Hi Everyone! It’s First Line Friday, so grab a book near you and share your first line in the comments below!
Today I’m sharing the first line from a book I have added to my TBR, What Lies Withinby Karen Ball.
Here is the first line:
Death was waiting.
Nothing’s going to stop Kyla…
until the ground crumbles beneath her feet.
Kyla Justice has arrived. Her company, Justice Construction, is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful companies in the Pacific Northwest. And yet, something is missing. Not until she’s called on to build a center for inner-city kids does she realize what it is: her sense of purpose. Now nothing can stop her, not the low budget, not supply problems, not gang opposition, not her boyfriend’s suggestion that she sell her business and marry him–and most especially not that disagreeable Rafael Murphy.
Rafe Murphy understands battle. Wounded in action, this Force Recon Marine carries the scars–and the nightmares–to prove it. Though he can’t fight overseas any longer, he’s found his place as a warrior in the civilian world. So he soldiers on, trusting that one of these days, God will reveal to him why Rafe survived the ambush in Iraq. That day has arrived.
Kyla and Rafe both discover that determination alone won’t carry them through danger and challenges. When gang violence threatens their very foundations, there’s only one way to survive: rely on each other, be real–and surrender to God. In other words, risk everything…
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A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.
Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.
Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?
After enjoying Michelle Griep’s The Innkeeper’s Daughter, I have decided to read as much of her writing as I can squeeze into my schedule.
Opening Line (from Chapter 1):
Fort Wilderness,
upper New York, 1759
Five years into the French and Indian War
“It ain’t right. You ain’t right.”
First Impressions:
From the very first scene the dialogue pulled me into the lives of Griep’s characters. Mercy is a very different sort of heroine for the era, to say the least. Her relationships with the people around her are therefore necessarily unique as well. I was immediately intrigued by her life and her story.
Main Characters:
Mercy Lytton – One might expect a woman with her background to be bitter or downtrodden in some way, but instead, Mercy is a bold and determined young woman. Sure, she has issues she needs to work out, but she doesn’t let them consume her the way a weaker person might have. Still, she learns things along the way that significantly change how she views her life, the people around her, and even God.
Captain Matthew Prinn – An uncle-like figure in Mercy’s life, Matthew Prinn is a trail-toughened spy and partner to Mercy.
Elias Dubois – A man caught between warring countries and accused of treason, there are too many people that want him dead to list. I can’t say too much about his character without giving something away because the biggest questions pushing this story along have to do with who he truly is and where his loyalties lie.
Emotional Engagement & Pacing of the Story:
This story had my attention from page one and never lost it. There were just enough “pauses” or slower moments in the scenes to let the reader catch their breath in time to lose it with the next twist. At no point did I want to put the book down or felt that the story dragged at all.
Elements I especially liked/disliked:
I particularly liked that Mercy, while notably different from the typical female of the time, still felt completely plausible.
I also appreciated the complexity with which each culture’s perspective was portrayed, from the French to the English to the Native American tribes. The various tribes were rightly portrayed as such – not all washed together as one culture the way some books have done, but represented as separate peoples. No one group was completely in the right and no one was completely in the wrong. To me, this seemed more true-to-life because life is messy and people are sinful regardless of what culture they belong to.
As with The Innkeeper’s Daughter, the descriptions in this novel were so rich I felt I could see, feel, hear and taste everything that happened in the story.
Themes:
You can’t truly understand another person’s choices unless you’ve walked in their shoes.
Be careful judging others because not everyone is as they seem.
Ending:
The ending was thorough and satisfying. It made me smile.
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, Undercurrent and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Guest Post from Michelle
A Visit to Fort Niagara
Whether you’re a history buff or don’t have a clue what the French and Indian War was about, there’s a destination in upstate New York that’s fun to visit for the whole family . . .
