Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Amanda Cabot!

 

Changing Times

by Amanda Cabot

First of all, thanks so much for inviting me to be part of Talkshow Thursday, Linda. I always enjoy my time with you and your followers.

When I first announced that I was writing a book set in the post-WWII era, a number of my readers wondered why I’d made what seemed like such a dramatic change. I suspect that others have the same questions, so I thought I’d conduct a mock interview with myself to answer them.

Most of your books take place in the nineteenth century, so why did you decide to set Beyond the Melody in 1946? As is true for many of my readers, Sweetwater Crossing holds a special place in my heart and I didn’t want to leave it. The problem was, I felt as if I’d exhausted the Vaughn sisters’ stories. At the same time, I kept thinking about them and wondering what their descendants’ lives would be like. I could have done what some authors do and write a story about their children, but that didn’t excite me. Instead, I felt drawn to the twentieth century and specifically to the World War II era.

Books set during that war are very popular now. Why did you choose 1946 rather than one of the war years? The answer to that is two-fold. First of all, I didn’t want to write a war story, because I knew I’d find the research painful. But, more importantly, I knew I couldn’t compete with the many outstanding authors, including Linda, who are writing WWII books.

What fascinated me was the adjustment both the soldiers and their families had to make in the aftermath of the war. It’s been decades since I’ve watched Best Years of Our Lives, and I’ve forgotten much of the plot, but what was indelibly etched on my memory is that both the returning soldiers and their families were faced with huge challenges. That was the kind of story I wanted to write. And when I started my research and learned that a well-respected magazine declared that it should take no more than three weeks for soldiers to put their war experiences behind them, I knew that debunking that ridiculous statement would be part of my story.

You mentioned research. What kinds of research did you do? I’m a huge fan of Time-Life’s This

Fabulous Century series, which has a volume dedicated to each of the first six decades of the twentieth century. The combination of pictures (and, yes, a picture is worth a thousand words) and articles about everything from world events to pastimes puts these books at the top of my research list. I learned so much about life before, during, and after the war from the volume on the forties and had a lot of fun incorporating some of the more interesting details in Melody.

In addition to books, I was fortunate to have had an aunt who, with her husband, had a jukebox route. When my husband and I would visit her, she would regale us with stories of the work they did on those jukeboxes. Those tales were the reason I gave my heroine her own jukebox route.

What were the most interesting aspects of the forties for you? In some respects, that era felt almost modern. Notice that I said “almost.” Families had phones and indoor plumbing. They no longer had to cook over wood-fired stoves. Women no longer wore floor-length dresses unless, of course, they were going out for a special evening. All that felt modern.

On the other hand, there were many aspects of life that made it clear that it was eighty years in the past. No air conditioning, no GPS for easy navigation, no internet for quick research. But, when all is said and done, although the outward trappings of daily life may differ, people are essentially the same. They face the same problems and they long for the same things. It doesn’t matter whether they’re living in the nineteenth century, immediately after the Second World War, or in 2026. Though their external circumstances are different, my characters seek the same things we all do: love, a place to call home, a purpose for our lives.

Will there be another post-war book? That depends. When I started writing Melody, I had no plans for a second book, but by the time I finished it, I realized I’d planted the seeds for one—maybe two—others. Whether or not they get written depends on how readers react to Anna and Jim’s story.

Have you abandoned the nineteenth century? Definitely not. I’m currently writing Blossoms at Twilight, the third of the Sisters of the Heart trilogy. And while that was supposed to be the final book in that series, several characters in it are demanding their own stories. I also have an idea for another Christmas story set in nineteenth century Sweetwater Crossing. The challenge now is which book to write first.

Thank you all for listening, or should I say reading? If there are other questions you’d like answered, please add them to the comments. I’ll check in frequently.

Beyond the Melody
Neither one is looking for love, but sometimes all it takes is one dance.

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 fiancée 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 fiancée did not, but everything changes when he enters a small café 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.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/4o1Y49R

About Amanda
From the age of seven, Amanda Cabot dreamed of becoming a published author, but it was only when she set herself the goal of selling a book by her thirtieth birthday that the dream came true. A former director of Information Technology, Amanda has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages. She is now the bestselling author of more than forty novels and a variety of novellas. Her books have been honored with starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. For her, a day is incomplete unless it includes books and at least one pot of tea.

