A Writer’s Garden–What COVID Did for My Garden by Caroline Warfield

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A Writer's Garden, Caroline Warfield, COVID garden, garden pictures, historical romance, Longwood Gardens, The Ahsmead Heirs, The Wayward Son

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Caroline Warfield who is sharing the good things that COVID did for her garden. Welcome, Caroline!

Gardens are one thing; gardening is another. I generally say I love the first, but I’m not fond of the second, nor particularly skilled. Covid turned that on its head.  We could no longer plan visits to the public gardens we’ve known and loved—from Longwood near Philadelphia to Versailles and the Vatican Gardens. Worse, we had no way  to visit ones still on our bucket list, such as Kew. All we could do is stare at our own piece of earth. Perhaps that was a blessing.

The plantings across the front had to go first. At the very beginning of the pandemic, we hired a crew (masked and outside) to remove ugly yew bushes and plant flower beds. We thoroughly enjoyed the sequence of blooms all spring and summer. Four little plants, short and unassuming in the very back puzzled me. I didn’t recognize them and worried they were unrecognized weeds. They weren’t. Imagine my  delight this spring when they shot up  into glorious bloom—Foxgloves.

We spent weeks staring at sprawling patch of grass out back. We removed the dead and dying pines that lined the back lane, and planted four trees.

Charging into the second spring, we raised the vegetable patch three inches and  filled it with mushroom compost.

Then  we plunged into a tougher project, a flower border along our back patio. Removing sod  to create a new bed exhausted us, particularly when we realized the spot was heavily  clay. We learned about the uses of gypsum and hard work, but we did it. We used the rest of the compost, and lined the patio with  bee balm and other hummingbird-friendly flowering plants. I’m rather proud of it!

By then restrictions were lifting and a visit from a friend gave me an excuse to visit Longwood Gardens again. Next year it will be back to visits to great public gardens, but our own ground will be much the better for our year of Covid.

Book Two of The Ashmead Heirs has a pivotal scene in a rose garden… but that is a story for another time.

About  the Writer/Gardener:

Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.

Connect with Caroline on her Website and Blog   Facebook    Twitter   YouTube                                            

The Ahsmead Heirs

About the Series

When the old Earl of Clarion leaves a will with bequests for all his children, legitimate and not, listing each and their mothers by name, he complicates the lives of many in the village of Ashmead. One of them grew believing he was the innkeeper’s son. He is the first of The Ashmead Heirs.

Book One: The Wayward Son

Sir Robert Benson’s life is in London. He fled Ashmead the day he discovered the man he thought was his father had lied to him, and the girl he loved was beyond his reach. Only a nameless plea from his sister—his half-sister—brings him back. He will not allow a ludicrous bequest from the earl who sired him turn him into a mockery of landed gentry. When a feisty little termagant with flashing eyes—and a musket—tries to turn Rob off the land—his land—he’s too amused and intrigued to turn away. But the longer he stays, the tighter the bonds that tie him to Ashmead become, strengthened by the powerful draw of the woman rooted on land he’s determined to sell.

Lucy Whitaker’s life is Willowbrook, its land, its tenants, its prosperity—and her precious  apiary—but she always knew it wasn’t hers, knew the missing heir would come eventually. When a powerful man with military bearing rides up looking as if he wants to come in and count the silver, she turns him away, but her heart sinks. She can’t deny Rob Benson his property; she can only try to make him love the place as she does, for her peoples’ sake. A traitorous corner of her heart wishes Rob would love it for her sake.

His life is London; hers is Ashmead. How can they forge something lasting when they are torn in two directions?

Available on Kindle Unlimited or for purchase: 

Musings from A Writer’s Brain–Egypt, Romance and History by Caroline Warfield

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Caroline Warfield, Early Victorian Romance, Egyptian history, essay, historical romance, Musings from a Writer's Brain, The Price of Glory

I’ve never been to Egypt.  I often set books in places I’ve visited—and I’ve been to over fifteen countries­—but I’ve never been to Egypt, except in imagination. My great passion is history, however, and Egypt is a history lover’s dream. I couldn’t resist it as a setting for a novel.

It is hard to write about the 19^th century and not bump into issues surrounding the long, slow, disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and what the English called “the Eastern Question.” England needed the Ottoman Empire as a buffer to Russian expansionism in ways too complex to go into in  detail. (Think trade routes to India, for one thing.) In researching various books, I became intrigued by the figure of Muhammad Ali Pasha, nominally viceroy of Egypt on behalf of the Ottoman Sultan. In digging deeper, I discovered:

courtesy of Wikimedia

• Muhammad was actually Albanian, a solider in service to the Sultan sent to drive the French from Egypt. He did so well, he set himself up as governor.
• Over decades he also absorbed all of Palestine including what is now Syria under his rule. His son, head of the Egyptian Army, threatened to take Constantinople and topple the empire not once but twice. Russian intervened the first time. England, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and (eventually) France the second time, clipping Muhammad’s wings.
• His armies also took Nubia (what is now northern Sudan) and grafted it on to Egypt, They built Khartoum as  a military outpost.
• He was modern and forward thinking in many ways, bringing Western engineering, education, and medicine to Egypt.
• Under his rule they even opened a medical school for women in 1832. Women graduates were called hakimas, healers, and cared for women and children.
• He was also despotic, ambitions and cruel. The source of much of his wealth came from trading in and using the labor of enslaved people. Khartoum was a slave trading center.

