Mid-Month Madness!

 

We really appreciate you coming by!

We will be giving away books so be sure to pay attention about how to enter. To enter for a chance to win, you MUST leave a comment WITH your EMAIL and you MUST ask one or more of the authors a question you’d like to know about them, their writing, or their books.

We are looking forward to getting to know you better and hope you’ll get to know us better, too!

Be sure to drop by the Facebook Party for a chance to mingle with the authors and nab even more great giveaways!

The party is today from 5:00 to 6:30 PM Eastern Time.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1770933813056488

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for family, faith, facts and fiction. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest." She lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her prince charming and two boys. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.

Denise M. Colby writes historical romance sweetened with faith, hope, and love. She loves history and finds herself contemplating how it was to live in the 1800’s. Only sitting still when reading a book, watching movies with her family, or taking in the latest musical theater show, Denise resides in Southern California where she enjoys date nights with her husband at their happy place. Every year Denise chooses a word to focus on. She loves to share her learnings about that word throughout the year on her blog and social media.

Camy Tang writes Christian Regency romantic suspense as USA Today bestselling author Camille Elliot and Christian contemporary romantic suspense as USA Today bestselling author Camy Tang. She grew up in Hawaii, where she started reading Regency romances when she was thirteen years old. Now she lives in northern California with her engineer husband. She was a staff worker for her church youth group for over 20 years and used to lead one of the Sunday worship teams. She loves to knit antique knitting patterns and is learning Japanese.

The Healer’s Touch

Aaliyah's last chance at winning her husband's love is destroyed when she is banished from her home as an 'unclean' sinner. Her husband has branded her as an adulteress and threatens to kill her if she comes near the town. Struggling to survive in a leper colony, she would give anything just to see her son again. When rumors of a Healer from Nazareth reach the colony, Aaliyah wonders if this man could really heal her. It is now that Aaliyah must make the most difficult decision of her life: risk her life to appear in public, or die a leper. 

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Shetland Sunset

Bonded by a cause but an ocean apart, will their love survive a world war?

After months in Norway helping his cousins with their fishing business, American Askel Westgard seems trapped when the Germans invade until he has a chance to get back at the Occupiers as part of the Shetlandsgjengen, or Shetland gang, a group of fishermen who transport weapons and equipment from Shetland to Norway under cover of darkness. Unfortunately, the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s just met refuses to join him in safety. Will he ever see her again?

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When Plans Go Awry:

She planned on independence. He vowed never to love. God had other ideas.

Olivia Carmichael flees her past to become the schoolmarm in the small ranching town of Washton, determined to live quietly and never depend on anyone again. Luke Taylor chose a mail-order bride to help care for his sisters. He didn’t plan to have to guard his heart—or the beautiful new teacher who unsettles his carefully laid plans. As Olivia’s resolve is tested and Luke’s expectations unravel, the meddling town—and its infamous rooster—may help them discover that God’s plans are far better than their own.

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Lady Wynwood's Spies, Volume 1: Archer

A year ago, Michael Coulton-Jones retired as a spy for the Foreign Office in order to track down his brother’s killer. But when spinster Phoebe Sauber, distraught over her selfish father’s plans to throw her out of her home, nearly shoots Michael with her arrow in an accident, it sets in motion a chain of events—the murderer Michael is tracking down has secret ties to Phoebe’s family. To protect their loved ones, they must race to find the madman, who has a dark secret of his own that could turn the tides in the war against Napoleon.

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History of Esther Price Candy

 

                       Esther Price Candy - Chocolate, Chocolate, and more Chocolate!

Since I was little, I can remember my family buying Esther Price Candy for gifts and special occasions. To this day, my family looks forward to their favorite kind of candy from Esther Price Candy. They have assortments of milk or dark chocolate creams, pralines, caramels, turtles, and many more.

