Susan Marlene
  • Home
  • About
  • Book Review & Author Interview
  • Devotions & Short Stories
  • Writers & Pens
  • GLIMPSING HISTORICAL TIMES


Timeless Significance for Everyday


Short stories and also devotions that mix historical quotes and contemporary musings, as well as
​author interviews and book reviews.
Picture

This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

Opt Out of Cookies

NEVER KNEEL to a KNIGHT by Regina Scott

3/31/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
London England 1812

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

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

Questions for Regina:
 
This story was fresh and sweet. How do you keep your inspiration flowing?
That’s the Lord! Every time a new idea arrives, I just have the thank Him!
 
Do you have the floor plans to the Bateman house? I could picture it as I read!
I do! For most of my stories, I draw floor plans of the houses and sometimes the grounds around them. And when I’m stuck, I turn to my youngest son, who just finished school to become an architect. He points out where I don’t have enough windows or chimneys and where walls should be. 😊
 
Have you ever been to a boxing match? Do you like the sport?
Not boxing. I have watched a little on TV, and I must say I can’t watch for long! I admire the power and athletic prowess of the boxers, but I just can’t enjoy watching people strike each other.
 
What would you like your reader to benefit from because they read “Never Kneel to a Knight”?
I hope they come away with the idea that we can all be our best selves. Where we were born, who raised us, and what we look like isn’t as important as the character we choose to take on. We can all contribute, we can all be a positive force for change.
 
What do you find most admirable about the “ton”?
The fact that it was a small town in the midst of a very large city. The story goes that only about 10,000 people inhabited the “ton” at any point in time. It’s not hard to make yourself known (or infamous!) in that size group.
 
What is the least favorite quality about the “ton”?
The gossip and bullying. There seems to have been a real pecking order, and woe to you if you were at the bottom!
 
Will there be another story in this series and if so, what is it about and when is the publishing date?
There is one more story planned for the Fortune’s Brides series, Never Marry a Marquess, due out the middle of June. The heroine is Ivy Bateman, the sister of Matthew in Never Kneel to Knight. Shy Ivy is happiest caring for her family and baking sweet treats. She never expected the wealthy Marquess of Kendall to propose a marriage of convenience. His baby daughter needs a mother, and Ivy cannot deny the role’s attraction, or the attraction she feels for the handsome marquess. Kendall’s heart went to the grave with his first wife. Now, all he cares about is ensuring his frail daughter survives. Perhaps a grieving lord and a shy lady will discover that love, and a good cinnamon bun, can heal all wounds.
 
Where do you wish for your readers to contact you?
Readers can find out more about my books, and me, at my website at www.reginascott.com and connect with me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorreginascott,       
Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins
), and my blog (www.nineteenteen.com).

If they sign up for my newsletter, they can be alerted when the next book is out or on sale.
Picture
0 Comments

The RECKONING at GOSSAMER POND by Jaime Jo Wright

3/19/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture

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

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

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

Questions for Jaime Jo:
What keeps your ideas and twists inspiring the ink on your pages?
A lot of imagination. LOL And I read a lot of books just to keep my imagination sharp and learn from other writers. I love watching crime mysteries or historical documentaries. All of those contribute to plots and ideas.
 
I had to cringe when you mentioned Folgers for that is the coffee I use when I make my sugar and cream drink with a spot of coffee! What is your favorite brand of coffee?
Don’t cringe!! That was Annalise’s snobby opinion. 😊 I actually grew up drinking Folgers with my Gramma and Grampa, so Folgers is a very nostalgic coffee for me. I think it’s a staple for every cupboard. I am a coffee snob, though too. But I’m not particularly loyal to one specific brands. I just tend to like the Fair Trade coffees and locally roasted ones.
Is Gossamer Pond a real place or does it represent a real place?
 
Gossamer Pond is not a real place. It has small components of little towns in my area but for the most part is a figment of my imagination.
Were the Corbin twins’ real people? I loved how they were interwoven into the story!
They are loosely based off of real brothers. For the most part, they’re completely fictional, but there were twin brother evangelists that came to my town at the turn of the century and really raised havoc in the city. Many of the events in the book, such as the riots were based on actual events.
What message do you want your readers to ‘take away’ from this novel?
Grace! Grace, grace, grace. There’s not enough grace to go around these days. While I believe God does have a firm line of right and wrong, He also shows how He tempers that with an opportunity to receive grace.
I just have to know—are you a seat-of-the-pants writer or are you a plotter?
I’m a skeleton. LOL By the I mean, I plot the skeleton of the story, but as write, that’s when I fill in the muscle and ligaments. I know the high points only when I start out. I am seat of the pants as far as the scenes go.
Who was your favorite character to write in “The RECKONING of GOSSAMER POND”?
Favorite character to write was probably Jacobus. He was just so different. Odd. Blunt. Theological.
Where do you want your readers to connect with you?
Definitely facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaimejowright
Or sign up for my newsletter at http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com

Picture
0 Comments

IN HIS OWN WORDS, Inspirational Reflections on the Life & Wisdom of BILLY GRAHAM by Jerry B. Jenkins

3/1/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
I’d had my eye on this book as soon as it was published in 2018, for it is about a man I’ve admired all my life. A man whose ministry jump started my walk with the Lord. These pages trace the life experiences and quotes by one of America’s most beloved evangelists, Billy Graham. If you want a peak into the life and thoughts of a fully committed and anchored-in-the-Lord man, this is the book for you! I myself have been reading it slowly, savoring the sweetness adorning the pages of IN HIS OWN WORDS.

Maybe too many of our thoughts dwell on the belief that the grass is greener—for others. We may think that a man who is so favored in the public eye and with the Lord would not have struggles or challenges. But that isn’t true. Time after time and trial after trial Graham prospered because of his love and obedience that carried him over his challenges. This is a man who became increasingly humble as he grew stronger in his walk and relationship with God.

Jerry B. Jenkins interviews with this evangelist covers Graham’s core message, Christian living, humor, aging and death, heaven and legacy. All of these topics are important to everyone, whether we will admit it or not! As I’ve paged my way through Billy Graham’s years I smile and feel that pull of inspiration to grow deeper and know our Lord better than the day before.

I received this book from Tyndale Momentum and this post is an accurate and honest as well as appreciative review.  I highly recommend this book. I’ve been touch deeply by the wisdom and reality of a man of God who said yes and kept say yes to our divine Creator and Lover of Our Souls! Talk about adventure! Thank your Tyndale Momentum and Jerry B. Jenkins for this amazing gift. 
Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    Susan Marlene is the author of Sisters & Friends, HEARTS FOREVER FAITHFUL and SHORT STORIES, Some Fanciful, Some True, A Collection from Various Time Periods & Adventurous Tales, as well as ​Splashes of Hope, A Trio of Short Stories.

    She has published in these venues also. 

    www.ChristianDevotions.us and in Splickety Love Magazine, The Novice, and  newspapers. She writes devotions, fiction, and nonfiction. She is a member and co-founder of Pens of Praise Christian Writers 
    Group.  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

    ​She speaks at writers' groups and prepares devotions and teachings often for Pens of Praise Christian Writers,  and was a former member of Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and Alternative Education Teacher’s Aide. She loves  antiques and misses  her Leonberger, but loves her Boxer who fills their lives with love and laughter. Her cat was the queen of the household and is also dearly missed. 

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

"Hope" is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all,​  by Emily Dickinson


susan@susanmarlene.com

  • Home
  • About
  • Book Review & Author Interview
  • Devotions & Short Stories
  • Writers & Pens
  • GLIMPSING HISTORICAL TIMES