WhiteFire Publishing has a busy, busy month. Never in our history have we had more than 2 books come out in a month, but this year the schedule ended up with a few holes in the early part of the year, and then 3 titles releasing simultaneously on October 15–and 2 of them are historicals, so I thought I’d chat a bit about what’s taking up my days right now. 😉

Our first title is actually a contemporary by Melody Carlson. Her Dear Daphne Series began with B&H Publishing, but when the company shut down its fiction line, Melody’s series got caught halfway finished. WhiteFire acquired the remaining two books in the series and are thrilled to be releasing book 3 of Dear Daphne this month!

Dear Daphne is a continuity series, where each book picks up right where the previous one left off–no wonder the readers have been clamoring for this next installment! And they’re going to love it. Daphne Ballinger, in previous books, discovered her aunt had left her a sizable inheritance…but only if Daphne got married within a year. Her aunt didn’t want Daphne to be alone, like she was–but talk about pressure! Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel and Dating, Dining, and Desperation see Daphne coming to terms with this odd will and trying to find Mr. Right. Instead she finds a young girl in need of a caretaker. In Home, Hearth, and the Holidays, Daphne and young Mabel are settling down for their first holiday season in the small town of Appleton. But what first looks like an answer to all their problems might just destroy the cozy little family they’re building. Is there any hope at all that love will find Daphne before springtime?

We at WhiteFire are so happy to be working with Melody to bring this series to completion! And after the remaining 2 books in Dear Daphne, she’ll also be working with us on a historical series. =) (See how I tie that back into history for Remember When Wednesday? Eh? Eh??)

Next we have the second book in the Steadfast Love Series, The Sound of Silver.

You may remember a bit about this series from last fall when we held the photo shoot. (The ridiculously photogenic model for the series is my niece, Jayna, who loved playing dress-up for me.) Where the first book, The Sound of Diamonds, took us into the terrifying Iconoclastic Fury (Protestants acting with violence toward the Catholics, seeking to destroy all the icons) in the Low Countries and then back to England, the stakes have shifted in book 2. No longer is Catholicism and Protestantism the main conflict between the characters–now a new question has been asked. To what lengths must a man go to restore his honor…and to protect those he loves? And to what lengths can a young lady go to convince that man to let her remain at his side?

One thing I really love about this series is the idea from the which the titles come. Gwyneth, our heroine, has bad eyesight and relies heavily on her other senses, especially sound. In book one, she hears the sound of her diamond rosary clinking together and associates it with hope. I absolutely loved the role of silver in this one–though I won’t spoil it for you. 😉

And our final release is the start of a new, oh-so-fun series! Revolving around the World’s Fairs of the turn of the 20th century, the first book begins with the Pan-American Expo in Buffalo, NY in 1901…the fair at which President McKinley was shot.

Clara Lambert is a Kodak girl–meaning, she’s been hired to go around the fair demonstrating the new, lightweight, easy-to-use Kodak camera, targeting mothers so that they can see how easy it will be to build visual memories for their families. But her first day at the fair, what should have been pure excitement at getting to photographs the president turns to horror when an anarchist shoots him. And gets even more terrifying when someone tries to hurt her and take her camera. Did she capture something on the film that the anarchists wish she hadn’t? What follows is fun, sweet, adventurous journey through New York of 1901 as Clara and police officer James seek to deliver all evidence safely to the authorities…without implicating Clara in the process. You’ll love this romance, and the history that shines through as characters ride newfangled bicycles, share the Joy of those first family cameras, and take sips of the new Coca-Cola.