January Book Giveaway!

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I love giving away books. Why? Because I can’t help but share the blessing of quality literature filled with hope.

This first month of 2025, I’m giving away Michelle Shocklee’s newest release, All We Thought We Knew. It features two timelines, one in 1969 and the other in 1942, and the main themes are family, love, secrets, and injustice.

To give you more info, here’s what’s on the back cover:

She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

Includes discussion guide for book groups

Standalone Southern, historical family drama about enduring hope amid personal tragedy

Clean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner or Lisa Wingate

Dual timeline set during the Vietnam War and WWII.

Sound good? Enter by clicking on the image below. On February 1, 2025, I’ll contact the winner and send a paperback copy of this wonderful book. Good luck!

How about a step back in time?

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When was the last time you allowed yourself to be caught up in another time period?

Can’t remember?

I totally understand! It’s hard to make time to read, especially uninterrupted time. For some unknown reason (or guilt) we allow ourselves to tend to others’ needs and ignore our own. Relaxation? Rest? That’s for other people, right?

Only, it’s not. In Genesis chapter 2, God rested after he completed his work the prior six days. Verse 3 says, “God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.” (CSB)

Friend, if God considers resting holy, we should, too.

Okay, that’s settled, then! How will you rest?

Wait—I have an idea! Let’s read. Be it reading on the sofa, at the beach, in the mountains, or in a sudsy bathtub, let’s commit to resting our minds by allowing them to travel to another place and time.

And I’ve got just the books to send you on your way. I thought it would be fun to categorize them according to home furnishing styles.

Here are the categories: Mid-century modern, Early American, Farmhouse, Victorian, English cottage. I’ve linked the books to their description in Amazon (I have no affiliation with Amazon or anyone else). Have fun, and let yourself be transported to happily ever after.

Mid-century Modern (mid-twentieth century)

Almost Home, by Valer Fraser Luesse (one of my all-time faves), WWII Alabama

The Finder of Forgotten Things, by Sarah Loudin Thomas, 1930’s, West Virginia

The All-American, by Susie Finkbeiner, 1950’s, Midwest

Until Leaves Fall in Paris, by Sarah Sundin, WWII, Paris

The Maid of Ballymacool, by Jennifer Deibel, 1930’s, Ireland

In This Moment, by Gabrielle Meyer, 1861,1941,2001, Washington, D.C.

Secrets of a Charmed Life, by Susan Meissner, WWII, England

Shadows in the Mind’s Eye, by Janeyre Tromp, post WWII, Arkansas

Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, 1930’s, England

Early American

Mountain Laurel, by Lori Benton, 1790’s, North Carolina

A Heart Adrift, by Laura Frantz, 1750’s, Virginia

The Rose and the Thistle, by Laura Frantz, 1715, Scotland

When the Day Comes, by Gabrielle Meyer, 1770’s, Colonial Williamsburg; 1914 New York City

Freedom’s Ring, by Heidi Chiavaroli

Farmhouse

The Moonlight School, by Suzanne Woods Fisher, 1911, Kentucky

My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel’s Dream, by Pepper Basham, 1918, North Carolina

The Gold in These Hills, by Joanne Bischof, 1902, California

A Worthy Pursuit, by Karen Witemeyer, 1892, Texas

Where the Road Bends, by Rachel Fordham, 1880’s, Iowa

Short Straw Bride, by Karen Witemeyer, 1880’s, Texas

Victorian

The Lady and the LionHeart, by Joanne Bischof, 1890, Virginia

The Love Note, by Joanna Davidson Politano, England, 1860’s

With This Pledge, by Tamera Alexander, 1860’s, Tennessee

Count the Nights by Stars, by Michelle Shocklee, 1897, Tennessee

Counterfeit Faith, by Crystal Caudill, 1885, Philadelphia

Veiled in Smoke, by Jocelyn Green, 1871, Chicago

English Cottage

A Rumored Fortune, by Joanna Davidson Politano, 1866, England

A Name Unknown, by Roseanna M. White, WWI, England

A Castaway in Cornwall, by Julie Klassen, Regency, England

To Treasure an Heiress, by Rosemary M. White, 1906, England

As Dawn Breaks, by Kate Breslin, WWI, England

No Ocean Too Wide, by Carrie Turansky, 1908, London

A Noble Masquerade, by Kristi Ann Hunter, Regency, England

The Elusive Miss Ellison, by Carolyn Miller, Regency, England

The Governess of Penwythe Hall, by Sarah E. Ladd, Regency, England

Creme Brulee, anyone?

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I love creme brulee, but I didn’t think I could make it at home because it was so delicate…and fancy. But when I saw this recipe on therecipecritic.com, I thought maybe I could do it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I’m so glad I did! It was absolutely delicious and totally doable. I’ve added a couple notes to the instructions to make it foolproof for you.

The next time you’d like to have a yummy, impressive dessert, try this!

Easy Creme Brulee (and no, it’s not an oxymoron!)

INGREDIENTS  

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (1/4 if you prefer less sweet)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar for topping

What tools you’ll need:

  • Glass measuring cup, large
  • small pot
  • rectangular glass casserole dish
  • 4 ramekins
  • small torch or broiler

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a small pot, heat cream over medium heat until hot but not boiling — small bubbles will appear just along the edge of the pot.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla — I like to do this in a large glass measuring cup for easy pouring! Note: if you don’t have a glass measuring cup, a bowl will do. Just be careful when pouring into ramekins.
  • When the cream is hot, add it to the egg yolk mixture a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. Why? Because if you add it all at once, you’ll have scrambled eggs! I added a very little bit and stirred like crazy before adding more.
  • Pour into 4, 7-8 ounce ramekins, (wider and shallower is better if you have them). I purchased my ramekins at Target, but you can find them lots of places, even grocery stores.
  • Place filled ramekins in a rectangular baking dish. You’re going to fill the baking dish with hot water until it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Be careful not to get any water in the custard! This is called a hot water bath.
  • Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-45 minutes. This will depend on how deep the custard is! (Smaller ramekins, deeper custard = longer bake time) The top will appear set but underneath it will still jiggle.
  • Very carefully take the ramekins out of the hot water so they don’t continue to cook.
  • Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until chilled. (You can wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days).
  • Sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and torch or broil just until caramelized. My husband used a larger torch that he uses for meat, and it was torch overdo, in my opinion. But either way, whether using a culinary torch or broiling in the oven, it doesn’t take long before the top hardens.

Let me know what you think!

Haystacks Candy recipe

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This is a quick and easy sweet treat. Not your run-of-the-mill snack, haystacks bring back lots of memories.

Why haystacks? Besides being one of my favorites, and being almost foolproof to make, the name reminds me of jumping on haystacks at my grandpa’s farm.



And it’s in keeping with my novel, which is set on a turn-of-the-century farm in Texas.

Here’s the recipe:

Leave me a comment if you make these goodies! I hope you love them as much as I do.