Elinor Dare sailed from England with her husband and her father to the New World in 1587. She and Ananias are expecting their first child that Elinor is happy will be born in the Colony of Virginia.
Things go wrong from the beginning, as they land in an area her father considers unsafe. His fears are quickly proven when one of their men is killed by natives while out alone.
Both Elinor and her father had previously visited the area. Unfortunately, other groups had also crossed the Atlantic, some of them violent. Some tribes don’t trust the newcomers.
I’ve long been captivated by the early settlers of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. This book is a novel about Elinore Dare. This work of fiction is well-researched and feels authentic.
The characters and situations are realistic to the time. My interest was truly caught about a third of the way into the story, when it became a page-turner for me.
Recommended for readers who enjoy American history, especially the early history of Virginia.
Ebooks will be on sale for 99 cents from 2/19 – 2/25 in the US and UK.
This series begins a dozen years after the end of the Civil War. The first book is set in 1877 in three Ohio locations: Hamilton, Harrison, and the train town of Bradford Junction.
“It may seem cliche to say that this should be a Hallmark movie, but I do believe that it is worthy of the original Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations!”
“I couldn’t put the book down and read it in one day!”
“This is a story that will tug at your heart. It is well written and easy to read and imagine.”
“WOW, this book is amazing and has really touched my life!”
“I will be thinking of it for months to come!”
“A Not So Convenient Marriage is such a great novel. I loved the characters and their story. They gripped me and wouldn’t let me go.”
“I loved, loved, loved the book and Rose will be one of my all-time favorite heroines forever!”
“Thank you so very much for writing this book. I can’t put into words how much I adored it!”
Back Cover Blurb:
A spinster teacher…a grieving widower…a marriage of convenience and a second chance with the man she’s always loved…
When Samuel Walker proposes a marriage of convenience to Rose Hatfieldso soon after the death of his wife, she knows he doesn’t love her. She’s loved him since their school days. Those long-suppressed feelings spring to life as she marries him. She must sell her childhood home, quit her teaching job, and move to a new city.
Marrying Rose is harder than Samuel expected, especially with the shadow of his deceased wife everywhere in his life. And he has two young children to consider. Peter and Emma need a mother’s love, but they also need to hold close the memories of their real mother as they grieve her loss.
Life as Samuel’s wife is nothing like Rose hoped, and even the townspeople, who loved his first wife, make Rose feel like an outsider. The work of the farm draws the two of them closer, giving hope that they might one day become a happy family. Until the dream shatters, and the life Rose craves tumbles down around them. Only God can put these pieces back together, but the outcome may not look anything like she planned.
It’s hard to believe that A Not So Persistent Suitor, Book 2 in my Second Chances Series, celebrates its first birthday today—Valentine’s Day! A Not So Peaceful Journey, Book 3, released last June, followed by a busy year of writing!
I had wanted to write a story set in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1880s for several years. It seems to me that it was on my heart to write when writing was still but a dream.
Writing this story allowed me to take my readers on a journey back to historic Cincinnati. See the sights of the beautiful city through the characters’ eyes in 1883-84.
Here’s a bit about the book:
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.
I decided to make brownies last week only to discover I didn’t any unsweetened chocolate in my pantry. There was an abundance of cocoa powder so I set about modifying my sister’s old recipe. It took a couple of batches before I settled on this recipe.
Ingredients
10 tablespoons of butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Simmer water in a large saucepan.
Place the butter in a metal or glass bowl. When the water is simmering, place the bowl over the top of the pan to melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the cocoa powder and sugar a little at a time, stirring with each addition.
Remove from heat. Set the bowl aside to cool for ten minutes.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and stir into the cooled mixture. Add the vanilla. Once those are all mixed together, stir in the flour, following with the walnuts, if desired. Mix well.
The chocolatey batter should be thick and creamy.
Prepare 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour chocolate batter into the prepared pan, spreading the mixture to the sides with a spoon.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22-24 minutes. Allow brownies to cool and then cut into 16 squares.
This takes less than twenty minutes to prepare, not including baking time. It’s very easy to make brownies from scratch.
Using cocoa powder instead of unsweetened chocolate squares gave the brownies a richer, chocolaty flavor. Delicious and easy!
Fun Activities, Themes, and Ideas for Overnight Parties
For boys or girls
What a great book!
The author begins with suggestions for preparations before the party. Choosing a theme topped the list. You’ll use it to select the invitations, decorations, and party activities—which are included in the book!
