Valentine’s Day treats
There are lots of Valentine’s Day treats—boxes of candies, decadent desserts, lovely cards. But if your loved one likes to read, giving the gift of a book will last much longer than the sweets—and not leave them with pounds or pimples. Smiles.
How about buying a book or two—or an entire series—and add a scented candle and a cozy blanket? Then let her snuggle up on a cold winter’s day with the gift of story.
Since all my books have a strong romantic thread woven through them, the Thousand Islands novels and novellas would be a great start to a Valentine’s reading gift. Here’s a summary of all seven that are currently out (plus a peek at my newest):
Peyton’s Promise
Book 3 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, coming May 24, 2022
Peyton Quinn is tasked with preparing the grand Calumet Castle ballroom for a summer gala. As she works in a male-dominated position of upholsterer and fights for women’s equality, she’s persecuted for her unorthodox ways. But when her pyrotechnics-engineer father is seriously hurt, she takes over the plans for the fireworks display despite being socially ostracized.
Patrick Taylor, Calumet’s carpenter and Peyton’s childhood chum, hopes to win her heart, but her unconventional undertakings cause a rift. Peyton has to ignore the prejudices and persevere or she could lose her job, forfeit Patrick’s love and respect, and become the talk of local gossips.
Devyn’s Dilemma
Book 2 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series
Devyn McKenna is forced to work in the Towers on Dark Island. But when Devyn finds herself in service to the wealthy Frederick Bourne family, her life takes an unexpected turn.
Brice McBride, Mr. Bourne’s valet, tries to help the mysterious Devyn find peace and love in her new world, but she can’t seem to stay out of trouble—especially when she’s accused of stealing Bourne’s money for Vanderbilt’s NYC subway expansion.
Katelyn’s Choice
Book 1 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series
Katelyn Kavanagh finds herself in the service of none other than the famous George Pullman, and the transition proves anything but easy.
Thomas O’Neill also works on Pullman Island and tries to help her adjust to her new world, but she just can’t seem to tame her gossiping tongue—even when it could endanger her job, the 1872 re-election of Pullman guest President Ulysses S. Grant, and the love of the man of her dreams.
~ ~ ~
Colleen’s Confession
Thousand Islands Brides, book 4
Colleen Sullivan conceals secrets when she works on Comfort Island and awaits her betrothed’s arrival. She loves to draw and dreams of growing in the craft. But tragedy strikes and her orphan dreams of finally belonging and becoming a wife and an artist are gone. What will her future hold?
Jack Weiss is smitten by the lovely Irish lass. Perhaps introducing her to the famous impressionist, Alson Skinner Clark, will brighten her opinion of him. But rumors of war in Europe means Jack must choose between joining his homeland’s army or staying safe in the Thousand Islands as he makes a life with Colleen. If she will have him.
Reagan’s Reward
Thousand Islands Brides, book 3
Reagan Kennedy assumes the position of governess to the Bernheim family’s twin nephews, and her life at Cherry Island’s Casa Blanca becomes frustratingly complicated. Service to a Jewish family and tending to eight-year-old mischievous boys brings trouble galore.
Daniel Lovitz serves as the island’s caretaker and boatman. When he tries to help the alluring Reagan make sense of her new world, her insecurities mount as her confidence is shaken―especially when she crosses the faith divide and when Etta Damsky makes her life miserable. As trouble brews, Daniel sees another side of the woman he’s come to love.
Sara’s Surprise
Thousand Islands Brides, book 2
Sara O’Neill works as an assistant pastry chef at the Thousand Islands Crossmon Hotel where she meets precocious,seven-year-old Madison and her charming father and hotel manager, Sean Graham. But Jacque LaFleur, the pastry chef Sara works under, makes her dream job a nightmare.
Sean has trouble keeping Madison out of mischief and his mind off Sara. Though he finds Sara captivating, he’s jealous of LaFleur and misreads Sara’s desire to learn from the pastry chef as love. Can Sean learn to trust her and can Sara trust him—and herself to be an instant mother?
Christmas Charity
Thousand Islands Brides, book 1
Susan Hawkins and Patrick O’Neill find that an arranged marriage is much harder than they think, especially when they emigrate from Wolfe Island, Canada, to Cape Vincent, New York, in 1864, just a week after they marry—with Patrick’s nine-year-old daughter, Lizzy, in tow. Can twenty-three-year-old Susan Hawkins learn to love her forty-nine-year-old husband and find charity for her angry stepdaughter? With Christmas coming, she hopes so.
