HHH October Book Day!

6 BOOKS YOU'LL WANT TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST!








A WHOLE NEW PLAN

By Denise M. Colby

California, 1870. Pastor William Baker built his life on steady faith and safe choices, but the arrival of Lydia Spencer upends everything. Independent and outspoken Lydia is unlike any woman he’s ever known. Lydia is a Pinkerton detective, undercover as a schoolteacher while tracking a dangerous crime boss. She’s determined to protect her friends in Washton even if it means keeping her distance from the kind, steadfast pastor who sees too much. But when Will and Lydia are thrown together in a search for truth they find themselves fighting not only for justice, but for a future neither had planned.

DANISH DAYS

by Linda Shenton Matchett 

 

American OSS agent Frida Westgard is assigned to Denmark to collect intelligence. A job made more dangerous when she becomes entangled in resistance activities led by the handsome man known only as Rejsende–traveler. Stig Arenfeldt hates the Germans. He always has, so when they occupy his beloved Denmark, he joins the resistance. The war is ending, but he won’t quit until the last soldier is gone…or dead. Then he’s paired with the attractive American agent who preaches forgiveness. A concept he wants no part of. But as her words infiltrate his soul, he dreads the day she’ll be sent home.

LOVING MISS LUCY

by Cheryl Rae Johnson 

 

One night changed everything for Daniel Edwards. After a riot at the foundry leaves a boy dead, Daniel flees and finds refuge with a kind reverend. He spends five years building a life he never dreamed possible. One night changed everything for Lucy Webster. When fire destroys her family’s farm, a compassionate pastor and his wife offer her refuge. But their kindness is a cover for deception, and Lucy escapes before she’s entrapped in their ruinous schemes. One night changed everything for Daniel and Lucy. Can one night heal their past and ignite a love that defies all odds?

ROSE AMONG THORNES

by Terrie Todd 

 

SECOND EDITION FEATURES A NEW COVER AND BONUS MATERIAL! Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced to leave her beloved home to work on the Thornes' farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. When Rusty Thorne joins the army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war. Though he begs God to help him not hate his brutal captors, Rusty can no longer even hear the Japanese language without revulsion. Only his rare letters from home sustain him—especially the notes from his mother's helper, which the girl signs simply as "Rose."

THROUGH MANY DANGERS: 

A NOVEL OF THE 1905 PISTOL-PACKING PREACHER

by Thomas Goodman 

 

Inspired by the true story of the man who became known as the pistol-packing preacher. In a town where bootleggers flourish and the sheriff looks the other way, a new preacher faces danger everywhere he turns. With Sarah by his side, Rick Burleson fights for his church, his family, and the soul of a town. “Thomas Goodman again shows why he is one of the finest historical fiction authors we have. His vision of East Texas, both the place and the people, is as accurate as it is spellbinding.” —James Wade, Western Heritage Award-winning author of Narrow the Road

WALTZ WITH DESTINY

by Catherine Ulrich Brakefield 

 

Esther (McConnell) Meir finds herself in a story-book romance that swirls into a rendezvous with destiny when Eric Erhardt is swept up into Hitler's diabolical war. Eric wages his battle for survival as a rifleman in the 34th Infantry Division traveling up the boot of Italy. "…of Waltz with Destiny… I was reading Capt. Kimble’s words about D-Day… the music I had going started playing “God Bless the USA.” Goose bumps popped up all down my arms and legs, and I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes. The message of the Destiny series is even more applicable to today than when it first released…" Debra B.

Ice Cream? Yes, Please!

I love ice cream, but I never put much thought into its origin story until now. It turns out people all over the world have had a taste for frozen treats since ancient times. I’m talking as early as 400 BC. The Chinese indulged in a dish made of milk poured over cooked rice and flavored with spices, then frozen. The Persians created a treat made of rose water, lime juice and delicate noodles. In India, kulfi came about as a slow-frozen milk dessert with flavoring.

                                                               

              Claudius Ceasar                                Kind Charles I                                 Alexander the Great

 Alexander the Great enjoyed snow and ice flavored with honey and nectar. During the Roman Empire, Claudius Ceasar would send runners into the mountains for snow which was then flavored with fruit and juice. A thousand years later, Marco Polo came back to Italy from the Far East with a recipe that closely resembled what we call sherbet. Historians believe it became “ice cream” in the 16th century. By the 17th century it was called “cream ice” in England and appeared regularly on King Charles I's table. In 1660, a Sicilian, Procopio came up with a recipe using milk, cream, butter and eggs. He sold it at Café Procope, the first café in Paris.

