The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

Be careful what you wish for.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie’s mental state has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax returns to the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching their family’s and the house’s history. And as Jax dives deeper into that research, she discovers that the land holds a far darker history than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the spring is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

A haunting, twisty, and compulsively readable thrill ride from the author who Chris Bohjalian has dubbed the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson,” The Drowning Kind is a modern-day ghost story that illuminates how the past, though sometimes forgotten, is never really far behind us.

REVIEW:

I almost didn’t request this thriller because the plot above seemed to be the standard “girl returns home after sister dies in mysterious circumstances and she discovers deadly family secrets” trope and I wasn’t sure it would be interesting enough. However, the book’s blurb doesn’t do it justice.

The story is part mystery, part thriller, part family drama, part paranormal, and part horror story. It’s got layers upon layers upon layers that peel back like onion skin and couldn’t take the familiar trope further from its gothic roots. I even googled the setting of Brandenburg, Vermont to see if there had ever been “haunted” mineral springs there related to a hotel.

The author does an excellent job of portraying bipolar disorder in both Jax’s older sister and her father. So often this illness is mocked or belittled, and I was happy to see it written with an eye to how it affects both family members and the one’s who struggle to live with it.

The dual timeline of Lexie’s (older sister) research into their ancestor’s story and links to the mineral springs revealed the genetic link to mental illness, as well as the springs “haunted” lore and affects on people who came to use its waters as both cure and comfort.

The ending was one I didn’t see coming and that’s all I ask of a great thriller. Keep it rolling right up until the end and shock me. This book is SO much more than what the blurb gives it credit for…you won’t be disappointed!  I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 5 stars.

Egyptian Princess: A Story of Hagar by KD Holmberg

Two women, one ancient Egyptian harem, and the daring decision that changed the course of history.

In the opulent court of Egypt’s tenth dynasty, Princess Hagar has always known her destiny. One day, she will marry the Crown Prince Merikare and become the Great Royal Wife, the most powerful woman in Egypt. But dark dreams afflict Hagar the moment she hears of the latest addition to Pharaoh’s harem: the stunning, iridescent Sumerian, Sarai.  Princess Hagar feels a powerful presence around the Sumerian woman. Hagar suspects Sarai has brought black magic into the palace—but what can she do to convince Pharaoh?

The intrigue of Pharaoh’s court pales in comparison to that swirling in the Royal House of Women among the wives, children, and concubines of the king. Sarai’s arrival upsets the already precarious balance.  Loyalties divide, and betrayal, jealousy, and tragedy plague the once peaceful household. When a series of disasters befalls Egypt, Hagar must make a daring decision, and the stakes could not be higher. She could lose everything—her position, her power, her family, and even her life.

Torn between the silent gods of Egypt and the powerful presence that surrounds Sarai, Hagar’s world falls apart around her. She must acknowledge the terrible price of truth, and decide for herself who she will serve.

REVIEW:

I flew through this book in two days, and it’s not a short book. I read it on my phone when I couldn’t be on my Kindle. I’d never heard of the fact that Hagar, “Sarai’s Egyptian handmaiden”, as she’s described in the book of Genesis, was first a royal princess of Egypt and the twin of a Pharoah in the 10^th Century.

This is something not widely known in Christian denominations but is well known in Jewish and Islamic traditions. It’s written about in The Midrash (Gen. R. xlv.) which states: Hagar was the daughter of Pharaoh, who, seeing what great miracles God had done for Sarah’s sake (Gen. xii.17), said: “It is better for Hagar to be a handmaid in Sarah’s house than a mistress in her own.” The Midrash is an ancient Rabbinic interpretation of scripture. There is also reference to Hagar in the Ancient Book of Jasher, known as The Book of Wisdom. Jasher was in the original King James Version of the Bible in 1611 AD and in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but is no longer included in the Biblical Canon.

In Islamic tradition, Hagar and her son Ishmael (by Abraham) are considered to be ancestors of their prophet Mohammed, and there are many miracles attributed to Hagar, which neither the Torah nor the Midrashim refer to.

So, now that we know where the author got her fascinating premise for the book (and she explains her research more in detail at the back of it), her impeccable details of Egyptian life at the time of Abram and Sarai arriving during the famine are fascinating. When Abram lies about Sarai being his wife and says she’s his sister so that they might be spared death at Pharaoh’s hand, Sarai and Hagar become friends in The House of Royal Women.

