Have you heard of Hope by the Book? It’s a new magazine for readers of Christian Fiction and it looks so good! The first issue comes out soon and you can use the code BOOKISH to save $4 on a subscription. This month’s book just earned a bookmarked review from Hope by the Book, check it out!

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Questions about Melissa’s Story

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

I’d choose Jacob. The man has integrity and patience. Patience beyond what I possess.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

I did a ton of research, of course, but I hit upon a JACKPOT article that basically shaped Jacob’s job and several plot threads. The article was titled: “City management in the old west: what was it like to manage a small city in Wyoming in the mid-1880s, and how did the city administration evolve in response to a variety of issues confronting the Laramie city council?”

If you’re not a writer, you may not know how exciting it is to find an article that answers EVERY question you could possibly have on how to set something up. Usually you have to go digging around all over the place to find answers, but I found so many answers in this article and even things I could add that I’d never have thought to add. Some of the crazy jobs I gave to Jacob you may think I just made up to complicate his life, but I didn’t. Read this sentence from the article:

“However, in these early days, the chief of police or town marshal performed many duties not normally associated with law enforcement, including removing corpses from an old cemetery, notifying citizens that they needed to construct sidewalks, capturing stray livestock, filling potholes on city streets, and raking the city’s streets and alleys.”

If you read the book, you can see Jacob doing all of that. 🙂

Were there any historical facts that you discovered in your research that made you change something in your story?

Yes, eight years ago, when I first started writing this, I set it in 1887 (for some reason I don’t recall) and as I worked at writing the book, I kept reading historical books on the area and ran across a single sentence that blew away my whole entire premise! In the winter of 1886/1887 there was a huge blizzard that basically devastated the area. Land in the area would have been pretty worthless and Jacob could buy basically any land he wanted so Annie’s land wouldn’t have been much of an enticement. So I had to change some things to set it earlier in the 1880s.

So, given the blizzard coming, I knew in a few years, Jacob and Annie’s place is going to fall on some major hard times historically, which made me sort of sad for their happily ever after, hence why I decided to make Jacob think about breeding fine horses instead of going all gung-ho about cattle ranching so that they’ll be ahead of the game come the blizzard they don’t know will hit them. I’m looking out for my characters. 🙂

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Questions about Melissa’s Reading

	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? I reread the two Abby Gaines books: The Earl’s Mistaken Bride and The Governess and Mr. Granville. I remember reading those years ago and saying that the author was now an auto-buy, so I wanted to brush up on why I said that because I forgot. 🙂 Probably because it was well written and it was refreshing that the heroes both primary and secondary were rather highly flawed and yet I still rooted for them.
	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. Maid to Match by Deanne Gist. I remember reading that one and being so impressed at the end on how flawlessly the set up was for me to flip pages and there felt as if there was no lag anywhere. So I outlined the book and discovered some tricks on how to keep the push/pull between the hero and heroine going strong if set up similarly.
	What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry? Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green. I read that on a long drive during vacation and had to sniff back the tears as my husband in the driver seat likely thought I was a loony crying beside him in silence.

I’m giving away a choice of paperback or ebook (International Entrants welcome if you are on this list of countries.). 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.**

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Are you in the mood for Christmas? Doesn’t the cover look like one you ought to read by a fire?

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Questions about John’s Story

What inspired your story?

I am intrigued by people, family dynamics and overcoming obstacles. Jacob’s Bell: A Christmas Story encompasses all of this. I also, love Christmas and how the holiday can transform peoples’ hearts.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

Jacob! Absolutely hands down.

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

Jacob. His life was such a roller coaster, and at some points, such a train wreck, but he overcame his obstacles and achieved his goal; forgiveness. What a journey!

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John is giving away FIVE books (USA only). 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.**

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Questions about Melanie’s Story

What inspired your story?

A castle in Austria! My husband and I backpacked across Europe to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and our favorite stop was the ancient town and alpine lake called Hallstatt. Along the lakeshore was a medieval castle that captured my attention, but it took me years to uncover its story.

On this trip, we discovered that this Austrian region is often called “Devil’s Dustbin” because the Nazis retreated through these Alps near the end of World War II, throwing all sorts of valuable items in the lakes. Because of the water’s depth and the many hiding places in the underwater forests, caves, and shifting sands, people continue searching for World War II artifacts here today.

Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? 

The first chapter with Max Dornbach digging in the cemetery was my favorite scene to write. Annika, the girl who helps care for the Dornbach property, is watching her friend Max as he digs in this plot behind his family’s estate, and the first paragraph hints at the future for her character. Then the scene transitions into her longing to be loved by him.

I loved writing this chapter, because I wanted readers to hear Annika’s heart and see Max from her point of view. Also, I wanted readers to wonder what Max is burying in the cemetery.

Were there any historical facts that you discovered in your research that made you change something in your story?

A historical fact that I uncovered completely changed the direction in the second half of the story. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it is because this unusual fact is pivotal to my contemporary character finding resolution to the almost eighty-year-old mystery in the book. 🙂

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Questions about Melanie’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Cathy Gohlke’s Secrets She Kept and Kristy Cambron’s The Lost Castle are both fascinating time-slip novels with stories set partially during World War II.
	Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Catherine Marshall’s Julie compelled me to read and then write inspirational historical fiction. I empathized with the main character (a young writer) and was inspired by the powerful themes of faith and love in the story.
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? I just finished reading The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts. It’s a beautifully-written story about three women, set during the 1950s in Pennsylvania’s Amish country. Elizabeth is a gifted wordsmith and invites readers into her fictional world in such a way that you feel deeply for the characters and their heartache, hoping they will find healing for their pain.

Melanie is giving away a paperback copy (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.**

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For more chances to win a paperback, Melanie is giving away ten on her website here. And there is a Goodreads giveaway from 9/4 – 10/4.

I had the privilege of reading this book early and recommend it. Those that prefer that the romance does not take center stage and those that want something of a romance involved should both be happy. If you’ve ever read Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion trilogy and have ever wanted to read something else like it, this book has the same feel without all the gladiator games. Ancient Corinth/Athens, underhanded Romans, the early church. Skilled writing.

Greece, Foreign Setting , 0031BC-476AD (Roman Empire) , Aristocrats/Social Elite, Businessmen , Biblical Characters, Criminal/Outlaw , Abuse, Adoption, Divorce , Afshar-Tessa

Thief of Corinth First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It’s also filled with danger and corruption—the perfect setting for Ariadne’s greatest adventure. After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father’s home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city’s corrupt of their ill-gotten gains. Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father’s apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future—and very lives—hanging in the balance. When they befriend a Jewish rabbi named Paul, they realize that his radical message challenges everything they’ve fought to build, yet offers something neither dared hope for.

Tessa’s Website

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Questions about Tessa’s Story

What inspired your story?

The apostle Paul had a special affection for the people of Corinth. Perhaps this was because he founded the first church there through his personal ministry. Many of Corinth’s inhabitants were on the naughty side. In his letter to the house churches he helped to build, Paul says they had been greedy, immoral, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers before Jesus grabbed a hold of them (1Corinthians 6:9-11). I wanted to write about a character that fit this mold. Someone who was a bit of a rascal, with a lot of spunk, and yet managed to be lovable. My favorite books are often about imperfect characters, people who make wrong choices and land themselves in deep pits. That is how my character Ariadne was born. A woman who seemed to have it all, but turned to theft in order to solve the mounting financial problems of her beloved family.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

Most of this story takes place around 50 AD, smack in the middle of Paul’s second missionary journey. It is an exciting time both in history and in the world of faith. The Romans are at the height of their power and ingenuity. The city of Corinth sparkles with engineering marvels. They have figured out ways to install glass in their windows, an art which is subsequently lost for centuries. They have indoor plumbing (a fact I use to advantage in one of Ariadne’s heists. I’m afraid I have a weakness for bathroom humor.) The Roman Empire of the first century is one of the most exciting time periods to write about. Subtly running beneath this grand display of power is the river of faith that is flowing through the work of men like Paul. As a writer, I can’t ask for a better period to write about.

If you could be guaranteed to publish a book set anywhere and at anytime, what setting would you love to set a novel in?

I am known for writing biblical fiction. But I would love to write a historical novel based in England during Jane Austen times.

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Questions about Tessa’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Biblical fiction is growing in popularity, and many writers are contributing to the genre. From Ted Dekker to Davis Bunn, Christian authors are penning stories based on Bible events and times. Other writers include the lovely Mesu Andrews, who recently released Isaiah’s Daughter, a novel set in the Old Testament era.

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Hard to say. I have always been a fan of historical fiction. I think my first specifically Christian historical novel was A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. Of course I became a fan after that!

Tessa is giving away a paperback copy (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.**

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If you’re one who’s looking for an unusual heroine in a romance (as in, not the gorgeous, flawless heroine) this may be the book for you! Welcome Rachel with her new book!

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Questions about Rachel’s Story

What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

During the writing of this book my son became very ill. In fact he was so sick I didn’t open my laptop for five months. When I did come back to it I found a lot of strength from the words I had previously written. The Hope of Azure Springs is full of characters that have endured hard things and have to go on living despite them. In my writing I’d encouraged them to continue to find joy. At that time in my life I very much had to follow my own advice and like Em I had to live and love and trust in brighter days ahead.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

I really came to love all of the fine folks of Azure Springs but Margaret might be my favorite. She was so true to herself, full of wisdom and she has an excellent sense of humor. If I lived in Azure Springs I’d want to be her neighbor!

Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

Honestly, the epilogue is the scene that stands out the most to me. I was done writing this book and happy with how it wrapped up. Then days later I woke up in the middle of the night and just knew it needed a little bit more. An early reader said “it’s the cherry on top of a perfect sundae” and I agree. It’s not long but it’s what brings it full circle and I could not imagine the story without that little ending scene.

