Melding Family and Immagination: Night of the Cossack

Thomas Blubaugh, Night of the Cossack review

c.2011 Bound by Faith Publishers

Print $15 and Ebook $6.75

ISBN: 978-0982902929

Blubaugh's novel is based on the imagined life of his Jewish grandfather in the Ukraine, as a Cossack, before immigrating to the United States in 1910.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan and his younger brother Israel are wakened by the invasion of their Georgian village, Gagra, near the Caucasus mountains. They feel with their mother, only the clothes on their backs and weapons they can snatch. Kidnapped into a Cossack patrol, Nathan is forced to accept a new name, Stepan Ivanov, and a new faith – Christian Orthodoxy.

For Stepan, learning to become a mercenary extortionist Cossack means full adoption into a new life in their village of Aksay and even a bit of brainwashing in order to learn the ways of the soldiers. But on the eve of the programs and the Revolution, the Cossacks of Aksay are drafted into the Russian army. Terrible choices, tragedy and betrayal cause Stepan to head west to a different fate. When his past catches up to him, trust doesn’t come easy.

With great sensory details and descriptions that tickle your nose and fancy, Blubaugh’s novel will enrich your library as he takes you back to a time of danger and adventure in a culture far, far away.

Meet Theresa Franklin and The Journey To Fulfillment

Theresa Franklin grew up in Houston, Texas.  After graduation she attended East Texas Baptist College.  There she met her husband on a blind date.  They married a short time later and moved outside of Beaumont, Texas where they raised their three children. 

Theresa taught school for 12 years.  Students with disabilities won her heart and she became Director of Special Education in an effort to better serve them.  She retired in 2010 and began writing children’s books. 

Theresa is the author of children’s books, Don’t Forget Daddy and A Sunny Tomorrow.  Her adult books include non-fiction Journey to Fulfillment and fiction Triumph Through Trial.  She has written one curriculum guide for the novel Night of the Cossack, a historical fiction for young adults by Tom Blubaugh, titled Night of the Cossack, Lesson Plan.

Learn more about Theresa on her blog, and her Facebook page. Join her on Twitter.

Journey to Fulfillment

Have you experienced heartache? Has emotional trauma turned into physical pain? Are you tired of life's setbacks and looking for reassurance from God? Journey to Fulfillment is for you. Through this encouraging and often humorous devotional, author Theresa Franklin will show you how to turn life's impossible stumbling blocks into stepping stones toward a fulfilled life. In Journey to Fulfillment, Theresa chronicles the painful events in her life and how they changed her character and her principles forever. She challenges you to remember your childhood and how events from your past have influenced your today. God uses each milestone as stepping stones to strengthen and prepare you for His service. Learn to achieve your goals by letting the painful events of life strengthen you. And consider what could be or has been accomplished because of these adversities. Consider each person who has gathered strength from you because of the journey God allowed you to travel.

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Join author Theresa Franklin in her tender and delightful memoir, Journey to Fulfillment, as she shares her life experiences that have molded her character into the woman God intended her to be. Theresa, honestly and brazenly discusses heartaches, tragedies and triumphs from childhood through adulthood. With an open and compassionate heart, the Author lays bare the adversity she has faced through life to include the loss of her first love to marrying and the challenges one can face in being a wife and a mother, and notably her struggles in teaching special needs children. Throughout all, there has been one constant in her life, the unconditional love of her Savior, Jesus Christ.

Buy the Book on these sites:

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Theresa's blog

Theresa' web site

Review

Theresa Franklin turned childhood darkness, pain and hardship, to profound convictions

Theresa Franklin turned childhood darkness, pain and hardship, to profound convictions, insight and style of teaching that shine like diamonds in the rough terrain on which parents and teachers tread. Her writing sings with vivid description of moving episodes, life's patterns and desires. All too familiar to most. And her message resonates with power, so deep, all parents and teachers need to embrace.

Journey to Fulfillment is truly a journey not just for educators, but for anyone trying to learn what brings true fulfillment. And those who need to see how joy fills our soul when we use our life and passion and dreams to impact others. The pages in Journey to Fulfillment bring such basic, yet profound insights as this: "... one student was in trouble for a year, one student was in trouble for probably the fourteenth time in two weeks. I stood over his desk and reprimanded him severely. As I listened to my voice and watched his little head hung low, I thought, Theresa, you have to change this. You cannot let this child leave the room feeling bad. I deliberately softened my voice and said, "Now, Daniel." Before I could finish the statement, without raising his head, he said, "I know, I know. You love me because I am me, not because of what I do or say. As long as I am me, you are going to love me. It is my behavior that you do not like. You love me but not my behavior."

The lesson in Journey to Fulfillment: true fulfillment and satisfaction comes when we resolve to use our experiences, trials and triumph in our own life to turn another life around.

August 23, 2011 by Janet Perez Eckles, author of Amazon #1 bestselling, Simply Salsa: Dancing Without Fear at God's Fiesta, Judson Press, 2011

Night of the Cossack

A Review of this great novel will be featured at Reflections in Hindsight Sunday Book Review on December  11.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              John 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK BOOK LAUNCH Thursday, December 8, 2011, Free eGifts Today Only When you purchase Night of the Cossack by Tom Blubaugh ISBN-10: 0982902921 ISBN-13: 978-0982902929 Night of the Cossack is a compelling adventure about a teenager who is forced to grow up quickly. The main character, Nathan Hertzfield, faces many life or death situations during his saga. Join Nathan on his suspenseful journey through parts of Russia and Europe during the early 1900's. Don't miss this entertaining and intriguing story, Night of the Cossack.

What Others Are Saying! 5.0 out of 5 stars night of the cossack, November 28, 2011 By jeaniet - See all my reviews This review is from: Night of the Cossack (Paperback) Loved this book I want another one from this author it has a little of everything, romance, mystery, wondering what is going to happen next. Enjoyed it very much! 5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Story!, November 22, 2011 By Lisa Tortorello "Author" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Night of the Cossack (Paperback) Follow Nathan Hertzfield as he journeys physically, emotionally, and spiritually along the road of life. While historical fiction is not my first choice when reading a book, I found myself captivated by Nathan's struggles and the decisions he was forced to make. From the moment he was kidnapped, Nathan's life changed forever. You will find yourself cheering for him until the very last page. In Night of the Cossack Tom Blubaugh does a fine job weaving history and fiction into a gripping story. I was so intrigued I even looked on a map to follow Nathan on his journey! 5.0 out of 5 stars a must read!!, November 17, 2011 By mustlovetoread - See all my reviews This review is from: Night of the Cossack (Paperback) I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Night of the Cossack by Tom Blubaugh is a must read. This is a story about a Jewish boy whose father dies, then he is kidnapped by the Cossacks, and subsequently drafted into the Russian Army. You get drawn into the story from the start. Do you regret not knowing an ancestor who is gone now, and there is no one left to answer questions? Do you wish you knew their story? This is a historical fictional account of what might have happened to Blubaugh's grandfather. He knew his grandfather had been a Russian Cossack soldier and had immigrated to America in 1910. Blubaugh puts those pieces together--with the historical facts of the Cossacks--and weaves a believable fictional account of his grandfather's life. Night of the Cossack starts with Nathan waking up to the Cossacks attacking his village. He is kidnapped by Nikolai, a Cossack soldier. He takes him in as his son and teaches him the way of the Cossack. I enjoyed learning about the Cossack way of life. The story follows the adventures, betrayals, and challenges of Nathan and how he adapts to his surroundings to survive and make it to America. You will be amazed at Nathan's story--from changing his name a few times to escape capture to traveling the secret route set up to convey Jews to Bucharest. Nathan eventually gets a job on a ship and sails for America. If you love adventure, historical fiction, and suspense, I highly recommend this book, Night of the Cossack. 5.0 out of 5 stars Grabs your attention, November 10, 2011 By New Tribes Mission - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This review is from: Night of the Cossack (Paperback) I had a hard time putting down this book by Tom Blubaugh. This is a book about a young Jewish boy (Nathan) whose village was raided by Russian Cossacks. After being kiddnapped by this Cossak group, Nathan goes through much adventure, trial, sacrifice, and even love for his "Father-figure", a Cossak that taught and cared for him. This story caused me to do research on the Cossaks, as this is a part of history that I didn't know much about. This book was very enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to anyone pre-teen to adult. It would also be a good book to read together as a family. 5.0 out of 5 stars A good fall evening read., November 4, 2011 By prleg8s - See all my reviews This review is from: Night of the Cossack (Paperback) Night of the Cossack. What a joy to see someone put into words the family history that so many of us have, but really never completely understand. Using imagination, history and personal information an interesting and vivid description of what life was like for Tom's grandfather, he entertains and educates us on what that life must have been like as a Cossack. Night of the Cossack is an easy read, with clear concise descriptions and an interesting story line. I was captivated by the feelings of a young man suddenly forced into a different life than he ever imagined. His strength and determination to hold true to his roots made this story believeable and loveable. The ending of this book was particularly appealing and surprising. A wonderful story of the seed of a new life in America with the prospects of a new faith. Many of our ancestors began a new life in a new country in varied ways. This is a unique perspective of one of those stories. Tom Blubaugh is a freelance writer living in Southwest Missouri with Barbara, his wife. They have six children and fourteen grandchildren. Tom has written non-fiction most of his adult life, but has recently written a historical fiction titled Night of the Cossack, published by Bound by Faith Publishers. This is Tom's first novel. He co-wrote a devotional journal in 2009 for Barbour Publishing titled The Great Adventure. His other writings include articles for a denominational magazine and an insurance publication. He also self-published a book, Behind the Scenes of the Bus Ministry in 1974. Tom started writing poetry at the age of fourteen. His vision of turning them into lyrics for rock and roll songs for popular artists didn't develop. He considers writing to be a God-given talent and feels led to develop it. His first novel was published at his age of 69. Tom says it's never too late. He is now writing a sequel. Tom spent twelve years as an insurance agent and eleven years as a financial planner. He is the past president of Jericho Commission, Inc., and still serves on the board of directors.     BOOK TRAILER for The Night of the Cossack DON'T FORGET Thursday, December 8, is the official launch day for The Night of the Cossack by By Tom Blubaugh. If you buy The Night of the Cossack on the launch day, you will be eligible to receive free e-gfits. Visit Tom Blubaugh's author page on Facebook to learn more. Author Tom Blubaugh's Author Page on Facebook

Meet Tom Blubaugh - Night of the Cossack - on the John 316 Summer Tour

Tom Blubaugh is a freelance writing living in southwest Missouri with Barbara, his wife.  They have six children and fourteen grandchildren. Tom has written non-fiction most of his adult life, but has recently written a historical fiction titled Night of the Cossack, published by Bound by Faith Publishers. This is Tom’s first novel. He co-wrote a devotional journal in 2009 for Barbour Publishing titled The Great Adventure. His other writings include articles for a denominational magazine and an insurance publication. He also self-published a book, Behind the Scenes of the Bus Ministry, in 1974.

Tom started writing poetry at the age of fourteen. His vision of turning them into lyrics for rock and roll songs for popular artists didn’t develop. He considers writing to be a God given talent and feels he should continue developing it. His first novel was published at his age of 69. Tom says it’s never too late. He is now writing a sequel.

Tom spent twelve years as an insurance agent and eleven years as a financial planner. He is the past president of Jericho Commission, Inc. and still serves on the board of directors.

Nathan Hertzfield was forced into the life of a Cossack soldier. He was stripped of his identity and found himself on a path of life or death decisions. Follow him as he works through emotions when he is confronted with fear, anger, separation, sorrow, betrayal, love and the unknown. Will he be able to stay ahead of the tsar’s secret police? 

Join Nathan on his exhilarating journey through parts of Russia and Europe during the early 1900's. Don't miss the adventure and suspense in the riveting story, Night of the Cossack.

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