Welcome New Year, Welcome to Grandma's Wedding Quilts - The Series

Today marks the start of a special time. Besides being the recognized New Year’s Day holiday which many employees have off work, it is marks the start of a busy week for me as the authors of the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog officially launch the Grandma’sWedding Quilts series.

Eleven authors who write for the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog banded together to put together a romance series. We tossed around several scenarios on which we could build our series. Being both a family historian and a quilter myself, I was thrilled when the group decided on adopting many of my ideas that led to the series, Grandma’s Wedding Quilts.

We (well, I started it; I’m the chart queen, much to the chagrin of some of the other authors.) helped put together a descendant chart for a fictional family. It was built around Grandma Mary Alice Godwin Benton Palmer born in Ohio in 1810. She was married first to Ezra Benton in 1828, by whom she had three children: Jemima “Mima,” Franklin and Viola Grace. Like many farmers of their day, intrigued by reports of prime farmland in Oregon Territory, the family traveled south to join a wagon train traveling west. Unfortunately, Ezra sickened along the way and in 1843, he died, leaving his little family stranded in Boonville, Missouri. There Mary met Edward Palmer, a widower with a young son. She was hired to cook and keep house for him as well as help raise Stephen Palmer. Mary married Edward two years later in 1845.

They later moved to Salina, Kansas after the Kansas Territory opened up to white settlement. By then, some of the children were older and went their own way. One of our authors wrote out this scenario which, in addition to the descendant chart, we used as a guide for the development of our stories.

 

Kansas Territory -  formed in 1854 and opened to settlement, admitted as a state in 1861.

 As a family historian, besides Mary Alice, I suggested a few names I knew to be old-fashioned and the group adopted them. Godwin is a surname from my husband’s family tree. Also, there was a Jemima Godwin, who was occasionally listed as Mima on some of the records.

Those four children married and had children. About the time her grandchildren started to marry, Grandma Mary decided to make a wedding quilt for each grandchild. Each quilt was unique. Something Grandma Mary did that was different from many quilters is that she saved a remembrance of each grandchild for herself. The individual wedding quilts were made with blocks all of the same color and design. However, Mary made an additional block of each quilt design for herself. In the corner of each, she embroidered the names of the couple and the year of their marriage. In honor of little Georgie, the grandson who died when he was two, she made a LeMoyne Star. She stitched these twelve blocks together to make a sampler quilt for herself. Here is an example of a modern sampler quilt:

The book series is about the romances of the individual grandchildren. The marriages started in 1865 and continued until 1890. Each author selected a grandchild and developed their own story using the foundation of the descendant chart and early history for Grandma Mary’s family to guide them. The stories are now written and scheduled for publication. It is time to introduce the romances of the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series to the world.

You can get a sense of how these quilts traveled down through time by reading Grandma’s Wedding Quilts – The Prequel written by Kate Cambridge. This book is already published and you may purchase it from Amazon by CLICKING HERE.

To find all the books in the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series, please visit and follow the series page on Amazon by CLICKING HERE.

To keep track of any games, parties, contests and special information about this series, please "like" and follow the Grandma’s Wedding Quilts page on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.

To launch this series, we are having a Facebook Party between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, January 3rd. You may join in the fun, learn more about each of the books and win prizes by CLICKING HERE.

We are also sponsoring a Quilt Contest game starting on Tuesday, January 3rd and running through January 8th. By playing that game, you will have a chance to win prizes including free ebooks, signed copies of print books, Amazon gift cards and a new 7" Kindle Fire. More on that in tomorrow’s blog post.

The Sweet Americana Sweethearts authors plan to keep writing together to create more book series. You can keep track of our progress two ways. First, please visit and follow the SweetAmericana Sweethearts blog by CLICKING HERE.

Second, join the SweetAmericana Book Club group on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.

All of the books about the grandchildren are on pre-order. They will be published at the rate of one per day starting with my book, Kizzie’s Kisses, on Monday, January 9th. You can purchase this book on pre-order by CLICKING HERE.

More about my journey writing Kizzie’s Kisses in future blog posts.

Enjoy the journey. 

Enjoy the Grandma's Wedding Quilts series. 

Enjoy learning about lives and loves of Grandma Mary's grandchildren. 

Book Blitz: A CANDLELIGHT COURTING

Joyce DiPastena dreamed of green medieval forests while growing up in the dusty copper mining town of Kearny, Arizona. She filled her medieval hunger by reading the books of Thomas B. Costain (where she fell in love with King Henry II of England), and later by attending the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in history, specializing in the Middle Ages. The university was also where she completed her first full-length novel…set, of course, in medieval England. Later, her fascination with Henry II led her to expand her research horizons to the far reaches of his “Angevin Empire” in France, which became the setting of her first published novel, Loyalty’s Web (a 2007 Whitney Award Finalist). 

When she’s not writing, Joyce loves to read, play the piano, and spend time with her sister and friends. A highlight of her year is attending the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival . Joyce is a multi-published, multi-award winning author who specializes in sweet medieval romances heavily spiced with mystery and adventure. She lives with her two cats, Clio and Glinka Rimsky-Korsokov, in Mesa, Arizona.

Q & A With The Author:

1.  Describe yourself in 50 words or less.

Shy, quiet, old fashioned, likes people but better at listening than talking to them, loves music and playing the piano, was a childhood comic book fanatic (especially Spiderman, Fantastic Four, and Thor), medieval history nerd, BIG fan of chocolate, can be bribed with homemade chocolate chip cookies (no nuts).

2. What do you love most in the world?

My family. (And yes, that includes my cats.)

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Twitter ~
~ JDP NEWS Blog ~ Pinterest ~

When Burthred comes courting on Christmas Eve, Meg rejects his advances. She has her heart set on becoming a nun and insists that he call her Christina, the spiritual name she has chosen for herself. She tries to make him swear on her box of holy relics that he will not pursue her, but he carefully words his oath to allow him to stay in her candlelit chamber and try to change her mind. 

What Meg does not confess is that her reliquary box holds a secret.

Burthred needs a wife, and no one will satisfy him except Meg. He swore on his father’s deathbed that he would marry her. But Burthred has a secret, too. When they come together before the Yule fire, their shared revelations will either join their hearts together or tear them apart.

~ Universal link to Kindle, Nook, Ibooks, Kobo ~

Snippet:

Had her father locked the door? She took a step forward to test the latch, then froze, the hairs prickling along the back of her neck. A sky heavy for weeks with snow clouds blocked even a faint glimmer of the stars or moon from filtering through the wooden shutters into her chamber. Even so, she could have found her way to the door with her eyes closed, but she felt her lids instead straining wide. She thought she heard a soft intake of breath. A breath that had not come from her lungs.

“Who’s there?” Her voice came out in a terrified strangle.

A rustling sound, followed by a distinct clearing of a throat, and then, “My lady—”

The gruff male voice topped off her panic. Christina stumbled back against her bed and screamed like a madwoman. 

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Book Blitz: CHRISTMAS REUNION

Donna Hatch, author of the best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series," as well as over a dozen other published titles, is a hopeless romantic and adventurer at heart, the force that drove her to write and publish seventeen historical titles, to date. She is a multi-award winner, a sought-after workshop presenter, and juggles multiple volunteer positions as well as her six children. Also music lover, she sings and plays the harp, and she loves to ballroom dance. She and her family recently transplanted from her native Arizona to the Pacific Northwest where she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there really is a happily ever after.

Q & A With the Author:

Tell us about your writing - What genre do you prefer to write?

I write historical romance—specifically the Regency—that has been described as sweet but with a lots of sizzle.

What about you as a person? What do you do to relax?

I walk daily—both for exercise and because I enjoy it. I also like to hike. Music is also a big deal for me. I sing and play the harp. I also love ballroom dancing. 

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Twitter ~
~ Blog ~ Goodreads ~

Heartbroken at the news that her betrothed has wed another woman, Emily is determined to pick up the pieces of her life and enjoy Christmas with her family.  Newly returned from war, Bennett holds a secret and will do anything to ensure Emily, his only true love, never discovers it...even if it means losing her. Fate reunites the star-crossed lovers and reveals the truth that will either unite them or drive them apart forever.

~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ 

~ Amazon Canada ~ 
~ Amazon Australia ~

Snippet:

In the main dining room, a few candles guttered in their melted wax, filling the room with smoke. Her eyes smarted and watered. Blinking back the moisture, she moved toward a doorway leading to the kitchen. She kept her eyes averted from the shadowy forms in the corners of the room, hoping to avoid detection and trouble with any late-night customers of the inn.

“Are you a ghost come to haunt me?” a voice rumbled from the darkness.

She froze. Bennett. His voice had become rougher, more a growl than she remembered, but she’d recognize it anywhere.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Book Blitz: A REBEL AMONG US

J.D.R. Hawkins is an award-winning author who has written for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, e-zines, and blogs. She is one of a few female Civil War authors, uniquely describing the front lines from a Confederate perspective. Her "Renegade Series" includes "A Beautiful Glittering Lie," winner of the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion. The sequel, "A Beckoning Hellfire," is also an award winner. Both books tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war. Ms. Hawkins is a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the International Women's Writing Guild, the Mississippi Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers. She is also an artist and a singer/songwriter. She recently completed a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, as well as two more sequels for her "Renegade Series." Learn more about her at http://jdrhawkins.com.

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Twitter ~
~ Newsletter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads ~
~ Instagram ~ Google + ~

After David Summers enlists with the Confederate cavalry, his delusion of chivalry is soon crushed when he witnesses the horrors of battle. Shot by a Union picket, he winds up at a stranger’s farm. Four girls compassionately nurse him back to health. David learns his comrades have deserted him in Pennsylvania following the Battle of Gettysburg, but his dilemma becomes much worse. He falls in love with the older sister, Anna, who entices him with a proposition. To his dismay, he must make a decision. Should he stay and help Anna with her underhanded plan, or return to the army and risk capture?

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ Goodreads ~ 
~ Smashwords ~ Print Copies ~ 

Snippet:

Anna ascended the staircase to the bedroom at the top of the steps and cautiously opened the door. The hinges squeaked to remind her she needed to oil them. She walked toward the bed. The smell of death permeated the air. It was the same odor that had lingered in that room only a few short months ago. Her heart ached with the recollection of how she had tried so desperately to nurse her father back to health, but all her efforts had failed. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be in vain this time. Holding back tears, she prayed for the soldier’s survival, even though his existence could very well endanger herself and everyone around her. She didn’t want to have to bury him secretly out in the fields and have to live with that memory haunting her for the rest of her life. Nor did she desire writing home to his family to inform them of their son’s demise. Dread swept over her as she gazed down upon the young man’s face. Shuddering, she drew a heavy sigh and prepared herself for the worst.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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Book Tour: SAVING LORD WHITTON'S DAUGHTER

Lady Bethany would rather die a spinster than submit to marriage—and thus reveal the horrible secret she has harbored for more than a year

Lord Locke is far too immersed in his service to the Crown for romance, but Lady Bethany is in dire circumstances.

Indebted to Bethany’s late father and his close friend, the earl offers a perfect solution for both of them: a marriage in name only.

Perfect, if only they weren’t so irresistibly drawn to each other—and if Bethany hadn’t found herself falling in love with a man even more mysterious than his reputation. Perfect, until she unwittingly learns he’s protecting her from a threat to her life.

To Mark, Bethany is just another assignment, a woman he’s convinced is hiding something. His offer of marriage was meant only to make it easier to safeguard her.

But when the simple threat turns to attempted murder and treason, Mark realizes that Bethany has stolen his heart and he can do nothing less than throw himself into a race against time to save her, whatever the price.

~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~

~ Amazon AU ~ Goodreads ~

Susan was born and raised a California girl but is grateful to have lived on the Oregon coast and in the Rocky Mountains of northern Utah. She’s now enjoying living with her husband in the incomparable beauty of the Redwood forest, nestled against the rugged coast of Northern California.

Susan raised a tribe of children, making ends meet as a registered nurse and lactation consultant, and now her tribe members have tribes of their own and she just doesn’t get to see enough of them. She loves to travel and is thrilled with a good movie or a great book, but writing is her passion. She writes almost anything, especially epic fantasy and romance. Saving Lord Whitton’s Daughter is her first Regency Romance.

Susan would love to hear your comments. Please review her book at your favorite retailer, and at Goodreads, and/ or drop her a note at: stietjen.author@gmail.com.

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Amazon ~ Twitter ~

This Regency romance goes beyond the usual “does he love me; does he not” theme often found. Lady Bethany, like many of her class in the day, prefers to not wed rather be forced into an arranged marriage. Soon there are choices, since failure to wed not only puts her beloved home at risk, but she herself.

I liked the fact there was a secret our heroine sought to keep from being discovered. Also, there was enough suspense to keep the story interesting. For, the man behind the marriage of convenience was on a mission that included more than a means for Bethany to keep her estate and her beloved horses. Lord Locke knows she’s at risk from another direction. Each had their own reasons to agree to this marriage, but for each their view of the matter changes with time.

I enjoyed this suspenseful romance between Lady Bethany and Lord Locke along with secondary characters that fleshed out the story, not only the servants, but the neighbors, and added color and humanity to it. It was fun watching the plot develop. I recommend it for those who love clean Regency romance.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

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