Stars in the Night (2022; 2010) — A Celebrate Lit Tour: A Guest Post, My Thoughts, and a Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Stars in the Night

Author: Cara Putman

Genre: WWII Romantic Suspense

Release date: January 10, 2022; July 1, 2010

Hollywood, 1942.

When attorney Audra Schaeffer’s sister disappears, Audra flies to Hollywood to find her but instead must identify her body. Determined to bring the killer to justice, Audra takes a job with the second Hollywood Victory Caravan. Together with Robert Garfield and other stars, she crisscrosses the southern United States in a campaign to sell war bonds. When two other women are found dead on the train, Audra knows the deaths are tied to that of her sister. Could the killer be the man with whom she’s falling in love?

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Since the time I could read Nancy Drew, I have wanted to write mysteries. In 2005 I attended a book signing at my local Christian bookstore. The rest, as they say, is history. There I met Colleen Coble. With prompting from my husband, I shared my dream with Colleen. Since those infamous words, I’ve been writing award-winning books with the count currently at 35 published and more in the works.

In addition to writing, I am a mom of four, attorney, clinical professor at a Big Ten university, active in women’s ministry, and all around crazy woman. Crazy about God, my husband, and my kids. I graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University’s MBA program. You can learn more about my books at http://www.caraputman.com. And if you’d like a copy of my legal suspense novella, Dying for Love, simply connect with me here (http://www.caraputman.com/contact/), and I’ll send you the link.

More From Cara

One of the things I loved about writing Stars in the Night, set during World War II, is that I learned so many things. As a World War II history nut, that keeps the writing fresh and exciting. Here are a few of the things I learned while writing Stars in the Night:

1) There really was a Hollywood Victory Caravan. The Hollywood Victory Caravan traveled by train from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., then north through cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.

2) If something had happened to the train, Hollywood would have been ravaged. The real caravan was filled with stars like Abbott and Costello, Desi Arnez, Bing Crosby, and Groucho Marx. The papers at the time said the stars would have gone out in Hollywood if anything had happened.

3) The first train entertained the President and Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House. What a great way to launch the tour. And Mrs. Roosevelt had a staff member standing immediately behind her to help her “remember” everyone who came by so she could say something personal to them.

4) The Winecoff Hotel, where I have my stars stay while they’re in Atlanta, was the site of the worst hotel fire in American history and has recently been restored and renovated.

5) I initially considered having the tour appear at Ford’s Theater, but it was essentially abandoned during the World War Two era – and was used as storage. Hard to believe if you tour that beautifully restored theater today.

6) The National Theater has had continuous shows running since December 1835. Fortunately for my story, it had a hole the summer of 1942, which fit perfectly with when I wanted my caravan to have a show there.

7) The Hollywood Canteen didn’t open until later in 1942. Since my first book involved a canteen, I really wanted to include the Hollywood Canteen. Besides, what’s more romantic than movie stars mixing with and entertaining servicemen? Unfortunately, it was in the planning stages during Stars in the Night. Maybe in the next book…

As you can see, I love the details of history. I hope Stars in the Night sweeps you away to a time that was rich in service, glamour, and conflict.

My Thoughts

Stars in the Night by Cara Putman is an awesome read. I was hooked from the terrifying prologue, and hated having to put this book down. What a wild ride! There are several aspects I really enjoyed. First, there are a lot of twists and turns. There’s so much apprehension weaved throughout the story that I felt actual nerves as I turned pages. I laughed at myself a few times because I caught myself sitting on the edge of my seat nail bighting. It was so much fun to get so deeply caught up in the storyline. I also enjoyed the multi-faceted characters. There are Noir-esque stereotypical characters, and I loved that, in fact I really dig the entire Noir feel to the whole story, but what I really loved is how unique the main characters are. Audra is definitely NOT a Hollywood-kind of gal. I enjoyed watching her navigate the insane world that is Hollywood. I like her strength and gumption and her deep sense of honor. I don’t think I could handle half of what she goes through in this story. And Robert is an awesome hero. I loved his immediate need to protect Audra. From their first meeting, the chemistry between the two is pretty obvious and grows into something smoldering, but he doesn’t just see Audra as a piece of eye-candy. He genuinely sees her and realizes that she is special. Robert is very respectful of Audra and treats her as a woman should be. I also really love how Robert puts God first and makes his decisions based on what would be pleasing to God. This is a pretty rare quality for a hot, Hollywood movie star. In addition to the tension and great characters, I also liked the various conflicts — both the internal, personal ones of Audra and Robert, and also the external, scary ones that move the plot forward. This was a story I read late into the night because I had to know how the characters were going to deal with their issues and all the things thrown at them throughout the story. Often, the conflicts made me pause and reflect on how I would react or act if I was in the characters’ shoes. I’m not sure I would be as strong and as capable. But it was a lot of fun to play what-if.

Stars in the Night is a great story. I enjoyed every minute and I’m genuinely sad my time with these characters is up. Now I want to go binge-watch a ton of my favorite classic films in honor of this book. If you are in the mood for a stellar who-dun-it with a bit of romance thrown in the mix, then I highly recommend reading Stars in the Night. This novel will not disappoint!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Celebrate Lit, via Bookfunnel. I also checked out a KindleUnlimited copy of this novel from Amazon.com on June 5, 2022, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cara is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of Stars in the Night!

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

Click the link below to enter.

PromoSimple Link

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Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 13

Rachael’s Inkwell, June 13

Texas Book-aholic, June 14

Labor Not in Vain, June 14

Splashes of Joy, June 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 15

For Him and My Family, June 16

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, June 16 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, June 17

CarpeDiem, June 17

Betti Mace, June 18

deb’s Book Review, June 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 19

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 19

Book Looks by Lisa, June 20

Connie’s History Classroom, June 20

All-of-a-kind Mom, June 21

The Sacred Line, June 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 22

Simple Harvest Reads, June 22 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

By the Book, June 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 23

Bigreadersite, June 24

The Christian Fiction Girl, June 24

Blossoms and Blessings, June 25

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 25

Blogging With Carol, June 26

Rebecca Tews, June 26