The Swindler’s Daughter by author Stephenia H. McGee is a Christian historical romance fiction by Revell Publishing. It is a hefty 348 page paperback with a cover that is both endearing and interesting. Set in the early 1900s, the story takes place in rural Georgia.
This is the story of Lillian. She learns that what she has been told about her father was not true. While she was always told he had died, she just receives word of his death and her inheritance. Lillian must leave the city and her city ways and travel to rural Georgia.
Characters are well developed. They are realistic and relatable. I was able to engage with them and become invested early in the book. The Swindler’s Daughter is a tale of secrets, trust, family, and romance. There is a Christian message and strong faith in God. Life lessons of forgiveness, trust, and hope are also demonstrated. I learned a few things while reading this, too.
There are a few twists as well as some predictable moments. I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. She told an interesting story in words that held my attention. I was able to easily picture scenes. The dialogue sounded authentic. After the story concludes, there are some pages from a book by the author, historical note, acknowledgments, biography, and advertisements.
I highly recommend this book. Anyone interested in historical fiction will love it. It gets a 5 star rating from me. A copy was provided by the publisher, but these are my honest words.
About the Author
Stephenia H. McGee is a multi-published author of stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. She lives in Mississippi, where she is a mom of two rambunctious boys, writer, dreamer, and husband spoiler. Her novel The Cedar Key was a 2021 Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice award winner. A member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), she loves all things books and history. Stephenia also loves connecting with readers and can often be found having fun with her Faithful Readers Team on Facebook. For more on books and upcoming events and to connect with Stephenia, visit her at www.StepheniaMcGee.com.
A Brighter Dawn by extremely gifted storyteller, Leslie Gould, is book one in her Amish Memories Series. This is a Christian time-slip novel. It is a hefty 432 pages in paperback form and has an endearing cover.
Set in 2014, this is the tale of Ivy Zimmerman, a young Mennonite girl, and her family in Oregon. The historical side is from 1930s and is the story of Clare Simmons. Clare is a relative who visited Germany years ago, and stayed with a family of three sisters.
This tale is filled with poignant scenes, history, family drama, faith, romance, and mystery. It has quite a few surprises, too.
The beginning was slow for me. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book, which is a rarity with me for any offering from author Gould. After a few pages, the author wove her magic and I was hooked. It is evident that much research went into this thought-provoking, amazing novel.
There is so much included in this book. I gleaned a lot of historical information. This is a beautiful story. Characters are believable and the Christian message is uplifting. I highly recommend it. It gets a 4 star rating from me. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit but these are my own words.
About the Book
Book: A Brighter Dawn
Author: Leslie Gould
Genre: Amish Romance
Release date: March 28, 2023
Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.
As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.
Leslie Gould (www.lesliegould.com) is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of over 35 novels, including four Lancaster County Amish series. She holds an MFA in creative writing and enjoys studying church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and are the parents of four adult children.
More from Leslie
The historical thread of my dual-time novel A Brighter Dawn is set in Nazi Germany from 1937 to 1939. During that period of time, Germany incorporated Austria, mandatory registration of all Jewish property began, and concentration camps opened. Then came the Night of Broken Glass—the anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Soon following was the German occupation of Czechoslovakia before the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939.
My main character, Clare Simons, is a Mennonite young woman from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who is staying with her uncle and cousins in Frankfurt, Germany. She doesn’t follow current events much and struggles to balance the Nazi propaganda her uncle and oldest cousin believe with the events unfolding around her. Slowly, she begins to see the truth behind the Nazi lies.
One thing that broke up the narrative of the heavy events I researched and wrote about? The food.
When I traveled in Germany with my husband (who had lived there during his Army service years ago), I marveled over the scenery, became engrossed in the history, and definitely enjoyed the food. My background is Swiss, so it wasn’t that the food was unfamiliar. It was just at a level I hadn’t experienced before!
As I researched what Clare would fix for meals, I pored through cookbooks. For added inspiration, hubby and I ate at German restaurants. Jägerschnitzel (seared pork with gravy). Rinderbraten (paprika and caraway spiced beef roasted in red wine gravy). Wienerschnitzel (breaded and fried pork loin with warm potato salad and a vegetable remoulade.)
