Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin makes my list as one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I have really enjoyed reading about the wars through fictional characters. She does an excellent job at making the historical time period come alive while including fictional characters to tell the story. I learn something new in each of her books, which is one reason I like her. She does her research, but writes it in such a way that the book never feels too heavy with history. She blends her fiction work quiet nicely.

Book #2 focuses on World War 2. I had to pause at several sections of the book because it is so hard for me to still wrap my mind around the pain and worry that almost everyone felt since each person was greatly affected by the war. Sarah Sundin even states that this book is set "during the darkest days of the war." I appreciate that her story tells the story of those dark days and that she takes the reader into the hurt and pain so many experienced.

Arch and Lillian are not new characters to the series, but they are now the main characters in this book. However, if you haven't read it then you will not be missing any huge details. (Of course, you should still definitely read the first book in this series! It was great, too!) 

One of the bigger surprises for me was the suspenseful part of the story. I knew it would be full of suspense with the war playing out. However, I didn't not expect there to be a whole other reason for the suspense. She did a good job at not dragging it out too long but gave the reader just enough to make them say "just one more chapter."

Read more reviews on this book at http://litfusegroup.com/author/SSundin.

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ANCHOR IN THE STORM BY SARAH SUNDIN | BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

Author: Sarah Sundin

In a time of sacrifice, what price can one put on true love? Pharmacist Lillian Avery and Ensign Archer Vandenberg are about to find out in Sarah Sundin’s new book, Anchor in the Storm. During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves—and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian has been filling? As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian’s trust and affection?

Celebrate the release of Sarah’s Anchor in the Storm by entering to win her All Hands on Deck Prize Pack!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A signed copy of Anchor in the Storm
• Nautical tote bag lined with anchor fabric
• Anchor necklace made from copper reclaimed from the USS Constitution in Boston during restoration
• 365 Devotions for Hope by Karen Whiting
• Shine: Nautical Inspirational Adult Coloring Book
• “Hope Anchors the Soul” journal
• Set of two nautical tea towels

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on June 8th. The winner will be announced June 9th on Sarah’s blog.

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Anchor in the Storm (Revell, May 2016)

One plucky female pharmacist + one high-society naval officer = romance—and danger

For plucky Lillian Avery, America’s entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg’s attentions only annoy–even if he is her brother’s best friend.

During the darkest days of the war, Arch’s destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves–and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian’s trust and affection?

Sarah Sundin brings World War II to life, offering readers an intense experience they won’t soon forget.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Sarah Sundin is the author of eight historical novels, including "Anchor in the Storm." Her novel "Through Waters Deep" was named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and her novella “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in "Where Treetops Glisten" was a finalist for the 2015 Carol Award. A mother of three, Sarah lives in California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange of my honest opinion of this book.

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

If I were to name a favorite author in the historical fiction category, it would definitely be Sarah Sundin. Her books are full of history and you can tell she does her research well before she starts writing. I have read many of her books and have enjoyed each one so far.

Through Waters Deep didn't disappoint me at all. The first book in her new series, Waves of Freedom, focuses its time in 1941. The reader is introduced to, and instantly hooked on, Jim and Mary. I was captured by this story from the first page.

I found this book to be relative to today in some ways. For instance, America didn't really expect or believe what was going on in the European countries. History is repeating itself in some ways today and you can see a little of that parallel in this book. It definitely made me think about the years we are living in now.

I couldn't help but respect Jim and Mary as their story unfolded. They learn of a sabotage and they know they have to stop it and figure out who is behind it. I really liked the suspense that Sarah Sundin put into this book. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, since I don't usually read the synopsis of the book that is placed on the back of the book. I like the element of surprise.

If I had to choose a favorite character, it would be Mary. She was strong, courageous, and not without things that she had to overcome. She had the fear, but also knew that fear couldn't paralyze her if she was going to be able to save lives. When placed in a dangerous situation, she acted.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. What a wonderful book this was!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

If I were to name a favorite author in the historical fiction category, it would definitely be Sarah Sundin. Her books are full of history and you can tell she does her research well before she starts writing. I have read many of her books and have enjoyed each one so far.

Through Waters Deep didn't disappoint me at all. The first book in her new series, Waves of Freedom, focuses its time in 1941. The reader is introduced to, and instantly hooked on, Jim and Mary. I was captured by this story from the first page.

I found this book to be relative to today in some ways. For instance, America didn't really expect or believe what was going on in the European countries. History is repeating itself in some ways today and you can see a little of that parallel in this book. It definitely made me think about the years we are living in now.

