Author: Iola Goulton

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #288 | Bring Her Home (Crown of Promise) by Hannah Currie

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line.

On Monday, New Zealand will commemorate the first King’s Birthday holiday most people can remember. So I thought this week it would be fitting to read a novel featuring royalty … So I’ve searched through my books and found Bring Her Home, a medieval Christian royalty romance by Australian author Hannah Currie.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Sobs wracked his body as King Lior fell on his knees, the missive clutched to his chest as if it hadn't already imprinted its message on his heart.

 

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Bring Her Home

Since the morning he woke to find his precious daughter gone with only the remains of their latest argument left behind, King Lior has been praying she’d come home. For four years now, he’s prayed and searched, sending his best knights to find Evangeline, only to hear nothing. Until the day their missive arrives with three words: we’ve found her. He sends one right back with orders to bring her home.

But that order isn’t easily achieved. Evangeline, now a lowly servant, has no plans to return. Though the knights claim her father still loves her, she knows the truth: he’d cast her aside as quickly as everyone else if he knew how far she’d truly fallen. She can’t go home. Not with her scars. Or her failures. Or her son.

Only, the knights won’t leave without her. And just as she starts to wonder if maybe they might be right, the choice is taken from her altogether.

Sir Darrek thought the hardest part of his quest would be finding Evangeline. He had no idea how difficult it would be to get her home.

Find Bring Her Home online at:

Amazon| Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

First Line Friday

New Releases in Christian Fiction | June 2023

It’s June already—I can’t quite believe it. Work is hectic, my debut novel released this week (99 cents on Amazon until 8 June, in case you didn’t know). Now that’s out in the big wide world, I’m looking forward to having some time to catch up on my reading.

Here’s what’s new from members of American Christian Fiction Writers. More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

What’s on your to-read pile this month?

Contemporary Romance:

Operation Find a Guy by Amy R. Anguish — Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she agrees to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado, while she searches for a non-boring job. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?

Benjamin Smith somehow ended up as a groomsman in two weddings over the summer, so he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, yet the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out.

But all she sees him as is a boring attorney−her complete opposite. Besides, romance is supposed to be for Skye’s friends, not her. And she’s in Colorado to get a job, not a guy. Right? (Contemporary Romance from Scrivening’s Press)

A Green and Vibrant Hope by Valerie Comer — Arleigh O’Neill gambles on starting her own flower farm with a tight budget on leased land…and loses when the river overflows its banks, demolishing the rented greenhouse, drowning her fields, and destroying her mobile home. She needs both a home and a job, but no one in Galena Landing seems to be hiring. Widowed farmer Mitchell Ackerman is at wit’s end with his two rambunctious sons, but his brother’s suggestion he hire Arleigh to nanny the boys is a nonstarter. He can’t afford to pay anyone, and besides, she annoys him with her hippie-flower-painted van and independent attitude. Arleigh thinks he’s arrogant. Mitchell thinks she’s frivolous. What will it take to get them to see into each other’s hearts and grasp a green and vibrant hope? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Love Like No Other by Tabitha Bouldin — Alicia Gray wants one thing: to prove her capabilities as a doctor. Maybe then she can escape the feeling that her mother’s abandonment was deserved. She’s never felt worthy and grew up in foster home after foster home, always being told that if she did better, if she was more amenable, she’d find her place. When she came to Suamalie, the last thing she expected to find was a man whose grumpy personality conflicted so piercingly with her sunshine demeanor. Colin Tremblay was dishonorably discharged from his army medic position and sent home in disgrace after his twin brother stole from his clinic. Back on the islands, he’s bounced from job to job, never finding anything that satisfies him. To make matters worse, his twin niece and nephew convince him to spend his summer overseeing their camp activities while working alongside Little Miss Sunshine herself. (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit Publishing)

