Author: sandramervillehart

Endorsements for A Not So Persistent Suitor, Book 2

/ sandramervillehart

by Sandra Merville Hart

I was thrilled to receive the following two wonderful endorsements for A Not So Persistent Suitor  Book 2 in my “Second Chances” series that releases on February 14, 2023. Set in 1883-84, the main location is Cincinnati, Ohio, but it also contains scenes in nearby Hamilton. Modern readers familiar with Cincinnati will recognize a few locations in the book!

Endorsements

In A Not So Persistent Suitor, Sandra Merville Hart crafts a sweet tale of a budding romance on the rocks. One ill-planned choice on Ben’s part releases a cascade of trouble that sets his girl, Cora, on her heels and forces the pair to rebuild trust. Through various lessons, they each learn they have many areas in which to grow. You won’t want to miss this heartwarming story of love nearly lost—and found again—as two wounded hearts navigate turbulent times and circumstances in 1884 Cincinnati.

~Jennifer Uhlarik, author of Sand Creek Serenade and Love’s Fortress

Hart’s careful research and attention to detail catapults the reader into the social stratification of southwestern Ohio in the 1880’s. As both a former kindergarten teacher and a farmer’s daughter, I was immediately drawn into the story of love and the mores of nineteenth century society. I trust A Not So Persistent Suitor will prove to be a satisfying read for generations to come. 

~Rebecca Waters, author of Libby’s Cuppa Joe and Breathing on Her Own 

What reviewers are saying:

“I love the title of this book because it fits so well & so concisely with what the story was about!” ~BookBub Reviewer

“Ms. Hart’s consistent use of Cincinnati’s history in the 1880’s as the backdrop for what happens to the characters is phenomenal. The historical events drive the characters to make decisions and shape their lives. It was fascinating. Their growth throughout the book was enjoyable.” ~BookBub Reviewer

“I feel that reading the titles in order would be beneficial due to the background information provided. Plus, it was nice to revisit Samuel and Rose and their family.” ~BookBub Reviewer

“Faith is a strong component of this story and I really liked how the author wove topics of faith and trust in God as well as forgiveness into a rich inspirational tapestry with more than one story of redemption.” ~BookBub Reviewer

“A beautifully written, redemptive conclusion.” ~BookBub Reviewer

“The historical attention to detail provided by Ms. Hart was extensive and made what happened in 1884 seem to jump off the pages. If you are looking for an inspiring, well-researched historical romance, I would recommend this one.” ~BookBub Reviewer

Rescuing Rose by Susan Pope Sloan

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Rescued Hearts of the Civil War

Book One

This first book in the series was a page turner for me!

Rose Carrigan can scarcely believe it when Union soldiers burn the mill in her small town in Roswell, Georgia. That mill had supplied jobs for both her and sister, not to mention many of her neighbors. What are they to do now?

Union Captain Noah Griffin hates this part of his job. It seems to him that the army didn’t have to destroy the livelihood of an entire town. Two sisters capture his attention, especially Rose, the older one. She’s got spirit but her beauty snags the attention of some of his men. He saves her. Before long, she occupies much of his thoughts.

Rose learns that the workers of the Roswell mills are prisoners. She and her sister must travel north, whether they want to go or not. Noah can’t stop the orders from being carried out. What will become of them? Will she see Noah again?

This book tugged at my emotions from the beginning. The historical events are shared as a natural part of the story. I love learning history as a natural part of a fictional novel.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last.

Recommended for readers of inspirational historical romances.

Amazon

A History of the Schools of Cincinnati

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Written by John Brough Shotwell

This book, published in 1902, is over 600 pages. The history of educating Cincinnati’s children and youths in college throughout the 1800s is very extensive.

Included in the volume are the histories of Walnut Hills High School, Hughes High School, and Woodward High School. It also included a section about Woodward in the Civil War. So many sections of the book are very interesting.

I read this book as research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor in 1883-84. At first, I thought that two of my characters would attend the University of Cincinnati and I concentrated on learning all I could about the school. There is much information about it in this history. However, it turned out that the Cincinnati Kindergarten Training School—also discussed by the author—fit the story like a glove.

