Author: Cindy Thomson

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Introducing Dana Foster from Chasing the Blue Boat by Connie Kallback

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment
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Today we’re chatting with Dana Foster in her favorite spot, the library, in the sprawling town called Fenton, nestled in the foothills south of the Adirondacks in New York. She is in fourth grade as she reveals the beginning of her family’s story from 1970-1974.

Nice to meet you, Dana. Thank you for talking to us in this beautiful Fenton library. We understand you live nearby.

Our house is a block down the street from the side entrance. It’s the smallest in a neighborhood of bigger, two-story houses. But Mom has room to make her pottery there. Her kiln is in the basement. She sells them at the arts and crafts shops in town that draw people from out of town. Then they can enjoy lunch or dessert at any of the quaint restaurants or tea houses. There’s also a playhouse and historic places to tour.

So, your mom is a potter. What does your dad do?

He’s the manager of a cotton mill in town. People like to go to its outlet store to buy seconds, those flawed products you can still use or wear. The tanning mills have them in leather, too.  

It sounds like a town with a variety of attractions. What do you especially like about living here?

Fenton is a safe place for kids to roam free and do what they want. I used to follow my older brother, Luke, everywhere, even if he decided to do something stupid. Like one time, we crept around the outside ledge of this library. We held our arms out against the building and slid along sideways. Almost made me dizzy to look down. We made it past the first corner to the front of the building before anyone saw us. That turned us back quick!  We ran home in a second. But I did it. I’m brave! I proved it to my brother.

Why did you feel you had to prove that?

I was afraid Luke wouldn’t include me in his adventures if I didn’t. But I wanted to prove it to myself, too. I kept trying. Didn’t always work, though.

What’s an example of something that didn’t work?

I watched him cartwheel across the lawn like a clown. I tried but never got the hang of it. When he coached me to make my legs straight by imagining them as the hands on a clock, it didn’t help. I was afraid of falling. Can you think what it took for me to step up on the library ledge?

It sounds as if you and Luke are different in many ways.

Oh, definitely. He never worried about getting in trouble. On a hot day, he pushed me into the fishpond, right here on the other side of the library grounds, and fell in after me to make it look like an accident. I remember how cool the water felt. I wanted to float around, but then Luke told me the groundskeeper warned him the day before to stay away from the pond! 

You didn’t mention Luke at the beginning when you talked about your parents. Why is that?

A terrible thing happened…last summer before fourth grade. (A pause) I just can’t talk about it.

What about your parents? Can they talk about it?

Instead of being sad, Dad is angry. He’s still mad at Mom for letting Luke go when he was supposed to mow the lawn. Luke promised to do it the next day, and he would have. He always did his chores. Dad’s even mad at God for letting it happen. I’ve never heard my parents quarrel until now. So, you can guess how it is at our house.

We’re sorry to hear that.

It’s hard to believe Luke’s not here. I know he’s in heaven as Mom says, but I miss him every day. I thought those summer days would never end. I keep praying for a chance to talk to him one more time or visit him up there. I wonder if he’s growing his hair long like Jesus.

How do you fill your time without Luke?

Yesterday I wandered into his empty room and slipped under the covers in his bed. But the sheets smelled of laundry detergent and fresh air. Not like Luke. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his dresser and began to think about peeking into the drawers.

Guess what I found? Luke’s blue sailboat! He sailed it by the street curb after a rainstorm. It looked like the real thing with its mast straight up as it ran with the current. We couldn’t keep up. In the flash of a second, the water swept it down the storm drain! It was gone. And I mean, gone. I saw it happen with my own eyes. I can’t imagine how he rescued it. Anyway, I have it even though it’s beat up pretty bad. 

Can you describe how it looks?

All the gouges, broken mast, and no sails, make it hard to recognize. Mom agreed Luke would want me to have it for safe keeping. It’s all I have left of him.

Do you have any plans for it?

Not yet. I don’t want to let it get away again. It’s very special. Mom says no matter what, I have to trust God with whatever happens, so that’s what I’ll do.

Thank you for meeting with us, Dana. Our best to you and your boat. Who knows? Maybe it will play a role in a future adventure.

More about Chasing the Blue Boat: A novel of longing

Nine-year-old Dana Foster follows her older brother, Luke, wherever he goes. From climbing on ledges, jumping in a fish pond, and causing general mischief, Luke is fearless. But when tragedy strikes the Foster family, everything that Dana has ever known is suddenly turned upside down. When the storms of life come, will the Foster family stand firm in their faith? Or will they shatter under the pressure? Suddenly, a blue boat that Dana and Luke received from their uncle leads Dana on a journey of faith, hope, and love that she will not soon forget.
In this coming-of-age story, discover the truths of God’s grace in suffering, the blessing of forgiveness, and how to hold on to your faith when all hope seems lost.