Love Somebody Like You by Carolyn Miller — For Lexi Franklin, returning to Trinity Lakes feels a little like running home with her tail between her legs. But what’s a girl to do, when her life has been turned upside down on the other side of the world? She needs a place to regain hope and healing – just didn’t count on meeting a cowboy whose own battered heart might need nursing back to health too. Jackson Reilly has his own set of troubles, between caring for his ranch, his mom, and the black hole of finances. So when a pretty redhead with a sassy tongue offers some distraction – and a potential solution to one of his most pressing concerns – he’s not going to say no. But as they spend time together, questions soon rise about their future, and whether faith can truly win over fears. Will Jackson be able to save his ranch, and his hopes and heart, before Lexi returns to Australia? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

And Then There was You by Nancy Naigle — Reeling after falling prey to a Romeo con-artist who just waltzed away with the better part of her belongings, Natalie Maynard works closely with the detective assigned to her case, only the few leads have led nowhere.

Detective Randy Fellowes can’t promise Natalie restitution, but he’s determined to find the culprit and serve up justice. Married to his work, he’s caught off guard when Natalie has his thoughts wandering to more than the case.

Natalie soon seeks refuge in the one thing she still owns ― an old fishing cabin in the mountains of Chestnut Ridge. She quickly falls in love with the town and the eccentric people who are teaching her so much about the area and its heritage.

Through these people, and the determination of Detective Fellowes, she rediscovers her courage, self, and a reason to risk love again. (Contemporary Romance from St. Martin’s Press)

General Historical:

To Calm a Storm by Heather Day Gilbert — For years, Kadhrin has anticipated marrying her betrothed, Vikarr, who is now second in command only to the king. As she settles into married life, she becomes increasingly convinced that her husband would make a far better ruler than his distracted cousin, and she urges him to heed advisors calling for an overthrow. Vikarr is honored to marry such a noble bride, but he hasn’t bargained for Kadhrin’s boldness. Although pleased by the growing passion between them, he struggles to understand her motivations. As rumors of an insurrection build, Vikarr is torn between the captivating woman who has laid claim to his heart, his loyalty to his king, and his growing desire to seize the kingship so he can unify his country against looming threats. Caught up in a web of political intrigue and personal betrayal, Kadhrin and Vikarr must choose not only which war to wage, but also which side to stand on, even if it means sacrificing everything they hold dear. (General Historical, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Beneath a Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee — Mary Wishram, an orphaned Yakima tribal member, aches for her brother who suffers in a POW camp in the Philippine Islands. Her Japanese friends languish in a relocation center. Determined to end the war by any means necessary, she employs her language skills to become a spy. She leaves Camp Pendleton for the South Pacific and faces escalating threats of peril to help bring her loved ones home. John Painted Horse, a proud Navajo, struggles with the loss of his father who died in WWI for a country that didn’t consider him a United States citizen. Though his home state doesn’t offer him the right to vote, he joins the Code Talker program at Camp Pendleton. Thrust into mounting danger in the South Pacific, he hopes to bring long overdue recognition and honor to his people, no matter the cost. Will these two wounded souls find healing from their past traumas and a deeper relationship with God, before it’s too late? Or will they lose their chance at love, and everything they hold dear? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Love Most Certain by Penny Zeller — Can newfound love heal a broken heart? Genevieve Amsel is recovering from a canceled engagement when her dear friend, Tillie, invites her to move to Ellis Creek for a fresh start. While she settles into life in the friendly Montana town, one thing is for certain: Genevieve will never fall in love again, no matter what marriage prospects come her way. Becoming the new postmaster in Ellis Creek is not for the faint of heart. Attempting to do his best to replace the popular Mr. Norman who recently retired, Oliver Bessell relocates from Bozeman and attempts to win the hearts of Ellis Creek residents, especially one in particular. Can he prove to Genevieve he’s nothing like the man who broke her heart? Soon Oliver makes it his mission to encourage and brighten Genevieve’s day by leaving her notes at the breakfast table at the boarding house where they both reside. And when a mysterious letter arrives at the post office, will the solving of the puzzle draw him and Genevieve closer? (Historical Romance from Maplebrook Publishing)

Mystery:

Backstory by Susan Page Davis — A hurricane lashes the Novel Inn, forcing guests to remain when they’d hoped to leave. Add an elderly neighbor, Kate’s ex-fiancé, and a clandestine thief. When a guest is found dead in the Hercule Poirot Room, it’s time for the Gage siblings and the local police to go into action. (Mystery from Scrivenings Press)

Romantic Suspense:

Blue Ridge Mountain Escape by Loretta Eidson — The firefighter rescued her once…But can they outrun the dangers?
A peaceful vacation is what Haley Gordon needs to put her troubles behind her. Instead, she finds herself fighting for her life against a raging forest fire. Forest Service firefighter Kendall Simpson vows to protect Haley—although he has questions about her story. But with the firestorm out of control and news of escaped convicts on the mountain, can Haley and Kendall trust each other enough to survive? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired/Harlequin)


Hold for Release by Heidi Glick — Carlotta Hartman’s life is falling apart. Although Carlotta desperately wants a child, her journalist husband just wishes their marriage would go back to the way things used to be before infertility treatments took over their schedule. While volunteering at an animal shelter to fill the void, Carlotta stumbles upon dead animals and a human body. Days later, Jake confesses to an affair with a co-worker. Hurt and confused, Carlotta moves in with her sister. And then things go from bad to perilous. As Jake receives counsel from a pastor, he pledges to woo Carlotta again and piece together their shattered marriage. But as Carlotta rushes out of Jake’ s arms, she runs straight into danger. Like the articles Jake writes and holds for release, a psychopath, bent on revenge, vows to hang onto Carlotta until the time is right. In the end, a secret from the past threatens to kill all hopes of a happy future. (Romantic Suspense from HarborLight Books/Pelican)

Western Romance:

The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connealy If widowed town seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might lose her mind. So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower father struggling to raise three girls, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls, and Nell finally has a chance to both create beautiful dresses and teach the girls to sew. But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the unique legal and investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover why there seems to be a bull’s-eye on their backs. (Western Romance from Bethany House/Baker)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

A Musician’s Heart by Sandra Ardoin, How will two people with opposing visions for their futures find common ground? (Contemporary Romance)

Ben: Ben Mitchell/Titus Ray Mysteries, Books 1-3 by Luana Ehrlich, Is Ben really in love with the daughter of a Turkish dissident? (Thriller/Suspense/Romantic)
Finding Her Frontier Home by Louise M. Gouge, A ranch out West could be the home she’s longed for. (Historical Romance)
The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson, His life and new home in Gramercy Park are the envy of his peers, but nothing is as it seems. (Historical Romance)
Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli, Hannah Martin thought she was about to have an empty nest . . . until the illegitimate daughter of her late husband shows up on her doorstep. (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction)
Always By My Side by Iola Goulton 99 cents on Amazon this week only

Introducing … Always By My Side by Iola Goulton

My debut novel is now on sale!

I tend not to share my own writing journey on this website (an error I do need to rectify). Yes, I have been writing. Yes, I have completed a novel. Yes, that novel  was published on 30 May 2023.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on my book news, subscribe to my newsletter>>

If you pre-ordered from Amazon, thank you so much for supporting me! The story should now be on your Kindle … so happy reading!

If you do read Always By My Side, please consider leaving a review on your favourite online retailer—reviews help other readers discover stories they will love.

And if you have read Always By My Side, please leave a comment and let me know your favourite scene or line. I love sharing my favourite lines from the novels I read, and I would like to share your favourite lines from my novel.

Here’s more about the book:

Always By My Side

A hardworking introvert meets a handsome adventurer longing to settle down.

Tabitha Thomas longs to leave Trinity Lakes and travel the world in honor of the beloved grandmother who raised her and her siblings. But she’s needed at home—she’s the responsible triplet, the one who stayed home to run the family inn while her brother and sister left to live their dreams.

Kiwi Logan Wylde doesn’t call any place home. When an injury frustrates his travel plans, he accepts an invitation to return to Trinity Lakes and recuperate at the Lakeview Inn, where he hopes to rediscover his purpose in life.

