He dipped his head in a curt bow. “Good day, Miss Balfour.”
“Mr. Moritz.” She tucked her chin in greeting. “What a surprise. I was just on my way to see you.”
“I suspected as much, but I felt a private setting would be more appropriate for our meeting.”
Her throat closed. This couldn’t be good. Forcing a smile, she stepped aside. “Do come in.”
After he passed, she retrieved her portfolio then scuttled ahead of him. “This way, please.” She led him into the sitting room and stopped near the bell pull. “Shall I ring for tea?”
“You may wish to ring for something stronger when I tell you why I am here.” He doffed his hat, the flat line of his lips giving away nothing. “Perhaps you should take a seat.”
The milk she’d taken with her breakfast curdled into hard lumps in her belly. She’d been right. Only ill could come of a superior deigning a home visit to one of his writers.
Willing her fingers to keep from trembling, she pulled out her manuscript and closed the distance between them, offering it over. “Perhaps you would like to read this first?”
About The Book
Book: Lost in Darkness
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: FICTION/ Christian/Romance
Release date: November 1, 2021
England, 1815
Amelia Balfour has one dream. . .to tour Egypt as a travel writer. But when her wish is finally within reach, her father dies, and her malformed brother Colin depends upon her to arrange for a revolutionary surgery. Amelia returns home, hoping he’ll recover before the ship sails for Cairo. Former Navy surgeon Graham Lambert is sick—of travelling, loneliness, and especially the injustice of the world. Leaving behind the military, he partners with a renowned surgeon, the man who promises new life to Amelia’s brother. But just as the operation begins, Graham suspects the surgeon is a fraud. After a botched procedure, Colin goes mad and escapes, terrorizing their neighbor, author Mary Godwin—planting the seed for her greatest creation, Frankenstein. Can Amelia and Graham stop Colin before he destroys everyone in his path and find the tender soul still trapped inside…or will they be too late?
About The Author
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan.
Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past? A Midnight Dance is filled with grace and drama, much like ballet itself, with its high and lows. Ms. Politano is a master-wordsmith, painting beauty with words. The mystery woven through the pages. I was caught up in the misfortune that followed Ella. She was trained by her mother who passed down her love of theater and ballet and wanted to continue her legacy. To feel the feelings of Ella and be swept up into the magic of theater and the competition between dancers that want only a specific role. What an ending! Pull up a chair and be ready to fall in love with the characters. I recommend this book.
The Healing of Natalie Curtis, a historical novel by Jane Kirkpatrick, is a novel based on a true-life activist and ethno-musicologist and takes place in the early 1900s. Music soothes the soul. Natalie was a woman ahead of her time. Her brother, George always looked after his sister and enjoyed reading about his adventure in the West to search for healing Although, a slow start at the beginning, the story drew me in. I loved the history and stories of the Native Americans and their songs. See, I lived on an Indian reservation for a summer and fell in love with the people. The rich stories that are passed down from generation to generation. At the same time our government has not always treated the Native Americans fairly. Even during the time of Natalie Curtis, she made it a goal to document the songs before they disappeared. I recommend the book and am giving it five starts.
The author has done it again! A Deep Divide is set in 1905 at the Grand Canyon and is about the Harvey Girls who work at El Tovar Grand Canyon Hotel. Emma, who has been a Harvey Girl since she turned 17 wanted to be a part of the new Harvey House. She is looking to escape those who have been looking for her since her father passed away and left legal contracts for marriage to Emma, which turned out to be a scam. A Deep Divide will take you back in time to when going on an adventure was the thing to do. I have visited the Grand Canyon and it is simply stunning and majestic, a true masterpiece to what God has created. I loved the inspirational message throughout the story, simply trust God, and live the way He want’s us to. I am looking forward to book two in the series. I highly recommend the book. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
About The Author
Kim is a devoted wife and mother, and a third generation Liszt student. She has passed down her love of music and the arts to hundreds of students over the years, recorded three albums, and appeared at over 2,000 venues to more than a million people. Her quick wit, enthusiasm, and positive outlook through difficult circumstances have gained her audiences at conferences, retreats, churches, military functions, and seminars all over the country.
