Friday, April 4, 2025

My Thoughts - When the Sky Burned (A Day to Remember Book 6) Author: Liz Toilsome

About the Book

Book: When the Sky Burned (A Day to Remember Book 6)

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: March 1, 2025

A Tornado of Fire and Embezzlement Sweep through a Community

Enjoy a series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.

Promising painter Mariah Randolph longs to have her canvases displayed in the world’s best museums, and Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. The railroad’s bookkeeper, Jay Franklin, discovers discrepancies and is convinced that Hollis is stealing from the company. But any proof of his dirty dealings go up in smoke when fire utterly destroys the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, October 8, 1871.

The fire leaves Mariah blind, but Jay befriends her and even helps her to start painting again. But a trip to Chicago to return Hollis’s daughter to him could put both Mariah and Jay in more danger than even the fire that devastated the town and their lives.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She is also the host of the Christian Historical Fiction Talk podcast.

More from Liz

I stared at my computer screen in front of me. For years, I had been searching for my great-grandmother, Anna. I got no good information. Census records in the US weren’t helpful. Some listed her birthplace as Czechoslovakia, while others had it as Austria. I had heard before that she might have been born in Czechoslovakia before, but never Austria. There were no records that I had come across that listed the city or town where she was born.

Until that one day. While searching for my great-grandmother, I ran across a passport application recorded in Warsaw, Poland, for an Anna with the same last name, though spelled differently. Her birthday was listed as 1903, which matched the birth year I knew for my great-grandmother’s niece. As I read through the application, my heart was pounding. This Anna was born in the United States but went to Dubne, Poland, with her family in 1906. It was now 1923, and she wanted to return to the US, and she would be living with…

I started to cry when I saw who her sponsor was. My great-grandfather. The name and address were correct. There could be no doubt about it. It had taken me years, but I finally made the jump to Europe and discovered that my great-grandmother was not born in Czechoslovakia but in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now Poland.

Of course, good little researcher that I am, I had to find out all I could about Dubne, the town they were from. That’s when I first came across the term Lemko. What on earth was that?

Lemkos are a Slavic people that settled in the Carpathian Mountains of Southern Poland, Northern Slovakia, and Western Ukraine. They are also known as Lemko Rusyns, Rusyns (especially those born in Slovakia, like my great-grandfather), and Carptho-Rusyns. The mountains kept the world at bay, and they developed their own language, customs, and form of Christianity. For the most part, they were very poor, many of them eking out a living from the rocky ground.

They lived in “black houses,” called that because the poorest people couldn’t afford to have a chimney built. The smoke from the cooking and heating fires stayed inside the house and covered the walls with black tar. If you look at the cemetery records from Dubne, you would be old if you lived into your fifties. Conditions were brutal.

The most the average Lemko could afford was one sheep or one pig. Since this was their most prized possession, they couldn’t take the chance of a wild animal or a neighbor taking it away, so it lived in the house with them.

With all of them. Up to eleven people would live in a two-room house. When I mentioned that in What I Left for You, my editor questioned if I had made a mistake. No, I didn’t. I have no idea how they fit all those people in there, but they did. As I was tracking one branch of our family tree, I kept coming up with people living in house 43. Over and over and over. They stuffed that house full. Grandparents, parents, and children all lived together. They may not have had much, but that forged the Lemkos into strong and resilient people.

I’m proud to be Lemko-Rusyn, and I’m thrilled to share this story with you. I infused Helena, the historical heroine, with as much of the Lemko spunk and spirit as I could. Last October, my daughter and I had the privilege to travel to Poland and Slovakia and see the Lemko homeland for ourselves. It helped me to write a better, richer story because I now understand where they came from and who they were. Enjoy Helena’s story and her journey during WWII and beyond. I hope you come to understand and appreciate the Lemko people as much as I have.

My Thoughts

When the Sky Burned is book 6 in the A Day to Remember Series. This amazing read is written by Liz Tolsma. I have really enjoyed this series. I love learning about lesser known events that have affected our nation. This book might be my favorite in the whole series. In this story readers are transported back to October 8, 1871. I love how this author can bring history to life from the pages.

