CHRISTMAS, WWII AND THE HARVEY GIRLS By Cynthia Hickey

CHRISTMAS AS A HARVEY GIRL IN WWII

 

Fred Harvey, founder of the chain of hotels and restaurants along the Santa Fe, Topeka, Atchison Railroad, respected the men and women serving our country during WWII. Military personnel were served first and treated even more royally than Harvey already treated his customers.

 

At Christmas, tables were moved, allowing for a dance floor, carols were sung, and romance was in the air. It wasn’t only civilian women rushing to the altar when men came home on furlough, so did the Harvey Girls, many of them canceling their contracts in order to marry.

 

Still, Fred Harvey was determined to make Christmas a time of joy and hope for these brave men and women, wanting little more than sending them off with a smile and some Christmas spirit.

 

Despite war rationing and worn stockings, the women in Harvey’s employ made sure these brave military men had a holiday they could carry with them back to the Frontlines.

 

In my latest Harlequin Heartsong, A Doctor’s Heart, my hero is a military doctor, wounded and temporarily blinded by a German soldier impersonating an American. When he meets the heroine with whom he had been exchanging letters, he pushes her away, not wanting her pity. Not only is this a Christmas Romance, but it is about overcoming prejudice and following God’s will.

 

Leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of A Doctor’s Heart.

 

A Doctor’s Heart

Betsy Colter's Heart is On the Line 

Betrayed by her soldier fiancé, Betsy takes a job as a Harvey Girl waitress and vows to steer clear of military romance. But soon she's falling for her army pen pal, Dr. Spencer Gregory. When a wounded Spencer returns home and rebuffs her friendship and love, Betsy's deepest fears come true. 

Though he's a decorated soldier, Spencer sees himself as a burden—one he won't saddle Betsy with. But keeping her at arm's length is no longer an option when Betsy's former fiancé shows up eager to win her back. If their romance is to survive the war, Spencer must set aside his pride and win her heart.

Multi-published and Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold more than 260,000 copies of her works. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com