The Woodhouse family’s story has been on the front page of newspapers, in magazines, articles, medical journals, and most famously featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They were also asked to share their story on The Montel Williams Show and Discovery Health Channel’s Mystery ER along with hundreds of other TV appearances and radio interviews.
Kim has been writing seriously for more than twenty years. Songs, plays, short stories, novels, picture books, articles, newsletters – you name it – she’s written it. It wasn’t until a dear friend challenged her to “do something with it” that she pursued publication. Now, she is a best-selling author of more than two dozen books, with more on the way. She has won The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and has finaled in the Selah Awards and the Spur Awards.
She is passionate about Bible study, reading, music, cooking, and pretty-much-all-things-crafty. Kimberley has been married to her incredible husband for twenty-nine years and counting and they have two married adult children.
I grew up on a dairy farm in the Pacific Northwest. Spent my formative years climbing trees, talking to cows, and perming my hair. Now I live in Montana, where cows still outnumber people. I’m a happy wifey and a mom to the third power (biological, adoptive, and foster).
I write contemporary fiction, and I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. There was a time, when I was probably ten or so, when I composed a multi-page epic poem for my mom in celebration of Mother’s Day. As I recall, the poem included several verses for each of the four seasons and there was something about a frolicking deer. Anyway, she pretended with all her heart to love that poem and for that I will always be thankful because I don’t think I would be doing this today if she had thrown it in the garbage.
If you’re wondering about the red shoes, my Grandma Julie started it. She gave me my first pair of red All Stars when I was little and I’ve been in love with them ever since. In fact, she gave all my siblings and cousins a pair, as well as my first two children, before she passed away. Now she wears her red shoes in heaven.
My Review
Hot Coffee!! WOW! I cannot say enough about Katie Powner’s book. A breath of fresh air. A Flicker of Light is about a family that is learning to let go, the power of healing and learning to live with a family member who was diagnosed with dementia. I wish that Moose Creek, Montana was a real place to visit. The call of the mountains. We will learn through the story that God is always with us even if it does not feel like it, we just need to lean on Him. I highly recommend A Flicker of Light, grab a few tissues, pull up a rocking chair and dive into a story of forgiveness and redemption. I am eagerly awaiting the next book by the author.
A frank and funny look at what to do when together is too close
Two’s company, especially for those who love each other. So what happens when—due to retirement, working from home, or even running a business together—spouses find that being in the same space all the time is awkward, complex, annoying, and just plain challenging? How can partners coexist without co-exhausting each other?
Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby know all too well how adjusting to a new, all-the-time closeness can cause the bliss of marriage to form blisters. Drawing from their experiences, and from men and women across the country in the same situation, the authors take a deep breath and dive into the root causes. They dig into what God’s Word has to say, and they offer practical tips for learning the spiritual, emotional, relational, and even physical steps that can help readers replace irritation with peace.
For any couple who wants their home to be a refuge of peace and serenity for all—not just themselves—and who wants to know they aren’t alone in the mental and physical claustrophobia of too much togetherness, Spouse in the House is a vulnerable, charming, and pragmatic breath of hope.
Click here to read an excerpt from Spouse in the House.
About The Authors
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction, and through speaking for women’s events, retreats, writers’ conferences, and workshops. She draws from 33 years of experience writing and producing the 15-minute daily radio broadcast, “The Heartbeat of the Home.”
Ruchti’s more than thirty books have garnered reader, retailer, reviewer, and other industry awards. She serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, is a founding board member of the Deliver Hope ministry and is part of the worship team at her church. She’s also a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management.
Ruchti and her husband, Bill, live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and six grandchildren.
Becky Melby has authored more than twenty novels and novellas. Spouse in the House is her first non-fiction book release.
The Melbys have four sons and fifteen grandchildren and make their home in southeastern Wisconsin. When not writing or spoiling grandchildren, she may be found touring the country with Bill in their camper or on their Honda Gold Wing motorcycle.
