Cover for Hope Rising!

HOPE RISING, Book 2 in my Of Love and War series, has a cover - and a very lovely one, I think. :) The art team at Grand Central does such a fabulous job with these. The book releases mid-December.

If you haven't yet entered my Goodreads giveaway for one of three, free copies of HOPE AT DAWN, Book 1, there's still time to enter before the giveaway closes on April 29th. HOPE AT DAWN releases in a little over two months - June 24th. I seriously can't wait!

WWI Tidbit - Fashion

The start of WWI marked the end of the Edwardian era - a period of lavish clothing and small waistlines. As the Great War raged on, women's hemlines crept up to mid-calf and the clothes took on a looser fit.

McCall's patterns -  fashion plate

Military inspired clothing became popular. Shoes were no longer the tall, laced boots of the past - now there were different styles and colors of high-heeled pumps to choose from.

source

The majority of women still kept their hair long - the popular 1920's bob was still a little ways off for most women - but they did wear their hair in such a way that it appeared to be much shorter.

While the opulent styles of the Edwardian era and the flapper styles of the Roaring 20's have long been popular, there's still real beauty and uniqueness to the fashion of the Great War.

What do you think of WWI fashion?

WWI Tidbit - War Posters

From now until HOPE AT DAWN releases on June 24th, I'm sharing WWI tidbits here on my blog! Today's is about war posters. 

War posters were all the rage during the Great War, inviting citizens to join the war effort, buy liberty bonds during loan drives, support the troops, etc. This particular poster plays a part in Livy and Friedrick's story in HOPE AT DAWN.

This is one of my favorites from Great Britain at the time!

While many of these propaganda posters inspired American citizens to greater patriotism, others may have contributed to a growing fear and mistrust of German-Americans during WWI. HOPE AT DAWN explores the anti-German sentiment that swept the nation during America's involvement in the Great War and the role propaganda may have played in this.

Would these war posters have inspired you?

*Want to win one of three advanced reader copies of HOPE AT DAWN? Then enter my Goodreads giveaway by clicking the "enter to win" button at the right of this post!

My Recommendation: The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd

What It's About:

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend’s baby. She’ll risk everything to keep her word—even to the point of proposing to the child’s father—a sea captain she’s never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she’s forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them.

My Thoughts:
This book is beautifully written, with an almost lyrical tone to it. I liked the premise, the characters, the growing romance between Graham and Amelia and the rich Regency feel. I especially liked how both the main characters needed to grow in faith and trust and the knowledge we can't do everything on our own. I'm excited to read the second book in this series, too, which follows Graham's brother.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

My Recommendation: Made to Last by Melissa Tagg

What It's About:
Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that's how it looks when she's starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she'll do anything to boost ratings and save her show--even if it means pretending to be married to a man who's definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.
 
When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda's every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth--and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she's built come crashing down just as she's found a love to last?

My Thoughts:
I loved the twist on the typical marriage-of-convenience or fake husband story line in this book! Having a fake husband nearly means Miranda doesn't get the real love relationship she wants. There were funny moments and super sweet romantic moments. I liked the variety of characters and their personalities, and how both the hero and heroine had to figure out what they were willing to give up for what they wanted most. This is a fun, well-written contemporary romance!

Find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

My Famous Chocolate-Chip Cookies

A few weeks back someone asked me about my "famous chocolate-chip cookies," which I reference in my bio in LADY OUTLAW. I will readily admit I'm not much of a cook, but I CAN make chocolate-chip cookies that'll melt in your mouth and satisfy a chocolate craving. :) These are a staple in our house - and I like to believe they're fairly healthy because I add oatmeal to them, though you can't really taste it.

Because these are my favorite cookies - and I, unfortunately, cannot bake all of you a batch - I'm sharing the recipe here. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Chip Cookies

3 sticks of butter (softened)

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

1 ¼ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups oatmeal (blended to the consistency of flour)

2 ¼ cups white flour

Chocolate chips

Start by mixing the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Next blend the oatmeal—I do this in our blender—until it’s the consistency of flour. Mix the blended oatmeal and the white flour with everything else.  When the dough clumps together, it’s ready. The key to the right consistency of dough—and therefore to fantastic cookies—is the white flour. If the dough still seems wet or sticky, add another ¼ cup of flour until the dough doesn't stick to your fingers (too little flour=flat cookies; too much flour=clumpier cookies). Add chocolate chips next—I typically put in half a bag.

Form the dough into balls to place on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are turning golden brown. The cookies won’t necessarily look done, but once they have that slightly golden brown top, pull them out and set them on top of the oven to cool for another few minutes.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies—depending on how much dough is snitched prior to baking them. :) Most of them I’ll freeze in Ziploc bags to be enjoyed later. These cookies freeze really well, and when you want one, 15 - 20 seconds in the microwave softens them perfectly. 

Reasons to Smile!

1. I finished writing Book #3 of my WWI trilogy last week! It was a bitter-sweet moment. Sweet because I did it - this is the sixth book I've written overall. Bitter because I've spent the last year and a half getting to know these characters and writing their stories. And now all three books are written. But there'll be plenty of opportunities to visit them again as I work on edits and then get to share this trilogy with you! The first book is slated to release in March 2014.

2. It's a fall tradition for our family to can peaches in September, which we did again this year. Look at all those lovely bottles. They'll be perfect for cold weather.

3. The bookshelves my husband built for our family room have been installed and we'll start painting them today. I can't wait to get our books on there and hang the fabric banner I bought in England that spells out "read on."

4. Another family tradition in the fall is going to the state fair. This year, there was a super cool exhibit with these giant bubble makers. We need one of these at home!

5. I'm taking a short break from historical romance writing and working on a funny, contemporary romance I started a couple of years ago. I've also been solidifying a couple ideas for my next inspirational historical. I can't Not write. :)

What are some reasons you have to smile lately? What fall traditions do you keep?