Blog Tour and Giveaway: Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills 

 Publisher: Mindshadows, 

November 2020 

Category: Historical Fiction, World War II, Historical Romance 

Tour dates: May-June, 2021 

ISBN: 978-1775035411 

Available in Print and ebook, 

477 pages 

Description Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

A riveting tale of a generation torn apart by war. Tucked into the rugged Canadian wilderness of Muskoka’s majestic lake country, Merilee Sutcliffe’s peaceful town seems worlds away from the escalating conflict in Europe. But life is about to change dramatically in the Summer of 1940. As her patriotic friends and relatives leave for battle, her small town is thrust into the war machine. Merilee’s formerly tranquil skies soon roar with aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, stationed nearby to train young men determined to liberate their country from Nazi occupation. When German Prisoners of War march into her shocked community, they become Merilee’s closest neighbours - and biggest threat. What unfolds in her remote town and on foreign shores sets Merilee and her growing circle on a collision course with an unimagined destiny. Caught up in the chaos is Luftwaffe pilot Erich Leitner. Shot down during the Battle of Britain and transplanted to a lakeside prison in Muskoka, he discovers he has more to fear from his comrades than his captors. While her cousin-in-spirit, Elyse Thornton, navigates the treacherous skies of Britain as a Spitfire Girl, audaciously ferrying warplanes from factories to airfields, Merilee becomes quietly entangled in her own dangerous liaisons on the home front. Caught between worlds, with conflicted loyalties and a sense of duty, she joins the Royal Canadian Air Force, Women’s Division, and soon finds herself in ground-zero London, focussing her photographer’s lens on a city under bombardment. Far from carefree summers on the lake, struggling to survive the relentless demands and sacrifices of war, Merilee, Elyse, and their friends wonder if they dare to risk their hearts as well. As unlikely lives intersect, ideologies and social hierarchies are challenged, loves and friendships are forged or broken, and countless heroes are made and lost. But even those who return to the serenity of Muskoka are changed forever.

Praise Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

​“I MISS THEM ALREADY! I love your characters SO much and of course, love the setting. I'm just in awe of how you weave the story, characters and actual history. I find that I become a character who is quite invested in the story lines of one and all like they are my family and friends. I just can't even put words (though I try) to how much I love your writing. I'm a super slow reader ON PURPOSE so I can savor, but I just couldn't...and I tried. I tried to give it a day or two in between, which wasn't hard with the busy life pre-Christmas, but I just couldn't put it down when I had time. THANK YOU! It was just wonderful.” – Laura Langevin, Echoes in the Attic “If you enjoy learning history through fiction, then you will enjoy this novel. It is impeccably researched and accurate historical. Lots of action, personal entanglements, romantic relationships, realistic air battles set against the World War II conflict and its most significant theaters. The author is obviously a gifted writer and a thorough researcher. You will enjoy reading about the many characters as they grapple with their conflicts. I highly recommend this novel.”-Amazon Review “Bravo, you have written a masterpiece. You write so passionately about your characters and infuse them with incredible empathy. A Bronte reborn, you recount stories with a distinct Victorian flavour. The relationships between the characters are artfully established and realistic. The air battles are real and the air manoeuvres are exciting. Your knowledge of history and the inclusion of many historical characters, Bishop, Massey, etc., make this both realistic and informative. I love the character of your women. They are courageous, intelligent, super capable, and strong. And I did not know that they were flying planes and helping the way they did. The air raid sirens, the sudden bombings are so dramatic and real. You describe them so well and with such urgency.” – Ken Hills, author ​“Best book yet! Lighting The Stars shares Canadian WWII stories with world events and the glorious lifestyle of that era in Muskoka. Gabriele Wills has seamlessly woven very accurate historical information into an enticing love story. Her many interesting plots make for an exciting book with a superb ending. As a reader of historical fiction, a person who studies Muskoka history, and one who just loves a good story, I was entertained, and highly recommend this fantastic novel.” - Mary Storey, volunteer archivist, Muskoka Discovery Centre, Gravenhurst, ON

About Gabriele Wills

 

Gabriele at the location where 'Lighting the Stars' begins[/caption] Gabriele Wills is the author of 6 highly acclaimed historical novels, including 4 in The Muskoka Novels saga set in North America, Britain, and Europe through the two cataclysmic World Wars and the seductive Jazz Age. Her passion is to weave compelling stories around meticulously researched and often quirky or arcane facts in order to bring the past to life, especially with regard to women's often forgotten contributions. The first novel in her ‘Muskoka Novels’, ‘The Summer Before the Storm’ was the “Muskoka Chautauqua Reading List Winner” Website: https://www.themuskokanovels.co Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GabrieleWills Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabrieleWills

Buy Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

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Giveaway Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills

Print copies are open to the U.S. and Canada only. Gifted Kindle is open to the U.S only and Kobo is open to anyone who has a usable account on Kobo. It ends on June 30, 2021,midnight pacific time. a Rafflecopter giveaway Follow Lighting the Stars by Gabriele Wills Tour Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus May 26 Tour Kickoff & Interview Connywithay May 27 Review Lu Ann Rockin' Book Reviews May 28 Review & Excerpt Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus May 31 Review Kristen BookNAround June 2 Review GudReader Goodreads June 4 Review Laura Lee Celtic Lady’s Reviews June 9 Guest Review & Guest Post Linda Lu All Things Jill-Elizabeth June 14 Guest Review Betty Toots Book Reviews June 15 Review Bookgirl Goodreads June 16 Review Bee Book Pleasures June 17 Review & Interview Am Goodreads June 18 Review Patty Books, Cooks, Looks June 21 Review & Excerpt Sal Bound 4 Escape June 23 Guest Review Denise Amazon.ca June 28 Review Amy Locks Hooks, and Books June 29 Review

My Review

Lighting the Stars is the fourth installment from The Muskoka Novels and my first I have read by Gabriele Wills. Since it is, also, the first I have read of the series, I believe this one can be read as a stand alone. I thought it was a great story. I loved the historical details and being transported back in time to the beginning of World War II. There is quite a bit going on within the pages: action, adventure, and romance. I did not want it to end. 

I am giving Lighting the Stars a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical romance. I would love to read the previous books from The Muskoka Novels to see what happened before this one.

I received a paperback copy of Lighting the Stars from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.