Month: April 2022

Interview with Calliope Jeffers from Donna Schlacter’s Calli

~ Kathleen Rouser ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to Novel PASTimes, Calliope. What can you tell us about yourself?

Calli: Thanks so much. I’m glad to be here. Let me introduce myself. My name is Calliope Jeffers, but everybody calls me Calli. I guess you’d call me the heroine of the story, although that makes me sound so brave, and I’m anything but. You could call me the love interest, but that would be telling the end before the beginning. I’m a recent widow, my husband having died suddenly on duty here where we live in Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory. I’m stepping out in baby steps, figuring out what comes next.

Novel PASTimes: Okay, Calli. Please tell us something about where you live.

Calli: As I said, Fort Bridger, Wyoming Territory. It’s an exciting time, 1870. There are still wagon trains heading west. Not so many as there used to be, I’m told. The fort is a popular stopping point for supplies, medical care, a blacksmith, and the town itself has several saloons, although I’ve not seen them personally. There are more than a hundred men stationed here, plus a good many civilian employees and military wives. Even a few children.

Novel PASTimes: Do you have a cherished possession?  

Calli: The Bible my parents gave me. When my husband was stationed in Fort Bridger, he said I could bring one suitcase. Can you imagine? How to choose amongst my beautiful dresses, coats, hats, and shoes? But, as he reminded me, we would have nowhere to wear such fripperies, and so there was no point in bringing them. So instead, I filled my suitcase with medical books. And my Bible. It’s the only thing I have from them. I still had room for two dresses, a pair of boots, underclothing (which I won’t mention here), and essentials such as a hairbrush and hair pins.

Novel PASTimes: How do you feel about your occupation? 

Calli:  I love being a nurse. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to help people. Of course, back then, boys grew up to be doctors, and girls grew up to be nurses. Perhaps one day, that won’t be true. I do almost all the same things Doc Wheldon would do if he were there, which he often isn’t. And while I can, I still like the personal care of the patient, listening to them, talking to them, writing letters home for them. Most of my patients are soldiers and their wives, both of whom have made a huge sacrifice to serve their country. We should keep them in our prayers.

Novel PASTimes: What is your deepest, most closely held secret? 

Calli:  I struggle with the fact that I loved my husband so deeply that in simply looking at another man, I’m doing both a disservice. Yes, I understand marriage is “til death do us part”, but every time I see Bradley Wilson, I think of my husband. The only thing I can do is trust that God has a plan, and if Mr. Wilson is part of that, then love will come again. How lucky a woman could I be, to love deeply and eternally twice in this life!

Novel PASTimes: Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? 

Calli:  I thought I did. I mean, I prayed. Read my Bible. Went to church. But when my husband died, I was angry with Him. He could have saved him, couldn’t He? So why wasn’t he worth saving? That’s what I wanted to know. And the platitudes from the women at the fort didn’t help. God needed another angel. Then why didn’t He simply make another like He did with the first of creation? I was certain my husband died because I didn’t have enough faith.

Novel PASTimes: Has it changed? Why? 

Calli:  When I had that tiny baby depending on me, seeing the way she needed me for food, changing her diaper, keeping her safe, I saw what God wanted to have with me. When I didn’t have what she needed, I felt so helpless. I couldn’t depend on somebody else to save us—I had to turn back to God. Knowing I’m a daughter of the King of kings has changed my life.

Novel PASTimes: That makes a big difference, I agree! What do you expect the future will hold for you?  

Calli:  I’m told I shouldn’t give away the end of the story but suffice it to say that now that my relationship with God has deepened, I know He will be with me all the way. Currently, there are several bright opportunities on the horizon, placed there by God, planned by Him especially for me, so whatever happens, it is well with my soul. Hmm. That sounds like another great hymn in the making.

Novel PASTimes: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

Calli:  I’ve learned that the only One I can truly trust in is God. I’m an independent woman, secure in my profession, able to earn a living for myself. When my husband died, I thought, “Well, this is just another chapter in my life. I must move on and do what I need.” But I couldn’t forget my husband. He seemed in my thoughts every day. And when I met Mr. Wilson, I found myself comparing him to my husband. And always falling short. I realized that unless I had a deep and meaningful relationship with God, unless I trusted in His Son Jesus, I would always fall short in God’s eyes, too. So please, if you haven’t surrendered your life to God and your heart to Jesus, do so. It’s simple. Here’s a short prayer: Dear God, I know I’ve ignored You for a long time. But I give my life to You. Do with it what you will. And Jesus, I know you paid the price for my sin. Please forgive me. I will strive to follow you all the days of my life. Amen. Next, tell somebody of your decision, then find a Bible-believing church. If you’d like to share with me, you can contact me at donna AT livebytheword DOT com

