Tea Party with Stephanie Morrill

Tea Party with Stephanie Morrill

by | Nov 2, 2019 | Announcements, Tea Party Book Club

I am looking forward to hosting my best friend and fellow author, Stephanie Morrill! 
Join us as we discuss her recent book, Within These Lines. You can purchase a signed copy of the book as part of the tea party OR you can find it at the retailers below.

About the Book
Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family living in San Francisco in 1941 is quiet and ordinary until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.
Degrading treatment makes life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world is treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out against injustice, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.
With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichi must hold true to their ideals and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.
Within These Lines is a story about the gritty, exhausting side of love.The kind of love that seems to only invite heartbreak, but is tenacious and unrelenting all the same. It’s available in stores now! (From author website)

About the Author

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as the 1920s mystery, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, and the WWII era romance, Within These Lines. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Announcing: Dreams of Savannah!

Announcing: Dreams of Savannah!

by | Oct 31, 2019 | Announcements, Book News

Even as I was typing up the news about the Isles of Secrets Series, I knew I’d be getting to announce some other exciting news soon too. 😁 I’ll also be having a book come out from Bethany House between the end of the Codebreakers and the beginning of the next series! This one is a stand-alone, set in Savannah during the Civil War.

Dreams of Savannah (tentative title–it could very well change, LOL) is pretty fun. I actually wrote it years ago upon the request of an editor, but the contract fell through for various reasons. It’s just been sitting there in my digital drawer since 2011, so when my editor at Bethany House asked if I wanted them to take a look at some of my finished-but-unpublished books, I all but shoved it at them. 😉 And I was so incredibly pleased when they said they liked it and wanted to release it in just over a year! That’s right, this one will be coming out sometime around December 2020/January 2021 (exact date TBD)!!

The story, in a nutshell:

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around
anything, and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with
her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost
during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a
romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister. 

But
Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling
for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical,
and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.
Matters of black and white don’t seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite
her best efforts, Delia’s smiles can’t erase all the complications in his life. 

War, however, doesn’t wait for the clarity of anyone’s heart. When the fort falls and the future wavers before her, Delia has to decide
whether a disillusioned hero is worth the sacrifice of all the dreams she so
long cherished.

For those of you who read my Culper Ring Series, you know I’ve already written one Civil War-era book. The funny thing is that Savannah was already finished when I was working on Circle of Spies, so in my mind, I kept thinking, “Well I already did this, so I…oh wait! No one else knows I’ve already done that!” (“”That” being things like certain treatments of issues like slavery from a Southern perspective–it was mostly the Union perspective represented in Circle of Spies.)

I’m so excited to finally be bringing this story into the world! I’m sure there will be many edits and changes from that 2011 version, but I love these characters so much–I actually reread it a couple years ago as I wrote A Lady Unrivaled, to make sure that Ella, who has some similarities to Delia, isn’t too close to my romantic-adventure-writing Southern belle. And leading Phin through some huge challenges and mental changes was an adventure in itself! One that involves the help of the most unlikely of friends–an Englishman of African descent, who has a very different view of the world than anyone Phin has ever known. I used him–Luther–to bring in some of England’s abolition history, which was fun. =)


Hilariously, the same story of mine from college from which I stole Phillip Camden (who is introduced in The Number of Love and is the hero in On Wings of Devotion) also gave me Luther. Originally he and Camden were first mate and captain on their pirate vessel. 😉 Luther was stolen first for Dreams of Savannah, and I’m glad I didn’t re-steal him for On Wings of Devotion, LOL. But just so you know that if ever the two met, despite now being of different generations, they would have been the best of friends. 😉

I’m looking forward to digging back into this one and polishing it up for you guys!

On Wings of Devotion ~ Pre-Order Your Signed Copies!

On Wings of Devotion ~ Pre-Order Your Signed Copies!

by | Oct 16, 2019 | Announcements, Book News

I can’t believe we’re less than 3 months from the release of On Wings of Devotion! I’ll soon be diving into edits for the third book in The Codebreakers, and also into writing the first book in my new series, Isles of Secrets. Plus I’ll have another announcement in the next week or two, after things are signed-sealed-and-delivered. 😉
But in the meantime, I wanted to let everyone know that pre-orders are open in my store for signed copies of On Wings of Devotion! And you can get 20% until December 31 if you use this coupon code: wingspreorder
If you’ve never ordered from my store before, it’s super-simple. Just add whatever items you want to your cart, and during checkout, type or paste that code into the grey box that asks for the coupon code. After you’ve proceeded to checkout, there’s a Notes section where you can put in your personalization request. 😁
As a reminder, Wings releases on January 7. I’ll pack up pre-orders as soon as I get my copies, which is usually about two weeks early, though I can’t make guarantees on that.