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Questions about Rachel’s Reading

	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? The Lady and the Lionheart By Joanne Bischof. The setting was so intriguing but more than that it was the characters that won me over. By page one I was rooting for them. I still haven’t figured out how she did it. It’s really a wonderful read.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz. It’s sitting where I can see it right now and as soon as I have a lull in my busy life (we have a houseful of little people) I’m going to pick it up and devour it.

Rachel is giving away either a signed paperback or ebook (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.**

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I’m excited to have Michelle on the blog. I recently read Brentwood’s Ward and I’m now a fan. Here’s her newest!

Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep.

Book I: The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018)
Book II: The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018)

Here’s a fun site you might want to mention. It’s just for the Daughters of the Mayflower series and offers extras and freebies. http://www.daughtersofthemayflower.com/

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Questions about Michelle’s Story

What inspired your story?

The idea for this story came from a legend that sprang up during the years of the French and Indian War and was first printed in an 1875 Ohio newspaper. Apparently there was a shipment of French gold being moved from Fort Duquesne to Fort Detroit. En route, the French soldiers were afraid of an impending attack, either by Indians or British soldiers—it’s unclear. They decided to bury the gold and then hide until the threat passed. When they went back to retrieve their cargo, it was gone. Where did it go? To this day, no one knows.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

For research, my husband and I took a trip last summer to upstate New York. Wow. I had no idea how beautiful that part of the country is! The highlight of this trip was visiting a 3 day re-enactment camp set at Fort Niagara. They condensed an entire 18 day siege of the fort down to 36 hours.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

My heroine is a scout for the British army. While I didn’t uncover any actual women scouts set during this period, I did find many women who were messengers. In actuality, a scout is a messenger, bringing back news of what they’ve seen, so I based my information on those brave women who passed news along the front.

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Questions about Michelle’s Reading

What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? Author Laura Frantz is a huge inspiration to me. Her writing is always stellar, but in particular, I re-read A Moonbow Night to get into the mood of this era. She captures Colonial dialogue like none other.

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? A new-to-me author I recently discovered is Joanna Davidson Politano. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, is absolutely exquisite. It’s set in Victorian England, and as the name implies, is a bit of a mystery. I love both those elements. But what I really love is her beautiful prose. Her combination of words paints mind pictures like none other.

Michelle is giving away either a signed paperback or ebook (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.**

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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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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

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.

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.**

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Welcome Jessica Nelson! We’re talking about her newest Regency release today. Who doesn’t love a library background for a cover?

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Questions about Jessica’s Story

What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

I learned that I want to be like Henrietta, and not only learn to recognize real love, but to also accept it.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

I had to read historical medical sites about surgeons, apothecaries, and physicians. I hunted down sites that deal with healing herbs that grow in England, and I even downloaded the pdf book A Practical Synopsis to the Materia Alimentaria and the Materia Medica. Written in 1808 and it fascinates me that I can digitally hold it in my curious little palms AKA hard drive. 🙂  

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that made you sad?

The way epileptics were treated, the state of hospitals and asylums.

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Questions about Jessica’s Reading

	Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? That would be Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series Who is your favorite Christian Historical heroine? I think I will always love Hadassah, from A Voice in the Wind. There is so much about her that resonated with me when I read it.
	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. The historical detail in Julie Klassen’s regencies put me to shame. And I have to mention the romantic tension in Julie Lessman’s A Passion Most Pure. Both books inspired me to take more care in how I write.

Jessica is giving away a copy paperback (USA or International) 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.**

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I’m excited to host Amanda Cabot for a second end of the month giveaway! And Amanda’s been gracious to offer two paperbacks to two lucky readers, along with the ebook of anything book she mentions in the interview. Welcome, Amanda.

Other Books in this Series:

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Questions about Amanda’s Story

What inspired your story?

I’ve always been intrigued by the dramatic changes in medicine during the nineteenth century as doctors shunned the previously popular Heroic Medicine (techniques like bleeding and purging), and moved toward germ theory and a recognition of the importance of cleanliness.  There was such a contrast between the two schools of medicine that I thought it would be fun to pair a hero who exemplified all that was good about modern (well, as modern as it could be in 1881) medicine with a heroine who had good reason to distrust all doctors based on her experiences with the horrors of Heroic Medicine.

What research book or website used to write this book was your favorite to peruse?

T.R. Fehrenbach’s Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans is my go-to book for basic historical research on Texas.  Like the state itself, it’s big – more than 750 pages long – and filled with fascinating facts.  

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Questions about Amanda’s Reading

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Stephanie Grace Whitson’s Secrets on the Wind was so beautifully written and had such an intriguing plot line that it made me not only want to read everything she’d written but also try my hand at writing a Christian Historical novel of my own. It also inspired me to take a trip to Fort Robinson, but that’s a story for another day.

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? Without a doubt, that would be Ann Gabhart. She’s such a talented, versatile author, giving readers wonderful books set in different time periods, not to mention that she writes mysteries as well as historical fiction. See what I mean about versatility? It’s hard to choose just one of Ann’s books, so let me list my two favorites: her current release, These Healing Hills, and Angel Sister.

Amanda is giving away a copy paperback (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.**

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Are you ready for Spring? I am! And this cover’s trees blossoming is making me impatient! Jan often bases her books on stories of her ancestors as she’s done for this one and that always intrigues me. Welcome Jan!

Other Books in this Series:

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Questions about Jan’s Story

What inspired your story?

This story was inspired by my grandfather. He had been left in an orphanage at an early age by his father only days after his mother died in childbirth. His newborn sister was placed for adoption, but his father never signed away his parental rights for Guy and his younger brother. So, they grew up in the orphanage, spending their summers working for area farmers. I put a fictional twist on the true story but kept my hero’s character as close to my grandfather as I could.

Did any of your characters “fight” with you until you succumbed and changed their personality or the story choice you were forcing them into?

I tried to make Luke Kaufman, one of the secondary characters, into a real weasel. I thought he was one of these fellows who considered himself a superstar in the community. But even though he cooperated with me early in the story, he wouldn’t stay in his predetermined role.

Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with?

There is a scene in chapter ten that was very hard to write, but it is definitely my favorite. Up until this point, Guy has been hiding behind an emotional wall, not revealing his feelings to anyone, not even himself. In this scene we see and feel what he wants…what he needs… And we’re left wondering if he is ever going to be brave enough to grasp at that dream that floats just beyond his reach.

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Questions about Jan’s Reading

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? I recently read Suzanne Woods Fisher’s new release, “Phoebe’s Light.” I could tell that Suzanne had done extensive research on the history of Nantucket, the whaling industry, and the Quakers in the 1700’s, but the historical accuracy came second to the characters. Somehow, even when Phoebe made the wrong choices, I was rooting for her. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series!

What was the last Christian Historical Novel whose characters stayed in your head days after you finished reading it? Last spring, I read “Like a River from Its Course” by Kelli Stuart. It was haunting and beautiful. I had stayed up all night reading it and was a basket case the next day…but it was worth it.

Jan is giving away a copy paperback OPEN WORLDWIDE 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.**

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I’ve always said if you smack a castle on a book cover, I’ll buy it. Well, it might not be a picture of a castle, but having it in the title on such a pretty cover comes close! 🙂 Welcome, Kristy, to the Index!

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Questions about Kristy’s Story

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

This is the first novel I’ve written where a main character doesn’t have a single line of dialogue—the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castle became that unexpected favorite character as the story evolved. The castle is the silent witness of the stories that passed through the generations, recording the lives of those who lived and fought and died around its ruins. I loved to write a character that is immoveable but alive, ever-present but in the background, and asleep yet awakened, all at the same time!

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

It’s a little scary to admit, but Ellison Carver has shades of my own life layered into her—so I kind of am a character! (This is my first novel in which that’s happened…) I wanted to honor the legacy of the generations who’ve lived and passed stories down to us. My grandmother—a college professor like Ellie’s Grandma Vi—battled Alzheimer’s Disease, and it felt right to tell a story from that place of deep understanding. Ellie’s journey in daring to dream of a new tomorrow… it was also similar to the “step-out and step-into your calling” author journey our family has been on in the last several years.

If you could be guaranteed to publish a book set anywhere and at anytime, what setting would you love to set a novel in?

How fun is this question, because I get to say that this is actually going to come true! I’m working on Book #2 in the Lost Castle series now, and it’s in a setting I love (Dublin, Ireland) with a storyline I’ve always found fascinating (WWI and the Easter Rising). After traveling to Ireland for research (with my husband and oldest sons – aka ‘Research Partners’), I fell in love with the land and the spirit of the Irish people. I can’t wait to write their story!

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Questions about Kristy’s Reading

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? A couple of new 2018 titles I’ve recently read (and loved) are: THE WEAVER’S DAUGHTER by Sarah E. Ladd, and THE SEA BEFORE US, by Sarah Sundin. And a little secret I don’t mind sharing? I read every novel by these Sarahs. 😊 They’re the gold-standard for me in air-tight historical research seamlessly woven with skillful storytelling. I’m always swept away by their talent—and transported by their stories!

What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry? Every Joanne Bischof novel/novella I’ve ever read has drawn such strong emotion, I end up in tears and remember the characters long after the final page. Joanne is a rare talent and I adore everything she writes.

Kristy is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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I’m always excited to see books about time periods that don’t get much light in the fiction world! This sounds like a great one, and a story-within-a-story at that!

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Questions about Suzanne’s Story

What inspired your story?

While on a research trip, I signed away my life at the Nantucket Historical Association, put all my belongings in a locker, wore white gloves, and then…at last, I was able to hold Great Mary’s accounting book. It’s over 350 years old! She was one of the first settlers on Nantucket and was considered to be the “Deborah” of the Old Testament. As I squinted to read the faint ink of Mary Coffin Starbuck’s beautiful handwriting and careful accounting (she ran a store), I felt chills run down my spine. It was clear that she was highly regarded, extremely intelligent (though her husband, apparently, was illiterate), and involved in the lives of nearly everyone on the island—local Wampanoag Indians, settlers, visitors, traders, seamen. I knew there was a story here!