However, I don’t write straight up historical fiction. I write romance, and I like to think I write “family  centered” romance. The heroes and  heroines of recent books are the children of characters in my earlier books.  When my English hero, raised by a tribe of ferociously  strong women  (his mother is the heroine of Dangerous Works), meets the daughter of a French doctor, trained in the famous medical school, but raised in a male dominated home with a jaundiced view of marriage, their relationship is complicated, to say the least.

I was able to weave that background together with what I learned about Egypt into their story in Cairo, as they  travel down the Nile to Khartoum, and as they are forced to flee back  to create The Price of Glory and I’m thrilled with  the results.

The Price of Glory

by Caroline Warfield

Richard Mallet comes to Egypt with dreams of academic glory. He will be the one to unravel the secrets of the ancient Kushite language. Armed with license to dig, he sets out for Meroë, where the Blue Nile meets the White. He has no room in his life for dalliance or entanglements, and he certainly doesn’t expect to face insurrection and unrest.

Analiese Cloutier seeks no glory—only the eradication of disease among the women and children of Khartoum. She has no interest whatsoever in romantic nonsense and will not allow notions about a lady’s proper role to interfere with her work. She doesn’t expect to have that work manipulated for political purposes.

Neither expects to be enchanted by the amorous power of moonlight in the ruins of Karnak, or to be forced to marry before they can escape revolution. Will their flight north take them safely to Cairo? If it does, can they build something real out of their shattered dreams?

Preorder here.

Note to readers: This book is a Historical Romance, early Victorian, set in Egypt 1839-1840 and is a sensual, but not steamy romance.

About the Author

Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart.

My website:  http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

Or follow me here: Bookbub: Facebook: Good Reads:

A Writer’s Garden–Welcome Spring by Tina Susedik

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A Writer's Garden, flowers, Garden blog, garden projects, historical romance, The Proprietress, Tina Susedik

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Tina Susedik who will be sharing about her upcoming garden projects for 2021. Welcome, Tina!

Hello everyone and welcome Spring!!! Except for the brown grass and leafless trees, I love this time of the year. Anticipating what is going to come up from last year is always exciting. Each day I walk around my gardens to see what is greeting me. It is still early in Northwestern Wisconsin, so there are a lot of leaves to be cleaned up. Amazingly, it was 83 degrees on Monday, which was a record. The warm weather is making the buds on the trees big and plump ready to open into leaves.

Last year we’d had our front porch and driveway redone.

• 

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That meant digging up bulbs and moving bushes – some more than once. My tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are already up, but I’m not sure the bushes survived. My tulips are so clumped together and certainly should have been separated last fall. I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t do that then remembered I’d had knee replacement surgery on September 23^rd, which meant I couldn’t get my gardens ready for winter. We’ll see if the tulips don’t mind and still bloom. I gave away the long fence from the front porch, but kept the brace bars, spray-painted them and repurposed them as trellises.

Last year I created a new garden in our front lawn. It was an area where grass didn’t grow – until I dug it up and then spent the summer pulling grass from it. The other day I was going for a walk and saw someone had done the same thing in their yard but had put in a small pond. It looked cute. I recalled we had one of those plastic pond things. I also have a solar-powered water fountain. So, my project this spring will be to put in the pond. I have to wait to see what perennials come up first and move them.

Alongside our garage the previous owners had put in a flower bed. I’ve been using it for tomato and pepper plants. The bed is low to the ground, so I’ve asked my husband to make the wall higher, so I don’t have to kneel to weed. (These new knees don’t like kneeling.) For some reason, and I swear it’s because of the cow manure I put in the soil each year, my tomato plants grow to gargantuan heights. The tomato cages are way too small, so I surround them with trellises and hubby ties them to the rain downspout. This year I plan to transplant the flowers that are still in the ground and put in lettuce, sugar peas, and other vegetables.

What are your plans for your gardens this year?

About the Writer/Gardener:

Tina Susedik has loved flowers and gardening for as long as she can remember. Wherever she has lived, and it’s been many, many places, she has tried to make her surroundings filled with flowers. She is a multi-published, award-winning author in both fiction and non-fiction, covering children, military, history, and romantic mysteries.

Connect with Tina on her Website: Blog: Facebook: Goodreads

Check out Tina’s book The Proprietress

Can two damaged hearts rise from the ashes?

 For Leona Winson, life in the lawless town of Deadwood requires a woman to have an iron-clad spine. After a failed engagement, running King’s Restaurant and Hotel has been the fresh start she needed, but she has gained a reputation around town for being no-nonsense, and opinionated. When the fire that consumed the town forces her to oversee the rebuilding of the establishment that she had put her heart and soul into, she discovers that there may be room for a second chance at love to rise from the ashes.