I couldn't help but respect Jim and Mary as their story unfolded. They learn of a sabotage and they know they have to stop it and figure out who is behind it. I really liked the suspense that Sarah Sundin put into this book. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, since I don't usually read the synopsis of the book that is placed on the back of the book. I like the element of surprise.

If I had to choose a favorite character, it would be Mary. She was strong, courageous, and not without things that she had to overcome. She had the fear, but also knew that fear couldn't paralyze her if she was going to be able to save lives. When placed in a dangerous situation, she acted.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. What a wonderful book this was! Don't just take my word for it, though. Check out what others thought at http://litfusegroup.com/author/SSundin.

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Through Waters Deep (Revell, August 2015)
It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war.
Outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. Back on shore, Boston Navy Yard secretary Mary Stirling does her work quietly and efficiently, happy to be out of the limelight. Yet, despite her reserved nature, she never could back down from a challenge. When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is found, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges–and dangers–await them.
Sarah Sundin takes readers to the tense months before the US entered WWII. Readers will encounter German U-boats and torpedoes, along with the explosive power of true love, in this hopeful and romantic story.
Learn more and purchase a copy.

Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is the author of "With Every Letter," "On Distant Shores," "In Perfect Time," and the Wings of Glory series. In 2014, "On Distant Shores" was a finalist for the Golden Scroll Awards from both AWSA and the Christian Authors Network. In 2011, Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist's mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Where Treetops Glisten by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, & Sarah Sundin

As soon as I saw these three authors together in the same book, I knew this was going to be an enjoyable book. These are some of my top authors and they did not disappoint me at all. Each author titled the name of their section by a name of a well-known Christmas carol. Of course, that had me singing those songs for while!

This is a Christmas book, but it's thoroughly enjoyable any time of the year. There are three stories that focus on Christmas during World War II. The Turner family has seen a lot of tragedy, but thanks to their grandma, she insists on doing what she can to still celebrate Christmas.

Each author focuses their story on a different member of the Turner family. Cara Putman tells Abigail's story of letting loss go and moving forward with life. Fear of having her heart broken again sends fear throughout her life and she has to make the decision to face her fear.

Sarah Sundin focuses on Pete. Pete hasn't always made the best choices. He has learned that despite a changed life, his sin still has consequences. He has to prove to people that he's not the same man he once was. As a side note, his relationship with sweet, little Linnie and his patience with her "handful" personality is so sweet. I wanted him to be Linnie's new dad!

Tricia Goyer wraps up the story of the Turner family by following Meredith, better known as "Merry." She's a nurse and has been placed in the frontline of the war. She will see and experience much sadness, but God prepares her to help her go forward in life. It isn't easy, but you get to see the beautiful story of God's redemption played out.

In the busyness of the holiday season, grab this book and settle up on the couch for some quiet moments spent with a wonderful book!

Read more opinions on this book by going to http://litfusegroup.com/author/glisten.

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About the book: 

The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime

Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America's involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Cara Putman's White Christmas, Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements---until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help.

Abigail's brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin's I'll Be Home for Christmas, trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete's friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he's no longer the bully she once knew?

In Tricia Goyer's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Meredith Turner, "Merry" to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that's precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart.

The Turner family believes in God's providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ's birth and His plan for a future?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/BwVP9

 

About the authors: 

TRICIA GOYER is a prolific author of nearly forty books, including Chasing Mona Lisa, and a speaker and blogger. 

Website, Facebook, Twitter

CARA PUTMAN is the author of twenty books including Shadowed by Grace. She is the winner of the 2008 Carol Award for historical fiction. 

Website, Facebook, Twitter

SARAH SUNDIN is the critically-acclaimed author of the Wings of the Nightingale series, the Wings of Glory series, and the forthcoming Waves of Freedom novels.

Website, Facebook, Twitter

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Waterbrook Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is one of my top favorite authors for historical fiction. I have really enjoyed each one of her books and they keep getting better and better. This series, the Wings of Nightingale, focuses on WWII and the Air Force.

Kay Johnson is a flight nurse and she has a bit of a wild side. She is known for the way she spends her time at night and the string of men she has. I liked the imperfection of Kay and Roger. I did laugh a little at some of the ways he tried to avoid her.

I am amazed at how she makes history come alive and so incredibly interesting. Her research is so thorough and at times, intense with action, but it never feels like I'm reading a history book. I'm convinced she can take any point in history and come up with an incredible fiction book based on historical facts.

I'm sad that this is the end of this series. I like how each of the characters are weaved together in some way and you get different glimpses of the story based on which book you are reading. She is easily able to recap what happened without making it obvious that she is doing so.

Can't wait to see what she has in store next!

