Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White with JustRead Publicity Tours! Follow along with the tour for a special inside peek at how The Number of Love is connected to the author's previous book from another series, A Song Unheard.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Number of Love
Series: Codebreakers #1
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue
Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.
Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?
Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | ChristianBook
MY REVIEW
I’ve never read a book about codebreakers, so I was excited
to have the opportunity to read this book and be on the launch team.
White’s latest takes the reader into the secret world of
World War I codebreakers. Characters, including the secondary ones, are well
developed and integrated. Those who enjoy math may connect with the story in
ways that the average reader might not. However, the non-mathematical readers
will likely enjoy the espionage angle and the challenge to crack the code.
The author blends fiction with historical facts, as this
book was obviously well researched. The cover is lovely, and it’s a good fit
for the story. I had hoped for a bit
more mystery vs. romance, but this was still an enjoyable story overall. This
is the first book in the Codebreaker series, and I look forward to reading the
next installment.
Disclaimer: I received
a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to
leave a positive review.
Title:
A Song UnheardSeries: Shadows Over England #2
Author: Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Intrigue
Willa Forsythe is both a violin prodigy and top-notch thief, which make her the perfect choice for a crucial task at the outset of World War I—to steal a cypher from a famous violinist currently in Wales.
Lukas De Wilde has enjoyed the life of fame he's won—until now, when being recognized nearly gets him killed. Everyone wants the key to his father's work as a cryptologist. And Lukas fears that his mother and sister, who have vanished in the wake of the German invasion of Belgium, will pay the price. The only light he finds is in meeting the intriguing Willa Forsythe.
But danger presses in from every side, and Willa knows what Lukas doesn't—that she must betray him and find that cypher, or her own family will pay the price as surely as his has.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | ChristianBook
Q&A WITH ROSEANNA
- What was your inspiration for The Number of Love?
Learning about England’s intelligence division during WW1 was pretty much all the inspiration I needed. I was so fascinated by Room 40 (the predecessor to Bletchley Park) and all that went on there! So I knew I wanted to have a female codebreaker (in fact there were many women who worked in Room 40, but they were all secretaries—Margot is purely fiction), and I also knew that if I was going to write a love story for her, it needed to be with someone who was her opposite—and who better than a field agent?
- Good point! Which character in the book do you most identify with and why?
These characters really stretched me! I’m not particularly like any of them, LOL. But Drake has this “super power” of asking questions that dig down to the heart of things, and that I took directly from my husband, who is never content to let anything just scratch the surface, even when I really wish he would, LOL. He’s made me look so much deeper at things over the years, and that’s what I wanted Drake to do for the people in his life too.
- What makes this book different from your others?
A mathematician as a heroine. Need I say more? I never thought I’d have to borrow my daughter’s algebra book to write a novel!
- Definitely not your typical research book! Speaking of research, how much research went into this story?
A lot. For the first time in my life, this research had me making charts in Excel with dates, what happened, what page of what book I could find it on, and how I might use it. Excel sheets. Me. This was weird, man.
- Ha! I understand. I don't use Excel unless I have to. What part would you have played in the Great War?
I’m a homebody, so I probably would have been one of the women busy knitting, growing food, and educating the kids. Assuming I was my age and had kids. If not, maybe I would have volunteered in one of the canteens in Europe…or maybe, like another of my characters, I would have been recruited to write some pro-war themes into my stories! LOL
- Sounds perfect! What do you hope readers takeaway from the story?
That our God will speak to us in whatever way we need—and if He goes silent, if our ears are deaf to Him for a while, He’s still right there, waiting. Sometimes we don’t understand the things that happen in life. But instead of asking, “Why did it happen?” we need to ask the better question: “How will He use it?”
- That's definitely a great way to look at things. What's your favorite time in history to read and/or
write?
I honestly just love history in general. I’ve been really enjoying learning about Edwardian and Great War England, but other eras are equally interesting to me!
- What can you tell me about your current work in
progress?
I’m just getting started on writing the third book in the Codebreakers series, tentatively titled A Picture of Loyalty, though that could change. This one has a photographer whose work is used to fool the enemy, and a Russian codebreaker who has to flee his country for his life during the Bolshevik Revolution and who ends up coming to England for sanctuary and to offer his services to Room 40. The hero’s journey is inspired by a true person from history, though I’ll be fictionalizing a lot too.
- Oh, that sounds interesting! What advice do you have for beginning writers?
Respect your dream. If you want to do this, work hard at it. Don’t look for short cuts or easy answers or quick solutions. Just as an engineer or a minister study for years, we as writers have to do the same. Because our stories—and our eventual readers—deserve the best.
- Great advice! What's your go-to writing-related book?
Er…I hate to admit this, but I honestly don’t read craft books, LOL. I’m aware of what most of them share, and my best friend/crit partner is kind enough to forward things she thinks I’ll find useful or interesting as she reads them, but... Reading about the craft actually makes me freeze up in my writing. I’m constantly going, “Do I do that? I have no idea. What if I don’t? How can I? Man, am I doing everything wrong??” and that wasn’t productive for me. So. I just write, and I learn the rules, and I’ve learned to obey the voice of instinct that usually knows when something’s wrong.
- Your system is definitely working for you. Now for a few fun questions. What's something about you that would surprise your readers?
Though my grandparents own a produce farm, I hate vegetables, LOL. I’ve learned to like a few over the years, but most of them…nope.
- I understand. I'm not a huge fan of vegetables either. What are some of the books in your TBR pile?
As of writing this, I’m about to start A Secret to Die For by Lisa Harris. But then I mean to pick up something by Kristi Ann Hunter. And I have Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle sitting here too—about art and faith.
- Who are three authors who've inspired you?
L. M. Montgomery. C. S. Lewis. Francine Rivers.
- Great choices! If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead,
who would it be and why?
Oh, that’s a hard one! Let’s go with Jane Austen. Her books are so full of wit, I have to think her dinner conversation would be too!
- I bet it would be an interesting conversation! Finally, what's one book you wish you'd written and why?
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. I listened to it on audio recently and was left with the thought of “Flawless.” I’m just amazed at how great it is! Definitely deserving of all the attention it’s received.
It was the first audio book I listened to, and I agree with you. It's a fabulous book, and it definitely deserves all the attention. Thanks for taking time to answer a few questions. I'm sure my readers will enjoy getting to know more about your and your books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
CONNECT WITH ROSEANNA: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY
Grand Prize: Shadows Over England series, The Number of Love, and the Decrypto board game, plus "Mi Alma" necklace (Necklace is 24" chain with a 1" pendant that says "Mi Alma" Spanish for "My Soul". A term of endearment used throughout the book. Handmade by Bookworm Mama)
(3) additional winners of The Number of Love.
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight June 3, 2019 and last through 11:59 pm June 17, 2019. US only. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
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Love Roseanne's books.
ReplyDeleteKim, I agree!
DeleteGood luck, and thanks for stopping by my blog.