Review: Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson

August 31, 2018August 30, 2018 ~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

978-1-4964-1732-9 In most dual-time period novels I prefer the historical line more than the contemporary one. In Melanie Dobson’s new novel, Hidden Among the Stars, I was deeply immersed in both. In the contemporary line we meet Callie, a bookstore owner who reads stories to children and is comfortable living in the secluded nest of Mount Vernon, Ohio. This appealed to me because I live nearby. The author has definitely been here as everything she described was completely accurate from the hiking trail to the Ohio State campus. That was a bonus, however, because the world of children’s stories and the compelling backstory of Callie and her sister and their mysterious but loving mentor Charlotte kept me turning pages.

Likewise the stories of Annika and the boy she admires Max and the girl he longs to marry Luzia set in Austria at the onset of WWII was so vividly drawn and compelling that I could not say which storyline I preferred.

The stories are tied together at the beginning. We know what the mystery is about: A bookstore owner discovers a cryptic list in an old book and finds herself linked to the story of a mysterious Austrian castle, where priceless treasures were hidden in the early days of WWII. We, along with Callie, suspect that Charlotte, who spent time in an orphanage in France during the war, has some connection to this old book that no one yet understands, not even Charlotte. All the characters, even Josh the man that Callie finds herself drawn to, have pasts that make it hard for them to trust and love again, and that makes a reader root for them all.

The faith element is clear in this novel and the characters cling to the hope that Jesus brings into their lives. If I have any complaint, it’s very slight. I thought the first time Josh tells Callie about his faith it seemed more like a sermon than a conversation. However, when it comes up later it flows naturally within the story. And when you are dealing with personal loss (contemporary) and persecution of the Jews (historical) clinging to one’s faith is expected. The novel did not come off preachy in my opinion.

In the Author’s Note, Melanie explains that she indeed has been to the places she writes about. From a bookstore in a small Ohio town to a castle beside a lake in Austria, these places spoke to her and they certainly spoke to me as I read the story, not just as interesting locations, but as places where common people lived, loved, and did the best they could to overcome obstacles and evil. I loved this book. I think you will too!

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of more than fifteen historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels, including Catching the Wind and Chateau of Secrets. Three of her novels have won Carol Awards, and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010. Melanie loves to explore old cemeteries and ghost towns, hike in the mountains, and play board games with her family. She lives near Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Jon, and two daughters.

An advance copy of Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson was provided to me by the publisher for the purpose of review without any requirements. I have given my honest opinion.

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Cindy Thomson is the author of eight books, including her newest novel, Enya’s Son, third in the Daughters of Ireland series based on ancient legends. Being a genealogy enthusiast, she has also written articles for Internet Genealogyand Your Genealogy Today magazines, and children’s short stories for Clubhouse Magazine. She has also co-authored a baseball biography. Most everything she writes reflects her belief that history has stories to teach. Cindy and her husband live in central Ohio near their three grown sons and their families, and can be found online at www.cindyswriting.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/cindyswritingand on Twitter: @cindyswriting.

An Interview with the main character from Annie’s Stories by Cindy Thomson

August 16, 2018August 13, 2018 ~ Cindy Thomson ~ 1 Comment

Annie’s Stories tells the story of Annie Gallagher, an immigrant from Ireland. We first met Annie in Grace’s Pictures, the first book in the Ellis Island Series. Annie is the housekeeper at Hawkins House, a boarding house for new immigrants run by Mrs. Agnes Hawkins.

Annie, can you tell us how you came to work at Hawkins House?

Oh, now, that’s a question that requires a whole novel to explain. But I’ll give you just a bit of it. I had the unfortunate experience of being put in a place called a Magdalene Laundry back in Ireland, and against my will too! I’ll not tell you how I got out, but I was sent to Hawkins House in Manhattan where a woman named Mrs. Hawkins (better known to some of us as the Hawk) set me up as her housekeeper. I was happy to be there, but I wanted more for my new life in America. The stories my father wrote for me turn out to have a part in helping me achieve my goal, and then some!

