Friday, July 3, 2026

Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction for July

 

July 2026 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Contemporary Romance:


New Beginnings in Shady Springs by Sarah Anne Crouch -- When the storm passes, can two guarded hearts believe in love again? Perfect for fans of heartwarming Christian romance, this tender small-town story weaves together friendship, faith, grief, and healing as two guarded hearts must decide whether love is worth trusting again. (Contemporary Romance from Scrivenings Press)

Second Shot at Love by Carolyn Miller -- Ten years ago Genevieve Rivas made a mistake that changed her entire family. Since that, she’s done all she can to make up for it and make them proud and is now working as a junior doctor in one of Seattle’s leading hospitals. Everything is finally tracking as it should be, until one day a blast from the past re-enters her life. Ten years ago, Kyle Tinkler thought he had it all. Until a night of celebration went too far and he lost the person he held most dear as he chased his NHL dream. Now he might be Seattle’s top player, but his hard shot and skills on the ice aren’t enough to dodge the guilt now he’s returned to his old stomping ground. When injury reunites these two, regrets soar and secrets become increasingly hard to hide, threatening to fracture two families. And while God is a healer and redeemer of broken pasts, can they learn the power of forgiveness to find a way forward? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Trusting the Single Dad by Meghann Whistler -- Former bad boy Devin Spencer never thought his past would follow him back to Cape Cod—but neither did Cassie Reed. Tasked with reopening her family’s beloved summer camp, Cassie is determined to keep her distance from the man. But Devin’s dedication to giving his young daughter a stable life starts to break down her walls. As they grow closer, Cassie’s heartbreaking secret and Devin’s troubled history threaten to keep them apart. Can they find the courage to face the past and create the family they’ve both been searching for? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Cozy Mystery:


Dumpsters and Dragons by Susan Page Davis and Page M. Davis -- They threw it away, and now they’ll kill to get it back. When garbage collector Cassie Willis finds coded documents in a dumpster, her routine route turns deadly. Chased by a sinister biker and pulled into a murder investigation, Cassie must follow hidden clues tied to an online game before the killer strikes again. Dumpsters and Dragons is a small-town suspense novel where faith, danger, and mystery collide. (Cozy Mystery from Scrivenings Press)

Crime Thriller/Suspense:


When Daylight is Gone by Georgia Curtis Ling -- The Pastors’ Wives Club is back! From #1 Amazon bestselling author Georgia Curtis Ling comes When Daylight Is Gone a new standalone novel in the Pastors’ Wives Club Suspense series. When a child is left for dead in the Appalachian wilderness, four pastors’ wives hunt a monstrous predator through a dark forest of buried sins. These unlikely warriors, armed with unshakable faith and a refusal to yield, are determined stop him before another child vanishes into the darkness. (Crime Thriller/Suspense, Independently Published)

General Historical:


The Amazing Crab Alley Revival by Sharon Wilharm -- The year is 1897 and wealthy widow Lydia Culpepper is evaluating her mundane existence. For sixty-three years, she’s faithfully gone through the motions of fulfilling everyone else’s expectations for her life, but nothing she does is ever enough. She longs for something more. When a young boy comes to her house in search of his missing coon dog, she gets her wish. She meets Emily Reed, a young finishing school instructor, and Opal Jackson, an Irish single mother, and the three women join together on a mission that turns the First Baptist Church on its head. Suddenly, the town is in an uproar as lives are being changed. When Yellow Fever hits, it looks like their efforts may have been in vain, but the epidemic isn’t enough to thwart the fruits of the Crab Alley Revival. (General Historical from Elk Lake Publishing)

Historical Romance:


