Susan Marlene
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Timeless Significance for Everyday


Short stories and also devotions that mix historical quotes and contemporary musings, as well as
​author interviews and book reviews.
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A NAME UNKNOWN by Roseanna M. White

8/24/2018

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Greetings Roseanna!
You are a delightful writer and a favorite for me! I applaud your excellence and imagination! I always look forward to one of your reads! :) 

Yes, Roseanna, how does someone steal a family’s history and their name? What a fun adventure to read! This unique 1914 London, England historical delighted me through and through!

 Rosemary Gresham is the protagonist who stole my heart, and not just like any common thief, but one who captured my full admiration and sympathy! Anyone who knows me would gasp to read this declaration for I don’t condone stealing. So, if you want to know why I highly recommend this novel—I suggest that you purchase a copy or request it at your local library. 😊

Peter Holstein—the romantic interest and family member with the name at risk—has secrets of his own and Rosemary is out to find them. This novel has a personality and freshness that appeals to me. I find the diverse characters amusing and or entertaining and can say they are perfectly fitted for the intrigue that began brewing near the onset of the World War I. I delight to share this wonderful novel and would be thrilled if you came back and told me how you felt about it also!

Questions for Roseanna:
  1. How did you stumble upon the idea of having a thief for the protagonist of this novel? (I’m so glad you did since you did share Miss Rosemary with us!)

    The credit for that goes to my best friend/critique partner, Stephanie. She’d been working on a story about a thief, and it was so much fun to read! I began wondering how the life of a street thief might change during the Great War. Of course, I would want a noble thief. One with a big family she was fighting for. And one who found herself engaged in a task far bigger than merely stealing…from there, the idea just snowballed!

  2. What time period do you like best of all? I adore your Culpur Ring series.

    This is always a tough question for me! Honestly, I just adore history. Each era has its unique characteristics that set it apart and make it come alive. I love learning what those things are and diving into different periods. That said, I’ve also enjoyed really digging deep into one era with my books for Bethany House and not having to completely restart my research on each book, LOL.

  3. I appreciate how you brought out the strengths in the hero that some would pass over and ignore. How did you come up with anonymously written stories! I love this thread of Peter’s story! How perfectly it fit and moved with this story.

    When I got the first inkling of who Peter Holstein would be, I knew only that he would be of German descent and consider changing his last name, as the royal family of England ended up doing. But as I kept reading up on the unexpected effects of the war, I also saw that novelists played a role I’d never realized, and I definitely wanted to feature that! (No spoilers, LOL.) So I decided that Peter needed to be a writer. But that, if his surname caused him problems enough that he was considering changing it, he certainly couldn’t write under it. Hence, the need for a pen name.

  4. What theme would you like your readers to benefit from with this novel and/or with your novels in general?

    A theme that I highlight in A Name Unknown and in many of my stories is that our true identity rests in the Lord. When we feel like we don’t know who we are in the world, the best way to discover it is to find who we are in Him. When we rest secure in our faith and explore the path He’s called us to, then our place in this world around us solidifies too—because we’re going about His business.

  5. What is your favorite scene from the beginning of this novel?

    I enjoyed pitting these two very different characters against each other all through the book, but I had especial fun in the scene where they went to St. Michael’s Mount. My family had the pleasure of visiting this castle in the sea, and as we drove the same roads they would have driven, I could just imagine Rosemary and Peter’s dialogue—and of course, had to make them constantly challenging each other with their oh-so-different views of the world!

  6. What is the next novel on your publisher’s schedule?

    With the final book in the Shadows Over England Series now out in the world (An Hour Unspent), my attention is now on the next series I’m writing for Bethany House, The Codebreakers. I’ve just turned in my revised manuscript for book one, The Number of Love, and am diving into the writing of book 2, currently titles The Wings of Devotion. Readers of the Shadows Over England and Ladies of the Manor Series will recognize the characters and settings, but The Codebreakers focuses on the intelligence wing of the Admiralty in England during the Great War, combining the escapades of the secret agents with the mind-power of the codebreakers. It’s proven to be great fun thus far! The series will begin in June of 2019.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
 


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Never Envy an Earl by Regina Scott, Fortune’s Brides Series, Book Three

8/1/2018

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Yvette De Maupassant needs a place to hide! Well, shouldn’t any worthy and exposed English spy melt into obscurity—away from French spies bent on taking revenge? This story takes place in Surrey, England in April of 1812, when exciting interactions between England and Napoleon’s France take place. Meredith Thorn and her cat, Fortune, have their own difficulties to overcome and decisions to make, but that doesn’t stop Meredith from placing Yvette with a snug and secure family of means. 

