Echoes of Titanic by Mindy Starns Clark

/ sandramervillehart

Co-written by Mindy Starns Clark and John Campbell Clark

Kelsey Tate has inherited some of her great-grandmother Adele Tate’s business savvy, a Titanic survivor who had kept the family’s company afloat during the depression. Kelsey is working her way up the ladder in her father’s retirement and subsequent stroke. Her coworker’s odd behavior right before an important press event worries her, but there’s no time to figure it out. Then a relative Kelsey has never met accuses Adele Tate of being an imposter.

Two young women—cousins raised together who grew up as close as sisters—and the man who is the father of one of them cross the Atlantic Ocean on Titanic’s maiden voyage. When the ship goes down, only one of the women survive. Which one is it?

The question plunges Kelsey into the fight of her life when a coworker commits what appears to be suicide. Who can help her? If only Cole, the man she loves, was still in her life. She knows she hurt him, but it was just business, right?

This spellbinding time-slip novel tells the story of the women who cross on the Titanic and how their fate ripples down to affect the living even a hundred years later.

Gripping.

I couldn’t put it down! I’ve read other books by Mindy Starns Clark and will look for more.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Grave Consequences by Debra DuPree Williams

/ sandramervillehart

Charlotte Graves is the new director of the local historical and genealogical society. She’s back in Loblolly after eight years but old hurts die hard. Or are murdered.

Before she knows what’s happening, Charlotte is arrested for the murder of Boopsie Sweets, a childhood enemy. Worse, she’s arrested by Roan Steele, the man who’d broken her heart back in high school.

There’s mystery afoot that only a genealogist can decipher!

Lovable, realistic characters invited me into a small Alabama town in the 1960s. Williams does a fantastic job giving an authentic feel with details such as music, clothing, decorations, and furniture. The characters seem to step off the page from an era 50 years ago.

Written in first person so the story drew me in immediately. I couldn’t put the book down!

The story is well-written with escalating tension that kept me turning pages. I’ll look for more books by this author. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

Present Helps the Past

/ sandramervillehart / 5 Comments

Today’s post has been written by fellow author and friend, Carole Brown. She’s here to share the inspiration for her newest release, a historical western romance. Welcome back, Carole!

by Carole Brown

I never guessed several years ago when my family and I worked for short periods of time in some of the western states with the American Natives, how it would influence me in the future as I prepared to write a historical western romantic suspense.

One of our special trips out west included heading up into the mountains of Arizona where a friend named Jeb took us gold panning. On the way, we passed a ghost town but finally reached a wooded area with a strong stream where we settled down for a spot of gold panning.

There were few, if any, people around. Jeb was knowledgeable about the panning. His explanations and descriptions fascinated us. It ended up being a memorable experience for us as a family. And though we didn’t “strike it rich,” we did find numerous gold flecks that we kept in a small jar for years as a memoir of our fun.

Although in my story the gold hunting by four families was achieved entirely differently than what we did—by digging in caves or on mountain sides—our experience gave me a bit of knowledge on how to proceed with the setting. In that era, gold hunting was the rage among certain people. Striking it rich was a temptation that many men couldn’t resist. In Caleb’s Destiny, the men did discover a reasonably good vein of gold, and all of them profited from it.

About Carole:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of ten books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

Connect with Carole on her blog, Amazon Author Page, and Twitter.

Book Blurb:

Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold?

Hunter, who is Mr. Michael’s ranch manager, is determined to find the answers and protect the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions.

Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of everyone of his employees?

Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael’s ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now…unless, of course, he’s dead.

Three children, connected through tragedy and separated by time, are fated to reunite and re-right some powerful wrongs.

Amazon

 

In Black and White by MaryAnn Diorio

/ sandramervillehart

Tori Pendola, artist and student of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania, will soon graduate. She has already been offered a good job but longs for love. She finds it in Jebuni Kalitzi.

Jeb is an African exchange student and son of a tribal chieftain in Ghana. The economics major falls in love with Tori, a white woman that his tribe would not approve of him marrying.

It’s 1959 and the couple faces apartheid in Africa, prejudice in America. They face societal barriers, threats, rejection, and insults.