The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy
After struggling to accept the changes forced upon her, Margaret Hawkins and her family take a perilous journey on an 1851 immigrant ship to the New World, bringing with her an Irish family quilt she is making. A hundred and sixty years later, her great granddaughter, Maggie, searches for the family quilt after her ex-pawns it. But on their way to creating a family legacy, will these women find peace with the past and embrace hope for the future, or will they be imprisoned by fear and faithlessness?
Meet author Alyssa Schwarz
Contemporary romance author Alyssa Schwarz is a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines with a Master’s in Geology & Geological Engineering. She also works as a professional watercolor artist along the Colorado Front Range and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Her stories are set in the Colorado mountains, and her debut novel, The Glass Cottage, released in the Fall of 2021. You can find her online at www.alyssaschwarzauthor.com.
Tell us about your newest book.
Dear Beth is sort of a prequel to The Glass Cottage in the Prescott Family Romance series. It’s a sweet small-town story set in the town of Loveland, CO, that centers around a second-chance romance and a 76-year-old Valentine’s Day tradition.
What inspired you to write Dear Beth?
Every year, my grandma used to send everyone in the family a little Valentine’s Day card with the famous Loveland stamp (get it, Love-land?) on the envelope. Since then, my mom and I have continued the tradition, and I thought it would be fun to center a story around the town’s internationally famous letter re-mailing program. To participate, you send your letters to the Sweetheart City’s post office by the first week of February, they put their own special Valentine’s themed cancelation stamp on the corner, and then they send it out to the final recipient.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Amidst the backdrop of a small town’s quirky Valentine’s Day tradition, Beth must decide if she is finally ready to risk her heart again with the man she once loved.
What genre do you focus on?
So far, I’ve written mainly contemporary Christian fiction romance, and my first book, The Glass Cottage, had a small time-slip element as well. As a reader, I love both contemporary and historical Christian fiction. They’re both so different from one another, but they both have the power to speak life and truth into our lives. I’d love to venture more into historical fiction, and I have a few ideas in the works, but I plan to finish this current series first and see how it all goes!
Why do you write?
I’ve wanted to write for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until 2020 that God seemed to finally open the door and say, “Remember that dream I gave you when you were a little girl? Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten yet. I’ve opened the doors for you and now’s the time. Go. Write the stories I inspire in you.” It was an exciting and humbling experience, and He’s proven faithful every step of the way.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
The two main characters in this book are Tye Prescott and Beth Walsh. This book is the second in the series, a Prescott Family Romance, so I knew one of the characters was going to be a Prescott, and I had a vague idea that he was going to be a veterinarian. In all honesty, I probably named him after a character in the show Heartland. And Beth… She is a die-hard Jane Austen fan. Once I knew that, I thought it would be a fun idea to name her after one of the author’s heroines.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I have another part-time job, so I mainly write Wednesdays through Fridays. Every day is a little bit of writing, editing, coming up with creative ideas for Instagram posts or marketing plans…
I probably should create more of a firm schedule to stick to, but the helter-skelter method has worked so far!
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Everything that comes after the initial idea for a story. That and time management. And marketing…
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love that I get to do something creative. My background is in geological engineering, which oddly enough involves a fair bit of storytelling in itself, but it’s so much more fun getting to dream up stories all day.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
I am also a watercolor artist. About a year ago, my mom and I created our own art company, Sundog Studios Co, and we have been blessed to be able to showcase some of our artwork in a few galleries in the Denver Metro area.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
When I was a kid, I used to be afraid of butterflies. I mean when you think about it, they’re just large flies with pretty wings, right?
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
When I started writing, I envisioned Colin Firth’s character in Love Actually. You know, sitting in front of an antique typewriter in his rustic country cottage as the ideas flowed one page after the other. I’d like to say that is a completely accurate picture of the writing life, but I’ve learned it is so much more. When you say you want to become a writer, no one tells you about the days where you wright only one sentence, or the frustration as you stress over where to put your punctuation, or how exactly do you keep your tea warm enough to get you through that entire afternoon of rewrites. In all seriousness, though, I’ve already learned so much from the wonderful community of Christian fiction authors, and I know now that writing is not a singular endeavor.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love to read, bake, paint, and hike. I’d be happy spending an entire day doing either or all of those activities!
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes! My first book, The Glass Cottage, came out last October, and it’s book #1 in the Prescott Family Romance series. Just like Dear Beth, it is set in another Colorado small town, and involves an antique shop, an old diary, and a little bit of mystery.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the next book in the Prescott Family Romance series (title yet to be decided on). Like the other two books in this series, the next book will focus on another cousin in the Prescott family, and it will take place in Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Website: https://www.authoralyssaschwarz.com/
Social media links:
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/authoralyssaschwarz/
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/
Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/alyssaschwarzauthor/
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/59109655-alyssa-schwarz
Amazon- https://us.amazon.com/Alyssa-Schwarz/e/B09HR9RVWV/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Meet author Cynthia Simmons
Tell us about your newest book.