It’s obvious the author did extensive research on the schools and left this gem to all of us who want to dig into the city’s educational history. I’m so grateful for the work involved to preserve the information for future generations.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

Amazon

Pinwheel Appetizers

/ sandramervillehart

by Sandra Merville Hart

When trying to decide which appetizer to take to a holiday party, I thought about pinwheels. It had been several years since I made them and didn’t recall the ingredients so I made up my own.

I decided to make two different types, both using flour tortillas as the base.

The first one was a pizza pinwheel.

Pizza Pinwheel

Large flour tortillas

Sliced Pepperoni

Pizza sauce

1 tomato, diced small

Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat pizza sauce. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the tortilla. Arrange pepperoni slices over the sauce.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon and diced tomatoes over the top. Then add a thin layer of cheese.

Fold over the sides and begin rolling from the bottom to the top until ends meet.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Repeat the process to make as many pinwheels as needed.

If serving this appetizer as hot, heat it in the microwave for 30 – 45 seconds before slicing it.

It also tastes good cold. No need to heat before slicing.

For my second one, I decided to make a pinwheel using veggies from a veggie tray. Chopping/preparing the vegetables was the only time-consuming part of this.

Veggie Pinwheel

Large flour tortillas

Broccoli, chopped small

Cauliflower, chopped small

Celery, sliced thin

Carrots, diced small

Tomato, diced small

Ranch dressing

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, celery, and carrots in a bowl.

Spoon a thin layer of Ranch dressing over the tortilla. Arrange a small amount of the veggie mixture from above over the dressing.

Sprinkle diced tomatoes over the top. Then add a thin layer of cheese.

Fold over the sides and begin rolling from the bottom to the top until ends meet.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to slice and serve.

Repeat the process to make as many pinwheels as needed.

Both of these were a hit with the guests. 😊

Illustrated Cincinnati by Daniel J. Kenny

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Pictorial Hand-book of the Queen City

I love this book!

Published in 1875, the author jam-packed this book with descriptions and sketches of hotels, places of entertainment, public buildings, schools, colleges, banks, parks, and churches. It gives details about transportation, club houses, boat clubs, and charities.

The sketches of early buildings include the people and modes of transportation on the streets. Perhaps the author did not realize that such sketches would provide details about clothing, omnibuses, railcars, and landaus pulled by horse teams to readers long after such things were not even a memory for those still living.

A sketch of the Burnet House shows what an impressive hotel it was—and Abraham Lincoln is on its register!

I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor. I used some wonderful information from the book about the Tyler Davidson Fountain on Fifth Street in my story. I referred to the book time and again while writing my story set in 1883-84.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

Amazon

Historic Downtown Cincinnati

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Written by Steven J. Rolfes and Kent Jones

Images of America

This book begins with sketches in 1788, when Cincinnati (originally named Losantiville) began. The early sketches included one of Fort Washington, the city’s first fort. It illustrates how much the city has grown!

The author includes some history of the Civil War as well as a section of the city’s famous businesses. Photos for early clothing stores paint a picture of what it must have been like to shop in those early days.

Books in this series are always very well done. They have old photographs and sketches that are so helpful in my historical research for my novels.

I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor in 1883-84. Studying old photographs often brings a sense of what it must have been like in those bygone days.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

Amazon

Marshmallow Snowmen – Fun for the Family

/ sandramervillehart

by Sandra Merville Hart

I made Rick Krispie Treats over the holidays and had leftover marshmallows that I decided would make a fun treat for our young grandchildren.

There were plenty of the larger marshmallows for the 3 sections. I made a batch of icing, thinking that icing would be necessary as edible “glue” to stick the sections together.

Either the icing doesn’t work well, or the young artists require more patience than ours possess to allow it to dry. 😊

Anyway, we discovered that pressing the marshmallows together without icing actually bonded the sections quite well.

Next, I set out bowls with candy eyes, pretzels, chocolate chips, and pink, green, and white icing to decorate. A potato chip became a snowman hat. Icing worked well to glue the candy to the marshmallow creation.

Even Grandpa got in in the fun!

When the children are decoratimg, their imaginations go wild so that no two snowmen look exactly alike.

This is a fun winter activity for the family.

Coming Soon! Book 2 in Second Chances Novel Series!

/ sandramervillehart

by Sandra Merville Hart

I wanted to share some exciting news with you!  A Not So Persistent Suitor, Book 2 of my “Second Chances” series, will release February 14, 2023!

This series begins a dozen years after the end of the Civil War. The first book, A Not So Convenient Marriage, is set in 1877 in three Ohio locations: Hamilton, Harrison, and the train town of Bradford Junction.

The second book, A Not So Persistent Suitor, is set in Cincinnati in 1883—84. It was fun to share a few recognizable locations in this novel. 😊

Book 3, A Not So Peaceful Journey, takes place on a train journey from Ohio to San Francisco in 1884.  

Here’s a bit about A Not So Persistent Suitor:

He’s fighting for his career…She’s bent on achieving her own goals…Will their love survive a second chance at happily ever after?

Cora Welch dreams of a future teaching kindergarten, which is in its infancy, and marriage to Ben Findlay, her beau and her twin brother’s best friend. But she returns to college from summer break to learn of Ben’s unwise choices in pursuit of his career—choices that destroy her trust in the man she thought she knew and loved.

Ben is working hard toward his dream to become the best reporter in the city. He’s no stranger to fighting for a goal against all odds, ever since he was orphaned at age thirteen. Even though Cora has captured his heart, he makes the mistake of escorting the boss’s daughter to a fancy banquet to further his career—with far-reaching repercussions. Now he’s hurt Cora and botched his career goals.

Winning Cora’s trust again proves harder than Ben expects, especially as they both face struggles of their own. When events spiral out of their control, catapulting them into hardship and even danger, only God can restore their dreams—though the outcome may look far different than either of them planned.

Available on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Books 2 Read.

A bit about Sandra

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known facts from American history to include in her novels. In fact, many of her stories are inspired by visits to historical sites such as battlefields. Sandra treats all her vacations with her husband as an adventure for she never knows where inspiration for a story willarise. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. Sandra is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

Cincinnati on the Go by Allen J. Singer

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Images of America

History of Mass Transit

This book is packed with old photographs and sketches to illustrate various periods of how Cincinnatians got around.

Singer discusses steamboat travel and commerce in the 1800s. The Ohio River flooded city streets at various times in its history. The author shares interesting photos of folks getting around flooded streets by rowboat.

Carriages, canals, and inclines were also modes of transportation in the city.

Trains became an important way to travel in the 1800s and into the 1900s. An old menu for a 1950s dining car fascinated me.

Books in this series always have old photographs and sketches that are so helpful in my historical research for my novels.

I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati in 1883-84, A Not So Persistent Suitor. One of my characters often rides the incline to get to her college in the suburbs. She most often rides rail cars, which were horse-drawn cars that followed a raised rail in the streets.

Recommended for readers who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

Amazon

The Inclines of Cincinnati by Melissa Kramer

/ sandramervillehart

Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart

Images of Rail

This book is packed with old photographs and sketches of Cincinnati’s five inclines. Once a popular way to get to the suburbs of Cincinnati, the last one closed in 1948.

The city’s first incline opened in 1872. It was known as the Main Street Incline and also the Mount Auburn Incline. The Lookout House was built at the top of the incline. The entertainment complex drew up to 10,000 guests on a regular basis.

Mount Adams Incline opened in 1876 and closed in 1948. Highland House was the name of this incline’s resort where about 8,000 guests regularly enjoyed concerts, such as those by the city’s symphony orchestra.

The author did a good job finding old photographs and sketches and her descriptions further explained the photos.

I love books in this series and look for them in my historical research for my novels.

I read this book during my research for my book set in Cincinnati, A Not So Persistent Suitor in 1883-84. One my characters often rides the incline to get to her college in the suburbs.

Recommended for readers who love sweet treats and those who love the history of Cincinnati and Ohio.

Amazon