Beyond the Melody by Amanda Cabot -- By the spring of 1946, life in Sweetwater Crossing is almost back to normal after the war. Not Anna Finley's. She lost her chance at happily-ever-after when the man she loved was killed in France. Anna does her best to hide her sorrow and a secret that haunts her as she works on the jukeboxes she inherited when her brother died in combat. There's no point in dreaming about what might have been. Jim Smythe is also grieving a shattered life. His fiancee broke their engagement, reminding him that a respected magazine said it should take no more than three weeks for a veteran to forget the war. But Jim cannot forget the men in his platoon who didn't return home, and he's made it his mission to visit each of the fallen soldiers' families, hoping to give them some small measure of comfort. Sweetwater Crossing is his final stop. After that, he'll have to return to Boston and the life that holds no appeal. If only he could find an alternative, one where people saw him for himself, not his family's name. He's given up hope that anyone will understand what his parents and fiancee did not, but everything changes when he enters a small cafe and sees a woman whose eyes reflect his own pain standing next to a jukebox. Jim knows he'll never see her again, yet it somehow feels right to extend his hand and say, "May I have this dance?" It's a once-in-a-lifetime moment for two wounded people unless they can overcome their fears and find the courage to love again. (Historical Romance from ByDand Publishing)

To Fall in Love at Christmas by Robin Lee Hatcher -- Alice MacPherson came to Idaho with nothing but her nursing skills, her Bible, and a lifetime of rules that have left her weary in both body and soul. Color, beauty, and celebration feel frivolous to her, a distraction from the seriousness of faith and her nursing profession. She expects nothing more for her future than work and solitude. Reverend Truman Blankenship has spent five years tending his small flock in Gibeon. Shy by nature, but strong in faith, he delights in the joy of Christ—especially at Christmastime, when he fills the church and parsonage with greenery, candles, and celebration. Thrown together in the homes of the sick, in the bustle of the town’s Christmas preparations, and in the laughter of children rehearsing a nativity play, Truman and Alice discover unexpected attraction. Her rigid beliefs may clash with his merry faith, but in the glow of Christmas, both will find that God’s love can heal the past—and open their hearts to a future filled with hope and joy. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

To Chase the Stars by Tara Johnson -- A sailor hiding a dark past, and a woman on the run... Will they find what their hearts are looking for? Isabelle Holland is trapped in a life she never wanted. When her tyrannical aunt plans her marriage to an odious man, and with no word from her family in Charleston, she feels her life is over…until she meets a sea captain who can offer her a way to flee Savannah and unravel the mystery of her family’s secrets. Captain Henry Kincaid is running from the demons of his past. His only solace? (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

A Mess of Dreams by Jessie Mattis -- In spring of 1943, seventeen-year-old Lorene Stewart isn’t looking for complications. She’s content on her parents’ Illinois farm, longing for the day she might travel beyond the cornfields of Potomac. But when Amos Alexander chooses her angel food cake at the town cakewalk, everything changes. For the first time since tragedy struck her family long ago, Lorene’s heart stirs with hope. Yet as quickly as their romance sparks, a world torn apart by war threatens to extinguish it. When Lorene befriends Dietrich, a German POW whose kindness and mysterious past captivate her, she begins to question everything. How can someone deemed “the enemy” side with all that’s right and good? And what if Amos has inherited his father’s deep prejudice, which he swore to resist? Amos seems to know what he wants, but when his father forbids him to court Lorene, it’s unclear if he will honor his parents’ wishes or pursue true love no matter the cost. Lorene must discern who she can trust if her dreams are to become reality. Her hope of a future spent changing the world with the right man at her side depends on it. (Historical Romance from Ashberry Lane)

Romantic Suspense:


Trapped by Jerusha Agen -- Her lies keep her safe. Until the truth shows up. And it’s carrying a gun. Kristen Grant will do anything to protect her adopted teen daughter from the dangers of their past. No matter how many secrets it requires, Kristen will ensure Rosalia enjoys a happy life and promising future Kristen didn’t have. His childhood friend may have a different name, but that doesn’t change the way he feels. Security specialist Sean Kingston never expected to meet his childhood buddy in sleepy little Leben Falls. She’s changed, shrouded in mystery and secrets she doesn’t want to share. But when a shooter wakes up the small town, it seems those secrets are going to get Kristen killed. Freedom has a price, and the enemy of Kristen’s past has come to collect. Will Kristen have to pay with her life, or can Sean and his God set her free? (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Overdrive by Taylor S. Newport -- The mission looked simple. But the enemy is closer, faster, and deadlier than they imagined. Tyler Reid needs a break, but trouble finds him first. A call from London pulls him into a missing-person case linked to a powerful surveillance project that’s suddenly worth killing for. The deeper he digs, the more bodies he finds—and the more obvious it becomes that someone wants the entire system for themselves. Alexandra "Alex" Romanova is looking for an escape from Veritek and the weight waiting for her back home. A trip with Tyler should’ve been the break they both needed. But when the case escalates and puts her company in the crosshairs, she goes with him—trying to keep him grounded even as the danger forces him to speed up. The investigation spirals into a breakneck pursuit, ambushes snapping at their heels as their unknown enemy stays one move ahead. Someone is erasing anyone tied to the project, leaving bodies instead of answers. With the elusive threat closing fast, Tyler and Alex are fighting to get ahead long enough to expose who’s hunting them. (Romantic Suspense from Whitewater River Publishing)

