Please welcome a debut novelist, Rebecca Jepson! I know there are many fans of the My Heart Belongs series and I’m happy to have Rebecca with us today to tell us about hers!
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Colorado , 1880s , 1880-1900 (US Turn of Century) , Medical Professional , Jilted , Love Triangle , Illness , Jepson-Rebecca |
My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, CO: Millie’s Resolve Millie Cooper, fisherman’s-daughter-turned-nurse, flees a painful entanglement with the wealthy Drexel family who summered near her childhood home in Nantucket, only to encounter them again six years later in Glenwood Springs. The serenity of her mountain hideaway in a town with healing springs is disrupted when she faces caring for the elderly mother and the expectant wife of Stephen Drexel, the man she’d once loved—at the request of his brother John, the man who’d kept them apart. Will Millie forgive the wrongs she feels were done to her, or will she come to see them as a blessing in disguise that leads her to greater joys?
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Questions about Rebecca’s Story
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The characters, especially Millie, John, and Stephen. They’re so vivid to me, so . . . likable. That probably sounds strange, since I made them up! But whenever these three people interact, whether one-on-one or all together, the story comes to life. I also love the romantic element of the book, the reluctant attraction, the misunderstandings, the unspoken heart’s desires. The dynamic between the brothers is fun, too.
Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.
There’s a scene in chapter six where the romantic tension really builds. The hero is puzzled by the nervous way Millie is acting toward him. Being an unassuming guy, at first he doesn’t recognize her attraction to him for what it is, and mistakenly believes she’s afraid of him. I love this moment when he realizes the truth:
She gave him a skittish glance, half a smile, and suddenly, he knew. Intuition hadn’t revealed it to him, nor had experience. He had neither where women were concerned. But somehow, he’d solved the mystery.
She’s flustered. Not scared, flustered. He was unable to stop himself, then, from finding her gaze…and holding it until she blushed.
If you could be guaranteed to publish a book set anywhere and at anytime, what setting would you love to set a novel in?
A fishing village in Wales, probably sometime between 1900 and World War I. I’ve been captivated by Wales ever since I watched The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain, a delightful movie set in rural Wales in 1917. As for fishing villages, I think my fascination might have begun when I visited Seward, Alaska, an incredibly beautiful fishing port on the Kenai Peninsula.
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Questions about Rebecca’s Reading
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Who is your favorite Christian Historical heroine? Probably Leana McBride from the Lowlands of Scotland series by Liz Curtis Higgs. Leana possesses a quiet, meek inner beauty, while still being imperfect enough to be relatable. And though she’s entangled in a web of deception, conflict and rivalry, she somehow manages to find joy in the little things, tending her garden and sewing her one-of-a-kind garments with an infectious delight. I return to the series again and again, always stirred by her story, which is based on the life of Leah in the Old Testament. |
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What Christian Historical Novel taught you something about the craft of writing because it was so well done? And tell us a bit about what it taught you. Stealing Home by Allison Pittman, a novel set in Picksville, Missouri in 1905. The writing in this book is absolutely fluid—an especially impressive feat because one of the main characters is deaf, yet whenever he communicates with the other characters, the writing flows seamlessly. One of the main things I gleaned from reading this book was to choose my words with great care and economy. I noticed as I read the story that wordy, sappy scenes weren’t needed to create a world of chemistry between the hero and heroine. It’s as if every word chosen to build that relationship is infused with passion. |
Rebecca is giving away THREE paperbacks (USA only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!
**If you don’t want to enter Rafflecopter, tell me in a comment below: “I’m not entering the rafflecopter, but please throw me in the hat” so I can manually put you in there for a chance.**