Masquerade
August 25, 2010
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Masquerade Bethany House (August 1, 2010) by
Nancy Moser
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nancy Moser is the award-winning author of over twenty inspirational novels. Her genres include contemporary stories including John 3:16 and Time Lottery, and historical novels of real women-of-history including Just Jane(Jane Austen) and Washington’s Lady (Martha Washington). Her newest historical novel is Masquerade. Nancy and her husband Mark live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture, traveled extensively in Europe, and has performed in numerous theaters, symphonies, and choirs. She gives Sister Circle Seminars around the country, helping women identify their gifts as they celebrate their sisterhood. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Find out more at
www.nancymoser.com and www.sistercircles.com.
ABOUT THE BOOK
1886, New York City: Charlotte Gleason, a rich heiress from England, escapes a family crisis by traveling to America in order to marry the even wealthier Conrad Tremaine.
She soon decides that an arranged marriage is not for her and persuades her maid, Dora, to take her place. She wants a chance at “real life,” even if it means giving up financial security. For Charlotte, it’s a risk she’s willing to take. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl wanting adventure becomes a test of survival amid poverty beyond Charlotte’s blackest nightmares.
As for Dora, it’s the chance of a lifetime. She lives a fairy tale complete with gowns, jewels, and lavish mansions–yet is tormented by guilt from the possibility of discovery and the presence of another love that will not die. Is this what her heart truly longs for?
Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? There is no guarantee the switch will work. It’s a risk. It’s the chance of a lifetime.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Masquerade, go HERE.
View the book trailer:
Sally Says: I really loved the premise of this story — a high-society English girl and her maid switch places so that the spoiled English girl can have a life of her own and marry for love. Lately, New York’s Gilded Age has fascinated me, and I’ve read a lot of novels set during that time.
The one negative about that era is that the heroines all seem the same in the beginning of the books. They’re rich, spoiled, and live only for their debut. That was initially true of the heroine in Siri Mitchell’s She Walks in Beauty and also true of Charlotte, the heroine of Masquerade.
Fortunately, the story was deeper than the initial shallowness Charlotte portrayed. And while the switch didn’t come right away in the book like I’d expected, Moser’s storytelling was strong enough to still make the part leading up to the switch intriguing.
Masquerade was a very fun, somewhat light twist on the usual Gilded Age plot. I enjoyed the journey with Charlotte and Dora and found myself sure of what would happen to one yet very unsure of what would happen to the other. If you like historical fiction or romance, I think you’ll enjoy Moser’s Masquerade.
The Gathering Storm
August 11, 2010
This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Gathering Storm Summerside Press (August 1, 2010)
by Bodie and Brock Thoene
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. Over twenty million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.
Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.
Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role as researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.
Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and seven grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.
Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.
ABOUT THE BOOK
As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler’s evil grasp? Loralei’s harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.
Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.
Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers — The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series — Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler’s rise to power and the dark days of World War II.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Gathering Storm, go HERE
Sally Says: I’m a long-time fan of the Thoenes’ WWII-related fiction and was sad when they moved away from that era. But now they’re back, picking up where their previous books left off and letting some of my favorite characters have cameos.
If you’ve never read a Thoene book, you’re in for a treat. It’s like watching a movie — a top-notch, perfectly crafted movie. Of course the pre-WWII era helps since that era is so easy to see and hear. Reading one of their novels is like being implanted in that time period, and that’s still true of The Gathering Storm.
But this book had a unique twist, the ancient secret the back of the book promised. Personally, I didn’t buy it, but it made for an interesting story, a pretty cool “What if?” I can’t say more or risk spoiling it! It does have a bit of a different feel from their Zion Chronicles and Zion Covenant feel, but I still flew through it.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction or World War II fiction, run out and buy The Gathering Storm. I think you’ll enjoy it.