Western/Historical:


Seeds of Hope by Teresa Wells -- Blooming Grove, Texas, 1896- Deputy Rabb Truitt has sworn to protect Blooming Grove. But when a clerical error sets a criminal free, Rabb blames himself. He should’ve admitted he can’t read, and now he must resign. If he failed the town once, he could fail it again. A recent survivor of a devastating fire, Sallie Parker refuses to let Rabb give up the job he loves. She helps him make sense of letters on the page, and as his knowledge grows, so do their feelings for each other. When a series of mysterious events surround Sallie’s school, Rabb fears a connection to cattle rustlers he’s pursuing. Each day without arrest, the demands for mob justice increase. Rabb races to protect the town and the woman he loves. But is he too late? (Western Historical from Scrivenings Press)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

Burns and Beauty - Philistines by Christine Dillon -- Saphi has spent her life despising the mother who scarred her face and condemned her to obscurity as a temple sweeper in the house of Dagon. Scorned and friendless, she expects nothing from the Philistine gods except silence. Then the Philistines capture the ark of the God of Israel. (Contemporary Romance)

Dotty Makes a Difference by Jeni Jennings -- What if what makes you different makes all the difference? Set against the stunning backdrop of gorgeous African landscapes, this heartwarming story of faith, courage, and friendship for readers 3-8 will inspire children to embrace their differences and see the beauty in all God's creations. (Children’s/Picture Books)

Praying for Mr. Wright by Kimberly Kirkland Absher -- A worship leader, a matchmaking scheme, and an unexpected love story. Praying for Mr. Wright is a warm, faith-filled contemporary Christian Romance about surrendering expectations, trusting God with your heart, and discovering that sometimes the answer to prayer looks nothing like the plan you imagined. (Contemporary Romance)

Diamonds & Dynamite by Jane Daly -- When a stolen diamond, a deadly cartel, and a secretive mine collide, love might be the most explosive force of all. (Romantic Suspense)

Rainbow Valley by Cathe Swanson -- The life they built is changing. The past they buried is calling. Rainbow Valley is a heartfelt story of marriage, faith, identity, and the courage to rediscover each other after a lifetime of becoming someone new. (Historical Romance)

Something New by Cathe Swanson -- Coming home is the last thing Charlea wants—but it may be the beginning of everything she's been searching for. (Contemporary Women's Fiction)

Thursday, July 2, 2026

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Melissa Knight

 Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Melissa Knight!

How many of us “mature” folks remember what it was like to be seventeen? The highs and lows, dreaming of what our futures held, a hot mess of boldness and fear? I remember! I’ve taught kids in public schools from K-12, with all kinds of backgrounds and world views. One day I discovered a discarded love note in my classroom after my students were dismissed. Though I’m not sure the writer or receiver were identified, the note was clearly written from a girl to a guy, expressing how much she thought of him and longed for his attention. Normal feelings, right?

The problem was, this was an elementary classroom of fifth graders.

Years later that experience, and others, influenced my desire to write Christian Young Adult fiction, specifically about dating and first love. I already knew the power of a good book, so why not show young teens, in an entertaining way, that God Himself loves romance? Why not mix humor and hope with hard, real-life issues, to attract a generation to the One who loves them most?

