A PORTRAIT OF LOYALTY by ROSEANNE M WHITE

A Portrait of Loyalty available Sept 2020

A Portrait of Loyalty - The Codebreakers - Book 3 - Roseanna M. White

***EXCELLENT END TO THE WWI SERIES***

Zivon Marin / Evgeni Marin - Two Russian brothers battle for what they believe is right and just for the future of the world, each shrouded in covert operations during the war. "He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder: he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

 Lilian Blackwell deals in her own clandestine maneuvers; extremely talented behind her Kodak No.1 Autographic Special, model A camera and in the darkroom. "Something about him struck her as photographic, as if he were already a still life captured on film. What would he look like when actually put to paper? Would the camera see the same thing her eyes did, or would it not translate into a photograph, where everything was caught in a moment devoid of motion? No. She'd learned to capture motion - or its story, anyway - with her camera. She would just have to see if she could capture its opposite too. A challenge she'd never taken up before, but one she was determined to meet.

Tea Quote: Perhaps she would see if Ara would like to have tea or something. They rarely had the chance to socialize outside of Charing Cross (hospital).   

CLICK for a great link on this camera

This story is chock full of information & wonderful detail.  I loved how it was woven through the tense war years, the 1918 flu epidemic, and the faith of believers vs the righteousness of non-believers.  I also found it precious that people brought together during those difficult days could still find love, clinging to one another for support.  I was NOT prepared for the part of the story that brought me to sobbing tears.  It was very emotional and definitely required pause and tissues.  Very well written and highly recommended.

"His promises have not changed just because my circumstances have. He is still the giver of all. The lover of our souls. No matter how bad our situation, He is still good. All we have to do is look for Him."

I received a complimentary eBook from the author via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own without compensation or further expectation.

Bethany House Publishing, 384 Pages, (c) 09-08-2020

((4 Stars=I Really Liked It))

((MY STARS)) 1= Did not like it, 2= It was ok, 3=Liked It, 4= Really liked it, 5=It was amazing

CODEBREAKERS SERIES:

1 - The Number of Love, 2 - On Wings of Devotion, 3 - A Portrait of Loyalty

PLACES TO BUY:

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

CHRISTIANBOOK

AUTOGRAPHED COPY - AUTHOR'S WEBSITE

PUBLISHERS SYNOPSIS:  Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers, until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee after speaking out against Lenin and separated from his brother along the way, he arrives in England driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera--and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and recreating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily. He sees patterns in what she deems chaos; she sees beauty in a world he thought destroyed. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share. When her photographs reveal that someone has been following Zivon, his loyalties are called into question--and his enemies are discovered to be far closer than he'd feared.

@roseannamwhite #TheCodebreakers #OnWingsofDevotion

Author, Roseanna M. White

Author Bio: 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.

HOT TEA DAY and FIRST READ OF THE NEW YEAR

Today is National Hot Tea Day and naturally, I want to celebrate that!  In fact, January is Hot Tea Month. Yippie!!  Here’s a 30-second video I made in the garden to mark the occasion.

Today I'm sharing this lovely wee floral pot, handmade birthday card & Piper and Leaf Artisan Tea Co. Old Fashioned Birthday Cake tea (caffeinated black tea blend featuring Ceylon tea, lavender flowers, bergamot which, luckily I don’t notice since I usually do not like it, vanilla, & cornflowers) gifted to me by my sweet & generous friend Cindy. The tea is not too strong and the vanilla is the star I believe. It is a mild day here in sunny So Cal with gentle breezes and blue skies in the mid-60s. I hope you take the time to celebrate too! You are worth it!

Good books, like good friends are few and chosen;
The more select, the more enjoyable.
-Louisa May Alcott

In 2019 I exceeded my goal and read 63 books according to GoodReads!  Now for my first read this year!

***RIVETING – AN EXCELLENT 1^ST READ FOR 2020 ***

Roseanna White weaves a wonderful tale and starting one of her novels is always dangerous for me as all other responsibilities fly out the window!  I absolutely loved this story (naturally!).  The characters are relatable while the story is exciting.  I loved revisiting Room 40 where the codebreakers work hard to transcribe enemy messages.  The romance between the main characters is one neither had expected and I enjoyed the way it grew, almost out of necessity, but with the Lord’s hand clearly upon it.

London 1918, WWI 

CLICK for more info on this pin

Major Phillip Camden returns from book 1 brooding as ever, as he awaits his fate.  Currently, he has joined Room 40 and the codebreakers as his friend Drake Elton has put in a good word for him.  But he knows justice will catch up to him and it’s only a matter of time until he faces a firing squad. He carries his wing-pin always in his pocket as a reminder of who he’d once been and his lost brothers.

Charing Cross
Hospital 1925
Photo by George
Davison Reid

Arabelle Denler is a nurse at Charing Cross Hospital.  She joins the other nurses on break to stare out the window daily at the handsome, mysterious man the papers have dubbed “Black Heart”; the man responsible for the deaths of his entire squadron of RFC pilots.  She has no business mooning at strangers when she has a fiancé, but the Lord was calling her to pray for him again like she had been for months now.  Besides, no man like him would never be interested in a plain-Jane like her.

Diellza is a harsh reminder of Phillip’s past and not all that she seems.  She adds a twisting layer to the story as the war rages on.

Oh for the day when the
consequences of skipping classes
or putting pepper in the headmaster's
tea were all he had to worry about.
No threats of court-martial or firing squad.

[She] hadn’t imagined praying for this girl at all. 

But helping those who were hurting was what the Lord 

had called her to years ago. If you want to be healed, 

He’d whispered into her heart… then heal others.

For the first time in years, he
considered breaking his silence with God
& saying a prayer for her sake.

Again, I would add, that we are not dragged through the gruesomeness of war which I very much appreciate. I am looking forward to Zivon Marin & Lily Blackwell’s future story.

 I was gifted an advance copy of the book from the publishers. It is my privilege to share my honest opinion without expectation or compensation. (5 stars) 

About the Book: 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.

-Bethany House Publishers

Click / Places to buy:

AMAZON  

BARNES & NOBLE  

CHRISTIAN BOOK   

SIGNED COPY AT ROSEANNA'S WEBSITE

SERIES: The Codebreakers -

Click for Amazon Link

*The Number of Love –  Book 1 June 4, 2019 (click for my review)

*On Wings of Devotion – Book 2 Jan 7, 2020

*A Portrait of Loyalty – tbd 

AUTHOR BIO: 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. 

@roseannamwhite
#TheCodebreakers
#OnWingsofDevotion

Until Next Time,
Hugs & A Cuppa Tea!
Heather Elizabeth