About Connie

Connie Kallback grew up on the plains of Cheyenne, Wyoming, attended the University of Wyoming, and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle. She transitioned from English teacher to publishing in New Jersey with CCMI/McGraw-Hill, Prentice Hall, and CPP, Inc, in positions from writer to acquisitions and managing editor. Her early writing, penned while teaching, appeared in magazines, newspapers and literary journals. No longer wearing the hats of Mary Poppins or Sherlock Holmes, necessities of raising six children in two separate families, she writes in South Carolina where she lives with her husband. 

Find Connie here:

Website: www.chasingtheblueboat.com

Published works: https://www.chasingtheblueboat.com/publications.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connie.kallback

Instagram: Connie Kallback

Find her book on Ambassador International, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold online.

An Interview with Demetria from As Sure as the Sea by Jamie Ogle

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Thank you for meeting with us at Novel PASTimes, Demitria. 

Demitria: You can call me Demi, if you like. Will this take long? I need to be out on my boat. The light’s good for diving today and Mersad won’t like it if I’m dawdling. Another dive team is trying to take over my boat, and I can’t afford to waste any diving opportunities now that my brother, Theseus, is injured. 

Don’t worry, we’ll make this quick.  I heard about your brother’s accident. How is he doing?

Demi: You know Theseus. Whenever his nose runs, he’s certain he’s about to die. Although, this is a little more serious than a dripping nose. I’m glad Pastor Nikolas arrived to help when he did. Some might call that a miracle. I know it felt like one at the time, though I certainly don’t deserve any of those after what I’ve done. Perhaps it was a miracle for Nydia. She’s in love with him, you know. 

            With Pastor Nikolas?

Demi:  No. Nydia is in love with Theseus, though her grandmother, Beatrix, is set on finding Pastor Nikolas a wife. Poor man. No singles in Myra can withstand her matchmaking efforts for long. 

            Do you have someone special in your life?

Demi: Not . . . not anymore. Not like that anyway. I was betrothed once to a man named Alexander. He was a lot like Nikolas actually. Handsome, charismatic, passionate about his faith. He’s dead now. Men like that don’t live long anymore. Not since Emperor Diocletian passed his anti-Christian edicts. Things have only gotten worse under the tetrarchy and Emperor Galerius. No one in the empire is allowed to buy or sell anything unless they first offer sacrifices to the emperor and the gods of Rome. It is . . . a dangerous time to live.  

How do you survive in times like this?

Demi: There are a few of us who find work here and there, and some employers and merchants who look the other way so long as the transaction benefits them. I try to provide mussels and clams for my friends, but my job is to harvest red coral and pearl oysters for Mersad. If I don’t make my quota, I’ll lose my boat. And I can’t bear to lose the boat. Aside from Theseus, my boat is the last piece of my family that I have, and it is the lifeline for our church.

Oh? How so?

Demi: Theseus and I take it upriver after dark to trade for supplies with Christians in the farming districts upriver. Without the boat, we would lose access to food we cannot get in the city, and all those upriver would be cut off from trade goods and salt. Since Theseus has been injured, Nikolas and I have begun making the trips upriver. 

That sounds dangerous.

Demi:  It is. In more ways than you can imagine. For one thing, Nikolas and I get along well. He’s actually very easy to talk to—and you wouldn’t think that would be a bad thing, but if Beatrix found out, she’d be matchmaking us next, and we could never be anything more than friends. 

Why not?

Demi: Because if Nikolas really knew me, knew what I’ve done, everything I hold dear would be stripped away, and I . . . I can’t bear to lose anything else I love. And, the other danger is . . . well, Nikolas doesn’t have the best history with boats. He sank his when he came to Myra, and I’m a little fearful he might sink mine too. We’ve had some close calls. But at least he hasn’t drowned the supplies like he did his entire inheritance. All that gold—right to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea—can you imagine? 

That gold would have been very helpful, considering what you told us about the state of things in the empire.

Demi: That’s why we’re trying to recover it—Nikolas, Theseus, and I. It’s tricky though. Theseus is still recovering and can’t dive yet, and Nikolas . . . well, at least he can swim. But if I’m searching for Nikolas’s gold, I can’t dive for coral, and if I don’t harvest enough coral, I’ll lose the boat, and then . . . I just have to find that gold. And soon.

Well, we won’t keep you from your boat any longer. Thank you for chatting with us today, Demi. I hope you find everything you’re looking for.

Demi: I have a feeling I will. But it might not be in the ways I expect. 

About the Author:

A person with long gray hair smiling Description automatically generatedJamie Ogle is a pre-dawn writer, homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. Her most recent title, As Sure as the Sea, releases from Tyndale Fiction in February 2025. A Minnesota native, she now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children, and she can usually be found gardening, beekeeping, and tromping through the woods. For more information about Jamie, go to her website: www.jamieogle.com. (Author photo by Jodi Sheller, Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.)

