About the Book

Book: A Token of Love

Author: Carrie Turansky

Genre: Fiction, Historical Romance

Release date: September 3, 2024

Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.

In 1885 London, Lillian Freemont embarks on a treacherous journey to reunite with her long-lost niece, Alice, who was abandoned at the Foundling Hospital eight years ago. Fueled by her sister’s plea and armed with the gold token that identifies her niece, Lillian teams up with investigative reporter Matthew McGivern to expose the grim reality of the shadowed streets of London. As Lillian and Matthew unravel the mystery of Alice’s disappearance, their partnership blossoms into one of shared purpose and undeniable attraction.

In present-day London, Janelle Spencer finds herself unexpectedly running the Foundling Museum. When filmmaker Jonas Conrad arrives to document the museum’s history, their collaboration takes a surprising turn as they uncover articles from the past that shed light on a haunting connection to the present. As Janelle becomes caught between exposing the truth and protecting the museum’s reputation, she must decide if she can risk everything for what she believes.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of twenty-one inspirational novels and novellas and a winner of the Carol Award, the International Digital Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She loves traveling to England to research her Edwardian novels, including No Journey Too Far, No Ocean Too Wide, Across the Blue, and the Edwardian Brides series. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have received starred reviews from Christianbook.com and Library Journal.

More from Carrie

Come with me to London!

My latest novel, A Token of Love, is a dual-time story set in London during the late Victorian Era and present day. That prompted my husband and I to take a trip to London earlier this year. We were especially delighted to visit the Foundling Museum which tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the first children’s charity home in England. The Foundling Hospital and Foundling Museum tie the historical and contemporary plots together in A Token of Love.

Thousands of children were taken in by the Foundling Hospital when their mothers could no longer care for them. Some of the mothers left small items such as coins, thimbles, and pieces of jewelry with their infants as identifiers in the hope that if their situation changed, they might be able to return and reclaim their child. Those items were called tokens, and we saw several of them on display at the Foundling Museum.

Each token is unique and represents a mother’s love and desire to be reunited with her child. It was very moving to view them on display and think of all the heartache and hope behind each token.

More than two years ago, I saw an image of the tokens on Pinterest. That sparked my curiosity, and I followed the research trail to learn more about them. That led to the Foundling Museum’s website, which offers a treasure trove of information and personal stories about the mothers and children connected by those tokens. What I discovered helped me develop the characters and plot for A Token of Love. The story highlights one mother who gave her daughter into their care, then eight years later tries to reclaim her. But her daughter is missing, and that sets off a series of events that stirs all of London. Family drama, romance, inspiration, and a touch of mystery will make the story meaningful for readers.

If you like stories based on true events in history that will touch your heart and lift your spirit, then I think you will enjoy reading A Token of Love!

If you’d like to see more photos from my research trip to London and the Foundling Museum, I hope you’ll visit my website photo page!

Interview with Carrie

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I wrote my first novel when I was twelve years old. I’d always loved to read, and that summer I decided it was time to write my own book. Passport to Paris was about two friends who win a two-week trip to Paris. I wrote it out longhand, and my mom typed it up for me and helped me with the illustrations. That was a fun project—I wish I still had a copy.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It usually takes me about a year to do the research, develop the characters, plot the story and then do the writing and revising. Research for my historical novels takes a good chunk of time, but that’s where I always start, and that’s where I usually find the characters and ideas for the story.

What are your favorite books to read?

I love to read historical romance and some contemporary romance. I’m always only look out for books that have strong inspirational themes and are well written. A few books I’ve enjoyed lately are Of Love and Treason by Jaime Ogle, The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz, and This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke, which comes out in early 2025. I’ve been listening to more audio books than reading paperbacks in the last few years.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I like to spend time out in my flower gardens. Seeing what’s growing and blooming always calms my heart and brings me a lot of joy. I also love taking walks with my husband and spending time with my adult children and grandchildren. I’m involved at our church, helping with women’s ministry, hospitality, and leading a small group Bible study. That’s where I’ve made some encouraging friendships.

Do you base your characters on real people?

One of my favorite parts of research is looking for Christians who were living out their faith in unique ways and having an impact on their community. In A Token of Love, I included Josephine Butler as a supporting character. Josephine was a courageous woman who spoke up to protect women and girls from being mistreated. She wrote pamphlets, made speeches, and faced great opposition, but she was able to change public opinion and finally saw some laws changed. She was very inspiring, and I’m glad I could include her in the story.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

I love to connect with readers at my website: https://carrieturansky.com/

I have a free short story there so readers can sample my writing.

I’m active on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest:

https://www.facebook.com/authorcarrieturansky/

https://www.instagram.com/carrieturansky/

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 7

Maureen’s Musings, October 7

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 8

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 8

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 9

Connie’s History Classroom, October 9

Texas Book-aholic, October 10

Devoted To Hope, October 10

Simple Harvest Reads, October 11 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Live.Love.Read., October 11

Stories By Gina, October 12 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, October 12

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, October 13

lakesidelivingsite, October 13

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 14

Cover Lover Book Review, October 14

Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 15 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 16

Blossoms and Blessings, October 17

Holly’s Book Corner, October 17

Inspired by Fiction, October 18

Pause for Tales, October 18

Labor Not in Vain, October 19

To Everything There is A Season, October 20

Romances of the Cross, October 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away the grand prize of a $15 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of A Token of Love!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5461/