I noted food in research books, documentaries, and films. The entrees became focal points in the stories, including rabbit stew, a Christmas goose, and Sauerbraten with Spätzle and red cabbage. So did the desserts, including trifle and Black Forest cake.
When I visited Germany with my hubby, one of the things I really loved was stopping in a café for Apfelkuchen (apple cake) and coffee in the afternoon. In one scene in A Brighter Dawn, when Clare and her cousin Lena stop for coffee, they order apple cake too. Then, in another scene, Clare bakes an apple cake for the family of the nearby Jewish grocer who will soon lose their property.
Below is a recipe for a simple and dense German apple cake (which may have originated in Poland and been influenced by a Jewish apple cake recipe).
The food in A Brighter Dawn doesn’t take away from the narrative, but it is a reminder that a nurturing soul, such as my character Clare, can stand against the lies of an evil regime.
German Apple Cake
Ingredients
1 cup salted butter, melted
2 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ to 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 cups apples—peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (to soften apple slices before baking, place in a microwavable dish with a lid and microwave them with a Tablespoon of water for 3–4 minutes)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 cake pan.
Beat butter and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well.
Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in apples and walnuts by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. After 30 minutes, put a sheet of foil over the top of the cake to keep it from burning. Cool cake on a wire rack.
Possible Toppings
Before baking:
Crumble: ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup white sugar, ½ cup flour, 4–6 Tablespoons softened butter. Combine ingredients and evenly spread over the top of cake.
Butterscotch: Sprinkle a package of butterscotch chips over the top of the cake.
Almonds: Sprinkle almond slivers over the top of the cake.
Mail-Order Bride Substitute by author Linda Ford is a Christian historical fiction novel. This 268 page western story is Book Three in the Montana Mail-Order Brides series and her 100th published book! If you haven’t read the first two books, this may be read as a stand alone. However, I think you would benefit reading them first to learn the back story on some of the unique characters.
This is the story of Riley Shannon, eldest of the Shannon brothers. He has been corresponding with Sylvia and offered marriage to this mail-order bride candidate. The problem is that she has found a local man to love so her friend Olivia steps in to take her place. Things do not go as planned. Riley is a stubborn man with bad memories from the past. Olivia has been hurt, too, and equally hardheaded. When these two got together it was a game of cat and mouse with sparks flying.
This is a fun book. I was immediately engaged with the characters and captivating story. The characters are unique and believable. Riley had two married brothers, one single one, as well as some other supporting characters that kept the story running at a page turning pace. I found it difficult to put the book down, so I did not!
The cooking results and lessons that Olivia attempted were humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the story. The young children brought levity and smiles, too. Christian messages were heavily sprinkled throughout the book. That is one of my favorite things in a Christian book. I love inspirational messages that are upfront and not concealed.
I highly recommend this brilliant book. Readers of Christian historical, western, romance will adore it. This one certainly did. I give it a 5 star rating. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit, but these are my honest words.
About the Book
Book: Mail-Order Bride Substitute
Author: Linda Ford
Genre: Historical Western Romance
Release date: March 29, 2023
Olivia comes from a rich family, but it hasn’t protected her from malicious rumors. A marriage of convenience as a mail-order bride to Riley Shannon is exactly what she needs for a fresh start. Especially when he makes it clear he wants no romance. Something she is in complete agreement with. She’ll go in place of her friend, Sylvia, who has changed her mind about the arrangement she made with Riley.
Riley has bitter memories of loving a rich woman who doesn’t care to embrace ranch life. He has no intention of repeating that lesson. When Olivia steps from the train, offering to be his substitute bride, his answer is a resounding ‘no thanks.’ But Olivia isn’t about to take no for an answer and makes her way to the ranch, determined to prove she is the answer to his prayers.
What will it take for these two to overcome the barriers to their love?