Mariah Randolph is an up and coming painter. She has dreams about having her work displayed in museums. She has been painting the sky with the background of the fires that are burning outside their village. No-one is taking the fire seriously she realizes. She is hoping that fiancé Hollis Stanford, the heir of a railroad tycoon, is her ticket to success. However, it becomes known that Hollis may be involved in some shady dealings. When the fire closes in and burns the city, Mariah is injured and loses her site as a result. Even more devastating she learns that Hollis is not the man she thought he was.

Bookkeeper Jay Franklin starts to realize that Hollis may have been embezzling from the company. However, when he is trying to bring this to light, Hollis belittles Jay and tries to turn it around on him. However, due to the fire, so much more is at stake.

I had not heard of this fire. I have heard about the great Chicago fire, but not this specific one. The author did careful research to ensure that this story comes to life. Well written, engaging characters and God's love and mercy reigning through.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 27

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 28

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 28

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 29

Simple Harvest Reads, March 30 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Texas Book-aholic, March 30

Betti Mace, March 31

Lily’s Corner, March 31

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 1

Devoted Steps, April 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 3

Blogging with Carol, April 4

Connie’s History Classroom, April 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 5

Stories By Gina, April 6 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 6

Bizwings Book Blog, April 7

Cover Lover Book Review, April 7

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, April 8

Jodie Wolfe, April 8

Holly’s Book Corner, April 9

Pause for Tales, April 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54187

Saturday, March 29, 2025

My Thoughts - Spark of the Revolution Author: Megan Soja

Spark of the Revolution Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Spark of the Revolution

Author: Megan Soja

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 4, 2025

A spark ignites a flame that could burn down everything they hold dear.

Contrary to her name, Patience Abbott has long felt unsettled and anxious to leave behind her painful memories in England for a fresh start in America. But her new life isn’t quite what she expected, and as tension grows in her new home of Boston, so does the distance between Patience and her estranged father. So when Josiah Wagner walks into her life, it finally feels like she’s not alone. If only his patriotic leanings didn’t put him at odds with her father’s loyalties.

Josiah Wagner has spent his life yearning for a true home and family, something he works toward each day, forging tools as a blacksmith, and each night, forging plans with the Sons of Liberty. But when the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor lights the spark of the Revolution, Josiah finds himself drawn into its tumultuous wake, pulling the woman he loves along with him.

As tensions mount, will their search for belonging lead to each other, or will the obstacles between them be too great to overcome? In a land on the brink of war, can they find the home they seek in the One who calls them His own?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Megan Soja is a multi-award-winning author who writes stories with strong faith, rich history, and sweet romance. She lives in western NY with her husband and two daughters and loves having adventures, both big and small, with her family. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and playing French Horn.

More from Megan

I have a confession. When I was in school, I didn’t really enjoy history classes. That sounds awful coming from a writer of historical fiction, doesn’t it? But it’s true. The whole concept of memorizing dates and names and places just didn’t excite me.

And yet, I have loved reading historical fiction for as long as I can remember, and have always found living history museums fascinating. I think it’s because those things made history feel real and made me feel like I was part of it. They took me deeper, beyond a list of events and famous names, into the everyday lives of ordinary people who made a lasting impact, whether they realized it or not.

It was the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things that captured my attention when I began researching for Spark of the Revolution.

They were names most of us would never recognize. Ordinary people living ordinary lives, who stepped up one night to take part in something extraordinary. Who joined an event that would go on to impact history in ways few of them likely imagined.

Names like Sarah Bradlee Fulton, who has been credited with the idea of disguising men as Mohawks and helped her husband and brothers do just that. She later rallied women to care for wounded soldiers after the Battle of Bunker Hill and traveled across enemy lines to deliver an urgent message to General George Washington.

Or David Kinnson, a farmer from Maine who journeyed to Boston with the express purpose of destroying the tea. He went on to serve in multiple battles of both the Revolution and the War of 1812, was the father of twenty-two children, and lived to be one hundred and fifteen years old.

Or Samuel Sprague, who was on the way to visit the woman he loved when he saw what was happening at the harbor and decided to join. He climbed onto a rooftop to gather soot as a disguise. Don’t worry, he did later marry his sweetheart – Joannah Thayer – and they went on to have fourteen children together. Both lived to be ninety and are buried at the Central Burying Ground on Boston Common.

