Thursday, August 1, 2024

A Summer at The Niagara of the South Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: A Summer at The Niagara of the South

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 28, 2024

She came to the resort to heal her voice, only to discover her heart needed healing more.

Breaking under the stress of being a rising star, opera singer Grace Galveston travels to Tallulah Falls in search of reprieve. With its multiple waterfalls, spectacular gorge and mountain scenery, and lavish resorts, “The Niagara of the South,” seems the perfect place to do just that. Even amid the crowds and excitement of an aerialist’s attempt to cross the gorge, Grace hopes to find peace.

Daniel Monroe basks in that peace as minister of a local church. He’s the perfect tour guide for Grace during her visit—until his heart gets entangled with the red-haired beauty with an angel’s voice. The trip sheds light on the secret pain in Grace’s heart. And does she even share the faith that’s so vital to his ministry? Can the blessing of friendship and the possibility of love guide her toward healing, or will the call of her life back in New York mean even greater heartbreak?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

A Vanished Gilded Age Resort on the Edge of a Gorge

I first discovered Tallulah Gorge in Northeast Georgia when I was a student at Toccoa Falls College, only a couple years before the area was designated a state park. It was considered a perfect place for a day out hiking, tracing whatever faint trail one could find to an overlook into the thousand-foot-deep canyon or down to the series of waterfalls below. The more daring (or crazy) would jump off the rock cliffs into the pools—without a clue that the dangerous currents feeding the rapids had whisked many an adventurer to their death.

As a young mom, I moved to Habersham County and learned that over twenty lavish resorts had clung to the rim of the gorge during Gilded Age and Edwardian times. In fact, Tallulah Gorge with its series of six spectacular falls had drawn people from all over the nation and been dubbed “The Niagara of the South.” To power the city of Atlanta, Georgia Power Company dammed the river and constructed a large hydroelectric facility at the site in 1912, greatly reducing the amount of water flowing through the gorge. In 1921, a fire destroyed most of the hotels and brought an end to the glamorous tourist era.

The idea of recreating on the page something lost to history has inspired many a story idea for me. I had set aside my quest for publication with the birth of my daughters, but Tallulah Falls called to me. I soon penned my first published novella, Redeeming Grace, set during the summer of 1886 when tightrope walker Professor Leon crossed the gorge before a crowd of around six thousand. (The stunt was repeated in 1970 by Karl Wallenda.) That little book was a tiny initial stepping stone on my journey to becoming a multi-published author and editor.

Another more recent novella of mine, A Winter at the White Queen, set at Hotel Belleview in Florida, kicked off Wild Heart Books’ Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series in January 2023. It took quite a while for it to dawn on me that after being released from its original contract, Redeeming Grace was pretty much gathering digital dust—and with a light edit and new cover and title, it could perfectly bookend the series. So we give you A Summer at the Niagara of the South, the story of a New York opera singer breaking under the stress of newfound stardom, and the Tallulah Falls minister who doesn’t dare to dream she could fit into his humble world.

MY REVIEW

This book is one that grabbed my attention right away. With the vivid description of the place we would be visiting it was easy to transport myself back in time. Everything around me was tuned out as I was intrigued by Grace. She is a very proper lady who wants to get away for some much needed rest. Nestled in a quaint area Grace discovers Tallulah Falls. It offers a breathtaking look at water that cascades down with a soothing sound .

I loved the little shops that Grace and her aunt discovered in the town. I soon found myself wanting to join them at the soda shop as they indulged in strawberry sodas. When the mention of a new drink that was sure to be a big hit , I laughed. Coca-Cola was just hitting the soda shops and boy did it take me back to when buying a Coca-Cola in a bottle or from a fountain in a shop was something my mother talked about a lot. I could tell that this story would be full of historical facts and an adventure I would not soon forget.

Daniel is a preacher who is humble and very devoted to his faith. When he walked into the church late, Grace had no idea that he would be delivering the sermon that morning . His message that morning stirred something inside many. “What is holding you back from God?”, he asked the congregation. He reminded everyone that God has given each of them gifts to use to glorify God. Getting to know Daniel better was a nice addition to the story.

When talk about slavery and war are brought up at a luncheon , Grace is somewhat upset. Talk about faith and how “God can use even the most disastrous of events”, sets the stage for Grace to search her heart. A stirring within her leads her to examine her relationship with her father? Is her heart bitter towards him?

I loved the addition of an aerialist in the book which gives us a historical look at an event that thousands came to see. I can’t imagine the danger this man faced as he took his first step onto the rope. The book delivers not only historical facts but a beautiful look at two people who examine their faith and trust God to show them the direction their lives should take.

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