Please Welcome Misty Parker and her new release!

 

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! Today, I’ve got Misty Parker as a guest and she’s telling us a little about herself and sharing her new release with us. So here’s Misty! 🙂

 

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process? Every story begins with a loose outline so that I can get my thoughts together and keep track of what comes next. I say loose because very often the characters take me somewhere completely unexpected, so it can definitely change as we go along. I guess I’m somewhere between a pantser and planner. I can pretty much write anywhere, but my favorite places are at home when the kids are in school or at my local coffee shop. Oh, and coffee…that is a necessity!!

 

2. What inspires you to keep writing? My kids. I want to show them that perseverance and hard work pays off, that we don’t just give up when the going gets tough. And it does get tough. But I want to set a good example for them so they learn to keep working hard even when they’re not seeing results they expect.

 

3. What advice would you give an aspiring author? Read a lot and write a lot. Get critiques from people who know your genre, and learn to accept criticism so you can grow.

 

4. Who inspired you to keep writing? Oddly, my mom, even though I didn’t start my writing career until about six years after she passed. She used to tell me, “Can’t never could do anything.” That advice has come to mind every time I want to give up, and it keeps me going. Thanks, Mom J

 

5. What genres do you read? Whatever looks interesting. I most enjoy romance, speculative fiction, horror, steampunk, historical nonfiction and fiction. I’m pretty eclectic in my tastes.

 

6. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Less gun violence in our country. The rising incidents of not only mass murders, but single killings in our area alone are terrifying. As a mother of three, I long to send my kids out into a world where they don’t have to fear going to the movies or to church or school. My hope is that someday, we can find solutions and work together to make things better.

 

7. If you could sit down to dinner with one author, who would it be? And why? What would you ask him or her? I’d love to talk to the late Eleanor Hibbert (aka Victoria Holt & a bunch of other pen names). I devoured her romantic suspense and historicals when I was a teen. She wrote all these back in the days before computers and internet. And the details were amazing. I’d love to ask how she researched all these things and how she wrote such a HUGE amount of material. I can barely crank out a book or two a year most of the time J

 

8. What is your ideal vacation spot? Ft. Myers, Florida at the Lovers Key National Park. Beautiful, quiet beaches teeming with wildlife like manatees. It’s amazing.

 

9. Do you have any writing quirks that help you write? Music. I love to play music as I write, and very often, I start making playlists of songs that help inspire scenes. The Tallenmere series is definitely musically inspired! You can find my playlists on http://www.mystiparker.com.

 

10. What is your favorite time of day to write? Any time I get a chance and have the motivation 🙂

 

After losing her husband and only child to the ravages of the Civil War, twenty-five-year-old Portia McAllister is drowning in grief. When she sees an ad for a live-in tutor in another town, she leaves everything behind in hopes of making a fresh start. But as a Confederate widow in a Union household, she is met with resentment from her new charge and her employer, war veteran Beau Stanford. 

Despite their differences, she and Beau find common ground and the stirrings of a second chance at love—until his late wife’s cousin, Lydia, arrives with her sights set on him. Burdened with a farm on the brink of bankruptcy, Beau is tempted by Lydia’s hefty dowry, though Portia has captured his heart. 

In another time and another place, his choice would be easy. But love seems impossible amid the simmering chaos of Reconstruction that could boil over at any moment into an all-out battle for survival. Will Beau and Portia find their way into each other’s arms, or will they be swept away by raging forces beyond their control? 

 

Mysti Parker is a wife, mother, and shameless chocoholic. While her first love is romance, including award-winning historical and fantasy romances, she enjoys writing flash fiction (the weirder the better) and children’s stories. She resides in KY with her husband, three children and too many pets.

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Friendship: A Slice of Life Post

 

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’m back with another Slice of Life Post, and today I’m sharing a poem about friendship. I went to a Memorial Service for a friend of mine over the weekend. Her husband passed away and she wanted to celebrate his life, and his celebration brought a good portion of our old gang back together.

It was great seeing everyone even though it was under such sad circumstances. We met when we were teenagers and here we are in our fifties.  Boy time sure flies, doesn’t it?

Here’s the poem. I love the last line.

