In desperation, she makes a wish on the Moravian Star to bring her the true love she yearns for. With Christmas on the way, and the perfect star to wish upon, how can her heart’s desire be denied?
Phoebe has no idea that wish is going to change her life forever in a way she never could have believed. When she takes part in a Colonial Christmas celebration, she discovers it’s not a re-enactment, but the real thing! Granger Montgomery, the man of her dreams, loves her the way she’s hoped for—but will she be able to stay in his world two hundred years in the past? Will she regret the wish she made one starry night on that Moravian Star?
EXCERPT
“I hope you’re listening to me, Moon and Star. I’ve tried everything else, so maybe this last-ditch effort will work. This is going to sound so lame, but I don’t want to spend my life alone. I’m an independent woman with a career I enjoy. I have a doting family and many good friends, but I’m missing just one thing.” She took a deep breath. “I want to find that one man I can love…and who will love me back for the rest of my life. I thought I found him several times, but each of them proved to be false.” She bit her lip as the memories assailed her. Finally, she went on. “Each of them was cruel in the way he broke up with me—one by a phone call while I was at work, another by a text message, and the last one, in the middle of my birthday party in front of all my friends.”
She took a breath as she remembered the painful stab in her
heart as the last one slammed the door behind him with finality when he left. “More
than anything on Earth, I want to find the man God intends for me, my one true
love. If there is such a man inhabiting this world, somewhere in space or time,
please, I wish destiny to bring him to me.”
She grasped the windowsill. “And if true love is never going
to come into my life, please help me have the strength to accept my fate.”
Sigh...Sarah, I love this premise--I'm such a sucker for time travel. I didn't know anything about Moravian Stars! This was very interesting and made me want to dig deeper into the history of these beautiful creations. And of course it had to be a Moravian Star that was a symbol of enduring love through the centuries, right? LOVE IT! Congratulations on your new release!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much or your kind remark, Cheryl. I have wanted to write about something in my state of North Carolina for some time and the living museum in Old Salem, NC commemorating the early 17th century settlement of the Moravians was the perfect place. It's a beautiful place so well preserved with all the old shops and houses on the main street, and guides dressed in period costumes to run the shops and give the tours is so exciting to me. I did have to do some intense research into the Moravians and the famous Moravian Star.
DeleteThank you so much for your editing skills and for posting my new release.
Oh, great except. It's a wonderful foreshadowing to being swept off to find the man of her dreams. Congratulations on your new release.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christine. You are very kind. I enjoyed doing this research and I love writing Christmas stories.
DeleteThank you for your comment.
Congratulations! Can't wait to read this. Set in my favorite time period.
ReplyDeleteI do like this time period, too, but not many writers create stories in this era of American history. I had to do a heap of research, but research is fun.
DeleteI appreciate your comment and you taking the time to come.
I love time travel romances and so look forward to reading this one. Going to order it right now while it's fresh in my mind. So happy for you Sarah. It's always an exciting day with a new release. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thank you for your continued support. You know how much I appreciate you. Time travel stories are hard to write, but like you, I love to read them.
DeleteThank you once again for your support and friendship.
This sounds intriguing, being transported back 200 years. One can spend hours daydreaming about what might happen. Or one can read the book. I sa, "Read the book!" Sarah J. McNeal knows how to spin a tale. Andthis one is and enticing Time Travel.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely comment, Laurean. Thank you. I wonder sometimes what life would be like 100-200 years in the past. It seems so much more peaceful than the harried lives we lead now. Not many send handwritten letters or cards these days. I miss that. Out-houses might not have been pleasant, and the absence of antibiotics and most vaccines would have been risky, but it might even be worth the risk to the hectic and dangerous lives we have now considering all the violence out there.
DeleteThank you for your most kind remarks. All good things to you...
Many congratulations, Sarah! Sounds beguiling! I wish you much success with it. What if? Time travel stories are always fascinating
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lindsay. I appreciate your supportive comments. "What if?" is a writer's best friend. I can't help but think of your Medieval series in which you must have wondered, "What if my hero isn't handsome and has old scars and injuries, but a heart a wide as Texas?"
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for coming and commenting on my new release. I so appreciate it.
Wow, that sounds just like me, but I stopped at 3. 2 were 15 years each, the first I was married to. Both of those relationships beat me and cheated on me and made me feel bad about myself even though others said that I was very beautiful, but I felt so ugly. The last guy I was with for about a year and I saw the sign and he got aggressive and in my face. I left because I knew in my heart I would be abused in the same way. It has been about 10 years since I have been in a relationship. I do get lonely for the things like holding hands. Just the simple things, like watching the sunrise in the morning while drinking coffee, and the sunsets with his arms around me. I was a good spouse. I kept a very clean house and had breakfast ready before he went to work and dinner ready when he came home. I was atrophy wife. Women at the company picnics didn't like me because I was put together. My husband picked out my clothes every time we went some where important, other than that, I had to walk behind him. He told me affection was for animals. Please don't get me wrong, my x husband was a good man, he just wasn't good to me.
ReplyDeleteTo "Unknown" commenter: I assume you wrote this message in response to my character Phoebe's desire to have someone to love and her loneliness at the beginning of the story.
DeleteThere are many stories like yours in which women (and sometimes men) have been in abusive relationships. Caretakers and people who have great empathy can end up in these kinds of relationships because they often feel sorry for the abuser in the beginning of the relationship or are swept away by the intensity of this person's pursuit of them. Every person on Earth wants to be loved, but there are those who don't know how or believe they have to control others because they are so afraid of ending up alone.
You have to love yourself and value the person you are. Before you get into another relationship, you might consider getting some counseling from a professional therapist to help you. You can even receive counseling over the phone. I don't know where you live, but here is a therapist you can call at Healing Direction Therapy PLLC, Tracey L. Beaty, LCMHC, 980-272-8058. healingdirection@yahoo.com There are thousands of therapists all over the country who can help you. This therapist is the only one I have contact info for.
Take care of yourself. I'm going to write a prayer for you.