I was drawn in by these stories and so many others. They reminded me that each of us are living our own stories too. And while we may often feel ordinary, we are treasured and precious in the sight of God. He has a plan and purpose for every one of us, and whether or not our names are recorded or remembered in history, we are fully known by Him.

I hope you’ll see that message when you read Spark of the Revolution. One of purpose, of meaning in the midst of the ordinary, and of belonging to the God who is unchanging throughout all of time.

My Thoughts

Spark of the Revolution is written by Megan Soja. This is book one in the Harbor of Spies series. This is my first book that I have read by this author, and it will not be my last. It's not often I get to read Revolutionary War stories. I loved that the author transports readers back in time.

Patience Abbott has long felt unsettled and anxious to leave behind her painful memories in England for a fresh start in America. However, life in Boston is not what she thought it would be Tensions are high and there is a lot of discontent among everyone, She then meets Josiah.

Josiah is committed to the Sons of Liberty. I love that he still wanted everything to be able to be solved without issues. The author really wrote in what those may have felt, with neighbors against neighbors, and even possibly family against family.

I loved seeing the origins of the Boston Tea Party. I felt the author did careful research to bring this portion of history alive. The scenes felt authentic - and I loved seeing Patience and Josiah. I hope to read book 2.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Blog Stops

Stories By Gina, March 20 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 22

Life on Chickadee Lane, March 23

Pause for Tales, March 23

Simple Harvest Reads, March 24 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26

Sylvan Musings, March 27

Pens Pages & Pulses, March 27

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 28

Connie’s History Classroom, March 29

For Him And My Family, March 30

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, March 30

Cover Lover Book Review, March 31

Holly’s Book corner, April 1

Leslie’s Library Escape, April 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Megan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54179

Monday, March 24, 2025

My Thoughts - The Girl from Sicily is written by Siobhan Daiko.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lucia loved her brother Dinu to the depths of her soul, but she also worried about him. He was intelligent yet ambitious, resilient yet hot-headed, and there was a dark side to him that could lead him into terrible trouble one day.

Sicily, 1943: Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable, but their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Although she finds herself developing feelings for him, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother.

As the chaos of World War II closes in, Lucia must navigate love and loyalty to make a difficult choice. Will she risk that the consequences of her decision could bring untold horrors and affect her family for decades to come?

2005: When Jess inherits a baglio, an ancient feudal farmhouse in Sicily, from the grandmother she never knew, she’s determined to uncover the truth about her family’s hidden past. Following the death of her parents and on the brink of divorce, Jess travels to the island alone. There, with the help of a charming Sicilian, she embarks on a quest to unearth a web of long-buried secrets.

But answers come at a price, and Jess must decide if she’s ready to confront a truth that could change everything…

Inspired by true events, this breath-taking novel reveals the hidden secrets of one Sicilian family across generations. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah, and Kate Quinn, this is an unforgettable tale of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Siobhan Daiko writes powerful and sweeping historical fiction set in Italy during the second World War, with strong women at its heart. She now lives near Venice, having been a teacher in Wales for many years.

Social Media Links –

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/siobhan.daiko.author

Twitter https://twitter.com/siobhandaiko

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siobhandaiko_asolandobooks/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/SiobhanDaikoNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/siobhan-daiko

My Thoughts

The Girl from Sicily is written by Siobhan Daiko. This is book 4 in the Girls from the Italian Resistance series. I have not read all of the series, but I had no problem following along. The author has a wonderful gift of transporting readers back into time. This is a dual time line story - Sicily, 1943: and 2005.

Lucia and her twin brother Dinu have always been inseparable.. They have not been dealt the best hand in life - they struggle to survive. However their bond is threatened when Gero, the son of close family friends in America, arrives in their village. Gero is connected with the US Army, and helps to feed them. This starts to make Dinu jealous. Although she finds herself developing feelings for Gero, Gero is working undercover for t he allies. However, Lucia worries about Gero’s dangerous connections and their influence on her brother. Then World War II breaks out - Lucia finds herself having to make some decisions.

It's 2005 when Jessica Brown of Bristol, England, received notification of an inheritance in Sicily, from a grandmother she had never known. Her parents had died while she was going through a divorce - she thinks that a holiday to Sicily is what she needs. However, shocked by the inheritance she starts to dig into her history and is shocked by what she finds.