What was the hardest part of your book to write? 

Here’s the tricky part. I created a journal, written by Great Mary, that her great grandchildren pass on to each other. Thus, each book in the Nantucket Legacy series has a story within a story. It was not easy to write, to pull a reader along in a story without a sudden jarring of another time frame, another story. Hopefully, the entries of Great Mary’s journal slipped into the larger story arc without being distracting. Hopefully!

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

I’m a firm believer in original sourcing for research—so I visited a number of historical ship museums to try and capture life in the American colonies. There was one whaling ship still in existence, and on it rested a “cuddy.” Think, shed-like. The captain’s wife had joined him on a whaling voyage. Most everyone experiences some seasickness at first, but a very few never recover and get their sea legs. Sadly, this captain’s wife was sick as a dog. He built her the cuddy, which helped a little. But she ended up disembarking and heading home at the first chance. As for me, I tucked that cuddy away and used it in Phoebe’s Light.

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Questions about Suzanne’s Reading

	Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Lynn Austin’s Hidden Places. I loved the spunk of her female main character.
	What Christian Historical Novel taught you something about the craft of writing because it was so well done? Christy, by Catherine Marshall, has a little bit of everything—a love triangle, a wise older woman, a secret that shocks everyone, charming and quirky characters, and just enough haunting moments.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? Jane Kirkpatrick’s All She Left Behind. Jane writes only one book per year, and puts so much careful research into her work. Can’t wait to dig into it!

Suzanne is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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I had the opportunity to read Missing Isaac before it released and I quite enjoyed it! Here’s my review:

The title made me think there would be more to the search than there was and the cover and first chapters made me think this was a story of a young boy which I don’t think I would have enjoyed as much as what the book truly turned out to be. The story extends over years and sees him into adulthood and other characters share a lot of the limelight too, but it’s more a story of a set of characters as they grow in a world struggling with change. Valerie’s descriptive ability was simple and authentic feeling, making this town and its people seem real and sucked me in. Reading the author note, she did most of her research by oral history and is likely the reason why it felt so real.

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Questions about Valerie’s Story

What inspired your story?

I think I was still in college—many years ago!—when my uncle told me about the disappearance of a man who helped him pick cotton on his family farm. The man just vanished and was never heard from again. One of my cousins, listening to the story, speculated that this farm worker had met with foul play and ended up in a backwoods hollow. Those stories were the spark for mine—just imagining what might have happened. Before I knew it, I had a community of interconnected Southern families, a coming-of-age story, and two love stories, all wrapped around this mysterious disappearance.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I would have to say the freedom of it—the joy of just turning my imagination loose. When I first started, I wasn’t thinking about getting published or writing to a particular market. I just wanted to see if I could take what I’ve learned as a magazine writer and produce a good fictional story. I so enjoyed watching the central character, a boy named Pete McLean, grow up, and I loved “meeting” other characters as they materialized: Isaac Reynolds, a black field hand who becomes Pete’s mentor and beloved friend; Dovey Pickett, a beautiful backwoods girl and the love of Pete’s life; Pete and Dovey’s widowed parents, Lila McLean and John Pickett; Miss Paul Pickett, queen of the backwoods . . .

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

Dovey’s widowed father, John Pickett, who started out as just a cardboard cutout of a character—very primitive and a little scary. I saw him primarily as an obstacle for Pete and Dovey to overcome. But the more I wrote him, I realized that John was meant to be a true romantic hero and the perfect vehicle to illustrate the basic dignity of every human being: Just because a man is poor, that doesn’t mean he isn’t intelligent and talented and devoted to his family. John embodies the longing and loneliness that I think are key to the book, but he also has great strength, integrity, and passion. Plus he’s one handsome farmer-craftsman. 🙂

Which scene is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

There are actually two—Pete McLean and Dovey Pickett’s first real date and first kiss (Chapter 14), and the scenes during the tornado and its aftermath (Chapter 26). Those were incredibly difficult because it’s so easy for a romantic scene—or a highly dramatic one—to turn melodramatic. I tried to make them realistic—to capture that throbbing-heartbeat moment when you’re not sure what’s going to happen next. Readers will have to let me know if I managed it.

Some of my friends who read the manuscript described it as cinematic—they said they felt like they were watching it instead of reading it. That’s how I wrote the scenes I mentioned. I “watched” them first in my imagination and then wrote what I saw, if that makes sense.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

There’s a wonderful singer-songwriter named Kate Campbell whose music I first discovered many years ago. I remember listening to her CD Visions of Plenty, which included songs about the South during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. And I was so taken by it because she was singing about that time the way I remembered it—through the eyes of a white Southern child. It was such a confusing time for kids—black and white—because so much of what we saw around us didn’t make sense. And it was such a dramatic and violent era that what often gets lost are the little pockets of humanity I saw back then —just ordinary people trying to do the right thing, only they weren’t sure what that was any more.

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Questions about Valerie’s Reading

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

I’m actually very new to this genre because I didn’t set out to write a Christian Historical—I just set out to tell a compelling story, and it so happened that the characters who interested me were people of faith, and the time period that interested me was historically significant. So I sort of looked up and found myself in Christian Historicals! I had a little exposure to them way back in the eighties (dating myself here), when I worked for a literary journal as a grad student at Baylor. Since then, this category seems to have exploded, with talented writers taking it in countless directions and exploring myriad time periods, settings, and characters. I just got back from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance trade show in New Orleans, and it was almost too much to take in—so many exciting new titles and interesting writers. I look forward to discovering their work.

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Since Valerie is new to the genre, comment below with the name of one  Christian Historical novel you’ve loved that you’d recommend and a Christian Historical novel you really want to read but haven’t got your hands on yet. If you win the ebook, I’ll send you either Valerie’s book or the one you want the most but don’t have. 🙂 (Must be available in ebook format)

Valerie is giving away a copy paperback (USA only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Welcome Jamie Jo and her debut Split Time novel!

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Questions about Jamie Jo’s Story

What was the hardest part of your book to write?

I believe the hardest part in writing this book was to switch from a very historical perspective and move into a present day scene as my present day character sought to uncover the history of the house, the people who’d inhabited it and how history then affected today. Not only was it sometimes hard not to get lost, but it was also hard to become aware of how much history does truly impact generations. Our choices, our faith, our consequences really are not our own. They touch many in the family tree.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

Because one of the main characters, Ivy, is an assistant to her father who is a medical examiner, I had to research the different visual and physical signs related to post-mortem individuals. Time of death, signs of how they died, how to find forensic detail on what they died from. All of this information had to be consistent with the turn-of-the-century. Things like DNA and even fingerprints weren’t used or weren’t used frequently.

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that made you sad?

Oh yes. Very much so. In researching human trafficking, which is a thread through the novel, I found it horrific in current day, but even more horrific how prevalent it really has been for centuries. It is a very overlooked, unaddressed crime against humanity that must be stopped.

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Questions about Jamie Jo’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Recently published, Lady Jayne Disappears has many of the same gothic, suspenseful and mysterious elements as The House On Foster Hill. I also would best compare my novels to Kristy Cambron’s as it relates to the split-time (half-historical, half-present day) structure.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? I am super lucky to have a copy of Kathleen Y’Barbo’s book, The Pirate Bride due out in 2018 in my stack to read NEXT. I am super excited about the entire Barbour Publishing’s series Daughters of the Mayflower. I can’t wait to read them all!

Jamie Jo is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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A merry welcome to Carolyn with this newest installment in her series!

Other books in this series:

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Questions about Carolyn’s Story

What inspired your story?

Miss Clara DeLancey is considered something of a villain (!) in the first two novels of this series, so I wanted to write something that presented her side of the story. Trying to make an unlikeable character likeable is a bit of a challenge, so I had to make sure there were enough redemptive qualities with her story, and provide a thread of humor and another romantic subplot in order to maintain reader interest. I hope readers come to understand why she has behaved as she has and grow in sympathy for her.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

I love Benjamin Kemsley, the injured Naval captain and hero of our story. He might have saved hundreds of lives, but his struggles with family, finances, and fight for recognition are things many of us can relate with. He’s not your typical ‘tall, dark and handsome’ character, but someone who holds a certain rugged appeal in the Chris Hemsworth style. 🙂 Just because he might not have been born a gentleman does not mean he lacks gentlemanly qualities, as his care and protection and courage for those he loves proves. And he has a nice line in self-deprecating humor. (Oh, and did I mention he looks not unlike Chris Hemsworth?)

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

Yes! With great fear and trepidation, I incorporated England’s Prince Regent into Miss DeLancey’s story. I was fortunate enough in 2015 to visit Brighton and see the Prince Regent’s magnificent Marine Pavilion, which was simply begging to be incorporated into a story, which naturally had to include something of King George III’s son, too. Contemporary accounts suggest that the Prince Regent (who later became King George IV) was a complex man, known for his corpulence as much as his somewhat hedonistic lifestyle, someone who sought pleasure in food, women, and appearances. To achieve something of the style of his manners and address I found The Letters of King George 1812-1830, edited by A. Aspinall, to be an excellent resource.

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Questions about Carolyn’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Kaye Dacus’s Regency-era ‘Ransome Trilogy’ deals with English sea captains, and has settings on the English coast.
	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction, which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? This is a hard one! I have truly appreciated Carrie Turansky’s support and encouragement, so I would want to help promote her Edwardian-era ‘Highland Hall’ series. But then, I’d also like to support Juliana Deering’s ‘Drew Farthering’ series, because I love the settings, the 1930s style and wit. And then there’s Dawn Crandall’s series… Argh! Too many good authors out there!
	What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry? Roseanna M White’s ‘The Reluctant Duchess’ has such real characters that I couldn’t help but have a little cry. Very evocative writing. 🙂

Carolyn is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Don’t you just love the word play on this cover? I sure thought it was clever. Now that’s a cover that intrigues. 

