Tuesday, November 2, 2021

The Stone and Secrets

About the Book

Book: The Stone and the Secrets

Author: Jan Davis Warren

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 9, 2021

TheStoneandtheSecrets2 Science has always been her haven…until a secret expedition proves more dangerous than she bargained for.

Lady Elise Stanton loves the Lord, her family, science, and William Degraf. William was always around to help with her experiments—at least, until she reached marriageable age. Unable to convince him that it is not a noble bloodline that makes a man worthy, but a noble heart, she turns to science to soothe her disappointment. She’s admitted to the School of Scientifica in London, far from her home at Brighton Castle. She’s eager to join a scientific expedition intent on tracking down a large meteorite strike. The hope is their study will unlock secrets of the universe, which will help mankind. Superstitions and fear surrounding the stones threaten the expedition. As dangers mount, William’s unexpected arrival could be the answer to her prayers…or the harbinger of more peril to come.

William Degraf chooses to join the king’s army to escape the growing secret love he has for Lady Elise. He is a low-born innkeeper’s son and not worthy to marry a lady of noble blood. His plan is to rise in ranks and one day earn great honors to declare for her hand. That hope is shattered when he loses his right leg in battle while saving his best friend from the enemy’s lance. When he receives information that a group of assassins have been hired to kill the king and all with noble blood, he must warn Elise and her family. Can he reach Elise in time to protect her from danger, then stand aside and watch her marry another?

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About the Author

Jan Davis Warren photo Jan Davis Warren is a mother, grandmother, and a young-at-heart great-grandmother. Her wonderful husband passed away the same year she won the ACFW Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense. That win and many others are encouraging reminders that God wants her to continue writing even in the tough times. Learn more at www.janwarrenbooks.com.

More from Jan

Writing The Stone and the Secrets was as much a joy as it was a challenge.

The hero and heroine of this book were first introduced in book 2, The Sword and the Secrets. Several readers loved Elise and William so much, they wanted to know more about them. The Stone and the Secrets is Elise and William’s story.

Book 3, The Stone and the Secrets was also to complete the series, but as soon as it was finished, I knew there would have to be one more. I already have the title, plot, and the characters, but I’ll share more about that another day.

As a writer, I love getting to know the characters. Before the story is finished, it’s like I’ve known them their whole lives. It’s fun, but challenging to allow the characters to evolve without pushing them to the end too soon. Spoiler alert. I absolutely LOVE a happily-ever-after ending. It gives me, as the author, a satisfying feeling of closure. You can laugh, but it’s true.

The hero and heroine in The Stone and the Secrets are not the typical h/h you might imagine living in medieval times.

The beautiful and intelligent, Lady Elise Stanton has a long and impressive royal linage. Because of her heritage, protocol demands she marry someone with an equally impressive noble bloodline. The problem is, Elise has no interest in protocol, titles, or matchmaking, and refuses to be courted by empty-headed men who know nothing of using a forge, or mending a broken carriage axle. She’s a scientist whose curiosity about the how things work has gotten her into trouble since she was old enough to take things apart. With her creative mind, she is always thinking of new things to invent. Her first attempt to fly almost got her killed, but for our hero, William Degraf’s timely intervention.

He’s saved Elise many times during their childhood—a challenge he gladly accepts for he loves her deeply. However, William’s love for Elise is not to be. He must sacrifice his love so she can fulfill her destiny, which means marrying a man with title and wealth, neither of which he has. He is strong, handsome, and of noble character, but has not a noble bloodline.

Once Elise becomes of marriageable age, he realizes seeing her courted would be too painful, so he joins the king’s army. By becoming a knight, he hopes to forget her.

As I got to know Sir William Degraf, a knight of the king’s army, I can tell you, there’s not a braver or more loyal man to be found in all of England.

In the title, The Stone and the Secrets, the stone was initially meant to represent the meteorites, which Elise is determined to locate. She feels they are the answer to finding a unique metal needed for a secret project.

To my unexpected delight, in the midst of writing this story, I realized the “stone” also represents the Lord, our Corner Stone, the Rock of Ages, the Stone that the builder rejected, and much more.

This is also an adventure story, so, of course, there’s hidden treasure and several villains, each with a goal to kill, steal and destroy. Assassins, murderous pagans, and a madman intent on revenge, all who are determined to wreak havoc along the way.

Which begs to question. With so much coming against them…

Can William reach Elise in time to save her, this time from a fate worse than death?

And, with William being a lowborn commoner, and Elise of noble blood, how can they possibly have their happily-ever-after?

I’m so excited. I can’t wait to tell you. They…

Oh, no, I’ve used up all my allotted words. Sorry, I guess you’ll have to read The Stone and the Secrets to find out.

May God bless and keep you, and give you peace.

Jan Davis Warren

MY REVIEW

Lady Elise is perhaps one of my favorite characters ever. Her energy is contagious and I love how her mind is constantly going. She is determined to succeed in her experiments even though some don’t believe in her. Being a woman makes her not respected in the science world but she is determined to prove everyone wrong. I laughed when an explosion happened that helped her get away from an unwanted suitor. Well it was funny until he started spreading rumors that she was practicing witchcraft. I liked how she continually thought of different inventions to help others. I couldn’t wait to see what adventure was ahead for Lady Elise.

William is someone I would want to protect my family. He is fearless and very honorable. His sacrifice saves Elise’s brother during battle but it came with a cost. He feels embarrassed about the loss of his leg but I have a feeling Elise is going to do something to help him. The author does give us subtle hints that perhaps they may have feelings for each other. William does try Elise’s patience with his on and off feelings for her. We will see how William feels if Elise suddenly finds another suitor.

With the addition of these strange objects that fell from the sky there is much going on in the story that will keep readers interested. William has a big responsibility to get Elise home to safety, but will she go with him? The meteorites are very intriguing and is a huge find to scientists and of course Elise. The author continues to amaze me with surprises in the story as Elise and William discover something deep in a cavern. Their significance will indeed be a big find and I loved how faith played a big part in the story.

The ending is filled with danger as William travels to rescue Elise. I enjoyed reading how strong Elise was and how her faith helped her during dark moments. This has been a great adventure and the author delivers a tale of bravery, faith and trust.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.