Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Refrain Within by Liz Tolsma

Book: The Refrain Within

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: WWII Fiction

Release Date: September 29, 2020

To save a life, would you betray everyone you love?

Hungary in 1944 is a dark place. The Nazis have invaded and turned the country upside down, their evil making its way into every life.

Clarinetist Eva Bognar is engaged to conductor and composer Patrik Kedves, happily planning her wedding. At first she doesn’t think the war will affect her directly; everyone around her can be trusted to do the right thing. Then her Jewish best friend and sister-in-law Zofia goes missing–and instead of the Gestapo being to blame, a friend says it was Patrik who led Zofia away. Has he betrayed Eva and everything the family stands for?

When the rest of the family’s lives are directly threatened, Patrik’s secrets must come to light. The Bognars flee for the border in hopes of getting out of the country to the safety of Palestine. Eva must put her life and the lives of everyone she loves in the hands of the very man who betrayed her–and they may not all make it out of the war alive . . .

 

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoy Historical Fiction and Author Liz Tolsma is one for my favorite for this genre. I was drawn into The Refrain Within from the first couple of pages. I started reading and didn't stop until I was done. 

The book is set in Hungary in 1944, and the Nazis have invaded. Eva Bognar, a Clarinetist is in the midst of planning her upcoming wedding to Conductor and Composer, Patrik Kedves. She is happy and joyous, even thinking the events around her won't affect her. Eva's Sister-in-Law, Zofia, goes missing. Eva is told something that she doesn't want to believe, that Patrik might be involved in Zofia's missing case. Eva's family is being threatened and must go into hiding. Has Patrik Betrayed Eva? Will Zofia be found safe? What secrets does Patrik have? Will there still be a wedding? 

The Refrain Within is Book 3 in the Music of Hope series. Although, I somehow missed the first 2 books in this series, this is a GREAT Standalone book. Liz Tolsma really did her research and the book is true to the time period of WWII and 1944. I always learn new things when reading Historical Fiction and that is another reason I really enjoyed this book. GREAT BOOK! 

 

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She’s married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.

 

More from Liz

This is the third book in a series all set around music. The first heroine, Anna in The Melody of the Soul, was a violinist. The second heroine, Natia in When the Heart Sings, sang beautifully. So what did I choose for this heroine?

When I was in fifth grade, the band teacher from the middle school came to our class and encouraged us to join. She brought instruments with her for us to try. I really wanted to play the flute. I thought it was very feminine. But all the girls wanted to play that, and I would have to be really good to get a good chair. So I decided on the clarinet. I played all through middle school and high school, making first chair a couple of times. I participated in marching band and in solo and ensemble contests, earning a couple of first places in state competitions. Even after my “career” ended, I continued to play from time to time. I still play in church. I love the rich, full sound of the instrument. When played well, the clarinet is beautiful. It can be playful and happy or dark and sad. It can skip and it can cry. I’m very glad now that I chose the clarinet instead of the flute.

That’s why the heroine of The Refrain Within plays the clarinet. In fact, she comes from a family of clarinet makers, and her family stamp on the barrel of a clarinet means a great deal to her. As God would have it, my editor, Janyre Tromp, is also a clarinet player. Between the two of us, we worked hard bring out the unique aspects of playing clarinet, like the callous that forms on the inside of your bottom lip.

Eva is a special character to me because we share this passion for the clarinet. There have been many times throughout my life that my clarinet has skipped with me and plenty of times when it has cried with me. Music is God’s beautiful gift to us, and I thank Him for the opportunity to share some of that with you in The Refrain Within.

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 23

Among the Reads, October 23

Maureen’s Musings, October 23

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 24

Texas Book-aholic, October 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 25

deb’s Book Review, October 25

21st Century Keeper at Home, October 25

By The Book, October 26

lakesidelivingsite, October 26

A Baker’s Perspective, October 26

Inklings and notions, October 27

CarpeDiem, October 27

Mary Hake, October 27

For Him and My Family, October 28

Reflections From My Bookshelves, October 28

Emily Yager, October 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 29

Older & Smarter?, October 29

Genesis 5020, October 29

Betti Mace, October 30

Christian Bookaholic, October 30

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 30

Artistic Nobody, October 31 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Simple Harvest Reads, October 31 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Rebecca Tews, November 1

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 1

Connie’s History Classroom, November 2

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, November 2

Splashes of Joy, November 2

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, November 3

As He Leads is Joy, November 3

Bigreadersite, November 3

Pause for Tales, November 4

Hallie Reads, November 4

Southern Gal Loves to Read, November 4

Amanda Tero, author, November 5

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 5

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, November 5

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/102a9/the-refrain-within-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: The Refrain Within by Liz Tolsma

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Ruby Moon by Jenny Knipfer

Book: Ruby Moon

Author: Jenny Knipfer

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: October 2019

 

Ruby Moon embodies a tale of grief, guilt, and redemption…

On the shores of Lake Superior in Ontario during the mid 1890’s, Jenay, a young woman of mixed French and Ojibwe descent, must survive the trauma of causing a horrific accident.