***

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Calli works as a nurse with the US Army at Fort Bridger, Wyoming in 1880. When a wagon train full of discouraged emigrants passes through on its way east, a pregnant widow delivers her baby then dies. Bradley Wilson, leading this train, has few options. He asks Calli to travel with them until they find a relative to take the child in St. Joe, Missouri. Calli, drawn to both this dark and quiet man and the child, resists. But when she disappears, he wonders if she’s run away or been kidnapped. Can these two put their pasts behind them and move into a new future together? Or will Calli insist on having things her own way?

BUY CALLI HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A hybrid author, Donna Schlachter writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 50 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both. Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter at my website!

Donna’s Blog

Previous blog posts at: History Through the Ages and All Bets Are Off.

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Etsy online shop of Donna’s original artwork..

Interview with Grace Tonquin from Melanie Dobson’s The Winter Rose

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Novel PASTimes: Thank you for joining us, Grace. You’ve had quite a journey in your life.

Grace: I’m grateful for both the ups and downs.

Novel PASTimes: You’re grateful for the downs?

Grace: Those are the times, I think, when I’ve felt God’s presence the most. In the dark seasons while I served in France and then during the even darker years that followed.

Novel PASTimes: You’ve quoted Psalm 27 quite often along the way.

Grace: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” That reminder gave me courage to continue on.

Novel PASTimes: How many children did you and Roland care for in France?

Grace: I’m not certain. The American Friends Service Committee kept the numbers. I was focused on the daily needs of the refugee kids until we realized that we had to get those who remained with us out of France.

Novel PASTimes: How many children did you escort across the mountains?

Grace: Twelve . . . at least we started with twelve. One had to turn back.

Novel PASTimes: I don’t suppose you could tell us who . . .

Grace: That’s not my story to tell.

Novel PASTimes: You are a hero to every one of those kids.

Grace: A servant, my friend. Answering when our Lord calls.

Novel PASTimes: Can you tell us what happened to Charlie?

Grace: His life was a miracle, but I don’t want to spoil the ending of the book.

Novel PASTimes: Fair enough. Could you tell us instead the significance of the winter rose?

Grace: A winter rose can grow wild in the mountains, in the most rugged terrain. It looks fragile but it’s very strong, defying the winds and cold weather with its strength. A winter rose shows beauty and strength, I think, in the hardest of circumstances.

Novel PASTimes: Thank you for not giving up on the children in France.

Grace: My husband and I have been blessed beyond what we could have ever imagined in our years together. It’s an honor to share our story.

* * *

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Winter Rose

In this gripping WWII time-slip novel from the author whose books have been called “propulsive” and a “must-read” (Publishers Weekly), Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrénées, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister whose parents were lost during the war. Though Grace and her husband love Élias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace’s past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the Tonquin family apart.

More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake, hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, finding them is the only way to save his life and mend the wounds from his broken past.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of more than twenty historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels, including her latest, The Winter Rose. Five of her novels have won Carol Awards; Catching the Wind and Memories of Glass were nominated for a Christy Award in the historical fiction category; Catching the Wind won an Audie Award in the inspirational fiction category; and The Black Cloister won the Foreword magazine Religious Fiction Book of the Year. Melanie is the former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group. When she isn’t writing, Melanie enjoys teaching both writing and public relations classes. Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters and live near Portland, Oregon. Visit Melanie online at melaniedobson.com.

Book Review: Bluebird by Genevieve Graham

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment
 Simon & Schuster (April 5, 2022)

This novel opens in WWI with Adele Savard, a nurse from Canada, who is treating injured soldiers. She meets Corporal Jeremiah Bailey of the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company and they make an immediate connection. They are both from the same town. Adele and her fellow nursing sisters are nicknamed Bluebirds from the color of their uniforms, thus the title of the book. Jerry goes back to the front and they aren’t sure they’ll see each other again, but they hope to. After the war Jerry and his brother return home to discover their parents have died from Spanish Flu. It’s Prohibition and everyone in town, including Jerry’s late father, have been making money rumrunning. Adele works for a local doctor and she and Jerry reunite after he saves her from his devious rival, a man he has a history with since childhood.

Their romance is tender and sweet, and best of all in my opinion, it is not rushed. They form a friendship that blooms with time.

The story contains a present day thread in which a young woman named Cassie is a historian who used to live in the Bailey House but lost her mother there in an accident. When the current owner finds bottles of whiskey hidden in the walls of the house, the two work to unfold the mystery, which is part of Cassie’s family history. I love family history connections!

