Beneath the Bellemont Sky

Sometimes the best way we can understand our future is to spend some time looking through the past. For America, a lot changed when we entered WWII, and as thousands of husbands, brothers, and fathers left to serve, women stepped up in a role not familiar to them to pick up in factories where the men left off, their way of helping in the war effort.

As the war ended, and some men returned home, often times with less than they had before, with disabilities, missing limbs, and dealing with PTSD, women were again challenged to step into the roles vacated to help those returning home. Then again, there were those women who married before the war, and were notified that their husband, was killed and would not be returning home. This set the stage for the beginnings of the women's right movement as men returned to go back to work, women who enjoyed working were now faced with resuming the role of a full-time wife and mother, and wanted the respect and recognition that they got in working that was missing in their domestic roles.

That is the stage set for Beneath the Bellemont Sky by Raneè S. Clark. For the Larsen family, having a farm is what helped them to get by during the war and now that the men are beginning to return home, the women in the family are looking forward to having the men take over the farm tasks. Vera and her four children have moved back home after learning her husband wouldn't be coming home after all and a way to help make ends meet. The hardest part for any of them is learning to move forward into an unknown future when all they have known is their past. As the town attempts to resume normal life, Andrew Larsen returns with a French wife and now the town's socialites have decided to snub her at every attempt, partly because one of them had hoped that Andrew might return to marry her instead.

Vera knows she has to find a new start for her life and finds solace in the new teacher that comes to town, Dominick Whitaker, who is finding starting over in a small town might just be what he needs but also brings its own share of problems as well. Vera and Dominick hit it off as friends being in similar places in their futures and find an instant connection in their conversations, one that lasts beyond the time they spend with each other. Will Dominick be ready to take on a ready made family or will something in their pasts keep them apart despite their growing affections for one another?

I received Beneath the Bellemont Sky by Raneè S. Clark compliments of Covenant Communications. I truly LOVE the novels set among the war time because so much was forced to change to help benefit everyone both in serving in the war or supporting those who left behind those empty places. Change was forced whether one embraced it or not. And in a small town of Wyoming, one can only imagine that everyone knew everyone else. When the war came to a close, some women wanted to stay working, and raising a family and not everyone wanted to return back to their former lives, especially when things we so different. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and give it a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Beneath the Bellemont Sky, Raneè S. Clark or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Beneath the Bellemont Sky by Raneè S. Clark

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The Melody of the Soul

Something that soothes that savage beast is music. It can take us back to memorable moments of the past or even help us pass the time during a tragic situation until something better comes along. That is the common thread in the latest novel by Liz Tolsma, The Melody of the Soul. This is the first novel in the Music of Hope Series. World War II genre fans will adore this as the setting between Anna Zadok who has just watched her family step away and left her behind to tend for her aging grandmother while the Nazi's occupy their small town in Prague. It is the one thing she didn't want to happen, for them to be separated but also knows that she can't give up on the one thing that she loves, which is playing her violin. Not from reading music, but from hearing it in her heart and soul. It defines who she is and what she is feeling with each note she plays.

However all musical instruments are outlawed and those found in possession of them will face harsh repercussions. But it is all that remains of her and the love she has for her family. Yet when a Nazi officer, Horst Engel, takes possession of her home and removes the occupants living on the lower level, she believes it is only a matter of time before they will force her and her aging grandmother to leave. She prepares to pack up what meager belongings they have so when it is time, they are ready. During the time she waits however she begins to play and what connects her to the music is the very same thread that reaches into the soul of Horst and he locates the source of the music.

He summons both of them into the lower level of the house he is occupying and asks her to play specific music that she knows and he loves. Perhaps they both are in situations they have no control over and while both know what roles they must play, it is the music that connects them to a better place before the war began. Yet will it connect them in other ways as well? Can a Jewish Christian find love with a Nazi officer in the midst of a war that threatens to divide who they both are? You'll have to check out The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma to find out.

I received The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma compliments of Litfuse Publicity and Gilead Publishing. What I really enjoyed about this novel is first, the setting. I am a huge fan of WWII and using that as a setting really forces readers into a place in history that is vibrant, real and terrifying depending on whose side you might find yourself on. Second, placing a budding romance between two very different characters who have their own shared beliefs, enemies really makes you wonder what will be the catalyst that changes for them both that will cause them to defy the odds for love over war. There are some amazing historical notes at the conclusion of the novel that show how the author incorporated real events into the creation of not only this novel but the series! For me, this one easily rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for the next novel due out in the Fall of 2018.