My husband and I made the trek to this living history site last summer. I had no idea what to expect, other than what was advertised as a “reenactment camp.” For those who don’t know, this is when volunteers who adore history come together to present a particular event, such as a battle. These people usually choose a real person from the era upon whom they fashion their modern day persona. They dress, speak, eat and live as that person might have. Here I am with some of my new friends:
Generally around the 4th of July, the 1759 Battle of Fort Niagara is recreated in a 3-day extravaganza of soldiers, muskets, canons and an entire market place to peruse selling period-related items.
Some of the things that surprised me about stepping back into the mid-eighteenth century were:
How much smoke muskets kick out
Once the battle begins, it’s hard to see who is your enemy or ally
Canons are really loud
Everything wasn’t as black and white as it seems in pictures—gowns and uniforms were very colorful
What makes this event so spectacular is that they take the entire 20 day siege and condense it into 3 days. If you visit every day, you’ll see and experience exactly what happened. You’ll be there to see the British, Colonial regulars and Iroquois allies sneak out of the tree line to shoot at some French soldiers who were pigeon hunting just outside the fort. You’ll hear the war whoops and barrage of angry French epithets roaring on the air. You’ll even get a chance to taste some of their food as you wander around inside the French Encampment set up inside the fort walls.
To experience a bit of the danger, sights and sounds of what Mercy and Elias lived through in The Captured Bride, Fort Niagara really is a fantastic place to visit.
Hi Everyone! It’s First Line Friday, so grab a book near you and share your first line in the comments below!
Today I’m sharing the first line from The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck.
Here is the first line:
Hamilton
Hannah’s Cowpens
South Carolina Colony
January 17, 1781
He must finish.
Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle’s forte—in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene . . . and it might be killing her career.
When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one-page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career-crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on-set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.
Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther’s Loyalist father opposes any relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father’s disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she’s always wanted—something straight from the heart.
Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully-crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.
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Joseph Malcom has spent his life protecting those in need, but now that his sister is safely settled with her new family in the Canadian Rockies, his help is no longer required. That is, until he’s asked to safely retrieve the priest’s cousin to help minister to the local Indian tribe. But his passenger is not at all who he expects.
After the death of her mother, Monti Bergeron has nothing to keep her in Montreal. While the prospect of ministering to the Indians out West is daunting, she looks forward to assisting her beloved cousin in his mission work. The life of a nun may be just what she needs to heal her grief, serving her Heavenly Father and fellow mankind, especially if no more pesky suitors are around to ask for her hand in marriage. But the man who’s been sent to guide her through the mountains might make her second-guess her plans before she even begins.
As Monti settles into her ministry, Joseph finds his wandering feet drawn back to the Indian camp. Monti’s focus on God is more unsettling than he’d like to admit. Add to that her beauty which tests his willpower at every turn, and she’s made it crystal clear she doesn’t want a husband. But when his determination to keep distance between them puts Monti in danger, protecting her might require something Joseph might not be able to give.
If you haven’t already, see my review of Book 1 in the Heart of the Mountains series, This Treacherous Journey.
Opening Line (from Chapter 1):
November, 1852 Canadian Rocky Mountains
I am the luckiest man alive.
First Impressions:
Even though I loved Joseph in the first book, I had some difficulty connecting to him at the start of this book. I think it is because it took me too long to understand what was bothering him. It had been so long since I had read the first book that I couldn’t remember for sure if the injury mentioned was connected to that first book or was the result of something that had happened in the time which elapsed between books. That lack of clarity kept me at an emotional distance for the first portion of this book.
Characters:
Joseph Malcom – Since the last book, he has lost his purpose and become a nomadic mountain man struggling to accept a tragic turn of events and find what God has planned for his life. Emma’s twin brother.
Monticello “Monti” Bergeron – A courageous young woman, orphaned and determined to serve God.
Father Bergeron – A missionary ministering to the local tribes and cousin to Monticello “Monti” Bergeron. He genuinely cares for the tribes he ministers to and for his young cousin.
Simeon Grant – Joseph’s brother-in-law only plays a tiny role in this story.
Emma Grant – Joseph’s twin sister plays only a slightly larger role than Simeon in this story.
