My Review:
I love reading historical fiction, especially Edwardian Romances! Across the Blue is Carrie Turansky’s newest novel and it is one that you will want to read over and over again. Set in 1909 England, a time where what women wanted to do was not an option, the rules for women were already set by society. Isabella Grayson wanted to be a journalist for one of her father’s newspapers but new it wasn’t going to happen. Women didn’t do those things in her day. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor, her parent’s are impressed and agree to let her write a series of articles about aviation. James Drake is an inspiring aviator who crashes his plane at the estate of the Grayson’s and well Bella is intrigued, fascinated and wants to learn more. All James wants to do is win the race and the prize that the Grayson’s newspaper is offering. James has plans for the winnings, and he hopes to win Bella’s heart.
I love watching airplanes land and take off, my enjoyment of planes comes from husband. We’ve been to airshows and watch the Red Bull races on TV. Its fascinating watching them. I can imagine the love Bella had for aviation. This book is wonderful, one that I will recommend to others. One that will stay on my shelf to be read over and over again. Ms. Turansky has done it again, another astounding novel!!
“I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.”
About the Book
Title: Across the Blue
Author: Carrie Turansky
Genre: Historical romance
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Love soars to new heights in this Edwardian romance filled with adventure, faith, and inspiration, but how much will it cost Bella and James to follow their dreams?
Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to be the first to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to win that race across the Channel and gain the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?
Click here to purchase your copy!
About the Author
Carrie Turansky has loved reading since she first visited the library as a young child and checked out a tall stack of picture books. Her love for writing began when she penned her first novel at age twelve. She is now the award-winning author of nineteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. Carrie and her husband, Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker, have been married for more than thirty years and make their home in New Jersey. They often travel together on ministry trips and to visit their five adult children and five grandchildren. Carrie leads women’s ministry at her church, and when she is not writing she enjoys spending time working in her flower gardens and cooking healthy meals for friends and family. She loves to connect with reading friends through her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Guest Post from Carrie Turansky
Following your Dreams
By Carrie Turansky
In Across the Blue, Bella Grayson and James Drake both go to great lengths to pursue their dreams. Bella longs to become a journalist and write for one of her father’s newspapers, but in 1909 England, aristocratic young women did not work as journalists. A young woman’s path was set by the unwritten rules of society. At eighteen she was presented at court, and then she took part in the London social season and hoped for a marriage proposal from a young man from a wealthy family, with an estate and title. Marriage, having children, and taking part in social and charitable events was the prescribed course for their lives.
But Bella has a different future in mind. She wants to marry for love, and she won’t settle for anything less. She also wants to write articles about the important events of the day that will inform and inspire people. She wants to be a world changer, and that is a very unique role for a woman in England in the Edwardian Era. At that time women didn’t have the right to vote yet and very few pursued any kind of career.
James is an aviation pioneer, and his dream is to build an airplane that will allow him to be the first to fly across the English Channel. This is no easy accomplishment, and he faces many challenges as he pursues his dream. Aviation is brand new. Wilbur Wright demonstrated his airplane in France the year before and stunned Europeans with his skill. With the help of his mentor, Professor Steed, James conducts experiments, refines his design, and makes countless test flights. It takes great courage and determination to overcome setbacks and make it through near fatal crash landings, but James has his heart and mind set on perfecting his airplane and reaching his goal.
What about you? What hopes and dreams do you have for your future? What goals would you like to accomplish? As you think about your dreams and future plans I hope you’ll gain some insight from James and Bella’s experiences in Across the Blue. When they considered the cost of pursuing their dreams they realized their plans and choices impacted others as well as themselves. James and Bella believed striving for their dreams is important, but they learned it must be balanced with commitments to family and friends, and most of all a commitment to following the Lord on the path He has for them.
Following our dreams and working toward accomplishing our goals, especially those the Lord puts on our heart, is important. However, sometimes we may have to put our dreams on hold and wait for the right time and season. We don’t need to be discouraged when this happens. As we listen to the Lord and ask Him to guide and direct us He will show us the right path at the right time to follow it.
Just like James and Bella I hope you’ll pursue your dreams but also hold them with an open hand, allowing the Lord to guide and direct you each step of the way. When you do I’m confident you’ll be headed toward seeing your dreams become reality in His time and in His way. “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
With that wonderful promise in mind, I hope you’ll enjoy reading Across the Blue and joining Bella and James as they they pursue their dreams. You’re in for high-flying adventure, romance, and inspiration, and I can’t wait to share this new story with you. Happy reading to you!
Blog Stops
Bookworm Mama, February 22
Carpe Diem, February 22
Blogging With Carol, February 22
Reflections From My Bookshelves, February 23
Reading Is My SuperPower, February 23
Karen Sue Hadley, February 23
Christian Bookaholic, February 24
Mary Hake, February 24
Among the Reads, February 24
The Power of Words, February 25
History, Mystery & Faith, February 25
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, February 25
Maureen’s Musings, February 26
Rachel’s Back Talk, February 26
Smiling Book Reviews, February 26
Radiant Light, February 27
Faithfully Bookish, February 27
The Fizzy Pop Collection, February 27
Bibliophile Reviews, February 28
Remembrancy, February 28
Two Points of Interest, February 28
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 1
Book by Book, March 1
Bigreadersite, March 1
proud to be an autism mom, March 1
Pause for Tales, March 2
Have A Wonderful Day, March 2
margaret kazmierczak, March 2 (Interview)
Pursuing Stacie, March 3
Neverending Stories, March 3
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 3
Texas Book-aholic, March 4
Janices book reviews, March 4
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 4
Simple Harvest Reads, March 4 (Guest post from Mindy)
Moments Dipped in Ink, March 5
My Writer’s Life, March 5
Baker Kella, March 5
Kat’s Corner Books, March 6
A Greater Yes, March 6
A Baker’s Perspective, March 6
Romances of the Cross, March 7
Henry Happens, March 7
For The Love of Books, March 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of an autographed copy of Shine Like the Dawn and $30 gift card to Christianbooks.com!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c987
making in the early 1900s. My heroine, Maggie Lounsbury is a milliner who designs women’s hats. She learned this skill from her grandmother who owns a small shop in the village of Heatherton. Maggie has an artistic eye and she enjoys making stylish hats, but she doesn’t like the overdone designs some of their customers request, so that creates some humorous conflict in the story.
Hats in the Edwardian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name.
the welfare of birds. Many protective laws took effect and milliners had to use more ribbon and tulle and only large ostrich feathers to decorate hats. Those ostrich feathers came from birds that were raised on farms and their feathers were collected as they fell out naturally.
Motion pictures had the greatest influence on Edwardian hat fashion. After the release of The Three Musketeers many ladies wanted to wear tricorne and bicorne shaped hats. They were still very large but now had shapes other than just round. Hat brims were folded up on the side, at an angle, or all around to create drama. Veils disappeared in the early 1900s only to come back again as a long scarf that wrapped over the hat and under the chin for the new sport called motoring.
A Greater Yes 