Shannon here: Linda Shenton Matchett shares the inspiration behind her latest Historical Romance, Love’s Belief. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to get in the drawing for an e-book copy. Deadline: May 4th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Linda:
Folks who lived during World War II are often referred to as the Greatest Generation. Aptly nicknamed, this group of ordinary men and women did extraordinary things. The list is endless: men who took up arms and showed courage in the face of danger and fear, women who traveled the globe to provide medical or morale services to troops and civilians, or both men and women who joined official and unofficial Resistance movements to combat evil via the underground. On the home front, women joined the workforce whether they wanted to or not because their country asked them to. In addition to working, they saved grease and aluminum, sowed Victory Gardens, stood in line for hours to purchase what little was in the shops, bought war bonds, and raised their children alone.
The people in the Bible are just as extraordinary. Time and time again, ordinary people stepped forward to do God’s work. From servant girls and cloth-makers to fisherman and shepherds, men and women risked of their lives to take a stand against evil or share the Good News of salvation.
I am particularly intrigued by stories of women in history, so the opportunity to meld Bible stories with WWII stories has been challenging and fun. In order to find the perfect pairing for book three of my Wartime Brides series, I poured over memoirs and autobiographies and watched hours of YouTube interviews of those who lived during WWII. I also found a treasure in my church library. Published in 1956, Portraits of Bible Women is written by Ethel Clark Lewis. Apparently, she was as interested as I am, because she set out to create a reference book that discussed every woman in the Bible, named and unnamed.
The first two novellas in my Wartime Brides series are about well-known women: Ruth and Rahab, so I wanted to use an obscure character for book three. When I read Ms. Lewis’s chapter entitled “Women of Action: Feminine Facts and Figures,” I knew I’d come to the right place. The first two women listed are Shiprah and Puah, Hebrew midwives who went against Pharaoh’s laws to save Jewish baby boys. The story was a perfect fit to the many accounts of people who went against Hitler and Mussolini to save Jews and other “undesirables” from death. (I also found lots of ideas for future books!)
Love’s Belief will release on May 15, 2019, but is now available for pre-order.
About Linda: Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.
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About the book – Love’s Belief:
Midwife Pia Hertz and her mother Sabine have been delivering babies long before the Nazis came to power. Now, the Third Reich has implemented mandates that require Jewish babies and other “undesirables” to be killed as part of The Final Solution. Is Pia’s new faith in Christ strong enough to defy the laws of man?
Despite the agony of the injury at the Battle of Drøbak Sound that took his arm, Dieter Fertig is relieved he’s no longer part of Hitler’s army. He returns to Berlin and discovers Jews are being deported by the thousands. When he realizes the Nuremburg Laws require his best friend’s baby girl to be killed, he must find a way to spirit the child out of Germany before the Nazis discover her existence.
Inspired by the biblical story of Shiprah and Puah, the midwives who saved Jewish babies during Pharaoh’s reign, Love’s Belief shows how one person’s actions can change the world.
Don’t want to wait for the drawing or afraid you won’t win? Get your copy now! Linda’s Amazon Page
Question for readers: Who is your favorite Bible character?
Come back April 26th for Janalyn Voigt!
Esther because she risk her own life to save her people!
Naomi, she gave up her culture, any family she had left to go with her mother-in-law, Ruth to a strange land and a different faith! That was dedication and love in action!
Joseph is my favorite Bible character. There are so many applicable life lessons we can glean from Joseph’s life.
Love’s Belief sounds so good! I like how Linda pairs Biblical characters with her Wartime Brides novellas. Thank you for the chance to win an e-book copy of this book! 🙂
Noah, because he believed and built the Ark while everyone made fun of him!
I like Esther and Nehemiah. Nehemiah always turned to God in prayer when a problem came up.
Mary, Jesus mother, is a woman of courage and strength and love.
I have a winner! Allison Boss won the drawing. I appreciate Linda for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.