For more information about The Melody of the Soul, Liz Tolsma or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma

You can find Liz Tolsma on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Melody of The Soul, please visit Litfuse Publicity's Book Tour Page.

Travel back in time to 1943 and meet Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian and concert violinist whose career is ended because of Nazi occupation in Prague. Don't miss the new historical novel, The Melody of the Soul, by Liz Tolsma. Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Officer Horst Engel, quartered in Anna's flat and dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them.

Join Liz Tolsma and other bookworms for a Facebook Live event on February 6, plus enter to win Liz's prize pack giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of The Melody of the Soul
• A garnet bracelet
• A box of Czech Republic chocolate

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 6. The winner will be announced at Liz's Facebook Live Party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Liz and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word-tell your friends about the giveaway and Facebook Live party via social media and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 6th!

The Mine

It was just an average day in the life for Joel Smith, the day he and his buddy stopped at the Canary Diner for a quick bite to eat before heading back home. They took a road trip in hopes of unwinding a bit before finals week began and their real lives would begin. When a traffic snarl delays them, Joel decides to take the road less traveled when he spots a sign for a gold mine up off a dirt road. Seeing opportunity knocking, Joel manages to convince his friend Aaron to give it a chance rather than wait for the construction traffic to clear.

They locate an abandoned, boarded up gold mine at the end of the road. Joel is the willing adventurer while Adam simply realizes that the trip home is only going to take longer by waiting to tackle this mini adventure with him and wants to get back on the road. Giving Joel just 15 minutes to explore the mine, Adam waits for him outside. Joel seizes the chance, being a geologist at heart, he can't wait to see what the mine has hidden. When he spots a phosphorus enriched room deep in the darkened mine, he finds it's guarded by a poisonous rattler. While attempting to flee, he drops his flashlight and smacks his head on a low hanging beam. When he wakes up and finds his way back out to the top, he realizes it's been over 30 minutes and knows Aaron will be more than upset.

He soon realizes that Adam has taken the SUV and left him behind. As Joel begins the long walk back to the highway, he soon realizes that things around him have changed and he doesn't seem to be heading in the right direction. He realizes that the houses and cabins that were lining the road, are no longer there. It's as if they hadn't been built there at all. When he finds the highway again, all signs of construction have vanished as well. It isn't until Joel hitches a ride back in a restored Buick from the 40's, he realizes that it isn't restored, he is back in 1941 in Montana and things are about to get really interesting for Joel!

In the novel, The Mine by John A. Heldt, Joel Smith suddenly finds himself trapped back in time just before the United States is entering the war. Realizing that credit cards haven't been invented yet and all his money is dated from the 80's he can't very well use it when most would consider it counterfeit. Now Joel has to find a way to exist until he can figure out how to get back to the year 2000. Along the way, he heads back to his hometown in Seattle and soon finds himself at the good fortune of saving a young man, Tom Carter, who he realizes is dating his grandmother, when she was a young girl in 1941.

I received The Mine compliments of John A. Heldt's request for my honest opinion and really was drawn into this wonderful story. It's a blend of Back to the Future meets the Twilight Zone and I found myself wondering just how and if Joel Smith would find himself back home or if he will want to once he finds the love of his life. But if he remains, he could quite potentially change time forever and cause himself to possibly not to exist at all. The reader will be delighted in this entertaining science fiction twist. There is some profanity, and some of Joel's choices about women, dating more than one at the same time, even though one of them is engaged, are cause for concern, knowing my reader base.  For that reason I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. For those of you that love the 1940's as much as I do, John's eloquent characters that he has created made this a trip back in time a memorable one. I could relate to Grace's character who finds herself falling in love with two men, one who is on the brink of serving while the war looms in the near future, an officer named Paul, who promises her security and a solid future, and then there is Joel, who is whisking her off her feet, while making most of his money with staging bets on sporting statistics he knows will pay off, and promising her a fun time that is completely unexpected. You will love this unique twist on historical romantic science fiction! This book is available as an eBook only from your favorite retailer for now.

For more information about The Mine, John A. Heldt and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Mine by John A. Heldt

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