Lavender has suggestions for over 30 themes, such as All Aboard, Big Top Circus Party, Dinosaurs Delight, I Spy, Land Ho, Snakes and Snails and Alligator Critter Party, and Partying Painters Art Party.
Parents, the author has packed this book full of ideas for your child’s sleepover party.
Grandparents, this book has some ideas for you to choose from when hosting your grandchildren for a night or a weekend.
Rebecca Lane, a lady’s maid, returns to Swanford after a year’s absence in response to a letter from her brother’s housekeeper. She discovers the situation is dire indeed. John has finished writing a book somehow in between bouts of drinking and he implores Rebecca to deliver it to the very author whole stole his first novel with a request he recommend it to his publisher. She agrees reluctantly.
Sir Frederick is pleased that Rebecca, his childhood friend, is a guest at Swanford Abbey, the same hotel where he and his brother are staying. The widower feels that he’s too old for her, though he wishes it weren’t true.
Rebecca fears the haunted abbey, especially after she spots a ghostly nun, but there is more afoot at the historic abbey turned hotel than meets the eye.
Well-written! Believable characters dealing with difficult circumstances held my attention from the beginning.
This book is a page turner! Not only is there a romance that seems ill-fated from the start, there is also a mystery that readers will try to solve.
Recommended for readers who enjoy historical romances and suspense novels.
I love to share about cute picture books with a message when I find them.
This is a rhyming book, which appeals to young children.
The “Whatif” monster keeps the boy in the story too afraid to try anything new.
Like climbing a tree or playing with a new friend or playing baseball or eating a new dish. Then the boy realizes that each of those situations could as easily turn out well.
This story could help children who are afraid to try new things. Parents may first want to read the picture book—and any book their child wants to read for the message it conveys.
I liked the book and recommend it for children from 3 – 7.
American Journalist Nellie Wilkerson has been in London during the daily bombings, just waiting for a chance to get to France where the fighting is intense. She seizes the opportunity to disguise her identity to get there with her camera. The Allies are there now so she should be able to convince one of the units to take her along to the front lines. She doesn’t intend to accept no as an answer. She’ll snap photos to back up the story of what’s really happening.
Jean-Paul Breslau is determined to find his comrades but stumbles upon Nellie, alone in the French countryside with a dead soldier. He can’t turn his back on her any more than he can walk away from Claire, the little girl they find in a village, who is the sole survivor of terrible fire set by the Germans. Claire has Down Syndrome and the Germans will kill her.
Their paths cross with others who resist the German soldiers. Danger escalates with each chapter.
This book is a page turner! Readers will find themselves pulling for the children in this story to reach safety. The characters are likeable, strong, and determined—though the heroine’s insistence on having her own way frustrated me as a reader. She placed herself and her companions in more danger through her choices.
Recommended for readers who enjoy World War II stories.
A restaurant near my home recently added broccoli casserole to their listing of side dishes. It’s delicious! I’ve ordered it three or four times before deciding to create my own version. It’s been a few years since I’ve made one because my husband doesn’t like broccoli. I can’t believe how well this new recipe turned out! It’s so easy! The longest part of the preparation was chopping the fresh broccoli florets and steaming them. It requires about twenty minutes to prepare, not including baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
INGREDIENTS
6 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets (3 heads)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 slices Colby or American cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Ritz crackers, about 15
In a medium saucepan, heat about ½ cup of water (should be enough water so that the water level is about an inch) to simmering boil. Add fresh broccoli, cover, and reduce heat to low and cook until almost tender or about 7 minutes.
(If using frozen broccoli, reduce the cook time to 4-5 minutes.)
Remove broccoli from heat. Drain.
Prepare a medium-sized casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the broccoli to the dish. Next, layer the Colby or American cheese (I used Colby) on top of the broccoli. It won’t completely cover the vegetable—it adds to the melted goodness of the other cheeses.
Next, sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Then sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. (You may not need the whole ½ cup, depending on the dish you use.)
Crumble the Ritz crackers over the top. Then drizzle the melted butter on top.
Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes or until the crackers on top are lightly browned.
Delicious! The blend of the three cheeses absolutely melts in my mouth. It gives the casserole a bit of the creaminess that other recipes add with creamy soups or mayonnaise mixtures.
Since my husband doesn’t eat this vegetable, this side dish is sometimes my main meal for lunch. I love it and hope you will too.