                                      George Washington           Thomas Jefferson                          Dolly Maddison                             

  

Ice cream was a dessert for the elite. Ice and snow were needed to make it. Someone had to harvest the ice and storage was needed to keep the ice frozen. The wealthy had access to those things. Ice Cream made its way to America through different people. Thomas Jefferson fell in love with it while he was in Europe and brought home a recipe. In New York City, confectioner Philip Lenzi began making ice cream to sell. He put an ad in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777 announcing it was available “almost” every day. George Washington enjoyed it so much he spent $200 on it during the summer of 1790. That would be thousands of dollars in today’s market. Dolly Madison served a spectacular strawberry ice cream creation for her husband’s second inaugural dinner in 1813.

                               

By 1800, insulated ice houses were invented. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Tudor Ice Company harvested ice from Walden Pond, Fresh Pond and other lakes in New England from early 1800s to the 1890s. Later, Cambridge was a natural location for ice cream manufacturing.

We can all be thankful for Nancy M. Johnson, who patented the first ice cream maker in 1843. People could now make ice cream at home. By the late 1800s, soda fountains and ice cream parlors began popping up. They were wonderful gathering places. By 1890, customers just had to keep in mind that they couldn’t have a soda on Sundays. The religious community felt carbonated water was a sinful indulgence, so shop owners invented ice cream Sundays, later renamed “sundaes.” By the mid-1900s, soda shops began to disappear.

                      

                       

                                                    

We can’t talk about ice cream without mentioning the ice cream cone. It sprang into popularity at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair and never looked back.

If you couldn’t go out to get ice cream, it could come to you. First, by horse-drawn cart, then by motorized vehicle.

                          

I think ice cream has a place in most of our lives, whether it’s a celebration, a consolation, or just because. There’s a flavor for everyone, although vanilla is America’s favorite. In the second book of my "Heart’s Desire" series, "Heart’s Journey," the family has an ice cream maker they use when Julia makes her famous cherry pie.

Since we're in the Autumn season, I thought you might be interested in a recipe for homemade Pumpkin ice cream.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN ICE CREAM

In, 1880, after narrowly escaping an arranged marriage, Julia marries Jacob, the man of her dreams, and they move to Iowa to buy a farm. Upper-class Julia has never been in a kitchen, let alone on a farm. How will she manage? Joys and sorrows find them along the way including a personal loss for Julia which triggers a disagreement leading to estrangement. Can their faith in God bring forgiveness and reconciliation?

Heart's Journey is on sale through October 31st for $1.99.

HEART'S JOURNEY

Linda, a retired librarian, lives in west central Ohio with her husband and grandson. An avid reader and writer since childhood, she began her publishing career writing columns and a middle-grade serial for the South Charleston Spectator. Her desire is to entertain, but more importantly, to encourage readers with God’s faithfulness.

You’re invited to visit her website. Browse the pages to learn more about her and her books. Stay in touch when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll receive a free novella as a thank you.

LINDA HOOVER BOOKS

Pictures found on Public Domain. Articles researched on Museum of Ice Cream, International Dairy Food Association, History Cambridge

Famous Horses in History—Hollywood Dun It by Donna Schlachter with Giveaway

From McQuay Stables website

Last month, we learned about one of the foundational sires of the Thoroughbred line of horses, and this month, we’ll talk about a famous American Quarter Horse named Hollywood Dun It.

Born in 1983, some may consider he doesn’t quite qualify as “historical”; however, that was more than 40 years ago (how quickly time goes). Plus, he accomplished several notable feats important to the American Quarter Horse lineage. His sire and dam were horses of renown in the American Quarterhorse breed.

Dun It, as he was known by, was bred be Gwen Steid of Illinois, and later purchased by the McQuays of Texas. Tim McQuay was a trainer, and he surpassed $2 million in earnings in the National Reining Horse Association.

A "Big Stop" Reining Horse movement -- From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It’s first championship came early on when, as a three-year-old in 1986, Tim McQuay rode him to the Reining Horse Open Futurity Reserve Champion. Reining is a western riding competition for horses where riders guide their horse through a pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All movements are perfomed at a lope, known around the world as a canter, or a gallop. Crowd-pleasing moves include the Sliding Stop, the Rollback, and Spins, among others. The next year, he was named Reining Horse Open Derby Champion and Reining Horse Open Superstakes Champion. Overall, he won more than $65,000 as a reining horse.

This fine horse loved people, according to the McQuays. Visitors came daily. When asked why they took the time to travel, most said either because of his winning spirit or his proliferation of offspring, but most agreed it was his personality. Dun It was a “people” horse who enjoyed monkeying around with a crowd.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was retired to stud in 1988, and he produced many offspring, many who went on to win large purses in their own right, including six that won more than $100,000 in Lifetime Reining Horse winnings. Dun It was the first sire to produce foals with earnings of $3 million and then $4 million. And he became the second stallion to reach $6 million in stud fees even after his death.