Photo credits:

Author image, book cover, book page: courtesy Amanda Cabot

Jukebox: Pixabay/schubinger

Teatime Tuesday: British Tea Companies

 Teatime Tuesday: British Tea Companies

Jigsaw puzzles and tea are two of my favorite things, although I came to both later in life. Hubby and I now own about fifty(!) jigsaw puzzles, and one of our recent purchases from White Mountain Puzzles is “Teatime.” As an inveterate researcher, I couldn’t help but investigate the various business displayed. Today I’ll be sharing about two of the British companies.

Twinings:
Founded in 1706, Twinings has the honor of holding the world’s oldest continuously used logo as well as being “London’s longest-standing ratepayer” (taxpayer for us Americans). The company has occupied the same building at 216 Strand since its founding.

The Twinings family originally hailed from Gloucestershire where they were weavers. However,

business took a bad turn during a recession, and the family went to London in 1684 to find work. When he was old enough their son Thomas was apprenticed to a weaver but changed careers (somewhat unusual for the time), and he went to work for a tea merchant. He then found employment with the East India Company and by all accounts did well for himself.

Coffee house were popular places for men to hold meeting, and in 1706, the savvy young Thomas purchased Tom’s Coffee House where he also sold tea which was gaining in popularity. He soon realized he was selling more dry tea than brewed tea and changed his business model to include selling the dry tea to other coffee houses and wealthy households. By 1717, he was so successful, he was able to purchase adjacent houses and expand his business. After Thomas passed away in 1741, he son Daniel took over and by 1749 was exporting tea to the American colonies. According to the Twinings website “when the Boston Tea Party dumped English tea into the harbor to protest against the British imposing taxation without representation, a local writer noted ‘…it was not Twinings tea the Boston rebels tossed into the sea.’”

Good to know.

Horniman's

The second brand pictured on the puzzle is Horniman’s which was founded in 1826 by Quaker John Horniman who lived in Newport, Isle of Wight. At this time, tea leaves were sold “loosely,” which allowed dishonest traders to add filler such as hedge clippings or dust (Wikipedia). John came up with a way to use mechanical devices to fill pre-sealed packages thus reducing his cost of production, but more importantly guaranteeing a high-quality product.

He was a marketing genius and heavily promoted his tea as “pure.” The illustration on his materials shows the harvesting and processing of the tea being done in a small, rural setting “under the watchful eye of Horniman’s Tea Company.” Additional verbiage touted, “imported free from the usual injurious mineral facing powder.”

According to the Horniman website, John also “emphasized how tea could improve the drinker’s life…

marketing centered on women from upper-class background…and the go-to tea for the household.” Customers could also receive coupons and discounts, and “if someone bought enough tea, they could get discounted or free clothing, jewelry, cutlery, and/or children’s toys.

His tactics worked. By 1891, Horniman’s was the largest tea trading business in the world.

___________________

About Eye of the Beholder (Apron Strings Tea Tales)

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://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/history-of-twinings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinings
https://www.horniman.ac.uk/story/hornimans-pure-tea/
https://postcardhistory.net/2025/04/the-history-of-hornimans-pure-tea/

Photo Credits:

Tea Puzzle: Courtesy White Mountain Puzzles

Thomas Twinings: By Unknown author - http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp. Public Domain.

John Horniman: Courtesy Sarah Montgomery http://www.quakersintheworld.org

Horniman's Advertisement: Courtesy https://www.horniman.ac.uk/story/hornimans-pure-tea/ 

On Tour: The White Stone

About the Book

Book: The White Stone: Faith at the Edge of the Deal

Author: Scott Meinke

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release Date: November, 2025

In the high-pressure world of corporate success, the lines between ambition, compromise, and faith are rarely clear.  The White Stone tells the story of a driven professional forced to confront a question many believers face but few talk about openly: What does faithfulness look like when the cost is real- and the reward is unseen?

Rooted in the message to the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2), The White Stone explores integrity under pressure, the slow erosion of conviction, and the grace that calls us back when we’ve settled for less than we were made for.

