Whether it's a conversation with a friend, a word that is penned, or a craft that is made, everything we do leaves a stitch in the fabric of time. Join us as we investigate the stitches of the past and present...
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ... a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).
In a land fraught with religious strife, they must break the barriers between status and faith to forge a fresh future in a new world…
After her Huguenot father is arrested, aristocrat Suzanne Richelieu escapes Versailles. Handsome German peasant, Johan Rousch, risks his life to bring her to the safety of his family’s farm in the Palatinate duchy, but when Suzanne’s brother and the French army arrive with a warning that they plan to burn the area, she and Johan are forced to flee. With no money or options, both become indentured servants in exchange for safe passage to Philadelphia. Suzanne falls gravely ill aboard ship and marries Johan, only to survive with no memory of the wedding—a reality made worse when Johan spots the “priest” who married them working as a surveyor and later in Quaker cleric garb. Are their wedding vows valid? When Suzanne's former fiancé arrives in port, planning to abduct her, Johan must save her again—but can he do so before Suzanne is lost to him forever? First of all, even the cover grabs me! It's beautiful. The story is also. The beginning swept me into the history and adventure this book is saturated with. The author did a wonderful job at weaving the details from that time and those places into this moving tale. With her parents' Protestant beliefs responsible for the downfall of her family, and her grandmother's rosary at the tip of her fingers, Susanne is not sure she believes any of it. She just wants to be happily married and protected. But when friends can no longer be trusted, and new allies are made, more than her belief, or lack thereof, are tested. I really enjoyed both Suzanne and Johan, her strong and steady hero. I definitely recommend their story! I was very blessed to be given a book early for review, but here is the link if you want your own. :)
I have been blessed by an abundance of book releases in the past two years. During this same
time, however, I’ve also gone through foot surgery and two outpatient foot procedures and a
major surgery (with a long scar to prove it!) Not only that but my daughter had emergency
surgery, my son struggled through health problems, and my father-in- law had triple bypass
surgery. Not to mention the multiple deaths in the family and the ongoing struggle with
Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease. Whew! But God is good! I couldn’t have written the books
without God’s help. No way!
At Christmastime this year, I got convicted that I had to find some margins or space in my life.
My husband and son were up in Chicago visiting my inlaws while I was supposed to be working
on a contracted novella. I ended up writing only one day and spent the rest of the time in a
flare up. I’d had another foot procedure that left me limited in walking. I was struggling with
my attitude but praying that this PRP would work (it took several months but finally did.)
Over a period of two years I had written a long novella, two short novels, a standard novella,
another two longish novellas, and edited/rewrote a long novel and wrote numerous proposals
and blog posts. But recently, I had that nagging to make more room in my life or expand my
margins. Writing a book is only part of the job, marketing also takes up a chunk of time and I’d
run out of time to do much of that. And when life feels like it is crowding in, that’s the time to
turn to God and ask what to do with that time He’s given us. The answer I got was – make more
margins in your life.
So I’m on Phase 2, with some margins. I recently was awarded a contract for a full length novel,
praise God, but it’s already been written and needs to have content cut. I’m also under contract
for another novella and am expecting edits back on a third with Barbour, already submitted. I
have a handful of proposals out. But, when given an opportunity to submit to another, I prayed
about it and didn’t go forward. I needed margins. Then we had a family member unexpectedly
pass away right after we’d had a family out of state trip to visit another family member in the
hospital. And then upon return we had family in town for two and a half weeks. Had there not
been some space, some margins in my life, I’d have panicked.
While God has called me to write, He’s also given me a wonderful husband, a teenage son, and
an adult daughter and many friends. Those relationships require nurturing. When I start feeling
overwhelmed, that’s when God whispers to my heart, “Did I call you to that?” He gives us rest
if we ask Him. When we obey, He blesses us.
Have you
painted yourself into a corner with too many obligations and deadlines? Have you ever
deliberately added more time into your calendar so that you could do what God called you to
do in relationships?
Giveaway: A copy of Carrie’s latest release, The Steeplechase, in Kindle or paperback will go to one of this post's commenters. The winner will be announced in Monday's Weekly Wind-up post so be sure to check back to see if you won.
Carrie Fancett Pagels is a multi-published award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!
Visit her at her website: www.CarrieFancettPagels.com or Amazon Author page
Hi everyone, Angela here and I have the great privilege of introducing author Carrie Fancett Pagels to you all today! Here is a little about her:
Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D.
Carrie Fancett Pagels is a multi-published award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!