My latest book is the third in the Southern Gold series. Peter and Mary Beth own a bank in the Confederacy. They don’t trust the paper money issued by the government and prefer to use gold only. However, an officer in the military asked for a loan he could repay with Confederate bills, and he refers to them as traitors when they hesitate to comply. When the officer turns up dead, accusations fly everywhere. Through all the hardship, the couple learn to reflect the love of God to those around them.
What inspired you to write Reflecting Gold?
The Southern Gold series needed a finale. In the prequel, Valuing Gold, Peter and Mary Beth learned to value eternal things. In the first book, Pursuing Gold, they learned to pursue the Lord about everything else. In this final book Reflecting Gold, they learned to love others even if they suffered through trials of their own.
What genre do you focus on?
I write more historical fiction than any other genre. First, I enjoy reading it and I like to depict characters in different time periods. However, my novels also have a mystery. Unconsciously, I include bits of suspense in my fiction.
Why do you write?
I love unearthing stories from history, so I feel an obligation to share what I learned. Stories from the past illustrate the Bible without being preachy, so the two make a perfect combo.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love words. So, I enjoy putting words together to communicate. I’ve written homeschool curriculum, devotions, Bible studies (they go with my novels and are free to download), and articles. I enjoy completing a project that shares truth from the past and Scripture.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I hate math. In elementary school, teachers taught us what they called ‘new math,’ and I never understood it. When I started homeschooling my children, I didn’t know how I would teach math to my kids. However, Mortensen Math blocks helped me understand math better. If I had been taught with manipulatives, I might have enjoyed it more.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I have learned to enjoy people. In the past, I always considered myself an introvert. However, when I’m speaking, I’ve met interesting people, and I find myself welcoming new friends.
What is your favorite pastime?
I have always had a problem with too many hobbies. Reading, sewing, making jewelry are among the top favorites, but researching history tops them all. Any time I visit a new town, I enjoy learning about the founders and learning fun facts about them. I have discovered three relatives who fought in the revolutionary war, and so I joined Daughters of the American Revolution.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have a trilogy on money during the Civil War; the prequel is Valuing Gold, the first book is Pursuing Gold, and the third is Reflecting Gold. I also have curriculum for homeschool mothers. Pursuing Gold: Critical Thinking Curriculum goes with the second book in the series. Lincoln Family Curriculum is a 12-week curriculum on Abe and Mary Lincoln.
What are you working on now?
I’m researching my hometown for a series of novels in the 1870s, which was the reconstruction in the South. I have a great time asking libraries and churches for their history.
Website: https://clsimmons.com/
Link to book: https://clsimmons.com/product/reflecting-gold/
Social media links:
Heart of the Matter Radio/Podcast: https://heartofthematterradio.libsyn.com/
Twitter: @CynthiaLSimmons
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthialsimmons/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-l-simmons-
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cltsimmons
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.l.simmons.7/
https://www.facebook.com/HrtMtr
Meet author Patty Smith
Multi-published author Patty Smith Hall lives near the North Georgia Mountains with her husband, Danny, her two daughters, her son-in-law and her grandboys. An acquisition editor for Winged Publications, she enjoys helping new writers get published. When she’s not writing on her back porch, she’s spending time with her family or playing with her grandsons.
Tell us about your newest book.
A brave fight for literacy during the Great Depression, four women set out on horseback to bring the library to remote communities. Part of FDR’s New Deal was the Works Progress Administration, which funded the Pack Horse Library Initiative. Ride along with four book-loving women who bravely fight for literacy in remote communities during the Great Depression by carrying library books via horseback. Will their efforts be rewarded by finding love in the process?Forced out of her nursing job due to budget cuts, Ruth Sims applies for a position with the Pack Horse Library incentive, only to discover she must go to the one place she swore never to return. The children instantly steal her heart with their thirst for books, and she’s happy in her post until she meets their teacher, Will Munroe—the man who broke her heart.
What inspired you to write In This Moment?
One of the first Christian fiction books I ever read was Christy by Catherine Marshall. I loved that book, from the characters and setting to the conflicts that made that book what it was. So when we decided to do a novella collection about the horse librarians, I felt this was my chance to have a Christy moment!
What genre do you focus on?
I mainly focus on historical romantic fiction. I’ve always been kind of a history buff so digging into the research and making the history come alive is very satisfying for me.
