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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Guest Review of Lisa Norato's The Promise Keeper by Lynne Erickson Valle


The Promise Keeper

a Sea Heroes of Duxbury novel

Danger reunites a sea captain's daughter with her childhood protector,
who is now a reclusive lighthouse keeper on an island across the bay.

Review by Guest Reviewer, Lynne Erickson Valle


Lisa Norato’s masterfully written inspirational romance novel, The Promise Keeper, is utterly captivating. This intriguing tale of the truest of love transpires in nineteenth century Duxbury, Massachusetts. The story unfolds two lives that were impacted by one remarkable man of valor-Captain Ezra Moon. In his character Norato eloquently demonstrates how one individual exemplifying Christ can make a monumental difference in our world. Her characters and scenes are so vividly depicted that the reader can’t help becoming eagerly invested in the great mystery that shadows Captain Moon’s daughter, Iris, and the promise that a young lad vowed to keep. One of the many aspects of this book that makes it stand out in the sea of Christian fiction is how Norato-true to real life-reveals the full spectrum of God’s power in the lives of believers. I enjoyed this book to such a high degree that The Promise Keeper has earned a place on my “Favorites” list in my home library.

and now for a quick peek into the novel:
     Johnny withdrew his spyglass from his waistcoat pocket and trained it across the deep waters of Duxbury Bay at Captain Moon’s rooftop. As expected, the visage of a young woman took focus in the lens. Pale ash blond hair, the color of moonlight, swirled around her, obscuring her face. It spilled to her waist, straight and unbound, then blew and danced around her head on a fresh breeze. Ethereal as an angel, a finely-made dressing gown billowed over her tall figure. Surely that garment was not warm enough to ward off the chill of this late December air.
     A moment passed, one quick glimpse, and then she disappeared. Johnny lowered the glass in disappointment.
     “Two things keep me sane on this island, Salty. Your faithful companionship and the Bible that was once my mother’s.” He tossed the rapt and eager gull another meat strip.
     It was a welcomed relief to exercise his voice, to hear the sound of it aloud and watch his breath steam in the frosty air. “Sometimes I find this tower lonelier than prison.”
     Pilgrim Light was an isolated place. There were no roads on the eighty-acre Clark’s Island. No homes, except for the Watson farm on the southernmost tip. The family raised hay and turnips and were in the process of replacing their farmhouse with a twelve-room Dutch Colonial.
     A two-day liberty was granted him every three weeks. More frequently Johnny found himself rowing to Duxbury to spend his earnings on grog in the old ordinary. He liked to sit quietly by the fire and listen to tongues wag. It mattered little what they said. It was the hearty rumble of other men’s voices that soothed him after weeks of nothing but silence.
     “What do you make of her, Salty? Iris has grown into an extremely beautiful woman, yet she remains the wide-eyed sea urchin I remember. Imagine her rowing out here alone to have a look at me and assuage her curiosity. How would she have reacted, do you think, had I told her we were once warm friends?”

The Promise Keeper is available on Amazon in trade paperback or ebook and on Barnes & Noble as an ebook.

GIVEAWAY! Lisa will be giving away a kindle or nook ebook of The Promise Keeper to one commenter. To enter, please be sure to include your name and email address with your comment.

http://www.lynneericksonvalle.com/Lynne Erickson Valle is a lyricist, storyteller, inspirational writer and the author of The Double Rose, a contemporary, Christian romance of predestined love.  Over two hundred of her articles have been featured on SUSIE magazine, King Cat Christian Music and Examiner. com.




Monday, July 28, 2014

It's Tea Time



A Family of Three at Tea, 1727
Attributed to Johann Zoffany (German-born British painter, 1733-1810)
      Tea is served usually at four o’clock, but sometimes between two and five o’clock.
      There are several types of teas:
Elevensies – morning coffee hour
Cream Tea – simple tea served with scones, clotted cream, marmalade or lemon curd
Low Tea or Afternoon Tea (got its name because guests sat on low armchairs next to low side-tables) – various sweet teas served with tiny sandwiches (savones), scones, and pastries with clotted cream, and curd
Royal Tea – begins with champagne and ends with sherry
High Tea (also known as Meat Tea) – served around six o’clock in the evening and includes meat and potatoes, various other foods. Was for the working class, but also was usually served for the upper classes on Sundays to give servants time off from having to cook an evening meal.
 