Linda Ford is a multi-published author who makes her home in rural Alberta, Canada where she is near enough to the Rockies to see them every day. She didn’t always want to be an author. In fact, she dreamed of running an orphanage. In a way, her dream came true. She married a rancher. They had four children then adopted ten, an experience which has given her much fodder for the happy-ever-after stories she writes. Growing up on the prairie and learning to notice the small details it hides has given her an appreciation for watching God at work in His creation. Her upbringing also included being taught to trust God in everything and through everything—a theme that resonates in her stories.
Mail-Order Bride Substitute is her 100th title.
More from Linda
For the most part, I write westerns. Historical western romances to be exact. Now I’m not a cowgirl. I don’t even ride horseback. (Shh. Don’t tell anyone.) So, you might well ask, what qualifies me to write stories of this era and these kinds of people?
Well, I could list a number of reasons. 1) I had a father who liked to visit museums and tell stories about settling the west. Not only that, but for a few summers when I was very young, my mother and my siblings accompanied him to live in a…well, the best way to describe it is to say it was a cabin on wheels with nothing inside but a few cupboards and rough bunk beds. You could say I experienced pioneer life firsthand albeit it through the eyes of a child 2) As a child, I read anything I could get my hands on, including Zane Grey. I fell in love with his heroes, his heroines and his settings. 3) I dated and married a man who lives to watch westerns. And as a good date and later, a good wife, I spent many hours watching them. 4). I still love those larger-than-life heroes (aka cowboys) and the stubborn but kind heroines.
Mail-Order Bride Substitute is the third in a 5-book (and counting) series of Montana Mail-Order Brides. I like creating families and have done exactly that in this series. There are four brothers—the Shannons–and then their friends who see how successful their marriages are and decide to try this mail-order bride business for themselves.
I tend to create strong families and this series is no exception. Mrs. Shannon was a kind, guiding mother. Mr. Shannon was tough as old leather yet fair. Their sons do their best to honor them. I also prefer settings that include mountains which is why I have set this series in beautiful western Montana.
I love these stories. Or maybe it’s the cowboys and the brides who gather their courage around them to travel west to marry—and yes, tame—these young men.
Incidentally, this is my 100th book to be published.
Windswept Way by author Irene Hannon is book nine in her Hope Harbor series. This 353 page paperback is a Christian contemporary romance novel. It is a clean fiction but does use slang words such as heck and dang.
In this book, Jon and Rose were somewhat reclusive as they tried to stay in the shadows while in public. Ashley was outgoing and up-lifting. All three had been hurt deeply by the ones that they had loved. It took me a few chapters to become interested in the characters and the story. After a bit things really started to click and I was really engrossed in it. The town map was a pleasant addition.
The life and spiritual lessons in this book are timeless. They made me ponder many things. The author has a pleasant style of writing. After a slow start things fell into place and I was able to lose myself in the story. The characters are very believable. They have issues that are relatable. The one thing that bothered me is that pronouns when speaking about God were not always capitalized. For me it’s something that should always be done.
Even though this is book nine, it could be read as a stand alone book. After the story is a peak at another series, acknowledgments, as well as the author’s biography. Readers that enjoy contemporary Christian romance or women’s fiction should find this to their taste. Book clubs will find a lot to discuss if they choose this title as a selection.
I highly recommend this novel. A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher, and this is my honest opinion. It gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from me.
Meet the author
Irene Hannon, who writes both contemporary romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 60 novels. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romance fiction) and she is a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Other awards for individual books include National Readers’ Choice, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.
A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Today is Easter. Lent ends. Have you prepared your body, mind, and spirit for worshipping our risen Savior? We have talked about why He came, what He did, what He expects of us, and learned many things this past week, but the most important thing about Holy Week is what happened at the end. Jesus arose from the dead. He conquered sin and death for us.
Churches have all types of Easter services that started on Good Friday night and go through tonight. One of the most popular is the Sunrise Service. Have you ever worshipped at sunrise on Easter watching the sun rise and imaging Jesus Christ rising from the dead? The sky can be breathtaking. It doesn’t matter when or where we worship, just that we do. Easter is a time filled with awe, joy, gratefulness, and gratitude. I think it is an exciting time.
