The Unveiling of Polly Forrest
by Charlotte Whitney
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GENRE: Historical Mystery
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Rural Michigan, 1934.
During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.
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EXCERPT:
Reverend Wesley Johnson
Sunday, June 24, 1934
This morning, finding myself at the pulpit I looked down at the congregation, I no longer felt rancor about our family’s current situation. I told Willard’s story veiled in anonymity, his mother being too ill to attend church, anyway. I mentioned the problems in my own family and the unknowns we are facing. Somewhere in the sermon I recited the list of sick members and the fact that right now almost all of us were facing challenges we’d never anticipated.
I remarked how we all wanted to be facing decisions about whether to electrify our houses and put in an indoor bathroom. Instead, we were facing decisions about how long we could hold on, and whether we’d lose our crops if rain didn’t come, what we’d eat this winter if our gardens didn’t produce and what we’d do if we lost our farms. I don’t think anyone expected me to be this specific about our collective worries.
“Lord, lift these worries from us. Lift them high above us. Lord, lift these worries from us.”
Next I asked everyone to take a minute and count their blessings.
“Instead of focusing on what we don’t have this morning, think about what we do have and be thankful. What are you happy about today?”
“I need an hour,” my friend John Newson piped up. Everyone laughed.
By the time we started our last hymn, “Joyful, Joyful,” there was a smile on every face, including mine.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.
Author’s website: https://www.charlottewhitney.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Whitney/e/B001KCTFWQ
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CWhitneyAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-whitney-8235463a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWhitneyAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlottewhitney65/
BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Polly-Forrest-Mystery/dp/B09SNSGWJ3/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
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ReplyDeleteI like the cover, synopsis and excerpt, this sounds like an excellent read and I am looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing the author's bio and book details
ReplyDeleteThank you Mama Says to Read for featuring The Unveiling of Polly Forrest
ReplyDeleteReaders: Tell me your favorite villains. How evil are they?
ReplyDeleteI like villains who might just have a redeeming quality or two if you look hard enough. Mr. Gold/Rumplestilkin from Once Upon A Time, Damian Dark from Arrowverse, Lex Luthor from Smallville,, Alex Krycheck from The X Files, Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan from General Hospital, the mobster and enforcer with their hearts of gold, Darth Vader, Freddy Krueger...on another note, I prefer my heroes to be flawed with maybe a hint of a bad boy lurking beneath the surface.
DeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Fingers crossed for the contest!
DeleteGreat except, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest sounds like a mystery that I will enjoy! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a fabulous day!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Good luck on the contest!
DeleteThis sounds like a really good read. What was the hardest part about writing your book?
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part was depicting the character Polly. I went back and forth as to how evil and or naive she would be. Part of me wanted her totally evil and part of me wanted her to be an innocent victim.
DeleteThanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds very intriguing. Love the cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I love the cover, too. The designer is a young woman name Rena Violet who has a business called Covers by Violet. She's the best!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover too. It was designed by Rena Violet whose business is "Covers by Violet." She's the best!
ReplyDelete