Amidst this drama, Jenay is caught in a web spun by Renault, a rich, charming man who once threatened ruination of her father’s shipping company but now seeks something even more valuable…

Jenay must find where her strength lies in order to face the challenges life brings her or be washed away like driftwood on the tumultuous shores of Lake Superior. Life’s richest dramas are played out under the banner of two ruby colored moons and become the hidden gems which forge her into a mature strong woman. Jenay realizes God is by her side, using even the harsh events of life to create something precious in her.

Fans of historical fiction, Christian historical fiction, split-timelines, and mystery will enjoy this stimulating read!

 

Click here to get your copy!

 Historical Fiction and Romance are genres that I really enjoy reading. I have to say this particular book took me a bit to really get into it, as it didn't seem like it had much Historical storyline to it. A few chapters in, I started getting moreinto the book as the Storyline was reflecting more of the Historical Fiction aspect.

Jenay, is a young, half-French, half Ojibwe woman woman who is dealing with the aftermath and pain of causing an accident that was very traumatic. Jenay is trying to deal with life at hand and then things get interesting. Renault, a man who once tried to destroy her Father's Shipping company, enters her life once again. Renault has one thing in mind and that is to win the heart of Jenay. Will Jenay learn to deal with trauma that is on her heart? Does Jenay trust Renault after his past with her family? Will there be a romantic connection between her and Renault? 

Ruby Moon is Book in the By the Light of the Moon series. I must admit, once I started understanding the storyline, I couldn't put the book down. The story flowed  nicely and was a very interesting and unique book. The Christian aspect and Bible verses throughout help tell the story and strength of the characters. I really enjoyed Ruby Moon and I am looking forward to reading more of this series. GREAT BOOK! 

 

 

Jenny lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Ken and their pet Yorkie, Ruby. She is also a mom and loves being a grandma. She enjoys many creative pursuits but finds writing the most fulfilling.

Jenny’s education background stems from psychology, music, and cultural missions. She spent many years as a librarian in a local public library but recently switched to using her skills as a floral designer in a retail flower shop. She is now retired from work due to disability.

She authored and performed a self-published musical CD entitled, Scrapbook of a Closet Poet.

She holds membership in the: Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, Historical Novel Society, Wisconsin Writers Association, Indie Christian Publishing Association, and Independent Book Publishers Association.

Jenny’s favorite place to relax is by the western shore of Lake Superior, where her novel series, By The Light of the Moon, is set. She has self-published the first two books, Ruby Moon and Blue Moon in her four-part series. Two more novels to complete the series are planned for 2020. She is currently writing a new historical fiction series called, Sheltering Trees.

Keep current with Jenny by visiting her website at https://jennyknipfer.com.

 

More from Jenny

The Creation of Ruby

 

All things have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Let me share a glimpse of Ruby Moon’s creation with you.

The Beginning: 

Ruby Moon, the first book in my series: By the Light of the Moon, began many years ago—twenty in fact— with a hot, sticky July evening, a red moon, and a premise: what it would be like to recover from the guilt of being involved in an accidental death. Someone I knew had dealt with that same issue not long before.

Yes, I really did see a red moon on that July evening and while doing a mundane task of taking the garbage out. The image of the otherworldly blood-red sphere hanging above the treetops stuck with me, and before I got into bed that night, I wrote the opening scene to what would become Ruby Moon.

The Middle:

Insert life, kids, and a job into the picture. These took up the great portion of what I call my “author in the making” years. For a while I scribbled out Jenay’s story, but my life and family in general took precedence. Her story waited in the depths of our old IBM computer for just the right time.

Jenay is my main character and the crux of the novel revolves around how she handles the horrific accident, which takes someone’s life. Her help comes from several avenues. One being her ability to express her thoughts by journaling, which becomes an important part of Ruby Moon. I split the timeline, in which Jenay relays her own thoughts in a present tense and a third-person multiple perspective picks up the rest until the timelines converge on the fateful night.

When I first started Jenay’s story in Ruby Moon, I didn’t know what it was to grief or how the harsh places of life can gouge you out until hardly anything remains but hope or despair. Eventually, that’s where I found myself.

During that time, I expressed myself through writing songs, poems, and endless diary entries. I’d also started several blogs, back when blogging first started to be the cool thing to do. However, it wasn’t until a serious health crisis arrived on the scene that Ruby Moon emerged from her hiding place.

