{"id":23537,"date":"2018-09-10T20:57:33","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T01:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23537"},"modified":"2018-09-10T20:58:14","modified_gmt":"2018-09-11T01:58:14","slug":"hidden-among-the-stars-by-melanie-dobson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23537","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson"},"content":{"rendered":"

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MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any time I feel like our world has gone totally crazy, I only have to read a novel about the people who lived through the absolute terror of Hitler’s assault on Europe. Melanie Dobson has a rare talent for taking me right into their reality for awhile and leaves me more appreciative for the blessings I have in my own life.<\/p>\n

Hidden Among the Stars<\/strong><\/em> is a time-slip novel that moves back and forth between war-torn Austria in 1938 and present day in the United States. When an antique book with mysterious lists inscribed within its pages is given to her, bookstore owner Callie Randall determines to do her best to solve the mystery. The narrative alternates between Callie’s story and that of Max Dornbach, Annika Knopf, and Luzia Weiss, central characters to the story connected to the book.<\/p>\n

Not only is this book very well written but its characters and setting are so vividly described that I could almost see them. Much of the book is intense with several separate threads that are all tied together perfectly at the end. Hidden Among the Stars<\/strong><\/em> was such a powerful story that I feel mostly inadequate to even review it. It is nearly impossible for me to imagine the sheer strength of character it took Max, Annika, and Luzia to remain so strong and determined in the face of the Nazi takeover. The story is truly a perfect example of what it means to lay one’s life down for another.<\/p>\n

If you enjoy your history with plenty of action, drama, mystery, and a touch of romance, Hidden Among the Stars<\/strong><\/em> might just be perfect for you.<\/p>\n

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I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Book Title:<\/strong> Hidden Among The Stars<\/p>\n

Author:<\/strong> Melanie Dobson<\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Historical Fiction (However, this is a time-slip novel, so there is also a contemporary component to the story)<\/p>\n

Release date<\/strong>: September 4, 2018<\/td>\n

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From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind<\/em>, which Publishers Weekly<\/em> called \u201cunforgettable\u201d and a \u201cmust-read,\u201d comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The year is 1938, and as Hitler\u2019s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family\u2019s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker\u2019s daughter, who is eager to help the man she\u2019s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika\u2019s feelings and puts their entire plan\u2014even their very lives\u2014in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.<\/p>\n