This is a story for anyone who has wrestled with success, struggled with compromise, or wondered whether quiet obedience still matters in a results-driven world.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Scott Meinke is a business leader, writer, and ministry founder with decades of experience navigating faith in the workplace.  After a long career in the insurance industry, Scott began writing stories that explore integrity, ambition, and what it means to follow Christ when success and conviction collide. The White Stone is his first novel – born out of real-world experience and shaped by Scripture – examining the quiet decisions that define character long before they define careers.

More from Scott

What if the biggest risk isn’t losing your job… but losing your soul? We don’t drift all at once. It happens in small decisions. Quiet compromises. Moments no one else sees. The White Stone: Faith at the Edge of the Deal steps into that tension. Luke Chambers is building a career, a reputation, a future. From the outside, everything is working. But inside, the questions are getting louder. How far is too far?When does success start costing more than it’s worth? And what happens when doing the right thing threatens everything you’ve built? This isn’t just a story about business. It’s about integrity under pressure. About faith in the gray areas. About the quiet line we all face—the one between who we appear to be and who we are becoming. Because the real danger isn’t failure. It’s becoming someone you never intended to be… and calling it success. 

But this is also a story of hope. Of second chances. Of truth breaking through. Of what can be restored when courage finally outweighs control. And beyond the pages, this story is part of something bigger—supporting real lives and real work happening in Vietnam through Did Over Should Ministries. 

An Interview With Scott 

What is your favorite thing about being a writer? My favorite part is being able to take real-life experiences—both successes and struggles—and turn them into something that can encourage others. Writing gives me a way to reflect, process, and share what I’ve learned in a way that might help someone else on their journey. It’s especially meaningful when readers connect with the story and see parts of their own life in it.

Can you share a real-life event that inspired your writing? One of the earliest moments that sparked my writing came when a high school friend asked our group to share about someone we respected. I wrote about my college soccer coach and how he had impacted my life. I didn’t expect much from it, but the response was so positive that it encouraged me to keep writing. That small moment opened the door to sharing more stories from my life, which eventually led to writing The White Stone.

How are your characters like you? Different? Many of my characters reflect parts of my own journey—especially the tension between ambition, success, and faith. Luke’s story, in particular, mirrors a lot of my own experiences and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. At the same time, the characters are also different from me. They allow me to explore decisions, consequences, and perspectives in a way that goes beyond my own life. They’re rooted in reality, but not limited to it.

How do you come up with story lines/book topic? Each story starts with Scripture. I build the foundation around a specific biblical passage—in this case, the letters to the seven churches in Revelation—and then ask what that truth looks like lived out in the real world. From there, the storyline develops through real-life situations, especially in business and leadership, where those tensions are often most visible. It becomes a way of translating timeless truth into everyday life.

What was your favorite childhood book and why? My favorite childhood book was Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. My mom made reading a priority and would read to me every night, and this was the book I asked for again and again. Even though I struggled with dyslexia, she made sure I still developed a love for stories. Looking back, it wasn’t just about the book—it was about the foundation she built that still impacts me today.

My hope for the book: My hope is that this book is thought-provoking—that it encourages people to honestly evaluate where they stand in areas where compromise can quietly take root. Whether that’s in the business world, at home, or even within the church, those pressures are real—and they’re more common than we like to admit.

I wanted to tell a story that feels close to home. One that helps people see that faith isn’t meant to be compartmentalized. That it’s actually possible to live Monday through Friday the same way we live on Sunday morning. And ultimately, that a life of integrity—while not always easy—is always worth it.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 25

Artistic Nobody, June 26 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, June 27

Guild Master, June 28 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, June 29 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 29

The Bookish Ledger, June 30 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 1

Books, Books, & More Books, July 2 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 3 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, July 4 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 5

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, July 6 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, July 7 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 7

Stories By Gina, July 8 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Scott is giving away the grand prize of a pre-release copy of The Open Door and a Vietnam-themed coffee package, connected to the mission of Did Over Should Ministries, supporting outreach efforts in Vietnam!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/193LT/the-white-stone-faith-at-the-edge-of-the-deal-celebration-tour-giveaway

Fiction Friday: New Releases in Christian Fiction for July

 

July 2026 New ReleasesMore 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)

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

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

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/