If you love Biblical fiction, this book surpasses most in terms of its historical detail and research. I loved the care the author took in developing the characters and showing how limited a woman’s life was, even though she was one of the most powerful in the land. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I bought my own copy on a whim, as I’m usually disappointed by the lack of depth in Biblical fiction. I’m anxious to read the next book in the series, which is coming out from Mountain Brook Ink in 2022. 5 Stars.

The post Saturday Book Reviews appeared first on Laurie Wood Author.

Welcome to the Blog, Nola! Tell us a little bit about yourself:

Thanks for inviting me on the blog today, Laurie. I was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, but I’ve lived in a large inland town in southeast Queensland for more than 30 years. My husband Tim and I were both lecturers at the local university for more than 20 years. In 2013 we left those jobs and started a home-based freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish. Since then, I’ve focused more on my writing and I’m enjoying the freedom of being more creative. I write fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, and have had more than 150 short pieces published. Scattered is my first novel.

Describe your story in 5 sentences or less:

Nineteen-year-old Maggie sets sail for Nova Scotia in 1882 to search for her young brother and sister who were mistakenly sent to Canada as part of the Home Children Migrant Scheme. She’s shipwrecked en route, and the trail to find her siblings has gone cold by the time she reaches Halifax. An industrialist offers her assistance, but he has his own reasons for keeping Maggie’s siblings from her. With the help of a dashing newspaperman, she starts sorting through the secrets and lies, but lives will be on the line as they continue their quest. There’s adventure, mystery, and romance along the way, and Maggie has to learn to trust God no matter the outcome.

What is the inspiration behind your story?

The story was inspired by two separate incidents on a trip to Canada in 2012. First, I learned that Sable Island was known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic because more than 350 ships had been wrecked there. They weren’t running tours to Sable Island at the time, but I became fascinated with the shipwrecks, the lifesaving station and its colony of wild horses. Then when we went to Prince Edward Island, I heard about a man called John Willoughby who had helped reunite many of the descendants of the British Home Children with their families. It took me a while to work out how I could weave all of those elements into a plot, but the seeds of the story were planted.

What book do you wish you would have written?

I may as well start at the top and say To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it as 16-year-old because it was required reading for school, but I loved it. Coming from Australia, I knew very little about the Civil Rights Movement at that stage, and it was an eye-opener for me. I could feel the injustice as an innocent man was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. The subplot with Boo Radley also touched me because it showed how easy it is to misjudge someone because they’re different. To write a book that challenges injustice and still resonates with readers decades later would be my dream.

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

As the story is set in 1882, I was always discovering something new. Some of them were pleasant surprises, but others had me pulling my hair out. For example, for the first few years that I was writing Scattered, my villain was going to operate a trade route between Halifax and Boston. Then I discovered almost by chance that there were high tariffs at the time, making it unlikely that he would embark on such a venture. So I had to do a lot of research to work out where he could have gone instead. In the end, I think it worked out better for the plot, but I had to completely rewrite large chunks of the story.

Who was your favorite character to create?

I’d have to say my heroine, Maggie. She has depths of resilience she never dreamed she could have. As I got to know her better and saw her working through the many obstacles placed in her path, it also made me wonder what I would do in her situation. She has to grapple with God and come to accept that when things are at rock bottom, He is the one who will never let her down. I think it’s a lesson we all need to learn at some point.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

I’m a tweener. I like to have the main plot points in place so that I know where I’m heading, but I also like some of it to emerge organically as I write. I’m trying to do more plotting for my next novel before I begin, but I’ll never be the kind of person who has it all mapped out in minute detail beforehand.

Are you part of a writing group?

Yes, and I couldn’t get by without them. My main writing group, The Quirky Quills, have been with me through thick and thin and we’ve all encouraged each other on our writing journeys. We all live in the same town, so manage to catch up regularly. However, I’m also involved in some wonderfully supportive Christian online communities—Christian Writers Downunder, Omega Writers, and Australasian Christian Writers.

What’s next for you as an author?

I’m currently plotting a sequel that will take place 13 years after the first novel. I don’t want to say too much at this stage, but the heroine will be one of the secondary characters from Book 1. I also have some smaller projects on the go, including a series of devotions on lessons learned from COVID-19 that we can take with us into the future.

Here is Nola’s stunning cover for SCATTERED and a brief excerpt:

This section is from Chapter 1:

The lifeboat slammed into the water, bow first, sending a wash of white foam over their feet. The stern slapped down a second later, jolting Maggie sideways. Essie and Ruby howled, but Maggie could do little except hold them. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t breathe.

The rope attached to the stern snapped and recoiled like an angry snake. Maggie’s head whipped around to the bow where one remaining line tethered the lifeboat. Each wave twisted their stricken vessel, threatening to smash it against the crippled Excelsior.

