Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson

About the Book

Book Title:Hidden Among The Stars

Author:Melanie Dobson

Genre: Historical Fiction (However, this is a time-slip novel, so there is also a contemporary component to the story)

Release date: September 4, 2018

From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weeklycalled “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.
The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan—even their very lives—in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambithat connects her to Annika’s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.

Click here to purchase your copy!

 

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK 

I’ll have to admit that I had a hard time getting into this book. Not the writers fault, for Ms. Dobson writes a lot of detailed history in this book. Slipping from the 1938 Hitler Movement, when young Annika helped hide valuable possessions of the Jewish people from the Nazis. To eighty years later when bookstore owner Callie Randall finds a cryptic list left in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story.

As with Melanie Dobson style, Hidden Among the Stars is a heartfelt story that’s not always easy to read. But each scene is so vividly detailed, and the characters so professionally crafted they pull you right into the story along with them. I did learn a lot about the Hitler movement that I’d never heard before. And I have to say the author did an amazing job of going back and forth between the 1938 era and today’s era. This is a very well written story, and I don’t know how to bring in a lot of the happenings in the review without giving away part of the plot and I hate doing that! So you will just need to pick up this book and see for yourself. You will find an awesomely crafted story that will sure give you hours of entertainment!

A copy of this book was provided by Celebration Lit Tours and the author for me to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHHOR 

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of nearly twenty historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels including Catching the Wind and Chateau of Secrets . Three of her novels have won Carol Awards; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010; and The Black Cloister won the Foreword Magazine Religious Fiction Book of the Year.

Melanie is the former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group. When she isn’t writing, Melanie enjoys teaching both writing and public relations classes at George Fox University.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with work, the Dobson family has settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to hike and camp in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific Coast. Melanie also enjoys exploring ghost towns and abandoned homes, helping care for kids in her community, and reading stories with her girls.

Visit Melanie online at www.melaniedobson.com.

Guest Post from Melanie

Hallstatt’s Hiding Places

Backpacking across Europe—that’s how my husband Jon and I decided to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. We savored the old world culture and charm as we hiked along Italy’s coast, toured medieval castles in Germany, and cruised the canals in Belgium; we both left a bit of our hearts in an ancient lakeside town called Hallstatt.

The moment we stepped off the ferryboat and into this storybook village, we crossed through a portal of sorts, traveling back several centuries in time. The rugged, snow-capped mountains around us and alpine lake, the quaint village with its church steeples and cobblestone lanes and waterfall that spilled into town—all of it captivated us.

Along the shore, hidden partially by trees, we could see spires of an abandoned castle, and I wanted to know its story. No one in Hallstatt could tell us who’d lived in the castle—at least, not in English—so my husband agreed to a new adventure. With a swan as our escort, we glided across the lake in an electric boat so I could study the rusty turrets, boarded windows, and wooden boathouse resting in the water like a felled log.

Instead of quelling my curiosity, the match of inspiration ignited my mind. Who had lived in this castle, and what happened there? I began writing in my journal that night, trying to capture my rogue thoughts on paper, hoping that one day a novel would emerge from the ashes of this castle’s story.

When we returned home, I began researching more of Hallstatt’s history and discovered that this region, in all of its beauty and mystique, had been infiltrated by an enemy in 1938. This town and the surrounding Salzkammergut became a mountain retreat for Nazi officials who built mansions on the shores of its many lakes and used salt mines to hide “ownerless treasure”—the gold bullion and artwork they’d stolen from the Jewish people.

The Nazis intended to build a Fourth Reich in this alpine fortress, but the Allies had other plans. Near the end of the war, these lakes became a dustbin of sorts, collecting whatever the enemy dumped into its waters—weapons, counterfeit banknotes, concentration camp lists—as they fled south from the Allied troops. The Devil’s Dustbin, locals call it.

Lake Hallstatt plunges more than four hundred feet between the fortress of mountains. Because of its depth and the many hiding places in the underwater forests, caves, and shifting sands, divers continue finding World War II artifacts today. Some still believe there’s a treasure trove buried on the bottom, but no one has reported finding any gold.

After our trip, a story about this castle and what happened to the heirlooms of the Austrian Jewish people continued to burn inside me until I finally put it on paper. So I built Schloss Schwansee—Castle of Swan Lake—in my mind, inspired by the castle along Lake Hallstatt, and created a cast of historical and contemporary characters who are searching for lost treasure.

