Good Morning and Welcome to another edition of Saturday Spotlight,
Back in March I introduced you to Jenelle Hovde and I am so pleased to have her back in the spotlight with her brand new release, The Light of the Stars.
Thanks for joining us again, Jenelle! Please tell us why you wrote this particular book.
Thanks for having me back, Pam. I appreciate the opportunity to tell your viewership about my new release.
I wrote The Light of Stars after learning about Katherine “Kitty” Kirkpatrick, a real girl of British and Indian heritage who was taken from her mother in Hyderabad under East India Company policies and carried to England to be raised as a British gentleman’s daughter. Her story opened my eyes to how Company rules—and the choices of British fathers and guardians—could tear families apart, especially when children of mixed heritage were removed from their Indian mothers, given new names, and brought up with little knowledge of their first home. The real Kitty never saw her mother again and was never allowed to return to India. I wanted to explore the human cost of those decisions through the lens of an arranged marriage: a woman searching for the mother she lost and a man tied to the very institution that helped take her away. By placing my characters, Katherine Grenville and Sebastian Sinclair at the crossroads of love, duty, and faith, I hoped to shed light on the real families who endured such hardships and to offer a story where courage, forgiveness, and God’s guiding hand bring healing even in the most complicated circumstances.
What a wonderful concept! Give us more please...
Sure...
An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets.
When Kitty Grenville’s grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she’s appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child―and now he’s a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way.
Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather’s orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit.
As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he’s abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather’s control―and to find her mother.
But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire―and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure.
Enjoy this Excerpt...
Torchlight flickered across the marble arches and carved lattice screens, sending shadows skittering along the palace courtyard. I clutched Ghulam's hand so tightly my nails must have bitten into his skin, but my older brother did not flinch. His other arm wrapped around my sleeve, tugging me close to the shelter of the wall, as if he alone could drag me out of the open expanse and back into the safety of the harem. Somewhere beyond the colonnade, voices shouted, sharp and urgent.
"Stay with me, Noor," Ghulam whispered as a clash of boots echoed against the pavement.
Britishsoldiers and sepoys burst through the arched gateway, red coats blazing in the torchlight.
Perfect! Now tell us more about yourself...
Of course! Here is my "official" bio...
Jenelle Hovde writes regency romance, cozy mysteries, and Biblical era fiction. She especially loves antique stores and vintage books. Often found writing at the Florida beach, she navigates homeschooling with her family and manages two saucy cats who insist on interrupting her creative endeavors.
Stay updated with her latest works and musings by subscribing to her newsletter at jenellehovdeauthor.com.
The Light of the Stars can be found at Amazon in eBook, paperback, hardcover and audio book as well as wherever you get your favorite books.
Thanks, Jenelle! We appreciate your taking the time to drop by to our blog and wish you the best of luck and God's blessings on your endeavors.
Hope you enjoyed Jenelle's visit as much as I did, Friends and that you'll check back each week for another episode of Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT
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