My spouse can be gone for three days or home for two, we value the time together and do not have time to argue. there were many truths about marriage that stood out in the book. We have been married 25 years, and still learning how to navigate through the ups and downs of marriage with humility, grace, and mercy at each step. Personalities can clash, but at the end of the day you still love your spouse. The authors remind us that we are all created uniquely, and each have different talents and gifts. Compassion, honesty, trust and most important having God at the center. I definitely recommend the book whether one is recently married or married for 25 years.
I received an ARC of the book for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
You can run from your past, but you can’t escape it.
Though he disappeared that day, Raylin McReynolds never believed her father died at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
So, when a mysterious letter arrives from Breakers Head, informing her that she would find him on the Independence Islands off the coast of Georgia, she has no choice but to find a job, get there, find her father.
As mainland troubles encroach on Hooper Island, Sean Anderson devises a plan and presents it to the island pastors and his cousin, Scott. The result: Grace Mission—a place where those struggling can find the help they need.
What he didn’t need was a distraction in the form of a newcomer to the islands—a mission volunteer, no less.
Others at the mission, Beth and Scott, see more than just frustration brew between Raylin and Sean. What will it take to convince Sean and Raylin to stop bickering long enough to see what’s obvious to everyone else?
Raylin’s on a mission to find her father and protect her heart, but neither seem willing to cooperate.
Seasoned Grace continues the Hooper Island stories of the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.
The Independence Islands Series: beach reads aren’t just for summer anymore.
About the Author
She doesn’t mind alternating between the world of writing and the reality of being a mother, but she would rather sit with a good book or a good friend and a cup of coffee.
When she isn’t penning works of fiction, she is busy reviewing books for her blog, Back Porch Reads.
Here we are, in the middle of the collection. The third island—Hooper Island. Have you enjoyed the journey so far? I hope you have, I’m sure you have 😉
Seasoned Grace quickly became my favorite addition to the Independence Islands Collection. It is a little more serious on a few of the topics than my first two contributions. Now that a foundation has been set, I felt like I could get a little deeper into my character’s emotions and pasts. People are complex so writing two-dimensional characters are not something I like doing. I want readers to see the secret hurts that mold them into the person they are, and how God can heal those painful areas.
Grace is the running theme throughout this book. Grace enough to let things go, the Father’s grace, showing grace to those around us, and any other form of grace that might come up. Grace is like salt and pepper. It gives the right kind of flavor to our lives. At least I think that is a life quote Gram would tell Beth.
There is one chapter that you will see one of the new characters lay out their painful past in a rather quick way in a conversation with another character. This character suffered much in their life that some will struggle with understanding how they could talk about it so freely (which is why I am shining a light on it now).
When a person has found healing in life by following Christ and has allowed Him to take away the sting of what others have done to them, those moments become easy to talk about with others. Especially if it means that the one listening will seek healing for themselves.
This conversation in the book is intense and thought-provoking. It also displays the level of grace required to see people the way God might see them instead of through our tainted lenses. I found myself crying as I wrote it because I know how freeing it is to forgive and let the Father heal a wounded heart.
Seasoned Grace also has several returning characters—Beth and Scott, Thaddeus, Amara and Dante, Sarah Reid, and her boys. There are also two new faces, Raylin and Sean, as well as a couple of other mobile business owners who come together to help Elnora Island bounce back from a hurricane.
All my contributions to the collection flow from one book to the next like a television series. While the other writers may have written their stories to be independently read from the others, that is not something I have done. Trust me when I say that it wasn’t my original intent. As I saw my five stories develop, there was a constant feeling of community and character interaction throughout the books. I couldn’t just leave some characters behind, never to be heard from again, while I bring in new faces. It just wouldn’t be right. They have developed friendships and that cannot be overlooked. That said, when they come together at the end for Thanksgiving diner, they, and you the reader, will have a pleasant surprise.
So, stay with me, push through, read on—it will all be worth it in the end.
P.S. I realize that I gave a recipe for Scrumptious Independence, but not Heart Pressed. I apologize for that one.
I hope this one makes up for it. Scott’s favorite
Fish Tacos
Oil
If you don’t have a deep fryer (like me), get a thick bottom, deep pan
Use natural oil, like corn or canola oil
Gauge the temperature with a candy or deep fry thermometer
Fill your pan no more than 2/3 of the way
Heat the oil slowly to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit
too low of heat, you will get greasy fish
too high of heat, you will burn the fish
Fish
Cod works the best, but Salmon is pretty interesting option as well.