Emotional Engagement & Pacing of the Story:
It took me a while to warm up to this story. The interactions between Joseph and Monti are what cemented my emotional connection to the story. Joseph is a genuinely good man struggling with relatable issues. Monti is a spunky young woman working through scars from her past. The way they communicated with each other and Monti’s intuitive understanding of Joseph drew me in. I wanted to see how their relationship developed and I am happy with where it went for the most part.
I was happily reading along in this novel without feeling that it dragged at all until a particular situation arose which, in my opinion, was too similar to something which occurred in the first book. To be honest, this event soured my opinion of the book not because it was done poorly or was too farfetched, but simply because I felt I had already been there, done that. Although certain details were different, the essential event itself was the same and I found that disappointing. It was difficult for me to get back into the story afterward.
Elements I especially liked/disliked:
Please see the second paragraph of the previous section for that which I did not care for.
As for the things I especially liked… I especially liked the musical interactions between the hero and the heroine which revealed compassion and connection between them in a unique way I haven’t read before. I also liked the author’s unique integration of a medical condition involving one of the secondary characters. It added an interesting depth to the story and was, again, something I’ve not seen before in this context.
Themes:
Finding purpose in one’s life.
Accepting that God is good and always with us – even in tragedy.
Viewing one’s self-worth through God’s eyes.
Ending:
The ending is sweet. It felt fresh and satisfying. It made me smile.
Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.
She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.
Guest Post from Misty Beller
The Frontier Cook
I love to write frontier romance, where the challenges were tough and the people had to be even tougher. And one of the things I love to imagine is how my characters cooked during those days.
Can you imagine how hard it would be to cook over an open fire? Every. Single. Meal. Of course, it’s not like they had a lot of variety to work with. Once you learned how to make a decent stew or corn mush, you didn’t have much to worry about, right?
Yet, many of the frontier women became quite adept at cooking over their cabin’s hearth, or even over an open campfire. In my new book, This Wilderness Journey, Monti (the heroine) came from a middle-class home with a paid chef and never had to learn to cook at all, much less without the use of a wood stove (which is still so much harder than heating a hot-pocket in the microwave). After she burned the corn mush their first night on the trail through the Canadian wilderness, Joseph (the hero) taught her a few basic meals.
As I was researching some creative ways frontier women cooked in an open hearth, I discovered the wide use of puddings, mostly because of how easy they were to make. By wrapping the ingredients in a cloth or pudding bag, they could be dropped in a pot of boiling water and left until the ingredients had softened and expanded. An entire meal could be made with a few ingredients, a pudding cloth, and a pot of boiling water.
One of my favorite cooking scenes in This Wilderness Journey is the making of the Oatmeal Pudding. What do you think? Sound like something you’d like to try?
Hi Everyone! It’s First Line Friday, so grab a book near you and share your first line in the comments below!
Today I’m sharing the first line from a book I recently added to my TBR, Beyond the Ashesby Karen Barnett.
Here is the first line:
Sacramento, California July 6, 1906
“I refuse to attend another wedding. I’m through.”
Where better to rebuild and face one’s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes? Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she’ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn’t anticipate finding new love. Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he’d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert’s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed. Ruby and Gerald’s fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they’re striving to cure. Together they must ask—is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?
Click HERE to follow my blog and make sure you don’t miss out on any of my upcoming reviews and other fun posts!
Are you a Kathleen’s Readers’ Club member? KRC members receive exclusive content, are eligible for exclusive seasonal book giveaways, and more! Join Today!
Now it’s your turn to grab the book nearest you and leave a comment with the first (or your favorite) line!
Then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating:
I’m very excited to welcome author and editor, Tisha Martin, to the blog today to talk to us about horses in historical fiction. This is the first in a series of posts Tisha will be sharing with us over the coming months and I’m excited to see what else she has in store! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, Tisha! Welcome to my blog!