I was quickly pulled into their struggles, which mounted as the story progressed. The author does a great job showing the prejudice on both sides. Recommend.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Caleb’s Destiny by Carole Brown

/ sandramervillehart

Book 1 in Troubles in the West Series

Destiny McColloch travels west to find a man named Caleb. She hasn’t seen him in fifteen years. Her memories of the boy from her childhood are sketchy, but she’s sure she’ll know him. Her search doesn’t start well as a stagecoach robbery lands her as a guest at Mr. Michael’s ranch.

Mr. Michael has enough to do without a feisty guest to watch over. A dangerous foe in town threatens his safety and those around him. How can he keep her safe?

Believable, lovable characters—and some readers will love to hate—drew me with them into the danger and mystery. Readers of historical romance set in the Wild West should enjoy this novel.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Cinnamon

/ sandramervillehart / 2 Comments

 

I love desserts baked with cinnamon. Whenever I prepare them myself, a little extra of the spice gets added—sometimes nearly twice what the recipe suggests. For instance, when making pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin, extra spices enhance the flavor—in my opinion.

A couple of years ago, I ran out of cinnamon in the middle of baking. My husband made an emergency trip to the grocery store for me.

Fearing that he’d bring home a two-ounce bottle, I said, “Buy a large bottle of cinnamon. I go through a lot of it.”

He bought their largest bottle—18.3 ounces! That was a little more than I anticipated. It took over two years to empty the bottle.

The cinnamon tree’s inner bark is the source of the brown spice that can be purchased as sticks or ground cinnamon. It’s one of our oldest spices and is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus, Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Revelation.

Besides use as a spice, history shows that cinnamon has also been used medicinally. It’s an anti-inflammatory. It’s an antioxidant. Blood sugar levels rise in a diabetic after meals and a high carb food seasoned with this spice reduces this. And the aroma boosts brain activity.

These are just a few of the health benefits of cinnamon. Who knew something that enhances the flavor of foods could be so good for you!

Unfortunately, some sources say that ground cinnamon only keeps for about six months so the smaller bottle would have been better. When in doubt, smell it because fresh cinnamon has a sweet aroma.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“Cinnamon, ground,” The World’s Healthiest Foods, 2020/05/27 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68.

A Malleable Heart by Jennifer Uhlarik

/ sandramervillehart

The Blacksmith Brides Collection

Leah Guthrie bears the heavy burden of raising and caring for her brother and two sisters after the death of their parents. They scrape by on what she earns by washing neighbors’ clothes. Then the wagon wheel breaks.

Blacksmith Bo Allen has earned his reputation for quality work as well for his ornery character. Leah can’t pay him double his rate for a rush job. Something in him softens to see her struggle, especially with the trouble she has with her younger brother.

Yet Bo has endured much abuse in his childhood. He must find a way to deal with it.

This story deals with anger and forgiveness. The characters tugged at my heart and I couldn’t put it down.

I’ve read other books by this author and will look for more. Recommend!

I loved this whole collection.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

A Tempered Heart by Angela K. Couch

/ sandramervillehart

The Blacksmith Brides Collection

Widowed Esther Mathews brings her son, Charlie, back to live in her father’s home after her husband dies. Her father and sister make no efforts to get close to Charlie, who is different from other boys. Her heart breaks that no one loves him like she does. Until she meets the blacksmith.

Thomas Flynn, blacksmith, takes pride in his work, but he’s deeply in debts inherited from the man who apprenticed him. It will take years to pay them. Though he longs for Esther and Charlie to be his family, he can’t marry and saddle them with his debts … to her father.

The struggles faced by the sweet boy in the story raised all my maternal instincts. I fell in love with all the main characters, who each faced their own heartaches.

This story tugged at my heart. Recommend!

I’m loving this collection!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Egg Omelet Supreme Recipe

/ sandramervillehart / 4 Comments

Today’s post has been written by fellow author and friend, Carole Brown. She’s here to share a delicious recipe from her newest release, a historical western romance. Welcome back, Carole!

by Carole Brown

In Caleb’s Destiny, late one night after an attempted robbery, Mr. Michael makes a mean egg omelet that Destiny really enjoys, even after she bumbles what should have been an easy “blessing” prayer for the food.

I’ve adjusted the ingredients of what may or may not have been in his egg omelets, but I hope you’ll give it a try and that they’ll be every bit as good as the ones Mr. Michael prepared for Destiny.

