Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Celebrate Lit Presents: Together Forever by Jody Hedlund

Together forever copy

About the Book




Together Forever

Title: Together Forever, Orphan Train Book 2
Author: Jody Hedlund
Genre: Inspirational historical romance
Release Date: May, 2018
Determined to find her lost younger sister, Marianne Neumann takes a job as a placing agent with the Children’s Aid Society in 1858 New York. She not only hopes to offer children a better life, but prays she’ll be able to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train so they can finally be reunited.
Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing-out trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children, firm but tender and friendly. Underneath his charm and handsome looks, though, seems to linger a grief that won’t go away–and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden.
As the two team up, placing orphans in the small railroad towns of Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Jody hedlund



Jody Hedlund is the author of over a dozen novels, including Love Unexpected, Captured by Love, Unending Devotion, The Preacher’s Bride, and A Noble Groom, winner of the 2014 Carol Award for historical romance. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in social work. She lives in Michigan with her husband and five children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog at www.jodyhedlund.com.



Guest Post from Jody Hedlund

30,000 Abandoned Children
By Jody Hedlund
Imagine a city where 30,000 abandoned and homeless children live on the streets.
Sounds like something from a futuristic dystopian novel, doesn’t it? Or something that might happen after a war or apocalypse or major disaster, right?
This exact thing actually happened in the 1850’s. And the city was New York City.
It’s hard to believe, but an estimated 30,000 homeless children roamed the dirty city streets and alleys of New York City.
30,000. Children. Let that sink in for a minute. That’s the size of a town.
Historians look back on that time and try to make sense what led to such horrific conditions for children. Of course, the influx of immigrants was at an all time high. Jobs and housing were scarce. Diseases were rampant. Hunger and poverty became a norm. (Orphan Train Depot)



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As more and more people became aware of the enormous problem within the crowded slums, courageous heroes rose up and attempted to do their part to make a difference.
While we may not always agree with the methods that were used to save the thousands of homeless children, we can admire the men and women who could no longer sit idly by.
The Children’s Aid Society was started by Charles Loring Brace as one such attempt to help the hordes of homeless children. His “Emigration Plan” is better known today by the term “Orphan Trains.”




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My latest series tackles various elements of the orphan train movement. Together Forever, releasing in May, highlights the placing agents, those devoted people who rode the trains with the orphans. The agents spent weeks and months on the road caring for the children, all the while trying to place them in loving homes.
(If you’d like to try out the series, start with my FREE novella, An Awakened Heart.)
Like the brave men and women who came before us, may we always strive to do our part to make a difference!

Blog Stops

By The Book, May 22
Genesis 5020, May 23
Radiant Light, May 26
Mary Hake, May 27
Carpe Diem, May 27
Simple Harvest Reads, May 28 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)
Bigreadersite, May 30
Vicky Sluiter, June 2
Reader’s cozy corner, June 4

My Review


I loved this book as much as I did the first one in this series, a part of American history, and we get to see it first-hand.
This is the second Neumann sister’s story, Marianne, and we get to walk in her shoes as she travels with the orphans to find them new homes in Illinois. You watch her do what she isn’t supposed to do, become attached to these precious children, and become attracted to her fellow agent Andrew, another no no.
I really found myself page turning, and not wanting to put the book down, I had to know how things turned out. With some chuckles, some heart break, and life struggles, this story has it all.
Now I can’t wait for the next book for the lost sister Sophie, and maybe the lost orphans, and I still don’t like Rheinhold’s aunt and what she did!

I received this book through Celebrate Lit Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
 

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!!

4 comments:

  1. I enjoy these tours and have found some awesome books for my sisters and daughters so thank you so very much.

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  2. thank you for your review. i have read a little about the Orphan Train. I had no idea it was 30 thousand children. Oh my goodness. Yes i am so happy for those people that started the orphan train. even though there where difficult situations and trouble, the attempt was made. on my to read list.

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  3. Thanks 4 sharing this book tour with me and congrats.

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  4. Nice review! Jody Hedlund is one of my MUST read authors!

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