On the cover you’re holding a copy of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Can you tell us why? I mean, it is a children’s book.

Then perhaps you’ve not read it? The book is a wonder for several reasons. I was drawn to the story because Dorothy Gale feels neglected by her aunt and uncle, and everything in Kansas is so gray and unwelcoming. She wants excitement. And she certainly gets that in Oz. I know what it’s like to feel that way. And besides all that, the book is printed in such wonderful colors. I had never seen anything else like it. And as for it being for children, ’tis a well-known fact that Mr. Baum has stated the book will appeal to adults as well as children. I would not be surprised if someone made a stage production out of this story. I’ve read it more than once.

Tell us something about the other characters who appear in Annie’s Stories.

Well, there is Mrs. Hawkins, of course. She’s a kindly soul, but rather mysterious. Readers will learn a lot more about her than they did in Grace’s Pictures. Grace and Owen from the first book in the series are in Annie’s Stories as well. Readers of Grace’s Pictures will remember Reverend Clarke and Mr. Parker. There is a terrible Pinkerton man, although if you want my opinion he should not be around at all. And then my troublesome cousin Aileen comes through Ellis Island from Ireland, like I did except not from the laundry. She really should have been the one sent to the laundry, although I would not have wished that on her or anyone. But I’ll let you read about that. We have a new boarder at Hawkins House named Kirsten. She and her perplexing brother Jonas keep us busy. And then there is Stephen Adams the postman. I won’t tell you much about him except that he’s handsome. There are a few other important folks, but you can meet in them in the pages.

I hear that you like to read. Why are books and stories so important to you?

I was raised on stories. My father, God rest his soul, was a seanchai back in Ireland. That’s the word for storyteller. It was his occupation. Stories and the telling of them is my precious link to his memory, and without that I would feel lost. Stephen loves books as well, and he even lives over top of the offices of a publisher. Books feed our souls in a way that no other entertainment can. Wouldn’t you agree?

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Annie. We look forward to your story.

Thank you for inviting me. I hope we meet again in the pages of Annie’s Stories.

About the book:

The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment—they’re a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.

But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie—and in her father’s unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.

Though the postman’s intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father’s stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she’s always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.

Cindy Thomson is the author of eight books, including her newest novel, Enya’s Son, third in the Daughters of Ireland series based on ancient legends. Annie’s Stories is book two in the Ellis Island Series, published by Tyndale House Publishers. Each book can be read stand alone. Being a genealogy enthusiast, she has also written articles for Internet Genealogyand Your Genealogy Todaymagazines, and children’s short stories for Clubhouse Magazine. She has also co-authored a baseball biography. Most everything she writes reflects her belief that history has stories to teach. Cindy and her husband live in central Ohio near their three grown sons and their families, and can be found online at www.cindyswriting.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/cindyswritingand on Twitter: @cindyswriting.

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All About Reggie from Rachel McMillian’s Murder at the Flamingo

August 13, 2018August 9, 2018 ~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Flamingo9_8_1 Name: Regina Van Buren (but I only get Regina from my mother’s bridge club. I go by Reggie).

Parents: William Van Buren and Patricia Van Buren

Siblings: an older brother who is a stock broker in New York, Richard.

Places lived: New Haven Connecticut, Charlestown/Boston

Jobs: debutante (is this a job? No wonder I ran away), secretary to Luca Valari

Friends: Hamish DeLuca, Nate Reis, Vaughan Vanderlaan ( though I currently would like to throw a glass of chardonnay in his face, we are still friends).

Enemies: every other socialite at my parents’ tea socials who wish Vaughan Vanderlaan was on their arm instead of hers.

Dating, marriage: Vaughan proposed out of nowhere, in front of an entire garden party. Obviously, I slapped him across the face and then hopped the first milk train run to Boston. Haven’t heard from him since so unsure if we’re still dating.