 Asa Johnson had resigned himself to living the bachelor’s life after the death of his wife.  Content to work on King Winson’s ranch and keep an eye on his son Josiah, Asa wasn’t looking for love when he was tasked with rebuilding the only hotel and restaurant in Deadwood, and he never expected to find it in the sharp-tongued proprietress, and sister of his boss.

 When the two are thrown together under extreme circumstances, their relationship blossoms, but will a mysterious traveler who arrived in town after the fire derail their love story before it can even begin?

Want to read more? You can find The Proprietress at Amazon

Wednesday Writers–A Heart’s Gift by Lena Nelson Dooley

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A Heart's Gift, clean romance, excerpt from A Heart's Gift, historical romance, Leno Nelson Dooley, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. Today’s guest is author Lena Nelson Dooley, who will be talking about her historical novel, A Heart’s Gift and the historical events she’s included in the book. Welcome. Lena!

Thanks, Catherine.

I like to include actual events and places in my historical novels. A Heart’s Gift is set in what is now Summit County in Colorado, not far from Breckenridge. I’ve visited Summit County and wanted to set a story there. The Rocky Mountains provides a beautiful setting for this one. In 1890, when the story took place, forested mountainsides contained many gold and silver mines, and valleys with lush grass in the summer were homes of several ranches. The hero owns one such ranch which provided beeves, shipped by rail from Frisco, Colorado, to one of the slaughter houses in Chicago.

At the beginning of the story, the heroine is married to a man who owned one of the smaller gold mines and the timber for acres around their log house. All of this is historically accurate. My characters and their story is all that is fiction. I researched Summit County at that time, and most of the store names I used in Breckenridge were actually there. I used the actual schoolhouse-community center building for the wedding, and I found recipes for much of the food in the book. The mine that was closest to town was an actually there.

One of the most interesting pieces of information I found was an actual photograph. One year, when they had an enormous amount of snow, they tunneled through the snow making walkways to cross the streets and along the sidewalks near buildings. This photo showed a man and a woman, dressed up in really nice warm clothing crossing the street in a tunnel. She wore an elaborate hat and a full-length fur coat. Since most of my story took place from spring through fall, I wasn’t able to use that in the story.

A Heart’s Gift

By Lena Nelson Dooley

Franklin Vine has worked hard to build the ranch he inherited into one of the most successful in the majestic Colorado mountains. If only he had an heir to one day inherit the legacy he’s building. But he was burned once in the worst way, and he doesn’t plan to open his heart to another woman. Even if that means he’ll eventually have to divide up his spread among the most loyal of his hired hands.

When Lorinda Sullivan is finally out from under the control of men who made all the decisions in her life, she promises herself she’ll never allow a man to make choices for her again. But without a home in the midst of a hard Rocky Mountain winter, she has to do something to provide for her infant son.

A marriage of convenience seems like the perfect arrangement, yet the stakes quickly become much higher than either of them ever planned. When hearts become entangled, the increasing danger may change their lives forever.

Excerpt:

            Franklin Vine glanced up from the trail when he heard the door hinges on the cabin emit a loud squeal. A tiny woman with hair the color of sunshine stepped through the open doorway, then shut the portal against the cold air. The flinty expression on her face and the rifle on her arm showed she didn’t welcome the intrusion.

            He glanced toward the man on the other horse. “Did you know a woman lived up here?”

            His foreman’s gaze traveled from the woman to his boss. “I never seen her before, and I don’t remember Mike ever saying anything about having a woman up here.”

            Franklin didn’t look forward to sharing the news of Sullivan’s death with this woman, whoever she was. All they’d planned to do was give the man a decent burial on his own property. This woman was a complication he didn’t want … or need.

            “Stop right where you are!” Harsh words rang across the frozen landscape. Surprisingly strong from such a small woman.

            Now she held the rifle to her shoulder and had taken a bead on his chest. Evidently, she knew how to use the weapon. She held the rifle still, and her hands didn’t quiver. He didn’t want to find out how good her aim was.

            He stopped his horse and raised his hands with the reins dangling from one of them. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

            Still holding the lead to the pack animal, Thomas stopped his horse beside Franklin’s.

            “State your business and be quick about it.” Her words pierced the icy air like bullets from a six-shooter, aiming straight at them.

            “I’m Franklin Vine.”

            At his words, a flicker of something lit her eyes, but quickly disappeared, replaced by the former hard stare. “The rancher?”

            He gave a slow nod. He didn’t want to do anything to spook her. Not with her finger so close to the trigger.

            “I’ve heard Mike mention you a time or two.” She relaxed her stance a little but didn’t lower the rifle. “I’ve already asked what you want.” The words held more than a hint of steel.

            Franklin slowly rested his hands on his saddle horn. “Might I ask who you are?”

            “Who am I? Mike’s wife.” She must have noticed the puzzled expression on his face. “Didn’t you know he was married?”

            “We only talked about business.” Franklin didn’t want to rile her any more than she was already.

            Her shoulders lifted and stiffened again. “So why are you here?”