Early that first Easter morning, a group of women who followed Jesus went to the tomb. The Bible says Mary, mother of James, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Salome went and found that the large stone had been rolled away from the entrance. They said an angel proclaimed “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen.” (Mt. 28:5-6, NLT). When the women looked in the tomb it was indeed empty. The shroud covering Christ’s body was neatly folded and placed where his body had been.
Jesus had accomplished what was foretold in prophesy. God’s Son was beaten, falsely accused, crucified, placed in a tomb, and He arose on the third day. He had done what He said He would. He conquered sin and death. Our sin debts have been stamped “paid in full” because of our Savior. He gave everything for our salvation, but what have we given in return? Do I give Him my love and devotion? My service and obedience? Have I submitted my will to His? If not, I will start today.
Take time this Easter to really worship and think about the great sacrifice Jesus made for you. He didn’t just die on the cross for the disciples and people from that era. We are included in the covenant, too. He died for TJ, Cheri, Kyla, Cindy, Den, Vanessa, Jason, and even me. Yes, He died for us, but He also arose. He paid the price so that we may reign in Heaven as heirs of the true King. He died so that we might live. Life after death is real when you choose Jesus as your Savior. Rejoice! He is alive. Worship Him. He will return as promised. Let’s rejoice, worship, and stay ready.
Do you have a favorite Easter Hymn or Praise Chorus? Many hymns and choruses have been written about the sacrifice Jesus willingly made for us. Some people like Christ Arose or He Lives. Others may say I know that My Redeemer Lives, The Old Rugged Cross or Because He Lives. Whatever your favorite might be, sing it to the Savior with gusto today while remembering our debt is paid in full by Him.
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you that He would be turned over to sinful men, be crucified, and rise again on the third day!” – Luke 24:6-7
“Jesus said: I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in Me, even though that person dies, will live,” – John 11:25 Do you believe? Have you shared the Good News with your family and friends?
Happy Easter! Share a blessing or prayer request in the comments.
Easter Sunday is tomorrow. It is the time to turn our hearts and minds to Jesus and His Resurrection. Being raised in a Christian family, Easter was much more than egg hunts and baskets for me. It was about Jesus and the empty tomb.
I remember my maternal grandmother teaching me and my cousin, Mark, the Easter story over a cookie recipe one year. Mammaw was a Sunday School teacher, woman of faith, loved her family and Jesus. She was also a fabulous baker and cook. The cookies were delicious, but the story has stayed with me for decades. Precious memories made in the kitchen are priceless and stick with us.
You might want to do an activity like this for yourself, children, grandchildren, or kids’ group. The message could be as simple as planting a seed that will grow into a bountiful plant. Sometimes a visual makes the Easter story a little more memorable for young children. Years down the road your littles might recall time spent with you and lessons from your kitchen. Seeds you plant in their minds could result in a harvest of their salvation.
Mammaw’s Forgotten Easter Cookies
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. nuts or chocolate chips
pinch of salt
1 tsp. white vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place pecans in resealable plastic baggie. Crush pecans into small pieces with a rolling pin. Read John 19:1-3
“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, And said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and they smote Him with their hands.”
Sprinkle salt into egg whites. Read Luke 23:27, 33
“And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him.”
“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left.”
Put vanilla into a bowl. Read John 19:28-30.
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, ‘I thirst.’ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, ‘It is finished’ and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.”
Right now this mixture doesn’t look like we’d want to eat it. Add sugar slowly. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Beat with mixer until frothy and add cream of tartar. Then beat on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Add in vanilla close to the end. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him.’ Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
“When the night was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed.”
Place cookies in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Read Matthew 27:65-66.
“Pilate said unto them, ‘Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.’ So they went, and made the tomb sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”
Go to bed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
“And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
In the morning open the oven and take out the cookies.
Read Matthew 28:1-9.
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the tomb. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, ‘Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you.’ And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him.”
When you bite into the cookies notice they are hollow inside, empty, just like Jesus’ tomb. He arose!
Today is Holy Thursday which is more commonly known as Maundy Thursday. Do you know what Maundy means? Maundy is derived from a Latin word that means commandment. This is the day that Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment – to love others as He has loved them. (John 13:34). They were gathered in the Upper Room having the Last Supper.