Children: none

What person do you most admire? I’d love to have the panache and guts of Myrna Loy. She and William Powell just run headfirst into mystery and mayhem and adventure—and she does it with such style. But speaking to people of my personal acquaintance, I would have to say Hamish DeLuca. He has these episodes of nerves, see. Sometimes I think he is even having a heart attack. They can stutter his voice and cause his hand to shake but he is still determined to overcome and to see us to the end of our first amateur sleuthing opportunity. I admire his loyalty to his cousin Luca, too. Even if Luca doesn’t deserve it.

Overall outlook on life: I want adventure! And romance! And dancing! Life is exceptional, isn’t it? All the interesting people you meet and the corners to be turned … and the friends to be had. Why, just the past Summer I met two new friends—Nate and Hamish. Hamish of course looks at me in a way Nate never would… but he’s a dear, dear friend. Something in the tingles I feel down to my toes when we dance at the Flamingo make me wonder just how dear a friend…

Do you like yourself? I would rather be inimitable me than anyone else in the world! I mean look at the adventures I am having! Cannoli every day, an office in the North End, a glistening world of night clubs and enough mystery to keep me jogging in my oxfords around the cobblestoned streets of Boston’s North End during the day.

What, if anything, would you like to change about your life? I wish that I didn’t feel guilty about the amount of wealth I had while so many have had nothing. Of course, Roosevelt’s New Deals are going a long way and I mean to start volunteering at Mildred Rue’s Temporary Employment Agency: but I have never known loss or suffering. I wish there wasn’t such a great divide between those who have and those who have not. I am seeing it more and more as I work in the office for Luca Valari while he gets his Flamingo Club up and running.

How are you viewed by others? I suppose as another New Haven debutante. As someone who ought to be more graceful than she is. I feel like a dandelion at the end of a long line of roses. But I am trying. I know that Hamish thinks me trustworthy and Nate thinks I am smart and Luca thinks I have the taste and class to help him manage before his club’s opening.

Physical appearance:

Eyes: brown

Hair: brown. I try to set it in finger waves carefully but the Boston humidity can wreak havoc on all my efforts. And unlike home when there was always someone to do it for me, it’s gotten harder.

Voice: Hamish says I have a bit of the Brahmin about me. Crisp glass like Clara Bow or Katharine Hepburn. Alto.

Right- or left-handed? Right.

Characteristics: I have freckles.

When are you happy? The first bite of Mrs. Leoni’s cannoli, ripping up the dance floor with Hamish.

What do you like best about the other main characters in your book? I like Luca’s suave sophistication and the way he can Clark Gable a room, I like that Hamish has a good heart and a need to see everything right. Not to mention his loyalty to Luca. I like Nate’s sense of humour.

What do you like least about the other main characters in your book? I don’t trust Luca Valari as far as I can throw him.

Thanks for visiting with us today on PASTimes, Reggie!

Rachel McMillan is a history enthusiast, lifelong bibliophile, and author of the Herringford and Watts series. When not reading (or writing), Rachel can be found at the theater, traveling near and far, and watching far too many British miniseries. Rachel lives in Toronto where she works in educational publishing and is always planning her next trip to Boston. Facebook: RachKMc1; Twitter: @RachKMc; Instagram: RachKMc.

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An interview with Kate Burkholder from Linda Castillo’s A Gathering of Secrets

August 9, 2018 ~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Thanks to Elise Cooper for conducting this interview!

Editor’s note: While this is a contemporary novel, we are including it here because of the historical background it offers readers.

For those who do not know Kate Burkholder she helped to break the glass ceiling by becoming Chief of Police in a small town whose community consists of Amish and “Englishers.” Some cases she has to solve are more personal than others. Chief Burkholder has had to deal with her own Amish MeToo Moment, but also wonders if many of the Amish girls have a similar experience. Kate has spoken many times of her struggles with this peaceful and deeply religious community that at times appears to be conspiring to hide a truth no one wants to talk about. Kate has agreed to open up about her personal and professional experiences.