You Were There is the first book in my Rayburn High Romance series. It’s set in Texas, y’all, and
follows Reese and Daniel’s story. Reese is not a Christian at the beginning, and her family history is a bit rough. She lives with her mom and grandma, and all three have broken hearts. Yet they also possess God-given grit: “stiffen your spine, girl!” Throughout the chapters they learn to recognize God’s presence and loving intervention throughout their lives, even when He seemed so distant.

Their pasts aren’t magically rewritten. Their problems don’t disappear. But they catch sight of hope and forgiveness through a Savior who loves them. I pray that’s the main takeaway for each and every one of my readers, from twelve to ninety-nine.

There are many YA Christian Fiction authors out there who write in various genres, and I hope you’ll check out not just my work but theirs as well. Please ask God to use our stories to reach a generation who navigate all kinds of distractions and challenges which many of us never had to face.

I would also be delighted if you follow me on these platforms:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bconEY
Substack: https://substack.com/@melissaknightauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22503413.Melissa_Knight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071089929220
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissaknight9307

About You Were There:

True love? What a fantasy!


Reese has plenty of reasons for being a skeptic. The Owens women, despite their thriving wedding planner business, have a sad history when it comes to matters of the heart!

And yet, there’s this guy…

Tall, athletic Daniel Dixon is full of contradictions. Super-competitive yet gentle, his bold stance on what love really means affects Reese deeply.

Complications arise when she discovers a not-so-secret figure from her past. Add a troubled ex-friend to the mix, and Reese questions not just her judgment, but her physical safety.

Reese’s journey to faith, and to a love that is joyful and enduring, is told with humor, honesty and a healthy dose of grandma advice!

You Were There is a Christian YA Romance, Book One in The Rayburn High Romance Series.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4wjtOKK
 
About Melissa:

Melissa Knight is the author of YA Christian Contemporary Romance books, including the High School 101 and Rayburn High Romance series. A veteran teacher in public schools, many of her short stories and articles have been published in various magazines and literature for teens and children. She’s made several moves as an oil field wife, leading to some of the best adventures and friendships of her life. Melissa and her husband (still her sweetheart) currently live in Texas, while their adult children are out there building their own legacies.

Photo credits:
Author photo and book image: Courtesy Melissa Knight
 Cowboy Boots: Pixabay/Alexa

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Release Day! Eye of the Beholder

 

Release Day!


Eye of the Beholder is part of the Apron Strings Tea Tales,
fairytale retellings set during the interwar years of 1919-1939

Shunned for his appearance, a disfigured veteran encounters acceptance and love where he least expects it.

Left with physical and emotional scars after the Great War, Hank Drake has been shunned by polite society as the Ugly Duckling. Fine by him. He’d much rather be alone. Until he meets the kind proprietress of a tea stand at New York’s World’s Fair who isn’t repulsed by his appearance. Can he hope for acceptance…or even love?

Grace Sutton has no interest in marrying and is tired of her parent’s snide comments that she’s still single on the eve of her 40th birthday. After she loses her job thanks to budget cuts, she decides it’s time to follow her dream of feeding others. Armed with Mrs. Canfield’s cookbook, she opens a refreshment stand at the World’s Fair unaware how one man will turn her life upside down and upset the apple…er, tea cart.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Pz88KO

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Denise Farnsworth!

 Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome Back Denise Farnsworth!

I've known Denise Farnsworth for quite a while, and I'm a total fan-girl of her stories. Her books are well-researched with complex characters and relatable themes. Grab a "cuppa" and get to know this interesting author.

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing?

Oh, yes! This one doesn’t have to do with the books I’m featuring this summer, but it does have to do with a great summer beach read, The Curator’s Secret. My mom and I went to Jekyll Island, Georgia, to research this story, which was originally dual time period. (To preserve the faster pace of the modern romantic suspense main story, I ended up taking out the historical scenes and offering them as bonus material.) The Curator’s Secret is about a young woman starting a job as a curator opening a historic cottage to the public on an island that was a retreat for Gilded Age billionaires. But her grad school stalker has somehow followed her there. She also must work with her high school sweetheart, now the island’s director of landscaping. While Mom and I were on Jekyll researching, a huge hurricane approached the coast. We had to cut our trip short. When we were leaving, they were boarding up the historic cottages. I thought about what a neat climax that would make to the story…the heroine stranded on the island as a hurricane bears down and the stalker has trapped her in the cottage. Read it to find out what happens.

