Q&A with Katherine Reay

Today, friends, we have quite the surprise...

Katherine Reay has stopped by for a visit!

Andrea Cox: The London House is in the new-to-you genre of time-slip fiction (featuring contemporary and the historical eras covering the years 1928-1941). While I’ve adored your contemporary stories and look forward to reading your single nonfiction title, I’m especially intrigued by this WWII-soaked book, as that’s one of my favorite genres. What drew you to time-slip for The London House? How did you decide to set part of the book during the Great Depression and World War II? Was it tricky for you to find the right balance between the contemporary and historical threads for the novel? If so, what was it that finally clicked for you?

Katherine Reay: Some amazing questions here! Slip-time is such an intriguing genre for me. I have previously written contemporary novels because I love looking at literature and the past with an eye to the present -- to address our lives and stories in the here and now. Split-time uniquely allowed me to not only explore the past, but draw that intrigue and even those lessons into the present  -- in a “real time” fashion. I loved it and found it an incredibly dynamic format, almost creating a conversation between past and present. As for the time period -- the Interwar years and WWII simply offered that perfect mix of situation and emotion to address the themes I wanted to explore in the contemporary storyline. It all simply fit together well. 

Read more on my new website.

Write In Faith Camp: An Invitation

For nearly a decade, I have enjoyed participating in virtual writing camps. These have been great for helping me keep focused in my writing. They’ve aided me in blocking out specific times of day to dedicate to creating stories that someday will be shared with the world. Beyond that, they’ve helped me find online communities of writers, and I’ve built some beautiful friendships through these writing camps.

At this point in my writing journey, it makes the most sense for me to share my love for writing camps with you by creating a camp of my own.

Write In Faith Camp (WIF Camp), hosted by my publishing company, Writing to Inspire Publications, is a place for Christian writers to come together to write in faith that God will bless our time together and build in us a greater faith and produce through us greater stories than we could possibly have without His guidance.

Read more on my new website.

Enjoy a Hike Responsibly {guest Lauralee Bliss}

Please welcome today's guest, Lauralee Bliss.

Enjoy a Fall Hike! How to Do It Safely

by Lauralee Bliss

There’s nothing better than a hike in the woods at the peak of fall color. The air is crisp, the colors of the changing leaves brilliant, and the expectation of fun and enjoyment in the great outdoors. It is proven too in these years of strain on our bodies with various illnesses that outdoor exercise strengthens the immune system and provides immune-boosting Vitamin D from the sun.

With that in mind, here are a few tips to make a fall hiking trip go smoother and more enjoyable. 

Read more on my new website.

Why We Fought by Jerry Borrowman

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This is a really great WWII resource. I enjoyed every chapter, because they taught me things I didn’t already know in a way that was easy to absorb the information. The author voice was great and easy to understand. Overall, this book was fascinating and absorbing.

Here are my personal summaries of each chapter’s heroes:

Virginia Hall, amputee spy who defied the odds as well as the Nazis.

William Sebold, a double-agent who took down several German spy rings.

Marlene Dietrich, an actress with a knack for boosting morale.

Juan Pujol, a writer and his make-believe spy ring fooled high-ranked Nazis.

Carl Lutz, risked his life to save 72,000 Jews.

The Ghost Army, diversion tactics made a huge difference.

The Battle for Castle Itter, WWI veterans hold the fort.

Read more on my new website.

A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This was my most-anticipated book of 2021. I’m not sure yet what I think about it.

In one way, I feel very misled by a couple of things. The back blurb and meet-cute both indicated a certain romance was going to take place, but the story took a weird turn on that front. While I grew to enjoy certain aspects of the romantic thread and rather adored the finale, it wasn’t anything like what I’d been led to believe it would be.

In another way, this story grew on me and wrapped me in a vintage era that felt very much like home. The atmosphere in this book helped the story slowly sift past my defenses at the aforementioned deception. The words chosen created such vivid imagery that I found myself immersed in a different time and place and wanted to stay in the fantastical ballet-and-circus world the author created.

Read more on my new website.

The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox

The atmosphere was superb in this one. That was the most mesmerizing thing for me while I was reading this book. I also thought the author nailed the dialect of small-town Southern United States. The way these characters spoke and thought made them come alive for me.

The cover was amazing… until I realized there were only two letters mentioned in the story instead of the hefty stack shown on the lower portion of the cover. Now that car… I’ll take one of those, please! So gorgeous, those curves. And I still love the tone that’s set by the cover. That was totally spot-on.

Clarence was a completely compassionate gentleman. I couldn’t get enough of this guy and his love for “his girls” (his wife and daughters). His protective spirit and encouraging nature were amazing, and I wish he could have been in several more scenes.

Read more at my new website.

Hostile Intent by Lynette Eason {review}

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

This book started off with the potential to become my new favorite Eason book. The action was fast-paced and came often, which made for a great suspense formula. The characters were intriguing, which added richness to the story being told. The settings were very well used, which increased the depth of the tale. Overall, this was a fantastic series finale, capping off one of the best series Mrs. Eason has produced to date.

Read more on my new website.