Against Every Warning, She’s Drawn Ever Closer
to the Man Known as “Black Heart”

    
All of England thinks Major Phillip
Camden a monster–a man who deliberately caused the deaths of his
squadron. But he would have preferred to die that day with his men
rather than be recruited to the Admiralty’s codebreaking division. The
threats he receives daily are no great surprise and, in his opinion,
well deserved.
     As nurse Arabelle Denler observes the
so-dubbed “Black Heart,” she sees something far different: a hurting man
desperate for mercy. And when their families and paths twist together
unexpectedly, she realizes she has a role to play in his healing–and
some of her own to do as well.
    With Camden’s court-martial looming, an
old acquaintance shows up, intent on using him in a plot that sends the
codebreakers of Room 40 into a frenzy. With their fragile hopes for the
future in the cross hairs, Arabelle and Camden must hold on to hope–and
to each other–if they want to survive.

Announcing: The Nature of a Lady!

Announcing: The Nature of a Lady!

by | Sep 26, 2019 | Announcements, Book News

Though there are still two books yet to come out in the Codebreakers Series, they’re both already written and turned in…which means it was time for me to begin thinking of what’s coming next. =) After conferring with my editors (i.e. sending in a list of a dozen ideas and seeing which one they liked best), we decided it would be fun to leave behind the world of the Great War and go back to the earlier 1900s. Return to the world of aristocracy and the upstairs/downstairs feel. But of course, deliver some super fun romance and mystery.

I absolutely love that the team went for this idea. And I’ll tell you why.
When The Number of Love came out, my first order of business was packing up the pre-orders that had come in through my store. I had a ton of them, and as I signed books and affixed labels, I was entertaining myself by counting the number of people who had the same name. I had no fewer than four variations on Emily and something like six Elizabeths. At one point as I tackled one of those, I said to myself, “Oh, look. Another Elizabeth.”
Another Elizabeth.
The words stuck in my head all day. I knew there was a story there, but I wasn’t sure what it was. It would make a fun title, I thought. But I didn’t know what the concept would be…at first. A day or two later, however, I was out on our giant swing set, and the story began to trickle into my head. 
A girl shows up at a new apartment. When she signs the lease, the landlady greets her with, “Oh, another Elizabeth, is it? Hope you’re more dependable than the last one. She left me high and dry…” Our Elizabeth thinks nothing of it, at first. But then she begins to find things in her new home, left there by the previous owner. Mysterious things. Made all the more mysterious when people keep knocking on her door, saying, “Elizabeth?” and then foisting more mysterious articles into her hands when she confirms that she is indeed Elizabeth. Baffling…until the first Elizabeth’s brother shows up, concerned for his sister and shocked when she doesn’t open the door. This would be our hero, of course.
That was the basic concept that I pitched to Bethany House. They were very enthusiastic–though they did instruct me to come up with a title that conveyed the nobility angle more. For about a week I cast around, looking for good locations, different titles, and specific plots and characters, before sending them an official proposal. I decided on the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall as a setting, and as I dug into the history of this island chain, other plot elements just fell right into place–you know, legends, pirates’ treasure, and an abundance of unique flora and fauna. So I’m now thrilled to announce the first book:
1908 – Lady Elizabeth “Libby” Sinclair, with her
love of microscopes and nature, isn’t exactly a hit in society. She flees to
the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer…and stumbles into the dangerous
secrets left behind by her holiday cottage’s former occupant, also called
Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.
Oliver Tremayne—gentleman and clergyman—is determined to
discover what happened to his sister, and he’s happy to accept the help of the
girl now living in what should have been Beth’s summer cottage…especially when
he realizes it’s the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who
shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far
more than nature walks, and he can’t quite believe all the secrets Beth had
been keeping from him.

As the two work together, along with Libby’s maid, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most
mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

I’m currently armed with these two fun research books, and I can’t wait to dive in and bring Libby and Oliver’s story to life! I have some time to really get to know them before I start writing, so I’ve been daydreaming about who they are and what will make them special. I’m going to be including some fun local legends from the islands, there’s going to be an antiquities smuggling scandal in the series, and undergirding it all will be the true history of one of England’s most terrible pirates, who made the Isles of Scilly his base of operations…and whose treasure still hasn’t been found.

Tea Party With Kate Breslin

Tea Party With Kate Breslin

by | Aug 13, 2019 | Announcements, Tea Party Book Club

Dates
Friday, September 20th at 7pmEDT(4pmPDT)
Saturday, September 21st at 1pmEDT(10amPDT)


Reserve Your Seat
We have a few different options for attending this tea party! Reservations will close on August 20th so that we have enough time to mail out all your goodies.

International
Seat at the party only…No goodies shipped (sorry!)
Bring a Friend
Share a screen and get a discount for bringing a friend!
Add-Ons
tea party Starter Kit
Signed Copy of Far Side of the Sea


Donate
Donate to the tea party Scholarship Fund. Bless a fellow reader by giving an “anonymous” donation.

Tea Options
We have a few different flavors from our last party. You get to choose from…

Rooibus Provence (rooibus, floral notes with undertones of fruit)
Almond Cookies (green tea, coconut rasps, almond flakes, sencha)
Divine Temple (a blend of green and white teas with jasmine and candied tropic fruits)

Irish Breakfast (a strong, bold tea, more robust and full-bodied than English Breakfast)

You will receive steeping bags ideal for your brew option. So make sure you let us know if you are using a 2-cup pot or brewing by the cup.