 

Ode To Friendships

© Kayla Rae Pich

Published on May 2015

 

They’re the few people who accept silence over conversation

A relationship like this denies silly promises and persuasion

You don’t feel the need to second guess thoughts or measure words

Their love comes in wholes, not halves, not thirds

They’re the ones that guide you through when fate takes a turn

Fights, small and large, end in forgiveness, never a burn

You forget about first impressions and the feelings they brought

You’re grateful for who they are and you forgive ’em for what they’re not

 

Thanks for stopping by to read my blog today. If you’d like to read other Slice of Life Posts click here.

 

Please Welcome Author Sherry Gloag!

 

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got a guest today, author Sherry Gloag! Please give her a warm welcome. Take it away, Sherry!

 

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process?

As a ‘pantser’ writer, my process is not very structured. My stories are predominantly character led, which means if they don’t cooperate my writing comes unstuck.

I’ve always believed that simply by writing independent scenes that can then be stitched together I could overcome writer’s block. The downside to that assumption is folders full of un/disconnected scenes which refuse to fit the puzzle of my story!

 

2. What inspires you to keep writing?

The short answer is, the love of writing, but it is much more than that. It’s getting to know my characters and discovering why they want their tale told and the adventure of uncovering their story.

 

3. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Never give up.

Sometimes ‘life’ gets in the way and it is hard to imagine how you can keep on writing. But five or ten minutes here and there all add in the end.

When lack of self-belief takes over, try to remember you’re not the first writer this has happened to and you won’t be the last.  Some of the most famous writers have battled self-doubt at times, so you’re in good company!

 

4. Who inspired you to keep writing?

On and off during my life I’ve had a yen to write. Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, P.D.James, Ruth Rendal, Colin Dexter, Dorothy Sayers, all influenced my early forays into writing.  Georgette Heyer had a great impact and gave me hours of enjoyment, so, she too influenced me when I tried my hand a couple of Regency stories. There are too many contemporary writers to mention, but Nora Roberts is a front runner among them.

 

5. What genres do you read?

My mood often dictates my choice of reading. I prefer a happy/satisfactory ending. I hate being ‘left up-in-the-air’, or feeling depressed at the end of a book.

Detective, mystery, some paranormal and romances all feature in my reading lists.

 

6. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

The world-wide spread of ‘commercial democracy’ is probably one of the greatest evils around and effects everyone, and few people in a positive way.

 

7. If you could sit down to dinner with one author, who would it be? And why? What would you ask him or her?

Oh, my goodness that is such a hard question to answer. Do I choose a contemporary author or someone from the past?

There are so many authors, from different genres, I would like to meet.

My questions would be very different. So I’m going to pass on this one.

 

8. What is your ideal vacation spot?

I enjoy visiting new places and am much happier in the countryside or at the seaside. Short visits to a town or city are OK… just.

 

Photo credit: barnyz via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

 

9. Do you have any writing quirks that help you write?

If listening to my characters is a quirk, then that’s it! Because when they go silent they story stagnates.

It doesn’t matter how much I ‘try’ to direct/redirect the story, it rarely works and then I’m in for a great deal of re-writing and unnecessary angst. If I have others, I’m so used to them I don’t recognize them as quirks!

 

10. What is your favorite time of day to write?

In winter I prefer to write in the evenings. In spring or summer I prefer to start writing in the early mornings and if I don’t reach my goals I can then write again in the evenings.

 

Here’s a little about Sherry’s book!

 

 

 

Synopsis – Duty Calls

She’d saved his life…

Rafe Hawk refuses to accept the inheritance, of a large English estate, and the title that goes with it, after his birth father’s death because the man chose duty over the woman he loved and their son.

So when he finds himself temporarily living at Kinsale Hall, he’s not prepared to trust anyone associated with the place, including Trudi Delaney and her daughter.

So why, when he looks into their eyes, does he suddenly remember a woman who may have lost her life after a storm while saving his over a decade ago?

 

Now he could destroy hers.

Instinct warns Trudi Delaney the arrival of the contemptuous American architect at Kinsale Hall will change her life forever. Especially when she discovers he spends so much of his time in areas of Kinsale Hall off-limits to visitors.