When Tabby and Logan find a property deed while cleaning out Gran’s rooms, Tabby embraces a new challenge—to solve the mystery of the floodplain and renovate the old boatshed. Working with Logan reignites long-suppressed feelings, but will their differences drive them apart?

An opposites-attract, friends-to-more, small town contemporary Christian romance.
Welcome to Trinity Lakes, a warm and welcoming small town in east Washington, filled with charm, family, and friends, where fresh starts, second chances, and romance abound. You’ll meet swoony bachelors, cowboys, and adventurers, sweet and sassy ladies, and your new best friends. This series of standalone Christian romances will warm your heart, inspire your faith, and bring a smile to your soul.

Always By My Side is on sale for 99 cents wherever ebooks are sold for one week only.

Then the price will go up to 3.99, and it will be available to borrow free for members of Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon | Other ebook stores (until 8 June)

What's the most recent nonfiction book you've read that impacted you?

Bookish Question #280 | What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you?

What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you? How or why?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a nonfiction book (apart from the Bible, of course). It’s almost the end of May, and I don’t think I’ve read a single nonfiction book this year. Yes, there are a couple on my to-read pile, but I haven’t even cracked the cover.

So, back to 2022 we go …

Late last year, I read Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.

This was one thing that influenced my 2023 words for the year: Less

Looking over my notes (yay for the Kindle’s ability to highlight!), I can see I’ve very quickly forgotten (or perhaps still haven’t learned some of the key points. Maybe I need to read it again (or at least read my notes and review).

Here are a few of the highlights I need to remind myself of:

Self-care was for the fragile, the special, the dainty. I was a linebacker, a utility player, a worker bee.

I certainly feel like this at times (and it’s also one of the issues my heroine, Tabby, faces in Always By My Side).

Maybe it’s about biting off more than I can chew professionally.

Oh, yes. I find it difficult to say “no”, yet every “yes” comes at a cost.

How many moments of connection I missed–to busy, too tired, too frantic, and strung out on the drug of efficiency.

That’s because I say “yes” when I should have said “no”. Because:

When you devote yourself to being known as the most responsible person anyone knows, more and more people call on you to be that highly responsible person.

I think I internalised this when writing about Tabby. It’s a shame I didn’t have time to write this blog post in my hurry to get Tabby’s story completed and off to the editor, then the formatter, and then uploaded on Amazon and Draft2Digital.

(And if you’ll forgive me for the self-promotion, Always By My Side releases today! It’s currently just 99 cents from Amazon or all your favourite online retailers this week only. Next week, the price will increase to $3.99, and it will be available exclusively on Amazon. It will also be enroled in Kindle Unlimited, so KU subscribers can read for free.)
Loving one’s work is a gift. And loving one’s work makes it really easy to neglect other parts of life.

True …

But you can’t say yes without no. Another way to say it: if you’re not careful with your yeses, you start to say no to some very important things.

Also true.

What you need along the way: a sense of God’s deep, unconditional love, and strong sense of your own purpose.

Tabby never doubts God’s love for her, but she doesn’t have a strong sense of her own purpose, of what God wants for her life. Instead, she has a tendency to let external factors guide her without stepping back to see if that’s what’s really right for her.

I’m sure no one else ever feels like that 😉

Of course we do.

You’ll give up on your larger purpose in order to fulfill smaller purposes or other people’s purposes.

Another one of Tabby’s issues …

I’ll leave you with one final thought:

God is asking me to be the thing he’s already created for me to be. And he’s asking you to be the thing he’s already created for you to be.

So I think I’ve explained why Present Over Perfect impacted me (and a lot of other people, as it’s apparently sold over 750,000 copies).

What about you? What’s the most recent nonfiction book you’ve read that has impacted you? How or why?

I am the cliche protagonist. And I have no desire to be anyone else.

Book Review | The Words we Lost by Nicole Deese

What first caught my attention about The Words We Lost was the cover.