Rinse it off after thawing if you use frozen fish, excess water will make your oil spatter
Pat it dry with paper towel – I use a lot of paper towel, but I feed five adults
If fish pieces are thick, cut into 1 inch-ish strips.
I use Panko fish batter for my batter. I don’t make it from scratch
Slowly place coated pieces of fish into the hot oil and let it cook until golden brown.
While that cooks, prepare your toppings.
Cole Slaw
8oz. bag of pre-shredded Cole slaw mix
1 1/2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp of sugar
1 cup of mayo or Miracle Whip
1/4 cup of mustard or 1/2 tsp of mustard powder
Avocado
Make sure it is ripe—soft, not hard
Mash it wit a fork
Cut a lime in 1/2 and squeeze the juice over the mashed avocado
Sprinkle salt and pepper on it
Stir together
Layering the taco
Spread some of the Avocado mixture on a tortilla
Place a strip or two of fried fish on top
Finish with Cole slaw mix
Enjoy!
My Review
Seasoned Grace is more than a romance, it is a story full of hope and trusting in God. A lesson for us- we need to learn to extend grace to other as well as accepting grace.
This was the first book of the Independence Island series that I read and enjoyed the story. A page turner.
I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit Publishing in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
Amazing! Loved the dual timelines and how they explored the relationship between mother and daughter. The secrets we sometimes keep that shape how we live and involve others, how the healing power of telling the truth sets us free, a beautifully written story of redemption, forgiveness, mercy and love. I read the book in one night. Highly recommend. Amanda Cox is one author to watch. A master story teller with a gift of words. Well done, Amanda.
Welcome back to Prince Edward Island. Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson is a story about family, forgiveness and the kind of love that heals all wounds. Meg and Oliver were in a fight while in high school after Oliver destroyed Meg’s science project. Besides teaching high school, she is also working on her dad’s fishing boat harvesting lobsters. Her dad has decided to sell his boat to Oliver however Meg does not want the family business to him. So, they begin working together in competition for the rights.
The story is emotional as they begin to figure out what is truly important and forgiveness. I enjoyed the story as I had visited a state on the east coast where lobster was the summer thing to do.
I received a copy of the book from Revell Publishing. All opinions are my own.
WOW! I have read the author’s “The Key to Everything,” but, Under the Bayou Moon did not disappoint and it is one of my favorite books. The author is a master storyteller and has a gift of bringing sights, tastes and smells, to life. Her story left me hungry for shrimp po’boys and beignets from Café Du Monde.
A wonderful story of love, family, hardship, belonging and finding oneself tossed in with Cajun culture, mysteries of a white alligator that will leave the reader with lots to think about.
Community, faith, and family is the focus of Bernadette, Louisiana. When tragedy hits the community, everyone comes together to help each other. God’s grace is evident through the people. I loved the story and will be reading the book again.
A Photojournalist Risks Her Life to Save Children. Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.Journalist Nellie Wilkerson has spent the bulk of the war in London, photographing pilots taking off and landing—and she’s bored. She jumps at the chance to go to France, where the Allied forces recently landed. She enlists Jean-Paul Breslau of the French underground to take her to the front lines. On the journey, they come upon an orphanage where nuns shelter children with disabilities. Can they help save them before the Nazis come to liquidate it.
Jean-Paul shouldn’t have allowed him to come, but they needed every able body to lift the boxes and get rid of any evidence of a drop before the Germans discovered the spot.
“No one’s about.” Henri spoke in a normal tone of voice, though he did slightly slur his words.
Jean-Paul turned and shushed him again. “Don’t get us killed.”
“No problem there, boss.”
Henri was always the troublemaker. The least trustworthy of them all. But Yves had taken sick and Gerard’s wife was about to give birth. Jean-Paul’s hands had been tied. “Stay here. You can be the lookout.”
“Suits me.” Henri slumped against a tree while Jean-Paul, Luc, and Pierre slipped deeper into the woods. It remained to be seen if Henri would even stay conscious much less be an effective lookout. His state of inebriation made a risky mission even more dangerous.