Additional Links:

Tyndale Media Center: As Sure as the Sea

Tyndale Media Center Author Page: Jamie Ogle

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Author’s Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon

Meet Jay Cooke from Tim Piper’s The Northern Pacific Railroad

~ Cindy Thomson ~ 1 Comment

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

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thank you for inviting me. My name is Jay Cooke, and I was born in 1821, in Sandusky, Ohio, the son of a lawyer who served in Congress. As a young man, I entered the banking business as a clerk and found I had a talent for it. Shortly before the Civil War, I opened my own investment firm, and I was instrumental in selling Treasury notes to the public to finance the Union war effort. Currently, I am heavily committed—personally and through my investment firm—to financing and constructing the Northern Pacific Railroad, a second transcontinental railroad which will connect the Great Lakes at Duluth, Minnesota, with the Pacific Ocean at Puget Sound.

How did you become acquainted with Jubilee Walker?

Nathaniel Langford, a banker and businessman from Helena, Montana Territory, approached me about sponsoring an expedition to explore the uncharted area of the Yellowstone River during the summer of 1870. He believed, and rightly so, that if the expedition proved that the folktales about the region’s unique geography were true, many tourists would be attracted to the area, and they would be anxious to see my railroad completed to carry them there. One of the members of that Yellowstone expedition was Jubilee Walker. Mr. Langford spoke highly of his service and expertise.

When that expedition proved that the rumors about Yellowstone were, indeed, true, an official government survey was launched in the summer of 1871. Jubilee Walker was hired by General Sherman to guide the army engineering contingent sent on that survey.

Then in 1872, a bill was placed before Congress proposing that the Yellowstone region be designated as the nation’s first national park. Jubilee Walker came to Washington, DC, to help lobby for the passage of that bill. I heard great things about young Mr. Walker’s performance on these expeditions, and I thought he might be of further assistance to me. While he was in Washington, I arranged a meeting with my personal secretary, who invited him to come meet me at my home in Philadelphia. 

Mr. Walker graciously accepted my invitation, and, soon after the passage of the park bill, he came to Ogantz, my estate in Philadelphia, for our first meeting.

What is the nature of your business agreement with Mr. Walker?

There are many challenges we face in the construction of the railroad, primary among them funding the effort through to completion. The expense is too great for any single investor, so the project must be financed through the sale of bonds to the public. The public’s willingness to buy those bonds is heavily dependent on the faith they have that our efforts to build the railroad will succeed, and that their investment will bring the returns promised.

The faith those investors have in our success is based on information they read in the news and the credibility of those delivering the message. Though I enjoy a generally favorable public reputation, it is natural for people to look for recommendations from those with less personal interest in the railroad than myself.

This is the role that Jubilee Walker can fulfill for me—offering his personal opinion of the soundness of the idea to build the Northern Pacific Railroad and expressing his confidence that the project can be completed successfully.

I have agreed to make a substantial investment in Mr. Walker’s adventure tourism business upon successful completion of a railroad survey to finalize the railroad’s route. In return, Mr. Walker has agreed to join the survey as my personal representative. As such, he will publicly promote and support the railroad.

What is the greatest obstacle to the completion of the railroad?

The railroad’s exact route has yet to be established across the six hundred miles between Bismarck, Dakota Territory, and Bozeman, Montana Territory. Two surveys are planned for the summer of 1872: One crew will start in Bismarck and proceed west. The other will start in Bozeman and work their way east to meet the westbound crew. Mr. Walker will join the eastbound crew departing from Bozeman.

Unfortunately, the railroad’s route must pass through the traditional hunting grounds of the Sioux tribes. Their leaders have expressed their displeasure with this plan and threatened to retaliate. The army will protect the survey crews, and hopefully no serious incidents will occur. A long-term resolution must be reached, but negotiating with the tribes is the government’s business, not mine.

My concern is that public opinion may turn negative regarding the safety of traveling on a railroad which runs through hostile territory. If the public loses faith that the route can be made safe, they will no longer invest in the railroad’s completion, and the whole enterprise will fail. I am confident that, with Jubilee Walker championing our cause, we will enjoy widespread public support for the project through its completion.

What consequences do you foresee if the railroad survey fails?

America will lose the opportunity to have a critical lifeline tying her coasts together, and our Canadian neighbors will likely capitalize on our failure.

A substantial portion of my personal wealth and the wealth of my investment house are committed to this effort. If the railroad cannot be built to generate the revenue to retire the bonds and pay the investors’ returns, that will severely challenge my ability to meet my debt obligations.