Illustrated covers have been a thing in contemporary romance for a while, although they tended to indicate rom-coms rather than pure romance. This style of cover is newer, but I really like the illustrated look with a focus on the title. Indigo Isle had the same kind of cover, and the same kind of vibe. Both novels are definitely Christian romance, but which have the depth of characterisation and overall character journey that’s more common in women’s fiction.

Yes, The Words We Lost is a romance, but with that women’s fiction vibe.

Ingrid Erikson is the Senior Acquisitions Editor at San Francisco publisher Fog Harbor Books, having built her career on the sale of a five-book Young Adult fantasy series by her now-dead best friend. Unfortunately, Cecelia Campbell—CeCe—had the misfortune to die before turning in her final contracted manuscript, which is now missing. Fog Harbor wants to find the missing manuscript, and Ingrid is charged with finding it.

But Ingrid’s grief over CeCe’s death has led to an unusual disability … and one that is potentially career-ending for an editor.

She can’t read. Well, she can read the words. She just can’t comprehend them. So she heads to Port Townsend to work with Joel, CeCe’s cousin and Ingrid’s teenage sweetheart, to retrieve a package she hopes will be the manuscript that will save her career.

This is a romance novel, so we know how the story is going to end.

We also know the course of love is destined to never run smoothly, particularly in terms of Ingrid’s relationship with Joel. It’s safe to say The Words We Lost was anything but predictable, in the best possible way.

I’ve read a lot of novels about novelists, but very few about an editor in a publishing house (the only other one I can recall is Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh, which was about an author and her editor). As such, I enjoyed seeing the publishing industry shown from a different angle.

I especially enjoyed the fact The Words We Lost was written in first person.

I always find that brings me closer to the characters. Despite her problem with words, Ingrid has a distinctive and compelling character voice … perhaps made more compelling because she’s a professional who has built her career on words but has lost those same words.

The Words We Lost is subtitled A Fog Harbor Romance, and I do hope that means it’s the beginning of a series because there are several characters I’d like to meet again—not least, the ever-peppy Chip, the preppy editorial assistant.

I recommend The Words We Lost to fans of romance/women’s fiction authors such as TI Lowe, Tammy L Gray, Irene Hannon, or Carmen Schober.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Nicole Deese

Nicole DeeseNicole Deese is an award-winning author who specializes in humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels. When not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She currently resides with her happily-ever-after hubby, two sons, and a princess daughter in Idaho.

Find Nicole Deese online at:

Website Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About The Words we Lost

Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.

As a senior acquisitions editor for Fog Harbor Books in San Francisco, Ingrid Erikson has rejected many a manuscript for lack of defined conflict and dramatic irony–two elements her current life possesses in spades. In the months following the death of her childhood best friend and international bestselling author Cecelia Campbell, Ingrid has not only lost her ability to escape into fiction due to a rare trauma response, but she’s also desperate to find the closure she’s convinced will come with Cecelia’s missing final manuscript.

After Ingrid jeopardizes her career, she fears her future will remain irrevocably broken. But then Joel Campbell–the man who shattered her belief in happily-ever-afters–offers her a sealed envelope from his late cousin, Cecelia, asking Joel and to put their differences aside and retrieve a mysterious package in their coastal Washington hometown.

Honoring Cecelia’s last request will challenge their convictions and test their loyalties, but through it all, will Ingrid and Joel be brave enough to uncover a twice-in-a-lifetime love?

Find The Words we Lost online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #287 | Always By My Side by Iola Goulton

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m doing the final proofread of my debut novel, which releases next Tuesday (Yay! Whew!). The upload deadline is tonight … Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The last person Tabitha Thomas expected to walk in the front door of the Lakeview Inn on a brisk early spring afternoon was Logan Wylde.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Always By My Side

A hardworking introvert meets a handsome adventurer longing to settle down.

Tabitha Thomas longs to leave Trinity Lakes and travel the world in honor of the beloved grandmother who raised her and her siblings. But she’s needed at home—she’s the responsible triplet, the one who stayed home to run the family inn while her brother and sister left to live their dreams.