‘I can’t free the line.’ Higgins leaned over the side to get a better reach. ‘It must be snagged.’

A surge of water rammed the lifeboat, crushing Higgins against the side of the ship. A cry ripped from Maggie’s lips as she reached for him. The line released. Higgins slid into the murky sea.

Mrs Plowhurst beat her chest with her hands. ‘We’re doomed. We’re all doomed.’ Maggie’s heartbeat ratcheted up. The lifeboat’s oars were still on the deck of the Excelsior, and she and Mrs Plowhurst were adrift with the children. There were no words to offer. No hope to give.

Bubbling foam cascaded over their feet. The lifeboat twisted and jerked, each wave propelling them away from the ship. Mrs Plowhurst scrunched her face up like a sponge. ‘I’m not ready to meet my Maker.’ She tucked her arms around her heaving bosom and rocked back and forth.

Edward crawled towards Maggie, putting distance between himself and his hysterical mother.

‘We’ll be all right, ma’am,’ Maggie said. ‘They’ll launch the other boat and come after us.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, Maggie knew they were untrue. There was a gaping hole in the ship’s hull a little above the waterline. Their lifeboat was drifting further and further away. No one could rescue them.

A roar rumbled across the sea. Maggie squinted through the pre-dawn haze as the ghostly silhouette of the Excelsior broke in two. The stern reared up before plunging beneath the waves.

The orange splash of daybreak set the ocean ablaze, the captain and remaining crew lost to its fiery cauldron.

Here’s the back cover copy of the book:

To lose her family was unthinkable …

To find them will take a miracle.

While working in Europe, nineteen-year-old Maggie never dreamed that her family would be ripped apart and scattered across the sea, with her young brother and sister sent to Canada as part of the Home Children Migrant Scheme.

Desperation sends Maggie on a search from England to Canada, with a harrowing shipwreck leaving her stranded on Sable Island. Eventually arriving in Halifax, Maggie is devastated to discover the trail to find her sister and brother has gone cold.

An offer of help from industrialist Thaddeus Tharaday seems like an answer to prayer, but is the wealthy Tharaday her benefactor or nemesis?

With the help of a dashing newspaper reporter, Maggie begins to unravel the web of deceit surrounding her siblings’ disappearance. However, the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her quest becomes.

With lives on the line and the threat of everything she loves being torn away, can Maggie entrust the scattered pieces of her heart to the one who will never leave?

Set in Victorian-era Nova Scotia, Scattered weaves together elements of mystery, adventure, faith and romance to take readers on a journey of hope and courage that will resonate with their hearts today.

You can find Nola online here:

Website: www.nolalorraine.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolalorraine

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nolalorraine1

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/nolalorraine1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20499007.Nola_Lorraine

You can buy SCATTERED here:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Scattered-Nola-Lorraine-ebook/dp/B08CCSVGY3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Book Depository – https://www.bookdepository.com/Scattered-Nola-Lorraine/9781922135506

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scattered-nola-lorraine/1137329715?ean=9781922135506

OR you can WIN a free PRINT copy by leaving a comment below…have you ever heard of the Home Children Migrant Scheme? This was still going on in the mid-1900’s. My own husband’s paternal grandparents came over as older children and met when they were teenagers working on Canadian farms. Join in on the conversation!

The post Author Interview & Giveaway with Nola Lorraine appeared first on Laurie Wood Author.

Welcome to my blog, Barbara! Please, tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m a wife and a mom who enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. I also enjoy history. My first Historical released over the summer.

I live in Wisconsin, but my father was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia. He met my mom when his flight squadron was in San Francisco doing joint maneuvers with the U.S. Air Force. My childhood vacations were spent on Vancouver Island with family.

Can you describe your story in 5 sentences or less?

Josephine is a seamstress extraordinaire devoted to her family and a complicated veteran.

Geoff is a wounded warrior who needs a delicate push to grab hold of life again.

Riley is an abandoned dog who finds a home in the making.

What is the inspiration behind your story?

For my twentieth wedding anniversary, my family took a cruise to Alaska. We traveled to the Taku Glacier Lodge outside of Juneau on a cruise ship excursion. While we ate lunch in the lodge, I heard how a WWI veteran and his caregiver had stayed in the lodge after the war. The pair was cut off from Juneau when the Taku River froze during winter. A man and a woman alone in a lodge? That is how the story of “Until June” began.

What was the catalyst for your interest in writing?