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Questions about Joanna’s Story

What inspired your story?

When I was young and I’d see kids treating other kids terribly, or adults relentlessly harping on children to try to make them adults and rob them of normal childhood adventures, it bothered me. Being really quiet, I couldn’t simply walk up and tell the person all the spiteful things I wished to say, but neither could I let it go. So like any resourceful girl with a wild imagination, I simply wrote every one of those people into stories—and then punished their characters mercilessly. In my novel, the main character is equally quiet and equally merciless in her fictional punishment of the people around her. She finds herself in a household of wealthy “bullies” who need to be put in their place. She’d be homeless if she falls out of favor with them though, so she takes up her only weapon. Using the pen name Nathaniel Droll, she writes everyone into her serial novels and deals with them on paper. However, unlike my story, Aurelie is found out when the people around her start recognizing themselves in her characters.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

This book is about a writer, and I poured myself into her character. I am fascinated with the concept of story and historical writing because, like my heroine, I love to encounter people’s stories. I want to know all the pieces of their background that fed into who they are and inform the decisions they make. I regularly approach strangers and ask, “what’s your story?” The answers are often surprising and always delightfully intriguing. People want to be known, for it gives them a sense of value. Sharing their story and their life somehow validates their experiences. Very little eclipses the feeling of sitting at the feet of an older person whose body has all but stopped working and delving into their minds so alive with decades of life, watching their faces light up as they share themselves and realize their story is still very relevant. Each time I write a story, I sit at the feet of someone and I listen to their story. It was an immense blessing for my writerly heart to convey through this novel my love for story and the value of the people behind each one. Aurelie cares deeply about people and that always figures into the novels she writes. Writing this book allowed me to share my heart in a way few other writing projects have.

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that made you sad?

“Anyone can walk into debtor’s prison. It’s getting out that’s hard.” That paraphrased dialogue from a Charles Dickens book was painfully true. Debtor’s prison completely baffled me. Charles Dickens actually spent a small portion of his youth in one of them (Marshalsea Prison) because his father, the family breadwinner, had become a debtor. The place was run like a business, with the prison guard essentially taking bribes from his inmates for edible food and blankets. Well-meaning relatives or friends gave “contributions” to the inmates when they visited, but the money was soon handed over to the man running the prison, and the inmates seldom climbed out of their situation. How is one supposed to pay off his debt if he’s locked up anyway?

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Questions about Joanna’s Reading

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. Laura Frantz’s A Moonbow Night is brilliant in both the laying out of gorgeous scenes and the expansive historical detail. What draws me to this book however, and every book by this author, is the warmth that gently cradles you as you step into her story and walk around with her lovely characters. The historical details ground you and set the scene, but Frantz has an incredible command of language—the color, the texture, and the feel of each word is gently drawn out like artful brush strokes. Laura Frantz books are to be savored and experienced as she skillfully draws you into the scene, attaches your heart to her characters, then lets you watch them firsthand as they experience heartache and hope and everything in between.

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? Kristy Cambron’s An Illusionist’s Apprentice is a masterpiece. Cambron writes historical novels with themes that deeply resonate with us today, because she realizes that human nature, as well as the hope God offers, never changes. With a unique vintage backdrop to give the story flair, The Illusionist’s Apprentice takes you through a contrast of light and dark, hope and despair. As always with Cambron’s novels, you are left with a supreme sense of hope because of God, who is always evident in a big way with each of her stories. Aside from vibrant spiritual themes that nearly always give me the chills, her unique setting and immense historical research make her book unique and fascinating.

Joanna is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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I have found, by running this sight, that I really like lantern’s on covers. I don’t know why, but they draw me, and today’s giveaway book has a lantern on it! Bonus points. Plus it’s Mary Connealy, so it’s going to be a fun book, I’m certain!

Others in this series: First one is FREE!

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Questions about Mary’s Story

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

I loved Cole Boden, the hero of Too Far Down, which is book #3 in the series. He is in the prequel, The Boden Birthright, right now free as an ebook and available in print in a collection called All For Love which will release next May. He was a little child in The Boden Birthright and saving Cole was almost all the focus of that book, though it led to romance and his father’s marriage and general mayhem. So, I loved writing this book. I’ve been eager to tell Cole’s story.

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

Oh no contest. I’d want to be Mel (Call-Me-Melanie-and-I’ll-Kill-You) Blake. Melanie, the tough frontier cowgirl heroine of Too Far Down, is the kind of character I love writing. Tough, smart, hard working. She doesn’t back down for anyone and she always says exactly what she means. This could not be more exactly the opposite of me. I am non-confrontational to an alarming degree. I keep my mouth shut and think long and hard before I say anything that could upset anyone. My humor is mostly self-deprecating because at least I won’t be mad at myself, right? And then I go home and I write books and shoot people in them. It’s a nice safe outlet.

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

I did. I based this story on a land grant conflict that was real life. Where an American changed his citizenship to Mexican to earn a land grant, then the border changed and suddenly his land grant is in America. and he changed his citizenship back to American. The New Mexico territorial government started rescinding these massive, million acre land grants and this American/Mexican/American guy wasn’t quite American enough, so he had his daughter marry a for-sure American and he managed to save his land grant. Anyway, research was fun and the story is outlandish and yet based on truth, it’s called the Maxwell Land Grant.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

Heath Kincaid was a child in my Kincaid Brides Series. I’ve been dying to give him his own love story and he needed to grow up. That helped set me in time because I needed it to be at least ten years after Heath appeared as a ten-year-old in Over the Edge.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

It’s so fun to do research because you end up on rabbit trails, looking up one thing, and that leads to something else. The research I enjoyed the most was when I found a bunch of old Indian fables to explain the ruins on top of some New Mexican mesas. Very fascinating to read and compare the story to reality and see the seeds of truth in them. For this specific book I found the Philmont Ranch—now owned by the Boy Scouts of America. And the gold mines on the top of Mt. Baldy…part of which is on the Philmont Ranch. That set me on the path to use those mines as a setting for my story.

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Questions about Mary’s Reading

Those below are FREE!	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Lori Copeland’s Men of the Saddle and Brides of the West series. Regina Jennings novels are favorites of mine. Everything by Karen Witemeyer. Margaret Brownley does work that reminds me of mine. I love Melissa Jagears work. Jen Turano has humor in her books and I’m always looking for that.  I shouldn’t have started because I’m leaving people out. Cowboys are hot right now!
	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? Well, oddly enough, I just ‘sort of’ re-read my Wild at Heart series. I had eye surgery recently for a detatched retina…and part of the aftermath of that is the doctor requiring me to lie face down for TEN DAYS! Yes, I was under Doctor’s orders to smother myself. So I needed books on tape and the one My Cowboy got me from the local library was my Wild at Heart series. I honestly really enjoyed it and it saved my sanity.
	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. When I read Francine River’s Mark of the Lion trilogy I felt like I really realized the power of word. The way she created that world, 1st century Rome, and then pulled me into it. Absolutely brilliant.

Mary is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Welcome to Jane Kirkpatrick! Isn’t this cover gorgeous? And the unusual romance has me intrigued, especially since it’s based on a true story, what about you?

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Questions about Jane’s Story

What inspired your story?

I’m interested in the lives of actual historical persons and when I learned about a woman who had been married twice (her second husband was 37 years older than her), had three children and then enrolled in medical school so she could serve women and children, I wanted to know how that might have happened. What were the barriers she had to overcome? Where did she gather her strength from?

What was the hardest part of your book to write?

Jennie’s son was addicted to alcohol and she prayed, offered healing oils and aromatics, worked with doctors in the new field of psychiatry but he was unable to stay sober. It was difficult to write about a parent’s struggle and with the current opioid epidemic to realize people have suffered for generations. That Jennie could find the strength to let the past go and believe that while she couldn’t heal her son – and God had not yet done so – that she could still make a difference as a healer in the lives of others. Part of what she had to leave behind was guilt and powerlessness to trust that God works in all things.

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

All of the characters except three were real historical people. One of the three was Jennie’s friend (she must have had one, right?) and her name was given to me by the winner of an educational fund-raiser in which I offered to name a character in my book.  It raised money for scholarships and the name was the winner’s granddaughter’s name, Ariyah which means “pure music.” I thought that was lovely as music plays a part in Ariyah’s healing of great loss.

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Questions about Jane’s Reading

	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction, which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? I really like Sandra Byrd’s work and my favorite of hers is To Die For that captures how Anne Boleyn’s faith helped her deal with the unpredictability of Henry the VIII, her husband and king. The details are exquisite and you feel as though you are in the court of Henry VIII. The intrigue and suspense is perfectly paced. Even when one knows the ending, the story is richly conveyed with new insights about those historical characters.
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? Karen Barnett’s The Road to Paradise. It’s set in a Rainer National Park and honestly, I thought for sure the author had climbed Mt. Rainer as those scenes – that were quite intense – were so authentic. And the character’s return to God, his forgiving of himself on top of that mountain was one of the most tender and realistic redemption scenes I’ve ever read.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? Rebecca Demarino’s To Follow her Heart. I’ve had it sitting by my bed as a reward for when I finish writing my latest! It’s the last in a series and I might be letting it sit so that I don’t have to say good-bye to the characters.

Jane is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Welcome to my friend, Heidi, whose adorable accent I miss. If you need to know my opinion of this book, just check out the endorsement on page 1! 🙂

“Heidi has penned an intriguing tale of two women separated by time connected through their search for a strength they desperately need. History and the present are so deftly entwined, readers will be turning pages to keep up with the story tugging on their hearts.” ~Melissa Jagears

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Questions about Heidi’s Story

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

Yes, James Caldwell was a real victim of the Boston Massacre, but he had no known family. I decided to give him familial connections—a sister, Liberty Caldwell.

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that made you sad?

