Month: February 2024

Meet Emzara from Jill Eileen Smith’s The Ark and the Dove

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Only Noah and his family know that God’s judgment is coming soon. He and his wife Emzara dedicate themselves to God’s command to build an ark. After years of preparing for the end of life as they know it, can they survive what lies ahead or will they simply relive the past they are trying to escape?

Thank you for speaking with us today. Would you tell us the meaning behind your name?

Thank you for the invitation to meet with me.

My name is Emzara. It means “mother of a princess” though I never had a daughter who became a princess. I am the mother of three sons.

What is your role amongst your tribe?

I am the granddaughter of Methuselah of the tribe of Seth, son of Adam. I am also the wife of Noah, grandson of Methuselah, though we have different parents. As Noah’s wife, I have found myself put into the role of mentoring my three daughters-in-law as we prepare for life aboard an ark that God told my husband to build. With all of the opposition to what we are doing, I find my faith in the Creator stretched, and I often seek Him in prayer. I know I could not survive the evil in this world or the unknown we are about to face without His help. Though sometimes I wonder if He hears me because I do not hear from Him as Noah does.

If you could choose, what role would you rather have?

I would rather not be living in such times as these. I am not a young woman. I did not bear my sons until Noah was 500 years old. (I’m a little younger than he is!) When I was a girl, the world was a kinder, simpler place. My friends believed in the Creator and we all worshiped Him. But as time has gone on, I’ve watched my best friend walk away from Him to create her own god, her own image. I never thought I would see so much evil.

What would you say is your best talent or skill?

Oh, I don’t know. I enjoy working with the plants, weaving, reading, but I suppose what I love to do best is listen to and enjoy my family. I’m not sure it is a skill, but I try to keep peace when our sons or daughters-in-law have conflict between them. Unfortunately, we often have conflict with Keziah, Ham’s wife. She is insecure, and I have a hard time understanding her, but I’m working on that!

We are sharing a meal together. Please tell our readers what is on the table.

Every meal has some form of bread, normally flatbread with sauces to dip it in. We eat dried fruits and nuts, and sometimes make porridge or stews of one kind or another. With all of the animals to feed, we often end up grabbing food to take with us. I do love those times when we gather around the table and eat something new one of the girls has created, and we all talk about the day. Life on the ark can grow monotonous, and even during the years we were building it carried much sameness. Food takes much time to prepare, but I think all of us would agree that we love bread and the cucumber sauces or fig and date spreads we can put on it.

Do you have a personal confidant? Someone to share your deepest thoughts and fears with?

I did. My mother was my confidant before the flood, peace be upon her. She did not live long enough to join us, but she believed in the Creator. She helped me when I struggled with the family squabbles we faced, especially with the girls. I was used to raising sons, not daughters, so having three so different women suddenly in my life was an adjustment. I love them dearly, but they do have their moments!

Has there been a moment in your life that challenged you beyond what you thought you were capable of enduring? If so, how did you meet that challenge?

Years after the flood when Keziah introduced idols into her family and Ham disrespected Noah…I’m sorry…it’s hard for me even now to think on it. To watch our youngest son and his entire clan walk away, never to return…I could barely breathe for the pain of it. Worse, when God confused the languages of our descendants, including Japheth’s family and we had only Shem and Sedeq and their descendants left who could understand us, I knew real despair. It was only when I could look into the future and know that God would send a Redeemer to save us from the sin inside of us that we couldn’t escape that I could hope again. I might not live to see that Redeemer, but He will come. And that is comfort.

What or whom do you love more than anything else?

That is a tough question. I know from the writings of Enoch that the Creator loves us, and in turn, He longs for our love. I suppose I do love Him, but I can’t see Him, so my love seems so inadequate. Noah has always been my dearest friend, and I’m very glad we have each other. I love our children, of course. What mother doesn’t? Though…there were those in the pre-flood world who did not love their children. Even sacrificed them to the Watchers. I never understood that. Even Keziah, hardest of all to love, is one I always tried to love when she let me. Sigh. Love is complicated, yes?

What or whom do you despise most?

The Watchers, without question. I wish the evil ones of the unseen realm had been destroyed in the flood for good. But they cannot die as humans can. They are liars, enemies of the Creator, and if I despise anyone, it is them.