I have always enjoyed writing stories. I was the kid in class that when the teacher gave a writing assignment, my mind was off thinking of stories to write while my classmates groaned. Throughout my schooling, no one ever mentioned going into writing as a career. Many years later, I was teaching chapel to elementary students. I had kindergarten through fifth grade all at one time. I spent a lot of time modifying curriculum about Bible stories for the vast age range I taught. One day I prayed, “Lord, hit me with some creativity.” God did. I wrote my lessons and continued writing novels. I didn’t start writing Biblical Fiction until my fourth manuscript and that was the first book that received a publishing contract.

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

I have worked on “Until June” for over ten years. It was the second novel that I finished, but I had a lot to learn about the craft of writing and the publishing business before the manuscript would be good enough to sell.  Through conversations with literary agents and writing friends, I learned my characters were too far apart in age, their stay at the lodge was too long (originally 3 years), and I had to end my chapters with conflict. All my chapters ended with my characters going to bed. Boring endings mean a reader can put your book down and never pick it up again.

The title also changed over the years. “Left for Dead Lodge” was the original title and makes one think of a horror movie. “War Torn Hearts” came next. My Mom loved this one. I finally settled on “Until June” because Josephine agrees to take care of Geoff at the lodge until June. Enough time for the pandemic of 1918 to pass.

Are you part of a writing group?

Yes, definitely. If you are an aspiring author, don’t be afraid to let other writers read your story. Trusted critique partners can offer insight and help with your plot or characters. You do not want an editor or agent to be the first person reading your manuscript.

I find writing groups through my professional organizations and contacts with other writers. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of my writing friends. They keep me motivated and give fantastic advice to help my story be the best it can be.

What’s next for you as an author?

A vacation—literally. I have had three books release in 2020 which has made life pretty busy. I am working on another Biblical story and doing promotion for my last release (Until June) since the print release was delayed due to Covid-19.

Here is the lovely cover of Until June, along with a short excerpt:

Josephine bunched up her pillow and tried not to think of anything. Not swears from an injured man. Not the ache from her injury. Not the confrontation with her stepfather. Nothing. Going home and getting back to work on her patterns was her responsibility.

“Water girl?”

She bolted into a sitting position and immediately regretted the sudden movement. She knew that haggard voice. Had she misunderstood the summons? She listened intently as if for the squeak of a mouse.

The man called to her again.

Oh, why did she listen? She knew why. Few were the nights her mother didn’t call out from pain.

Her hand trembled slightly as she poured a glass of water. For a few minutes, she stared at the glass. The last time she played nurse the man had shouted at her. She didn’t even know what some of the names meant. Looking at the ceiling, she said, “Remember this, Lord.”

A quick peek into the hallway showed no sign of a wayward Mrs. Prescott. She shuffled carefully toward the stranger’s door and positioned herself near the entrance to his dimly lit room.

“You came,” he said, his voice strangled and rough.

“I came to ease my conscience and to get some sleep.” She offered him the water glass. He took it from her but didn’t drink.

“I need two white pills.” He pointed to a metal box on top of a tall armoire. “My caretaker’s sick.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I’ll get in trouble.’’

“It’s just an aspirin, Runt. Read the label.”

How dare he insult her? Josephine crossed her arms, crushing all the mail-order bows on her gown, and drew to her full height—five feet nothing.

“I am not a runt.”

“Short hair, short body, short legs, you’re a runt. Now, get me that pill.” He pushed his body higher against the headboard. “Do it,” he demanded. “I hurt.” His tone softened.

An upholstered chair sat next to the armoire. Couldn’t he—? Her hand tingled with memory. I didn’t touch a long leg. She hesitated as her pulse hammered against her veins.

Do it. Don’t. Do it. Don’t. Do it. Don’t.

She met his gaunt-eyed gaze and carefully climbed onto the chair. The last thing she needed was to fall and hit her head again. She reached for the metal box and opened it. Rows of bottles and a stack of syringes filled the little chest. She picked up a copper tinted bottle from the left-hand side.

“It’s on the right,” he coached. “Don’t mess with that bottle. The doctor counts those narcotics. If you give me any more of that tonight, you may not get out of here alive.”

You can buy this book here: 

Purchase link on Amazon (Canada).

Where can readers find you online?

I have a website www.barbarambritton.com and I am active on Facebook and Twitter. I also have a Goodreads profile. I love to hear from readers.

Thanks so much for being here today, Barbara! A question for readers:

Have you been somewhere on vacation that would make a great story?

The post Author Interview with Barbara Britton appeared first on Laurie Wood Author.