I found the modern thread to be brief and while interesting, not too well developed. However, the story of Adele and Jerry is compelling and I love a book that teaches me history I wasn’t aware of. The rumrunning in Windsor, Canada was linked to the US due to its proximity to the border across the Detroit River and the fact that Prohibition ended in Canada long before it did in the US. (The author’s note at the end is not to be missed!)

The story is gritty at times, but just enough to draw you into the story. It involves two bloody periods in history after all. The ending is quite intense, but the conclusion unveils hope and illustrates how those who lived it endured and continued to live their lives. Those who love history, like all of our readers on this blog, will enjoy this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher for the purpose of review and all opinions are my own.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson

www.cindyswriting.com

Laila Ibrahim interviews her characters from Scarlet Carnation

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Laila: I’m so glad we get to continue our conversation from Women Writers, Women’s Books.

Naomi: Us too!

Laila: Many readers have noticed that the time you lived in parallels current times because there was such an upheaval during World War 1, and the 1918 flu pandemic.

May:  Oh, dear! Did you say World War 1? Does that mean there are more?

Laila: Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry to give away information about your future. Yes, there is another great war that impacts so much of the world; the second one included Asia, North Africa and what we now call Oceana and you called Australia.

Naomi: Will we never learn how to live as one people in peace and with justice?

Laila: My understanding is that fewer people die from warfare, hunger, and disease than ever before in human history. So in some ways we have learned to live with more peace and more justice. But we are far from a goal to have 100% peace and 100% justice.

May: Until this moment I thought I’d like to know about the future, to better prepare, but suddenly I see the disadvantage.

Naomi: If we are honest with ourselves we always know there will be difficult times ahead. Whether those challenges are personal or societal, to be human we must face change, loss and uncertainty.

Laila: Do either of you have any wisdom about adapting?

May: I can pass on the best wisdom from my grandmother. She said we humans are all more like the wizard behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, pretending we know what we are doing. She always told me to take the time to listen to my still small voice—she says it’s the spirit of God. 

Naomi: Be kind. To yourself and to everyone around you. Kindness does not cost you anything. If you can’t be kind, take a nap.

Laila: Sometimes I fear that I come across as too serious or only focusing on the painful. What do you do to be in touch with the joy of life?

Naomi:  Being with a baby or little one always raises my spirits. It’s hard to believe this life isn’t a blessing when you are around the wonder and joy of a small child.

May: Each day I look for something beautiful to be grateful for: a flower, my children, the delicious taste of a peach. This life really is a wonder.

Laila: Now you have given away the future…you have more than one child?

May: Yes I do. But I won’t share more than that. You might just have to write another book to find out what happens to us.

Laila: I think you are right about that.

About the book:

In an early twentieth-century America roiling with racial injustice, class divides, and WWI, two women fight for their dreams in a galvanizing novel by the bestselling author of Golden Poppies.

 May and Naomi are extended family, their grandmothers’ lives inseparably entwined on a Virginia plantation in the volatile time leading up to the Civil War. For both women, the twentieth century promises social transformation and equal opportunity.

May, a young white woman, is on the brink of achieving the independent life she’s dreamed of since childhood. Naomi, a nurse, mother, and leader of the NAACP, has fulfilled her own dearest desire: buying a home for her family. But they both are about to learn that dreams can be destroyed in an instant. May’s future is upended, and she is forced to rely once again on her mother. Meanwhile, the white-majority neighborhood into which Naomi has moved is organizing against her while her sons are away fighting for their country.

 In the tumult of a changing nation, these two women―whose grandmothers survived the Civil War―support each other’s quest for liberation and dignity. Both find the strength to confront injustice and the faith to thrive on their chosen paths.

 

Author information:

Laila Ibrahim is the bestselling author of Golden Poppies, Paper Wife, Mustard Seed, and Yellow Crocus. She spent much of her career as a preschool director, a birth doula, and a religious educator. That work, coupled with her education in developmental psychology and attachment theory, provided ample fodder for her novels.

She’s a devout Unitarian Universalist, determined to do her part to add a little more love and justice to our beautiful and painful world. She lives with her wonderful wife, Rinda, and two other families in a small cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Her young adult children are her pride and joy.

Laila is blessed to be working full-time as a novelist. When she isn’t writing, she likes to take walks with friends, do jigsaw puzzles, play games, work in the garden, travel, cook, and eat all kinds of delicious food. Visit the author at www.lailaibrahim.com.