This is such a heartwarming story that is woven together seamlessly. I really enjoy this author - and look forward to reading more. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

Friday, March 21, 2025

My Thoughts -Miss Wylde in the White City (The Heiresses of Adventure Book Two) Author: Grace Hitchcock

Miss Wylde in the White City Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Miss Wylde in the White City (The Heiresses of Adventure Book Two)

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Historical Romance True Crime

Release date: November 11, 2023

While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.

Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Grace Hitchcockis the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.

More from Grace

Q&A with Grace Hitchcock:

Q: Your historical novel Miss Wylde in the White City is a historical romance set against the true crime events at the Chicago World’s Fair. How difficult was it to create a “romance” novel that includes such horrific historical details?

Grace: It was challenging, but I wrote Winnifred’s story with the thought in mind of how I would have wanted to experience it as a reader. Many of the books I’ve read about Holmes are quite dark and rightly so; however, I decided that I didn’t want my story to show the gory details and chose to focus on the romance to offer the reader a much-needed break in the dark story matter.

Q: What research did you have to do to get the details right?

Grace: I read and listened to non-fiction works on H. H. Holmes, read countless articles online, researched the different newspaper articles of the time, mostly The Chicago Tribune,

and found the newspapers’ sketches of Holmes’ “Murder Castle” along with their statements. I also read non-fiction works on the Chicago world’s fair with many, many pictures and took walk-through tours of the fair online, which gave me a unique perspective of what the white city was like.

Q: Tell us about the characters you injected into the historical events. What about them made you want to tell their story?

Grace: I’ve always loved Jane Austen’s heroine from her satire of Gothic novels, Northanger Abbey, and with Catherine Morland in mind, I created Winnifred Wylde. My heroine’s love of books often gets her into trouble, but being the daughter of a police inspector, Winnie also has picked up a few things in listening to her father’s adventures and her natural sense of curiosity was just what I needed in a heroine to uncover Holmes’ sordid crimes.

I wanted Jude Thorpe to be a protector with a heart for justice, so the role of detective fit right into the story.

Percival Valentine was one of the characters who surprised me. Originally, I just had Percy as her favorite author, but then I thought, why not let her meet him and see what happens? He is one of my favorite characters and I hope to one day give him a story of his own.

Q: Fact vs Fiction – what (if any) historical details did you have to fiddle with to make the story work?

Grace: Oddly enough, the newspapers at the time did not get the same layouts of the “Murder Castle” in their sketches, so I based the layout of Holmes’ castle mostly from The Chicago Tribune and got a little creative. The layout is mostly correct, but I took the liberty of adding a second trap door at a convenient location for the burning trunk scene. While Holmes did bring trunks up and down from attic to the basement, he never burned a trunk on the third floor because it would have left behind far too much evidence for a man who, up to this point, was experienced in covering his tracks.

Q: How does your faith impact how you approach writing fiction?

Grace: My heroines generally learn what I am learning at the time of writing the story. If I am holding on to a verse for something I am going through personally, I give it to my heroine and we walk through it together even in different situations (because obviously I’m not trapped in a burning building haha but the principle applies).

I see writing Christian fiction as an opportunity to show God’s light even in dark, difficult situations. No matter how subtle my theme or short the verses, my stories will always point the reader to the Lord.

Thank you for joining the fun for the Celebrate Lit tour! If you are a part of a book club, I have discussion questions here! Happy Reading, friends!

My Thoughts

Miss Wylde in the White City is part of The Heiresses of Adventure series that is written by Grace Hitchcock. This was previously part of the True Color series but has been been rebranded. I’m a huge fan of this author. She has the ability to transport readers back in history and captivate your attention within the first few pages.

In this story, readers are brought back to 1893 Chicago. The Chicago’s World Fair is going on. Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police however she’s brushed off. Her no nonsense father feels that her imagination has runaway with her. But Winnie doesn’t take no for an answer.

She’s determined uncover the truth, she agrees to go undercover as a secretary to none other than the man she suspect. But she’s got to be able to carry a pistol. She’s also accompanied by the ever-watchful, detective, Jude Thorpe.

Seeing a mystery involving H. H. Holmes come to life blended with suspense, historical details and adventure this is a must read. The author keeps readers on their toes.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.