Oh my, yes. Reading about the experiences of those in the Boston Marathon bombing was heartbreaking. At the same time though, so many were determined to not let evil have the last word. I was very inspired by that.

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Questions about Heidi’s Reading

	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? I almost never reread books, but I have reread A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. The first time I read it, I had only just begun writing. The second time, I wanted to study it. Why was it so, so good?!
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar. I loved that this explored a story from Acts, which is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Tessa really brought Lydia’s story to life.
	What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry? Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson. I was blubbering by the end.

Heidi is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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ALSO! Don’t miss out on Heidi’s Boston Themed Giveaway!! Go here to enter.

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Welcome to Carrie, a sweet woman who’s always helping to get out the word about Christian fiction, especially those that help us cope and grow.

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Questions about Carrie’s Story

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

Ada Fox, who is managing the household staff at the Grand Hotel. But she’s more than she seems! Ada is about to get her life back! I am SO excited for her! She needs her own novella! She’s also in another of my novellas as a mysterious woman (hint: I was a Maggie Finalist 2016 for this romance novella, which is set a few years before MHBoMI.) Ada needs a novella set maybe in 1896, which is when her life finally starts falling into the place God has planned for her. And, yes, I do think of my characters as real people haha!

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

The Arch Rock scene. I cried every time I worked on it. If you’ve ever seen beautiful Arch Rock and been atop it and looked down, you realize how dangerous it could be. And so I chose this to be the place that Maude’s young brother, Jack, finally reveals just how hurting he is and hero Ben opens up about what happened to him at about the same age. I am crying as I write this, thinking about it.  I’ve had therapy sessions that were deeply moving like this and I love when people finally “give it up” and unload their hurt like my characters do in this scene!

If you could be guaranteed to publish a book set anywhere and at anytime, what setting would you love to set a novel in?

Exactly this book!!! This is my legacy book. If I never wrote another word, I’d have written this book set exactly where and at the time I wanted it set!!!

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Questions about Carrie’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? There’s a historical romance collection Of Rags and Riches (Barbour, July 2017) with several up North novellas in it – by Natalie Monk, Gabrielle Meyer, Anne Love, and Jaime Jo Wright and more. (I also have a series The Christy Lumber Camp Series, three books set in the area and a novella, Tea Shop Folly, book one of The Christy Cousins, set in the same era and nearby location. (I’d be happy to give away a set of those to one of your readers in ebook format.) I think we shall take her up on her offer, yes? Yes! 🙂
	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? Tamera Alexander’s books. She hasn’t disappointed me yet. I can’t pick one as my favorite as I’ve enjoyed them all! I thank my friend, writer Kim Taylor, for recommending her novels even though I was looking for others set in the 18th century. And I thank Tamera for her endorsement of this book! To hear that my favorite author “loved” My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring was amazing!!!
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? Yours, Melissa!!! Now that I found my missing Kindle Fire maybe I can finally read it!!!

Carrie is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) AND A set of the Christy Cousins books (ebook 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.**

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Hello, my loyal Index followers! If you’ve been here for awhile, you know who I am already! And with this book release, I figure we’d do something more fun than listen to me interview myself. 🙂 So I figure we’d do a little Scavenger Hunt. For newer followers hopefully this is a nice way to get familiar with how to search the Index, and for those of you who are old pros at searching the Index, this will be easy peasy!

Kansas , Estates/Manors , 1900s , 1900-1930 (US Early American) , Businessmen, Child-Care Workers , Prostitution , Jagears-Melissa

A Love So True Evelyn Wisely has a heart for the orphans of Teaville and works at a local mansion that rescues children out of the town’s red-light district and gives them a place to live. But her desire to help isn’t limited to orphans. The owner of the mansion, Nicholas Lowe, is willing to help her try to get the women working in prostitution out of the district as well–if she can gain the cooperation and support of local businessmen to go against the rest of the community. David Kingsman has recently arrived in Teaville from Kansas City to help with one of his father’s companies in town. While he plans on staying only long enough to prove his business merit to his father, he’s shown interest in Evelyn’s work and is intrigued enough by her to lend his support to her cause. They begin with the best of intentions, but soon the complications pile up and Evelyn and David’s dreams look more unattainable every day. When the revelation of a long-held secret creates a seemingly insurmountable rift between them, can they trust God still has a good plan for them despite all that is stacked against them?

Melissa’s Website

Other Books in this series:

Only $1.99!	$2.99 or less this month ONLY!

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So, I’ll give FIVE Paperback copies away on Rafflecopter. (And if you don’t like Rafflecopter just explicitly say so in the comments, and I’ll put you in there.)

And I’ll give FIVE random copies away to five people who finish the short Scavenger hunt.

You will be searching for a short sentence from A Love So True. You will find the six word sentence in pieces somewhere in the depths of the Index. Follow the clues below by inputting them into the search engine on the right side of the page. When you find the book indicated in the clue, you will find the clue word after the book’s blurb; it will be bolded and underlined. Once you’ve found the entire sentence go to this form and fill in your name, email address, and the scavenger hunt sentence to be entered to win one of five paperbacks. Good Luck.

Clues:

1. Find the book that is set in “Michigan” with a “Married Romance” Storyline.

     2. Find the book set in “England” in an “asylum” (Place) in the time period of the “regency”

     3. Find the book with a “Marriage of Convenience” Storyline, set in the decade of “1880s” in “Texas” with a main character with an occupation of “Cowboy/Ranching” and an “Outlaw” for a type of main character.

     4. Find a book set in “London” during the historical event of “World War I”

     5. Find a “novella” (It can be found under Misc.) with a “holiday” topic with a main character occupation of “scientist” written by “Gina Welborn”.

     6. At the top of the Index where you can see all the pretty new release covers, click on the first cover in the line up.

***USA ONLY. Both the Scavenger Hunt and the Rafflecopter will end May 20th at midnight.***

Link to the form where you can input the sentence you found in the Scavenger hunt for your chance at five Paperbacks.

SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS: MH,  Britney A., jcp, Gail H., and Jeanette T.

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If you like to read stories that are quirky fun, have you tried Jen Turano yet? If not, get yourself in the hat, or download her freebie prequel novella for the series so you can get ready to hop right to this one!

Other books in this series:

This is a FREE ebook. No reason not to go snatch it up!

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Questions about Jen’s Story

What inspired your story?

Ever since I began writing Gilded Age historical romances, I’ve been itching to write one set in the very midst of Alva Vanderbilt’s famous costume ball. Since I finally reached 1883 on my progression through the Gilded Age, it was the perfect time to write this particular book.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

Mr. Asher Rutherford is my favorite because he’s just such a charming character, unaware of exactly how charming he is, which makes him all the more attractive.

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with?

In Chapter Six, Miss Permilia Griswold and Mr. Asher Rutherford participate in the Go-As-You-Please Quadrille. Needless to say, with Permilia not being exactly light on her feet, it turns out to be more of an adventure than Asher was expecting.

Did you stumble upon anything in your research for this book that made you squirm?

The one bit of research I uncovered that was more than a little disturbing was learning about Miss Kate Strong and the costume she chose to wear to the ball. Miss Strong’s nickname was Puss, and because of that, she chose to attend the ball as a cat – complete with a stuffed taxidermy cat head perched on her perfectly styled hair, and honest-to-goodness cat tails sewn into the folds of her skirt.

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Questions about Jen’s Reading

	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? Elizabeth Camden’s “Against the Tide.”  It was on the top of a pile of books needing to be shelved in my bookshelf.  Because it had been a few years since I read it, it was the perfect way for me to spend a snowy evening.
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? Regina Jennings “For the Record.”  It was adorable and filled with amusing characters and a refreshing storyline.
	What Christian Historical Novel are you most excited to read that just released or hasn’t yet come out? I have a huge list – but Elizabeth Camden’s “The Farthest Shores” is one at the top of the list, and of course, Melissa Jagears’ “A Love So True.”

Jen is giving away a copy paperback (usa only), and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of either 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.**

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I’ve so enjoyed these pretty covers for Jill’s newest biblical series. These rich dark colors are just a favorite. AND totally go check out Jill’s website, the effect at the top is really cool! I hope you enjoy the interview.

Other books in this series:

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Questions about Jill’s Story

What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

Ruth’s story is so well known that I didn’t really give the book a lot of thought until I sat down to write it. But then I had to come up with backstories on each of the characters and delve into their possible mindset. And it struck me then that I related more to Naomi than to Ruth—not because I’m widowed (I’m not) or have lost children (I haven’t) but because of her age and status as a mother-in-law. And I wondered how I would have felt if my husband had decided to stop trusting God for our future and moved us to a foreign land rather than wait out the difficult circumstances in the land God had given to us.

I also had to put myself into Ruth’s character, so I was essentially playing the roles of both daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, of which I’ve been both. It was interesting to see life from two differing perspectives. Most of us probably relate to Ruth when we read Ruth’s story in Scripture, and because the book carries her name, we naturally think the story is hers. But I sensed, perhaps because I related more to her, that this was actually Naomi’s story. She is the one who suffered the greatest losses and ended up with the most joyous gains.

I will say, however, that I loved the relationship Naomi had with Ruth. Ruth’s devotion to Naomi went beyond the expected, even in her day. She could have returned, as Orpah did, to her mother’s house and remarried a man from Moab. I have to think Ruth’s choices were not only for Naomi but because she was in search of a better life with Israel and their God whom she was only beginning to know. Both women took great risks, and I admire that. If the time came for me to make risky choices because God said “go” or “do,” would I have the same kind of courage to follow where He leads?

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly when Ruth’s story takes place. We tend to think of it coming after the book of Judges because that’s where it falls in our Bibles. But the book itself only tells us that the story took place during the time when the judges ruled. It does not tell us which judge ruled then.

