Lucinda Gillespie’s father has kept her confined since her mother’s death eleven years before. He’s ashamed of her illness, which keeps her in constant pain. Her mother was the one who’d ever loved her. Her embittered, cruel father blames Lucinda for his wife’s death. She has lived with shame and abuse from the age of seven and sees no end in sight.
William Cole, a lonely hunter, carries his own guilt. Yet when he learns that Lucinda’s father plans to gamble her away on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, he can’t leave her fate in the hands of the drunken victor. He searches for her and tells her of her father’s plans.
She hasn’t left the cabin in over ten years but she must trust God and this stranger who hides his face from her. Their dangerous journey west to Kentucky also fills her with wonder and a sense of freedom she’s never known.
Both main characters struggle with a sense of self-worth. Lucinda clings to the Christian faith her mother had instilled in her. William searches for his faith that a heart-wrenching loss stole from him.
This story tugged at my heart. I was quickly pulled into their plight. It was a page-turner for me.
1753—When Rose sets out on a wagon train with her parents and sister, she has no idea how much the journey will change her life. The trail is fraught with danger yet Daniel, the half-Cherokee wagon scout, makes her feel protected.
Rose’s beauty and courage draws Daniel’s attention like no other, even Rebecca, his childhood friend whom it was generally expected to marry someday, though he’d never proposed. Surprisingly, his dog also befriends Rose. Unfortunately, Daniel knows someone like Rose will never reciprocate his feelings.
This story was a page-turner for me. The protective hero is also vulnerable. The compassionate heroine has many instances to call upon her own courage. Lovable, believable characters drew me into the story from the beginning. Violence is realistic to the era.
Unexpected twists kept me turning pages. I’m so glad this is a series because I can’t wait to read the next book.
KD Holmberg, my dear friend and award-winning author, brought an amazing beef brisket to a writing retreat earlier this year. She had baked it ahead of time, and it only required reheating for a hearty and delicious supper. It was such a generous portion that it provided two meals! Not only is KD a talented author, but she is also an amazing cook.
The barbeque sauce she brought was the perfect complement to the beef dish. She graciously permitted me to share both recipes with you.
I’ve been chomping at the bit to make a big meal. When family members came for supper, I jumped at the chance.
4 ½ – 5 lb. beef brisket
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
The brisket needs to marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
I used a glass 13×9 dish for my 5-pound brisket.
Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Rub the blended marinade over both sides of the brisket. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the fridge at least a few minutes before baking. (I allowed mine to sit out for about an hour. Some recipes suggested allowing the meat to return to room temperature.)
I used a glass 13×9 dish to bake my 5-pound brisket. Aluminum foil was arranged along the bottom and sides, with enough to cover the meat while cooking. Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Bake according to the following schedule:
First two hours at 250 degrees
Second two hours at 275 degrees
Last two hours at 300 degrees
After 6 hours of baking, KD’s recipe called for the brisket to be grilled over medium coals, while slathering with barbeque sauce. My husband is our grill master and he was entertaining guests while I cooked, so I compromised. Instead of grilling, I opened the aluminum foil to allow it to continue baking with the brisket exposed. The purpose of grilling is to achieve a “crust” on the outside and it usually takes 10-15 minutes.
I added another 15 minutes to achieve the fork-tender quality I love. Also, I didn’t slather on the barbeque sauce while it baked because my husband likes plain brisket.
After retrieving it from the oven, I tented the aluminum foil over the top and allowed the meat to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Everyone loved the brisket! It was so tender that my husband sliced it a little thicker to keep the slices together. The barbeque sauce drizzled over the slices made for a mouth-watering, delicious main dish.
Pictured above is leftover brisket for our second meal. Everyone was in such a hurry to eat—me included!—from the delicious aromas that I forgot to snap a photo. 😊
Thanks, KD, for sharing your wonderful recipes. She’s an awesome cook, as I’m certain you will agree once you make this dish.