            Franklin gazed over the pristine whiteness toward the rocky peaks across the large valley then back toward the woman. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you, but I’m going to dismount now. Please don’t shoot.” He swung his leg over the back of the horse and started toward her, taking a few slow, deliberate steps while he surreptitiously watched her from under the brim of his Stetson.

            Mrs. Sullivan kept her eyes on him, only giving a quick glance toward Thomas when he shifted and his saddle squeaked. As she looked back toward Franklin, he raised his hands again.

            “I need to talk to you, Mrs. Sullivan.” He handed the reins to his foreman and walked the rest of the way up toward the house, stopping a few feet in front of the woman.

            While she studied him up and down, the woman had a weary look about her. Finally, she lowered the rifle, but kept holding it with both hands, probably so she could quickly raise it again if needed. “So, talk.”

            He rubbed the back of his neck which felt stiff from all the tension coiled inside. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Mrs. Sullivan, this is my foreman, Thomas Walker.” Franklin flipped his gloved hand toward Thomas. “He actually knew your husband better than I did.”

            For a moment her eyes widened, and he could read the fear in them.

            “Thomas found Sullivan’s …” Franklin stopped and cleared his throat. “… your husband’s body at the edge of the Rocking V today. We brought him home to bury him on his own land.”

            As if punctuating his statement, the woman crumpled to the ground, and her rifle pitched into the snow, the barrel tunneled into the few inches of the white stuff.

Buy links: pre-order print book pre-order Kindle audiobook

About the Author:

Lena Nelson Dooley is a best-selling, award-winning author who loves to give her readers stories with characters who grip their hearts. She also loves mentoring other authors and helping them get published. She lives with the love of her life in Texas. Her favorite activity of any day is spending time with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Social Media Links: Blog: Facebook: Twitter:

A Writer’s Garden–Garden Upheaval by Tina Susedik

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A Writer's Garden, author/gardener Tina Susedik, Darlings of Deadwood series, flowers, gardens, historical romance, The Balcony Girl, The School Marm

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s writer/gardener guest is Tina Susedik. Tina will be sharing about all the upheaval in this year’s garden. Welcome, Tina!

It’s nearly the end of the growing season, and this one has been interesting. I’ve written in past blogs about how much I’ve moved in my life and had to start new gardens all the time. Well, this year we didn’t move but . . . we had a new driveway and a larger front porch put in. What did that mean? Well, it meant digging up plants once again. Tulips, bushes, crocuses, etc. etc.

The work started in April when things were just starting to come up. 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to move the plants and bulbs to a different garden. When the work was done, I had to move them back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of my poor bushes were then moved once more when I didn’t like where I’d put them.

 

I only lost one of them, but took all summer for it to give up the ghost. I’m hopeful it may decide to surprise me and return in the spring. My tulips were rather sad and my crocuses, well, let’s just say, next year.

I also started a new flower bed in the front yard. It is in an area where grass doesn’t want to grow, so digging it up wasn’t hard at all. I planted lots of flowers which thrived – along with tons of grass. I’m not sure why grass grew when none had before. Weird

 I got a lot of compliments from walkers as they passed our house. Then the deer hit this fall. Chewed down my giant marigolds. Took out my black-eyed susans and I don’t know what else. I’m going to have to do something for next year.

My tomato plants were huge this year, growing as tall as the garage roof. Good old cow manure did the trick. I have tons of cherry tomatoes now and hope they all ripen before the cold hits. I’ve had to cover them a couple of times already.

I love my new porch and driveway. This winter I’ll be dreaming of how much better my gardens will look last year and research how to keep out the deer. Have a wonderful year. I’ll see you all next growing season.

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Tina Susedik has loved flowers and gardening for as long as she can remember. Wherever she has lived, and it’s been many, many places, she has tried to make her surroundings filled with flowers. She is a multi-published, award-winning author in both fiction and non-fiction, covering children, military, history, and romantic mysteries. She also hosts her own radio show with Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. Twice a month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 2:00 Central, she interviews authors in all genres. The title of her show – what else – “Your Book Garden.”

Connect with Tina on her Website and Blog,  Amazon Author Page, Facebook, or Twitter @tinasusedik

The School Marm, book 2 in Tina’s Darlings of Deadwood series, is set to release November 23rd. Look for it on Amazon. In the meantime, check out book one of the series: The Balcony Girl

Can a secret tear them apart, or bring them together?

When Julia Lindstrom and her sister, Suzanna move to Deadwood, South Dakota in 1879, she never expects to meet her future husband, secretly befriend the madame of a brothel, and help in a disaster.

Daniel Iverson followed the gold rush to Deadwood only to find out he hated it. Now working as a lawyer, he defends ladies of the evening and investigates why men are getting sick. Meeting Julia Lindstrom was an added bonus. But can a secret to she holds tear them apart?

Wednesday Writers–The Heart of Courage by Lynne Tagawa

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excerpt from The Heart of Courage, historical romance, Lynne Tagawa, The Heart of Courage, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers. Today’s guest is Lynne Tagawa. Lynne will be talking about the historical characters that were part of the inspiration for her newest release The Heart of Courage. Welcome, Lynne!

