Mrs. Brantenberg, an aging woman of faith

Gabi, a little girl full of charm

Maren, a young woman whose eyesight is diminishing

“Woolly”, the prodigal son-in-law

Dandelions On The Wind is a wonderful story of faith and love, told through vivid imagery. Though the years of war have been trying, Mrs. Brantenberg and the members of her household are trying to live each day by faith rather than fear. Find out where their journey leads in Mona’s Hearts Seeking Home series.

The Quilted Heart Novella 1: Dandelions On The Wind

The Quilted Heart Novella 2: Bending Toward The Sun

The Quilted Heart Novella 3: Ripples Along The Shore

Biography:

Married forty-one years to her leading man, Mona from Arizona lives in the Southwest where trees have arms instead of branches and salsa is a staple. When Mona Hodgson isn’t writing or speaking, she’s playing Wii games with her Arizona grandson, spending time with her mom, picnicking, texting her sisters, or chatting on Skype with her grandchildren in Africa.

Mona Hodgson is the author of nearly 40 books, historical novels for adults and children’s books, including her popular Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, The Quilted Heart novellas, and Hearts Seeking Home Series. Her children’s books include bestseller, Bedtime in the Southwest, six desert and princess Zonderkidz I Can Read books, Real Girls of the Bible: A 31-Day Devotional, and her six I Wonder books. Mona’s writing credits also include several hundred articles, poems and short stories, which have appeared in 50 different publications. Mona is a speaker for women’s groups, Christian women’s retreats, book clubs and reading groups, schools, and conferences for writers and librarians.

From the author:

On January 21, WaterBrook Multnomah will release Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples Along the Shore as a print omnibus–three novellas in one book.

Tags: Christian fiction, Dandelions On The Wind, Hearts Seeking Home series, Historical Fiction, Mona Hodgson, The Quilted Heart Novellas

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Books, Reviews

The Queen’s Vow

29 Jul

The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner

Synopsis:

No one believed I was destined for greatness.

So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.

Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.

As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished
Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.

From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

Thoughts:

Let me begin by saying that I do not normally read historical fiction. However, I received The Queen’s Vow through a Random House giveaway and was eager to give it a try.

I found The Queen’s Vow to be a beautifully written and compelling story, full of vivid descriptions and intriguing circumstances. Isabella was a strong, fascinating woman who spent her life fighting for what she believed to be right. She defied all circumstances and married the man she desired and united her kingdom. Even if you are not a fan of historical fiction, I think you will find this to be a fascinating novel. I certainly did!

* I received this book through a giveaway from Random House. All thoughts expressed are mine.

Tags: A Queen's Vow, C.W. Gortner, Historical Fiction

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