Mr. Walker also has placed his reputation and a significant portion of his personal assets at risk, to ensure that he is committed to a positive outcome on our mutual behalf. And he will be putting his personal safety at risk by facing whatever dangers the survey crew may encounter.

TIM PIPER is retired from a long career in Information Technology and has been a lifelong hobbyist musician. In his earlier days he was an avid hiker and backcountry camper, but his adventures these days are less strenuous and more comfortable. He began his education at Illinois State University as an English major, but life circumstances put him on a more pragmatic path, and he graduated with a BS in Business Admin, a degree he finds appropriately named. He lives in Bloomington, Illinois. 
Learn more at www.timpiper-author.com or follow him on Facebook.

https://timpiper-author.com/

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Meet Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon from A Hundred Magical Reasons by Laura DeNooyer

~ Cindy Thomson ~ 2 Comments

Most fairy tales have happy endings, but is it too late for this one? After all, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon is eighty-eight. 

This disgruntled town recluse has grown weary of fighting the dragons of her past—including the desire to clear her husband’s name of a 1918 crime.

Dragons of a different kind pursue Carrie Kruisselbrink.

In 1980, in the summer of her private rebellion, Carrie defies parental expectations and pursues her café dream. While waiting for funding, she takes a job with Mrs. Gordon.

As Mrs. Gordon unfolds the story of her oppressive childhood and delightful friendship with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum, Carrie never expects to encounter her own fears and soul-searching.

In this modern-day fairy tale that weaves between 1980 and the early 1900s, Mr. Baum’s influence impacts each woman’s personal quests on a hero’s journey neither anticipates. Can Carrie and Mrs. Gordon find common ground in battling their respective dragons?

Welcome, Mrs. Gordon! I appreciate you letting me stop by your front porch  today for an interview. What a lovely garden you have!

Thank you. The dahlias are my favorites. My employee Carrie helps me with the watering. It’s part of her penance, you might say. 

Penance? For what?

At age eleven, she kicked her ball into my flower bed and smashed my tulips, then wrote up a contract vowing to never step foot in my yard again or she’d make it up to me as I deemed fit. Now it’s ten years later, and she broke that vow a month ago when she dropped by. I’m holding her to the contract, since I could use some help around here.

Wow, you drive a hard bargain. What do you need help with?

I hired her to be my scribe. I have to settle the record on—well, never mind. She’s recording my memoirs, for one thing. In return, I’m saving her from a summer of working in fast food.

No wonder. I heard you used to own and manage the Broderick Inn and Tearoom on the lake. 

For thirty-nine years. My mother established it in the late 1800s, so I grew up learning the business of food preparation and hospitality. I took over in 1916. 

Did you have any specialty menu items? 

In the 1950s and ’60s we served Munchkin Delights, Scraps’ Peach Bread Pudding, and Polychrome’s Dewdrop Mist Trifle. 

Munchkin Delights . . . is that connected to The Wizard of Oz? And what about the other two you mentioned?

All three are inspired by Oz books. Mr. L. Frank Baum wrote fourteen of them. Most folks know about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but It’s a shame the average person has no clue about the others he wrote. 

Not to mention the bakers at the Broderick Tearoom passing off their own version of blueberry muffins as Munchkin Delights. They don’t even have my original recipe.

Why do you know more than the average person about L. Frank Baum?

Because I met him when I was eight. He, his wife Maud, and their four sons visited our tearoom. Turns out they spent summers at Macatawa Resort near Holland, Michigan, not far from us. That’s eighty years ago, in the early 1900s. He even invited me to their cottage.

Really? What an amazing opportunity! What did you do there?

We had a grand time. His son Kenneth was just a year older than me. We all went boating, fishing, and swimming—all the regular lake activities. But Mr. Baum also planned wonderfully imaginative adventures for us right on his porch. 

He showed me how to run a printing press. We made dioramas. And he told stories, of course. Marvelous stories. Being with him was like indulging in chocolate fudge after months of cold porridge. 

But we did everything on the sly. My parents had no use for fiction, fantasy, or fairy tales. I was only allowed to read The New England Primer, The Pilgrim’s Progress, and the Bible. They’d never approve of my spending time with someone like Mr. Baum. But thank goodness, my dear Aunt Sophie believed otherwise. She took me to the Baums’ place every year behind my parents’ backs.

Sounds like Mr. Baum was a huge influence on your life.

Yes, in so many ways. He gave me inspiration and courage to try many things I might not have done otherwise. I’m sharing all these memories with Carrie. 

By the way, she has restaurant plans of her own. She hopes to run a literary-themed cafe. But her parents expect her to use her college degree and teach elementary school. It’s such a quandary for her, living under their demands, criticism, and expectations when she has dreams of her own. 

She and I have a lot in common that way. I once had dreams myself until they were destroyed like a house in cyclone. I don’t want the same thing happening to Carrie.