So I did some research and discovered that the placing of this story is tricky and can be confusing. As I mention in my Note to the Reader in the book, I chose to place Ruth’s story actually before Deborah’s because it was under the judge Ehud that Moab is most prominently mentioned. The death of Moab’s king at the hand of Israel played a significant role in crafting the story. There is some discrepancy with the placing of Salmon’s and Boaz’s birth by choosing this timing and setting, but wherever you place it, there is no perfect solution to understanding the time when Rahab birthed Boaz and Ruth bore Boaz a son. So I went with what made most sense to the story. If my timing is wrong, it doesn’t change the purpose or theme or truth of the story and that is what ultimately matters.

Were there any historical facts that you discovered in your research that made you change something in your story?

Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem during barley harvest. In Israel, the men of each tribe were expected to celebrate certain feasts, first at Shiloh and later in Jerusalem. The women and children often went along, but the men were required to be there. I had not expected the need to include the feasts, but found that studying them fascinated me. I wanted to show the reader what those celebrations might have looked like in Shiloh.

Years ago, my husband and I visited a replica of the Jewish tabernacle. You can also see pictures of it online and the Bible gives us the place where each tribe was to set up camp around it when they lived with the tabernacle in the desert. In a sense the people were making their dwelling where God had placed His name. In the same way, in the future, Jesus came (in the direct line of Boaz and later King David) and “tabernacled” or dwelt among us. He made His home in our midst, just as the people of the Old Testament came near to live as close as they could get to God’s presence, which was a shadow of things to come.

The Feast of Firstfruits is mentioned in connection with Feast of Weeks or Shavot, Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, and Passover. All of these feasts have spiritual meaning and connection to the Messiah, but the main purpose I focused on in the story was that by giving God the first of our harvest, or the best of our resources, our talents, our time, etc., is an act of trusting that God will supply our needs for the future—even if we cannot not see what that future might be.

That trust was pretty significant for Ruth and Boaz and Naomi that first year of Naomi’s return because they had just seen the end of a very long famine. If similar circumstances occurred in my lifetime, could I have the same kind of trust?

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Questions about Jill’s Reading

What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? I rarely reread any book other than the Bible. I can count on one hand the number of novels or non-fiction books that I’ve read more than once. That said, there are a handful that are hands-down my all-time favorites. The one that jumps to the top of the list every time is Two From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes. This is a love story of Joseph and Mary and I first read it when I was sixteen. I read it nearly every Christmas for years after that. This is the book that inspired my love of the Bible and brought the people in it to life. It is also the book that inspired me to want to write biblical fiction. But I had not read it in years once I married and had children. Then nine years ago, my dad got sick and moved on to heaven four years later. That was the last time I read Two From Galilee. There is something about a favorite book from childhood that comforts us even when we are grown adults. When my dad died, my sister and I both had that desire to go back and read our favorite childhood story. That was when I reread for the umpteenth time, this favorite of all love stories.

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? The last Christian Historical Novel I read was Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar. I read an early copy for endorsement and was honored to do so. I have read several of Tessa’s books, but this one has topped them all thus far. The story is about the woman with the issue of blood in the New Testament and Tessa captures her story so well. My favorite thing about the story is the way Tessa took a little known woman, who is not even named in Scripture, and beautifully created her world. She helped us see what life would have been like for this young woman in the culture of her day. I always appreciate it when an author stays true to Scripture and brings culture to life. When I can come away feeling like I have time traveled to that place and walked in their sandals, the author has done his or her job well.

Jill is giving away a copy paperback (usa only), and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of either 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.**

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I remember the first time I heard about Laura Frantz’s books, I was at my first writer’s conference and had joined a little group of six non-published ladies that went around with each other and one just raved about Laura’s book while we were headed to the bookstore and so, Laura’s book, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, was the very first book I bought at conference. Definitely a good purchase! I’m excited to feature her newest this month!

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Questions about Laura’s Story

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

Due to reader request, I include Daniel and Rebecca Boone in the novel, both heroes of mine. As a native Kentuckian, I’ve long admired them and find their lives incredibly inspiring! The entire plot pivots around a little known incident in the life of the Boones that has haunted me since childhood.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

I chose 1777 or “the year of the bloody sevens’ as it was called in frontier times as so many historical fireworks occurred as far as Indian and settler conflict. Lots of story fodder there, much of it worth celebrating yet much of it heartbreaking.

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Questions about Laura’s Reading

	Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Francine River’s The Mark of the Lion series. Bold and detailed, it didn’t sugarcoat anything, including early Christianity. I quickly read all her historicals after that and some are on my keeper shelf.
	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? Joanne Bischoff. She’s unrivaled in so many ways and her upcoming The Lady and the Lionheart was truly a privilege to endorse. She writes with an incredible freshness in the genre, far beyond clichéd plots and prose.

Laura is giving away a copy paperback (usa only), and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of either 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.**

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I’m so excited to feature Julie Klassen this month with her first ever series. This is book #1 and its cover is gorgeous, don’t you think?

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Questions about Julie’s Story

What inspired your story?

I have long wanted to write a village series, and was inspired in part by my love of British series like Larkrise to Candleford, Cranford, and the Thrush Green novels. I am drawn to their close-knit communities filled with unforgettable characters, and hope readers are similarly drawn to TALES FROM IVY HILL.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I especially enjoyed developing and depicting the flawed–but ultimately strong–friendships between the women of the village.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

I ended up really loving the character of Thora Stonehouse Bell. As her name implies, she’s a strong character—a forceful and forthright widow. But her gruff exterior hides past hurts and vulnerability that are slowly revealed through her changing relationships with her daughter-in-law, son, and new suitors.

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Questions about Julie’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Michelle Griep’s The Captive Heart, and Lawana Blackwell’s The Widow of Larkspur Inn [out of print but available FREE in ebook].
	If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one Christian Historical Novel, which would you pick? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? And which is your favorite by that author? Fun question! I would happily recommend author Lynn Austin all day long, and especially love her novel, Hidden Places.

Julie is giving away a copy paperback (usa only) or ebook, and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of either 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.**

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You can also sign up to win books at Julie’s new little mini website for the series! You have until 1/5/2017 to sign up to win a copy of The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill there!

Isn’t this a gorgeous cover? I’m excited to have Lynn Austin here to share about her new book! PLUS if you were here last month, author Rachel McMillan mentioned that she got to read an advanced copy of this and had this to say about Lynn’s work: “I think what I love most about Austin’s books is that they encourage you to accept that God uses all manner of people.  Her heroines always validate me as a woman who has never quite felt that she fit into a traditional woman’s role.”

Netherlands , Michigan , 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s , 1820-1861 (US Antebellum), 1860-1920 (Gilded Age) , American Civil War, Famous Fires , Aristocrats/Social Elite , immigrants , Past/Present Plot or Split Time Periods , Austin-Lynn

Waves of Mercy Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from The Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she is asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions that have remained buried all these years, including the story of her one true love.  A few miles away at the Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of her broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after the violent storm her steamship encounters on her journey across the lake, stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her. Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Lynn’s Website

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Questions about Lynn’s Story

What inspired your story?

The story of the Dutch immigrants who settled Holland, Michigan has interested me since I first visited Holland, Michigan as a Hope College freshman. I saw how proud the community was of their faith and their Dutch heritage—so much so, that they imported a 250 year-old windmill from the Netherlands as the showpiece of their town, and planted nearly 4 ½ million tulips in parks and gardens and along city streets. The annual Tulip Time Festival brought swarms of tourists in cars and buses and motor homes to the otherwise quiet town. All of this impressed me as a young college student.

I met my husband Ken while we were students at Hope College, and although he grew up in Holland, he didn’t know very much about his Dutch ancestry. In the years since, we’ve learned that his great-great-grandfather immigrated to Holland, Michigan with his family in 1871, when the town was only 25 years old. When Ken and I decided to move back to Michigan two years ago, I began researching Holland’s history to see if it would make a good novel, and I wasn’t disappointed! The first Dutch settlers arrived here in 1846 for religious freedom after suffering persecution and famine in the Netherlands. Since that’s been true of so many other immigrant families over the years, I knew the story would resonate with many readers. The commitment that the Dutch community had to each other and to God is very impressive.

What was the hardest part of your book to write?

Before I began researching “Waves of Mercy,” I had no idea how much hardship and suffering these early settlers endured. They decided to come to America in 1846 because of religious persecution in the Netherlands. They left behind beautiful, centuries-old cities to move to the virgin wilderness of Michigan and live in crude log cabins. Their first summer here, malaria struck the community killing many settlers. A year later, a ship called the Phoenix, carrying 225 passengers, including 175 Dutch immigrants, caught fire and sank in Lake Michigan, five miles from their destination. 180 men, women and children died. As the bewildered immigrants buried their loved ones, they must have asked, “Did we really hear from God? How could He allow these tragedies to happen?”
I found it hard to write about all of these things in a realistic way because I’ve never had to endure such tragedies. But it was also difficult for me because I needed to portray their spiritual questioning in a realistic way—how did they endure and not become bitter toward God? This is an issue that many Christians still face, and I wanted to do it in a way that would bring hope without resorting to “pat” answers.

What research book or website used to write this book was your favorite to peruse?

One resource that really sparked my imagination were the wonderful programs presented by a local group called the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. This group of divers search for sunken ships in the Great Lakes using historic records, then film their underwater dives as they explore the wrecks. Along with their website, they’ve also published several books that document the history of various vessels, detailing how and why they sank. The Association’s books and presentations gave me a peek into the sometimes-dangerous world of sailing on Lake Michigan in the 19th Century and inspired me to include a shipwreck (or two!) in my upcoming novel, “Waves of Mercy.”  

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Questions about Lynn’s Reading

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? It would have to be “The Zion Chronicles” by Bodie Thoene, published back in the late 1980s. Book One was “The Gates of Zion” and tells of the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948. I was just beginning to think about writing back then, and these books were all the rage in our church library in Canada. The books were among the very first to be categorized as Christian Historical Fiction and really paved the way for the variety of historical fiction published today.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one Christian Historical Novel, which would you pick? I would choose “Christy” by Catherine Marshall. It was released in 1967, long before Christian books became popular, but it is an all-time classic. Her characters are unforgettable and she deals with issues of faith in a realistic, appealing way. The fact that it was based on the true story of her mother’s experiences makes it even more fun to read.

