Review of “Above the Fold” by Rachel Scott McDaniel-A “Celebrate Lit” Book Tour

About the Book

Book:  Above the Fold

Author: Rachel Scott McDaniel

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: December 3, 2019

Confined behind a secretarial desk at her father’s struggling newspaper, Elissa Tillman longs for her father and the world to take her seriously—not just as a suffragette, but also as a full-fledged journalist.

Cole Parker regrets the day he’d abandoned Pittsburgh to chase a high-profile journalism job in New York, but now he’s returned to the steel city to amend his mistakes and win back the woman he once spurned.

The murder of a millionaire offers the perfect chance for Elissa to nab the headline and prove her skills. But there’s a catch. To get her story above the fold, she must compete for it. Her rival is none other than Cole Parker, the very man who shattered her heart.

Click here to get your copy.

My Review:

I did not realize until I finished this book that it’s a debut novel for this author.  If this is her first book, I can’t wait to read more from her.

I love old movies on TCM where the heroine is classy and talented; has a heart for others; and still has a secret love for her old flame that she’s never quite forgotten—but she’ll never let him know it. This book’s main character, Elissa, is all that and more. Cole makes the perfect hero.  He’s flawed, but has turned his heart over to God.  He’s also never forgotten Elissa, and wants to make things right with her.  

The setting in a newsroom is the perfect background for this story.  There’s a murder and Elissa and Cole are determined to solve it and get the scoop for their paper. I have to admit that I thought I had solved the murder, but I was completely wrong.  I love it when there’s a twist coming in the plot at the end, and that made this great story even better.

If you love Christian historical fiction, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE.  It’s that good!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.

Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. She currently enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms.

More from Rachel

What does the classic movie His Girl Friday, famous mystery writer Agatha Christie, and my husband’s grandfather all have in common? They were all used as inspiration for my debut novel Above the Fold.

His Girl Friday is one of my favorite stories. This movie captures the thrill of the newspaper world—that drive within the reporter’s heart to get the scoop, that hum of activity from the newsroom to the firing of the presses, and that inescapable pursuit to beat out the opposing paper. But what I loved most about this movie was the chemistry between the two main characters. They share a romantic history. In turn, there is major tension, but man oh man is there spark! So this triggered my creative mind. What would happen if I switched the roles and had the heroine be the one that gets jilted? What if I set this story in the 1920s when the profession of journalism was male-dominated? What if I add some more mystery? Cue Agatha Christie.

My husband and I love Chri

stie’s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple series. Did you know that she wrote over 74 books? That’s staggering to me. My mind reels at how intricate and varied all her plots are. My husband and I would try to guess who the murderer was at the beginning of a story and more often than not, we were wrong! On one particular night we were watching a PBS version of Miss Marple and an idea struck me. What if I changed my story to go this route? What if I made this person the villain instead of that one? The idea that came to me had nothing to do with the story we’d been watching, but one thing that’d been said flickered a light in me. I love it when that happens! And I also love it when I can incorporate pieces of my personal life into the book. This brings me to the biggest inspiration of the story—my husband’s grandpa.

Grandpa Jay Lewis had two loves in his life—his wife and the newspaper press. He’d started working for the local newspaper during his early teens and made his way up the ranks until he became the press foreman. Here’s a picture of Jay when he was in his early 20s. The hat shown was made of folded newsprint paper and worn to keep the ink from dripping on his head. But the expression in this picture says it all—the press was his happy place. He’d worked with the presses for over five decades, until he no longer had the strength. In 2004, he passed away, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of many. So in tribute to Jay and his great passion for the newspaper world, I included him in the cast of characters. I only hope I was able to capture his zeal.

So there you have it. Inspiration came to me in a myriad of ways, but they all worked together to bring you a story that I pray delights your heart.

Blog Stops

April Hayman, Author , January 14

Robin’s Nest, January 14

Godly Book Reviews, January 15

Where Faith and Books Meet, January 15

Just the Write Escape, January 16

Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections, January 16

Through the Fire Blogs, January 17

mypreciousbitsandmusings, January 17

Betti Mace, January 18

All-of-a-kind Mom, January 18

Texas Book-aholic, January 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 19

janicesbookreviews, January 20

Emily Yager, January 20

She Lives to Read, January 21

For the Love of Literature, January 21

Inklings and notions, January 22

Life of Literature, January 22

Daysong Reflections, January 23

For Him and My Family, January 23

Stories By Gina, January 24

Jacquelyn Lynn, January 24

Hallie Reads, January 25

Beauty in the Binding, January 25

Back Porch Reads, January 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 27

Batya’s Bits, January 27

To celebrate her giveaway, Rachel is giving away the grand prize package of an Autographed Paperback copy of Above the Fold, A Custom Newspaper-Themed Book Cozy, An Above the Fold vintage-style bookmark!!

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/f46d/above-the-fold-celebration-tour-giveaway