What was your inspiration for the story?

The Schoolmarm and the Miner is the book I’m highlighting today—the third novel of my Twenty-Niners of the Georgia Gold Rush, set in Dahlonega, Georgia, in 1839. The unique backdrop of the Georgia Gold Rush, which most people aren’t even aware happened, prompted my research for the tales of three resilient women—a singer, a miller, and a teacher—who brave the wild boomtowns and goldfields in search of identity, freedom, and love.

Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym? Why or why not?

Not a pseudonym, exactly, but I did have a name change when I got married last year. Since my readers
knew me as Denise Weimer, it took a lot of work to gradually change my professional name online and on book covers to Denise Farnsworth. I always explain when I’m at book signings in person why I might be signing a new name to a book with the old name on the cover. But believe me, it’s all in the name of love! We authors need a bit of real-life romance too.

If your book is part of a series: Did you set out to write a series? Why did you decide to write a series?

Wild Heart Books, my publisher, and my employer as an editor, only publishes books in series. It’s a great concept because of the momentum it builds for advertising and satisfied readership. My Scouts of the Georgia Frontier novels are also with Wild Heart Books, including A Contrary Betrothal, releasing in August (previously published as Bent Tree Bride). I also wrote two books for WHB’s Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts multi-author series. And I’m super excited to be part of a WHB collection called Freed by the Frontier, with authors Sherry Shindelar and Susan Craft. Our novellas involve romances in American wilderness settings. Mine, Ofuskee Trail Surrender, features a character from book one of my Scouts series who was abducted from a frontier town during A Counterfeit Betrothal. Readers get to find out what happened to Keturah Caldwell, the fiancée from “back East” who ends up in Creek Territory during the War of 1812, protected by a mysterious brave.

If you were to write a spin-off book about one of your secondary characters, which one would you choose and why?

Interesting question since the books I’m talking about today kind of are spin-offs. The hero of The Schoolmarm and the Miner was the sheriff and best friend of the hero in book one, The Songbird and the Surveyor, who hangs up his guns when he lets the bad guy escape. He gets a second chance to bring the culprit to justice in The Schoolmarm and the Miner. Characters from book two, The Maiden and the Mountie, also show up.

And as mentioned above, Keturah in Ofuskee Trail Surrender/Freed by the Frontier is a character from A Counterfeit Betrothal. Susanna Moore, the heroine of A Contrary Betrothal, also crosses paths with Keturah in Ofuskee Trail Surrender. The locations and time periods of all three stories overlap. Before you get too confused, just know you can read all the books independently without any mix-ups. But I hope the hints of each character’s story will keep you reading.

What draws you to the time period about which you write?

I enjoy writing anything from the Revolutionary War through the Edwardian Age, especially Colonial or Federal frontier or Civil War romances. After falling in love with Gone With the Wind and North and South, I started doing Civil War re-enacting as a teenager. Consequently, my earliest writing was set in the mid-1800s. I do find it a breath of fresh air to write the occasional contemporary romance, but you’ll often find some good history woven in.

How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist?


I stayed home with my daughters except for occasional part-time jobs and slowly developed my writing career, then my editing career. But God used the odd jobs and volunteering I did as a historical interpreter and a leader of a vintage dance and living history group to educate and prepare me…even down to speaking in public, which we authors must do on occasion. Being an editor has sharpened my technical writing skills and taught me disciple and efficiency.

What is your next project?

I’ve just finished researching and started writing a series about Western North Carolina’s earliest forest service rangers and their brides. These rangers worked in Biltmore, Pisgah, and Nantahala forests, with the stories set in 1908, 1916, and 1919. They faced dangers from forest fires, floods, wild animals, moonshiners, and greedy timber barons. The heroes don’t expect women equal to the hardships of their lifestyles, but enter a naturalist, a botanist, and an archeologist with lots of heart and grit. More coming soon!

