Bryan Litfin joins us for a chat about Constantine’s empire, the early Church, writing, and his latest release Caesar’s Lord. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!
For today’s Pinch of the Past, we’re looking at some strange medical practices, one of which dates back to 6500 B.C. A treatment for headaches, head wounds, and madness, trepanning was not for the faint of heart. (Full post here.)
Today’s Bookworm Review is brought to you by Angela Bell. “If you love southern fiction and nuanced dual time stories, Paint and Nectar is sure to be your cup of tea!” (Full review here.)
In 1929, a spark forms between Eliza, a talented watercolorist, and William, a charming young man with a secret that could ruin her career. Their families forbid their romance because of a long-standing feud over missing heirloom silver. Still, Eliza and William’s passion grows despite the barriers, causing William to deeply regret the secret he’s keeping . . . but setting things right will come at a cost.
In present-day Charleston, a mysterious benefactor gifts Lucy Legare an old house, along with all the secrets it holds—including enigmatic letters about an antique silver heirloom. Declan Pinckney, whom Lucy’s been avoiding since their disastrous first date, is set on buying her house for his family’s development company. As Lucy uncovers secrets about the house, its garden, and the silver, she becomes more determined than ever to preserve the historic Charleston property, not only for history’s sake but also for her own.
THE REVIEW
With her debut novel The Dress Shop on King Street, Ashley Clark stitched herself into the fabric of my Must Buy Authors list. When I learned it was the first book in a series, I was thrilled…and a little worried the sequel wouldn’t live up to my expectations.
Dear reader, I needn’t have worried.
Reading an Ashley Clark book is like drinking a glass of iced tea on a summer’s day—you simultaneously want to swig back the whole thing and savor the sweetness of every sip!
Paint and Nectar, book two in Clark’s Heirloom Secrets series, is a work of art from beginning to end. Inhabited by a cast of multifaceted characters and brimming with southern charm, this book solidified Clark’s place on my Favorite Authors list. My head spins thinking of the work that goes into crafting a dual time novel, but Clark pulls it off like an old pro, weaving the plots and timelines together seamlessly. Her use of metaphor is exquisite, tugging at the heartstrings without breaking them, and her sassy, steel magnolia wit is an utter delight.
If you love southern fiction and nuanced dual time stories, Paint and Nectar is sure to be your cup of tea!
THE AUTHOR
Ashley Clark is the acclaimed novelist of The Heirloom Secrets Series. She writes women’s fiction set in the South, and her stories are filled with faith, sweet romance, and lots of family secrets. She loves all things vintage and the almost-forgotten stories of the past. Ashley finds her writing interests influenced by the spaces shared between femininity + strength, loss + legacy, and beauty + memory. She is an English adjunct instructor, a wife and homeschool mama, and she adores her adopted senior Cocker Spaniel.
Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com
Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.
Stephenia McGee joins us for a chat about horses, muscle cars, writing, and her latest release The Secrets of Emberwild. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!
For today’s Pinch of the Past, we’re looking at how birthdays have been celebrated throughout history. By the way, did you know that “Happy Birthday” is not public domain? That’s right, more than a 100 years old, and someone still owns the copyright. (Full post here.)
Today’s Bookworm Review is bought to you by Beth Bulow. “If you love Biblical fiction full of endearing characters, a tender, hard-won romance, and exciting journeys to distant kingdoms, The Hidden Princeby Tessa Afshar is an absolute must read for you.” (Full review here.)
Answering a woman’s desperate call for help, young Navy widow Helen Devries opens her Whidbey Island home as a refuge to Choi Eunhee. As they bond over common losses and a delicate, potentially devastating secret, their friendship spans the remainder of their lives.
After losing her mother, Cassidy Quinn spent her childhood summers with her gran, Helen, at her farmhouse. Nourished by her grandmother’s love and encouragement, Cassidy discovers a passion that she hopes will bloom into a career. But after Helen passes, Cassidy learns that her home and garden have fallen into serious disrepair. Worse, a looming tax debt threatens her inheritance. Facing the loss of her legacy and in need of allies and ideas, Cassidy reaches out to Nick, her former love, despite the complicated emotions brought by having him back in her life.