Welcome
Carrie! We're so glad you could visit us today.
Thanks for having me on, Angela! We’re so glad you joined us
over at Colonial Quills blog, too!!! Glad to have you with the Colonial
American Christian Writers group!
It has been so fun getting to know you over there and will subtly leave the link here incase anyone here enjoys reading about Colonial America. ;) What made you decide to become a writer?
When I was a child I loved to read and aspired to be a writer.
Ultimately, God drew me to become a writer. He’d been calling to me for years
and I’d continued as a psychologist thinking I’d answer that call when I
retired. God had other plans and after I became disabled from my RA, He helped
me become a pretty productive writer. He helped me get out two short novels in
the last year plus two long novellas, completing another standard size novella
now, plus get another full-length novel to market!!!
So exciting about all your books! I know you have a great line up this year. It is amazing how the Lord can turn our lives around on us to make us into what He wants us to be. One of your websites is called: Overcoming with God. What does this mean to you?
This originally was my solo blog entitled – Overcoming Through Time with
God’s Help. That was my tagline for my writing. I’ve been blessed to have
others join me so now this is a group blog. My intention was that in some form
this blog would be both a ministry to readers and especially provide reviews of
books that had some bibliotherapy element in them. Prior to beginning this blog
I posted in a mini blog on both My Book Therapy and on the old ShoutLife site,
which no longer exists. My life is about overcoming with God’s help and this
happens over time, not necessarily as quickly as we’d like! He’s really brought
me through some things, e.g., praise God after five years of barely walking and
then surgery and two procedures and much physical therapy I am now walking
again (thirty-five to forty minutes a day at least!) God is good!
Yes, He is! I can't imagine life without His help. How
does your faith and spirituality work in with your writing?
Big Daddy Weave
explains my story writing far better than I could write it here. I’m sharing
thelink to the video. This is exactly how I feel, the way this song says!!!
And I’m thrilled that my readers use those key words to describe my books:
grace, hope, love, victory, freedom, life, overcome, Jesus, praise, savior, and
mercy. As he says “To tell you my story is to tell of HIM!”
Wow, what a great song! Thanks for sharing. I'll have to save that to my playlist. Very inspiring! Where did the inspiration for your latest book come from?
I live in the Historic Triangle of Virginia. I have a Civil War book – Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance, set in Charles City, Virginia. As part of the research for this book and for another series I wrote (not yet published), I have spent a great deal of time researching this area which is home to many beautiful horses and to the Queen Anne Hunt Club. I’d already had a manuscript set during the War of 1812 and I imagined a bunch of “What Ifs” related to horse racing in the area, before the build up to the war.
Thanks for sharing the picture of the steeple from Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown which is featured in your story. I must admit that's how must of my books start as well--the big "what ifs". It's fun to be able to discover the answers.
What
is one of your favorite scenes in The
Steeplechase?
There are a couple.
One of my most memorable ones for me is the black moment scene. I don’t want to
spoil it, but I had trouble writing this. I wanted there to be justice for the
antagonist but we serve a merciful God so I often have difficulty writing hard
consequences. So the big scene where Tarleton’s, Martha’s, and Phillip’s lives
overlap in such a way that at least one of them isn’t going to get out of that
dark moment unscathed is my favorite for this book.
I must admit, dark moments are usually my favorite parts of books, and the emotional depth found there.
What
are you working on next?
I am completing a novella, entitled
“Requilted with Love” for Barbour Publishing for the Blue Ribbon Brides collection, releasing in November, 2016. I also have another release in May, entitled Mercy in a Red Cloak (Forget Me Not
Romances) and a full length novel, Saving
the Marquise’s Granddaughter, with White Rose/Pelican in June that I am
very excited about! BOTH are colonial era!!!
Very exciting! You have some great stuff going on. Here is a the cover and a little about the Steeplechase:
Martha Osborne fears for her six-year-old brother, who was shuffled off to boarding school when his British mother departed to England. Set in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the build-up to the War of 1812, expert rider Martha plans to substitute for her older brother in a “race to the steeple” to win the prize—and a bet with Phillip Paulson, equestrian trainer at Yorkview Academy, to help have her little brother returned home. When Phillip stumbles upon the real reasons behind the secret race he finds he may not be able to keep his end of the bargain. Can he save Martha and her brother? And will his heart be lost in the process?
Thank you so much
for being with us, Carrie!
Thanks for having me on, Angela!!!
To connect with Carrie and to find out more about her new books:
