Just in time to get into the Christmas spirit: 
Through the smoldering rubble of what was once a thriving South, Mercy presses on in search of her past. The south is being rebuilt, slowly, laboriously, in a changing culture and by the hands of men and women, once slaves, now freedmen living by an unfamiliar new code, confusing new rules.
Carla Stewart is a masterful novelist with a smooth storyteller's voice whose work I have followed and loved since her first book hit the shelves. No, long before. Carla tells the story HERE of how she and I met beneath the shade of a giant California Redwood years ago and became writing partners and more.
 The Story (1923, New York): For Nell Marchwold, bliss is seeing the transformation when
someone gets a glimpse in the mirror while wearing one of her creations and
feels beautiful. Nell has always strived to create hats that bring out a
woman’s best qualities. She knows she’s fortunate to have landed a job as an
apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. Yet
when Nell’s fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the
limelight, claiming the stutter she’s had since childhood reflects poorly on
her and his salon.
But it seems Nell’s gift won’t be hidden by Oscar’s efforts.
Soon an up-and-coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his
1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in
London for a royal wedding. There, she sees her childhood friend, Quentin, and
an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is
determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide
what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream, and what her dream truly is.
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Camille's Review:
The Hatmaker’s Heart sparkles with the dazzling sights and
scents of New York, the glittering nightlife, and the social and cultural
turmoil and excesses of the Roaring Twenties. It’s the story of a young woman
with a flair for designing beautiful hats and a desire to draw out her clients’
confidence while struggling to find her own.
Nell Marchwold is a gracious young Englishwoman of faith and good character, with a keen milliner’s eye and exquisite taste in fashion. Her heart burns with the dream of a career at a time when women were not encouraged in business. She struggles to keep her dream alive, in spite of repeated opposition, haunting memories, and a stammer that marks her as an imbecile in the eyes of high society matrons—a stammer she must learn to master if she is ever to make a name for herself. But for Nellie, it’s not about fame. She wants to be known for making plain women feel beautiful and confident. She has a generous heart, one that quietly whispers to her of her first love. As her accomplishments and confidence grow, an opportunity arises for Nell to realize her dream. Success or failure hangs by a silken thread, a test of her faith, strength, and honor. Will she have the courage to face the test? Or will her new-found confidence retreat into the shadows of her traumatic past? Nell is quiet but has an inner strength that captured my heart. You’ll root for her as she gathers the nerve to speak her mind, but perhaps she will find it's her heart that needs to be heard. Carla Stewart tells a dazzling story full of vivid detail, and as always, a fascinating reveal of times gone by. I am looking forward to her next book in this series!
The Hatmaker's Heart is available at major online booksellers including Amazon.
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