Cassidy inherits not only the family home but a task, spoken with her grandmother’s final breaths: ask Grace Kim—Eunhee’s granddaughter—to help sort through the contents of the locked hope chest in the attic. As she and Grace dig into the past, they unearth their grandmothers’ long-held secret and more. Each startling revelation reshapes their understanding of their grandmothers and ultimately inspires the courage to take risks and make changes to own their lives.
Set in both modern-day and midcentury Whidbey Island, Washington, this dual-narrative story of four women—grandmothers and granddaughters—intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a well-lived life.
THE REVIEW
I picked up “Heirlooms” by Sandra Byrd on a whim. I’d never read her work before, and I hadn’t heard anything about this latest release. With no preconceived notions or expectations, I read the opening lines and was immediately transported to the 1950’s by historical details that evoked nostalgia for a time I’d never experienced. Then the characters stepped onto the page—diverse, endearing, complex—and the story seemed to shift from black and white to brilliant technicolor. As the daughter of a former special education teacher, I was particularly touched by the thoughtful and heart-felt depiction of characters with autism and down syndrome.
“Heirlooms” is a story of friendship. A story of family and legacy. One with rich spiritual themes. More than once, I was moved to tears by poignant scenes of grief where the characters were allowed to ask tough questions and weren’t given blithe answers. Instead, Byrd digs deep into the heart of her characters’ pain, sorting through the soil of raw emotion and planting roots of truth, so they can grow and reemerge into the sunlight with newfound beauty and hope.
If you’re a fan of women’s fiction and dual time narratives, you’re sure to agree that “Heirlooms” is a beautiful bouquet of a book!
THE AUTHOR
Bestselling author Sandra Byrd continues to earn both industry acclaim and high praise from readers everywhere. The author of more than fifty traditionally published books, her work has received many awards, nominations, and accolades. She’s also an independent author and book coach.
Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com
Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.
After losing the love of her life to a big city journalism job, Elissa Tillman pours herself into the suffragette movement and her secretarial work helping keep her father’s Pittsburgh newspaper afloat.
Cole Parker returns to the steel city with the phantom failures of his past nipping his heels. All he asks of the future is a second chance with the woman he once spurned.
The murder of a millionaire offers the perfect chance for Elissa to prove to her father and the world that she’s a serious journalist. But there’s a catch—she has to compete for the story. Against none other than Cole Parker, the very man who shattered her heart.
THE REVIEW
I fell in love with Rachel Scott McDaniel’s writing when I read her hidden gem of a book, “The Red Canary.” Her atmospheric prose and flair for historic detail hooked me from page one, and by The End, I was adding her other titles to my Bookbub wish list.
I’m pleased to report that her debut novel, “Above the Fold,” was everything I’d hoped and more! McDaniel’s evocative writing makes the Roaring Twenties come alive, and her multifaceted characters zing off the page. Cole and Elissa’s snappy dialogue and sleuthing shenanigans made for a fun, fast-paced plot, and the murder mystery kept me guessing to the very end. And by guessing, I mean McDaniel totally got me with that doozy of a plot twist! As a voracious reader, I can usually spot a twist coming a mile away, but this one was executed so deftly, that when it was revealed, my cloche hat flew away with my blown mind.
If you enjoy quick-witted romances and a good gumshoe mystery, you’re sure to agree that “Above the Fold” is the bee’s knees!
THE AUTHOR
Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.
Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com
Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.
Jane Kirkpatrick joins us for a chat about homesteading, historical research and her latest novel Beneath the Bending Skies. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!
Today’sPinch of the Past is part 2 of the 1900 Paris Exposition. In this Pinch of the Past we will be looking at the different kinds of exhibits featured at the fair, including one very special exhibit from the United States and a truly unique exhibit that ended in tragedy. (Full post here.)
In 1928, soot from the local mills and music from speakeasies linger in the Pittsburgh air.
When the manager of The Kelly Club is found dead, nightclub singer Vera Pembroke is thrust into peril. As the only witness to the crime, she’s sentenced to hide away in the Allegheny Forest with a stuffy police sergeant as her guardian.