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi<\/em> that connects her to Annika\u2019s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she\u2019s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to purchase your copy!<\/pre>\n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\"\"Melanie Dobson<\/strong> is the award-winning author of nearly twenty historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels including Catching the Wind<\/em> and Chateau of Secrets <\/em>. Three of her novels have won Carol Awards; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana <\/em>won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010; and The Black Cloister <\/em>won the Foreword Magazine <\/em>Religious Fiction Book of the Year.<\/p>\n
Melanie is the former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group. When she isn\u2019t writing, Melanie enjoys teaching both writing and public relations classes at George Fox University.<\/p>\n
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with work, the Dobson family has settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to hike and camp in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific Coast. Melanie also enjoys exploring ghost towns and abandoned homes, helping care for kids in her community, and reading stories with her girls.<\/p>\n
Visit Melanie online at www.melaniedobson.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
GUEST POST FROM MELANIE:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Hallstatt\u2019s Hiding Places<\/h5>\n
Backpacking across Europe\u2014that\u2019s how my husband Jon and I decided to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. We savored the old world culture and charm as we hiked along Italy\u2019s coast, toured medieval castles in Germany, and cruised the canals in Belgium; we both left a bit of our hearts in an ancient lakeside town called Hallstatt.<\/p>\n
The moment we stepped off the ferryboat and into this storybook village, we crossed through a portal of sorts, traveling back several centuries in time. The rugged, snow-capped mountains around us and alpine lake, the quaint village with its church steeples and cobblestone lanes and waterfall that spilled into town\u2014all of it captivated us.<\/p>\n
Along the shore, hidden partially by trees, we could see spires of an abandoned castle, and I wanted to know its story. No one in Hallstatt could tell us who\u2019d lived in the castle\u2014at least, not in English\u2014so my husband agreed to a new adventure. With a swan as our escort, we glided across the lake in an electric boat so I could study the rusty turrets, boarded windows, and wooden boathouse resting in the water like a felled log.<\/p>\n
Instead of quelling my curiosity, the match of inspiration ignited my mind. Who had lived in this castle, and what happened there? I began writing in my journal that night, trying to capture my rogue thoughts on paper, hoping that one day a novel would emerge from the ashes of this castle\u2019s story.<\/p>\n
When we returned home, I began researching more of Hallstatt\u2019s history and discovered that this region, in all of its beauty and mystique, had been infiltrated by an enemy in 1938. This town and the surrounding Salzkammergut became a mountain retreat for Nazi officials who built mansions on the shores of its many lakes and used salt mines to hide \u201cownerless treasure\u201d\u2014the gold bullion and artwork they\u2019d stolen from the Jewish people.<\/p>\n
The Nazis intended to build a Fourth Reich in this alpine fortress, but the Allies had other plans. Near the end of the war, these lakes became a dustbin of sorts, collecting whatever the enemy dumped into its waters\u2014weapons, counterfeit banknotes, concentration camp lists\u2014as they fled south from the Allied troops. The Devil\u2019s Dustbin, locals call it.<\/p>\n
Lake Hallstatt plunges more than four hundred feet between the fortress of mountains. Because of its depth and the many hiding places in the underwater forests, caves, and shifting sands, divers continue finding World War II artifacts today. Some still believe there\u2019s a treasure trove buried on the bottom, but no one has reported finding any gold.<\/p>\n
After our trip, a story about this castle and what happened to the heirlooms of the Austrian Jewish people continued to burn inside me until I finally put it on paper. So I built Schloss Schwansee\u2014Castle of Swan Lake\u2014in my mind, inspired by the castle along Lake Hallstatt, and created a cast of historical and contemporary characters who are searching for lost treasure.<\/p>\n
Hidden Among the Stars<\/em> is a time-slip novel about a castle and treasure and fairytales, but most of all, it\u2019s a story about God using ordinary people across Austria to resist evil in their own extraordinary way.<\/p>\n
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BLOG STOPS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reading Is My SuperPower<\/span><\/a>, September 6<\/td>\namandainpa<\/a>, <\/span>September 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fiction Aficionado<\/span><\/a>, September 6<\/td>\nMaureen\u2019s Musing<\/span><\/a>, September 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Back Porch Reads<\/a>, <\/span>September 6<\/td>\nLocks, Hooks and Books<\/span><\/a>, September 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Among the Reads<\/span><\/a>, September 6<\/td>\nJust Commonly<\/span><\/a>, September 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Power of Words<\/span><\/a>, September 7<\/td>\nBook by Book<\/span><\/a>, September 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Multifarious<\/span><\/a>, September 7<\/td>\nConnect in Fiction<\/span><\/a>, September 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lady ansel book vibes<\/span>,<\/a> September 7<\/td>\nPause for Tales<\/span><\/a>, September 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Becca Files<\/span><\/a>, September 7<\/td>\nHave A Wonderful Day<\/a>, <\/span>September 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
God\u2019s Little Bookworm<\/span><\/a>, September 8<\/td>\nSplashes of Joy<\/a>, <\/span>September 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Christian Chick\u2019s Thoughts<\/span><\/a>, September 8<\/td>\nThe Christian Fiction Girl<\/span><\/a>, September 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Painting with Words<\/span><\/a>, September 8<\/td>\nTell Tale Book Reviews<\/span><\/a>, September 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lis Loves Reading<\/span><\/a>, September 8<\/td>\nTo Everything A Season<\/span><\/a>, September 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cherylbbookblog<\/span><\/a>, September 9<\/td>\nA Baker\u2019s Perspective<\/span><\/a>, September 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Living LIfe Free in Christ<\/span><\/a>, September 9<\/td>\nproud to be an autism mom<\/span><\/a>, September 16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Madeline Clark<\/span><\/a>, September 9<\/td>\nBibliophile Reviews<\/span><\/a>, September 16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mary Hake<\/a>, September 9<\/td>\nBigreadersite<\/a>, <\/span>September 16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reflections From My Bookshelves<\/span><\/a>,
\nSeptember 10<\/td>\n		Aryn The Libraryan<\/span><\/a>, September 16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genesis 5020<\/span><\/a>, September 10<\/td>\nBy The Book<\/span><\/a>, September 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faithfully Bookish<\/span><\/a>, September 10<\/td>\nChristian author, J.E. Grace<\/span><\/a>, September 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Simple Harvest Reads<\/span><\/a>, September 10
\n(Guest post from Mindy Houng)<\/td>\n		Janices book reviews<\/span><\/a>, September 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Margaret Kazmierczak<\/span><\/a>, September 11<\/td>\nTexas Book-aholic<\/span><\/a>, September 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
All-of-a-kind Mom<\/span><\/a>, September 11<\/td>\nDebbie\u2019s Dusty Deliberations<\/span><\/a>, September 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Daysong Reflections<\/a>, <\/span>September 11<\/td>\nCarpe Diem<\/span><\/a>, September 18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Caffeinated Christian Raves \u2013 N \u2013 Reviews<\/span><\/a>, September 11<\/td>\nGodly Book Reviews<\/span><\/a>, September 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seasons of Opportunities<\/span><\/a>, September 12<\/td>\nFor The Love of Books<\/span><\/a>, September 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remembrancy<\/span><\/a>, September 12<\/td>\nLive. Love. Read<\/a>., <\/span>September 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Inklings and notions<\/a>, <\/span>September 12<\/td>\nReader\u2019s Cozy Corner<\/span><\/a>, September 19<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n
To celebrate her tour, Melanie is giving away a grand prize package that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, Catching the Wind paperback, and Hidden Among the Stars paperback!!<\/p>\n
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/promosimple.com\/ps\/d2ad\/hidden-among-the-stars-celebration-tour-giveaway<\/a><\/p>\n
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MY REVIEW: Any time I feel like our world has gone totally crazy, I only have to read a novel about the people who lived through the absolute terror of Hitler’s assault on Europe. Melanie Dobson has a rare talent for taking me right into their reality for awhile and leaves me more appreciative for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,34,41,226,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-historical","category-romance","category-split-time","category-wwii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23537"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23548,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23537\/revisions\/23548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}