I’m sure you have plenty of expertise and empathy to offer. So . . . you were married to Walter Gordon, the pharmacist. Wasn’t there some kind of . . . secret scandal at Gordon Apothecary? 

If you’ve heard about it, it’s no secret. The whole town knows. In fact, that’s part of why I hired Carrie. In 1918, my dear Walter was falsely accused of a crime, and I have to set the record straight. Once and for all. Folks wag their tongues even now, sixty years later. It’s a cloud that still hangs over my head. 

So go along now. I need to go water my dahlias. And watch where you step in my garden lest you find yourself indebted to me.

Laura DeNooyer thrives on creativity and encouraging it in others. A Calvin College graduate, she is a teacher, wife, parent of four adult children, and an award-winning author of heart-warming historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels are perfect for fans of Patti Callahan Henry, Erin Bartels, or Heidi Chiavaroli. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking, drinking tea with friends, or taking a road trip.


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Meet Juniper from Cindy Thomson’s New Novel, Finding Juniper

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

For Patrick Doyle, the claim that time heals all wounds is a cruel lie.

In 1920, returning from WWI, Paddy finds Ireland creeping toward civil war. Invisible borders separate people, including Paddy and his pregnant girlfriend. With few prospects, Paddy sails to America. However, America is far from the land of opportunity he’d hoped for. And worse, his girl refuses to follow him because of her political involvement.

Thirty years later, Patrick has moved on with his life, building a new family. A letter arrives, suggesting the child he’d assumed died may be alive. Patrick’s American daughter Mardell pushes him to find out what happened to her sister, named Juniper. Patrick anxiously sails to Ireland.

Juniper endured a childhood in institutions, and when she’s released, she moves on without the parents who left her. Operating an apothecary out of an inherited cottage where villagers are slow to trust outsiders, Juniper finally finds a home when her grandmother arrives. Just as she feels comfortable and content, her father shows up at her door, bringing shocking news about her mother.

Finding Juniper invites readers on a journey of confronting the past, healing from old traumas, and redefining what family truly means.

Welcome to the blog, Juniper. Because of the time period of the novel, you might not know what that is.

Juniper: You said this was an interview. Is that what you mean?

Ah, yes, an interview. Readers would like to know about you, especially if they haven’t read the book.

Juniper: [Gasp!] They haven’t read the book? They must or I will cease to exist.

Don’t worry. You’re real to those who have. Tell us something about your childhood. When were you born?

Juniper: Now you sound like those doctors at St. Giles. I was born on the second of June, 1920, in Dublin, Ireland. My childhood was not happy, but you don’t want to hear about that.

Oh, we do! Happy or not, your story will help us get to know you.

Juniper: [Sigh] It won’t really because I’m a new woman, now. But I’ll tell you a wee bit. I grew up without parents, but I wasn’t an orphan. Ireland in those days, well, things were all upside down. My mother got involved in politics. Long story, but she wasn’t in a right state to raise a child. Things are better in Ireland now, in 1950, and I’m doing quite well. When I was young my mother sent me to live with the nuns for a time. I rebelled a bit as a child, so they moved me to St. Giles.

That’s a hospital?

Juniper: Of sorts. So they called it. It was really a place where they put folks, mostly girls, whose families don’t want them or maybe just couldn’t deal with them. They let me go when I was older.

Your parents didn’t want you? I heard a different story.

Juniper: I heard it too. Call it what you will, but in my mind I was abandoned. I’m still trying to adapt.

Say no more. We don’t want to spoil the story.

Juniper: I was happy, though, when I got to work in the gardens. I learned a lot about plants from the gardner at St. Giles. And also from letters my granny sent me. She made herbal cures as well. I am what you might call an herbalist or a natural healer. I think that’s the term from your time.

How fascinating. I bet folks appreciate the things you make.

Juniper: Most do. There was a wee bit of trouble once, a bit of a mix up with one of my cures.

Wait! Don’t tell us.

Juniper: Happy not to talk about that.

So, your father, Patrick, went to America?

Juniper: He did. My mother called him Paddy. I was told he’d died over there.

I heard something different. Life was difficult for him in America. At least in the beginning.

Juniper: Now you wait. Don’t be spoiling things, as you said.

Sorry. Isn’t there a handsome new rector in your village now?

Juniper: Yes, Donal. He’s the kindest person I have ever met. My experience with the church has been less than pleasant, but meeting him has made me look at things differently.

Will something develop between you two?

Juniper: You sound like Granny. We shall see.

Why don’t you tell us about your name?

Juniper: Ah, my name. Granny always called me Juniper, but my birth name was Anna. St. Giles would only call me Anna, so I got used to that. I like Juniper, though, named as I was for a lovely green plant. There is such beauty in the world out of doors. Much healing in plants.

