I am a fan of Judith Miller’s books and The Carousel Painter definitely lived up to my expectations. The heroine, Carrington Brouwer, is a well rounded character. She is beautiful, talented, honest, generous, determined, and brave but also far from perfect. One pronounced flaw is her propensity to giggle at the most inappropriate times. When she finds a much cooler reception than expected at her friend’s home, Carrington quickly finds a job to support herself. Unfortunately, the reception she receives from the other all male employees is far from welcoming. To top that off, she is falsely accused of theft and the evidence against her seems to grow at an alarming rate.
The Carousel Painter is a delightful story filled with drama, suspense, humor, and romance. The carousel factory is a unique setting and I found the details about the carving and painting process intriguing. I would highly recommend this novel, especially to readers who enjoy historical fiction, a good romantic novel, or both.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Carrie loves painting the beautiful carousel horses . . . but can she stand strong against the many who don’t want her to keep the job?
When Carrington Brouwer receives the enviable job of painting carousel horses for a factory in Ohio, she believes her future is secure. But after an expensive necklace disappears from the home where she’s been staying, she’s caught up in a search for the truth that puts her entire livelihood–and her developing relationship with the factory manager–at risk. Can she lead police to the real culprit before she loses everything?
Reviews
“Award-winning author Miller weaves a delightful and entertaining tale filled with suspense and drama. Written in the first person, it takes us into the world of a carousel painter in 1890 whose life is turned upside dawn by lies, betrayal and rejection. Miller creates characters that are engaging and places them in a setting that brings readers to the heart of human emotions.” –Jennifer Reyes, Romantic Times Book Reviews
“The Carousel Painter is a romantic tale of a young woman’s journey to find peace despite the turmoil and injustice surrounding her. Miller takes readers back to a time when the lines of class and gender are strictly drawn, and a single woman trying to support herself in a man’s world faces serious problems…. The Carousel Painter is an adventure of love, friendship and the beauty of chasing dreams.” –Bonnie Bruner, Christian Retailing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Judith Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her novels, two of which have placed in the CBA top ten lists. In addition to her writing, Judy is a certified legal assistant. Judy and her husband make their home in Topeka, Kansas.
It’s time for another book giveaway – one of two for today. I have a copy of The Blue Enchantress by M. L. Tyndall for one lucky reader of this blog. As usual, please leave a comment on this post if you wish to enter. Deadline is Wednesday, September 9. I will announce the winner on Thursday, September 10.
M. L. (MaryLu) Tyndall grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul–a longing for something more.
After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.
Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.
One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she’d only give her heart to Him completely.
She had written stories her whole life, but never had the confidence to try and get any of them published. But as God began to change her heart, He also showed her that writing had been His wonderful plan for her all along!
Her other current release in the Charles Towne Belles series includes The Red Siren.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Betrayed by the man she longed to marry, Hope Westcott is about to be auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder on an island in the Caribbean . After enduring a difficult childhood in an unloving home, Hope’s search for love and self-worth have led her down a very dangerous path. All she ever wanted was to find true love and open an orphanage where she could raise children with all the love she never experienced as a child. But how can a woman with a sordid past ever hope to run an orphanage, let alone attract the love of an honorable man?
Determined to overcome the shame of his mother’s past, Nathaniel Mason worked for many years to build his own fleet of merchant ships in an effort to finally acquire the respect of Charles Towne society. Ignoring the call of God on his life to become a preacher, he forges ahead with his plans for success at a distant port in the Caribbean , when he sees a young lady he knows from Charles Towne being sold as a slave. In an effort to save Hope, he is forced to sell one of his two ships, only to discover that her predicament was caused by her own bad behavior. Angry and determined to rid himself of her as soon as possible, Nathaniel embarks on a journey that will change the course of his life.
Learn more about MaryLu and her books on her Website.
View The Book Trailer:
MY REVIEW:
MaryLu has done it again! She has managed to pen another exciting yet romantic tale that is set primarily on the high seas. With a spunky heroine and a very manly yet honorable hero, the unwanted attraction between them produces a palpable tension that holds the reader’s interest from beginning to end.
Throughout this narrative, Hope and Nathaniel are forced to deal with one calamity after another – natural disasters, illness, death, betrayal, and pirates (of course!). The Blue Enchantress has more than one surprise in store and Ms. Tyndall has managed to present the gospel message as a natural component of the story without being preachy.
Second volume in the Charles Towne Belles series, The Blue Enchantress can stand alone but I would heartily recommend The Red Siren, the first book in the series. I eagerly await The Raven Saint next spring.
I was born and raised in Kentucky and my love of history goes deep – way back to the 18th-century when my family first came into the Bluegrass State. It will always be home to me, even though I now live with my husband, Randy, and my sons, Wyatt and Paul, in the misty woods of northwest Washington. I go back as often as I can to visit family and all the old haunts that I love.
I grew up playing on the original site of Fort Boonesborough and swimming in the Kentucky River and climbing the Pinnacle near Berea and watching the great outdoor dramas of the early settlers. Often my cousins and brother and I would play in my Granny’s attic and dress up in the pioneer costumes she made us and pretend to be Daniel Boone, Rebecca, Jemima, or the Shawnee.
As I grew up I began to write stories and they were always historical, filled with the lore I had heard or read about. It’s no accident that my first book (which is actually my fifth book – the others were practice!) is about those first Kentucky pioneers.
I feel blessed beyond measure to write books. My prayer is that you are doubly blessed reading them.
Note: Laura Frantz credits her 100-year-old grandmother as being the catalyst for her fascination with Kentucky history. Frantz’s family followed Daniel Boone into Kentucky in 1792 and settled in Madison County where her family still resides. Frantz is a former schoolteacher and social worker who currently lives in the misty woods of Washington state with her husband and two sons, whom she homeschools.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lovely but tough as nails, Lael Click is the daughter of a celebrated frontiersman. Haunted by her father’s former captivity with the Shawnee Indians, as well as the secret sins of her family’s past, Lael comes of age in the fragile Kentucky settlement her father founded.
Though she faces the loss of a childhood love, a dangerous family feud, and the affection of a Shawnee warrior, Lael draws strength from the rugged land she calls home, and from Ma Horn, a distant relative who shows her the healing ways of herbs and roots found in the hills.
But the arrival of an outlander doctor threatens her view of the world, God, and herself–and the power of grace and redemption. This epic novel gives readers a glimpse into the simple yet daring lives of the pioneers who first crossed the Appalachians, all through the courageous eyes of a determined young woman.
Laura Frantz’s debut novel offers a feast for readers of historical fiction and romance lovers alike.
I have not finished reading The Frontiersman’s Daughter but am already fully immersed in it. Laura Frantz has a way with words and has set a tone that reflects the uncertainty of life in the wilderness with an ever present threat of Indian attack.
If the remainder of this book meets my expectations, then it will come highly recommended and I will look forward to future novels by this author. I estimate that anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially that about early American pioneers, will enjoy this book.
I have a copy of Honor in the Dust by Gilbert Morris to give away this week. I will choose one name from all comments left on this post. Please leave a comment by Sunday, August 30 to enter.
Only entries with U. S. addresses will be accepted.
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Carrie loves painting the beautiful carousel horses . . . but can she stand strong against the many who don’t want her to keep the job?
Judith Miller is an award-winning author whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her novels, two of which have placed in the CBA top ten lists. In addition to her writing, Judy is a certified legal assistant. Judy and her husband make their home in Topeka, Kansas.