Eleven years after escaping from her psychotic husband with a stranger, she’s still plagued by nightmares of events she can’t remember. Events such as, who fathered her beautiful daughter?

Now more than a decade later, she is confronted by another stranger. Will this one destroy everything she holds dear?

 

 

Tagline

She knew too little about the past and he knew too much… or thought he did.

 

Excerpt

Exasperated, Rafe Hawk shifted his gaze from the window to his mother, a petite woman, sitting serenely on the sofa in front of him.

“We’ve covered this ground before. What more do I have to say, before you acknowledge I want nothing to do with Daniel’s estates?” Rafe’s glance flicked over the open letter lying on the table between them. “He may have sired me, but that doesn’t make him my father.”

Funnelling his fingers through his hair, he continued. “How many times do I have to say no? No, I will not go back.” He stuffed his fists into his pockets in an effort to conceal his rising frustration from Martha Hawk. “I don’t give a damn whether Kinsale Hall is entailed to me, or the man in the moon. Why should I?

“Only Daniel Kinsale and his solicitors knew I’d arranged to meet him. I told no one I’d changed my schedule and arrived in England a week earlier than expected, and yet Denny Cadmore somehow discovered both my plans and identity.”

Rafe glared at his parent. “Given those facts, tell me why I should stake a claim on a god-forsaken English estate, when everything and everyone who means anything to me lives here in the States?”

The drone of the old-fashioned overhead fan broke the ensuing silence. The oppressive heat stalked through the room sapping the energy from anyone or anything in its path.

“Rafe you’re making me dizzy, sit down and stop prowling around the room.” His mother patted the cushions beside her. “How many times do I have to tell you, you were born from love, not lust? Whether you like it or not, you are the legitimate heir to your father’s estate.”

A shaft of sunlight caught a few silvery streaks in her blonde hair.

“But born out of wedlock,” Rafe snapped, before realizing the words had queued up for release.

“Yes, out of wedlock.” She sighed. “I’ve never denied it, nor have I stolen your entitlement to your birth name. Your birth father…” She paused for a few seconds. “Daniel loved me.”

She continued on a wistful note, “I accepted he couldn’t divorce his wife and agreed we had no future together, only the present. I’ve explained why he felt duty bound to uphold his family’s expectations. Having you gave me reason to survive without Daniel. You are from the man of my heart.”

Rafe’s free hand crashed down on the table sending the letter floating to the floor. “If he loved you so much, how come another of his bastards crawled out of the woodwork? One whose birth certificate proves he’s ten days younger than me? How come the same bastard damn near sent me to my grave? Explain that if you can.”

 

 

Duty Calls To Buy Links

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dutycalls-513942-149.html

http://tinyurl.com/5vujr53

 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=2940012108609

http://tinyurl.com/6zts6hg

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004NBZL10

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NBZL10

 

To buy http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/41432

Sample: http://pdf-ebooks.net/sample/41432/duty-calls

 

http://blackopalbooks.com/wordpress/?page_id=222

 

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/bookstore/

 

Large print

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Duty-Calls-~-Large-Print/dp/1626941491/ref=sr_1_5/275-2337639-3161047?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401655121&sr=1-5&keywords=sherry+gloag

 

http://www.amazon.com/Duty-Calls-~-Large-Print/dp/1626941491/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401655207&sr=1-6&keywords=Sherry+Gloag

 

  

 

Author Bio

Best-selling author Sherry Gloag now lives in the beautiful East Anglian countryside in the UK. She spent her childhood in Scotland before moving to the Midlands of England.

 

After cutting her writing teeth with contemporary romance, Sherry tried her hand at light paranormal in her 2nd book of The Gasquet Princes series, His Chosen bride. Her next adventure, writing Regency stories, produced her best-selling novel, Vidal’s Honor.

 

When she’s not writing, Sherry enjoys walking gardening and her crystal craft work. “”It’s bit like writing 🙂 When you’re in the ‘zone’ everything just flows. It’s a great feeling.

