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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Is Above the Fold Really the Best Place to Be?

by Chautona Havig · 10 Comments

Above the Fold--Is it a great fiction novel to kick off the new year or... well, shocker of shockers, you'll have to read and find out. *whistles via @chautonahavig

“I found a picture.”

Okay, so I should point out that I can’t remember who I said this to. Was it my friend? My launch team? In my Reader Group? Whoever I said it to wasn’t surprised. But I couldn’t stop talking about it.

“Can’t you see it? She could be Madeline’s daughter—a reporter. But with a mother like Madeline… she couldn’t help but be curious. And observant. Not only that, she’d be just about the right age in the 1920s…”

And just like that, I had a new series planned.

Is it any wonder that when I found out about a new book about a female wannabe reporter in 1920s Pittsburgh, I immediately decided to review it? Although I requested and received a free review copy of Above the Fold, I read it on Kindle Unlimited #becauselostbook.

Okay, so my Reading Challenge just happened to have a need for a “Book set in the 1920s.” How convenient was it that this just happened to fit that? Woot! But… would I like it?

Is Above the Fold Really the Best Place to Be?

Note: links are likely affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Additionally, I was provided with a free copy of the book and chose to review it.

Is Above the Fold Really the Best Place to Be?

Well, if you’re a newspaper reporter, definitely. It’s such a big deal, that website designers still call the first full screen when you land on a website “above the fold.” So, what about the book? Um… I’d say behind Above the Fold is where you want to be… those words right in front of your eyes so you don’t miss a single one.

Why? So many reasons, but one of the biggest is that Rachel Scott McDaniel tackled a bunch of things that I usually groan to see and did them well. I can’t tell you all of them without giving some spoilers, but I’ll say this.

In novels, sometimes girls’ attitudes about why they won’t trust a guy grow old and tedious—predictable. You’ve seen that same thing, over and over again. It bores the brain. Ms. McDaniel seems to have walked in and said, “Someone has to do something decent with this idea, and if no one else will, then I’ll have to.”

Abandoned years ago, Elissa Tillman still smarts. Her childhood “traumas” still fester and affect her decisions. Everything she said and did had been tainted and influenced by her past, but in a way so believable it didn’t annoy. Thank goodness!

Okay, so I tend to figure out mysteries pretty quickly.

It comes from inhaling them from age about eight. Or so I assume. Did I know who did it and why pretty early? Most of it. But not all. And a surprising twist at the end really did catch me by surprise. It shouldn’t have. It wasn’t a cheap trick like some authors have done. There were plenty of clues. I just was so wrapped up in the story that I missed it.

Just as Rachel Scott McDaniel intended. Well done.

For some foolish reason, I thought I’d remembered it being a Thomas Nelson book and was thrilled at the depth of spiritual truths layered into the story. Then I saw that I’d been wrong. Thank you, Smitten Historical Romance, for publishing rich Christian fiction. I’m grateful for the free review copy I was provided with, but I read the book on Kinde Unlimited. Maybe now I’ll find that copy… *whistles*

There’s more to Above the Fold than immersion into the 1920s newspaper and Prohibition scene. Amid speakeasies and the seedier side of Pittsburgh, a solid mystery, a beautiful tale of faith, and a troubled but tender romance flourish on the pages.

My first book to make my favorites of 2020 list. Impressive.

Recommended for lovers of Christian fiction, historical fiction, 20s fiction, and words. In the words of Publisher Tillman: “I work with words every day, but in the end, only His Word matters.”

Amen.

Oh, and don’t’ let the lackluster synopsis/description dissuade you.  The book is a million times better.

Above the FoldAbout the Book

Book: Above the Fold

Author: Rachel Scott McDaniel

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: December 3, 2019

Confined behind a secretarial desk at her father’s struggling newspaper, Elissa Tillman longs for her father and the world to take her seriously—not just as a suffragette, but also as a full-fledged journalist.

Cole Parker regrets the day he’d abandoned Pittsburgh to chase a high-profile journalism job in New York, but now he’s returned to the steel city to amend his mistakes and win back the woman he once spurned.

The murder of a millionaire offers the perfect chance for Elissa to nab the headline and prove her skills. But there’s a catch. To get her story above the fold, she must compete for it. Her rival is none other than Cole Parker, the very man who shattered her heart.

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Comments

  1. Peggy Nunn says

    January 20, 2020 at 5:17 am

    This sounds very interesting and I am looking forward to reading it.

    Reply
  2. Caryl Kane says

    January 17, 2020 at 3:03 pm

    Above the Fold sounds like one not to miss! Thank you for being part of the tour.

    Reply
  3. Arletta says

    January 16, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    I have not read very much CF that takes place in the 20s. I love this synopsis. Sounds like an interesting read.

    Reply
  4. Rachel McDaniel says

    January 16, 2020 at 10:48 am

    This made me tear up. Thank you for your honest and thoughtful review of Above the Fold. It made my day ??

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      January 16, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      Aw… glad you liked it?? I loved the book. Brilliant. And I think you and your husband and I and my husband would really enjoy chatting movies. We’re Marple fans, too. 450 to Paddington is my favorite, but I do love The Moving Finger.

      Joan Hickson is my favorite Miss Marple, and not just because Agatha Christie handpicked her YEARS before she was old enough to play the role.

      Reply
      • Rachel McDaniel says

        January 17, 2020 at 5:03 pm

        450 to Paddington was genius. I didn’t see that ending coming!!! The Moving Finger is a great one, too. I LOVE Megan’s character. I also really liked Sleeping Murder that whole premise is just brilliant. One of those- Oh man, I wish I would’ve thought of that first!- kinda things.
        And I totally agree with you Joan Hickson is Miss Marple as much as David Suchet is Poirot! ????

        Reply
        • Chautona Havig says

          January 18, 2020 at 7:53 am

          Is sleeping murder the one where it’s the house she lived in as a little girl and had forgotten about?

          Reply
          • Rachel McDaniel says

            January 18, 2020 at 5:29 pm

            Yes! That’s the one!!

  5. Suzanne Sellner says

    January 16, 2020 at 9:12 am

    I’m impressed with Above the Fold and look forward to reading it!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Review of “Above the Fold” by Rachel Scott McDaniel-A “Celebrate Lit” Book Tour - She Lives to Read says:
    January 21, 2020 at 5:37 am

    […] Just the Write Escape, January 16 […]

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
byChautona Havig

To Love a Viking by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore has been released, and I got to chat with them about it last week. Guys, this series!  If the Christian influence on Viking history isn’t enough, what about adventure, fight scenes, and romance that won’t make you blush? How about that a damsel is in distress and… gets rescued by another woman instead of the stereotypical DUDE! Listen in!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Are You Ready for an Exciting New Viking Series from 2 Great Authors?

 

One of the biggest surprises I recall from researching books by different authors was that the cozy mystery and suspense author I liked and respected, Heather Day Gilbert, had also written historical Viking books! I made the erroneous assumption that they were romance and skipped them (for the time being… I knew I’d read them some day), and then something happened.

A few months ago, I saw this cover.  With Heather’s name on it.  And some other gal I hadn’t heard of–Jen Cudmore.  What is this deliciousness?  The cover was AMAZING… not stereotypical nor was it inauthentic.  It was just GOOD (not to mention gorgeous) and with the Celtic frame (the Vikings did go over to Scotland/Ireland after all), I just felt like it hit all the sweet spots.

Well… the book is here, folks.  And I’ve got a copy in my hot little hands.  No, really. It’s July. And I live in the desert.  My hands are totally hot and in totally all the wrong ways. Just throwin’ that out there.

Anyway, Heather and Jen chatted with me about To Love a Viking, and oh my!  This book sounds fabulous. We know Viking women were strong. Even those that weren’t warriors had to survive Nordic winters. Ergo, strong.  But what about strong enough to build a new society with people they’d once fought against. Oh, and rescue a damsel in distress #BecauseYeah!

I’m ready to dive in to To Love a Viking myself, and I hope you’ll grab a copy, too. It promises to be incredible.

To Love a Viking by Heather Day Gilbert and Jen Cudmore

Get swept up in an enthralling new romance series featuring women who rule the hearts of Viking men.

ELLISIF Forced into a financially advantageous marriage that spirals into a nightmare, Ellisif cannot help but imagine what might have been and ache for what was lost. The only lights in her life are her daughters and the friendships she’s forged with the household servants.

Though seven years have passed since Ellisif wed another man, Dagar still cannot forget the woman who captured his youthful heart. As the Viking warrior battles for his country’s future, he finds himself entangled in a personal war for Ellisif’s freedom that could cost his family their reputation and standing with the king. If he risks all, can he save the woman whose face still haunts his dreams? And if given another chance, will she choose him?

INARA Escaped slave Inara is determined to start a new life. Under the guidance of warrior and shipbuilder Håkon, her sword skill grows, as does her confidence that the Viking men will accept her as a warrior in her own right.

When she is selected to lead a perilous rescue mission to protect Ellisif, Inara finds herself blindsided by feelings for Håkon…and by threats to her freedom far closer than she feared. As dreams and desires collide, she wrestles against the lies holding her captive. Can she conquer her doubts before all that she’s hoped for slips from her hands?

Written by award-winning historical author Heather Day Gilbert and fresh voice Jen Cudmore, two love stories entwine in this sweeping Viking-era romance, the first novel in the Tavland Vikings series.

You can find out more about the series and the authors on Heather’s WEBSITE.

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Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
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