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About the Book

                       In Perfect Time | Wings of the Nightingale series
Bold, sophisticated, and flirtatious, Army Air Force flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson collects hearts wherever she flies, leaving men pining in airfields all across Europe. So how can ruggedly handsome C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper be all but immune to her considerable charms? In fact, he seems to do everything he can to avoid her.
Still, as they cross the skies between Italy and southern France, evacuating the wounded and delivering paratroopers and supplies, every beat of their hearts draws them closer to where they don’t want to go.
Can they confront the fears and misunderstandings in their pasts?
Learn more and purchase a copy at Sarah’s website.

Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is the author of "With Every Letter" and the Wings of Glory series. In 2011, A "Memory Between Us" was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. A graduate of UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy, she works on call as a hospital pharmacist. During WWII, her grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the Navy and her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin is one of my top favorite authors for historical fiction. I have really enjoyed each one of her books and they keep getting better and better. This series, the Wings of Nightingale, focuses on WWII and the Air Force.

Kay Johnson is a flight nurse and she has a bit of a wild side. She is known for the way she spends her time at night and the string of men she has. I liked the imperfection of Kay and Roger. I did laugh a little at some of the ways he tried to avoid her.

I am amazed at how she makes history come alive and so incredibly interesting. Her research is so thorough and at times, intense with action, but it never feels like I'm reading a history book. I'm convinced she can take any point in history and come up with an incredible fiction book based on historical facts.

I'm sad that this is the end of this series. I like how each of the characters are weaved together in some way and you get different glimpses of the story based on which book you are reading. She is easily able to recap what happened without making it obvious that she is doing so.

Can't wait to see what she has in store next!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

On Distant Shores by Sarah Sundin

 

Sarah Sundin has become one of the authors that I anticipate reading when I hear that she has a new book about to come out.  She has done such a good  job writing about the wars and including some romance in there, too.  I can't imagine the amount of time she has spent in research.  She includes even little details that are quite important to the story but still makes it flow seamlessly. 

On Distant Shores is the second book in her Wings of the Nightingale series.  It is about World War II and focuses on Georgiana Taylor who is a flight nurse and Sgt. John Hutchinson, a pharmacist.  I was a little surprised by how pharmacists were treated in the war.  I didn't realize that it wasn't as respected in the Army.  I would have thought that they would have been highly prized since they knew how the medicines worked together. 

Both Georgiana and Hutch had a relationship back in the States, but after being apart for so long, they are wondering if they are even a good match for their intended.  Hutch is a kind of quiet person and Georgiana is social...just what Hutch needs.  Their relationship starts as friends, but who knows where it will end up.  Will they hold out for their loved ones back home or will they decide to give this relationship a try?  Also, what will happen with Rose and Mellie (Georgiana's friends) and their boyfriends?  Will they finally find love?

The main characters are definitely Georgiana and Hutch, but the smaller characters, like Rose, Mellie, Bergie, and a few others are still well developed and I became very interested in the side story.  She weaves her characters together beautifully and they never feel disconnected or just thrown in to the story.

I am very excited to read book 3 in this series.  Even if you don't like stories on wars, I think you'd be surprised to find yourself enjoying this one.  Find out other opinions on this book by going to http://litfusegroup.com/author/Ssundin.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

The lost art of writing a letter is beautifully revealed through this book.  Letters can reveal much about a person.  You can even be more bold in a letter than you would normally be in person.  Revealing so much about you and your heart is so much easier when you don't really know the person that you are writing to, either. 

Tom and Mellie find themselves loving the company of each other---through letter, of course.  There's a hitch to keeping this letter writing thing going, though.  Neither of them know the other person's identity.  Being a girl (which really isn't the reason), Mellie actually does find out Tom's identity much faster than he finds out hers.  Mellie tries to decide whether or not to reveal her true self to Tom, but is convinced that if he were to see her less-than-attractive-face-to-her, then he would want nothing else to do with her.  Truth is, she needs him and his letters to help process all that she's gone through and seen.  She needs him to heal.  And unknowingly, Tom needs his precious Mellie (or Annie, if you're going by pen pal names) for all of those same reasons.  With two people who have such a past that leaves them struggling to fit in, will they be able to reveal themselves and continue on with the relationship staying the same?

I really enjoyed this book, as well as Sarah's other books.  I love the historical tidbits that she puts in her books.  You can tell that she's done some research and has knowledge about the time period in which she writes.  She's a fairly new writer to me, as I was only first introduced to her a few years ago, but I have come to find that she is also a writer that I do and will continue to seek out when I'm looking for a good book to read.  I have yet to be disappointed by her!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.