Christian Historical Fiction

Saturday Spotlight: The Sea Beneath Us by Cathy Slusser

December 9, 2017 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

About the Book

Name of book: The Sea Beneath Us

Author: Cathy Slusser

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: June 20, 2017

Etta just wants a home, a safe haven for her family; her daughter Florence wants to make a positive difference in the world. After suffering tragic loss, Etta walls off her heart. Florence opens hers to love again. Though they do not understand each other, both understand the struggle with cultural expectations of the day for women. They also grapple with personal insecurity and faith. Set in the early twentieth century, the stories of Etta and Florence intertwine as each seeks fulfillment. Follow them from Midwest America to the state of New York; from the Isle of Pines, a tropical spot off the coast of Cuba, to the heart of American power, Washington, DC.

Click here to purchase your copy!

Too Far Down by Mary Connealy (Review)

October 6, 2017 by Suzie Waltner 2 Comments

Cowboys, Action, Humor, and History Collide in Connealy’s Latest

When an explosion kills men and damages the CR Mining Company, the Bodens realize their troubles are not behind them as they thought. Shadowy forces are still working against them.
Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back East and all that New Mexico offers. Sure he fights with his siblings now and then, but he does care for them. He enjoys running the mine and, when he’s honest, he admits that Melanie Blake captures his interest in a way no other woman ever has.
Melanie has been a friend to the Bodens forever. A cowgirl who is more comfortable with horses and lassoes than people, she never expected to find herself falling for someone. Particularly for refined Cole Boden, a Harvard graduate who may not stay long at the ranch. She’s determined, however, to help the Bodens finally put an end to the danger that’s threatened all of them. But will putting herself in harm’s way be more dangerous than anyone expected?

Amazon / Goodreads

Guide Me Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer

August 29, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

As a resident of Nashville, I’ve made the trek north into Kentucky to visit Mammoth Cave, and believe me, its name does not do it justice. Standing in the entrance of the large cave, a visitor realizes the vastness of God’s creation (and it’s just a small, tiny part of this large cave system). I’d post a picture, but it would just be a picture of blackness.

In Guide Me Home, Kim Vogel Sawyer, offers readers a glimpse into the world of the cave system while giving quite a bit of history—and yes, this is a work of fiction so some of it is creative license but much of it (the creatures, the trails, the saltpeter mining, and more) is steeped in fact.

Rebekah Hardin’s desire to ease her family’s sorrow and suffering lead her to take a job as a guide at the Mammoth Cave resort—a job that is given only to men. Her determination leads her to don men’s clothes and grasp for the job. While Tolly Sandford see’s through Rebekah’s disguise almost immediately, he’s not keen to turn her away and hires her as Reb. Devlin Bale has set his sights on mapping out the cave system as his senior project—one that will not only get him to college graduation but will also give his father a step up in his run for state senate. Cissy Hardin is not like the rest of her family, she believes she’s destined for something greater, something more than being a poor Kentucky farmer’s daughter and she’s determined to make that reality happen no matter what.

As these four lives are intertwined both in the cave and in the land surrounding the cave, each person must face a truth that isn’t always pleasant. Rebecca struggles with guilt, Devlin (while a good person and a complete gentleman) has not yet found the true Source of Light, Tolly’s own burden of guilt weighs heavily, and Cissy’s selfishness and self-importance hurt more than herself.

A story that so beautifully illustrates light in darkness, peace that surpasses understanding, and love undeserving, Guide Me Home is worth the read.

***Blogging for Books and Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton

June 28, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

As someone who has lived in the South for almost twenty years, sometimes I forget that almost 100 years before the Civil War, there was another one waged on American soil—one between the British and those of the new Colonies. Author Lori Benton brings pieces of that war to life in the second book of her Pathfinders series, A Flight of Arrows

The Wood’s Edge left readers hanging, wondering what would happen with two families torn apart by a desperate and selfish act of one man. A Flight of Arrows brought a fitting (albeit not all happy) conclusion to the tale of Anna Catherine, Two Hawks, Good Voice, William Aubrey, Stone Thrower, Lydia, and Reginald Aubrey.

A story of two families, two peoples brought together through love and forgiveness. A story of what true sacrifice and God’s grace looks like through human eyes. Lorie Benton once again weaves a compelling tale that is sure to leave an impression on every reader who opens the pages of this beautiful book.

***Blogging for Books and WaterBrook Press provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.