Gregory, Earl of Carrolton, cannot hide his thoughts, yet now he has to hide a spy that the French deem an excellent catch. This is an entertaining novel, which is an excellent read. The heroin, Yvette, was an absolute favorite character of mine from the previous novel and I was thrilled to see Regina give her a story to tell in Never Envy an Earl. There were other fun re-visited characters that the reader could view with a different perspective. I enjoyed this switch-up and expanded view of those who were not as well known in a previous novel.

If you are looking for a clean read and a make me feel good to my toes novel- Never Envy an Earl is a great choice! But don’t stop there for it is more fun to read the series! I was given this novel and this is my honest opinion of these pages. Regina’s stories have always given me a smile and “I think this author is so clever” enjoyment!  This is a highly recommend novel! 


Questions for Regina:
What fantastic fun-fact about Napoleon can you tell us? (One you wanted to share in the novel but couldn’t.)  
Napoleon was such a character! He once imprisoned the Pope and held him for ransom. When people tried to rescue the poor fellow, Napoleon kept moving him around Europe. Can you imagine?

The way you wrote Yvette’s story was as though you’d crawled inside her head and looked through her eyeballs. How did you do that?
A very good imagination? Ha! I guess it’s like method acting. When I’m writing a tense scene, my shoulders get tight. I sigh when the heroine sighs. I always have to smile when I realize what I’m doing. Maybe that’s why I don’t usually write in the point of view of the villains. I don’t like getting too close to all that darkness.

I love the Grecian style home you described. Here is a quote: “The warm stone of the rest of the building made the entrance look like a pearl in a gold setting.” Have you seen a home like this one or just photos?
I have an ever-growing list of places I want to see when I go to England. One of those is Osterley Park, a beautiful estate not far from London. I haven’t been there, but I used it as the basis for Carrolton Park in the book. You can read more about it here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-park-and-house.

If you could spend a day with one of these characters, who would it be and what is the first question you would ask?
Strangely enough, I think I’d like to spend a day with Marbury, the butler. He started as a footman in the household then worked his way up to butler. I’d like to ask him how things have changed since Gregory ascended to the title. The answer might surprise Yvette, and Gregory.

What theme, laced in your book, would you wish to have your readers benefit from?
That the past doesn’t have to define you. You may have had a terrible childhood. You may have made mistakes. You may have let “the one” get away. But there’s always hope, always a chance for something better, if you’re brave enough to grasp it and believe.

What was your favorite costume you described in this novel?
I don’t have an entire costume, but I am very pleased with the hats Yvette, the countess, and her daughter purchase to attend a wedding. I wanted something befitting each of them. The countess gets a showy turban with enough bling to resemble a crown, just right for a lady of her station and disposition. Her daughter Lilith gets something tall and elegant, with a touch of military swagger. Lilith is all about control, so that fits hers nicely. Yvette gets a lovely velvet bonnet with a spray of pink silk roses, classic with a touch of fun, very much in tune with her character.

Is there anything else you would like to share about this or upcoming novels?
Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed the books. Your kind words warm my heart. Those who have been following the series may enjoy “Always Kiss at Christmas,” a novella in the Timeless Regency Collection coming in October, which tells the story of how Fortune’s mistress, Meredith Thorn, fell in love as a girl. The next full-length book in the series, Never Vie for a Viscount, is due out the end of November.

How do you wish your readers to contact you?
Readers can reach me via:
 
www.reginascott.com,
www.facebook.com/authorreginascott, 
www.pinterest.com/reginascottpins, 
www.goodreads.com/reginascott.
If you want to know when the next book is out or on sale, please sign up for a free e-mail alert at
http://eepurl.com/baqwVT.