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Elise Cooper: Having left the Amish community are there any parts of you that you consider were influenced by your Amish upbringing?

Kate Burkholder: Every part of me was influenced by my Amish upbringing. Good or bad or somewhere in between, I think that’s true for most of us. The Amish influence on my life was mostly positive. I was raised in a very traditional family with a lot of rules (some of which I didn’t follow) and structure. I was close to my siblings. As kids, we worked hard, but we played just as hard. My father was the disciplinarian. I was close to my mother. Everything changed in the summer of my fourteenth year, and I never saw my family—or the Amish community—in quite the same light.

EC: What do you miss most and least about the Amish?

KB: What I miss most about being Amish is the sense of belonging, of being part of such a close-knit community. I also miss the closeness I once had with my family. That said, there are a couple of things about being Amish I didn’t like and ultimately couldn’t live with. One is that it tends to be a patriarchal society (not always, but generally speaking.) And one of the Amish tenets is to be compliant and accepting. I couldn’t always abide. Even when it came to something as final as death, I would not readily accept it and I would rail against the unfairness of it. The Amish are also pacifists. I am not.

EC: Do you ever want the approval of the Amish community or your Amish Family?

KB: That need for approval is important to a young Amish person growing up. Your family and the Amish community are the center of your universe. But I do still find myself craving the approval of my brother, Jacob, and my sister, Sarah. And then there’s Bishop Troyer, one of the elders who has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember.

EC: Do you think having been Amish helps or hurts you as police chief?

KB: Being born and raised Amish in the town of Painters Mill (where one third of the population is Amish) has definitely made me a better and more effective police chief. I understand the culture, the religion, and I also speak Deitsh, the language. All of those things have gone a long way toward bridging the gap that exists between the Amish community and the “English” government.

EC: One of those you interviewed, Milo Hershberger, is under the bann. Can you tell us what that’s like for an Amish person?

KB: The bann is the Amish practice of social avoidance. Basically, when an Amish person breaks the rules set forth by the church district, that person is called out and excluded from the entire community, including his or her family members. No one will speak with them or associate with them or even take meals with them. What many non-Amish people don’t realize is that the practice is intended to be redemptive. A way to bring the person back into the fold. With the family and community being the nucleus of an Amish person’s life, taking away those associations can be devastating. Most often, if an Amish person wants to get back in the good graces of the community, all he or she must do is confess their sins and follow the rules. Some of the Old Order practice excommunication, which, depending on the offense, can be permanent.

EC: Because the Amish are somewhat a “closed society” and keep to themselves, are crimes more difficult to solve?

KB: Sometimes an investigation is much more difficult if it involves the Amish, mainly because of the “tenet of separation” many of the Amish practice. They try to remain separate from the rest of the world. Sometimes they try to protect their own. The reluctance of some Amish to come forward makes information hard to come by. In the course of any case, information is the most important commodity.

EC: You once told me about the Amish rule of forgiveness?

KB: An Amish boy who does something terribly wrong, even raping someone, can get off. If he confesses before the Church congregation, he is forgiven. This is why many of the girls do not speak up, some committing suicide, because they knew the boy would have been forgiven and they would be caught up in the stigma.

EC: Are you content with your life?

KB: I’ve come a long way since the first major case I worked as chief of police in Painters Mill. I attribute that mostly to my relationship—and love—for BCI agent John Tomasetti. My love for my small department of officers plays a role, too. They are my family when my own aren’t there for me. I would be remiss not to mention my love for the community as a whole—both Amish and “English”—all of those souls who call Painters Mill home.

EC: Through the years what has made you stronger?

KB: You’ve heard the axiom: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s the way life works and I’m a stronger and a more centered person because of the curve balls life has thrown my way, some in the form of difficult cases and various investigations. On a more personal level, I’ve worked through the trials and tribulations of being formerly Amish and a female chief of police in a small town. All of that combined has made me a stronger person.