In the 1920's Esther Rohman married Ralph Price, and they later had twins. She made fudge at home after her children went to sleep, and this gave them extra money. Plus she had made chocolates and gained a good number of customers before she was married. She experimented with dipping fudge in chocolate and making smaller pieces. She used six hot plates in her kitchen, and cooled her creations in the basement on makeshift tables. Then she expanded in her home and decorated the candy in her attic on more makeshift tables. When she was a teenager, she loved making fudge, and she sold it door-to-door while working at Rike's Department Store in Dayton. Then she had to make a decision to stay in high school or quit and start her business. She chose to devote full-time at home to start her chocolate candy business while single, 

                                  

By 1926, Esther had expanded her selection of chocolates and fudge in her kitchen, and she couldn't make it fast enough to keep up with the demand. She purchased a building and opened her factory headquarters on Wayne Avenue in Dayton, Ohio close to her home. This is where all the candy is made today! She owned the business for fifty years. She used the finest ingredients for her candy, and the buyer who bought her business in 1976 have held to her high standards today. She has seven locations in Ohio to date. They also have added online ordering to their website. They also have expanded the number of stores who sell their candy to 87, and they have about one million orders per year. During their 30 week production period, they make about 5,000 pounds of chocolates a day.

Many admired and respected Esther Price for starting a business when it was hard for women to do so in the 1920's. But her community supported her, and she sold quality and delicious chocolates. 

Thank you for reading about one of my favorite people, Esther Price. 

Visit me at Molly Jebber's speaking events and news!

History of Springboro, Ohio - Underground Railroad

 

Best-selling and Award-winning Amish Romance Author

Let's talk about the history of Springboro, Ohio!

I went to school in Springboro, Ohio when it housed seventh through twelfth grades in one building. It was a small town then. My parents moved from Dayton, Ohio to Springboro, and built a house in a new subdivision. Now, it's farmlands have turned into many areas of small to large housing, stores, restaurants, bed and breakfast options, and more. My dad served as interim mayor when the mayor became ill and until his recovery. Dad also served on the City Council, as well as working as an analyst for General Motors. Mom was the finance director until she retired. She'll be 91 in July. 

In 1915, Jonathan Wright, his wife, Mary, and five children moved from Pennsylvania to  Springboro. Jonathan Wright used the surveyor skills taught to him by his father, Joel, and platted the small town. He and his family were Quakers and opposed slavery. Their house was a station as part of the underground railroad that provided a safe haven for slaves on their way to freedom. Jonathan and his wife and four of his children are buried in Springboro's Factory Road cemetery. 

Between 1815 - 1864, Springboro had many safe houses for slaves on the underground railroad. Also many agents and conductors were also involved surrounding and in the village. Springboro is in the middle of the Miami Rivers and close to the Ohio River which were also used to transport slaves on the freedom trail. No runaways were ever captured or sent back from the Springboro area during their participation in helping slaves. 

In the 1830's, a woolen factory and two mills were built in Springboro. The town was named for it's many springs. 

Starting in 1960, the town changed from a sleepy little village to a booming hot spot to live. Houses and companies were built, and enough to warrant a main highway (I-75) exit. Springboro rests between Dayton and Cincinnati which is appealing, because you can work and shop in either area within the same distance either way. 

I hope you've enjoyed the history of Springboro. 

Have you read Liza's Second Chance? Special price of $3.99 eBook, $7.99 paperback. Buy Liza's Second Chance link

What hometown did you spend your childhood in?

The History of Buttons

Molly Jebber

Amish Historical Romance Author

Let's talk about the history of buttons!

We all have buttons on some of our clothes. I was surprised Old Order Amish do not use buttons, because they consider them a decoration, and they don't use them as to not draw attention to their clothes, especially since buttons were once considered a sign of prestige. We'll learn more about this below.

The oldest button was found in a region of the Indus Valley, now known as modern day Pakistan. It is estimated to be around 5000 years old, with a decorative flat face that fits into a loop, and is primarily made out of curved shell. These buttons were not used as a closure on clothing or sewn in a straight line. They were used as decorations.

Ancient Romans also made and used buttons. Their garments were loose-fitting and made of heavy material which required thicker buttons made of horn, wood, and bronze. The Middle Ages is when the button really began to take hold as a fastener. Buttons were used for more fitted clothing for men and women.

In the 1600's, button makers became more popular around the globe. During this time, buttons were only affordable to the more wealthy men and women. They were a symbol of prosperity and prestige.

In the 1890s freshwater pearl button manufacturing exploded—in response to the ever-growing demand of the ready-to-wear industry (and to protective tariffs that discouraged imports). In factories from Wisconsin to Iowa to Arkansas, workers used tubular saws to cut round blanks from mussel and clam shells, which were ground to standard thicknesses, then faced, drilled, and polished.