 

 

My Links:

My Website: http://authorsherrygloagtheheartofroman.weebly.com/

My Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.co.uk/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SherryGloagAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SherryGloag

https://www.facebook.com/SherryGloagAuthor/app_2415071772

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/sherry-gloag/33/13a/801

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sherry-gloag

https://plus.google.com/108759644426912348081/posts

https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=sherry+gloag

http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/sherry-gloag.html

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?authorid=149450

https://www.pinterest.com/sherrygloag/

 

 

Book Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7U6jOH9DiA

 

 

 

 

Living without Regret: A Slice of Life Post

 

 

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another Slice of Life post. I have one more week before I have to go back to work, and I’m sad my summer is almost over. It went by way too fast.

I’ve been watching the Olympics. It’s amazing to see these young people achieving their dreams. It inspires me to believe that I can achieve mine if I work hard enough.:)

Photo credit: ClaraDon via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

 

I’m encouraging my youngest to watch the events as well. I’m hoping they’ll inspire him, too. He’s quite agile. I can see great talent in him. He’s already doing front and back flips on the trampoline. He’s got that gymnast build, too.

He also has the drive. He sticks with something until he masters it. I remember when he was just a wee lad, how he’d get these transformers and work so hard at getting them to transform. Some of them were quite difficult. Tears of frustration would run down his face, but he wouldn’t give up.

I think it’s the same drive many of these athletes have. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be watching my little guy at the Olympics someday.

Photo credit: jdlasica via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC

I have to be careful though. I have to make sure that I’m not pushing my dream for him onto my little guy. I want him to choose his own dream. I don’t want him to look back on his life and have any regrets.

Living without regret is an awesome thing, and I want that for both my boys. I think that old saying is true. “We only regret the things we didn’t do.” These are very wise words. How about you. Are you living without regret? Is there something you wanted to go for, but didn’t? Maybe the timing wasn’t right? Now might be the time to do it! Leave a comment! I love hearing from you!

To read other Slice of Life Posts click here.

 

The Opportunity Costs of Life Decisions

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. As I watched the Olympics the other day, I started thinking about all the sacrifices these athletes make to compete in the games, and that started me thinking about opportunity costs and life decisions. What is opportunity cost?

Photo credit: burge5k via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

The definition is:

The loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen.

Opportunity cost is why some people become paralyzed when making a decision.  They’ve got so many options available to them they can’t decide which one is the best.  So, how do we make these choices and hopefully not regret the choice we’ve made?

Well, first of all, you have to decide how to measure the value of each alternative. This is where it gets sticky. Because how do we measure the value? Is it by how much money we’re going to make with a choice? Is it by how we’ll be remembered by family and friends? Is it by the instant gratification the choice will give us?

Photo credit: cameraburps via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-SA

The answers to these questions are deeply personal and can only be answered by each individual. There is no blanket answer for any of us, but here’s how I make most of my major decisions and maybe it’ll help you with yours.

I look at how I want to be remembered. Yes. I know it’s kind of morbid, but I think about what people might say at my funeral. Do I want them to talk about how I worked so hard I never saw my family? Or do I want them to say, how I was an inspiration to my kids, and how I helped provide for both their emotional and physical needs? Do I want to be remembered as someone who created a showpiece of a home, or someone who wasn’t too hung up on what people thought if my house was messy?

Photo credit: brownpau via Visual hunt / CC BY

 

When I ask myself these questions. It puts things into perspective. I don’t want my kids growing up thinking that what other people think is more important that their own opinion, so I have to live that way myself. I want my kids to have good memories of their childhood and not live in an environment where they can’t build forts or make brownies because I’m hung up on what a mess it’ll be. Because of this, I have to deal with people occasionally seeing a messy house.

I can deal with that. The joy on my kids’ faces when they build a huge fort is worth the cost of people thinking I’m a bad housekeeper. I am bad. There’s no mistake about it. I don’t enjoy cleaning. I’d rather be writing. So we’ve got clutter.

But I digress. By looking at how I want to be remembered, I was able to make that decision to stay home with my kids and feel good about it. There are times when I’ve had doubts because staying home meant I’d have to make sacrifices.  I’ve sacrificed all the income I would’ve brought into the home if I worked instead. This was a huge opportunity cost of my decision, and made the choice hard because security for me and my family is also important to me.