Who doesn’t love Thomas Jefferson? When I started plotting my recent release, The Heart of Courage, I plotted to include this man. But unlike George Washington, who also has a cameo part in this story, he doesn’t actually have a role in the French and Indian War.

He was too young. He was in school at the time, first under a tutor, then at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, where part of my story takes place. But my story is the second part of a trilogy ending with the American Revolution. There are ideas I wanted to foreshadow in this book that would only be fully realized in the next. And then there’s the whole struggle for religious liberty, taking place over the whole of the 18^th century and finally culminating with both the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty of 1786.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that second document, and thought it his greatest lifetime achievement.

You see, “dissenters” were harassed and persecuted to some degree until this time in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island were notable safe havens for all denominations, but they were the exception, not the rule. In Virginia, Presbyterian and Baptist ministers needed a license to preach, and everyone owed tithe to the Church of England, the official or “established” church. Baptists in particular weren’t too tractable. Given the way folks were spread out, especially in the backcountry, dissenting ministers took to the saddle and sometimes preached outside their jurisdictions.

Some were fined or jailed. Others were threatened or beaten by mobs. I included both scenarios in Courage. Patrick Henry was incensed that a man could be charged with the “crime” of preaching the gospel, and he appears briefly in the book.

Thomas Jefferson was also a Virginian, and I wondered how his thinking developed on this issue. He was (as far as we can tell) not a Christian, but rather some form of deist. He seemed to esteem His Creator as such, and like others of his day, upheld moral virtue. I suspect that not only was he troubled like his friend Patrick Henry, he probably also desired religious liberty for his own sake. He was, after all, a free-thinker.

In Courage, I introduce young Thomas as a lanky adolescent, then a couple of years later he appears as a student at the College. But I had to fudge a little—he was born in 1743, so I made him a few years older than he would have been, so he could escort my character Susanna to the governor’s gala!

The Heart of Courage

By Lynne Tagawa

It’s 1753, and troubling news comes to Russell’s Ridge . . .

Susanna Russell longs to escape her valley home. When war breaks out, she gets her wish to study in fabulous Williamsburg. But she realizes she’s lost something important along the way. Something—and someone.

James Paxton is studying for the ministry. But when violence threatens the valley, his path becomes clouded. What is God’s will for his life? The answer is alarming—and impossible.

Red Hawk spies white surveyors near his home, a harbinger of trouble to come. Shawnee chiefs go to Philadelphia to treat for peace, but the unthinkable happens, and Red Hawk loses all he once held dear. Then he has a strange dream. What can it mean?

War, romance, and gospel truth unite in this remarkable sequel to The Shenandoah Road.

EXCERPT:

Tom crooked his arm in invitation, and she accompanied him outside where two vehicles waited, one looming large in the moonlight, the Randolphs’ coach; the other only a riding chair pulled by a single horse.

“I apologize. I have no grand carriage. Only my friend’s riding chair—rather chilly in winter, but I have a lap blanket.”

She gathered her skirts and stepped up inside. “The moonlight is grand, Mr. Jefferson. See how the snow and ice twinkles?” They sat close together in the tiny open carriage, but she didn’t mind. The remnants of the snowstorm were ugly in daytime, mixed with the soot of many fires and the mud and manure of the road, but the filth was cloaked by the evening darkness, giving rise to a fairy-like landscape. Above them, stars were scattered like silver dust across the darkened canvas of the sky.

Tom urged the horse to a brisk walk. “I should have known a valley lass would not consider creature comforts.”

She settled back. Tom was easy to be around. “How are your studies faring?”

“My mathematics professor is a gem.”

“Mathematics? You jest.”

Tom waxed eloquent about the subject until they reached Palace Street. He reined the horse right. “I have heard this professor is in accord with Montesquieu with regard to religion.”

“Explique-moi.”

He replied in French. “Montesquieu says all forms of religion should be equally tolerated under the law.”

Interesting thought. “My father pays tithe to the Church of England though he worships elsewhere.” Everyone in Virginia did. It was the law.

“I have heard of Baptists beaten for their faith.” He shifted to English. “Susanna, your French is better than mine. Who is your tutor? You sound like a Frenchwoman.”

They were approaching the Governor’s Palace, illuminated windows looming high above street level. “A painter’s apprentice, actually. His maman was born in France.”

Tom glanced at her but made no reply.

Susanna’s heart quickened as she studied the grand building. Was Philippe already here?

Want to read more? You can find  The Heart of Courage at Amazon

About the Author:

Lynne Tagawa is an author, editor, educator, and best of all, grandma to four. She loves to write quality fiction with solid gospel content. Her debut novel, A Twisted Strand, is contemporary romantic suspense, but she thinks she’s found her true home in historical fiction.

To sign up for her newsletter and keep abreast of special deals, go to her website or Facebook page:

Wednesday Writers–Real Life in Fictional Novels by Carole Brown

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Caleb's Destiny, Carole Brown, clean romance, excerpt from Caleb's Destiny, historical romance, Sweet romance, Wednesday Writers, westerns, writing tips

 

 

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest is Carole Brown who will be talking about using real life in your fiction novels. She also has an excerpt from her newest book, Caleb’s Destiny, a clean, inspirational Historical Western Romantic Suspense.   Welcome, Carole.