How to Write About Horse in Historical Fiction
by Tisha Martin
Horses have long since been an icon in American history, a loyal friend to the cowboy in the movies or in a novel. Often, too many historical writers don’t capitalize on the benefit of including the intelligence of the horses in their stories, and therefore, miss opportunities to add depth and personality to their stories and to shape the character arc. Horses are smart, despite what people may say. (And mules are even smarter! I’m thinking of Clarice from The Apple Dumpling Gang.)
Here are four ways authors can capitalize on the personality of the horse in their historical novels.
Use horses as secondary characters.
Perhaps that the idea of humanizing the horses in a story seems strange, but consider Little Brother, the mustang in Hidalgo, the western movie starring Viggo Mortensen. Little Brother acted as a secondary character in advancing the plot. When Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) went into the village to rescue Jazira, the horse worked with his human to make the rescue a success.
Including these types of minor details in a story adds depth to the plot and captures the essence of the character’s and horse’s relationship, further endearing both characters to the readers. That’s a pretty neat win-win, if you ask me.
Let horses help the human characters.
If you’re writing a western, consider this: horses will not run away from their owners. Many authors may think that horses are sneaky and always want to run off. In reality, horses are extremely loyal. I like to think they’re big dogs. For instance, if you leave a horse five miles down the trail so your main character has an easy getaway after the ambush, the horse will find its way back home without assistance. That’s called loyalty—and instinct.
Thika, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, and Sister, the mustang Paint, one of the horses I trained. Never have I found a more loyal friend than the mustang.
Give horses an emotional personality.
Horses do show emotion if they are mistreated. If you have a nasty character in your story who mistreats the horse, you can show the horse’s emotional personality by describing the horse’s fear as it bucks, bites, or kicks. This adds suspense and propels the plot. Showing emotion in these scenes will deepen the care factor and enrich the story world.
But what if you want your character to have a positive relationship with the horse? Perhaps the character nurses the horse back to health, like Joe did in Black Beauty. You can use the horse’s gentle personality mixed with those moments of fear and mistrust (if the horse is coming from an abused situation or is now in a new environment) to liven up your scene. A horse that is treated with kindness and respect will respect its owner.
Consult the horse experts.
Nothing is more annoying to a horse lover than to read of inaccurate details in a story about horses. Some common inaccuracies include proper terms for horse tack, basic horse behavior, and horse anatomy. Often, these are misused because the writer googled what they did not know, found what appeared to be helpful information, and stuck it in their story.
Authors can avoid these glaring mistakes by bypassing the great internet and seeking out their local horse expert or local library for horse-related information. You can call a horse stable and ask questions, email the horse breed association, ask a friend who owns horses, or visit your local library and pull out a good horse resource book.
Remember, an animal is usually a reflection of its owner, especially if the animal has been loved for a long time. Now, a horse may not bring its owner the newspaper every morning (although stranger things have happened!), but the relationship between your character and their horse can be used to add a deeper layer to the story that feels and reads like a loyal friend.
Hi Everyone! It’s First Line Friday, so grab a book near you and share your first line in the comments below!
Today I’m sharing the first line from a book I picked up at the 2018 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett.
Here is the first line:
San Jose, California August 16, 1905
“The doctor could be wrong.”
While her sister lies on her deathbed, Abby Fischer prays for a miracle. What Abby doesn’t expect, however, is for God’s answer to come in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best. As they work together toward a cure, Abby’s feelings for Robert become hopelessly entangled. Separated by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake, their relationship suddenly takes a back seat to survival. With fires raging throughout the city, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby, even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?
Click HERE to follow my blog and make sure you don’t miss out on any of my upcoming reviews and other fun posts!
Are you a Kathleen’s Readers’ Club member? KRC members receive exclusive content, are eligible for exclusive seasonal book giveaways, and more! Join Today!
Now it’s your turn to grab the book nearest you and leave a comment with the first (or your favorite) line!
Then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating:
Whether you’re a history buff or don’t have a clue what the French and Indian War was about, there’s a destination in upstate New York that’s fun to visit for the whole family . . .
