Title: Mathilda
Author: Sarah Lamb
Genre: Historical Romance, Western, sweet and clean
Book Blurb:
The last thing Mathilda thought she’d be doing was boarding the Titanic to escape the danger hot on her heels. With knowledge of important papers that could get her killed and a wad of money, she’s trying to get as far away as she can with her older sister.
Fleeing for her life, she becomes a mail order bride. However, Mathilda discovers she might not be able to keep her past a secret. The man she’s supposed to marry is a policeman, with a sixth sense she’s hiding something. He’s also the kindest man she’s ever met, and she’s quickly falling in love with him.
By the time Mathilda decides to confess the truth and hope for the best, as well as his love in return, it may be too late, and lives may be lost.
Excerpt:
Mathilda turned over and tried to get to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t still. A sudden frantic knock on the door sent her halfway out of her bed, and she scrambled up.
Louise sat up as well, looking groggy. The two went to the door together. It wasn’t until they opened it, Mathilda realized that Louise was dressed as herself.
A steward they’d not seen before looked at them urgently. His hair was ruffled, his collar crooked, and his face an unhealthy looking white. Beyond him, people were quickly leaving their rooms, pulling on jackets and flotation devices.
“You need to get a life jacket on and come to the main deck,” he told them calmly, but forcefully, as his eyes already sought the door down the hall.
“But why?” Louise asked.
There was no answer. The steward had moved away and was knocking at another door. A woman rushed past them, and Louise called, “Please! What is the matter?”
The woman turned and laughed, “Why, we’ve struck an iceberg. Isn’t that incredible? They are loading the lifeboats with women and children, just to be careful, you understand.” She left again, her wrap in hand, calling to a friend a few paces away. “I’ve got it, dear. We can go now.”
Mathilda and Louise turned to each other. “But the boat is unsinkable,” Mathilda said. “Why would they load the women and children?”
Louise shrugged. “I don’t know. But that’s how I shall dress. As a woman. I won’t let the proof of what’s happened to us risk not getting to the authorities. Hurry.”
The two dressed quickly, then left the room, with only their coats and their handbags. When they opened their door, water, several inches high, greeted them.
Mathilda sucked in a breath, but stepped forward, the water rising up past her ankles and filling her boots. She glanced toward Louise. Her sister looked as unsettled as she was.
“I’m sure we’ll be back soon,” Louise said uneasily as they made their way to the upper deck. She glanced over her shoulder, swallowed hard, and moved faster.
“Yes,” Mathilda answered, forcing a laugh as she kept up. “I’m sure everything is quite fine. Imagine a problem on this ship!”
Around them on the upper deck, passengers stood. Some were drinking champagne, others talking quietly among themselves.
“Why do they not go?” Mathilda whispered to her sister.
“Because it’s just a precaution,” Louise said. “This boat cannot sink. But it is one that we will take. We have not made it this far to not take every opportunity afforded.” She took her sister’s hand. “Stay close.”
The two approached a crewman loading a boat. It was starting to lower, but there were not many women within it.
“Hold!” the crewman shouted, then turned to Mathilda and Louise. “Would you ladies like in?”
“Please,” Louise said. “We shall enjoy the view of the ship from a different perspective until we are allowed to board again.”
The crewman helped them in and the sisters sat next to each other. A few more people climbed in, and the boat lowered, about half full. Two crewmen were at the oars, and the boat went a short distance from the Titanic.
The night was clear, and Mathilda stared at the magnificent boat in awe. It was lit beautifully, and in the serene water, though it was quite cold, there was something incredible about seeing the ship loom before them, lit and alive with people on the deck and music playing.
It seemed unimaginable that they were sitting in a lifeboat, watching the ship. How could something like an iceberg damage or take down a ship as large as this one?
Her eyes roamed the length of the ship. Suddenly, a terrible jolt went through Mathilda’s stomach. The words flew from her mouth before she could stop herself. “The…the ship. It’s listing. The Titanic is sinking.”
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
If you love romantic suspense, are interested in the Titanic, hope that the likable heroine and the hero overcome the challenges and dangers set before them, then this is the book for you! A 4.6 on Amazon, with over 180 written reviews, Mathilda is a favorite for many.
Giveaway –
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Open Internationally.
Runs November 7 – November 16, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on November 17, 2023.
Author Biography:
Sarah is wife to an amazing teacher and mom to two boys who are growing up just a little too fast. Her day job is helping others to become writers, while she squeezes in each spare moment she can on her own books. She spends her days working and writing in the Blue Ridge Mountains and planning her next trip to Disney World.
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