Lynn is giving away a copy of her book (Paperback – US only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of any available ebook 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.**

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I’m delighted to have a dual timeline novel on the website this month!

Others in this Series:

The first is FREE!

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Questions about Sarah’s Story

What inspired your story?

Although I technically write historical fiction, I feel like I cheat a little bit! I don’t do much of the in-depth research so many other historical writers dig into. My primary source for research is just talking to people. And mostly family members at that. When I have a technical question, I often call my dad and ask him—e.g. what did the stove Grandma cooked on when you were ten look like? All through the Appalachian Blessings series the characters, the scenes, and the daily activities are drawn from listening to my family’s stories since I was old enough to sit up. Dad was the main storyteller, but I also listened to my grandmother, Aunt Bess, and the other “old folks” who gathered to talk at every opportunity. Those wonderful, wonderful people of West Virginia are my inspiration and in a way, I write to try and keep them alive a little bit longer.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

I can’t seem to keep from introducing characters who are supposed to be bad guys who turn out to be closet heroes. They’re my favorites. I started it with Frank Post in Miracle in a Dry Season—the town drunk with a shady past who turned out to have all kinds of valuable life experiences to share. In A Tapestry of Secrets it’s Keith, the out-of-town developer who wants to turn the historic church property into a hunting preserve. I meant for him to be a cold-blooded outsider set on destroying Laurel Mountain Church, but turns out he’s had some hard times of his own to overcome. He’s just a divorced man trying to find meaning and maintain a relationship with his daughter. My favorites are always the hard cases who eventually see the light.  

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with?

My favorite parts of the story to write were the flashbacks to 1948 and the summer when Perla became pregnant out of wedlock. Readers who have followed along since Miracle in a Dry Season have known about the pregnancy, but I’d never even hinted at how a “good girl” like Perla came to have a child before she had a husband. When the father of the child is introduced, he goes by a nickname. For me, the pivotal point wasn’t so much the night the pair spent together as it was the moment when he revealed his real name in Chapter 20. He and Perla know they don’t have a future together at that point and the way he gives her the gift of his name is really poignant for me. It’s probably silly, but I still can’t read that bit without tears coming to my eyes.

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Questions about Sarah’s Reading

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series hooked me on Christian fiction period! That woman can write! Once I was hooked, I began to discover other historical writers I love like Nancy Moser and Julie Klassen. I adore Nancy’s books about real women like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Martha Washington, while Julie is as close as I’m likely to get to a “new” Jane Austen novel. I’m also really looking forward to Luther & Katharina by Jody Hedlund. I have deep admiration for writers who bring real historical characters to life through meticulous research and fabulous prose!

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? I recently finished A Haven on Orchard Lane by Lawana Blackwell. I’ve loved her books since The Widow of Larkspur Inn and I’m so glad she’s writing again after a few years away from publishing. There were lines and scenes that literally made me sigh with contentment. While conflict and challenges find their way into the story, overall it’s primarily a tale of good triumphing over evil. Just as it should. Peace. Order. A satisfactory ending. Just what I long for after too much of the real world!

Sarah is giving away a copy of her book (Paperback – US only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

DON’T FORGET TO GET HER FREE PREQUEL NOVELLA FOR THIS SERIES!

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Two fairy tale retellings for the price of one. 🙂 I’m excited to have Melanie and her new release here today!

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Questions about Melanie’s Story

What inspired your story?  

This story was inspired by the Princess and the Pea fairy tale and the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Some have said it reminds them of the story of Esther, which is somewhat warranted, even though I never thought about it. And some have called it a Medieval version of “The Bachelor,” but I have never watched that show! I’m not much of a TV fan.

What was the hardest part of your book to write?

The hardest part for me is always the beginning, when I’m still getting a feel for the characters and deciding which directions to take the plot. And getting the hero’s characterization right was also difficult. He had to come across as very gruff, especially at the beginning, but not too unlikeable. He also had to change and gradually become kinder and gentler. I had to make him be angry with the heroine for longer than I really wanted to. I’m too much of a softie when I write these kinds of heroes and I have to reel myself in.

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Questions about Melanie’s Reading

	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? I don’t actually do much reading of fiction these days, for various reasons, mostly because I am writing three books a year and have so little time, but I did reread A Vision of Light by Judith Merkle Riley a year or so ago. It was comforting to read something I’d read before, something really different from what I write, but which also has a wonderful Medieval setting. I also just really love the heroine in that book. Rereading it was like visiting a friend.
	If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one Christian Historical Novel, which would you pick? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
	If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? I think I might have to say Siri Mitchell, just because I think her writing is so brilliant.

Melanie is giving away a copy of her book (Paperback – US only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Melanie is also having a Once Upon a Kindle Giveaway where you can win a kindle, gift card, book, and Belle Doll.

I had fun being in a collection with Erica Vetsch and invited her to come share about her new release!

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Questions about Erica’s Story

What inspired your story?

My story was inspired by reading the accounts of the snowstorm of January 12th, 1888 commonly referred to as ‘The Children’s Blizzard.’ The storm hit in the Dakotas and western Minnesota at about the time that most schools were dismissing for the day. As a consequence, many children were caught in the blizzard on the way home. A story of one teacher who kept her students alive in the school inspired His Prairie Sweetheart.

What character in your book turned out to be your favorite?

This might seem strange, but the hero in this story has a collie named Captain that I really came to enjoy. He is friendly and canny, and he plays a role in my heroine’s biggest disaster in the book, as well as part of the rescue of her and the children during the storm.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

I did quite a bit of research into the responsibilities and requirements of a frontier teacher. The list of rules and responsibilities was daunting! Everything from teaching multiple grades in multiple subjects to sweeping and mopping the floors and seeing that the fire was properly lit and fueled throughout the day. She had social requirements as well, visiting her students’ families, attending church, not being seen hanging about the ice cream parlors downtown, and maintaining a ladylike demeanor at all times.

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Questions about Erica’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? I would have to hark back to an oldie but a goodie, When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke. Both of our stories feature ‘fish out of water’ teachers who go to the frontier and encounter the hardships of landing in a different culture and climate, as well as a dashing hero who is sure she isn’t cut out for the hard life of frontier teaching.

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If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? Mary Connealy’s, hands down. She is so funny and such a good writer! Her stories barrel along at breakneck speed with action, humor, and wit! Not to mention what a great person she is, too!

Erica is giving away a copy of her book (Paperback or Ebook – US only) and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of either of the books mentioned above. (GET MARY’S NOW – IT’S FREE!) Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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This book’s cover is just downright gorgeous! I love seeing Biblical fiction books where the story isn’t the Bible’s story (since I always know how those end! 🙂 But a story within that Bible narrative is always intriguing. Let’s see what Connilyn will tell us about it!

Egypt , 0-Everything BC , Biblical Events , slave , Based on Actual Characters or Events , slavery , Cossette-Connilyn

Counted with the Stars Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation. When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all. Choosing to flee with the Hebrews, Kiya finds herself reliant on a strange God and drawn to a man who despises her people. With everything she’s ever known swept away and now facing the trials of the desert, will she turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh?

Connilyn’s Website

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Questions about Connilyn’s Story

What inspired your story?

Counted with the Stars was inspired by a study I was doing on my own into Exodus and the roots of my faith. I ran across the verse in Exodus 12:38 that said “a mixed multitude went up with them.” I thought to myself—who were these people that went with the Hebrews on the Exodus? I wondered whether some of them might be Egyptian and what would have inspired them to follow an invisible God into the wilderness when all they had ever known were the gods of Egypt? Kiya’s story began as a product of my own curiosity about the motivations by those we would call “Gentiles” who journeyed with the Hebrews.

What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

One thing I never considered when I began to write a book was how much it would affect me personally. Due to a number of circumstances and the choice to be a stay-at-home-mom, I did not finish my teaching degree. I love being at home with my children and began homeschooling them when my son was in Kindergarten. But honestly, I had labeled myself “just a housewife” and figured that my family would be my only sphere of influence and ministry. But pursing the dream of being an author has changed my perspective on many things, not the least being that my dreams were not too big for God. I have found new confidence in myself and my God-given talents. I have opened myself up to new exciting ways that the Lord is leading me in developing a platform to minster to women. And I have discovered that although there were valleys that I walked as a young woman, God is using all my experiences and trials in my writing to speak truth and life into other people’s lives. And most of all, I have realized that God is using my writing to refine me spiritually, in ways I never could have predicted.

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

I would say that my favorite scene is in Chapter 19, when Kiya encounters the Hebrews on the night of Passover. This was one of the scenes I first envisioned when writing Counted with the Stars and was excited to explore just what it might have been like on the night that the Angel of Death snatched the lives of all the firstborn sons of Egypt. What dread the Hebrews must have felt as they sat huddled together in their homes, protected only by a smear of blood around their doorways, listening to the Egyptians keening their devastation into the night! It was especially interesting to write this well-known story from the POV of an Egyptian who could not grasp what was happening around her. Also this scene ties into my next book, Shadow of the Storm, in an interesting, albeit subtle, way!

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Questions about Connilyn’s Reading

	What Christian Historical Novel did you reread last, and why did you reread it? I just began rereading A Thorn in My Heart, by Liz Curtis Higgs, which is the first in a series that retell biblical stories set in Scotland. Liz is one of my favorite authors and these books are my favorites of hers and such a cool twist on Biblical fiction. She has a way of drawing the reader into the setting, history, and language cadence so completely that even on my third reading of A Thorn in My Heart, I am completely absorbed. And also, I am a just a sucker for anything Scottish.
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? The one I read most recently was The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna White. I’ve been a fan of Roseanna’s for a long time, but the series she is writing for Bethany House is among her best. Her characters are so well-developed and the plot kept me flipping pages long into the night. And as I said before, I am a sucker for anything Scottish and she does an excellent job with the brogue, which is so tricky to write in a believable way without overwhelming the reader.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? Oh! So many! But the most pressing is Sandra Byrd’s A Bride of a Distant Isle that just arrived in the mail the other day. It’s been calling my name from the nightstand. I loved Mist of Midnight, which is a beautifully written Gothic romance, and I am dying to read this new one. Once my book launches, I am digging in!