What does the future hold for your family or tribe?

Only God knows. I am old now. Our people, those who came from our sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, are now living in remote places throughout the earth. Noah and I live with Shem’s family, and I suspect that God has blessings in store for them, though I don’t know what they are. My part in their story will end soon, but perhaps the Redeemer will come from one of Shem’s great-great grandchildren. It is my greatest hope.

What one thing would you like the people reading this to learn about your story?

Learn from us. Learn from the people of earth whom God judged for the evil in their hearts. Worship the Creator and no other. Repent of sin and don’t let relationships with people you love fall apart. Life is short, even for one who has lived as long as I have. People matter more than petty disagreements. Forgive. I think with these things the Creator is pleased.

Thank you for talking with us.

Thank you for asking me.

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther’s Story, Miriam’s Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the
nonfiction books When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan.

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The Resolute: A Book Review

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325 Pages

Ransom Press

January 15, 2024

ISBN: 979-8989604616

I have enjoyed all the Legacy of the King’s Pirates books, but The Resolute is my absolute favorite. The cover enticed me immediately and captured the essence of the main character Captain Cadan Hayes, then the story snared me from the first sentence. Gabrielle literally hits the floor running, and her life is never the same. Author MaryLu Tyndall does an excellent job of mixing action, adventure, and romance (a sort of 17th century Indiana Jones).

Cadan and Gabrielle are highly complex characters with deep-seated issues they grapple with through the entire book. Just when you think neither is redeemable, they begin to change bit by bit. Cadan is the quintessential pirate without being cliché, and Gabrielle is a combination of high society and down-to-earth. The book can probably be described as “edgy,” and the author pushes “the line,” (we are talking piracy, after all) but keeps things clean.

The book takes place in 1696, a period of time I know little about. The author sprinkles information throughout the story that pushes the plot along, but also educates the reader about the slave industry, piracy, mercenaries, and the type of ships sailing the oceans at this time. Terms are used but in a context that allows the reader to figure out what it means without having to be explained. Especially thrilling is one of the battles between Caden and his enemy, as I was able to visualize the work it took to maneuver a huge ship.

Cadan goes head-to-head with Gabrielle, and he isn’t quite sure how to handle her because she is nothing like his preconceived notions about “ladies of class.” She gets under his skin which alternately angers and intrigues him. I love the relationship between he and Pell, a former preacher who has chosen a life of piracy. Soot is delightful, and his soft side is seen with the use of his pet rabbit. The villains are truly villainous, and I wanted them to receive their comeuppance.  

The battle scenes are well executed and descriptive without being gory, but by the end I was ready for them to be a bit shorter. The ending is wonderful, and included twists I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended.

About the Book

Pregnant, in prison, and about to be hanged for piracy, Lady Gabrielle Hyde has lost all faith in God, man, and life itself. Unlike her wildly adventurous family, all Gabrielle ever wanted was to settle down with a good man and have a bevy of wee ones. Then how did she end up about to take her last breath at the end of a rope?

Captain Cadan Hayes despises women of noble birth. Betrayed by his wife and her lover, he spent five long years as a prisoner-slave on Barbados. Now, as a fierce and successful pirate, he longs to enact revenge on the man who ruined his life.
When Cadan discovers that Gabrielle carries the son of his enemy, he captures her to use as bait. What he didn’t expect was that the lady would be the one to trap him!

Ship battles, sword fights, kidnappings, and a hunt for lost pirate treasure send the couple on a wild adventure that could either grant them their hearts’ desire or end up in disaster for them both.

Meet Catriona Daly from The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

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Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Why don’t you introduce yourself.

Hi there. I’m Catríona. Catríona Daly.

Tell us something about where you live.

Oh, there’s not much to tell, really. I live in a small village in the west of County Clare in Ireland, called Lisdoonvarna. It’s a sleepy little place that only comes alive once a year. And that’s for the annual Matchmaking Festival. It’s been going on since 1847 and my family has been part of it from the beginning.

Big wigs from around Ireland and beyond come to try and make prosperous matches for their kids, and local farmers come hoping to find a wife to help around the farm now that the harvest is in.

Some might call it a quaint little place. And, in truth, it’s not bad. But I’m ready to see the world and live amongst the bright lights of a big city.