Jesus was at the table with His apostles and spoke to them of what was to come. He was preparing them for His suffering. They dined on the usual Passover meal, but Jesus stopped at the the bread and wine. He gave it a special meaning. Jesus said that these would be a symbol of His body and blood to His followers to remind them that through His death, our sins are forgiven.
“And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Jesus and His disciples often gathered in the “Upper Room”. It was where they normally stayed while in Jerusalem. He began His teaching by example. Jesus said “I give you a commandment to love one another.” (John 13:34) Jesus doesn’t just give a commandment and leave it at that. No, He explains it so we truly understand it by demonstrating it. After they ate He washed the disciples feet. What a humbling experience for them! Even Peter told Him that Peter should be washing His feet, but Jesus said no. In John it says “Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
I cannot fathom what it must have felt like for the apostles. Jesus was telling them of His upcoming death, and that through it we all might have eternal life. He was showing by example that we are to be humble and to love everyone, even our enemies – even those who are our Judas.
Afterwards Jesus and a few of His followers went to the Garden of Gethsemene to pray. It is there that Judas identified Jesus with a kiss and He was taken by the soldiers. Things start to get rowdy, but Jesus quiets His apostles. He will not allow violence. In fact, He heals a soldier whose ear was severed. Jesus is arrested and taken.
Can you imagine how it felt to actually be there? To have Jesus wash your feet, explain communion, and then be betrayed? Try to keep in mind the new commandment He gave us. We are to love others as Jesus loved us. That’s a tall order, but with His help, we will be able to do it.
The Wednesday of Holy Week is called Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday. There is no secretive or symbolic meaning for that name. Judas was the one that betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin. He was their spy. Luke 22:3-6 tells us:
“Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray Him unto them in the absence of the multitude.”
Did you realize that Satan entered Judas? Of course, Satan always has his hand in bad and evil things. He uses people and twists words around until evil doesn’t sound bad. Satan enters Judas during his period of bitterness and gives Judas an extra nudge to finally betray the man he’d followed for three years. Satan is the master deceiver and will use whatever he can to cause us to sin.
Did you ever wonder why the Sanhedrin decided on paying Judas thirty pieces of silver? In the Old Testament, Exodus states that the price for a slave that accidentally dies by an ox is thirty pieces of silver. The Sanhedrin were paying the price of a dead slave to Judas for his deception. It was an insult to Jesus that they thought Him worth only what a dead slave was. Obviously Judas thought that, also. Our Redeemer and precious Savior, whose value is beyond measure, was sold out for the price of a dead slave.
There is something else that happened on Holy Wednesday. It is the anointment of Jesus at Bethany. Scriptures tell us that while Jesus was at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. It was made of pure Spikenard. She anointed Jesus with this expensive oil and dried His feet with her hair.
Matthew 26:6-13:
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
We are getting closer to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Let us take inventory of our lives and free our selves of things that keep us away from Jesus. Let’s follow Him now and always.
On Tuesday Jesus returned to the Temple and the religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing Himself as a spiritual authority. Jesus had a large following now. He evaded the traps the leaders set for Him with their questions. He scolded them in Matt. 23 and compared them to tombs – beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people.
Jesus took His disciples to the Mount of Olives and told them parables about end times and His return. Those who wait for the Master’s coming—the wise and faithful servant (Matthew 24:45-51), the five wise virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and the good servant who uses his resources wisely (Matthew 25:14-30) are a few of the ones He spoke.
Do you remember any of these parables from Sunday School or Vacation Bible School? The point is to have faith and be ready for Jesus. He is coming back just like He promised. When? Well, some people say it is going to be soon because of the way thing are in the world. What we do know is it is not for us to know. We are just advised to be ready at a moment’s notice. Jesus is coming in the blink of an eye.
After they left Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples stopped on the Mount of Olives. He wanted to teach again about the future and end times. Jesus cautioned against false teachers and the evil that would rise up. Oh, can you imagine hearing Jesus preach?
