My Loving Vigil Keeping Blog Tour

Fire and Ice is thrilled to be the stop on the official Cedar Fort Blog Tour for

My Loving Vigil Keeping

by Carla Kelly

Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 14th 2012

by Cedar Fort, Inc.

ISBN1599558971

Book source: publisher

5 stars

Summary From The Publisher: Della’s giving up all the comforts of bustling Salt Lake City to teach school in a rural coal mining camp. Little does she know, she may soon be giving up her heart as well. But when tragedy strikes in the Scofield Mine, Della’s life will be changed forever. Based on true events, this thrilling new romance from award-winning and bestselling author Carla Kelly is a must-read!

Heather's Review: I had never heard of the Scofield Mining Disaster before reading Carla Kelly's My Loving Vigil Keeping. Now, the event, the people who lived in the mining town of Winter Quarters and the history behind May 1, 1900 are forever etched in my memory. I really enjoy Carla's new LDS Historical romances and this was no exception.

Ms. Kelly took personal interest in the stories of these men and women. I was so moved by the story I went online to find photos and additional histories about Scofield once I was done reading. The author has left her fingerprint in a story of the past by bringing it to life for readers of our generation--many of whom are ancestors left from the widows and fatherless children left behind by the mining tragedy. This book is authentic in its history; you will feel like you are really there. It also weaves in a few more characters from Utah's history including Jess Knight and Mr. Auerbach of the prominent Utah department store rivaling ZCMI. This is a book I will be gifting for Christmas to my family. The pacing was a bit slow and there is a bit too much detail in the spa/kissing scenes for my taste, but that is only a small complaint.

I will read antyhing else Carla Kelly writes under Cedar Fort. She's done justice and a tender act of service to the over 200 Finns, Welsh, Scotts and local LDS people who lost their lives. I loved Owen for his tenacity and tenderness toward his wife and child-- Della for her bravery and spunk. My heart truly took in all the families of Winter Quarters and the humble but educated immigrants. Spot on, lovely character development. I'll be taking a trip to the mine and cemetery now that I feel like I know Bishop Parmley and all of his men.

Bring a box of kleenex for this one.

Content: mention of naked women in a spa, detailed kissing scene and small bath scene. Recommended for adults

See the entire blog tour schedule here

About the author: Award-winning author Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America.     

Recently, she’s been writing Regency romances (think Pride and Prejudice) set in the Royal Navy’s Channel Fleet during the Napoleonic Wars between England and France. She comes by her love of the ocean from her childhood as a Navy brat.                                                                          

Carla’s history background makes her no stranger to footnote work, either. During her National Park Service days at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Carla edited Friedrich Kurz’s fur trade journal. She recently completed a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881.

Following the “dumb luck” principle that has guided their lives, the Kellys recently moved to Wellington, Utah, from North Dakota and couldn’t be happier in their new location. In her spare time, Carla volunteers at the Railroad and Mining Museum in Helper, Utah. She likes to visit her five children, who live here and there around the United States. Her favorite place in Utah is Manti, located after a drive on the scenic byway through Huntington Canyon.

And why is she so happy these days? Carla is enjoying writing for an LDS audience now, where she feels most at home.

Find out more about author Carla Kelly: Goodreads/ Website/ Blog