Hidden Among the Stars is a time-slip novel about a castle and treasure and fairytales, but most of all, it’s a story about God using ordinary people across Austria to resist evil in their own extraordinary way.

Blog Stops

Reading Is My SuperPower, September 6

Fiction Aficionado, September 6

Back Porch Reads, September 6

Among the Reads, September 6

The Power of Words, September 7

Multifarious, September 7

lady ansel book vibes, September 7

The Becca Files, September 7

God’s Little Bookworm, September 8

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, September 8

Painting with Words, September 8

Lis Loves Reading, September 8

cherylbbookblog, September 9

Living LIfe Free in Christ, September 9

Madeline Clark, September 9

Mary Hake, September 9

Reflections From My Bookshelves, September 10

Genesis 5020, September 10

Faithfully Bookish, September 10

Simple Harvest Reads, September 10 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)

Margaret Kazmierczak, September 11

All-of-a-kind Mom, September 11

Daysong Reflections, September 11

Caffeinated Christian Raves – N – Reviews, September 11

Seasons of Opportunities, September 12

Remembrancy, September 12

Inklings and notions, September 12

amandainpa, September 12

Maureen’s Musing, September 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 13

Just Commonly, September 13

Book by Book, September 13

Connect in Fiction, September 14

Pause for Tales, September 14

Have A Wonderful Day, September 14

Splashes of Joy, September 14

The Christian Fiction Girl, September 15

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 15

To Everything A Season, September 15

A Baker’s Perspective, September 15

proud to be an autism mom, September 16

Bibliophile Reviews, September 16

Bigreadersite, September 16

Aryn The Libraryan, September 16

By The Book, September 17

Christian author, J.E. Grace, September 17

Janices book reviews, September 17

Texas Book-aholic, September 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 18

Carpe Diem, September 18

Godly Book Reviews, September 19

For The Love of Books, September 19

Live. Love. Read., September 19

Reader’s Cozy Corner, September 19

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Melanie is giving away a grand prize package that includes a $25 Amazon gift card, Catching the Wind paperback, and Hidden Among the Stars paperback!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d2ad/hidden-among-the-stars-celebration-tour-giveaway

Litfuse Presents….Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor by Melanie Dobson

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor  

by Melanie Dobson

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor (Howard, June 2015)

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents’ cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can’t be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver’s death.

Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family’s cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She’s mourning her father’s passing but can’t let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family’s belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family’s history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Heather’s trip back to her family home after the death of her father brought more pain and secrets than she ever expected. Heather never knew her older sister who died at an early age, and uncovering things belonging to Libby brought with them a lot of questions about her sister and what happened to her so long ago. But is Heather ready to learn the truth about what happened?

This as an amazingly written book, one that I was thoroughly engulfed in. I could feel the pain and emotions of Heather and her daughter as she continued to uncover the details of what happened, the family lies, secrets, the questionable choices that was made at the time. Ms. Dobson handled the situations in a way that pulled me into the story, and I felt like I was there, and a part of the situation. I love books that does this! I appreciate how Ms Dobson deals with difficult family situations and handicaps and weaves it into a story that grips the hearts of her readers. I loved this story, I enjoy the mystery and suspense, keeping me reading almost non stop until I finished the book! I highly recommend this book, its just awesome!

I received this book from the Litfuse to read and review.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55

About the Author……Melanie Dobson

Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of thirteen historical romance, suspense, and contemporary novels. Two of her novels won Carol Awards in 2011, and “Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana” won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010. Melanie lives with her husband Jon and two daughters near Portland, Oregon.