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day constantly sought to entrap him. They refused to acknowledge that Jesus was God’s Son, the Messiah. It is unbelievable how relentless those religious leaders were toward Jesus. Have you really considered how much God loves us? He cared enough to let His Son go through shame, humiliation, testing, betraying, pain, crucifixion, and death all to save our souls. Don’t ever forget the price our Saviour, Jesus, paid for us.
The Escape Game by author Marilyn Turk is a Christian historical romance novel. Set in Leeds, England in 1941, this is a World War II story inspired by real events. It is centered around prisoners of war and a board game that helps them. How intriguing is that!
This is the story of Beryl Clarke. She is a secretary at a Game factory in Leeds, England, and also is an Air Raid Warden. Her brother, a pilot, is a prisoner of war along with his friend American Kenneth Borderlon.
The author has done a great deal of research for this book. She takes readers into the middle of the war and POW Camp. Her characters were believable. Their conversations sounded authentic. I learned a lot from this book. It was fascinating to read how a board game helped the soldiers.
I had trouble becoming invested in the story and characters for the first part of the book. It seemed slow to me. Finally I did and I was glad I stuck with it. This book leaves readers with her findings on the war. It provides a story full of intrigue, adventure and romance. Be sure to read the author notes at the end.
Even though I had difficulty with the first part of the book, I would recommend it. It is a different type of war story and fascinating. I loved that it was based on true events. There is much to be gleaned by reading it. It gets a 4 star rating from me. A copy was provided by Celebrate Lit and NetGalley, but these are my honest words.
About the Book
Book: The Escape Game
Author: Marilyn Turk
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Release date: March, 2023
A Board Game Holds Keys to Prisoners’ Escape
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
After the Nazis started the bombing blitz of England, Beryl Clarke puts her college on hold to return to Leeds, care for her mother, and work as a secretary at the Waddington game company. While she endures the war at home, her brother James fights the enemy in the air. When he is shot down, injured, and captured, James meets American POW Kenneth Anderson, and they plan to escape the Nazi prison camp. Beryl knows there is a board game with escape plans being delivered to POWs by the Red Cross. But how will the men discover the game’s secret?
Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over one hundred lighthouses, and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.
When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, playing with grandkids, and her golden retriever Dolly.
She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope and Love; Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; and Word Weavers International.
More from Marilyn
The Story behind The Escape Game
In the process of writing my books, I’ve become fascinated by the real stories that happened during World War II. I’ve discovered information I didn’t know before and am finding out that many people I know, even those older than myself, didn’t know either. Every time I come across an interesting tidbit, I want to write about it. Since my husband knows I look for such things, when he came across a story about how the Monopoly game was used during the war, he shared it with me.
The true story was kept top-secret for over fifty years after the war, so few had heard about it, especially outside the United Kingdom. Of course, my writer’s mind set off asking “What If?” So the story developed about a woman who works for the company that makes the game and what happened after she found out about the secret. What if she had a close relative who had been captured before the British informed their soldiers about the game and he needed to know the information? How could she convey that to him?
I wish I could have gone to the UK for research, but that was not a possibility. Maybe someday. However, the people I contacted there were very helpful, and I was thrilled to make contact with the great granddaughter of the president of Waddintons, the company which manufactured the game. She was able to fill in a few details about the company, although when she was a child, her grandfather ran the company.
One thing many people find hard to believe, based on the horrible treatment the Nazi army inflicted on people they thought inferior, is that the treatment of POW’s was somewhat better, especially for pilots. Thanks to the rules of the Geneva Convention after WWI, the Germans abided by them for the most part. That involved treatment of prisoners who escaped. Most of them were caught and returned to the camp from which they escaped. And normally, the punishment was solitary confinement. The biggest hardship of the POWs besides lack of freedom was the meager food they were given, especially as the war continued, since the Germans themselves were facing food shortages.
The challenge for me as a writer was to accurately describe life in both England and the POW camp. The other big challenge was writing a love story when the two characters were apart for so long. But it’s true that many soldiers fell in love with women they corresponded with back home. That fact is verified in the many letters on record, including the ones my father-in-law wrote to a fellow soldier’s fiancé after the soldier was killed in action. Their relationship grew into love, and after the war, the two met in person at the train station for the first time and married the same day.
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