Do you find healing by working in the garden? And in the novel as well?

Juniper: I do feel calmer when I toil in my fields, but healing for my whole self? You’ll have to read to find out.

Thanks for chatting with us, Juniper.

Known for the inspirational Celtic theme employed in most of her books, Cindy Thomson is the author of both fiction and nonfiction. A genealogy enthusiast, she writes from her home in Ohio where she lives with her husband Tom near their three grown sons and their families. Visit her online at CindysWriting.com

Book Review: Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue the tradition of her late father’s Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must evolve with the times, and the queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change. 

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I enjoyed this novel about two lovers, Jack and Olive, who are separated by circumstances, including Jack’s marriage to another woman, Andrea, he loved. As the story opens Andrea is killed in a car accident. She leaves behind the dream she and Jack had for Jack to open his own restaurant. Olive harbors a secret, and these two things keep them apart for most of the book. It’s the classic romance formula.

What made this book intriguing for me was the glimpse into the royal family and the Queen’s preparations for her annual Christmas address. (However, readers should understand, despite the title and setting, the book is about Jack and Olive who both have jobs that take them into the lives of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip). Another intriguing aspect for he was Jack’s character. He enjoys cooking the recipes that his grandfather, from New Orleans, taught him. The way he puts his dishes together and the way he introduces them to the British people was interesting. I also loved how he wooed Olive by figuring out what she liked and setting up one-on-one cooking lessons.

The only drawback for me was the prolonged period of time (years!) that it took for Jack and Olive to reunite as a couple. I found it a little annoying. I also didn’t like that we weren’t able to witness a proposal or a wedding. After all that back and forth, this part deserved a place in the story, I thought. Even so, this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this story by two very talented authors. I’ve read several of their books and I love how they take ordinary people and show readers how they endured and prospered during the times they lived in.

This is a fun Christmasy read with a gorgeous cover that I think readers will enjoy.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I received a free review copy from the publisher via NetGalley and was not required to leave a review. These are my own opinions.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, www.cindyswriting.com

A Chat with Arthur from Sleeping in the Sun by Joanne Howard

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment
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When two visitors arrive to the boarding house in India where an American boy is coming of age during the British Raj, truths unravel, disrupting his life and challenging the family’s sense of home. A unique historical angle ideal for fans of The Poisonwood Bible and The Inheritance of Loss.

In the last years of the British Raj, an American missionary family stays on in Midnapore, India. Though the Hintons enjoy white privileges, they have never been accepted by British society and instead run a boarding house on the outskirts of town where wayward native Indians come to find relief.

Young Gene Hinton can’t get out from under the thumb of his three older brothers, and the only person he can really relate to is Arthur, his family’s Indian servant. But when Uncle Ellis, a high-ranking British judge, suddenly arrives and announces he’ll be staying indefinitely in their humble house, far from his prestigious post in Himalayan foothills, life as Gene knows it is interrupted. While his brothers are excited at the judge’s arrival, he is skeptical as to why this important man is hiding out with them in the backwaters of Bengal.

Also skeptical is Arthur. Then an Indian woman appears on their doorstep—and, after growing close to her, he learns the sinister truth about the judge. Torn between a family that has provided him shelter, work, and purpose his whole life and the escalating outrage of his countrymen, Arthur must decide where his loyalties lie—and the Hintons must decide if they can still call India home.

So, Arthur. Please introduce yourself. What is your role in the Hinton household?

I am the family’s servant. The only one, actually. Which is unusual for such a large house and a family of four young boys, but…they manage with just me. Mrs. Hinton expects me to do the shopping in the bazaar, to tend to garden, to cook meals and serve them…oh, and to feed Minnie, the monkey they keep in the shed.

Is that so? Do many animals take up residence at the house?

Oh no, just Minnie. The house is a boarding house for humans, though. As part of the mission, the Hintons take in anyone who needs a momentary place to stay. It’s nice. The house is a bit far from town and I have so much to do, I don’t get many chances to meet other folk.

What do you do for yourself? 

I shouldn’t say, but I like to get a quiet moment away and enjoy a bidi. Mr. Hinton doesn’t like it, smoking is a sin and all, but I think he must know and doesn’t say anything. Or a pariah dog recently started showing up, and she likes to play with me. She’s quite sweet, and I’ve grown fond of her. Almost thinking of her as my own. I’ve never really had anyone of my own…

I’ve heard this is a somewhat turbulent time in India. Have you seen or experienced any political unrest?

The country is always changing. There’s a serious anti-Raj movement that’s gaining momentum, when just a few decades ago, such sentiment would have been dangerous. But Calcutta and Bengal have always been on the more progressive side of things. Perhaps you have heard of the Bengal Renaissance? I don’t have much time to read, but I know there were works about independence and individualism, that sort of thing. Sounds very American, now that I think about it. But yes: I’ve seen some rallies get out of hand in the bazaar. Some people say the Raj will fall soon. But I have too much to do to pay attention to that. The Hintons depend on me to keep everything running.