 

REAL Life in Fictional Novels by Carole Brown

 

These are some statements authors hear often:

• No way that could be true!
• Listen, I’ve been in the military/police force/medical/law/whatever, and I’m telling you, that didn’t/couldn’t happen.
• Where on earth do you get these crazy ideas?
• Hoping these things don’t happen in real life!

Sorry. They do, and worse.

Writers hear those type of statements all the time. What people/readers sometimes don’t realize:

• we research. Heavily.
• we take our ideas from real life. It’s what creates that sense of being there, of experiencing what our characters are going through.
• we interview people. Which helps us in developing our own characters
• we watch/read the news. This gives us ideas of how to create new situations and tension in our books.

How can we use true life events in our novels?

• I got the idea for With Music in Their Hearts from an older gentlemen who wrote a short story about a man who served as a civilian spy during WWII. It was said the author was the man, but he never admitted to it. Whether true or not (and I lean toward true), it made for a great plot for my first WWII novel.

 

• Take my debut novel, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman. My husband came up with the plot of an abused woman seeking revenge over the death of a daughter. Lots of men go after revenge, and some women do too. But to stand up in a cult situation? The idea came from a certain cult in a certain state several years ago. Did the idea pan out? I think so, with the book finaling in several contests and becoming an Amazon bestseller in different categories numerous times. Lifelike enough, I’d say.

 

• And then there’s my newest novel: Caleb’s Destiny. Years ago, my family and I worked with the Native Americans in New Mexico and Arizona. One of our excursions included a trip up a mountain with a older man named Jeb so that he could take us gold panning. Now our experience is not the same as the men in Caleb’s Destiny experienced, but it gave me the excitement of looking for gold, the sense of the land, and the feel of what it could have been like in the 1800s.

So, yes, real life is full of extraordinary things that we, as writers can and do use in our books. Never doubt that yes, that could, maybe, probably did happen somewhere to someone.

Where does this leave us? Right at the door that reads: Truth is stranger than fiction. And in a nice spot where we can smile at the skeptics and say, “You never know!”

 

Caleb’s Destiny

by Carole Brown

Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold?

Hunter, who is Mr. Michael’s ranch manager, is determined to find the answers and protect the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions.

Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of everyone of his employees?

Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael’s ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now…unless, of course, he’s dead.

 

 

Book Excerpt from Chapter Six

 

After he settled into a seat across from her, he picked up his fork and looked at her. “Dig in.”

She hated it, but her cheeks were heating up again. “Do you mind…?”

“Mind?” His first bite headed toward his mouth. “If you eat?”

Why hadn’t she just said a silent, quick prayer? “Uh, I’d like to say a prayer. I’ve grown used to doing it at sch—uh, home.” And Richard had always insisted on it.

He dropped his fork. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands together. “Heavenly Father, we ask for your beautiful—I mean, bountiful blessings on our snack—breakfast, uh, tonight.” Destiny wanted to sink through the floor. She, who was the epitome of gracefulness at school; she who wanted to impress this confident man, was stumbling like a drunken cowboy. Whispering a “Father, forgive me” for butchering what should have been a simple prayer, she hastened to finish it. “Thank you for Mr. Michael’s hospitality, and help us to further our friendship.”

Ugh. He’d think she wanted something more than friendship. Destiny cringed and refused to glance at him. “Amen.”

Had that been a snicker? Surely not. She picked up her fork and shoved a tiny bite of egg in her dry mouth. She chewed and swallowed, but the former delicious-looking omelet refused to go down. She reached for her coffee and felt the food slide down with the coffee.

Ah, reprieved.

“Tell me, Miss McCulloch—it is Miss?”

He was laughing. She could hear it in his voice without even seeing his face. Her appetite vanished just as her temper kicked in. “It is Miss McCulloch to you, Mr. Michael, and I’ll thank you not to laugh at me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” And this time his voice was serious.

 

Want to read more? You can find Caleb’s Destiny at Amazon

 

About the Author:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of ten books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

Social Media Links:  Personal blog: FB Fan Page:  Amazon Author Page

Tasty Tuesdays—Cinnamon Biscuits from Jo-Ann Roberts

Tags

bread, Cinnamon Biscuits, food, historical romance, Honey Butter, Jo-Ann Roberts, Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two, Tasty Tuesdays

Since moving to North Carolina, we’ve notice that many restaurants offer biscuits in addition to yeast rolls with their entrees. So when a favorite eatery offered cinnamon biscuits with honey butter, my husband could hardly sit still until a basket of cinnamon-and-sugar dusted rounds accompanied by a ramekin of honey butter.

Consumed with these rounds of manna from heaven, my husband asked me to try baking some. Admittedly, I haven’t had much success with biscuits…I more of a traditional yeast-based breads and rolls baker. However, I willingly took on the challenge.