His offspring have also performed well in other disciplines such as working cow horse and barrel racing. They are known for their attractive looks and extreme trainability, and include both Quarterhorse and Reining Horse World Champions.

In 1998, Breyer Horse Creation, a company that specializes in making plastic models of animals, especially horses, created a model of Dun It. Sales were so good the item became a collector’s item and was taken off the production line.

From McQuay Stables website

 

Dun It was inducted into the National Reining Horse Association of Fame in 2000, and in 2012, into the American Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame.

From McQuay Stables website

 

When Dun it died in 2005 at the age of 22, he was suffering from several health conditions, and the McQuays felt the compassionate thing was to euthanize. Tim McQuay said it was a difficult decision, as Dun It had been part of their family for over 20 years, and that their daughter—and even they themselves—had grown up with Dun It.

From McQuay Stables website

 

However, Dun It’s good looks and personality live on in the thousands of foals he sired. The next time you attend a county fair, state fair, or western event, keep an eye out for the dun-colored Quarterhorses performing in the ring. One of them could be Dun It’s grandson or granddaughter.



Leave a comment: Leave a comment and cleverly disguise your email address, for example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com, and we will draw randomly for a winner of a print or ebook version (winner’s choice) of Hearts of Midway.

About Hearts of Midway: Missing cattle. A sheriff's daughter with a nose for mystery and a penchant for wearing trousers. And a Pony Express rider with a secret.

Learn more here: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Midway-sheriffs-daughter-bargained-ebook/dp/B0CYXRF4WF

About Donna:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, three housemates, and two cats who rule the roost. As a hybrid author, she writes squeaky clean historical suspense and contemporary suspense. She has been traditionally and indie published more than 60 times in novellas, full-length novels, devotional books, and books on the writing craft. Donna ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She is also a Certified Book Coach, helping authors move their book projects forward. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both. In her spare time, she paints like a whirling Banshee Bob Ross-style in oil on canvas, minus the Afro.

Website: www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Dun_It

https://www.mcquaystables.com/in-memory-of-hollywood-dun-it/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reining

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breyer_Animal_Creations

From American Heiress to English Countess: The Story of Eloise Breese

by Kimberly Keagan

Last month, I introduced you to Eloise Breese, a wealthy young American from New York who captured the heart of Lord Willoughby de Eresby, heir to one of England's oldest aristocratic titles.

You might remember that his parents, the Earl and Countess of Ancaster, were known for their rather exclusive social circle. The Tatler described his father as the "inaccessible Earl" and suggested that his mother could make a social climber feel as though her family tree dated back to the glacial period!

Well, whether or not his parents had reservations, the wedding went ahead, and it was quite an affair.

On December 6, 1905, Eloise Breese married Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby (quite a mouthful, isn't it?) at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, London.
                                                

St. Margaret's Church in Westminster, site of the wedding. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

    Top: Eloise and Willoughby, 

Bottom: Eloise's Wedding Dress (The Daily Mirror, Dec, 5, 1905)

 

Eloise was twenty-three, and her groom was thirty-eight.

Newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic covered the wedding, including the extravagant gifts the couple received. The Grantham Journal devoted two columns to the presents alone! Among them were a tortoiseshell umbrella handle from Mrs. Waldorf Astor, ivory boxes from Mr. and Lady Evelyn Guinness, a diamond and topaz brooch from Lord and Lady Barrymore, and a silver cigar box from the Duke of Connaught. Princess Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden presented Copenhagen china vases, while Eloise's mother gave her a diamond tiara.

And those famously exclusive in-laws? The Earl and Countess of Ancaster presented their new daughter-in-law with diamond and pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, three diamond brooches, and a complete chest of silver plate.

Not a bad welcome to the family!

The Countess of Ancaster

Five years later, on Christmas Eve in 1910, the Earl of Ancaster passed away. Gilbert inherited the title, becoming the second Earl of Ancaster. And Eloise, the American heiress from New York, became a countess.

Along with the title came three magnificent country estates: Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, Normanton Park near Stamford, and Drummond Castle in Perthshire, Scotland. Imagine having three grand country houses to choose from! Of course, maintaining such properties required enormous resources, and life as a countess came with responsibilities as well as privileges.

Grimsthorpe Castle

Normanton Park

Drummond Castle

 

Still, it's quite a change from New York society to the ancient halls of an English castle.