Where the Trail Ends and Melanie Dobson

About Where the Trail Ends and Melanie Dobson

A young woman traveling the Oregon Trail in 1842 must rely on a stranger to bring her to safety. But whom can she trust with her heart?   For two thousand miles along the trail to Oregon Country, Samantha Waldron and her family must overcome tremendous challenges to reach the Willamette Valley before winter. Together they weather autumn storms, hunger and thirst, and the dangers of a wild and unfamiliar country. But when their canoe capsizes on the Columbia River, they must rely on handsome British exporter Alexander Clarke to rescue them from the icy water. Alex escorts Samantha and her young brother, Micah, to Fort Vancouver. There Samantha is overwhelmed with men vying for her affections, but the only one who intrigues her-Alex-is the one she cannot have. When his betrothed arrives unexpectedly from England to escort him home, Samantha becomes determined to create a home for herself and Micah in the fertile valley far away from the fort. But how will an unmarried woman support herself and her brother in the wilderness alone? Then Micah disappears into the wilderness one rainy night, and Samantha must rely on the man she loves-the man she’s trying desperately to forget-to rescue her brother before it’s too late. “A lovely, well-paced novel with enchanting characters and surprising plot twists. This is not your typical Oregon Trail story-there is more love than loss and more hope than grief on this wagon train west. Melanie Dobson gives her readers the delight of what happens after people arrived in the Oregon territory, with the assurance that the end of the trail is really not the end after all.” -Jane Kirkpatrick, bestselling author of All Together in One Place  MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK Samantha Waldron and her family face some horrific situations as we follow their journey on the Oregon Trail in 1842. Samantha’s mom passed away before they started on the trail, so her father was determined to make it to the end of the trail for the rest of his family. But no one knew the many difficult situations they would endure while traveling. Life was not easy as they traveled these many miles. Melanie Dobson’s story of Samantha and her family along the Oregon Trail is a believable and intriguing story with believable characters that will keep you interested until the end, because of all the twists and turns it takes. The author tells all of the gruesome details of situations and difficulties during the trail, making the story seem more realistic. I enjoyed this historical novel by Melanie Dobson, though I don’t think it is her best work. If you enjoy the Oregon Trail ere, and reading books about that time, you will enjoy this one. So pick up a copy for your own reading enjoyment. This book was provided by Summerside Press through LitFuse Publishing Group. I was not required or expected to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine only.   About the Author  Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels including five releases in Summerside’s Love Finds You series. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense). Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years. Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn’t writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction. For more about Melanie Dobson and her books, visit http://www.melaniedobson.com

Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan….By: Melanie Dobson ***Plus Win a Kindle Fire

Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan

By: Melanie Dobson

Plus….Scroll to the bottom to see how you can win a Kindle Fire

More about  Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan:

As the Gilded Age comes to a close, Elena Bissette’s once-wealthy family has nearly lost its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionable Mackinac Island, where they will spend one last summer in the hope of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. But Elena is repulsed by the idea of marrying for money.

Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls, Elena spends most evenings escaping back into Mackinac’s rugged forest. There she meets Chase, a handsome laborer who shares her love for the night sky. The two begin to meet in secret at an abandoned lighthouse, where they work together to solve a mystery buried in the pages of a tattered diary.

As Elena falls in love with Chase, her mother relentlessly contrives to introduce her to Chester Darrington, the island’s most eligible bachelor. Marriage to the elusive millionaire would solve the Bissettes’ financial woes, and Elena is torn between duty and love.

Link to buy the book:

http://ow.ly/ceeZA

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Elena’s family trip to Mackinac Island this summer will be different than all of the others. This time, her mother has in mind to marry her off to the rich and famous Chester Darrington in order to save their family business. Elena has no desire to marry this Mr. Darrington, or even meet him for that matter.

Chase didn’t really want to make the trip to Mackinac Island with his sister and her husband, but he did want a place to try out the new telescope that the family business was interesting in funding for the invention. One of the first things he heard upon his arrival was his hopeful marriage to this Elena Bissette. Well, he would stay as far away from Elena as possible because he sure wasn’t looking for a wife, and especially someone like her.

Not knowing who each other is, Chase and Elena meet up at an old lighthouse on the Island. One in which Elena has been visiting for all of the years her family has been coming to the Island and one that Chase has just found. The attraction between the two is a sure thing, Chase liking Elena because she’s not one of the “circle” which his sister is in. And Elena liking Chase because of pretty much the same reason.

In Love Finds You In Mackinac Island, Michigan, Melanie Dobson weaves a historical romance that will keep you on your toes throughout the book. The meeting and relationship of Chase and Elena was sweet and adorable at first, that is until the truth about who each was came to surface. That’s when things get touchy between the two and neither want to see each other again! But Chase’s mom had a different idea. Can she bring these two back together again? Or is Chase just too stubborn to face the real truth?

This is a wonderful and sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s one of those stories that just make you feel good after reading it. The characters are so real they feel like family and friends. I love Chase and Elena, and I love their attitude about their wealthy families. And Chase’s mom was the character that really pulled everything together. Her attitude about gossip shamed me, and one thing I took away from this book is to gossip, or listen to gossip less, and look at the positive sides of people. I really appreciate Melanie bringing this valuable lesson to her readers about this subject.