I dug through my recipes, cross-referenced with those on the Internet, and came up with what I thought was a pretty good imitation.

One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to prepare. Mix all the dry ingredients, cut in the butter-flavored Crisco, then add the wet ingredients to form a dough. Pat it into a disc (or square, if you prefer square biscuits). Using a round cookie cutter cut out shapes (or if dough is shaped in a square, use a sharp knife to cut into equal squares). Place into a light greased pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar coating.

Once baked what you have are pillows of soft, fresh from the over cinnamon and sugar goodness!

CINNAMON BISCUITS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon*
• ¼ cup butter-flavored Crisco
• 3/4 cup milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla

 

CINNAMON BISCUIT TOPPING

• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon*

*Since my husband loves this spice, I usually double the amount when using cinnamon.

 

HONEY BUTTER

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey

 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Cut in the Crisco using a pastry blender until crumbly. Add the milk and vanilla. Stir just until a dough forms.
4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and using your fingers, pat down into a 7-inch disc. Use a round cutter to cut dough into rounds and transfer to the prepared cake pan. Bring together any leftover dough scraps and repeat.

CINNAMON BISCUIT TOPPING

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the biscuits. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden. Let cool slightly in the pan before serving.

HONEY BUTTER

1. While the biscuits are baking, make the honey butter by stirring together the butter and honey. Serve with warm biscuits.

 

While you’re waiting for you biscuits to bake, check out how Jo-Ann cleverly included her cinnamon biscuits in Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two.

In Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two, Posey Campbell is known for her Cinnamon Honey Biscuits and is often asked to bring a dozen or three to the weekly Sunday picnic in the small town of New Hope, Kansas. So when she accepts a supper invitation to Eli and Lessie MacKenzie’s home, she’s requested to bring her  biscuits along with the new U.S. marshal, Grayson Barrett.  She’s happy to bring the treat but not so eager to accompany the man who tips her world off-kilter.

 

Posey-Brides of New Hope Book Two

by Jo-Ann Roberts

Posey Campbell couldn’t understand why her love life, or lack thereof, was of such interest to her family and friends. Having endured one ill-fated relationship, she resigned herself to living out her days as New Hope’s spinster schoolteacher…until an unkempt U.S. marshal with inviting grey eyes and a kiss-me-smile came to town turning her well-ordered life off-kilter.

Glad for a temporary assignment keeping him in one place, Grayson Barrett never expected to find love, let alone a wife, a set of orphans, and a life he’d feared had passed him by.

When a secret from Posey’s past comes to light will Gray’s steadfast love be enough to convince her he is the right man? Or will an old nemesis put an end to their love before it begins?

BUY LINK

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West  and always felt she was destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.

A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.

When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting and eating way too much chocolate.

After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she’s now calls North Carolina home. She is a member of  Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina RWA, and the 2018 Winner (Historical Category) of NEORWA’s Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. Her debut romance, Lessie-Brides of New Hope Book One, is a 2020 RONE Award Nominee.

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

Website: Facebook Group: BookBub

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Treasures from the Garden by Pat Jeanne Davis

Tags

A Writer's Garden, flowers, garden pictures, historical romance, Pat Jeanne Davis, Sweet romance, When Valleys Bloom Again, writers who garden

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s writer/gardener guest is Pat Jeanne Davis. Pat will be sharing some of her most treasured flowers with us.

Welcome, Pat!

Some of my most treasured early memories growing up in a rural part of Pennsylvania are of my mother lovingly caring for her beautiful flower beds and a large vegetable garden I was expected to help weed. Thanks to her hard work we had desserts and  preserves from fruit on our trees and from strawberries that grew wild in the field and fresh veggies on the table in the summer. From Mom, I acquired a love for the outdoors and for gardening. She most definitely had a green thumb.

 

I’ve lived in Philadelphia for many years close to the lovely and well maintained Gorgas Community Park and in a city with the distinction of hosting the largest annual indoor flower show in the world.

Gorgas Community Park garden

In addition, I’m within a short drive of the renowned Longwood Gardens as well as many other botanical, landscape, and pleasure gardens.

Longwood Gardens

Even though I’m surrounded by parks and gardens I enjoy tending to my own plants and flowers and over the years have experimented with a few new ones.

Several years ago I though I’d try my hand with growing a brugmansia (angel’s trumpets). It took five years before this flowering plant bloomed and only after my horticulturist neighbor suggested I keep it in a very large pot and feed with liquid fertilizer and not the granulated kind I’d been using. My brug shows every sign of providing a spectacular display of yellow flowers that will fill the air with an intoxicating fragrance once more this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

Four years ago my son gave me a calla lily for Mother’s Day. I placed it in the ground in May. Each year since I’ve waited with anticipation for this special lily to produce white blooms but nothing but green leaves ever appeared. Then to my joy and surprise this week there were two white lilies. A lesson for me here—where there is a little bit of life there is still hope.

 

Two autumns ago, I bought a small potted aster—the flower for my birth month—on a trip to Longwood Gardens. I was rewarded with an abundance of asters last autumn that attracted the butterflies.

