Tag: fiction

Categories
historical fiction

Freedom’s Song

344 pages WaterBrook publisher Publication date October 19, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

Her voice made her a riverboat’s darling—and its prisoner. Now she’s singing her way to freedom in this powerful novel from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow.

“[An] enjoyable faith-filled adventure . . . Sawyer’s episodic narrative and rich assortment of characters fighting for freedom provide the story with many twists and unexpected side-plots.”—Publishers Weekly

Indentured servant Fanny Beck has been forced to sing for riverboat passengers since she was a girl. All she wants is to live a quiet, humble life with her family as soon as her seven-year contract is over. So when she discovers that the captain has no intention of releasing her, she seizes a sudden opportunity to escape—an impulse that leads Fanny to a group of enslaved people who are on their own dangerous quest for liberty. . . .

Widower Walter Kuhn is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his farm and young daughter, and now his mail-order bride hasn’t arrived. Could a beautiful stranger seeking work be the answer to his prayers? . . .
 
After the star performer of the River Peacock is presumed drowned, Sloan Kirkpatrick, the riverboat’s captain, sets off to find her replacement. However, his journey will bring him face to face with his own past—and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be free. . . . 

Uplifting, inspiring, and grounded in biblical truth, Freedom’s Song is a story for every reader who has longed for physical, emotional, or spiritual delivery.



MY THOUGHTS

The book was slow to start but once it got rolling it became a great story. Forced to sing on a riverboat as a young girl because of her melodious voice by her father he unknowingly signs her over for many years. She wants a simple life, one far away from the riverboat and its customers.


An accident one night on the boat grants her freedom as she’s washed ashore. The people she finds are also seeking freedom of another kind.
The book was full of excitement and adventure of many kinds from being prisoner on a riverboat to being on the run, the unknown and the uncertainty that goes with this.

I loved seeing the enthusiasm and fortitude Fanny has despite all the hardships she has faced and continues to face. great reading with an exciting plot.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wife, mother, gramma, chocolate-lover, cat-petter, and–most importantly–a daughter of the King! With more than 1.5 million books in print in seven different languages, Kim enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Her “gentle stories of hope” are loved by readers and reviewers alike. Kim and her retired military husband, Don, reside on the plains of Kansas, the setting for many of her novels.

Believe in yourself!

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Blog Tour

Blog Tour for The Dressmaker’s Secret by Michelle Vernal

The Dressmaker’s Secret by Michelle Vernal

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0DWT4469Vsocial

1962. Even as she gazes at the silk bridal dresses in the window, the little girl’s eyes fill with tears. She has dreamed about gowns just like that. But now, lost and alone, she only wants to be held. Just a moment ago, she was in the arms of her mother. Now her only hope lies in Brides of Bold Street, where past and present blur…

Sabrina Flooks was lost as a little girl, then raised and trained by talented dressmaker Evelyn. The historic bridal shop on Bold Street is all Sabrina has ever known.

Since the kind shop owner took her in, Sabrina has followed in Evelyn’s footsteps, stitching and bejewelling gorgeous wedding dresses. She’s buried herself in the rich fabrics, closing off her heart rather than face the pain of what happened all those years ago…

Until the sparks that fly between her and handsome Adam Taylor take her completely by surprise. His quiet charm and kind smile encourage her to let her guard down. Just a little.

As love truly begins to bloom, the only way she can overcome the fear of being abandoned again and learn to feel safe in Adam’s warm embrace, is if she finally finds the truth about her identity and her past.And the way to unravelling it all may be closer than she ever thought possible…

Because the rails full of petticoats, veils and skirts hide a secret. One that could have her walking a path through the past.

Could the journey through history give her everything she ever dreamt of? And even if she uncovers the truth, will she make it back to Adam in the present day or will it take Sabrina away from everything she holds dear?

You will be totally swept away by Michelle Vernal’s beautiful tale of love, loss and family secrets spanning decades. This enchanting read is perfect for fans of Sandy Taylor, Barbara Davis and Jean Grainger.

MY THOUGHTS

The Dressmaker’s Secret is the first book in the Brides of Bold Street. This is also my first read of a historical time slip book by the author. The others I read were contemporary fiction.

I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this type of book by the author just as much as I had the others.
The book was gripping and so hard to put down.