The Ending or Fruition:

In 2015 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. My life since has been a series of ups and downs, but through it all I’ve tried to keep my eyes focused on God and the bigger picture. I drew from my past trials, knowing that He wouldn’t allow anything to come to me that wouldn’t bring Him glory and help me to grow.

On the day I had to quit my job as a floral designer because of my disability, I thought of Ruby Moon (I didn’t know the title then) and picked up where I left off at chapter 5. Over several months the rest of the book poured out of me, like water expressed from a sponge, as if I’d held Jenay’s story within me the whole time.

After months of revisions and with a hope and a prayer, I started down the publishing path. In hindsight I wish I’d been more patient and tried the querying path for a longer time before striking out on the indie road, but such is life. We can only move forward not back.

Now:

Here I am, with you. Thank you for reading about my writing journey. I hope that you’ll be able to pick up one or all of my books. If you read and like them, please tell a friend or family member about them.

It’s my mission to not only entertain my readers with a well-written story but to leave them encouraged and inspired afterward, which I hope you will be.

Please visit my website at jennyknipfer.com to learn more about me, my books, and how you can connect with me.

Blessings, Jenny

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 21

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 22

Inklings and notions, October 23

A Baker’s Perspective, October 24 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, October 24

Texas Book-aholic, October 25

For Him and My Family, October 26

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 27

lakesidelivingsite, October 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 28

Artistic Nobody, October 29 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Connie’s History Classroom, October 30

Sara Jane Jacobs, October 31

Godly Book Reviews, November 1

Stories By Gina, November 2 (Author Interview)

CarpeDiem, November 2

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3

To celebrate her tour, Jenny is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10262/ruby-moon-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Ruby Moon by Jenny Knipfer

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Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: A Christmas Tale for Little Women by Linda Brooks Davis

Book: A Christmas Tale for Little Women

Author: Linda Brooks Davis

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: September 15, 2020

Broadview is attired for Christmas. Oklahoma heiress, Adelaide Fitzgerald, is hosting two young girls who have chosen to celebrate Christmas with Auntie Addie rather than their family in Colorado.

Adelaide must give these girls a Christmas like no other. Has she thought of everything? What would top off this holiday in an extraordinary way?

The answer lies just the other side of Rock Creek. But what will it take for her to realize it is the Christmas topper she’s been seeking?

It’s 1912, and Adelaide Fitzgerald’s view of Christmas is about to emerge as a tale for a lifetime.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I have been a fan of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott since I was a little girl. Classic books are so comforting to read and enjoy. I also enjoy reading bookswith a Christmas theme or time of the year. This book combines both of thosetype of stories into one book. Linda Brooks Davis has her own version of a Little Women type of book. 

The time is 1912 and Adelaide Fitzgerald is hosting her 2 nieces for the holidayseason. The Girls chose to forgo a European Christmas as they wanted time with their Aunt. Aunt Addie wants to make this a Christmas they will never forget. The town of Broadview is decorated wonderfully and the town is getting into the Christmas spirit. Addie learns of a family in the town next door who is really struggling this holiday season, as the day lost his job. Addie and her nieces decide to help this family in need and they gather the Community together to help also. Some towns people are a little leary of helping others, but Addie's spirit is about showing the love of Jesus. Will Addie and her nieces have an unforgettable Christmas through helping others? Will the townspeople rally and help this family? 

I truly enjoyed this book. It is Book #3 of the Rock Creek Christmas Collection. I have not read the first 2 in this series, but it is a GREAT Stand Alone book. It is short Novella and I finished it in one reading, not only because it was short, but because it was soo good! GREAT book! 

 

Linda Brooks Davis is a lifelong Texan who devoted 40 years to special education as a therapist, teacher, and administrator. She retired in 2008 and now writes full time.

Linda’s debut novel, Amazon best-selling The Calling of Ella McFarland, Book One in the Women of Rock Creek series, is set in 1905 Indian Territory prior to Oklahoma statehood. It won Jerry Jenkins Operation First Novel in 2014 and subsequently, ACFW’s Carol award for debut novel 2016. The sequel novella, A Christmas to Remember, is set in 1908 Oklahoma. A second novella, A Christmas Measure of Love, is set in 1910 and is the prequel to Linda’s second full-length novel, which is set in 1914, Amazon best-selling The Mending of Lillian Cathleen, Book Two. The third novella, A Christmas Tale for Little Women, releases in 2020 and is set in 1912. It is a prequel to Book 3 in The Women of Rock Creek series, The Awakening of Miss Adelaide, which is set in 1918.