The ground underneath Jean-Paul’s feet rumbled, setting off a rumbling in his chest. The American planes were close. He and his men had to hurry to make it to the clearing in time for the drop. He motioned his companions forward.
Even in the dark he knew these woods like the back of his hand.
Trisha Mills, a student in her final semester of law school, has fond memories of listening to the music of Adaline, a once-famous recording artist. Trisha learns that Adda is now a street singer in Asheville, North Carolina where she lives in a storage closet she rents for her equipment. Adda’s sole means of support in her senior years comes from the donation box.
Along with her meager possessions, Adda has a box labeled, “Things to Remember.” Once Adda and Trisha become friends, Adda agrees to show Trisha the contents of the box, and reveals her journey from her beginnings as a sharecropper’s daughter, her rise to fame, and her fall into poverty.
Even while busy cleaning out the home of her deceased grandfather, preparing to sit for the bar exam, and planning her wedding, Trisha cannot overlook the injustices that Adda has experienced. Aided by attorney Rusty Bergstrom, Trisha convinces Adda to seek restitution.
About the Author
Kathleen Neely is a retired educator and school administrator. She served as a principal at elementary schools in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling to see her sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren scattered throughout the eastern states.
More from Kathleen
I’d like to introduce myself and then acquaint you with some people who live inside the pages of my book, The Street Singer. I am a retired educator having taught preschool, fourth grade, and then moving into administration as an elementary principal. When I retired, I pursued my desire to write. My first novel, The Least of These, won first place in a contest titled Fresh Voices. That honor renewed my confidence, and I went on to write my second book, The Street Singer. Although The Street Singer was not my first novel, it was the first to reach publication. That holds a special place in any author’s heart. I’d love to introduce you to a few of my favorite people.
Trisha Mills is a law student, engaged to marry Grant Ramsey. Trisha’s grandparents raised her from her early teens when her parents died. As an only child, she’s left with no family following her grandparents’ death. Trisha longs for a sense of heritage.
Adda Marsh is the daughter of Mississippi sharecroppers and has little education. What she does have is an amazing singing voice. Using the pseudonym Adaline, she experienced great success in the music industry in the era of Ella Fitzgerald. Her record company let her go when she aged and her voice faded. She never realized how the recording company duped her. Penniless, she sings on a street corner for donations.
Rusty Bergstrom is a lawyer who agrees to help Trisha in her quest to find justice for Adda. He brings both compassion and levity to a difficult situation. Rusty sprinkles lawyer jokes throughout the book, causing Trisha to laugh—an characteristic in short supply.
Grant Ramsey is a financial advisor working hard to build his clientele. His father is a state politician with aspirations for becoming governor. He learned to exercise caution in his words and actions so protect his father’s image. That guarded nature tells him that Trisha’s friendship with Adda is not a good idea.
There you have it. Trisha Mills’ story with the makings for a multi-generational, diverse friendship, the challenges of two very different men vying for her affection, and a legal battle to right a wrong. Oh, I forgot to mention, all this while renovating her grandparents’ old farm house. I hope you enjoy reading The Street Singer as much as I enjoyed writing it.
My Review
The Street Singer, by Kathleen Neely is the first book that I have read by the author and fell in love with the story. A story of sacrificial love and a main character, Trisha who goes above and beyond the societal expectations to follow her heart and do the right thing. I could not put the book down.
I received a copy from Celebrate Lit in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?
In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?
Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.
When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .
With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.
About The Author
Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about.
She is the author of the Resort to Love series and the CafFUNated mysteries. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers. Finding Love in Big Sky was recently filmed on location in Montana and will air soon. Her latest release is Husband Auditions.
Strong also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho and teaches as an expert online at Write That Book.
What a fun book to escape into. Husband Auditions is filled with advice you might hear from your grandmother on how to find a good husband. Meri wants to be married, but is marriage right for Meri? What we think we might want is not necessarily what we might need and sometimes we must step aside and let God work as he knows our plans. I loved the interactions between Meri and Kai.
I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion, all opinions are my own.
Give Away
It’s release (and tour launch) day for Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong!