I enjoyed the historical section as much as I did the modern time period. The book is full of nostalgia and so heartwarming. I could fully picture the long-ago time I was reading about with a bit of intriguing suspense thrown in. I enjoyed this read very much!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author:

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Author social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleVernal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellevernalnovelist/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellevernalnovelist

Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/michelle-vernal

Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Blog Tour

Blog Tour for The Spanish Daughter by Soraya Lane

The Spanish Daughter by Soraya Lane

https://geni.us/B0DGXXS8KXsocial

Argentina, 1939: “My darling Valentina, I beg you to not go through with this marriage. I know your duty to your family means the world to you, but I pray our love means more. Let us run away together, and never be parted again…”

London, Present day. Rose once thought she was alone in the world, having just lost her beloved mother a few months ago. So, when she is presented with a mysterious box containing a small figure of a horse, a scrap of glittering silk and the hope of a lost family being found, Rose will stop at nothing to find them.

When her search takes her to a sprawling and luxurious estate in Argentina, where the best polo horses in the world were once raised, Rose wonders if she’s mistaken. But when she meets a charming local, Benjamin, he takes her by the hand and encourages her to rediscover her roots.

As they spend long sunlit days riding horses, and cosy evenings eating dinner with his family, Rose wonders how she will ever return to the grey skies back home. But then she discovers a heart-wrenching story of two forbidden lovers: a wilful Spanish heiress and a hardworking stable hand, ripped apart by an arranged marriage and one of the largest inheritances in the country, which intertwines Rose and Benjamin’s families in ways she could never have imagined.

As Benjamin’s family grow wary of the stranger in their home dredging up the pain of the past, Rose finds herself at a crossroads. Will her great-grandmother’s story give her the courage to fly in the face of convention and follow her heart? Or will she too have to give up the one she loves most to heal family ties…

A heartbreaking and page-turning novel about following your heart and never giving up on love. Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the sixth book in the Lost Daughters series, and I’ve read them all. The series is absolutely amazing and not to be missed. A time slip, multi-generational book they all revolve around adoption, family secrets starting several generations and a different time in life.

Life was slower then, more proper then and people cared what others thought so secrets were kept so as not to bring shame to families. As the secrets now come to life sometime later heartbreak is once again upon us.

If only we could go back in time and make a change with things. Such an excellent read, I simply couldn’t put this down and read it in a day. I fully recommend the author’s books.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realising that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, including the #1 Kindle bestselling novels The Last Correspondent and The Secrets We Left Behind. 

Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

Author social media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor

Twitter:

Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor

Website: www.sorayalane.com

Newsletter sign up:

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Categories
cover reveal

The Matchmaker’s Mare by Hywela Lyn cover reveal

he Matchmaker’s Mare 

When Megan Johnson inherits an old cottage in the Welsh countryside, she seizes the opportunity to cut ties with her past life, after a broken romance. Her nearest neighbour, a horse trainer, is also something of an enigma. Single dad Glyn Phillips does his best to balance his love of horses and hard work, with his devotion to his son. When he meets his new neighbour, he knows he should resist any attraction. A feisty pony mare which mysteriously appears on his land adds to his problems, but another, larger problem lies ahead. Two matchmaking spirits find their carefully laid plans may not go as smoothly as they hope. 

Pre-order Links  

Publication Date: 5th May 

Author Bio –  

Award-winning author, Hywela Lyn spent most of her life in Wales, whose beautiful landscapes and wealth. of myths and legends inspired her to write. A horse and dog lover, she weaves romantic Science Fiction adventures and fantasy romances set in Wales, past and present. She loves dreaming up characters who overcome the odds, and go on to find deep and enduring love. However difficult the journey, in the end love will always win. She  hopes her stories will truly take you ‘out of this world’. 

Her penname, Hywela Lyn is a combination of her first two names. (She has always been known by her second name ‘Lyn’ and thought it was time her Welsh first name was used as well!) She is a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her local writing group, Chiltern Writers. Beloved Enemy, the third book in her Destiny Trilogy, was shortlisted in the Paranormal category of the prestigious Romantic Novelists Association RoNA awards and was a Runner up in the RONE Awards in 2017. When not writing or reading, she can usually be found outdoors with horses or her little dog – or just eating chocolate! 