Why do you write?
That’s a good question. For me, I write because I’ve felt called to use my writing abilities to serve God. It’s never been about money or fame with me though I wouldn’t turn it down if it happened! I just feel it’s the ministry God has placed me in and until He tells me to stop writing, I’ll continue to do it.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Ruth Sims and Will Munroe are my main characters in this story. As is my habit, I choose character’s names from a vast list of family and friends. In this case, Ruth is after my grandmother, Ruth Rogers Clark and Will is after my best friend’s oldest son.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Usually, I write six hours a day when I’m working on a book, but now there’s school to deal with so I’ve had to switch that up a little bit.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part for me is staring at that blank page at the start of a new project. In that moment, I wonder why I ever became a writer, and what makes me think I can string together coherent words, much less a decent story. It’s kind of frightening.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
The best part of my career is when I get an email from one of my readers telling me that my book made a difference to them. That is the highest praise I could hope for.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
This may sound a bit braggy, but I was very talented in my younger days. I danced with the Georgia Ballet and offered an internship with the Atlanta Ballet. And I could sing—an old boyfriend sent Kenny Rogers a tape of me singing, and a few weeks later, I got called in for a try out. The problem was I had horrible stage fright, so I thanked them very kindly but gave them a firm No.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’m not as much of a pantser now as I once was. I think that’s from putting out so many books in a short period of time—I had to plot out my books if I wanted to get them written and turned in on time. Now, I’m a healthy combination of both pantsers and plotters.
What is your favorite pastime?
Right now, going back to school takes up a large chunk of my time. But I love to read when I can. I also love to cross-stitch and any time I can spend with my family is precious.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have a lot of books out there, so the best place to find them is on my author web page at www.pattysmithhall.com or my Amazon page.
What are you working on now?
I’m juggling a lot at the moment. I’m finishing up a novella based in the Georgia goldrush that will be released at the first of the year, then I’ll be working on a Christmas novella for Barbour due in February. And as I’m writing this, I’m in the Outer Banks of North Carolina researching a full-length book for part of Barbour’s Heroines on World War II series.
Website: www.pattysmithhall.com
Link to book: The Librarian’s Journey
Social media links:
Website: www.pattysmithhall.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorpattysmithhall
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorpattysmithhall/boards/
The St. Lawrence River’s moods
As in all my Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories, in Colleen’s Confession, Colleen Sullivan comes to love the St. Lawrence and Comfort Island. She loves to draw it and dreams of growing in the craft. But tragedy strikes and her orphan dreams of finally belonging and becoming a wife and an artist are gone. What will her future hold?
Here’s a short excerpt to which you can likely relate:
The fiery sunset ignited the sky with an effervescent warmth that kissed her cheeks. They sat still and quiet, the silent spell broken only by the crickets and bullfrogs. On the August winds, dark clouds rode upon colorful chariots.
Colleen glowed in the pumpkin light. “I love the river more and more each day. When I draw it, I am swept up in its majesty and wonder.”
She turned to her latest drawing, a serene rendering of the landscape before them. In the foreground, a fish jumped, its mouth open to catch its dinner.
“You amaze me, fraulein. Truly.”
Just then, Colleen seemed one with the beauty of the river—yet not. Something hidden in the deep recesses of her being hung there like moss entwined in the propellors of a fine yacht. How could he untangle it?
Jack agreed with her admiration of the St. Lawrence. “Sometimes the river gurgles and coos like a happy infant. Other times, it growls like an angry bear. Sometimes it groans like an old man after a long winter’s nap. And other times, it dances like a fair young maiden after her first kiss. The Saint Lawrence River is like that. You can’t tame her, for she’s wild and free.”
“Like the bald eagle?” Colleen searched his face, her gentle eyes fringed with dark lashes, long and thick. “Your eloquence paints a pretty picture, sir.”
She’d listened to his tale of the bird? Perhaps he could break through to the formidable fraulein after all. “Like the magnificent bald eagle. You’re as beautiful as an eagle soaring on a St. Lawrence sunset. I can’t wait to see you fly even higher, Colleen.”
His thoughts had tumbled from his heart to his lips before he could catch them. His pulse hammered wildly as he sucked in a breath, wishing he could retract the premature confession. But he couldn’t. So, he waited—for her to gasp and flee.
She didn’t. Something had changed.
Do you love the river, too? I’d love to know!
