I loved With Music in Their Hearts and am so honored Author Carole Brown agreed to an interview. She will be sitting down with me next month to share about the creation of this novel and her writing journey. I am so excited I thought I’d share a few things to wet your reading appetite. Hopefully, get you as excited as I am about the interview. So I am sharing the review I post on Amazon, the back cover copy and an excerpt from the first chapter (Carole gave me permission) to generate some interest in this fascinating novel.
My review
I opened to chapter one in my Kindle and heard the music coming from the piano at the boarding house. I felt a part of the intrigue and saw the characters as they interacted with one another. Carole Brown’s World War II spy novel With Music in Their Hearts is a fascinating read. The realistic dialogue, setting and characters dress drew me into this 1940’s mystery. Americans spying on Americans during a turbulent time in history perked my interest. Make that spy a pastor and add some romance and I was fully engaged. The character’s reminded me of an old black and white movie from the period especially the way the men and women flirty and behaved. Carole is a gifted writer and meticulous researcher. Both talents show through in this page turner. Some may refer to it as cozy because there isn’t a lot of graphic violence. But the suspense still rings true. Lovers of World War II historicals aren’t the only ones who will enjoy this novel. If this time period is not your normal fare give With Music In their Hearts a look you won’t be disappointed.
The Blurb
Angry at being rejected for military service, Minister Tyrell Walker accepts the call to serve as a civilian spy within his own country. Across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio, a spy working for a foreign country is stealing secret plans for newly developed ammunition to be used in the war. According to his FBI cousin, this spy favors pink stationery giving strong indications that a woman is involved.
He’s instructed to obtain a room in the Rayner Boarding House run by the lovely, spunky red-haired Emma Jaine Rayner. Sparks of jealousy and love fly between them immediately even as they battle suspicions that one or the other is not on the up and up.
While Tyrell searches for the murdering spy who reaches even into the boarding home, Emma Jaine struggles with an annoying renter, a worried father (who could be involved in this spy thing), and two younger sisters who are very different but just as strong willed as she is.
As Tyrell works to keep his double life a secret and locate the traitor, he refuses to believe that Emma Jaine could be involved even when he sees a red-haired woman in the arms of another man. Could the handsome and svelte banker who’s also determined to win Emma Jaine’s hand for marriage, be the dangerous man he’s looking for? Is the trouble-making renter who hassles Emma Jaine serving as a flunky? Worse, is Papa Rayner so worried about his finances and keeping his girls in the style they’re used to, that he’ll stoop to espionage?
Will their love survive the danger and personal issues that arise to hinder the path of true love?
Excerpt from Chapter 1
A vehicle’s tires spinning gravel behind him warned him he’d not lost the black
car. Slowing. Creeping. Engine purring. Only a few feet separated him from the car and
making a sudden decision, he jogged around the corner and hugged the building trying to
put distance between it. The car’s tires squealed as the car sped up. The driver took the
corner, gravel crunching and spinning into the air.
They must have spotted him for the driver braked, throwing the passenger
forward. Tyrell flung himself at the car and grabbed for the door handle.
The window slid down.
Something tugged at his arm.
And the handle tore from his grasp as the car accelerated.
The seemingly belated, reverberating crack of a gun vibrated the air around him.
The car spun around a far corner, and Tyrell reached up to rub his stinging arm.
The sticky wetness drew his attention.
Blood. He saw the tear in his coat sleeve, the minute traces of blood oozing.
He’d been shot?
Why would they—whoever they were—want to shoot at him? It was a scratch,
and they’d been close enough to kill him if they’d wanted to.
They didn’t want to. What were they after? A scare tactic? To warn him away?
From what? Perhaps all this was a coincidence, a figment of his active imagination.
No sign of the car. Satisfied he was rid of them, he entered the hotel. At the
reception desk, he filled out the necessary papers, climbed the stairs, and headed down
the hallway.
At the far end, a red-haired woman inserted a key into the lock.
Was she the same woman who’d been in the recruitment office? That hat . . . He
called out, “Hey, lady.”
She glanced his way, her luxurious hat tilted at just the right angle to hide one
side of her face. With a flip of her plaid skirt, she shoved open her door and disappeared
inside.
Tyrell hesitated at his own door, next to her’s, but inserted his key and entered.
Inside, he switched on a light then as quickly flicked it off. He stepped to the window.
And drew in a breath as if he’d been sucker-punched.
Down below, across from the hotel, the streetlight reflected off a long, black
Oldsmobile. Standing beside the car staring up at the hotel, stood Ben Hardy.
His cousin and best friend.
With Music in Their Heart
Kindle Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVFWA5S?pldnSite=1
If you’re curious enough to add this to your reading list I hope you will stop by on Monday, December 1st to see the interview with this wonderful writer. By the way it is available in e-book format as well.
Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss this upcoming interview as well as interviews with other authors who have agreed to share with me. There will be giveaways 🙂
It’s lovely, Cindy. Can’t thank you enough. We’re gone for a few days, but will share as able!
Can’t wait for my readers to learn some interesting details about With Music in thier Hearts and your writing journey.