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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts in Books

Mar 5, 2019  
TG
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts
Lena Nelson Dooley
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lighthouses have long been the symbol of salvation, warning sailors away from dangerous rocks and shallow waters. Along the Great Lakes, America’s inland seas, lighthouses played a vital role in the growth of the nation. They shepherded settlers traveling by water to places that had no roads. These beacons of light required constant tending even in remote and often dangerous places. Brave men and women battled the elements and loneliness to keep the lights shining. Their sacrifice kept goods and immigrants moving. Seven romances set between 1883 and 1911 bring hope to these lonely keepers and love to weary hearts. The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser 1899—Mackinac Point Lighthouse Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her, didn’t bargain on risking his heart—when her past might change everything.



My Thoughts: This is a collection of short stories "novellas" about lighthouses and their keepers. The authors have given a precise account of the lives that these people led while helping to save the lives of others. The hardships they faced, loneliness, living in a remote area and dealing with the aftermath of shipwrecks.


The stories will draw the reader in and will fall in love with the heroines in the stories. I think of all the stories my favorites were Rose and Natalie. Rose being strong and independent, Natalie has a wonderful outlook on life after losing her memory. The reader will love all the women in the stories, these are the two that I identified with the most.

Living on a small island has given me a love for the lighthouse, and I have visited many on the Eastern Shore. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed these stories and the characters in them. Whenever you visit a lighthouse you try to envision the people that were once living there, this book gives us a wonderful look into some of those lives.


The readers will also learn how important the lighthouse is to people and the ships. It is fascinating to learn the working day of the lighthouse keepers. It was pleasant reading that the writers did make sure that the word of God was written into the stories. God is our lighthouse and we must always remember to look toward the light.


I think that everyone will enjoy this novella.


⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
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Smashbomb (4687 KP) created a post in Smashbomb AMA

Mar 6, 2019 (Updated Mar 26, 2019)  
AMA: JOANNE HARRIS (AUTHOR)
QUESTIONS CLOSED - https://smashbomb.com/content/perma?id=539628
We are excited to announce that our first AMA 'ask me anything' session will be with author Joanne Harris who has agreed to answer a number of 'Ask me anything (AMA)' questions for Smashbombers.

Joanne has written more than 15 novels, two novellas, two collections of short stories, a @Doctor Who novella, guest episodes for the game Zombies, Run, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks.

Joanne is probably best-known for her award-winning novel @Chocolat (Chocolat #1) , which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche .

Joanne's other works include:

     @Blackberry Wine
     @Different Class
     @Five Quarters Of The Orange
     @Gentleman and Players
    @The Girl with No Shadow (Chocolat #2)
     @Peaches for Father Francis (Chocolat #3)

Please leave your questions in the comments below, all of which will be sent over to Joanne for her responses. Please remember to be inventive and original in your questions ?

(Image credit: joanne-harris.co.uk)
   
Show all 5 comments.
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DaveySmithy (107 KP) Mar 11, 2019

1. What makes you roll your eyes every time you hear it?
2. Do you think that aliens exist?
3. What song hits you with a wave of nostalgia every time you hear it?
4. Does anything worry you about the 'kids of today'?
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Random47 (97 KP) Mar 14, 2019

1. Do you write with a pen or on a machine? If either, what type?
2. Who are some of your biggest inspirations?
3. What books are your guilty pleasure?
4. When did you first start writing?
5. Where are some of your favourite places to write?
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated What Child is This in Books

Jan 1, 2019  
What Child is This
What Child is This
Rhys Bowen | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Simple, Heart Warming Short Story
The story opens on Christmas Eve in London in 1940. It's the middle of the blitz, and rationing is in full effect, so it is looking like a very dismal Christmas for Maggie and Jack Harris. But then what little they do have is taken from them suddenly, and they find themselves on the streets. Jack goes looking for shelter and finds what looks like an abandoned house. Is it abandoned? What will Christmas day bring?

While I rarely read short stories, I had to grab this story from Rhys Bowen. Best known for her historical mysteries, this is more of a glimpse at tragedy and triumph during 24 hours. As such, it doesn't have the twists or shocks you might expect, but it is a very heartwarming tale. Jack and Maggie really shine, although I did find Maggie annoying at times. Believable, but annoying. A quick read (I read it in about an hour), this is a good way to hold on to the Christmas spirit just a little bit longer.
  
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Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Entangled in Books

Mar 1, 2018  
E
Entangled
Edie Ramer | 2011
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I picked this anthology up because all proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which is a wonderful cause. Many of the authors' lives have been touched by cancer in one way or another, some first-hand. The volume is Halloween-themed, as well.

I don't believe I've read anything but short stories by any of these authors in the past except for [a:Jennifer Estep|580315|Jennifer Estep|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1264385515p2/580315.jpg], and I haven't read the Mythos Academy series in which her story is set. I'm more likely to read it now than I was before.

"Halloween Frost" by Estep and "Ghostly Justice" by Allison Brennan (set in her Seven Deadly Sins series) were the most polished stories in the anthology. Too many of the others had plot holes, or felt like teasers to get a reader to pursue more of the author's work. A short story should be self-contained.

Some of the authors let the "romance" get in the way of the plotting. If the main character acts like an idiot because she's distracted by the bulge in a man's pants, why make her the main character of a story? Especially if, as in "Sinfully Sweet" by Michelle Miles, you fail to resolve the major plot issue you raise?

While I admire the cause for which these ladies are writing, I can't help but think a shorter, higher-quality anthology might have been a better bet.