About the Book
Book: Surf Smugglers
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: August 15, 2019
In
the summer of 1917, US troops join the allied forces in the Great War.
Back in Sunset Cove, Oregon, other battles wage. Anna McDowell continues
to fight old fashioned stereotypes as she runs a newspaper committed to
truth. Despite opposition, she’s determined to expose ongoing
rum-running and prohibition lawlessness.
Adding to Anna’s frustrations, her good friend Dr. Daniel seems to
run hot and cold. He loves Oregon, and maybe Anna too, but he’s pulled
by his East Coast family responsibilities. Even the lure of a new modern
Sunset Cove hospital doesn’t seem enough to keep him in Sunset Cove.
Meanwhile, Anna’s strong-willed daughter Katy continues to develop
her dress shop by inviting family friend Sarah Rose to help out. But the
woman’s presence tests the small town’s tolerance. And Anna’s concern
that her daughter is growing up too fast is confirmed when Katy’s
romantic life takes an unexpected turn, which Anna fears is influenced
by the pressure of a devastating war that is not only changing the
entire world but Sunset Cove as well.
Click here to grab your copy.
About the Author
Melody
Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million)
for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she
considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (
Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors
etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas
novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards
(including
RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the
Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV.
Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest
with her husband and yellow Lab dog.
More from Melody
My favorite way to
learn history is through historical fiction—both by reading and by
writing it. And I’ve discovered that World War 1 (previously known as
the Great War, since WW2 had yet to happen) is quite fascinating. As
well as incredibly sad. But I’m amazed at how science and technology
evolved so quickly in this era. Whether it was advancement in
automotive, communication, medicine . . . the culture was rapidly
changing. And the war pushed it along at an even faster pace.
Another factor that
makes this era interesting is prohibition. Oregon, my home state and
where I set my series, was one of the earliest states to adopt
prohibition of alcohol—in 1914. As a result, Oregon became ripe
territory for bootlegging and rum-running along the coastline. And
because my series involves a small town coastal newspaper that’s run
(gasp!) by a woman, it gets even more interesting—and exciting!
Speaking of women,
the suffrage movement was approved in Oregon in 1912—also well ahead of
the rest of the nation (and the main reason that prohibition passed). My
theory on why this happened is that the brave women who’d made the
arduous journey West (via perilous wagon train or long hard voyages on
clipper ships) were strong and opinionated and tough. And many of them
were sick and tired of drunken slacker husbands. Also, thanks to
Oregon’s amazing land donation act of 1850, many of these women were
equal landowners to their husbands—and land equaled power.
Of course, what
these suffragette-prohibition supporters didn’t realize is that banning
alcohol would make matters worse because bootlegging and rum-running
suddenly became a very lucrative business. The crime rate soared and the
booze continued to flow freely. But all this makes for good newspaper
stories, keeping our female editor in chief rather busy. In the first
two books of the series, Anna McDowell has her hands full with trying to
run her ailing father’s newspaper, restoring family relationships, and
staying ahead of the growing crime element in Sunset Cove.
By book three, Surf Smugglers,
Anna has her feet under her and doing a good job of standing up to the
criminal element in their region. But by now the Great War is really
heating up and the United States must get involved. Of course, this
means that many young men, as well as Anna’s very good friend Dr. Daniel
Hollister, are being shipped overseas to serve. Meanwhile, there is
plenty of trouble at home. And the rum-runners, who despise the
newspaper’s support of prohibition, target Anna’s good friend Sarah Rose
because she’s a woman of color who’s sought refuge from the big city . .
. and naturally things get dicey.
I’m currently finishing up the fourth and final book of the Legacy if Sunset Cove series,
and I’m sad to think my ‘history lesson’ in this interesting era is
drawing to an end. Not only have I learned a lot, I’ve really come to
love the McDowell family . . . and I’m getting worried that not all the
men from Sunset Cove will survive the brutal war. Of course, this is
fiction . . . but the war was very real and the losses were great.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the war to end all wars like they’d hoped, but I
appreciate the sentiment . . . and continue to pray for world peace.
Blog Stops
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Melody is giving
away the grand prize of three of her books: Harbor Secrets, Riptide
Rumors, and Surf Smugglers!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
My Review
This is the third book in this series that I have enjoyed, and yes, they
can be read alone, but we are continuing on in the lives of this
newspaper family.
With this book, the War in Europe is becoming real
for these people, along with the crime of bootlegging. This book does
touch on a lot of different subjects, including prejudice.
Coming and enjoy another installment at Sunset Cove Oregon, you won’t be disappointed!
I received this book through Celebrate Lit, and was not required to give a positive review.
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