Linda and her beloved husband Al worship and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and dote on six grandchildren. Readers may contact Linda through her website, www.lindabrooksdavis.com.

 

More from Linda

Everyone worked at my home on a South Texas farm near the U.S. border with Mexico.

 

My playmates were children of Hispanic laborers. Language never hindered playing la casa, making mud pies, or rocking los bebés. Frijoles and tamales served from stewpots over open fires tasted delicioso in either language. I learned outside their homes a broom works great on hardened soil.

 

Daddy paid workers on Saturdays, some by the hour, others by production. Lining up, they extended their hands, and he laid cash across their open palms. They checked the figures they had scribbled on paper scraps, trusting el patrón to correct discrepancies. Humble, grateful people, they showed respect.

 

My father verified immigration paperwork for those whom he housed. Others lived in the shadows, arriving around sunup and disappearing before sundown. Each evening a car or truck would rattle alongside the field, and the shadow worker would slip inside. Then the vehicle would clatter toward the horizon. And returned another day.

 

Occasionally, however, an alarm shouted in Spanish would sound across the field. Dropping his cotton sack, a worker would dash toward the cotton trailer in the turn row. Like hounds burrowing under a house, he and a compadre would leap over the trailer’s sides and dig a hole in the freshly picked cotton. The first crawled in, and the other covered him.

 

The immigration officer making his rounds would walk into the field and occasionally stomp around inside the trailer, searching for man-sized lumps. I never witnessed the discovery of a shadow worker, but I heard about them on other farms. Worst of all, I heard about tragedies. With very little oxygen between tightly packed fluffs of cotton, a man could suffocate and occasionally would. I wondered what would lead a man to take such chances and how my law-abiding, God-loving father justified his complicity. So, I asked, and he answered, “Desperation, sugar. All they want is work. A man wants to provide for his family wherever or however he can. I can’t turn them away.”

 

Sounded like work was a gift. Huh? my ten-year-old brain asked itself.

 

Years later, I understood this principle. The second chapter of Genesis shows us that God created man not to laze around all day, but to work.

 

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

 

Therefore, not only in “the beginning,” but on our farm in 1956, a man’s strength to work was God’s gift. The opportunity to work was Daddy’s gift to the men. The fruit of each man’s labor was the gift he sent home each week and the fulfillment of his need to provide for his family.

 

At Christmas we enjoyed preparing bushel baskets of meats, fruits and vegetables, candy and nuts, and toys for each family. I wondered about those who stayed around for a single day. Would their children find fruits, nuts, or even a piece of candy on Christmas morning?

 

Answers evaded me then—-as they do now—-but as a writer in my eighth decade of life, one truth I hold onto is that the strength for each day of writing and less pain in my arthritic hands and back are gifts from God. Each opportunity to write is an opportunity not only to entertain but to inspire readers to seek God in their everyday lives. Each word, unique turn of a phrase, or plot idea . . . is my gift to Him.

 

Protecting our safety is a far more complicated endeavor in 2020 than it was in 1956. Threats arise like none presented five decades ago, but work is still a gift. God wired it into our DNA. Come to think of it, the ideas for A Christmas Tale for Little Women and the subsequent novel—one set in the southern tip of Texas, a story about a loving, destitute man who wants only to provide for his family—are gifts.

 

Those diligent workers of 1956 and other years deserve a story that honors them. My gift to them and to Him is A Christmas Tale for Little Women.

 

Thank you, Lord.

 

Note: Photos from Pixabay

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 20

Blogging With Carol, October 20

Through the Lens of Scripture, October 21

Connect in Fiction, October 21

Get Cozy Book Nook, October 21

She Lives To Read, October 22

Artistic Nobody, October 22 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

For Him and My Family, October 23

deb’s Book Review, October 23

Splashes of Joy, October 23

Connie’s History Classroom, October 24

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 24

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 25

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, October 25

Mary Hake, October 25

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 26

Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 26

KarenSueHadley, October 27

lakesidelivingsite, October 27

Pause for Tales, October 27

Older & Smarter?, October 28

Inklings and notions, October 28

Betti Mace, October 29

Captive Dreams Window, October 29

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 30

CarpeDiem, October 30

Texas Book-aholic, October 31

Batya’s Bits, October 31

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 1

Moments, November 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 1 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 2

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 2

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of all 6 eBooks in the The Women of Rock Creek Series!! (The Calling of Ella McFarland, A Christmas to Remember, A Christmas Measure of Love, The Mending of Lillian Cathleen, A Christmas Tale for Little Women, and The Awakening of Miss Adelaide)

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10264/a-christmas-tale-for-little-women-celebration-tour-giveaway

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: A Christmas Tale for Little Women by Linda Brooks Davis

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