Many people want the British out of India. Would that also mean the Hintons have to go? What would life be like for you with them gone?

I…don’t know. I suppose I’d be sad. I’ve known them ever since Mr. and Mrs. Hinton came here to Midnapore, when their oldest was just a baby. But maybe they could stay on? The work that they do as missionaries is with the native Indian tribes here, and I don’t see how they couldn’t go on doing that if the British weren’t in charge. They’re American, after all. Doesn’t that make them exempt?

Does it?

[Pauses.] It does. Of course it does. Because if it doesn’t…then they’re just the same as the British, in the end. And that would mean I’ve been serving the Raj in some way. Which I never intended. I know some Indians don’t have any choice, and the British employ so many people, but I tried not to. The Hintons are just an American missionary family, they don’t have the same kind of power as the British. 

How is life different for this American family compared to a typical British family?

They wouldn’t ever admit it, but of course they have less money and are not so concerned with fitting in with the rest of British society. Like I said, they’d never admit it, but I think they’re quite proud of it, not fitting in, really. It seems…American of them.

Joanne Howard is an Asian American writer from California. She holds an MFA in writing from Pacific University. Her poetry received an honorable mention from Stanford University’s 2019 Paul Kalanithi Writing Award. Her fiction has been published in The Catalyst by UC Santa Barbara, The Metaworker Literary Magazine and the Marin Independent Journal and her nonfiction has been published in Another New Calligraphy and The Santa Barbara Independent. She lives in Santa Rosa, CA. Find out more at her website.

Instagram: @joannesbooks

Meet Lydia Gallagher of Beyond Shattered Dreams by Cynthia Roemer

~ Cindy Thomson ~ 1 Comment

After months in a Confederate prison camp, Private Will Everett boards the Sultana eager to return home and leave behind the horrors of war. One day into the voyage, the overcrowded steamboat explodes, rendering Will injured and unable to recall his identity. With only a pocket watch and the name Will E. etched inside to guide him, Will begins a relentless quest to find his forgotten past. Scarred by her father’s untimely death, Lydia Gallagher struggles to trust God with unwanted changes in her family after the war. The arrival of an elusive, but handsome, stranger only adds to her angst. Until the intricacies of his true nature and the mysteries of his past come to light. As they work to thwart a ruthless man’s efforts to sabotage the farm, their admiration for each other deepens. But when Lydia becomes privy to information that could forever alter their lives, she must choose between losing the man she’s come to love or denying him the one thing he longs for most. 

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

Thank you. It’s wonderful to be here.

Share a bit about yourself—your name, where you’re from, what occupies your time.

I’m Lydia Gallagher. I live on a farm four miles west of Elmira, New York. I’ll soon turn eighteen and have two older brothers, Drew and Luke, both of which recently returned from fighting in the War Between the States.

Oh, my. I’m so glad they survived to return home. Such a terrible war. Which side did they fight on?

They fought for the Union. Yes. Truly, the war was a terrible hardship on everyone. I was not yet eleven years old when the war began. Sadly, it stole much of my youth. I still remember waving goodbye to my father as he left to fight. It would be the last time I would ever see him.

I’m so sorry. How about your mother. Is she living?

Yes. She and I grew quite close after my father’s death and my brothers left to fight. We prayed day and night for my brothers’ safe return.

With only the two of you there, how did you manage the farm?

We had Luke’s help until he left for the war in 1863. Mama and I were able to maintain a sizeable garden and our neighbor, Hal Perkins, helped put in some of our crop, but much of the land remained fallow until Drew and Luke returned.

So, with the war over, have your brothers remained on the farm or married and followed other pursuits?

Surprisingly both brothers met and fell in love with Southern women during the war. Drew married Caroline and Luke eventually married Adelaide. While I dearly loved my new sisters-in-law, I disliked the unwanted changes that came about in our family after they wed. I had such great hopes of us all remaining together. But they and God had other plans.

Hmm. Sounds serious. So, were all the changes you experienced bad ones? Or did God have anything good in store?

Grin. Well, there was one positive change that came about. A stranger happened by our place and informed us Luke had hired him to help manage the farm. I was suspicious at first. He seemed quite vague about himself and wouldn’t give any straight answers. But once I learned the reason behind his ambiguity, I understood.

Ah, and was this stranger handsome?

I’ll admit he immediately caught my eye. He was ruddy and well-muscled with sandy hair and amazing hazel eyes. Up until now, no young man had sparked my interest. I’d had a few callers, but honestly, until I met Will, not a one of them struck my fancy. Will definitely changed that. But I had a hard time discerning if he felt the same about me.