Social Media Links –  

Website: Https://Hywelalyn.co.uk 

Blog: Https://hywelalyn.blogspot.com 

X: https://x.com/Hywela_Lyn 

https://www.instagram.com/hywela.lyn/

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1422651.Hywela_Lyn  

I hope you are having a lovely day. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Uncategorized

You Know the Drill-Publication Day Push

You Know the Drill

Welcome to my life.  The life of a reluctant dentist.  This book charts the course of a nervous student dealing with people from all walks of life, from exploding angry abscesses to exploding angry people, both in and out of the chair.

When I was a wet-behind-the-ears school sixth former, it seemed like a really good idea to go to university and study the teeth, gums and mouth.  I’m still trying to work out why I thought that was a good idea.

The definition of a dentist mentions competencies in biomedical knowledge, surgical dexterity, and critical thinking. What it fails to include is being an unpaid therapist, getting splattered in pus, coaxing nutters out from under the dental chair, having the police storm your surgery, and dealing with patients who think a crown is something you put on your head, then try and sue you when you say otherwise.

Written as a form of therapy – to offload on paper – this book gives a frank account of life both in and out of the surgery.  So, take a seat in the waiting room and I’ll see you shortly in Chapter One…

MY THOUGHTS

Unlike many people I don’t hate the thought of going to the dentist and I’m also not afraid of needles. Obviously, I’ve been going to the right dental practice here in the states. I’d much rather go to the dentist than the eye doctor.
This is a dentist’s thoughts on his experiences from dentistry school, practicing dentistry, his patients, coworkers, surgeries and everything dental related in-between.
Some instances made me laugh out loud and, in many cases, the dental hygienists were in on the joke too. You wonder how they could get through some of these cases without losing their composure. In some cases, the customers were rude or belittling and once again you wonder how they could keep their cool throughout it all.
From stinky breathed customers to those demanding emergency surgery now they really put up with a lot and not always in the most pleasant of environments either.
I really learned a lot from this book, and I’ve not read one quite like it. Dealing with the public you never quite know what you can expect.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Links

Author Bio:

Dr Bill is a reluctant dentist who lives with his kind partner and a neurotic cat.  This is his first book.  There may be another.  This depends on whether Dr Bill’s patients are gracious sweethearts who give him nothing to write about, or cantankerous bastards who provide the fodder for written revenge!

I’m going to assume this is the dentist’s cat.

Thank you for stopping in today! Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Categories
historical fiction

Beneath a Starless Sky: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical fiction novel 

423 pages HQ Digital publisher Pub Date Oct 05 2021 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Munich: Smoke filled the air.

Lilli Sternberg’s quickening heart sounded an alarm as she rounded the street corner. Lifting her gaze to the rooftops, a roaring blaze of thick flames engulfed the side of the building and joined the stars to fill the black sky. Her father’s shop was no more.

Lilli Sternberg longs to be a ballet dancer. But outside the sanctuary of the theatre, Munich is no longer a place for dreams.

The Nazi party are gaining power and the threats to Jewish families increasing. Even Lilli’s family shop was torched because of their faith.

When Lilli meets Captain Marco Zeiller during a chance encounter, her heart soars. He is the perfect gentleman and her love for him feels like a bright hope under a bleak sky.

But battle lines are being drawn, and Marco has been spotted by the Reich as an officer with potential. Lilli means more to him than anything and he knows he must find a way out.

With their lives on the line, will Marco and Lilli survive the growing Nazi threat, or do they risk losing everything in the fight to be free?

An absolutely gripping and emotional historical fiction novel about love, courage and betrayal for fans of My Name is Eva and A Woman of War

MY THOUGHTS

Incredible fiction detailing decades of time covering war, love, surprises resilience and sacrifices like no others. Loosely based on real events and actual people I learned a lot and was very impressed with what I read. Highly recommended.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

When I was five years old, I visited the dungeons of an old castle with my parents. The guide was telling us about the oubliette, the place where they threw prisoners and literally forgot about them. Without warning he turned the light off, plunging the space into darkness. We were blind for a few moments. But instead of terrifying me, the experience had the opposite effect. I wanted to know more about people, lives, events from the past. So,from a very early age, I loved history: buildings, books, stories.

I went on to read History at Oxford University and qualified as a journalist and editor, contributing to several national publications such as The Times and The Telegraph. I also acted as a literary publicist for the English TV presenter and novelist Pam Rhodes.