So loss of income was a huge cost of my decision, but what about the gains? The gains are important because they offset the costs. This is where deciding what we value comes into play. What I’ve gained from staying home is a great relationship with my kids. I don’t know about you, but the value of that is priceless. I can’t put a number on it.

Photo credit: elviskennedy via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND

I’ve also got well-adjusted kids (knocks on wood). They don’t have behavioral issues because I was able to focus on teaching them how to handle their emotions like frustration and anger. I get compliments from their teachers all the time. They tell me they wished they had a whole classroom full of my boys. I’ve even gotten these compliments from teachers who haven’t had my kids. They’ve just witnessed my boys being kind and considerate to their classmates. Now, my goal wasn’t to receive pats on the back from my kids’ teachers (although it is a great feeling when they say things like this). It was to raise healthy well-adjusted humans. So, when their teachers make these comments I know I’m on the right track and again that gain is priceless.

 

Photo credit: daystar297 via Visualhunt / CC BY

Please understand I’m not saying a working mom can’t raise well-adjusted kids. All I’m saying is that staying home worked for me and it was worth the opportunity costs. 🙂

So there you have it. That’s how I make the major decisions in my life. How about you? What are your opportunity costs? How do you make your decisions? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Introducing Eli Celata and her New Release

 

 

 

Manuscript Title: High Summons

Series Name: Warlock of Rochester

Author: Eli Celata

Back Cover Blurb:

Jon Blythe is sick of waiting for his Yoda. After years of hiding his magic, he’s ready to retire from his mortal life, drop out of college, and jump into the world of demon hunters. He just didn’t really expect a bleach blond bookstore clerk with light up toys for weapons. Unfortunately, Jordan is Jon’s only hope. When rogue magic users come to Rochester with a malicious plan, the odd couple strikes out to save the day. Jordan might not be what Jon expected, but between demons and Econ homework, the demons win every time. Wild nights drag Jon further from normal into the world where his father vanished. Maybe he’s becoming an addict. Maybe magic just comes with a price. Either way, he’s hooked.

 

Author Bio:

Eli Celata was born in Rochester and is currently attending Binghamton University as a doctoral student.

 

Author’s Social Media Links:

• Twitter: @Celata_E
• Website: elicelata.wordpress.com
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/EliCelata

Buy Links for Book:

Kobe: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/high-summons

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/648921

iTunes: https://itun.es/us/MEqCdb.l

Can Reading save the Human Species?

 

Hello everyone. I hope all is well with you. I’m back today with another Slice of Life Post, and I’m talking about how Reading just might save our species.

What the heck are you talking about?

I know that’s what you all are thinking, but stay tuned and I’ll explain.

There are 7.4 billion people on our planet today. Keep in mind we only have one planet. According to experts, our planet’s capacity is 9 billion people. We’re living longer and still reproducing. We need to do something fast. The earth is getting crowded. So what can we do?

Photo via Visual hunt

 Good question.

I have an answer.

First of all, we need to teach our kids empathy for our fellow man. Why? Because our planet is getting crowded and we all have to learn to get along. How do we teach empathy?  Get your kids hooked on reading. Reading for pleasure teaches children empathy. Without compassion we’re totally sunk as a species.

 

Photo credit: thejbird via Visual Hunt / CC BY

How do we get our kids hooked on books? By having access to a wide variety of them. There’s millions of books available to our kids, making these books easy to access is where we’re going to make strides in creating a better world for all of us, because reading for pleasure teaches empathy. I know I keep saying that, but it’s true. It’ been proven. I’ve written a whole article on it. Just click here to read it.

 

It’s important to remember that in order for our kids to become hooked on reading they must choose reading all on their own. Therefore, they must choose the books they read. So, we as parents have to accept and encourage whatever their choices are. Even if we don’t see the value in the stories they’re reading. So, if your child wants to read graphic novels so be it. It’s better than not reading at all.

Photo via VisualHunt

So how do we as parents foster this love of reading? It’s easy. Start reading to them when they’re young. Model reading for them. That means, you as a parent must spend time reading for pleasure. We have to make time for it. I have my boys read twenty minutes a day. Most days, I read right along with them. Make reading a lifelong habit. It’s a great way to deal with stress.