So, have things turned out as you hoped for you and Will?

Smile. That’s something you and your fellow readers will have to learn when you read my story in Beyond Shattered Dreams.

Cynthia Roemer is an inspirational, award-winning author who enjoys planting seeds of hope into the hearts of readers. Raised in the cornfields of rural Illinois, she enjoys spinning tales set in the backdrop of the mid-1800’s prairie and Civil War era. Cynthia feels blessed the Lord has fulfilled her life-long dream of being a published novelist. It’s her prayer that her stories will encourage readers in their faith. She and her husband reside on the family farm. Visit Cynthia online at: www.cynthiaroemer.com

Meet Gunther Schneider from Michelle Shocklee’s All We Thought We Knew

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During the turbulent days of World War II, thousands of foreigners were interned in the United States. Men, women, and even children with ties to Japan, Italy, and Germany were sent to detention camps all across the country. In Michelle Shocklee’s new novel All We Thought We Knew, readers meet Gunther Schneider, a German medical student who finds himself caught up in a frightening and seemingly hopeless situation. 

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NP: Hello, Gunther. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for stopping by Novel PASTimes to chat with us. 

Gunther: Danke. I’m happy to be here.

NP: Tell us about where you’re from and how you ended up in the United States. 

Gunther: I was born in Krefeld, Germany. It is very beautiful, close to the Rhine River. My parents were Gott-fearing people who believed in the truths taught in the Bible. When Hitler came into power, Mutter feared what would become of Germany. By then Vater had passed away and my older brother had joined the Nazis. Mutter thought it best for me to leave Germany and go to medical school in the United States. She believed I would be safe there.

NP: It must have been hard to leave your homeland and family. 

Gunther: Ja, it was, but I wanted to come to America and study to become a doctor. Although things did not turn out the way I’d hoped, I do not regret leaving Germany. 

NP: You were eventually arrested and detained in a camp for enemy aliens. Can you tell us about that?

Gunther: I was a student at Columbia medical school in New York City when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It may sound naïve, but I didn’t believe the US government would consider me a threat to society, being that it was Japan who’d attacked Hawaii, not Germany. I was quite shocked when I was arrested.

NP: Were your friends arrested too? 

Gunther: Ja, all of them. I’m not certain where some of them ended up, but I was sent to Camp Forrest in Tullahoma, Tennessee. 

NP: I’m not familiar with Camp Forrest. Was that a military installation?

Gunther: It was. I’m told it was one of the largest in the United States. While I was there, I saw thousands of young American men training for war. I felt sad knowing that many of them would die. Had I stayed in Germany, I would have been forced to join Hitler’s army. I’ve often wondered if I would have had to fight against some of the same soldiers I saw at Camp Forrest. 

NP: I’m sure it was hard being held as a prisoner. Was there anything about your time at Camp Forrest that brought you happiness?

Gunther: I met a special friend while I was in Tullahoma. Ava Delaney worked at the camp. She did not treat me like the enemy, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, as a German, I wasn’t always treated kindly by Americans. It was nice to have someone to talk to who didn’t judge me for where I was born. 

NP: It sounds as though you’ve been through many challenges in your life. Can you tell us where your find the strength to face them?

Gunther: My parents taught me to trust in the truths found in the Bible. When I left for America, my mother gave me my father’s Bible. Reading it reminds me that I’m not alone, even if it feels like it sometimes. The stories also remind me that people have always faced difficult challenges, but they also reveal hope. With Gott, there is always hope. 

NP: That’s very true. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Gunther.  

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including Appalachian Song, a Christy Award finalist, Count the Nights by Stars, a Christianity Today fiction book award winner, and Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy and Selah Awards finalist. Her work has been featured in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her at MichelleShocklee.com.

Book Review: Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

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This touching story begins in 1938 with a teenage girl named Rosie in California who becomes an orphan. Taken in my her parents’ employer, she falls victim to the man of the house and gets pregnant. But Rosie has a secret that made her different, and her secret is betrayed so that she is not sent to a home for unwed mothers but to a mental institution. This thread is intriguing by itself but Meissner links Rosie with a woman, Helen, who works in Europe as a nanny as the Nazis are targeting disabled children. Her heartbreaking experience leads her to do what she can to save as many children as possible. Many years after the war Helen goest back to California and learns that her brother was the father of Rosie’s baby, the only relative Helen has left. Helen had met Rosie when the girl was younger and corresponded with her a few times, But where is Rosie now and what became of her baby?

There are so many lessons we can learn from this story, inspired by the eugenics movement that existed in some places in the US until the 1970s, according to the author’s note, which is not to be missed.

I’m a fan of all of Meissner’s books, but my goodness, this one is exquisite. Highly recommend!

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson, http://www.cindyswriting.com