Life Beyond the Wedding

Eloise and Gilbert had four children, two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, Gilbert James, eventually married Nancy Astor, daughter of Waldorf Astor, the second Viscount Astor.

Meanwhile, Gilbert enjoyed a distinguished public career. He served as a Conservative member of Parliament, commanded the Lincolnshire Yeomanry during the First World War, and later served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Gilbert died on September 19, 1951, at eighty-four. Eloise survived him by a little more than two years, passing away on December 12, 1953. They had been married for nearly forty-six years.

More Than a Title?

When we read about American heiresses marrying British aristocrats during the Gilded Age and Edwardian eras, it's easy to assume every match involved an exchange of American money for an English title. Certainly, some marriages were arranged with precisely those advantages in mind. But I keep coming back to that little detail from The Tatler in last month's article. According to the magazine, Gilbert had been so devoted in his attentions to Eloise that he couldn't be tempted elsewhere.

Was theirs a love match from the beginning? We may never know for certain.

What we do know is that the young American who attracted so much attention in the British society pages spent nearly half a century married to her English lord. I rather like imagining that the formidable Earl and Countess of Ancaster eventually discovered their American daughter-in-law was a welcome addition to the family.

After all, even the most distinguished family tree has room for a new branch!

Sources: https://www.podles.org/dialogue/eloise-breese-countess-of-ancaster-4082.html; Newspapers.com.

Kimberly Keagan is a former investor relations consultant and corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025. The fifth book in her Hearts on Display series releases September 9th. When not reading or writing, Kimberly enjoys baking, gardening, watching sports, and researching her family tree. Grab a free copy of her novelette, All Along, by subscribing to her mailing list here.

 

 

 

 

Sea Shanties by Cindy Regnier

 Ever heard of a sea shanty? Of course you have. I remember singing them in vocal music in grade school. That’s where I learned it wasn’t an old shack sitting out on the ocean. Sailors sing and it’s been a part of that lifestyle as long as anyone can remember. But do you know the origin of sea shanties and how they are used? Let’s find out.

Songs that we would call sea shanties date back to at least the mid 1400s. They originated to accompany the work on board a ship. That’s the difference between a sea shanty and other sailor songs. A true shanty is a call and response song that sailors used to keep a rhythm with tasks that required all hands working together. It allowed them to coordinate the movements that were required in physical tasks such as hauling ropes and raising sails. Apparently they also helped relieve the boredom that often accompanied long, repetitive duties aboard a ship. 

Capstan

Ships of the day often had many variations in ethnicity of their crews so sea shanties are a mixed form of music and genres depending on the culture of the ship. One of the most popular trade routes of the 19th century was Liverpool to New York – two cities with large Irish immigrant communities. Therefore, we find a distinct Irish influence on many of the shanties and even today they are often song by Irishmen.

OK, but why are they called sea shanties? That term first came about in the 1800s, likely from the French word ‘chanter’ which means to sing. It is also linked to the English word ‘chant’ which also originates from the French word. North-American lumberman songs often began with the line ‘Come all ye brave shanty-boys’.

Hauling 

 As mentioned before, the shanties were often call and   response songs, with one singer known as the   ‘shantyman’ leading while everyone else replied with the   chorus. They generally have a regular and heavy rhythm with a constant tune and tempo but there could be dozens of verses, sometimes made up on the spot by the shantyman.

 The shantyman was hired for his seamanship, not musical talent. He was a crucial part of the crew and usually made a higher wage than the rest of the sailors. He stood at the lead position on the rope, while the sailors crouched along the rope behind him. The shantyman sang a line and the group responded in chorus, heaving on the rope at a given point in the tune. He chose the songs by the task at hand, making sure they had the right speed and rhythm for what was to be accomplished, then improvised verses, allowing the song to go on for as long as needed. If shantyman could rhyme his verses, all the better. A well-chosen song could make a big difference to the job at hand. 

Hauling with a Shantyman

Shanties are of different types as well. The capstan and pumping shanties are used relatively easy but continuous effort like cranking the windlass. Long haul (On a ship, hauling is the nautical term for pulling or tugging on a rope, line, or sail to operate the vessel) or 'halyard shanties' are for longer periods of pulling like hoisting sails. where the crew could rest a moment while the shantyman showed off his lyrical skill. 'Short drag' shanties were designed for short, hard bouts of pulling.

But, the arrival of steamships brought an end the days of the tall ships and the need for raw manpower. And so, by the turn of the 20th century, the sounds of the sea shanties were seldom heard. It would seem that sea shanties have made somewhat of a comeback in recent years, though. Have you heard any recently or do you remember any you may have learned as a child? 

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.