“Harmony on the Horizon” by Kathleen Denly … and a GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to Friday Reads!

 

 

Title: Harmony on the Horizon

Series: Chaparral Hearts

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Publisher: Wild Heart Books

Release Date: January 4, 2022

 

Her calling to change the world may be his downfall.

On the heels of the Great Rebellion, Margaret Foster, an abolitionist northerner, takes a teaching position in 1865 San Diego—a town dominated by Southern sympathizers. At thirty-seven years of age, Margaret has accepted spinsterhood and embraced her role as teacher. So, when Everett Thompson, the handsomest member of the School Board, reveals his interest in her, it’s a dream come true. Until her passionate ideals drive a wedge between them.

After two decades of hard work, Everett Thompson is on the verge of having everything he’s dreamed of. Even the beautiful new teacher has agreed to his courtship. Then two investments go south and a blackmailer threatens everything Everett has and dreams of. 

As Everett scrambles to shore up the crumbling pieces of his life, Margaret unwittingly sets off a scandal that divides the small community and threatens her position as teacher. With the blackmailer still whispering threats, Everett must decide if he’s willing to risk everything for the woman still keeping him at arm’s length.

 

 

How the story came to be…

This novel began when I was attending a field trip with my children at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. While touring the schoolhouse there, the docent shared the true story of the structure’s first teacher and the scandal she caused by inviting the wrong woman to dine with her. The events instantly sparked my writer’s imagination and I set out to learn more through months of research. I don’t want to share too much more for fear of spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that, except to say that this is not a strictly fictionalized retelling of the historical events. Instead, I used these true-life events as the framework for my fictional story. This gave me more artistic license to create a compelling adventure for my readers and eliminated the concern that I wouldn’t portray real people accurately.

 

Excerpt…

 

San Francisco, June 30, 1865

A girl’s terrified scream jerked Margaret Foster’s attention from the mathematics formula she’d been rehearsing in her mind. A chill shivered up her spine as she searched the wooden sidewalks and fog-shrouded buildings lining the cobblestone intersection. To her left, tidy store fronts bore crowded window displays and closed doors—not yet open for the day’s business. To her right, a rough-looking haberdashery was flanked by windowless buildings with faded lettering. She
squinted at the sign just beyond the men’s clothing shop. Melodeon? She stepped away. Not another person in sight.

Who had screamed? The sound had been distant. Could she have mistaken a cat’s cry for a scream?

The woman who owned the boarding house Margaret had checked into yesterday had said to turn south at the milliner’s shop with a large, glass display window. No such building met her gaze. She kicked at a loose pebble and started back the way she’d come. Knowing your lessons won’t matter at all if you’re late and—

Another scream spun Margaret toward the windowless buildings. Through the haze, she spotted a small figure chased by a larger one. Her heart squeezed. That child was in danger. The pair disappeared into the mist beyond the melodeon.
Margaret dashed after them.

Human-like shadows flickered in and out of view as she ran through the gloom.

Down alleys and up streets, she followed their echoing footsteps. A stitch formed in her side, but she pressed on. That child needed her help.

Then they vanished into the thickening clouds and did not reappear.

 

Harmony on the Horizon Word Scramble + Giveaway

By Kathleen Denly

Do you enjoy word games? I do, and I think my Harmony on the Horizon heroine, Margaret Foster, would enjoy them as well. So today I’m sharing a fun word scramble made with words used in Harmony on the Horizon. 

1. CAHTERE
2. OCTAASBR
3. SAHMISPTE
4. FCNIOF
5. MPICR
6. PAHPTGYOHOR
7. HORNMAY
8. ORZHNOI
9. LIBMCAALK
10. RFEGRO
11. MLGGBNAI
12. NCDAALS
13. SAAOWWYT
14. NCORPTIOUR
15. LTEAABYR
16. IMEROESM
17. ISLEYFJLH
18. CDUPEIJER
19. ERUTSET
20. PTCSAEEEBRL

 

Need help? Below is the list of words in alphabetical order:

acrobats

betrayal

blackmail

coffin

corruption

crimp

forger

gambling

harmony

horizon

jellyfish

memories

photography

prejudice

respectable

scandal

steamship

stowaway

teacher

trustee

 

I hope you had fun playing! To celebrate the January 4, 2022 release of Harmony on the Horizon, I’m offering a giveaway bundle which includes:

 

• 1 Dip Pen – Maroon Feather
• 1 Faux Leather Bookmark – Red Flowers – Red Tassle
• 1 Lavender Sachet
• 1 ebook copy of either Waltz in the Wilderness or Sing in the Sunlight – winner’s choice
• 1 Chaparral Hearts Pen
• 1 Sing in the Sunlight Bookmark  
• 1 Harmony on the Horizon Sticker

 

To enter the giveaway leave your word scramble answers in a comment on this blog and sign up for Kathleen’s Readers’ Club here: http://bit.ly/KRCMemberSignUp  

 

The giveaway ends April 28, 2022.

 

(Due to cost of shipping, winner must have a U.S. mailing address. (Sorry!) Winner will be announced in the comments on this post and contacted via the email address used to become a KRC Member. Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.)

 

 

About Kathleen…

Kathleen Denly writes historical romance to entertain, encourage, and inspire readers toward a better understanding of our amazing God and how He sees us. Award winning author of the Chaparral Hearts series, she also shares history tidbits, thoughts on writing, books reviews and more at KathleenDenly.com.

 

Connect with Kathleen…

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