Meet author Kate Breslin
Author Kate Breslin lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where she enjoys spending time with her husband and family. She also loves reading, writing, hiking, and traveling to new places for the next story idea. Kate’s WWII debut novel, For Such a Time, received ACFW’s 2015 Carol Award, and her fifth novel, As Dawn Breaks, is her newest. Please visit her at www.katebreslin.com
Tell us about your newest book.
What inspired you to write As Dawn Breaks? While researching for my previous novels, I came across stories of how the British women had to step in and fill the role of working jobs previously held by men now fighting overseas in WWI. In particular, that special breed of women working in the munitions industry, making shells, packing them with TNT, and making propellant for ammunition. It was highly dangerous work, but most of these ladies were patriots, and if not for them, Britain might have lost the war. I also discovered the competitive, lucrative, and often shady business of arms dealing was as relevant back then as it is now, and my story came together from there.
What genre do you focus on?
I love history, especially when I discover little-known nuggets to write about. I also have a passion for anything British, so my stories or characters hail from that country. Currently I write WWI-era novels because there was so much innovation emerging at that time and plenty to write about, so I hope to continue in or around that era for future books!
Why do you write?
I simply love story. I read voraciously growing up and I also loved being able to express myself through the written word. Poetry, journaling, short stories, and much, much later, I began writing novels, because I’d read all of the books by my favorite authors and wanted to create my own. Easier said than done. It took me many years to publish my first book, in between working full time, a family, and most importantly to realize exactly what God wanted me to write. When I finally wrote my very first inspirational novel, For Such a Time, a Biblical Esther retelling set during WWII, I was blessed to receive my first book contract and since then I’ve never looked back.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Rosalind (Rose) Graham is my story heroine, and her name is the same as the main character in the play As You Like It. While Shakespeare and I wrote completely different tales, there are some similarities between his Rosalind and mine, but that’s a spoiler and you’ll have to read the story to find out.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Once I spend a couple of months doing research for the next story, I create an outline and then sit down and begin writing 4-5 days a week, usually 5-7 hours a day, mostly in the afternoons. When I’m nearing deadline however, I’ll sometimes work twice that many hours in a day, seven days a week, to finish the manuscript and turn it in on time.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I think the number one challenge for me is finding time for everything. After my first novel released, I quickly learned there was more to publishing than merely writing the story. Deadlines, revisions, and then rounds of edits before a book is pristine and ready for readers, and afterward there’s marketing, social media, book events, and the list goes on. While I love it all, it’s hard sometimes to juggle my writing life with my personal life, and I’m always striving to find more ways to provide a good balance between the two.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
My readers, hands down. They’re awesome. They are wonderfully encouraging and kind, and through the years have always been supportive of me and my novels. Sometimes, when I’m feeling low and exhausted after working a crazy shift at the computer all night, or having a “bad hair day” with my writing and the words aren’t flowing and I ask God if I’ll ever finish this manuscript—it’s then I receive an email from a reader about how much they enjoyed one of my stories, or someone will send me a kind note on social media. Suddenly my spirits are lifted and I’m infused with new energy. Those are “God moments” to me, because oftentimes that’s how He answers my prayer.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I had a terrible time learning to read. I have mild dyslexia and was also very shy, so when my first grade teacher instructed each of us to stand in class and read aloud from a beginner book, I froze every time, the letters in the words making no sense to me at all. I continued to struggle for another year, until we moved to different state and school and I was introduced to the Phonics teaching method of sounding out the letters. It absolutely changed my world. At last I could begin to read and understand the words, and the rest as they say, is history.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Well, I certainly hope that my writing has improved and grown with each new book, but even more importantly my relationship with God has become stronger. Creating a plausible, readable, likeable story over the course of 100K words has been one of the biggest challenges of my life, and it reminds me daily that I can accomplish nothing on my own without the Lord by my side to inspire and guide me.
What is your favorite pastime?
Aside from reading and taking my daily walks, I love to putter in the garden, especially my rose garden. Give me an audiobook and a weed puller and I can work all day.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes thank you, Susan. Aside from my newest release, As Dawn Breaks, I have four other novels published with Bethany House, which can be found on my website with reading excerpts and buy links. As I mentioned above, my first novel is a WWII story, and the others are connecting stand-alone novels set during WWI.
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m finishing the manuscript for my sixth novel, which is set in Britain during the summer of 1918 and features as the main character, Marcus Weatherford, who has played a part in each of my five other connecting WWI stand-alone novels. The book is scheduled for release in December 2022.
Website: https://www.katebreslin.com
Link to book: https://katebreslin.com/as-dawn-breaks/
Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateBreslinAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kate_Breslin
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katelbreslin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkatebreslin
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-breslin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7115378.Kate_Breslin
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-breslin-87531b61