BLURB
Madeline Andrews is a grown up orphan. Sam Wilding made her feel part of his life, his family and swore he’d come home to her when the war ended, but he didn’t return. With the Valentine’s Ball just days away, the Wildings encourage Madeline to move forward with her life and open her heart to the possibilities. But Madeline is lost in old love letters and can’t seem to let go.
EXCERPT
February 13, 1946
Madeline Andrews opened the cedar box of letters from Sam Wilding once again. Dinah Shore sang Laughing on the Outside on the radio that sat on her dresser. Snow flurries drifted by the window and added to the foot of snow already accumulated on the ground. The letters, although worn from their travel across the many miles from the war in Europe and her frequent readings, brought her a small amount of comfort. The lingering smell of cedar, leather, some foreign place, and Sam’s particular scent wafted in the air as she lifted the last letter gently from its envelope. It was dated June 4, 1945—the day before the invasion of Normandy.
My Darling Madeline,
I can’t tell you where we’re headed, but I hear it’s something big and probably dangerous. Don’t worry though; you know how tough I am. I’m used to sleeping under the stars on hard ground and chasing after big animals who don’t want to cooperate. I think I can handle a few Germans.
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It would be hard to move on.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
I agree, Debby. It was certainly difficult for Madeline to give up on Sam ever coming home. Life is full of twists and turns. You never know what's around the corner. Thank you so much for commenting. You are entered in the contest.
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah, a romantic cover and good blurb. Who doesnt love a man in uniform. My father spent 17 years in the Army and loved it. All the best.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a beautiful cover, JoAnne. Livia Reasoner Washburn created it.
Delete17 years? Your father sounds like a man of honor and courage.
Thank you so much for coming.
Good Morning Sarah. I get so confused on WWI and WWII. I know the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor bringing us into the war in 42, but I get so confused as to who was fighting who. I did have a chance to visit with my son-in-laws grandfather (we called him Opa, meaning grandfather in German) who was a prisoner of war held by the Americans. He came to visit when my daughter married his grandson. He had a card he carried in his wallet looking for a Pvt Chance. While he was here I did search to help him find the private but had no such luck. I asked him what it was like being held by the Americans and he answered in his broken English, they gave me chocolates and cigarettes and called me Fritz. By chance we met up with some WWII pilots that flew over Germany dropping food and supplies to those in Berlin when Hitler closed off the city leaving those inside to starve. Opa stood and hugged the men to him, all three cried together as the memories of the war overwhelmed them. Opa is gone now, but I was so happy to have had that day with him and he was able to meet other soldiers who served on opposite sides of the war.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story of your grandfather, Barb.
DeleteDecember 7, 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the day that would live in infamy (President F. D. Roosevelt)...World War II.
We fought the Germans both times and that can seem confusing. Hitler lead Germany in WWII, and Kiser Wilhelm in WW!/ Woodrow Wilson was present when we entered WWI and he was a pacifist. When he announced we had declared war against the Germans, he wept. I think the biggest difference is the trenches in France and the use of horses in WWI. I love history and so I really dug into the research for both wars for several of my Wilding stories. For Love of Banjo (the story about Sam Wilding's dad, the homeless youth, Banjo) was about WWI, the horse, the trenches in France, and the entrance of biplanes and tanks into the war. See how I am blabbering on and on? LOL
Thank you for your comment and for telling us about Opa, Barb. I loved hearing about him.
Sarah,
DeleteWWI and WWII are topics of interest/research for me. So many stories in these eras.
And I got a little choked up from reading your blurb and excerpt, and then Barb's story about Opa really set the ol' eyes to watering. ;-)
I'm looking forward to reading this story as I have it downloaded to my Kindle.
Kaye, I'm so glad you're going to have the chance to read this story. I do love the WWI and WWII eras, too. For all that wars were involved, it seemed like such a time of innocence. Barb's Opa story got to me, too.
DeleteThank you so much for coming today, Kaye. I do appreciate it.
Sarah, we need to sit down and have a long chat. I love the war era. I know it was dreadful times but also there is a romance about it. the big bands, the hot shot pilots. I am sure you are a fountain of information that can't come just from books and doing research.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've got a few years on me, Barb, so maybe that's why. LOL Wouldn't it be nice if all the PRP authors could gather around a table and exchange ideas, stories, and wisdom with each other?
DeleteLovely cover. Putting this on my TO READ list.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Connie. Livia does such a splendid job of putting together just the right images for each story.
DeleteI hope you do get to read Hollow Heart and, if you do, I hope you love it.
Sounds like another wonderful story. I love research and writing about WWI and WWII. So many changes here in Wyoming during those conflicts and after each.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading this!
Kirsten, Wyoming was one of the places where Japanese Americans were held in detainment camps during WWII. I've thought a great deal about getting one of my Wildings to fall in love with one of these detainees.
ReplyDeleteWar teaches us so much about who we are as people and what kind of people we are. One thing for certain, war changes medicine practice and what we do differently. It's a pity it takes war to make us change.
Thank you so much for coming.
Yes, Sarah, Heart Mountain is quite a place to visit even today. Wyoming also had many German POWs working. Some of the people I've interviewed had German workers. That would be a hard sell though, Sarah, to have a Wilding fall for a detainee or German POW because NOT ONE, Japanese detainee stayed in Wyoming after the war, and the Germans (though some wanted to stay) were forced to leave. So your Wilding would have to move on to make it historically accurate.
DeleteAnd you are correct about medicine and war. It was something I studied in depth for my degree and I've taught medicine and war online classes for writers. But beyond the camps and POWs, both wars changed agriculture and industry here in Wyoming, as well.
Oh yes, I forgot about the German POW's in Wyoming. I've been to a lot of places in Wyoming, but not Heart Mountain. You should do a blog on that. One of Banjo's twins, Kit, comes back from WWII with shell shock (PTSD) and I thought of using him in a story with a detainee. After you mentioned that none of the detainees remained in Wyoming, that sort of kills that story idea. bummer. Good thing you told me that, Kirsten, so I don't commit a literary faux pas.
DeleteWhat a lovely book cover. The story sounds like it is fantastic. I can hardly wait to read it. Robyn
ReplyDeleteHey Robyn! I do love this cover and we all know how important covers are...like very. I do hope you get a chance to read this story and. if you do, I hope it warms your heart.
DeleteThank you for dropping by and commenting.
Sarah, I love the cover for this one, and I have always love this story. I cry tearsof happiness everytime I read it. Doris
ReplyDeleteDoris, I'm so glad your liked this story. It was a joy for me to write Hollow Heart. Thank you s much for coming.
DeleteI want to thank everyone who came and commented. I know the holidays are upon us and all of you are busy, so I doubly appreciate you taking the time to visit.
ReplyDeleteThe winner of the e-copy of Hollow Heart is...Debbie. Thank you for visiting my blog, Debbie. I will contact you directly with your gift.