Do you have an occupation? What do you like or dislike about your work?

I’m a third-generation matchmaker by trade. My father was one, and his father before him. The trade has been around as long as Ireland has been, but since the Festival started, it’s become a sort of specialty for my family and a few others around the county.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling that comes when a match works out even better than I’d figured. I take my job very seriously—as if a couple gets matched, they’re together for life. But, when they get on far better than I anticipated, it gives me great satisfaction.

The hard part, however, is watching hundreds of people a week fall in love, while I’m still waiting for m’own match.

Who are the special people in your life?

Well, my Da, of course. It’s been just the two of us since I was a girl. My Ma decided she’d had enough of poor rural life and ran off to find adventure elsewhere. While Dad drives me crazy, I love him to death and am fiercely protective of him.

Also, in recent weeks, a wee girl named Sara has come into my life and captured my heart. She’s the daughter of one of my matchmaking clients. Her birthday wish was that her dad come to the festival. Anyway, Sara and I have gotten to spend some time together and she’s just a hoot. Very precocious and fiery. Reminds me a lot of me.

And what about her father? Is he special, too?

I’m sorry, what was the question again?

You said Sara’s getting to be a special person to you. How about her father?

…Eh….I prefer not to answer that one. *clears throat*

What is your heart’s deepest desire?

To find love, and get out of Lisdoonvarna. I feel there’s nothing else left for me here.

I see. And what do you expect the future will hold for you?

Well…I hope it involves falling in love with a wealthy man who can whisk me away to far off, exotic places. Places where we don’t have to smear dung on the walls to keep warm in the winter.

And what if that doesn’t happen?

*Sigh* Then, I suppose I’ll stay here, make as many good matches as I can, and take care of my father.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?

I end up having to confront my biggest fears, and I learn that God’s plans are so much better than our own. And I learn that I wasn’t really afraid of living in Lisdoonvarna. I was afraid of being abandoned again—just like I was by my mom.

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

I’m great craic, and I have a big heart. I may sound a little rough and tumble, but I really think you’ll enjoy coming along and spending time with me in The Irish Matchmaker.

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the
Kipp Award for Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor,
and The Maid of Ballymacool. Her work has appeared on
(in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and
in other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad,
Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of
culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in
Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and
their three children. You can find her online at JenniferDeibel.com.

Interview and Afternoon Tea with Adelaide Stanhope from All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

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Good afternoon, Miss Stanhope. Thank you for allowing me to interview you in your beautiful mansion. 

Adelaide: You’re welcome. Please, help yourself to a scone while the maid pours your tea. Do you take sugar or lemon?

Just one sugar. Thank you. From what I’ve seen of your mansion—the soaring entrance foyer and now this lush sitting room—I must say your home is magnificent! May I ask how many rooms it has?

Adelaide: I’m not entirely certain. Around 75, I believe. My grandmother, Junietta Stanhope, might know. She has lived here ever since my great-grandfather—her father-in-law—built it right after the Civil War. 

Are all the rooms this enormous?

Adelaide: No, the ballroom is the largest room, then the formal dining room, which can seat 100 guests. There’s an art gallery, a conservatory, and a library as well.

That seems like a lot of space for . . . how many people?

Adelaide: Three. My mother, Sylvia Stanhope; my grandmother; and me. And the servants, of course.

Yes, of course. My condolences on the recent death of your father, Miss Stanhope. He was a giant in the business world, and will be greatly missed.

Adelaide: Thank you. His death was quite sudden, and a terrible shock to all three of us. That’s why Mother asked to be excused today. She is still in mourning, as I’m sure you’ll understand. 

Certainly. Now, a wealthy young woman such as yourself must have many suitors lining up for your hand. Will there will be an engagement announcement in your near future? 

Adelaide: I haven’t entertained any serious suitors yet. I’m only nineteen years old. The courtship process hadn’t really begun when Father passed away, and now I must observe the customary period of mourning, as is only proper.

Aren’t you afraid your peers will snatch up all the eligible gentlemen in the meantime?

Adelaide: That’s a very impertinent question! But no, I’m certain there are enough high-society gentlemen here in New York City to go around.