If you are looking for a funny romance to wrap up the summer, this is your book! Learn more about the story, and scroll to the end of the post to win a copy of your own.
In the coming weeks, watch for an interview with Angela, right here on the blog.
PLUS… The author is giving away a free round-trip airline ticket on Allegiant Airlines! Click here for more details and to enter.
Darcy dream of going on the mission field falls apart the night before she is supposed to leave. The Guatemalan school that she was to teach at has closed. Darcy is beyond devastated and thrown through a loop because she just gave up her apartment and her job. How does one jump back into life after such news? Darcy is struggling to find a purpose, wondering why God would allow this to happen and what His will is for her now. A life lesson for everyone is that we should listen to God regardless of if it is not what we want to hear. Darcy is offered an opportunity to train and care for a group of dogs with the goal to find each of them a home before animal control takes them. A story filled with learning to let go, love, forgiveness and mercy.
When Charlotte receives the news that her estranged father has passed away, she finds herself in small-town South Carolina, forced to partner with her half-sister in running the baseball team and family business. If she can make it through 365 long days of running her daddy’s business, she’ll inherit half his multi-million dollar fortune—money she desperately needs to rectify the sins of her mother.
But can a big city girl overcome small-town sass and the unwelcome guidance of too-handsome-for-his-own-good general counsel Mac Taylor, or will this uptown girl discover she is truly a southern girl of summer at heart?
C.E. Hilbert lives in sleepy town outside Columbus, OH in a 120-year-old fixer-upper with her Golden Retriever, Georgie. She believes that life goes best with Jesus, cookies made with real butter, summers watching baseball and winters filled with hockey.
My Review
Girls of Summer is set in South Carolina, filled with murder, suspense, and family secrets.
Half-sisters, Georgie and Charlotte’s dad has passed away and are being forced to work and live together. If they make it through the year, they will receive half of their father’s fortune which Charlie really needs. However, surviving the year might be harder than they think.
Be ready to go on a whirlwind of suspense and adventure. C.E. Hilbert is a new author to me and enjoyed reading Girls of Summer. It was a page turner.
I received a copy from Celebrate Lit in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
More from C.E. Hilbert
Did you ever have a fascination with an organization or an event? Maybe you are a World War II buff like my friend Nick or you have a deep appreciation (or obsession) for all things Star Wars like my nephew Alex? Maybe you were entranced with a book series or a television series? For me, I had a deep curiosity about organized crime in high school and college. I know, odd choice of interest, but my fascination was so deep I spent a semester being advised and mentored by a sitting federal judge and the head of our local FBI office on a school project about the impact of the Cosa Nostra in Ohio.
I, like so many people who have read Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” or seen the movie adaptation, was infatuated with the romance the family drama told. I hadn’t really considered the destruction or lack of care for human life that actually existed within the American Mafia until I studied the organization. Although my curiosity continued, no longer did I see Michael Corleone’s story as a well-crafted work of fiction, but rather an overly romanticized view of a world of corruption and depravity. What I learned from those two mentors was simple – cut off the head of one organization and two more will rise in its place. The Cosa Nostra’s influence on America has waned in recent years, but organized crime is unfortunately alive and well.
In Girls of Summer, we see a glimpse of the impact of organized crime in America through the lens of one family so enmeshed in its web we are unsure if they will be able to survive to find freedom. Through telling this story, I not only wanted to share how the love of God can redeem even the most lost soul, but also give a window into the destruction that follows in the wake of those who do not value human life. Instead of romanticizing organized crime as books and movies have done for decades, my goal with integrating the Russian mafia into the fabric of Girls of Summer was to shine a light on the lack of decency and morality.
Girls of Summer is a suspenseful romance filled with the hope of redemption and reconciliation, but the story also gives a peek into a world most of us would prefer to believe lives only in fiction. Thankfully, we have dedicated men and women who are quietly fighting for justice with the hope of one day saying, organized crime is truly a thing of make believe.
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, C.E. is giving away the grand prize package of a tote that contains four books (Girls of Summer, From Scratch, Life on the Porcelain Edge & The Wooing of Jane Grey) and some “surprise items”!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Your Journey Starts Here 