Some of my gardening endeavors have not worked out this well. Still, successes like these give me reason to believe that the small hydrangea I put in the ground this summer will produce flowers in due time.

ABOUT THE WRITER/GARDENER:

Pat enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her British-born husband.  She met Jim, a gardener, and the hero in her  historical inspirational romance, When Valleys Bloom Again. She has published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. When Valleys Bloom Again is her debut WWII inspirational novel. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Visit her at  https://www.patjeannedavis.com

Social Media Links:   Facebook:    Instagram:   Goodreads  

 

 

WHEN VALLEYS BLOOM AGAIN

 By  Pat Jeanne Davis

 

After fleeing impending war in England, nineteen-year-old Abby Stapleton works to correct her stammer and to become a teacher in America, only to discover this conflict has no boundaries and that a rejected suitor is intent on destroying her name, fiancé, and fragile faith.

BUY LINK

 When Valleys Bloom Again can be purchased at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie from Blossom Turner

Tags

Blossom Turner, entree, food blog, historical romance, Inspirational romance, Katherine's Arrangement, recipe, Tasty Tuesdays, Upside Down Shepherd's Pie

Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie: Truly a Comfort Food.

I have taken this recipe to many people over the years who have needed a meal for whatever reason. The results are always the same… a heart-warming thank you for the enjoyment this tasty meal in one pan gave them, and a request for the recipe.

Note: I never just make one pan of this recipe, I double and triple the recipe as it freezes extremely well and can be brought out when needed.

DIRECTIONS

Boil and mash 4 large potatoes as you would mash potatoes with milk and butter added. Press these in the bottom of a 9×9 casserole dish or pan.

 

Peel and slice 2 large carrots and cook until tender crisp.

Cook ½ cup frozen peas and ½ cup frozen corn

Layer all veggies on top of mashed potatoes

 

Brown 1 pound lean ground beef and drain (You may add 1 chopped onion if you like onion, sauté with ground beef)

1 teaspoon salt or seasoning salt (Not both)

¼ teaspoon pepper

I teaspoon thyme.

Put back on heat and add one cup prepared gravy mix and stir until thickened, or 1 cup beef consommé with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to thicken (you want the nice consistency of gravy.)

Layer this on top of veggies.

Add a generous topping of any grated cheese you like. I usually combine Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Parmesan, but really anything works.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Enjoy this truly amazing comfort food with a bun and pickles, or any salad.

NOTE: I asked Blossom at what stage in the preparation you should freeze the pie and if it needed thawing before cooking after freezing. Here’s what she said:

“It can be frozen right after it is layered and the cheese is put on top, before putting into oven.

If brought out, yes, it’s best to thaw for the day. If I know I’m having company, I just bring it out in the morning and let thaw at room temperature and pop in the oven by evening. Cooking time will be a bit longer…you will know when it is done by having bubbly golden cheese all over.”

I also suspect you could thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring out shortly before popping in the oven. Baking time will depend on how thawed the dish is.

While you’re waiting for the Shepherd’s pie to bake  check out this great summertime read: Katherine’s Arrangement, the first book in Blossom Turner’s 5 book series.  available August 4. 

 

KATHERINE’S ARRANGEMENT

Inspirational historical romance at its best.

 

Marrying him is her only choice to save her family,

but Josiah Richardson isn’t at all the man she expected.

Katherine William’s family was left destitute when their home was burned to the ground by Yankee soldiers, so the ready solution presented by the prominent Mr. Josiah Richardson seems almost too good to believe. He’ll provide a home, work for her pa, and a new beginning for her family…if only Katherine will accept his proposal.

A marriage of convenience is the last thing she wants, but there doesn’t seem to be a better option for her family or herself. Setting aside her dreams of love, Katherine agrees to the arrangement.

The gentleman in Josiah Richardson can no more force his frightened bride into his bed, than he can force her into loving him, so he sets out to gently woo her. He works hard to befriend her, to earn her trust and win her love.

Katherine is pleasantly surprised to find herself drawn to the man she thought she would never love, until an unexpected friendship tears apart all they’ve worked for. Where once the promise of love had budded between Josiah and Katherine, now they wonder what to do with their so-called marriage. Is love strong enough to weave its healing power through two broken hearts?

BUY LINKS

Barnes and Noble   Apple    Kobo   Amazon    Amazon for Canada

About the Author:

Blossom Turner is a free-lance writer published in Chicken Soup and Kernels of Hope anthologies, former newspaper columnist on health and fitness, avid blogger and novelist. She lives in a four-season playground in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with gardening at the top of her enjoyment list. She has a passion for women’s ministry teaching Bible studies and public speaking, but having coffee and sharing God’s hope with a hurting soul trumps all. She lives with her husband, David, of thirty-eight years. Blossom loves to hear from her readers. Visit her at https://blossomturner.com  and subscribe to her quarterly newsletter. Don’t miss Blossom’s other book, a contemporary romance, Anna’s Secret. A Word Guild semi-finalist.

Social Media Links:  Facebook    Instagram

Visit me @ https://blossomturner.com