Mm. These scones are delicious. So, will your grandmother be joining us for tea today?

Adelaide: I’m afraid not. As chairman of the Stanhope Charitable Foundation, she has a very busy schedule.

I’m sure she does. She has never been very active in high-society’s social circles, has she?

Adelaide: Only when soliciting donations from other wealthy patrons. The charities she oversees are much more important to her than socializing.

Do you share her passion for the poor and downtrodden, or have you inherited your mother’s love of entertaining with lavish parties and balls?

Adelaide: Neither, at this point in my life. I’m not certain where the future will find me. Forgive me, but I must take my leave now. But please, finish your tea and help yourself to another scone. The maid will show you out. 

Lynn Austin is the bestselling author of nearly thirty novels and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. Her novel Hidden Places was made into a Hallmark Channel movie starring actress Shirley Jones. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan.

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Meet Aleida van der Zee Martens from Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

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Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Tell us something about where you live.

Recently, I came to London from the Netherlands. With German bombs raining down on London, this isn’t a safe place, but it’s the only place for me.

Living in London during the Blitz sounds very dangerous indeed! What brought you there?

When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, my husband & I fled with our three-year-old son, Theo. On the road, my husband cruelly ripped my son from my arms when I was sleeping and thrust him into the car of an English couple bound for London. My husband refused to tell me their names or address, then he was killed by a German fighter plane.

Now I’m in London, searching for my son.

That’s horrible! What are doing to find him?

I keep a notebook listing every place I search. I’ve visited orphanages and refugee camps and hospitals. I’ve visited the Dutch Embassy and placed advertisements in the papers. When I was inquiring at the Ministry of Health, which coordinates the evacuation of children to the countryside, I ended up taking a job there. My original purpose was to search for Theo among the evacuees, but now I see the importance of our work—not only to encourage evacuation, but to support the children in the country, the foster families, and the billeting officers.

In my search for Theo, I hoped to make an appeal on the wireless after I met BBC correspondent Hugh Collingwood. He was unable to make the broadcast, but I’m still glad I met him.

How’s that? Do I see you blushing?

Please, no. Hugh is a good friend, but he’s charming. After being trapped with a man who used to charm to control people, I’m leery.

However, Hugh’s charm has attracted a circle of friends who have welcomed me. This group of reporters hails from England and America and France, and their conversations are lively and intelligent—if a bit heated when they disagree.

What are you most afraid of?

This is worse than the previous question. Hugh once told me to list my fears, to name the monsters so I could fight them. And the monsters howl inside my head, all day and all night, whether or not I list them.

I fear I’ll never find my son. That he’s dead or abandoned or wandering or living in an orphanage in Nazi-occupied Europe. That, even if he’s in an English home, he’s being neglected or abused or that he’s living in terror of bombs.

And I fear he’ll forget me. He’s only three years old, after all. Hugh said Theo will never forget my love. I cling to that hope and to the hope that one day I’ll find my little son.

Do you have a cherished possession?

Theo’s stuffed elephant, Oli. Oli is his best friend. We used to play a game where Theo would hide and Oli would search for him. I used to tell him that Oli would always find him because elephants never forget. I can still see Theo holding Oli to his cheek to comfort himself, and when I press my face to Oli I can still smell a hint of my little boy.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?

For all my lists and routines and plans, I can’t control my life. My rituals have always given me a sense of comfort, but it’s a false comfort. Turning a knob twelve times doesn’t cause God to release the desires of my heart. The Lord isn’t an automaton to manipulate. I’m slowly learning to trust him.

Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida vander Zee Martens flees her homeland with her husband and her three-year-old son. But when her husband is killed and she is separatedfrom her son, she must escape to London alone to wait out the occupation. She finds work with an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside and is determined to use her connections to help her find her son. This includes enlisting the aid
of a handsome BBC correspondent. BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood is caught in the middle
of the London Blitz. As German bombs set the city on fire, Hugh is determined to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes. As Aleida and Hugh work together to find her missing son and also
uncover the culprit behind the murders, they continue to grow closer. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks,
Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, and the popular WWII
series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award
winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received
starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers
Weekly, and have appeared on Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels
of the Last 10 Years.” Sarah lives in California.

Sarah Sundin
www.SarahSundin.com

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