The Industrial Revolution made way for prices of buttons to become affordable and worn by the masses. By the 1920s buttons made of synthetic materials were increasingly common. Because these could be made in larger sizes and different colors, ready-to-wear fashions began to feature them. Charlie Chaplin was obsessed with buttons. The bigger the button on his clothes, the better.

In the twentieth century, plastic buttons even made them more available to everyone since they could really be produced cheap.

Thank you for joining me here today to learn a little more about those buttons we've been wearing!

My newest and fifth book in my Amish Charm Bakery Series is MAGDELENA'S CHOICE. On sale for a limited time! Visit me at Molly Jebber to watch a video trailer about this story and visit me on Molly's Facebook page for contest news! The first book in the series, Liza's Second Chance, is being made into a movie by Sony/Pureflix.

Mid-month Madness Party!!

We really appreciate you coming by! 

We will be giving away books so be sure to pay attention about how to enter. To enter for a chance to win, you MUST leave a comment WITH your EMAIL and you MUST ask one or more of the authors a question you’d like to know about them, their writing, or their books. 

We are looking forward to getting to know you better and hope you’ll get to know us better, too! 

Be sure to drop by the Facebook Party for a chance to mingle with the authors, and nab even more great giveaways! 

The party is today from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. 

A Song for Her Enemies 

By Sherri Stewart 

A Song for Her Enemies is the story of a talented young opera singer and the bittersweet love that grows amid the tyranny and fear of World War II. Set against the backdrop of neighbors willing to risk their lives in the German-occupied, war-torn Netherlands, A Song for Her Enemies is an inspiring and beautiful novel celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the determination of Christians in the face of persecution. It is a novel for everyone seeking to understand the pain of the past and be inspired to embrace hope for the future. 

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Spies & Sweethearts 

By Linda Shenton Matchett 

According to the OSS training manual, the life expectancy of a radio operator in Nazi-occupied France is six weeks. Partnered with one of the agency’s top spies, Gerard Lucas, newly-minted agent Emily Strealer plans to beat those odds. Then their cover is blown and all bets are off. The border to neutral Switzerland is three hundred miles away—a long way to run with SS soldiers on their heels. Will Emily and Gerard survive the journey? And what about their hearts? Nothing in the manual prepared them for falling in love. 

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Sword of Trust 

By Debbie Lynne Costello 

When Deirdre Mackenzie is caught stealing she becomes the hated English laird’s prisoner. Bryce Warwick determines the female reiver who continues to lie is as deceitful as his late fiancée who nearly cost him his life. The woman is the least of his worries with the turbulent threats of another border war and King Richard's distrust of his nobles. With old wounds in need of healing and adversaries who would ruin their chances at true love, both must learn to trust in a way they never knew possible. The stakes are high, secrets prevail, and treason is just a kiss away. 

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Justice for Julia 

By Donna Schlachter 

Julia Brown changes her name and escapes unfounded medical malpractice claims. Josiah hides in a small town in Iowa with his daughter, trying to escape the abuse of his wife and her mother. A local commune offers them the chance to hide in plain sight as husband and wife. But will they be willing to settle for a loveless marriage? Can they fool the residents with their subterfuge? Or will their pasts catch up with them? 

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Sherri Stewart writes clean novels, sprinkled with fast-paced romance and a strong message that challenges faith. She spends her working hours with books—either editing others’ manuscripts or writing her own. Her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. Her latest trip—Paris. A recent widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her lazy dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who can fix anything. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/gZ-mv9 

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum and recently created her first exhibit entitled “Shaped by Conflict.” Linda is a native of Baltimore, MD, and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. She has lived in historic places all her life and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historical sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. 

Debbie Lynne Costello is the author of Sword of Forgiveness, Amazon's #1 seller for Historical Christian Romance. She has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She writes in the medieval/renaissance period as well as the 19th century. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina with their 4 horses, 3 dogs, a miniature donkey, and 6 1/2 Pekin ducks. 

Donna Schlachter writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 40 times in novellas, full-length novels, and non-fiction books. She is a member of several writing communities; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; blogs regularly; and judges in writing contests.