Welcome to another sparkling edition of Jen’s Jewels, where I bring you the inside scoop on exciting new book releases! Today, I have the privilege of featuring an interview with bestselling inspirational fiction author Sarah Sundin, who joins us to discuss her latest World War II novel, EMBERS IN THE LONDON SKY. Known for weaving rich historical detail and poignant relationships into stories of hope and resilience, Sundin gives us an insider’s look into the inspiration behind her new book. Like a precious gem reflecting light, her words offer a glimmering portrait of life during wartime, shining through the darkness of loss and adversity. So come along as we explore this treasure trove of insights with a talented storyteller.   Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to set your novel, EMBERS IN THE LONDON SKY, during the invasion of the Netherlands in 1940 and the subsequent events in London during the Blitz? Sarah Sundin: The kernel of inspiration for this novel was the search for children after the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Since the Blitz has always fascinated me and I hadn’t written a novel centered around those events, I decided to send my heroine to London in…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SOUND OF LIGHT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a common shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden–a task that proves challenging when he meets Else Jensen, an American physicist who seems to see right through him. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve been fascinated with the story of Denmark in World War II for years now, and I couldn’t wait to tell a tale set there. For a tiny nation, it produced some huge history. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d love to hang out with Else. She may be a nuclear physicist, but she has a way of explaining things for “normal” people, and she has a fresh way of looking at things. She’s also enthusiastic and passionate and gentle-spirited. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Intuitive, kind, determined. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? So many things! On a big-picture level, for the first few years of the occupation, the…

1–What is the title of your latest release? UNTIL LEAVES FALL IN PARIS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When the Nazis march into Paris, an American woman uses her bookstore to aid the resistance, while a businessman chooses to sell his products to Germany—and send vital information home to the US. Can they work together for the higher good, or will it cost them everything they love? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Paris is so romantic, World War II novels set in Paris are very popular, and I’d never set a World II novel in Paris, so it was time! I wanted a fresh spin, so when I learned of the thousands of Americans who remained in Paris after the Germans invaded—even though the US was neutral and they were free to go home—I wondered why they stayed. The hero and the heroine in UNTIL LEAVES FALL IN PARIS represent some of the reasons Americans remained in the blacked-out City of Lights. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Lucie Girard is delightful—creative, enthusiastic, and warm. She’s interested in everything artistic and literary, but in the…

University of Munich Munich, Germany March 28, 1938 After the professor departed, Peter Lang checked his watch. The reporter would arrive in three minutes if she were the punctual sort. He closed his logbook and filed it away. His friend George Norwood, bureau chief for the American News Service in Berlin, had called to say he’d given Peter’s number to a firebrand female reporter who didn’t know her place. George was heaping on assignments to keep her out of trouble. “Good luck.” Peter closed his file drawer. By definition, troublemakers made trouble. “Entschuldigung?” A slender brunette knocked on his open door. Not a pretty woman, but . . . arresting. “Professor Peter Lang?” “Just Mr. Lang until I receive my doctorate,” Peter said in English, and he strode over. She had a firm handshake born of working in a man’s profession, no doubt. “You must be Miss Firebrand.” Medium-brown eyes looked up at him, lit by intelligence and humor. “My reputation precedes me.” What had he said? “Pardon?” “My name is Evelyn Brand, not Firebrand, despite what Mr. Norwood says.” For heaven’s sake. “My apologies, Miss Brand. I assure you, the mistake was mine, not George’s.” “No need to apologize.” The pleasure…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? The Land Beneath Us 2–What is it about? In 1943, Private Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, determined to do his best in the upcoming Allied invasion of France. With his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal, Clay has little to live for. Leah Jones works as a librarian at Camp Forrest, longing to rise above her orphanage upbringing and to find the baby sisters she was separated from so long ago. A marriage of convenience binds Clay and Leah together, but will D-day—and a foreboding dream—tear them apart? 3–What word best describes your heroine? Poetic. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? Clay’s kindness and generosity and his sense of honor drew me to him. But what made me feel for him most was his sense of loss. His brothers betrayed him and stole his future, so he feels he has nothing to live for. Yet he’s determined to make the most of his life. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Leah is young and innocent, and she finds a mentor-friend in straight-talking Red Cross volunteer Rita Sue Bellamy. Clay’s…

Welcome to the final day of the Fresh Fiction Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! Every day this week, some of our favorite authors have been on our blog chatting about their new books, their main characters, and sharing recipes for a meal or treat those characters would enjoy while celebrating Valentine’s Day. Today we have inspirational authors from Revell! We’ve had so much fun this week, and hope you have, too! Missed our previous roundup posts? Check them out here! Mystery Authors Contemporary Romance Authors Historical Romance Authors   Paranormal Romance Authors Suzanne Woods Fisher, MENDING FENCES Have you met Luke Schrock? Picture a guy who is drop-dead gorgeous, appealing, endearing, exasperating, unreliable, undependable…and hard to stay mad at. He’s on a bumpy road to manhood. That’s our Luke.   He’s back in Stoney Ridge after a stint (or two) in rehab, and he’s looking for some quick fixes. Luke plans to buzz back into Stoney Ridge, make a few apologies, and then take off for greener pastures. Not so fast, Luke. You’ve got some work to do, first. And then he meets Izzy Miller. Like Luke, Izzy has had a bumpy road to adulthood. But she’s settling into the Stoney…

The women of World War II fascinate us and D-day is one of the most pivotal events in modern history, so I enjoyed exploring both in THE SKY ABOVE US, book 2 in the Sunrise at Normandy series. While my hero flies above the landing beaches in his P-51 Mustang, my heroine runs the American Red Cross Aeroclub at his airfield. Here are some interesting things I learned about the Red Cross in World War II. 1. At a time when the population of the United States was 132 million, 37 million adults and 20 million children and youth belonged to the Red Cross, with 7.5 million serving as volunteers. In addition, 40,000 men and women were paid workers with the Red Cross. 2. Of those overseas workers, twenty-nine women died, primarily in plane crashes, but also due to enemy shelling. 3. Women who worked with the American Red Cross overseas had to be at least twenty-five years old and have a college degree. They underwent an extensive interview process and had to complete training in Washington, DC. The women had the “equivalent status” of an officer, which granted them many officer privileges. 4. The American Red Cross operated hundreds…

England fascinates us and D-day is one of the most pivotal days in modern history, so I enjoyed exploring both for THE SEA BEFORE US, book 1 in the Sunrise at Normandy series. Here are some interesting facts I learned while researching this story. In March 1942, the BBC held a photography contest, asking people to send in their favorite pictures of the French coast. Thirty thousand “snaps” were sent the next day, and soon a million snapshots, postcards, and tourist maps were collected. The BBC was secretly working with the Royal Navy, and those souvenir pictures were combined with reconnaissance photos and intelligence from the French resistance and from Allied commando raids to produce maps of Normandy for D-day! Clever, huh? In THE SEA BEFORE US, my heroine, “Wren” Second Officer Dorothy Fairfax helps sort and analyze this material. Since her family took holidays at Vierville-sur-Mer—on what will become Omaha Beach—she has a personal interest in her duties. The “Little Blitz” in early 1944 has been overshadowed in history by the Blitz (1940-41) and the V-1 and V-2 attacks on London that started in late 1944. From January 21 to April 18, 1944, the Luftwaffe sent its bombers back…