On Wings Of Devotion by Rosanna M. White
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Tour & Giveaway for On
Wings of Devotion
by Roseanna M. White, hosted by JustRead
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Against Every Warning, She’s Drawn Ever Closer to the Man Known as “Black Heart”
All of England thinks Major Phillip Camden a monster–a man who deliberately caused the deaths of his squadron. But he would have preferred to die that day with his men rather than be recruited to the Admiralty’s codebreaking division. The threats he receives daily are no great surprise and, in his opinion, well deserved.
As nurse Arabelle Denler observes the so-dubbed “Black Heart,” she sees something far different: a hurting man desperate for mercy. And when their families and paths twist together unexpectedly, she realizes she has a role to play in his healing–and some of her own to do as well.
With Camden’s court-martial looming, an old acquaintance shows up, intent on using him in a plot that sends the codebreakers of Room 40 into a frenzy. With their fragile hopes for the future in the cross hairs, Arabelle and Camden must hold on to hope–and to each other–if they want to survive.
Series: The Codebreakers (Book 2)
Paperback: 390 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 7, 2020)
Paperback: 390 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 7, 2020)
My Review
Starting off, the main characters, Arabelle and Camden. There was SO MUCH DEPTH to them and I loved it! Arabelle is so caring and compassionate, dealing with all kinds of things I can't mention here because of spoilers, on top of wrestling with constantly feeling overlooked, unwanted, and left behind. She no longer believes she is worthy of being loved and cared for.
Camden does not believe he is worthy of life or love. He thinks he is too far gone and basically, a dead man walking. He pushes people away when he really craves belonging. It's partly noble and partly selfish.
Both are believing lies and can't see what others see - that they are worthy, that they do belong, that they are wanted, that they can have life. I thought it was kind of funny that Camden was always trying to get Ara to believe what he thought of her, but then he wouldn't believe what his mother, brother, or anyone else saw in himself.
Then there are the cross-overs!!!! BROOK! and all the other characters from that trilogy. Pearce shows up and there are mentions of Rosie and Pete and the other girls. Margot and Drake are around (which I expected), but I loved having all the others around, especially Brook. She might be my favorite White character ever. The best thing about these cross-overs is getting little glimpses into their lives; how their families are growing.
I was intrigued by how "human" the villain was. I should say, antagonist, because there wasn't really a villain in the traditional sense and there kind of were two, but only one had some page time dedicated to themself. They were clearly in the wrong and you didn't want them to succeed, but you sort of felt like they weren't really bad, just caught up in something. Anyway, that human element surprised me.
I liked the teamwork that it took to wrap things up. I was a bit confused until hearing the explanation but it showed Camden that he belonged and was wanted. Going back to Ara for a moment, I have to say again how much her kindness and compassion moved me. I could feel what she felt, compassion and pain, and Camden's too. It was amazing.
The wit was great. Camden has a great sense of humor and Ara could move just as fast as he did. I highlighted a bunch of quotes and was smiling a lot.
Oh, one last thing. I appreciated the point made that Ara couldn't and wasn't changing Camden. We don't change people. We can make them want to change, want to be better, but the change is God's work in their life, especially spiritually speaking.
This is another sterling effort from Roseanna White. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm already guessing as to whom the last book will feature :)
I am a member of the launch team for this book and am grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy. All opinions are my own. A favorable was not required.
INTERVIEW WITH ROSEANNA M. WHITE
Oh, I am so excited about this! One of my favorite things about interviews is that it's like I'm communicating with the person. You get a little bit of an idea of how they sound and talk, more so than in their books. Plus, you get to find out fun things about them.
I was really interested in the answers Roseanna would provide to these questions and they were even cooler than I thought! Enjoy :)
Smylinggirl: What is your favorite part of writing historical fiction?
Roseanna White: I have always been a total history nut—so I think what I most love is really
getting to know another era. What makes it special? What were the unique customs and cultures
of the time? I love too that though those trappings and even mindsets change, the heart of humanity
doesn’t. A favorite quote of mine says “History doesn’t repeat—it echoes.” I love finding those
echoes to our lives today.
getting to know another era. What makes it special? What were the unique customs and cultures
of the time? I love too that though those trappings and even mindsets change, the heart of humanity
doesn’t. A favorite quote of mine says “History doesn’t repeat—it echoes.” I love finding those
echoes to our lives today.
SG: Was there any special reason you started writing about the early 1900s and WW 1?
RW: Honestly, it was mostly because my agent emailed me and said, “Hey, all the publishers are
looking for something Edwardian and Downton Abbey-esque. Do you have anything?” I didn’t. I’d
never written Edwardian, and I’d never watched Downton at that point, LOL. But I did have an old
story I could rework…and I did. That eventually became The Lost Heiress, the first in my
Edwardian/WWI books. Once I began studying the era, I really came to love it! There were still the
old-fashioned things like horses and long dresses, but the world was also entering modernity, with
automobiles, airplanes, and women’s rights. It’s such an interesting intersection of eras!
looking for something Edwardian and Downton Abbey-esque. Do you have anything?” I didn’t. I’d
never written Edwardian, and I’d never watched Downton at that point, LOL. But I did have an old
story I could rework…and I did. That eventually became The Lost Heiress, the first in my
Edwardian/WWI books. Once I began studying the era, I really came to love it! There were still the
old-fashioned things like horses and long dresses, but the world was also entering modernity, with
automobiles, airplanes, and women’s rights. It’s such an interesting intersection of eras!
SG: That's funny! I'm so glad you did because The Lost Heiress is my number one favorite of
all your books!
all your books!
SG: You write a lot of crossovers, bringing past characters back around. Is that challenging?
RW: Honestly, it’s just pure fun. Though my editors may disagree and say, “Yes, it’s challenging
to keep all the facts straight,” LOL. They specifically requested that my next series start a fresh world.
But in the meantime, I had a blast giving past characters little cameos and bit parts all through my 9
books in the Ladies of the Manor, Shadows Over England, and Codebreakers series! But they’re
usually so small that if you haven’t read the previous books, you won’t notice anything missing.
They’re just Easter eggs, almost, for those who have been on the journey with me the whole time.
to keep all the facts straight,” LOL. They specifically requested that my next series start a fresh world.
But in the meantime, I had a blast giving past characters little cameos and bit parts all through my 9
books in the Ladies of the Manor, Shadows Over England, and Codebreakers series! But they’re
usually so small that if you haven’t read the previous books, you won’t notice anything missing.
They’re just Easter eggs, almost, for those who have been on the journey with me the whole time.
SG: Do you have a favorite character you've written?
RW: Oh gracious, that’s a hard one! They’re all so special in their own ways. I love Margot’s
thinking-in-numbers in The Number of Love. I love Camden’s attitude—and the heart it hides—
that I brought to light in On Wings of Devotion. Ella from A Lady Unrivaled was most like me…but
Brook from The Lost Heiress was who I wanted to be when I first wrote her as a teen. So…yeah. I love
my characters so much! They all become real to me.
thinking-in-numbers in The Number of Love. I love Camden’s attitude—and the heart it hides—
that I brought to light in On Wings of Devotion. Ella from A Lady Unrivaled was most like me…but
Brook from The Lost Heiress was who I wanted to be when I first wrote her as a teen. So…yeah. I love
my characters so much! They all become real to me.
SG: The "thinking in numbers" was one of my favorite aspects of The Number of Love too!
SG: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
RW: Probably the brainstorming. Everything is all shiny and new and exciting, and
I haven’t run into any problems yet, haha. Though I do love the actual writing too—I so enjoy making
it art. Making my turns of phrase beautiful and unique, and using them to paint a word picture.
I haven’t run into any problems yet, haha. Though I do love the actual writing too—I so enjoy making
it art. Making my turns of phrase beautiful and unique, and using them to paint a word picture.
SG: Do you have any special things you do while you write? (Listen to music, drink a specific drink, that kind of thing?)
RW: Well, most of my writing happens in the morning, so I do have a cup of coffee by my side…but
in general, all I need is time and (preferably) quiet. If I have that, it doesn’t really matter where I am or
what else is at hand.
in general, all I need is time and (preferably) quiet. If I have that, it doesn’t really matter where I am or
what else is at hand.
SG: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
RW: Another hard one! My family actually has a list of places we want to go. Patagonia, Hawaii,
Vienna, southern Italy are all quite high on the list. If money were no object, we’d probably just do a
world tour for a year or so. Of course, it IS an object, so we’re trying to save and plan a few really cool
trips to take with the kids.
Vienna, southern Italy are all quite high on the list. If money were no object, we’d probably just do a
world tour for a year or so. Of course, it IS an object, so we’re trying to save and plan a few really cool
trips to take with the kids.
SG: I have a list of four or five places I want to go as well :) Those all sound like fun areas to visit!
SG: On Wings of Devotion is releasing right after Christmas so we have to do a Christmas
question :) What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions?
question :) What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions?
RW: We’ve been making a real effort to keep our eyes focused on Christ during our holiday season,
which can be such a challenge. I think my favorite thing this year was a new devotion/family prayer
time we started (which we intend to keep doing throughout the year). In both morning and evening,
we sit at the table and read some Scripture that is apropos to the season, read a few responsive prayers,
and then pray together for our friends and family and our own concerns. Taking that time to really
dwell on what it means for God to put on flesh and bring the Light into a world of darkness was
exactly what my spirit craved! Of course, we also enjoyed watching Home Alone with the kids,
decorating, and hunting for a tree. But the family prayer time takes the ribbon.
which can be such a challenge. I think my favorite thing this year was a new devotion/family prayer
time we started (which we intend to keep doing throughout the year). In both morning and evening,
we sit at the table and read some Scripture that is apropos to the season, read a few responsive prayers,
and then pray together for our friends and family and our own concerns. Taking that time to really
dwell on what it means for God to put on flesh and bring the Light into a world of darkness was
exactly what my spirit craved! Of course, we also enjoyed watching Home Alone with the kids,
decorating, and hunting for a tree. But the family prayer time takes the ribbon.
SG: I think your kids will have fond memories of that when they're older. It sounds like you had a
wonderful Christmas! Thank you so much for your time and of course, for writing such excellent
books for us all!
wonderful Christmas! Thank you so much for your time and of course, for writing such excellent
books for us all!
About Roseanna
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
GIVEAWAY!!!
(1) winner will
receive a On
Wings of Devotion
inspired prize pack including a Recreation RFC Pilot Wings pin, a
mini globe, Cadbury Chocolate, Caddie the Cocker Spaniel (handmade by
Roseanna), and One Seat and Tea Package for an Online Tea Party Book
Club with Roseanna (Winner's choice of scheduled dates. Includes
treats, loose-leaf tea, and book club goodies. A $25 value! For
more information, visit
http://www.roseannamwhite.com/tea-party-book-club/.)!
The book page for On Wings of Devotion can be found on my website HERE.
Thank you for sharing! - JustRead Tours
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