Extras

Apply for a Scholarship

Author Signup



More Information

You can find more information on how the Tea Party Book Club works on the landing page HERE. Please let me or my assistant know if you have any questions.

bookwormracheld@gmail.com


About the Book

In spring of 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries at the front, receives an unexpected message by carrier pigeon: it is an urgent summons from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life—a woman he believed to be dead. Leaving Britain’s shores to return into war-torn France, he hopes his reunion with her will ease his guilt and this mission restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned when he arrives in Paris to discover the message came not from Jewel, but from a stranger who claims to be her half sister, Johanna. Johanna works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence; having found Jewel’s diary, she believes her sister is alive and in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is at first skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, however, that trust is at stake, as danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives. (From the author’s website)
About Kate
Author Website
A Florida girl who migrated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Kate Breslin lives on a small bay in Washington State with her guitarist husband and family. Kate has written travel articles, published award-winning poetry, and her fourth novel, Far Side of the Sea, released with Bethany House Publishers in March of 2019. When she’s not writing inspirational fiction or spending time with author friends, she’s reading books, watching anything Jane Austen on BBC, or following hubby John’s musical career as his #1 fan. An avid nature lover, she enjoys long walks in Washington State’s beautiful woodlands or working in her rose garden. Kate’s also a traveler–she and John have toured much of the U.S. and with her intrepid mom as traveling companion, Kate’s also been abroad–Paris, Munich, Rome, Pompeii, Athens, and Barcelona, just to name a few. She’s always looking for the next story idea!

Hope to see you there!

Cover Reveal! On Wings of Devotion

Cover Reveal! On Wings of Devotion

by | Jun 11, 2019 | Announcements, Book News, Cover Designs

Well, this is the first time this has happened–I have a new cover to show you, and the “reveal” date was the same as the release date of my previous book! So I’ve sat on this one for a week while The Number of Love launches. Not hard to do, because I am so excited about introducing Margot and Drake to the world!
But at the same time, THIS COVER! On Wings of Devotion is book 2 in The Codebreakers, picking up right where The Number of Love drops off chronologically–actually, it begins somewhere before the epilogue of TNoL takes place, but after the main part of the story ends.
If you’ve read The Number of Love already, then you know who the hero is going to be in book two–Phillip Camden, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corp and school chum of our current hero, Drake. In the course of the story, we see that Camden has landed in some serious hot water. Thanks to Drake, he ends up working in Room 40…but he isn’t happy about it–or anything. He’s reeling from the loss of his squadron and doesn’t mind taking it out (rather hilariously, I think) on everyone around him. But he still can’t quite overcome his instincts–loyalty and selflessness. Made for SUCH a fun hero to write in this new one!
But I’ve been getting a lot of questions asking who the heroine is going to be, which make me giggle. She’s there in book 1…but you won’t know it, necessarily. Her name is Arabelle Denler, and she’s a nurse in Charing Cross Hospital. And of course, this being one of my covers, she’s the one we see there on the front of the book–and though it may seem like this book is all about Camden since we know him already, trust me–Ara deserves to be pictured!
Let me tell you just a little bit about her, and then I’ll show you the cover!
Arabelle isn’t beautiful. But, as Cam thinks upon meeting her, “she does a good job of hiding it” behind a quick wit and fashionable clothes. She’s tall–around 6 feet in height–and frequently described as “gangly.” But Ara is also the kind of girl who will sacrifice anything if it will help someone heal. After a heartbreaking childhood (her mother dies and her father is lost in the wilds of South America for years), she feels God saying to her, If you want to heal, then heal others. This is why she’s a nurse…and why she does some things at the start of the story that baffle and intrigue Cam.
And now… THE COVER! Are you ready???
…
…
…

Isn’t it GORGEOUS!!!!!!???????
I’m so in love with this. Here’s why:
The golden colors are just breathtaking–and that DRESS! (Pass it over here, please. Right over here.)
The model they chose for Arabelle is perfect. I mean, still too pretty, but you’ll have that. 😉 I love that she has heavy brows, though, as Ara does, and her hair isn’t quite perfect. She somehow gives off a vibe of “I’m not really as pretty as I look,” which is spot-on.
Next–THE GLOBE! Until y’all read the story, you won’t know exactly how important this is, but a quick explanation: Arabelle’s father is an explorer, “stranded” in London during the war. She’s getting to know him for the first time in her life. In his study, he has maps and globes everywhere, and this is where she and Cam really get to know each other. I’d suggested a globe for the cover and LOVE that they put it in! 
And finally, if you look on her chest, you’ll see she’s wearing a pilot’s wing pin. This is SO IMPORTANT. Just like “18” had to be on the cover of The Number of Love because it IS the number of Margot’s love, so did this pin have to be on this cover.

So what do you think? Do you like the colors? Are you intrigued? Which cover of the series is your favorite so far? (I’d be hard pressed to pick. They nailed both of them!)

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