 
Thank you Regina for an excellent interview and the Osterley link! You have such a wonderful WEB site!  :)



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The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey by Carolyn Miller

8/1/2018

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The Dishonorable Miss Delancey, book three of the REGENCY BRIDES, A Legacy of Grace, was a different kind of read for me. I’m always a tad careful when reading about characters who were presented in a negative light in a previous story. Carolyn didn’t disappoint, what an excellent and hopeful novel, well written and entertaining! The humor fairly bounces on the pages of this story. Even so, this novel touched on topics of currant up-to-date concerns with that wonderful Regency spin to it. The main heroine, Miss Clara DeLancey has depth and holds my interest. She is believable and I grow to like her, which is vital for me to enjoy a novel.

Captain Benjamin Kemsley was a fine hero for this heroine with his own deep regrets. There is a thread of imperfection in these characters and another one for overcoming against expectations—and shall I say it—self expectations too.  Can’t we all relate to those? Other support characters were entertaining and delightful as well! I’ve never read a Carolyn Miller book that I didn’t adore. She is Jane Austin and Julie Klassen all wrapped up in one! I’ve also see her compared to Georgette Heyer—who I can’t say as I’ve never read those books. But if Georgette is anything like Carolyn than I’d love to read her stores also! I highly recommend this novel and I found it useful, entertaining and delightful!







Questions for Carolyn:
Have you been to Brighton Cliffs, England where part of this story takes place?

I visited Brighton in 2015, and actually went on a tour of the magnificent Royal Pavilion (mentioned in The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey), which is definitely worth doing if you ever visit Brighton. My time there was short that I didn’t go to the top of the Brighton cliffs, but did visit the pebble-filled beach below. On my website I even have a link to the exact house Clara lives in, so you can ‘see’ her house – 200 years on. ☺

Would you say that hope and delight are in your DNA? (Your stories seem to share those qualities!)

Well, thank you! That’s a lovely compliment! I suppose I am hopeful (because I’m hope-filled), and I suspect I’m kinda curious, and I do delight in wordplay and puns. I’m finding some stories are written in lighter or darker seasons than others, which can affect the tone of the novel, but I hope that all of my books point to ultimate hope in God.

How do you write your stories? Longhand, type those pages, or recording? 😊

It’s a bit of a mix, actually! Often I’ll get story ideas (usually when I’m asleep in bed) that need to written down at once so the ‘magic’ doesn’t disappear, but lately I’ve discovered the fun of recording thoughts as I go walking. That can be a great way to record some of the conversations my characters have. But mostly it’s tap-tapping away on my laptop.

Did you ever name a character after your cat or dog or pet of any kind?

Not yet! Although my daughter has named her budgie after one of my favourite Jane Austen characters, Captain Wentworth!

Will you bring a book to read during your travel when you visit Nashville and Vancouver? Do you want to share a title or author? 😉

Probably – but it’s a while before I pack, so I’ll have to see!

Did you want to share anything you found particularly special about writing Miss Clara DeLancey or Captain Benjamin Kemsley?

I wanted to write a sibling book, and I think Ben’s relationship with his sisters and brother are fairly real in showing the ups and downs of family dynamics. I really like their interactions, which serve as a contrast with the far more strained relationship Clara shares with her brother. It’s interesting to contemplate how family dynamics can influence a person’s personality and character – for good or for evil – and to be reminded that not everyone is blessed with a healthy family situation.

Your covers are lovely, are you involved with picking out the final artwork?

Kregel have been very good to me, and have allowed me to have a great deal of say in what elements are included in the covers. For The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey I wanted something to reflect her ‘God revelation’ moments which occur at the top of the cliffs when the sun is setting. I think the cover designers do an excellent job!
I see by browsing your WEB page www.carolynmillerauthor.com that you have another series on the way!  What would you like to tell us about this new series?
This new series concerns Catherine Winthrop and her sister, Serena, and their family, on their quest from tragedy to finding hope. Each novel in the trilogy focuses on a different character with their own different personality quirks and challenges. Sweet and shy Catherine Winthrop’s story Winning Miss Winthrop releases March 27, 2018 while her artistic sister has her own story, Miss Serena’s Secret, which releases July 24, 2018 and the third novel, The Making of Mrs. Hale, releases November 27, 2018.

Where do you wish for your readers to connect with you?

www.carolynmillerauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/CarolynMillerAuthor/
https://twitter.com/CarolynMAuthor
https://www.pinterest.com.au/camillering/


https://www.instagram.com/carolynmillerauthor/



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    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. 

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"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

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