About the Book Abigail’s Secret

Book: Abigail’s Secret

Author: Marilyn Turk

Genre: Dual Time

Release Date: August 15, 2020

Newly widowed mother Abby Baker goes home to Hope Harbor to help her ailing mother and restart her life. Weighed down by grief and fear of failure, she wishes she had the strength of her grandmother, who raised a young child alone while taking on the role of lighthouse keeper after her husband drowned.

What was the secret of Granny Abigail’s strength?

Carson Stevens is a lighthouse enthusiast who has bought the deteriorating Hope Island lighthouse to restore it and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. When he meets Abby, he wants the attractive granddaughter of the former keepers to be part of the restoration.

As Abby and Carson work together, they uncover clues to a family secret that threatens to change Abby’s life forever. But someone is trying to sabotage their efforts at restoration.

Renovating the old lighthouse is Abby and Carson’s goal, but as they grow closer, they discover that what they really need is a renovation of their hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Abigail’s Secret

Abigail’s Secret is a wonderful dual-timeline story that you’ll enjoy reading. I especially loved the insider’s look at a lighthouse. Not only is this a wonderful historical fiction(as well as contemporary fiction) novel it is also a mystery/suspense novel as well.  I’m a huge fan of suspense and mystery novels so of course I was hooked. 

I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with lighthouses.  Maybe because I live in a very landlocked state.  But whatever the reason I’ve yet to see one and I really would love to!  Maybe that’s why I love to read books about lighthouses and their keepers so much. 

Seeing the lighthouse restored was rewarding but so was delving into the mystery and figuring it all out.  Such a wonderfully written novel.  I enjoyed reading it but was sad that it ended so soon.

The characters were lovely and I enjoyed their journeys plus seeing their strengths brought out and watching them interact with each other.  Abigail is the grandmother while Abby is a granddaughter.   But you’ll figure it out.  It’s not near as confusing as you might think.  Most are women of amazing strength and courage.  

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations. 

About the Author of Abigail’s Secret

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical and contemporary fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts, Walking in Grace, and contributes to other Guideposts publications. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over 100 lighthouses and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine.

When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys reading, walking, boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, and playing with her golden retriever. She also sings in the choir at her church and leads a women’s Bible study group. Marilyn and her husband have a combined family of four sons, one daughter, and four grandsons. She’s still hoping for a granddaughter someday.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers International, and the United States Lighthouse Society.

Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference.

More from Marilyn

When I fell in love with lighthouses, I wanted to read all about them and see as many in person as I could. Lighthouse Digest magazine was an answer to prayer. I inhaled every story in the magazine and used the information to write my lighthouse blog. https://pathwayheart.com/lighthouse/.

One blog post I wrote was about an opportunity to be a volunteer lighthouse keeper at a lighthouse, such as the Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, Maine.

When my brother read my blog post, he suggested my husband and I do it.

It had never occurred to me that I could be one of those people I wrote about!

My husband jumped on board the idea, so we filled out the application, along with character references and proof we could drive a boat, and we were selected! The next summer, we arrived in the tiny town of Cutler, Maine, for our 10-day stay, and were met by the couple who arranged the lighthouse stays, who just happened to be the editors of Lighthouse Digest! I was awestruck.

They loaded us up in a boat in the harbor and took us out to the small island.

We were charmed, and as a history buff, I was in heaven.

The lighthouse and keepers’ house had been completely restored by a local non-profit organization which included a former Coast Guardsman who was once stationed there when the Coast Guard managed the property, as well as descendants of the last keeper family and the magazine editors. Beforehand, the keepers’ house had been abandoned for years, and it took months of work to tear out the old and restore it to livable again. Notebooks with before and after pictures showed the extensive work they’d done.

Obviously, I could talk for a long time about our experience on the island, but I’ll spare you. The point is, that the story of Abigal’s Secret had its origin there, and I knew what Carson and Abby went through to restore the lighthouse property in the book.

My husband and I fell in love with Maine while we were there, so the story had to be set there among the many islands and lighthouses. Maine has the second most lighthouses in the United States (over 50). We also stayed in Bar Harbor a few days before we went to Cutler, so the town in the book is loosely based on Bar Harbor. (Cutler isn’t that big.)

And of course, being the historian that I am, I knew Abby had to be connected to the lighthouse and that she would discover how her own life was similar to her grandmother’s, who just happened to be the lighthouse keeper during World War II, another era in history that fascinates me.

Blog Stops for Abigail’s Secret

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 4

To Everything There Is A Season, October 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 5

Texas Book-aholic, October 6

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 7

Mary Hake, October 7

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 8

Cover Lover Book Review, October 9

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 10

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 10

The Book Club Network, October 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 13

Books I’ve Read, October 13

Blogging With Carol, October 14

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, October 15 (Author Interview)

For HIm and My Family, October 15

Holly’s Book Corner, October 16

Pause for Tales, October 17

Lily’s Book Reviews, October 17

Giveaway for Abigail’s Secret

To celebrate her tour, Marilyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/28431/abigail-s-secret-celebration-tour-giveaway