BOOK BLURBS:

The Schoolmarm and the Miner:

A teacher seeking independence. A widower guarding his heart. In Georgia's gold country, the richest prize may be the love they’re afraid to claim.


Adelaide Duncan's dream of teaching is within reach until her father's drinking and gambling force her to start over. Taking a position in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town of Dahlonega, she’s determined to prove herself. But unruly students, strict rules against teachers courting, and her growing feelings for a certain widowed father threaten the independence she’s fought so hard to claim.

Wade Coulter walked away from the law after he lost his wife and unborn son. Raising his daughter alone is safer than letting anyone else in. But Lotty’s beautiful new teacher makes him question everything. Just as he begins to trust again, a dangerous man from Wade’s past threatens both the women he loves.

A gold strike on Wade’s property promises security…but also revives old dangers. Scarred by her father’s choices, Addie fears any man who might put selfish desires before love. As deadly threats close in and the past refuses to stay buried, Wade must prove he's changed or risk losing his chance at happiness forever.

https://www.amazon.com/Schoolmarm-Miner-Twenty-Niners-Georgia-Gold-ebook/dp/B0GMRS3Q88/

Freed by the Frontier:

Three remarkable women find themselves caught between two worlds on the American frontier. A
captive of the Comanche must choose between escaping to white society or her growing feelings for a rising war chief in 1850s Texas. A Georgia judge’s daughter flees an unwanted betrothal during the War of 1812, only to be captured by Creek warriors but protected by a mysterious brave. And in 1754, an English lady traveling the Great Wagon Road to become a music teacher discovers her carefully planned future may not survive her attraction to a protective frontiersman.

From quaint civilized towns to treacherous mountain passes and wilderness villages, three couples navigate cultural divisions, overcome past wounds, and face deadly dangers to discover that love knows no boundaries. But as war clouds gather and ancient tribal alliances shift, will their newfound relationships survive the coming storm? Or will the clash of worlds tear them apart?

Three unforgettable romances prove that God's greatest blessings often come disguised as our greatest challenges, and that true love can bridge any divide.

Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/Freed-Frontier-Denise-Farnsworth-ebook/dp/B0G71K2R8B/

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Wartime Wednesday: The War Refugee Board

 

Wartime Wednesday: War Refugee Board

Dozens of government agencies were created in America during World War II, but according to historian Rebecca Erbelding, the War Refugee Board (WRB) is “the only time in American history that the US government founded a non-military organization to save the lives of civilians being murdered by a wartime enemy.”

After significant publicity, pressure, and public outcry, President Roosevelt created the WRB on January 22, 1944 by Executive Order 9417. The board was composed of the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, and led by Director John Pehle, an attorney and assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury. He reported directly to President Roosevelt. On paper, the organization was limited to a maximum staff of thirty, but through “detailing” employees from other agencies, that number ultimately rose to seventy by the summer of 1944.

Responsibilities of the WRB were primarily to 1) rescue, transport, and relieve victims of enemy oppression, and 2) establish havens of temporary refuge for such victims. By coordinating activities and
programs with foreign governments through diplomats, international refugee and rescue organizations, and resistance groups, and setting up bases in neutral countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, and Turkey, the WRB was able to finance operations and communicate with individuals in enemy territory. An estimated $20M funded the board’s activities.

Efforts included obtaining blockade clearances for food shipments by private relief organizations that were distributed by the International Red Cross to prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. In North Africa refugee camps were set up, and safe haven was provided in Palestine, Switzerland, and Sweden. In August 1944, the Fort Ontario Emergency Relief Shelter was created in Oswego, New York to house refugees who would return to their countries after the war ended (provided the Allies were successful).

Some sources indicate that the WRB may have used its influence to rally European countries into action such as Hungary’s cessation of deportation of its Jews to Auschwitz in July 1944. Subsequently, the board funded diplomat Raoul Wallenberg’s rescue mission to Budapest where it is through his actions protected tens of thousands of Jews.