THANK YOU!

LINDA CASTILLO is the New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder novels centering around the Amish community. She is the recipient of numerous industry awards including a nomination by the International Thriller Writers for Best Hardcover, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and a nomination for the RITA. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses. She lives in Texas with her husband.

Linda Castillo_credit Pam Lary 2017 BB copy — photo by Pam Lary 2017

Coffee Chat with Ariadne from Tessa Afshar’s Thief of Corinth

August 6, 2018June 26, 2018 ~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

978-1-4964-2865-3 We are sitting down this morning for a latte and chocolate cake with Ariadne of Corinth, who is the main character from the book Thief of Corinth. Ariadne has never tasted coffee or chocolate. How do you like your first taste?

Ariadne (swallowing a large mouthful): I am sorry. I am too distracted to conduct an interview. How did we survive in the first century without these delicacies?

Interviewer: I feel for you. So you are from the first century. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Ariadne: I was born in Corinth, but when I was eight, my mother divorced my father and took my brothers and me to Athens to live with our grandfather. Like my grandfather, Athens was strict and conservative. Life became intolerable when my grandfather threatened to marry me to a cruel man. So I ran away to join my father in Corinth.

Interviewer: We are told you won an award. Could you tell us a little about that?

Ariadne: I ran the short race in the Isthmian Games and was declared a champion. The Isthmian Games were similar to the Olympic Games, though they were slightly smaller. In the footraces, men and women competed against one another. (Washes down an enormous mouthful of chocolate cake with a gulp of latte.) I fear I might not have managed that feat if we had this ravishing pastry in my time.

Interviewer: Was it common for women to participate in national games?

Ariadne: In Corinth where the Isthmian Games were held, there was more tolerance toward female athletes, though it was unusual for women of good families to participate.

Interviewer: Speaking of unusual, you open your story by mentioning that you are a thief. Surely that is not a common occupation for women of good family either.

Ariadne: That is true. I convinced myself it was the only way I could help my family. It is not a chapter of my life I am proud of. But I admit it was an exciting time.

Interviewer: You fell in love in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Ariadne: Didn’t one of your famous poets say that “the course of true love never did run smooth?”

Interviewer: His name was William Shakespeare.

Ariadne: He was a wise man. There were many obstacles in our path that had to be overcome. I confess, some of those obstacles were of my own making.

Interviewer: Speaking of wise men, what did you think of the Apostle Paul when you met him?

Ariadne: I did not like him. He annoyed me with all his talk of love being patient and kind. My brother Dionysius was very fond of him, which only annoyed me further. (The physician Luke wrote the story of how Paul met my brother in Athens in his famous tome called Acts.) In time, I came to realize that Paul was a brilliant man. I finally understood that I needed the unfailing love of his God more than anything.

Interviewer: What did you think of Tessa Afshar, the scribe who wrote down your story?

Ariadne (polishing off the cake): She can’t run to save her life, poor thing.

Interviewer: Why did you want her to tell your story?

Ariadne: I wanted the scribe to talk about the lingering wounds of divorce. My parents’ divorce left a mark in my life that affected me for many years. Because of the divorce, my father was absent from our lives, and my mother grew hard and distant. I tried to fill that void in my life by trying to win affirmation, affection, and admiration. In spite of all my efforts, I found that love fails; it is imperfect and broken. Paul and my brother Dionysius taught me that the sole solution to all my struggles was God Himself.

To read Ariadne’s full story, look for Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar.

Tessa Afshar is the award-winning author of historical and biblical fiction whose work has received the prestigious Christy and Inspy Awards. Her novel, Land of Silence was chosen by Library Journal as one of top five Christian Fiction titles of 2016, and nominated for the 2016 RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Inspirational Romance. Her book, Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Book Award in fiction, and chosen by World Magazine as one of four notable books of the year. Tessa was born in the Middle East to a nominally Muslim family, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life before moving to England and eventually settling in the United States. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School.