I highly recommend this book for you to read and enjoy for yourself. It will make a wonderful summer read, but its not just for summer, it will make an awesome read anytime! And you sure will not be disappointed.

More about Melanie:

Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels including five releases in Summerside’s Love Finds You series. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense).

Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years.

Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific.

When Melanie isn’t writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

For more about Melanie Dobson and her books, visit www.melaniedobson.com.

Win a Kindle Fire from Melanie Dobson, “Mackinac Island” Giveaway!!

Enter Today – 7/17-8/4!

Kregel Blog Tour ….Refuge on Crescent Hill By: Melanie Dobson

Welcome to Kregel Blog Tour

Refuge on Crescent Hill

By: Melanie Dobson

Price: $13.99
ISBN:  978-0-8254-2590-5
Format: Paperback

Price: $13.99
ISBN: 978-0-8254-8934-1
Format: EPUB

Book Blurb

Moving home after a recent job loss was supposed to reassure Camden Bristow and give her time to decide what to do next. But when she arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother, who she hasn’t talked to in years, has passed away and “home” is an empty mansion 150 years old. Not exactly the comfort Camden was looking for. What happened to the house she played in as a child, the bedtime stories that told of secret passageways and runaway slaves, and all those family memories?When antiques start disappearing and footsteps are heard, some of those memories start to creep back and Camden wonders if her grandmother’s bedtime stories might actually be true. What really happened here . . . at Crescent Hill? How was her grandmother involved? Who still has access to the house? And for what purpose? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden also uncovers secrets about her family that could change the town—and her life—forever. “It’s history, mystery, and treasure hunt wrapped up in one suspenseful adventure! You’ll want to keep the lights on while you read Dobson’s plot-driven story. She so skillfully sets the scene in this memory- haunting house that you’ll hear the creaks and footsteps. And whether lost or redeemed, her believable characters ring true with their genuine faults, all-too-human mistakes, and realistic ‘skeletons in the closet.'”–Fiction Editor, Christian Book Distributors.Read an Excerpt

Go HERE to read more about the book

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About Melanie Dobson
Melanie Beroth Dobson’s first novel (Together for Good) was published in 2006, and she has now authored nine contemporary and historical novels including Love Finds You in Nazareth, Pennsylvania which releases in November 2011. Melanie and her husband, Jon, met in Colorado Springs in 1997 at Vanguard Church. Since they’ve been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Berlin, and Southern California. These days they are enjoying their home in the Pacific Northwest.

Prior to launching her own public relations company in 1999, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family where she was responsible for the publicity of both events and products. Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. She worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years including two years as a publicist for The Family Channel.

Jon and Melanie have two daughters — Karly (8) and Kiki (7). The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn’t writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

Visit Melanie’s Website

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My Thoughts on the book posted Sat!

Being homeless and broke, when Camden Bristow decided to visit her grandmother after so many years, she didn’t know she would be just a few days too late to see her. But that is the shocking news she finds out upon returning to her grandmother’s home in Etherton, Ohio. Having nowhere else to stay, Camden stays at the Crescent Hill, but strange things started to happen. As it ended up, a lot of mysteries surrounded the home that Camden didn’t know about, thus making it pretty scary to stay there.

Alex had moved to the area trying to run from things in his life he didn’t want to think about, or others to know. He wants to help revitalize the town and he thinks buying Crescent Hill could be just what was needed, but the town council nixed that idea, and every other idea he brought before them. And as he started spending more time with Camden, they both find that they are very attracted to each other.  But with everything going on in each of their lives, could they find a way to make it work for them? And what about Crescent Hill? Who is responsible for this big ole house now?

I really enjoyed this book. I found it just a really good, enjoyable read. Issue were popping up from every direction and it seemed so mixed up it would never come to an end, but it was actually fun to read and wonder what would happen next. And it was a pager turner for me because I just didn’t want to put it down. I read it in one day! Though all of the captivating romance along with the twists and turns, the ending came together wonderfully. Thanks to the awesome writing skills to Melody Dobson.

I encourage you to grab a copy of this wonderful book. Mystery lovers will love it, and for those who like Christian fiction, you will enjoy it as well. In fact, if you like fiction, just get a copy and read it. You will not be disappointed!

This book was provided by Kregel Publishers for me to read and review. I was not expected or required to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are mine alone.