Kiwi Logan Wylde doesn’t call any place home. When an injury frustrates his travel plans, he accepts an invitation to return to Trinity Lakes and recuperate at the Lakeview Inn, where he hopes to rediscover his purpose in life.

When Tabby and Logan find a property deed while cleaning out Gran’s rooms, Tabby embraces a new challenge—to solve the mystery of the floodplain and renovate the old boatshed. Working with Logan reignites long-suppressed feelings, but will their differences drive them apart?

An opposites-attract, friends-to-more, small town contemporary Christian romance.
Welcome to Trinity Lakes, a warm and welcoming small town in east Washington, filled with charm, family, and friends, where fresh starts, second chances, and romance abound. You’ll meet swoony bachelors, cowboys, and adventurers, sweet and sassy ladies, and your new best friends. This series of standalone Christian romances will warm your heart, inspire your faith, and bring a smile to your soul.

Find Always By My Side online at:

Amazon | Books2Read | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

What's the most recent novel you've read that has impacted you, and why?

Bookish Question #279 | What’s the most recent novel you’ve read that has impacted you? How or why?

I’ve recently finished my advance reader copy of Indigo Isle by T I Lowe. It’s not due to release until 6 June, so my review will post then.

But I can give you a few hints …

Here’s the book description:

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back.

Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye―and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles―exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Indigo Isle is a Beauty and the Beast trope (or grumpy sunshine, if you prefer).

Now, my introverted self is obviously always down for a library and no one around to interrupt me while I read all the books (do I hear an Amen?).

What impacted me was the way the novel subtly reminded me that people are not always what they seem. While the scarred Mr. Beast had obvious external scars that attested to some kind of troubled past, the Instagram-perfect Ms. Sunshine also had scars … scars she kept hidden under a sunny personality and more makeup than a high school prom.

It’s a good reminder that things are not always what they seem, and everyone has scars,

What about you? What’s the most recent novel you’ve read that has impacted you, and why?

Cover image - Emilienne by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Book Review | Émilienne: A Novel of Belle Epoque Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Émilienne is the fictionalised biography of Émilienne d’Alencon, circus performer, dancer, darling of the Paris stage in the late Victorian period … and courtesan.

The story is told in first person and present tense, which is an unusual choice for historical fiction. It gave Émilienne a strong character voice which I think was necessary to enable the reader to understand a woman whose birth, upbringing, and life were so different to mine. It meant I didn’t question many of her most questionable life choices—and there were many—because they were the only choices she could see.

The story starts with teenage Émilienne Montmatre.

She’s the daughter of a prostitute and knows that’s her future if she stays in Montmatre. So she runs away and leverages her beauty, dancing talent, and sheer ambition to land a role as a rabbit trainer in a circus, then propel herself through various roles and lovers to become one of the most famous (and rich) dancers in Paris.

She had more than a few setbacks along the way, and I almost felt sorry for her at some points. She was ambitious but not mean or cruel, and made her fortune without abusing others, which is more than can be said for many men of the time.

The story took us through around twenty years of Émilienne ‘s life.

It feels authentic to the time, the place, and what little is known about Émilienne. It’s a story well told, although it has the inevitable issue of any story about a real-life person: it ends, and real-life endings don’t have the sense of happy completion of (say) a Christian romance.

Pamela Binnings Ewen is also the author of The Queen of Paris: a Novel of Coco Chanel.

Given the relationship between Coco and Émilienne, it’s not surprising Pamela Binnings Ewen has chosen to write about Émilienne. Her previous books include the Amalise Catoir series, about a woman lawyer in the 1970s, which was definitely written from a Christian point of view. She’s also the author of Faith on Trial: Analyze the Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which I haven’t read.

Émilienne  is not Christian fiction.

While there are no on-the-page sex scenes, it’s perfectly clear that Émilienne had intimate relationships with a lot of men she wasn’t married to. She never even considers matters of faith. While that was consistent with the historic Émilienne, it was a departure from the previous Pamela Binnings Ewen novels I’ve read.