Winning a European-wide screenplay writing competition led to the optioning of a screenplay. (Here’s where the history comes in.) Set in 18th century England, it highlighted what has to be one of the most fascinating periods of England’s past. The screenplay languished in what’s known as development hell, but I was determined to tell some of the stories I’d discovered during my researches into the period. The result is “The Anatomist’s Apprentice,” the first of a series of Dr Thomas Silkstone Mysteries – stories from late 18th century England that are based on true events.

Until December 2010 I was editor of a regional glossy magazine and was regularly heard on BBC local radio. As well interviewing dozens of celebrities, I interviewed writers at literary events in front of audiences. My most recent interviews were with Oscar winner Julian Fellowes (who wrote the screenplay for Downton Abbey), Barbara Taylor Bradford and Hollywood legend Leslie Caron.

“Every setback is a setup for a comeback.”

Categories
Blog Tour

Blog Tour for The Secret of Ruby’s Lighthouse by Kristin Harper 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ruby rocks in her favorite chair and tries not to think about the past. This family inn, with views across the grassy dunes to the lighthouse standing against bright blue sky, is all she’s ever known. But Ruby has been keeping a secret all these years… this summer, has the time finally come to share it?

Meg Carter can’t wait to spend the summer with her great-aunt Ruby, helping renovate her charming—if a little old-fashioned—inn by the ocean. But a surprise arrival changes their plans. Simon, grandson of the former owners, is selling his land next door to a luxury resort developer. The plans are certain to ruin the beautiful view of the lighthouse, which has guided lost seafarers home for generations… and put Ruby’s inn out of business for good.

Forget sorting through Ruby’s classic book collection and spring cleaning the bedrooms: there might not ever be any new guests if the plans go ahead. Simon may be tall and handsome, with eyes like green sea glass, but he’s stubborn to boot… and Meg’s discussions with him always end in fireworks.

Then Ruby says she has a secret about Simon to share. But the elderly lady only has time to say “the lighthouse holds the key” before becoming desperately ill.

Distraught, all Meg cares about is her beloved aunt’s health. Ruby is in no state to share her secret now: but what if it could save the inn for good? A tour of the lighthouse, with its glittering glass lamp and red-and-white stripes, brings Meg no closer to the truth… and it’s against her better judgment that she takes long walks on the beach with Simon, and even grows close to his sweet children.

But is she wrong to open her heart to the one person who could hold the answers? And will Meg ever solve the secret of the lighthouse—before it’s too late for the inn, and for Ruby?

An utterly addictive escapist read that will sweep you away to the gorgeous coastline of Dune Island. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Mary Alice Monroe and Elin Hilderbrand won’t be able to put this down.

Author Bio:

Ever since she was a young girl, there were few things Kristin liked more than creative writing and spending time on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her family. Eventually (after a succession of jobs that bored her to tears), she found a way to combine those two passions by becoming a women’s fiction author whose stories occur in oceanside settings. While Kristin doesn’t live on the Cape year-round, she escapes to the beach whenever she can.

https://www. kristinharperauthor.com/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Kristin Harper here:  https://www.bookouture. com/kristin-harper

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DV9TQWQWsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
Blog Tour

The Shadow on the Bridge Blog Tour-Promo Post

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Shadow on the Bridge

‘You must forever watch your back,’ I spoke the words clearly, though he could not hear me. ‘Come what may, I shall avenge my brother’s death.’’

Now: When Sarah’s summoned by her godmother to remote Norfolk, she doesn’t want to go. Crossing the bridges where the two rivers meet, said to be haunted by the ghost of a little boy, a large Tudor house looms in front of her. And Sarah’s instantly reminded her of the summer when she last visited. The summer she would like to forget. Which left her unable to ever move forward… Can a person ever recover from the loss of a sibling?

1571: Anne Howard, newly-made countess of Arundel, has also lost a sibling. And been dragged from the relative safety of her home in remote Norfolk to London, by her overbearing, manipulative, new father-in-law Thomas Howard; the very person she suspects of killing her beloved only brother. The Howards have greater secrets than this though. Secrets that will lead Anne to a tragedy that will echo down the ages…

When Sarah finds a mysterious book of poems in a hidden chamber of her godmother’s house, she is drawn into Anne’s story. Perhaps the mystery will take her mind off her own loss? But – as the flood waters begin to rise under the bridges – is Sarah laying ghosts to rest, or bringing truths to the surface that should stay beneath?

