Welcome to the Blog Tour for When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: When the Flames Ravaged
Series: A Day to Remember
Author: Rhonda Dragomir
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Will Faith Perish in the Big Top’s Flames?
Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
Evelyn Benson’s husband perished in the Bataan Death March but not her faith. The World War II Gold Star widow is taken in by her brother and soothed by the love of his wife and children. Evelyn refuses to cower to grief. She may not understand God’s mysterious ways, but she has never questioned Him—until the circus fire.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train chugs into Hartford, Connecticut, on a sweltering day one month after the Allies invaded Normandy. Among the roustabouts is a reluctant clown, Hank Webb. He may hide from his murky past behind grease paint as Fraidy Freddie, but God wants to offer Hank a chance to be found. Though first, what little Hank believes about God will endure a fiery trial.
On Thursday, July 6, 1944, a devasting blaze of unknown origins consumes the circus tent along with Evelyn’s hopes and Hank’s anonymity.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
Excerpt
The pointed collar of Evelyn’s white blouse sported a round lapel pin with a gold star against a purple background. Not mere jewelry. Hank’s waitress was a war widow. He should be ashamed for thinking it was good news. More than ever, he wished he could use words, but it was against the clown code of conduct. Pointing to the pin, Hank mimed a trail of tears down his cheeks with both index fingers.
The other clowns stilled.
Evelyn’s lower lip trembled.
Hank wrapped himself in a hug and rocked side to side, slowly shaking his head. Then he shrugged and extended upraised hands to her while arching his eyebrows.
“George. My husband. He died in the Bataan Death March.”
The fact pierced Hank’s chest like a bayonet. What an awful way for a man to die, and what a horror for the survivors. Hank might have been in Bataan, if only. . . Nope. Spilled milk. No crying.
About the Author
Rhonda Dragomir is a multimedia creative who treasures her fairy tale life in Central Kentucky, insisting her home is her castle, even if her prince refuses to dig a moat. She is an award-winning author with published works in several anthologies and periodicals, and she co-wrote numerous Bible studies used weekly by more than 20,000 women worldwide.
Barbour Books will release her debut novel, a historical romance, March 1, 2024. She is often invited to speak at writers' conferences on topics related to technology and graphics.
Connect with Rhonda by visiting rhondadragomir.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Author Interview with Rhonda
Q: What was the inspiration behind
When the Flames Ravaged?
Rhonda: I received notice from my agent that Barbour Books sought proposals for stories written during a time of disaster. They included a list of more than thirty natural and man-made disasters, and the circus fire in 1944 caught my interest. I read several nonfiction books that inspired the composite characters I created in When the Flames Ravaged.
Q: How long did it take you to write this story?
Rhonda: From writing the synopsis to the final version, I researched and wrote for nine months. Editing with the publisher took another month.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?
Rhonda: Mrs. Riegel, a sympathetic supporting character is named for my grandmother. My heroine’s interaction with her contains some of my favorite quotes, including this one, when Evelyn asks how God chooses whom to rescue during a crisis:
“Bernice shook her head. ‘That, my dear, is a question I plan to ask when I see Him.’”
Q: What do you hope readers take away from
When the Flames Ravaged?
Rhonda: I hope readers identify with Evelyn’s journey and find the courage to turn to God rather than away from Him during a time of crisis.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?
Rhonda: Many of the ideas and comments about grief and loss are culled from my own experience after my brother was killed in an accident while I was on my honeymoon. My characters ask the same questions I did, and they come to the same conclusions.
Q: How long ago did you start writing?
Rhonda: My first essay in 6th grade won a competition. I wrote about how I knew my mother loved me – she let me have the last hot dog at dinner when she’d only had one. On her death bed in 2018, she told me she wanted me to use my inheritance to quit my job and write full-time. I did, and I often wish she’d lived to enjoy this moment with me.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
Rhonda: I’m a history and research nerd. I love scouring the internet and books about historical events to help me describe life in another time and setting. One time I began researching medieval herbs for medicine, and I ended up reading about FDR and the Great Society. Such is the life of a writer.
Q: Do you prefer to read ebooks or physical copies?
Rhonda: My bookshelf is already too full, and I’m begging people to take my precious book babies off my hands. These days, I read exclusively on my phone or tablet.
Q: How many bookcases are in your home?
Rhonda: Will you really make me tell? (Insert coy, shamed emoji here.) I have six, but my pastor-husband has five more in his office at church.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Rhonda: I had the extreme joy last year of building a home on my only child’s property in rural Kentucky. When I’m not writing, it’s Mama and Mimi time. And…when I’m not writing, I’m reading.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each win a signed, print copy of When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir and a print copy of The Hartford Circus Fire: Tragedy Under the Big Top by Michael Skidgell!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 26, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 4, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Enter Giveaway
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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