There were a handful of typos (although they were at least consistently wrong) e.g. troop instead of troupe, discrete instead of discreet, and (inexplicably) Queen without the Q. While these didn’t detract from my enjoyment, they were od errors in an otherwise excellent story with impeccable research.

If you’re looking for Christian fiction, this is not the book for you. If you’re looking for a fascinating insight into a unique historical figure, you may enjoy Émilienne .

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Pamela Binnings Ewen

Pamela Binnings EwenPAMELA BINNINGS EWEN is the author of one nonfiction book, Faith on Trial, and seven novels, including The Moon in the Mango Tree, awarded the 2012 Eudora Welty Memorial Award, and The Queen of Paris, which has sold over sixty-five thousand copies. After practicing law for many years, she retired to write. She is a founder of the Northshore Literary Society in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, in the greater New Orleans area. She’s also served on the boards of the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society and Tennessee Williams Festival.

Find Pamela Binnings Ewen online at:

Website | Facebook | Instagram| Pinterest | Twitter

About Émilienne

From the bestselling author of The Queen of Paris comes a glittering new novel about youth, beauty, and having the courage to carve your own path in a world on the brink of war.

Pamela Binnings Ewen’s newest novel reveals the story of Émilienne, once the most beautiful, sought-after woman in Paris during the Belle Époque, the era of peaceful years just before World War I. As a girl, Émilienne fights her way through poverty in Montmartre, drawn to the lights of Paris below. Soon, she stars at the Folies Bergère, mistress of kings and princes, known as the most beautiful woman in Europe.

But, happiness is elusive, and youth and beauty are fragile. And where is love? As clouds of war begin darkening Europe, Émilienne’s young friend, Coco Chanel, has other ideas of how to survive in a man’s world. Strong ideas. Now, as Émilienne fights to survive, Coco’s star rises.

Find Émilienne online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #286 | Beautiful Storm by Mandi Blake

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I recently found this on sale on Amazon, and I’m looking forward to reading my first Mandi Blake book.

Here’s the first line from Chapter One:
Tori massaged the aching muscles in her neck with one hand and gave a half-hearted wave to the nurses at the other as she passed.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

About Beautiful Storm

Tori’s life was perfect—a successful job, a doctor for a husband, and a pristine loft in Chicago—until her husband left her for someone else. With her divorce comes a surprise cabin in the Deep South, and she wants nothing more than to get rid of it so she can get her life back in order.

Marcus is the self-appointed guardian of his sister and three brothers, while their mother lives a toxic lifestyle, but one call to his auto repair shop from an entitled city girl turns his world upside down. He’s a master of reading people, but the feisty newcomer poses an interesting challenge.

As their lonely hearts search for help and healing with each other and God, the dangers of the world come knocking. Will Tori be able to save Marcus’ family and make him see that their differences aren’t enough to keep them apart?

A sweet, Christian romance that shows us that love is greater than our circumstances.
Beautiful Storm is book four in the Unfailing Love series, but the books can be read in any order.

Find Beautiful Storm online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

And you can click here to check out my previous FirstLineFriday posts.

Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

Don’t forget to click here to check out my Amazon shop for my top picks in Christian fiction!

What are the benefits of joining an author’s street team?

Bookish Question #278 | What are the benefits of joining an author’s street team?

What are the benefits for readers of joining an author’s street team?

As a reader, the biggest advantage of being on an author’s street team is that you get an advance copy of their book.

There are other advantages.

Most authors will set up a Facebook group exclusively for members of their street team. The author will share their book news and promotional material for group members to share.

They will also invite group members to share their reactions, reviews, and promotions.

Some may offer a prize to the person who shares the most, or to everyone who completes a defined list of simple tasks.

Authors may also share personal news (similar to what they do in their newsletter). The best try to cultivate a sense of community, where they invite prayer requests and answer reader questions.

Most will also offer their existing street team first option at joining their next street team.

The best street teams generate a feeling of excitement within the team as books are distributed, read, and reviewed.

As a reader, what do you see as the benefits of joining an author street team?