Photo via VisualHunt

I use it as a coping mechanism, when I have a bad day. I lose myself in a book for at least a half an hour. When I emerge from the story, my stress level is lower and I’m in a better frame of mind. (Another benefit of reading)

I have a great solution for road rage. Pull these people over and make them read for half an hour. Just think what that would do. It’d lower the rager’s stress level and teach them empathy at the same time. I like it. 🙂

Photo credit: Inventorchris via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC

So you see, Reading can solve a wide range of problems for our society, and I don’t think I’m far off the mark by saying it can go a long way to save our species.  So, Read. Read as if your life depended on it! Yes. I’m being melodramatic, but at the same time I make a very good point. 😉

Thanks for reading my post. I appreciate it. What are your thoughts on reading, do you think it’ll save society? I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment!

To read other Slice of Life Posts click here.

Tweeters Behaving Badly

 

Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’m back with another Slice of Life post and today I want to talk about Cyber-bullying.

 

Photo credit: Jason A. Howie via Visualhunt / CC BY

This week i learned that two of my Twitter pals were being bullied on Twitter. (They don’t follow each other or know each other). It upset me. Why would anyone take the time to harass someone on social media? It doesn’t make sense.

Photo via Visual Hunt.com

One of my friends received personal attacks, taunting her. Telling her she was fat and she should kill herself. This blows my mind and makes me angry. This is all because she doesn’t support Trump. Is this what our political process has become?

If someone voices an opinion that you don’t agree with, then ignore them. Why do people feel the need to engage in such a hateful manner? What are they trying to accomplish?

The awesome thing about social media is that you can engage with people from around the world. It’s a great tool. It’s not to be used as a way to bully people. My friend happens to be strong and was able to handle this negative crap. But what if she were emotionally fragile at the time these tweets started coming her way? What if she really did try to kill herself?

My other friend has someone who’s spreading lies about her. Who has time for this? And what is their motive? This girl is an up and coming author, she isn’t a threat in any way. The only thing she can do is ignore these tweets and report this behavior to Twitter.

In our public school system we’re trying to teach anti-bullying tactics. How are our kids supposed to learn these behaviors if they see adults behaving this way?

Now more than ever we need to be kind to each other. This type of behavior is getting way out of hand. Let’s start a ripple effect in the direction of kindness. Let’s see if we can be the change we want to see in the world.

 Photo credit: Steve.r via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC

 

Thanks for reading my post. If you’d like to read other Slice of Life Posts click here.

If you’ve ever been bullied by someone on social media, how did you handle it? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment!

 

Book Review: Salt to the Sea

 

Hello everyone I hope all is well with you! I’m back today with another Book Review. I love stories about World War II. I love them because I love to see how the human spirit overcomes evil. There are many stories like that on the market today and I’ve read quite a few of them.

The last one I read was “Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys and it was an incredible story about sacrifice and survival.

 

 

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson’s Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein’s Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff—the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity and love can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.

 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story immensely. I loved how I got to experience the different viewpoints of the characters. All of them had something to hide even the weasel German soldier. The story made me root for the underdog and hoped they survived and made me hate the Nazis that much more.

It was interesting to see the sick reasoning behind the Nazi regime. I don’t think I’ve encountered another character like Alfred Frick. As I read, I became more and more disgusted by him. He showed how emotionally weak the Nazis were.

I loved Joanna and Florian. I loved how strong and committed Joanna was. She was truly heroic and so was Florian, but I had a feeling he would be. The love affair between these two characters is something so precious in such a horrific time in our history, and the author does a great job illustrating this.

The last character, Emilia, is our tragic heroine. She’s raped by Nazis and becomes pregnant. She gives birth but struggles to be a mother to this baby, even though she knows it’s not the baby’s fault. Joanna and Florian help her with this struggle and she grows to love the baby.

I also loved the historical element as well, even though it was a tragedy. I believe so many things get swept under the rug, and this incident is one of them. It’s a tragic tale of survival during one of the worst times in our world’s history. I would strongly recommend reading this book.