     Items necessary for serving tea include:
China tea set – teapot, cups, saucers, and tea spoons
Stainless steel wire mesh infusers or tea balls
Tea strainer
Mote spoon (slotted spoon for straining stray tea leaves)
Caddy spoon (short spoon used to measure out the tea leaves)


Mote Spoon



Caddy Spoon












Sugar bowl
Creamer for milk
Pitcher of hot water (for those who prefer weak tea)
Plate for lemon slices Plates and forks, if serving cake
Knives or butter spreaders if serving jam
Napkins (Napkins have an etiquette of their own. Fold large napkins in half with the fold facing the body, but open completely smaller tea napkins. When leaving the table temporarily, place your napkin on your chair, not on the table. At the end of the tea, pick up the napkin by the center and place it to the left of the plate.)

Gaiwan – a Chinese covered cup (To drink from the gaiwan, use the thumb and index finger of your left hand to hold the lid by its knob, and let the other three fingers follow the curve of the gaiwan, Tilt the lid slightly away from your lips so that it serves as a filter holding back the leaves as you drink the liquid. The cup is never removed from the saucer.)

Proper way to hold a tea cup and saucer:
Place the saucer in the palm of your left hand and move it forward to rest on the four fingers, which are slightly spread apart. Steady the saucer with your thumb on the rim. Hold the cup by placing your index finger through the handle and grip the handle with your thumb, and, for added support, place a second finger below the handle. Curve the next two fingers around the bowl. Don’t raise the pinky finger, even the slightest little bit, which would be a no-no.

Susan F. Craft is the author of the SIBA award-winning Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Early American Reading for Kids

by Roseanna M. White

I'm a homeschooling mom. That means that, while we're still basking in the joys of summer, I'm also planning out the next school year (less than a month until it begins!). While my family is planning vacations purely for fun, I'm trying to figure out how to turn them into field trips. And I admit it--I'm excited about next year. Why? Because we're starting 2 years of American History. =D

With the curriculum program I use, we've been going chronologically through world history for those first four years (my older is 8, entering 4th grade, my younger 6, entering 1st). I've enjoyed all we've been studying together, from the Ancient Egyptians up through the Renaissance, but I got a wee bit giddy when my box of books for next year arrived. These are books I know. Books I've read. Books I love. These are the stories that make America what it is--and I'm so, so excited to be sharing this with my kids.

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the early American books we'll be reading this year, and also some of the field trips we'll be taking. I know not everyone homeschools, but I've gotten a number of questions over the years about great reading material for the younger crowd, and you just can't beat most of these!

I know I'm going to be bursting with stories to share on the CQ this coming year--stories of natives and immigrants, of founding fathers and the courageous citizens who fought for freedom. And I'm also hoping to get the family to Philadelphia to see Ben Franklin's house, to Virginia to visit Mt. Vernon and Monticello, and to some of the battlefields and historic landmarks littering the east coast, where I'm lucky enough to live.

I'd love to know east coast sites you recommend, 
or supplementary reading for kids!

This is my shelf of readers--some my daughter (the 8-yr-old) will read on her own, and others we'll read aloud, together, with my son.


I know it's a little hard to see all the titles. But here's the list--these are all recommended for 8-11, but I'm confident my 6/7 yr-old will be able to follow along too, so long as we have conversations about all we study (which we always do). It's a long list, but they all look great! (All the links are to Sonlight, from whom I got them; they're also all available elsewhere.)

And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
The background and story of Paul Revere's famous ride, told by a master story-teller.

If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
A detailed study of the United States Constitution.

Winter at Valley Forge
A first-person journal account of what it was like at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78.

Incans, Aztecs & Mayans
Fascinating account of three major civilizations that existed in the "New World" before Europeans arrived.

Pedro's Journal
A fictional account of Christopher Columbus' first voyage.

The Landmark History of the American People: From Plymouth to the West, Volume I
A fascinating introduction to American culture as it has shaped and been shaped by events from the Pilgrims to the mid-1800s. Written by the former Librarian of Congress.

North American Indians
Profusely illustrated introduction to a broad range of North American Indian peoples.

The Light and the Glory for Young Readers
A history of how God worked through the founders of America to establish this nation. From European explorers' first sighting of land to the devout Pilgrims and Puritans to the Revolutionary War, it would seem God had a plan. Meet the evangelists of the First Great Awakening, founding fathers who desired to obey God, and other men and women who risked much to follow what they believed God had for them.