Emmet O’Connor loves his job as construction engineer on the beautiful castle and inspects every stone that’s laid, every nail that’s pounded to insure its precise placement. He falls in love with Madison and dreams that their friendship will blossom into much more—until tragedy strikes.
Both Madison and Emmet try to clear the web of lies entangling everyone but the danger escalates.
I loved this well-written, poignant story! Loyalty, scars from the past, grief, danger, jealousy, and courage are challenges faced by lovable, believable characters.
I was transported back to another era to small islands in the St. Lawrence River. Heroic characters tugged at my heart and drew me into the story. The beautiful settings tempt me to explore the islands for myself.
A page-turner from beginning to end, I highly recommend this delightful read for lovers of historical romances!
Green County, Kentucky, 1782—Keturah Elliot has just buried her father. With the deaths of her mother and brother a couple of years before, for which her father had blamed her, she is now alone in the world. It’s up to her to save the homestead that she and her father had worked so hard to build. Yet she can’t do it alone.
Daniel Scott, left behind by a group traveling westward, meets the beautiful woman in need of a husband. He’s astounded that she’d consider him. His only father had rejected him. He longs for a wife and family who will love him.
I enjoyed this short novel that portrays the struggles of early pioneers. Endearing characters face a loss that threatens their growing love for one another. The story is also a journey of faith.
The story unfolded in a natural way that was enjoyable to read.
I will look for other books by this author. Recommended.
Award-winning author and dear friend, KD Holmberg, made this sweet, thick barbeque sauce and brought it to a writing retreat earlier this year. Delicious! Not only is KD a talented author, she is also an amazing cook.
She also baked us beef brisket for supper one evening. She graciously permitted me to share the recipe with you. The brisket recipe will be shared in another post.
I have been waiting for an opportunity to make this delicious sauce, so when family members came for supper, I jumped at the chance.
1 quart tomato catsup
¾ cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ pound butter
After the previous ingredients have simmered for thirty minutes, remove from heat and stir in the following ingredients:
1 cup beef consommé
1/3 cup Liquid Smoke
½ teaspoon chili powder
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (excluding the chili powder).
I didn’t realize I was out of onion salt until I started to prepare the barbeque sauce. I made onion salt (mixed 1 tablespoon onion powder with 3 tablespoons of salt) and used 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
Combine the catsup, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, and butter in a large saucepan and stir well. Add the prepared dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Turn on low heat. I used room-temperature butter that quickly melted. Stir frequently.
When the sauce begins to softly simmer, cook on low for thirty minutes. Continue to stir frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in the final 3 ingredients—beef consommé, Liquid Smoke, and chili powder. I didn’t have consommé on hand, so I substituted with beef stock. It turned out great.
Sweet barbeque sauce is the type I favor, and this is my new favorite! My guests complimented the creamy, thick sauce so highly that I sent some home with them. 😊
This recipe makes about 6 cups. Store the unused portion tightly in Mason jars and store it in the refrigerator so that it will last about a month.
1780—Patriot Scout Benjamin Woodbridge is a courageous soldier fighting for his country’s freedom from England, along with his neighbors from the backcountry settlement of Sunrising. Some of his fellow North Carolinians have joined the British side.
Benjamin’s anger runs deep, directed at the cruel British officer responsible for his father’s death. Those emotions have cost him the love of the woman he’d hoped to marry. Aunt Kate and his sister pray that his negative emotions don’t devour him in a need for vengeance. Now, with the British army’s sights set on destroying his village, Benjamin must protect those loves even if the Patriot army doesn’t arrive in time.
This poignant story portrays the struggles of our early patriots and the price they paid for their heroism. It is also a journey of faith.
Realistic characters and unlikely comrades drew me into the story from the first page. Danger, courageous acts, self-doubt, forgiveness, redemption, and questions of faith throughout the book make this a powerful read. I couldn’t put the book down.