Egg Omelet Supreme Recipe:

Ingredients for one person (or maybe two if you’re light eaters):

2 fresh eggs

1-2 tablespoons of Almond Silk sweet milk

vegetables: your choice

meat: sausage, bacon,or steak:  your choice

Cheese (your choice)

Seasonings (salt, pepper, onion powder, or whatever you like). Feel free to add a drop of Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce, if that is to your taste.

cooking spray oil/butter

real butter

How to:

  1. Cook your chosen meat until done. Crumble bacon or sausage. Cut steak into small pieces.
  2. Chop vegetables into bite size, or smaller, pieces. (I like a few peppers, a touch of green onion, greens like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes or olives, etc or whatever you like).
  3. Whisk seasoned fresh eggs and approximately 1-2 tablespoons of Almond Silk sweet milk together. Stir in your vegetables and meat.
  4. Spray iron skillet with butter flavored or use real butter–my preference–and heat between a low to medium fire (I like to take it slow so the skillet won’t get too hot, causing the eggs to get too brown. Turn down temperature if it seems to hot.
  5. Pour mixture into skillet. Keep a close eye on the eggs and when they seem done enough to flip, then do so.
  6. Sprinkle cheese on top. When done to suit your taste, turn off heat, fold into halves and slide onto your plate.

Serve with real buttered toast (your choice of bread) fried hash browns, and fruit.

Feel free to adjust the recipe. Add a salsa or other condiments of your choice.

Enjoy.

About Carole:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of ten books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? Connect with Carole on her blog, Amazon Author Page, and Twitter.

Book Blurb:

Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold?

Hunter, who is Mr. Michael’s ranch manager, is determined to find the answers and protect the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions.

 Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of everyone of his employees?

 Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael’s ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now…unless, of course, he’s dead.

 Three children, connected through tragedy and separated by time, are fated to reunite and re-right some powerful wrongs.

 

Spanish Flu Pandemic

/ sandramervillehart

In March of 1918, the United States had been fighting World War I for almost a year when over 100 soldiers started suffering from fever, chills, and fatigue at Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas. Their diagnosis? Flu. The number grew by five times over the next week.

The spring’s milder bouts of influenza were seen in Europe, Asia, and America and then spread around many parts of the world.

Because of wartime news blackouts, the flu wasn’t initially reported as it should have been. Spain wasn’t under the news blackout. When the disease struck, they reported it. The flu became known as Spanish Flu even though it didn’t originate there.

A second and more serious wave struck in August of 1918. The highest mortality rates were children under 5, adults 20—40, or 65 and older.

Schools and movie theaters closed in some cities due to the contagious nature of the disease. Public gatherings were prohibited. Hoping to avoid overcrowding in subways, the health commissioner of New York City ordered businesses to stagger shifts.

Illness in many workers forced businesses to close.

The public was urged to wash their hands when coming home from work, before meals, and when coming inside from the street. They were told to avoid crowds. Wearing masks was encouraged when in public.

These measures seemed to help the cities that followed them early.

Advertisers jumped on the bandwagon. Ads for Lifebouy Soap explained the importance of hand-washing. Some businesses offered no real health benefits yet advertised their products as being recommended for treatments.

With no known cure, doctors gave patients medications they hoped would ease symptoms. Bayer’s 1899 trademark for aspirin expired in 1917. This allowed other companies to produce it. The U.S. Surgeon General had recommended aspirin for the flu. Patients took up to 30 grams a day. Today’s physicians recognize this dosage as toxic—tragically, doctors didn’t know this in 1918. It’s feared that some deaths, originally attributed to the flu, resulted from aspirin poisoning.

There was a shortage of physicians and professional nurses in the fall.

World War I ended in November of 1918. The flu killed more soldiers than battles.

While negotiating the Treaty of Versailles, President Woodrow Wilson collapsed, possibly due to influenza.

January brought a third wave of the pandemic.

When it was finally over in the summer, an estimated 50 million people had died worldwide. Possibly as many as 675,000 of these deaths were in the United States. Because of poor recordkeeping, reports of the actual numbers vary.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

“1918 Pandemic (H1N1 Virus),” Center for Disease Control and Prevention,” 2020/03/28 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html.

History.com editors. “Spanish Flu,” A & E Television Networks, 2020/03/28 https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic.

“Influenza pandemic of 1918-19,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020/03/28 https://www.britannica.com/print/article/287805.

“’You Must Wash Properly,” Time, 2020/03/28 https://time.com/5810695/spanish-flu-pandemic-coronavirus-ads/.