The Very First Americans
Long before Columbus landed in America, hundreds of groups of people had already made their homes here. But where did they live? What did they eat? How did they have fun? And where are they today? From coast to coast, learn about these first Americans!


Tells America's story during its first fifty years as a nation. These were the days of Benjamin Franklin and Daniel Boone, Francis Asbury and Charles Finney, Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. During these years Conestoga wagons and circuit riders became famous, the Second Great Awakening sparked revival across the nation, Indian wars and slavery were major concerns, and the Louisiana Purchase and the Oregon Trail expanded American boundaries from sea to shining sea. God was also at work in the young nation, giving its settlers opportunities to shape its history and to be His people.
A groundbreaking guide to American history, this reference book explains events, moments, trends, patterns and people in concise articles designed to appeal to children ages 8 and up.


The Sign of the Beaver
A white boy in the Maine wilderness is rescued by an Indian chief.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond
A girl raised in luxury in the Caribbean struggles to adjust to Puritan New England.

Johnny Tremain
A young apprentice silversmith is caught up in the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Fascinating true story of the poor apprentice who, shortly after the American Revolution, transformed navigation from an art to a precise science.

Walk the World's Rim
A 14-year old Indian joins Cabeza de Vaca's 16th-century expedition through the Southwest.

Justin Morgan Had a Horse
The true story of a young boy who trained the first all-American (but now world-famous) Morgan horse.

Calico Bush
Left an orphan shortly after her family arrives in the New World, young Marguerite is "Bound-out" for six years to serve the Sargent family in exchange for food, shelter and clothing.

The Journeyman
Touching story about a boy, despised by his father because of his artistic bent, who leaves home to find his place in the world.

Swift Rivers
Eighteen-year-old Chris spends a winter with his grandfather in a cabin in Minnesota.


Tree in the Trail
See the history of the Sante Fe trail through the eyes of a great Cottonwood tree. Starting with the first Spaniards in the 1500s, follow three centuries of Indian tribes, wagon trains, buffalo herds, New Mexican settlements and changing times.

The Secret of the Sealed Room
Young Patience Martin works as an indentured servant in 1721 Boston. When her mistress dies of a mysterious poisoning, Patience runs away and meets an inventive, adventurous young printer's apprentice named Ben Franklin. Can the new friends crack the case and save Patience's life?

Toliver's Secret
Ten-year old Ellen Toliver must conquer her timidity to take a secret message through enemy lines during the Revolutionary War.

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Breezy biography by award-winning author gives insights into Franklin's intriguing life and personality.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition
A highly readable account of the quintessentially American adventure of discovery and hardship as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their men on an exploration of "the interior parts of North America."

Pocahontas and the Strangers
Familiar story of a young Indian girl who saved the life of John Smith, an early American frontiersman.

The Matchlock Gun
A ten-year-old boy saves his family from raiding Indians during the French and Indian war.

Meet Thomas Jefferson
An easy-reading introduction to the third president of the United States from boyhood on.

Phoebe the Spy
Dramatic true story of a little black girl who foiled a plan to kill George Washington.

Meet George Washington
George Washington's life from boyhood to presidency in a large, boldface type.

Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman
The true story of the famous steamboat builder by an award-winning author.

Sarah, Plain and Tall
Award-winning story of a frontier American widower who advertises for a wife . . . and gets Sarah.

The Courage of Sarah Noble
Eight-year old Sarah journeys into the wilderness with her father--and ends up alone!

The Cabin Faced West
Anne is lonely when her family moves to the Pennsylvania frontier . . . until a special evening when a stranger comes to dinner.

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
The story of the meeting of two cultures--and the young man who helped bridge the gap between them.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
Jonathan goes to get "the biggest pot you ever laid eyes on" — on the other side of Hemlock Mountain.

Sarah Whitcher's Story
The true story of a little girl who is lost in New Hampshire woods back in pioneer days.

A Lion to Guard Us
Award-winning author tells a true story about three children left alone in London in 1609 who make their way to the Virginia colony.

The Skippack School
Simple but insightful story about a German boy who immigrated to America about the year 1750.

The Thanksgiving Story
Caldecott Honor Book recounts the story of the Pilgrims from the time they left England on the Mayflower through the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Om-kas-toe
Om-kas-toe is a member of the Blackfeet Indian tribe in the early 1700s--before
horses.

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t homeschooling her small kids and writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband.