Celebrate Lit Blog Tour - Shine Like The Dawn by Carrie Turansky + Review & Guest Post & Giveaway

​In a quiet corner of northern Edwardian England, Margaret Lounsbury diligently works in her grandmother’s millinery shop, making hats and caring for her young sister. Several years earlier, a terrible tragedy reshaped their family, shattering an idyllic life and their future prospects. But Maggie is resilient and will do what she must to protect her sister Violet. Still, the loss of her parents weighs heavily on her heart and she begins to wonder if what happened that day on the lake…might not have been an accident.

When wealthy inventor and industrialist William Harcourt dies, his son Nathaniel, who is Maggie’s estranged childhood friend, returns from his time in the Royal Navy and inherits his father’s vast estate, Morningside Manor. He also assumes partial control of his father’s engineering company and the duty of repaying an old debt to the Lounsbury family. But years of separation between Nate and Maggie have taken a toll and Maggie struggles to trust her old friend.
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​Can Maggie let go of the resentment that keeps her from forgiving Nate—and reconciling with God? Will their search for the truth about her parents’ death draw them closer or will it leave them both with broken hearts?
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Click here to purchase your copy.

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My Review

​Will lies in the past ruin their future?

I've read three of Carrie Turansky's books from the Highland Hall series and I enjoyed them, so when I got the chance at this one I jumped at it. Starting with the lovely cover I was quickly drawn into the story and I think I can say that Shine Like The Dawn is probably now my favorite Carrie Turansky book.

Even though Margaret “Maggie” often drove me crazy with her determination to stay angry and unwillingness to listen, I quickly came to like the characters, and was immersed into the storyline. The romance was just right, adding to the story rather than consuming it, and I truly loved the mystery aspect. There are more than one dangerous confrontation in this book that left me reading as fast as I could to see what might possibly happen next.

Shine Like The Dawn is Christian Edwardian romance at its best. If you love historical fiction, especially set in picturesque England, with insight cleverly woven within an exciting and entertaining story I would definitely tell you to check out Carrie Turanksy's newest novel, Shine Like The Dawn.

Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Shine Like The Dawn by Carrie Turansky a 4.5 Bark rating.

Guest Post from Carrie Turansky

Hats, Glorious Hats!
By Carrie Turansky

​Hats in the Edwardian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name.
1907 The Merry Window hat became very popular after the leading lady in the play by that same name wore a hat that was even taller and wider than usual. Some people complained these hats were too big and obtrusive in public places like the theater or picture shows. But English women loved them and wore them to all kinds of events.

​Hats in the Edwardian era were large and often covered with feathers, flowers, lace, netting, berries and bows. The “bird nests,” as Coco Chanel called them, were held on with large hat pins stuck through piles of hair on the crown. These hats were called Gainsborough or Picture hats because of the way they framed a lady’s face. They often featured huge dried flower arrangements and sometimes included real leaves and twigs! No doubt the Garden hat was a fitting name.
1907 The Merry Window hat became very popular after the leading lady in the play by that same name wore a hat that was even taller and wider than usual. Some people complained these hats were too big and obtrusive in public places like the theater or picture shows. But English women loved them and wore them to all kinds of events.

​The popularity of using large feathers and stuffed birds on hats caused concern for the welfare of birds. Many protective laws took effect and milliners had to use more ribbon and tulle and only large ostrich feathers to decorate hats. Those ostrich feathers came from birds that were raised on farms and their feathers were collected as they fell out naturally.
The movement toward smaller hats began around 1913 when hats still had high crowns but smaller brims. Straw boaters, small top hats, and mini versions of picture hats were very common.

​Motion pictures had the greatest influence on Edwardian hat fashion. After the release of The Three Musketeers many ladies wanted to wear tricorne and bicorne shaped hats. They were still very large but now had shapes other than just round. Hat brims were folded up on the side, at an angle, or all around to create drama. Veils disappeared in the early 1900s only to come back again as a long scarf that wrapped over the hat and under the chin for the new sport called motoring.

​I’ve had fun dressing Edwardian style for book launch tea parties and other book events. It made me feel very special to wear these lovely hats. What do you think of Edwardian Hats? Would you like to wear one?

Thanks to friends at the Vintage Dancer website for some of this information.
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Carrie Turansky

​CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has been the winner of the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband Scott. They have five adult children and four grandchildren.
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​Stop by Carrie’s Facebook author page and view her live videos February 21 – 25, 3:00 pm Eastern. She’ll be talking about the story behind Shine Like the Dawn and giving away a fun prize each day to one person who leaves a comment. Even if you can’t catch the live video you can still enter for 24 hours after it’s posted. She is also hosting a book launch celebration and giveaway on her blog February 25 – March 6.
Like to my Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky/
Link to my Book Launch Blog Post: http://carrieturansky.com/index.php/blog/

It's Time For A Giveaway!

​To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away all 4 books: Shine Like the Dawn, The Governess of Highland Hall, The Daughter of Highland Hall, and A Refuge at Highland Hall.!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b0fb

Blog Stops

​February 21:
New Horizon Reviews
Bookworm Mama
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses
February 22:
Tell Tale Book Reviews
Book by Book
History, Mystery and Faith
February 23:
Bibliophile Reviews
Smiling Book Reviews
A Readers Brain
Faithfully Bookish
Lane Hill House
February 24:
Back Porch Reads
The Scribbler
I Hope You Dance
February 25:
Stuff & Nonsense
The Power of Words
A Greater Yes
February 26:
cherylbbookblog
Moments Dipped in Ink
Splashes of Joy
February 27:
Genesis 5020
inklings and notions
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS
February 28:
Karen Sue Hadley
A Simple Life, really?!
Neverending Stories
March 1:
Daysong Reflections
Connie’s History Classroom
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
March 2:
These Splendid Sentences
Singing Librarian Books
Blossoms and Blessings
March 3:
Pause for Tales
blogging With Carol
Mary Hake
March 4:
Radiant Light
For The Love of Books
March 5:
Christian Bookaholic
Rachel Scott McDaniel
March 6:
History, Hope, Laughter & Happily-ever-after
Baker Kella

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