A completely haunting, gripping historical novel, perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/shadowonthebridge

Author Bio –

Growing up in Surrey, Clare always dreamed of being a writer. Instead, after gaining a degree in history and an MA in women’s studies she accidentally fell into a career in IT. After spending many years as a project manager in London, she moved to Norfolk for a quieter life and trained as a professional jeweller. Now, finally writing full-time, she lives with her husband and the youngest two of her six children.

Facebook: @claremarchantauthor

Twitter: @claremarchant1

Instagram: @claremarchantauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/ClareMarchantNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/clare-marchant

Categories
Uncategorized

The Garden and the Glen: A Fable about Character and the Courage to Be Different 

Version 1.0.0

6-12 years 108 pages Lenox Street Press March 30, 2020 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

NATIONAL INDIES EXCELLENCE AWARD 2020MOM’S CHOICE AWARD RECIPIENT 2020
FOREWORD INDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST 2020
The Garden and the Glen is about the magic that finds us when we’re brave enough to be our unique selves.A tiny blue butterfly is chased out of a yellow garden because she does not blend in.
She flees to the nearby forest glen, where she encounters a colorful band of woodland creatures-all of them expelled from the garden for the same reason-being different. The glen provides safety, friendship, and acceptance. However, it’s the garden that holds the blue butterfly’s true destiny.
A Queen, a mystical potion, and the fate of their natural world hang in the balance. The blue butterfly, and what makes her different, holds the key.

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MY THOUGHTS

A tiny blue butterfly is chased out of a yellow garden. There are yellow leaves, flowers, animals and butterflies. In and of itself the yellow garden is beautiful but full of sameness.


The blue butterfly is sad and flits away visiting other animals and insects that have had the same experience, being chased out of the yellow garden. These animals are beautiful and come in a rainbow of colors.
In this magical and beautiful garden full of uniqueness he finds acceptance.

Back in the yellow garden the Yellow Queen needs a magical potion for healing and the blue butterfly holds the key to procuring it for her. After being snubbed in the yellow garden should he snub the queen, and the ones sent to bring him back for her magical cure?


Despite his being wrongly treated he is not bitter and happily accepts the queens request for help.
A beautiful story for children showing that just because someone is different that it doesn’t make them bad or strange and to embrace uniqueness and learn from it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

This book began many years ago as a short bedtime story. Elizabeth Moseley’s then-young daughters loved hearing stories at the end of the day. Elizabeth was happy reading their favorite books, but found her greatest joy in creating original fiction. A lifelong fan of Aesop and mythology, her tales often featured some magic, and always a happy ending. At the urging of her now-grown daughters, she has finally written one down. Elizabeth holds an M.A. in English Literature from Georgetown University.

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Categories
historical fiction

A Constant Love: (A Western Christian Historical Romance Series Set in Frontier Cheyenne, Wyoming) (The Hope of Cheyenne)

304 pages Bethany House Publishers March 04,2025 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Heartache has left them emotionally desolate, but traces of love and healing could forge a future.

In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father’s dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world.

Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother’s help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte must embark on a journey of healing and renewal to build a life founded on faith, hope, and love.

MY THOUGHTS

I am always excited to see a new book by the author and this is the first in The Hope of Cheyenne series.


Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich have known each other since childhood, and she has loved him just as long. Even as a child she said she was going to marry him someday, but her father has other plans and makes plans for her to marry a man who she doesn’t love. He thinks he is doing the right thing as this man has money and will take her away from the ranch and give her a life of luxury. All she wants is to run a ranch along with her husband and be a rancher’s wife, just like her mother who has happily lived this lifestyle.


The winter of 1887 outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming was particularly rough, not fit for man or beast. Devastatingly a significant number of open range cattle died due to record breaking temperatures and heavy snow in the Great Plains region. The author described this very well, the tragedy and many ranchers and their hands died as well trying to save the cattle. This time period is referred to as “The Great Die-Up.”


After the death of Max’s father during this time period he becomes a shell of himself. Dealing with grief, second chances, and sweet romance and is a Christian fiction historical romance.


The restorative power of faith in a well-developed story line with characters I’ll look forward to reading more about in the next book in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie’s web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com