It is unknown exactly how many Jews were saved by the WRB’s work because of the clandestine nature of its activities; however, historian David Wyman gives an estimate of 200,000. The WRB itself indicated they may have saved “tens of thousands.” However, many it was, WRB Director Pehle commented years later that their results were “too little, too late” compared to the millions of lives lost during the Holocaust.

With the war’s end, Executive Order 9614 was issued abolishing the WRB on September 15, 1945.
______________________

Eye of the Beholder: An Apron Strings Tea Tale

Shunned for his appearance, a disfigured veteran encounters acceptance and love where he least expects it.

Left with physical and emotional scars after the Great War, Hank Drake has been shunned by polite society as the Ugly Duckling. Fine by him. He’d much rather be alone. Until he meets the kind proprietress of a tea stand at New York’s World’s Fair who isn’t repulsed by his appearance. Can he hope for acceptance…or even love?

Grace Sutton has no interest in marrying and is tired of her parent’s snide comments that she’s still single on the eve of her 40th birthday. After she loses her job thanks to budget cuts, she decides it’s time to follow her dream of feeding others. Armed with Mrs. Canfield’s cookbook, she opens a refreshment stand at the World’s Fair unaware how one man will turn her life upside down and upset the apple…er, tea cart.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Pz88KO

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Refugee_Board
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-9417-establishing-war-refugee-board
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/war-refugee-board
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-war-refugee-board
https://archives.jdc.org/topic-guides/jdc-and-the-u-s-war-refugee-board-1944-45/

Photo Credits:
Newspaper: National WWII Museum
Children: JDC Archives
Father and Daughter at Fort Ontario: US National Archives

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Carol McClain!

 

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Carol McClain!

The most frequent question asked me is, “Which is the favorite book you authored? I will address my final answer to my favored book at the end. I want, first, to address the second most frequent question: “How do you get your story ideas?”

With seven books on the market, the answer is easy: the messy, beautiful, sinful, redemptive lives of those I know and love. The genesis of my newest book Choices We Make will illustrate.

Several years ago, by the hand of God, my sister-in-law of only eight years, saw something off with my brother. She rushed Art to the hospital where he had a massive cardiac issue as she pulled up to the ER. At that moment, my beloved brother’s implanted defibrillator shocked him and restored him.

Once inside, emergency staff shocked him with the AED many times. Between the ER doctors’ shocks,
his surgical defibrillator continued. Together, over thirty times. At last, my sister-in-law signed a DNR. With human hands off him, instead of dying, my brother’s heart settled. In an induced coma, we did not know if he would be brain dead, or almost worse, brain-damaged.

Thus, the genesis of my story. The two were relatively newlyweds. What would life be like having to care for a brain-compromised husband you were only just getting to know?

Art survived with no apparent damage.

Not so for my antagonist, Wyatt. His wife Tallie has to come to grips of a life with a man, who through no fault of his own, suffered damage that physically and psychologically affected his family. What would God require of us? What could we endure? Choices We Make was conceived.

What would you do if the man you married was no longer a person you recognize? If he jeopardized you and your child? What does God desire?

So, my second most frequent question is answered. All my stories come from life experiences—mine and others.
 
As for my first most frequently asked question about my favorite work : my usual answer is, “Who is your favorite child?” (And shh. Don’t tell my other novels. My favorite book is the one I never thought I’d ever love.)

About Choices We Make

What happens when the vow “for better” becomes dangerously worse?

Journey into the heart of a marriage tested beyond imagination. Tallie Peters, a devoted wife and accomplished marriage counselor, cherishes her life with her soulmate, Wyatt. They share dreams of growing old together, filling their days with love and children. Yet, life has its own plans. A tragic accident leaves Wyatt with a brain injury, transforming the energetic, loving man into a stranger grappling with uncontrollable impulses, anger, and an increasing dependence on alcohol. For her faith and for her son, Tallie must confront the reality of her marriage and her choices. She must decide whether the life she’s loved can be saved.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/430NG8J  

About Carol

Carol McClain is the author of seven published novels She loves God, glass, good books, and goats—especially when the goats are not eating her manuscript. Carol also edits, teaches Bible studies, hikes the Smokies, and pursues many other interests that allow her to avoid housecleaning. Why make a bed when you’re only going to mess it up again? When she’s not writing stories filled with people making spectacularly messy choices, she’s wrangling goats or chasing shiny bits of stained glass.

Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.carolmcclain.com

Photo credits:
Author photo, book cover image: Courtesy Carol McClain
Emergency sign: Pixabay/ElasticComputeFarm
Emergency Room gurney: Pixabay

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Traveling Tuesday: The Baltic States During WW2

 Traveling Tuesday: The Baltic States


My knowledge of geography was not good until my interest in World War II surfaced, and I learned about the more than seventy countries involved in the conflict, many of them tiny nations such as the three Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia that together are smaller than the American state of Missouri.

Located in northeastern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea and bordered by Russia, Belarus, and Poland, the Baltic states have existed in some form since antiquity. Despite sharing a geographical region, the three countries have vastly “different histories and ethnic compositions experiencing varying foreign conquests that shaped their distinct political and cultural developments.” (Wikipedia) The three also have different geography with Estonia having a highly “indented coastline” and more than 2,000 islands; Lativa featuring forests that cover almost half the country, and Lithuania being a mix of lakes and forests and the Curonian Spit, a long, thin sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic States all achieved their independence at the end of World War I or shortly thereafter. They
experienced growth and economic development, however the stability was short-lived, and all three countries suffered greatly during World War II.

In 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact which divided Europe into German and Soviet “spheres of influence.” Not long after, the Soviets backed the Baltic States into “mutual assistance treaties” which gave the USSR the right to establish military bases in the countries. Then in June 1940 elections were held in which only pro-Stalin candidates were allowed to run, and unsurprisingly, the new parliaments voted to join the Soviet Union.

Life in the Baltic States took a tragic turn as arrests, executions, and mass deportations occurred of more than 200,000 people. Others were sent to Gulags and labor camps. The following year, the Germans invaded, and the Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians were thrilled to see them arrive, but excitement quickly turned to horror as the Germans set up a civil administration that targeted the Jewish population with mass killings and deportations to ghettos. The Red Army returned in late 1944 as part of the Potsdam Agreement. By the end of World War II, fewer than five percent of the original Jewish population in the Baltic States remained.

Independence would not be restored until the late 1980s.

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Eye of the Beholder: An Apron Strings Tea Tale (Releasing June 30, 2026)

Shunned for his appearance, a disfigured veteran encounters acceptance and love where he least expects it.

Left with physical and emotional scars after the Great War, Hank Drake has been shunned by polite society as the Ugly Duckling. Fine by him. He’d much rather be alone. Until he meets the kind proprietress of a tea stand at New York’s World’s Fair who isn’t repulsed by his appearance. Can he hope for acceptance…or even love?

Grace Sutton has no interest in marrying and is tired of her parent’s snide comments that she’s still single on the eve of her 40th birthday. After she loses her job thanks to budget cuts, she decides it’s time to follow her dream of feeding others. Armed with Mrs. Canfield’s cookbook, she opens a refreshment stand at the World’s Fair unaware how one man will turn her life upside down and upset the apple…er, tea cart.

Pre-Order Link: https://amzn.to/3Pz88KO

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Baltic_states
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_the_Baltic_states_during_World_War_II
https://communistcrimes.org/en/timeline-soviet-occupation-baltic-states
https://gulag.online/articles/soviet-repression-and-deportations-in-the-baltic-states
https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II/The-Baltic-states-and-the-Russo-Finnish-War-1939-40
https://www.reddit.com/r/BalticStates/comments/14aqiqo/why_were_the_baltic_states_annexed_into_the/

Photo Credits:
Map of Soviet Invasion: By The Soviet Baltic Fleet H.Q. - Russian State Naval Archives (RSNA), Public Domain
Stalin and Ribbentrop after signing the Agreement: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-H27337 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Soldiers entering Lithuania: By Unknown author - KÄ—dainių kraÅ¡to muziejus via LIMIS (primary account number of exhibit: KÄ— KM KÄ— KM Gek 3274), Public Domain