This beautifully redemptive story is told from several viewpoints, including the antagonist. Unexpected twists kept me riveted to this well-written book.
I will look for other books by this author. Highly recommended.
The author opens with a story about a fellow passenger on a plane. Upon learning that the author was a marriage counselor who also led marriage enrichment seminars, the man asked, “What happens to the love after you get married?”
One of the early points that Chapman makes is that he’s glad the euphoria of those feelings when love is new doesn’t last. We have a thousand other things to accomplish, which means we can’t be with our spouse every minute.
Yet the love can last throughout our years together. We just need to learn our spouse’s Love Language.
This book is filled with stories from Chapman’s clients. These examples show the different needs people have for how to express love.
An easy-to-read book that is packed full of relationship advice.
As an author of historical novels, I’m always looking for traditions from bygone eras. When I ran across tussie-mussies while researching the meaning of flowers, I dug deeper to learn the surprising history that has changed over the centuries.
Tussie-mussies are small, round bouquets with the stems bound together, a traditional bridal bouquet in the Victorian era. A knot of flowers is the “tussie” while the “mussie” is the soil that keeps them vibrant. Handheld bouquets, also called a posy or nosegay, were tied with a ribbon. Or they might be worn at the waist or in the hair by using a posy holder, a decorative cone-shaped holder often made of silver.
Posies were seen as a more modest accessory than jewelry. Women sometimes secured the bouquet with a brooch. Men wore them by placing them in buttonholes in their coats. It didn’t have to be a festive occasion.
These fragrant bouquets were popular during the Middle Ages for a different reason. People wore or carried nosegays of rosemary, rue, and thyme during the plague in Europe, believing specific herbs and flowers were a protective measure against the disease.
Rosemary has several health benefits recognized today. It can boost moods, enhance concentration and memory, offer neurological protection, and relieve pain. There are studies that suggest the herb may aid in the prevention and treatment of cancer. The herb added a woodsy, herbaceous aroma to the bouquet.
Rue has a pungent, bitter smell that is slightly citrusy. Sephardic Jews traditionally used it for healing purposes. Inhaling it is believed to help with shock. It is sometimes used in synagogues during Yom Kippur to rejuvenate those who have been fasting. William Shakespeare mentions rue in Hamlet, All’s Well That End Well, Richard II, and The Winter’s Tale. John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels also mention the herb.
Thyme has an earthy fragrance. It can destroy harmful organisms and may reduce high blood pressure. Thyme oil can prevent foodborne bacterial infections.Thyme was used as embalming fluid by ancient Egyptians. Ancient Greeks burned it as incense. The Romans brought it to the British Isles, so the herb has a long history in Europe.
The aromatic and health benefits of rosemary, thyme, and rue seem to suggest the wisdom of those Middle Ages men and women who kept them handy during the plagues.
Tussie-mussies have a long history that endures today. Guests at modern weddings may still spot tussie-mussie-style bouquets carried by brides. For instance, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle carried them at their own weddings.
These are fun facts that I, as an author of inspirational historical romances, love to incorporate into my novels!
Dr. Beth Moore moves into the Idaho home she recently inherited, hoping to find a break in Twin Falls. She wants a different job away from the hospital emergency room, but first she needs rest.
She meets Billy Clark, a rodeo bullfighter, when a bull tosses him at her feet. Treating his wounds leads to a job traveling with the rodeo company. Billy’s infectious good spirits and laughter are a stark contrast to her personality. Can he grow to care for him?
Billy’s childhood had been a trainwreck. Finding a job on the rodeo and friends who cared while a teenager changed his life. Bullfighting is all he’s known. Meeting the quiet, reserved doctor who excels at her job throws him for a loop. Can he hope that someone like her will care for him?
Lovable, wounded characters quickly drew me into the story. It’s easy to see that bullfighting is a dangerous occupation. Readers will be pulled into the traveling life of those who work for the rodeo. I loved that those involved in the show became a family.
Sandra Merville Hart 