Sergeant Mick Dinelo harbors a burning hatred for Pittsburgh’s underworld after the devastation it left on his life—and heart. He should be out exposing culpable gangsters rather than tending to the impetuous woman who defies his every effort to keep her safe.
Mick and Vera must set aside their differences to solve the murder that someone wants to keep buried beneath the soot of Steel City.
THE REVIEW
From chapter one of The Red Canaryby Rachel Scott McDaniel‘s atmospheric prose enveloped me like the looming mist of a noir film, transporting my imagination to the 1920’s.
This book truly has it all! Page-turning action and mystery. A strong spiritual theme ingrained in the narrative. Compelling characters with moxie and heart. Historic details that make the music, fashion, and lingo of the decade come alive. And one laugh-out-loud, hilarious scene I won’t soon forget.
If you enjoy murder mysteries and are fascinated by the Roaring Twenties, you’re sure to think “The Red Canary” is the cat’s meow!
THE AUTHOR
Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.
Review by ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com
Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.
Harper Dupree has pinned all her hopes on a future in fashion design. But when it comes crashing down around her, she returns home to Fairhope, Alabama, and to Millie, the woman who first taught her how to sew. As Harper rethinks her own future, long-hidden secrets about Millie’s past are brought to light.
In 1946, Millie Middleton—the daughter of an Italian man and a Black woman—boarded a train and left Charleston to keep half of her heritage hidden. She carried with her two heirloom buttons and the dream of owning a dress store. She never expected to meet a charming train jumper who changed her life forever . . . and led her yet again to a heartbreaking choice about which heritage would define her future.
Now, together, Harper and Millie return to Charleston to find the man who may hold the answers they seek . . . and a chance at the dress shop they’ve both dreamed of. But it’s not until all appears lost that they see the unexpected ways to mend what frayed between the seams.
THE REVIEW
Sometimes a book finds you at a pivotal moment when it seems as though the story was written just for you. Like a love note from God tucked within the pages. For me, “The Dress Shop on King Street” was one such book.
With southern charm and a whole lot of heart, Ashley Clark has created a story with the skilled craftsmanship, exquisite detail, and unique beauty of a couture gown from days gone by. In hat-wearing Millie and vintage-loving Harper, I found kindred spirits. And in their story, I found a gleaming thread of hope to mend the fabric of a long-cherished dream.
If you’re a fan of southern fiction, multigenerational stories, and intricately woven dual time narratives,The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark is a must read!
THE AUTHOR
Ashley Clark is the acclaimed novelist of The Heirloom Secrets Series. She writes women’s fiction set in the South, and her stories are filled with faith, sweet romance, and lots of family secrets. She loves all things vintage and the almost-forgotten stories of the past. Ashley finds her writing interests influenced by the spaces shared between femininity + strength, loss + legacy, and beauty + memory. She is an English adjunct instructor, a wife and homeschool mama, and she adores her adopted senior Cocker Spaniel.
ECPA bestselling author Angela Bell is a 21st century lady with 19th century sensibilities. Her activities consist of reading voraciously, drinking copious amounts of tea, and writing letters with a fountain pen. Learn more about her at AuthorAngelaBell.com
Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.
Jennifer L. Wrightjoins us for a chat about WW2 in New Mexico, her life as an airforce pilot’s wife, and her latest release Come Down Somewhere. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!
Today’s Pinch of the Past is part 1 of the 1900 Paris Exposition. The purpose of this event was to celebrate the achievements of the past century and look forward to the 20th century, and it featured exhibits from 40+ countries. (Full post here.)
Christy Award-winning authorRoseanna M. Whitejoins us for a chat about writing, time management, launching a line of princess books (WhiteCrown,) and her latest release Worthy of Legend. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book! (Enter here.)
Today’s Pinch of the Past is hosted by Liz Tolsma. Did you know that the famed Alamo Mission was built in 1718 and included up to 5 acres of land?
Today’s Bookworm Review is bought to you by Angela Bell. If you love historical fiction, period dramas, or grew up admiring the Mary Kay lady with her pretty pink cosmetics, then you simply must try Moondrop Miracleby Jennifer Lamont Leo! You can connect with Angela at AuthorAngelaBell.com (View full review here.)