Connilyn is giving away a copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Okay, I don’t know about you, but the fact that “Pemberley” appears to be on the cover makes me want to read it! Let’s get to the interview and see what else will make me want to pick it up!

Others in this Series:

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Questions about Julianna’s Story

What inspired your story?

The series was inspired by the wonderful works of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers. I loved not only their clever plots but the time period (which was contemporary for them) and the wonderful British-ness of their books. It was also inspired by the great movies of early Hollywood (most notably “The Thin Man” series). The idea of stylish young married sleuths in the 1930s was too appealing to not try.

Each of the books in this series has a literary inspiration, and for this one I chose the works of Jane Austen. The setting of a Regency-era costume party, especially with Drew dressed like the very elegant Mr. Darcy, was irresistible.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I hope this doesn’t sound too awful, but I really enjoyed killing a friend of mine. Only in the story, of course. I can’t say too much since I don’t want to spoil the mystery, but this friend asked to be killed in my next book, and I was more than happy to oblige. I hope the result proves satisfactory.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

I set the series in the period between the world wars because, first off, that’s when my literary role-models were writing their great stories, and that period was one of tremendous change throughout the world. It gives me a lot of story fodder.

For this particular book, I wanted to get back to Drew and Madeline six months after their wedding. Since that was in December of 1932, it naturally follows that this story would be set in June of 1933.

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Questions about Julianna’s Reading

	Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

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Julianna is giving away a copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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I love the series idea of Virtue and Vices of the Old West. I’m very happy to host Maggie Brendan this month!

Others in this Series:

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Questions about Maggie’s Story

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

Probably the scene when two prostitutes are invited by Rachel to a memorial service at the ranch to the shock of the guests and that she would have anything to do with “soiled doves”. But Rachel has a good heart, believing everyone is given more than one chance in life to get their life right.

Why did you choose the year your book is set?

I enjoy reading about territories before they became a state and the struggles they faced.

Were there any historical facts that you discovered in your research that made you change something in your story?

Yes, I discovered that dance hall gals weren’t usually prostitutes and they have been commonly portrayed in movies and TV westerns. Many were widows or women down on their luck looking for a way to make an income when jobs were scare.

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Questions about Maggie’s Reading

	If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one Christian Historical Novel, which would you pick? Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.
	What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now? Undaunted Hope by Jody Hedlund.

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Maggie is giving away a copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Hey Hey, so excited for my next release! It’s a collection of 4 novellas. They all can be read alone and yet they feature stories connected to our other books. Take a look and enter into the giveaway!

Though each of these novellas are stand alone reads, here is how the novellas are related to these authors’ other books:

Witemeyer: Chronologically speaking, The Husband Maneuver follows A Worthy Pursuit. It continues the story of Daniel Barrett (aka, Dead-Eye Dan) and Marietta Hawkins.

Jennings: It’s part of the Ozark Mountain Romance Series. If you were to read them in order it’d be: A Most Inconvenient Marriage, At Love’s Bidding, Her Dearly Unintended (the novella), and For the Record (comes out next year).

Connealy: My novella, Runaway Bride, is connected to all three books in the Kincaid Brides series and all three books in the Trouble in Texas Series. That’s a lot of connections to shoe horn into one little novella! The books stand alone so any order will be great!

Jagears: Engaging the Competition will be starting off my new series. You’ll meet Lydia King who is the lead in A Heart Most Certain which comes out in August.

And for Fun: What four interesting things will we find in each novella?

	The Husband Maneuver: Dime Novel Hero; Lemonade Disaster; Calamitous Hailstorm; Story-Within-A-Story
	Her Dearly Unintended: Stubborn Cows, Childhood Sweethearts with a Grudge, Flying Hammers, A Dangerous Guest
	Runaway Bride: A Texas Ranger, old friends, little brothers who are growing up fast, tough women
	Engaging the Competition: Pencil Sharpening War, Tornado Shelter, Split Skirts, and Fancy Guns

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Enter for a chance at TWO paperback copies of With This Ring?

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This has probably the cutest front/back cover combo I’ve ever seen!

Missouri , 1870s , 1865-1880 (US Reconstruction) , Unusual Profession , Falling in Love with a Coworker , Jennings-Regina

At Love’s Bidding She Sells Priceless Antiques. He Sells Livestock by the Pound. Is He Really The Man to Make a Bid for Her Heart? After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she’s accidentally sold a powerful family’s prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the people who could ruin them forever, they track it to the Missouri Ozarks and make an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house and all its holdings before the painting can move again.  Upon crossing the country, however, Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn’t deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt Ballentine, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don’t know a thing about the business he’s single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more heads of cattle than they can count—but no mysterious painting—Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to keep a bad situation from getting worse.

Regina’s Website

Other’s in this Series:

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Questions about Regina’s Story

What inspired your story?

My grandparents owned a few auction houses in Missouri and when I stayed with them in the summer, my job was to carry the purchase tickets from my grandpa at the ring to my grandma in the office. I felt quite important having such a big job! And when I got a day off school, I’d go with my dad to the Oklahoma National Stockyards sale, or we’d travel to the various auctions in surrounding states to fill his orders for the packing houses he bought for.

Auctions are exciting. They are part-carnival, part-garage sale, part-sporting event. They bring communities together, spawn competitions, and break out into fights. They are high drama, and I wanted to share some of the excitement in a story.

If you could be one of your characters, who would you choose to be and why?

The character that has the most fun with the fewest responsibilities is young Betsy Huckabee. Betsy does what she wants and says what she thinks. Of course she’s only 12-years-old, but she can’t keep from throwing herself into the middle of the trouble. If you like Betsy in A Most Inconvenient Marriage and At Love’s Bidding, rejoice, because you will be seeing her again, all grown up.

Which scene (give us the chapter) is your favorite, the one you never tired of working with? Give us a reason to look forward to it.

Grandpa is making bad choices and his professional judgment is slipping. There’s one scene in particular in which he shows up with a shocking acquisition that he’s become enamored with, much to his granddaughter’s embarrassment. I laugh every time I think of that scene because it was actually inspired by true events. 🙂

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Questions about Regina’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? Books written by the lovely Karen Witemeyer are similar to mine in tone and setting. We both use humor and action to showcase our heroic cowboys. Karen and I have collaborated on two novella collections (A Match Made in Texas and With this Ring?). Plus she’s a great roommate at writers’ conferences. I always recommend her to my readers.

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle? I’d want to sell Julie Klassen’s books. I’d get a beautiful Regency gown to wear to her public performances and would help her research English teas and dances so I could properly enjoy her events. Of course I’d have to make multiple trips across the Atlantic to research, as well. Give me a call, Julie! We’ll work something out!

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Regina is giving away a copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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I just love this cover in this series! Don’t you? Not only does this book feature the woman always wearing trousers in Eagle Harbor from the first book, but Naomi redeems the bad guy, making him into an excellent hero. Let’s get to the interview.

Illinois, Michigan , Chicago , 1880s , 1880-1900 (US Turn of Century) , Businessmen, Servants , Socially Unequal Romance, Upstairs/Downstairs , Rawlings-Naomi

Love’s Sure Dawn No matter how hard she tries to help, Rebekah Cummings always ends up causing more problems than she solves. This time, though, things will be different. She’ll find a way to pay her family’s debts, even if doing so requires leaving Eagle Harbor. Maybe then they’ll start treating her as a capable woman who makes her own choices. Gilbert Sinclair is going to marry an heiress. With his latest business venture sunk at the bottom of Lake Superior, he needs money to replace the steamship he lost, so he heads to Chicago where his father’s business connections should land him a suitable wife. Like most things in his meticulously planned life, everything goes as expected—until he discovers Rebekah Cummings working as the new cook on his ship. Rebekah well remembers the pain she endured the last time she tried trusting Gilbert, and Gilbert can’t afford to pursue the love of a working class woman. But they can’t stop the forgotten feelings swirling between them—or ignore the sacrifices they’d both have to make for a future together.

Naomi’s Website

 Others in this Series:

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Questions about Naomi’s Story

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

The chemistry between the hero and heroine. Rebekah and Gilbert both have small roles in Love’s Every Whisper, the preceding book in my Eagle Harbor Series. If you’ve read that book, you know Rebekah Cummings never picks the easy way to do anything. She has a way of creating sparks wherever she goes, whether she wants to or not. In many ways, her confidence and fearlessness is ahead the period in which she lives, and she was a really fun character to write because of it. Also, she provides an excellent contrast to Victoria, the heroine from Love’s Every Whisper, who struggles with her confidence and self-esteem.

What was the hardest part of your book to write?

The part near the end where everything blew up. I thought I knew what I wanted to do and that it would work out well, but when my critique partner read it, she came away saying “Everything is wrong and I don’t believe any of this.” So I rewrote, and rewrote, and rewrote more. The rewrite turned out much better than what I originally had, so I’m pleased, and I think readers will be too.

What research did you have to look up to make your character’s professional decisions authentic?

Cranes, believe it or not. Gilbert Sinclair is supposed to be a businessman, but his love of engineering keeps getting in the way of the business plans his father has for him. Gilbert spends most of the novel trying to go around his father and find a way to put into production a shipping crane that he invented. So I had to do enough research on cranes to make it seem like Gilbert knows what he’s talking about.

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Questions about Naomi’s Reading

	What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline? That’s a good question. Jody Hedlund is probably very similar to me, both in setting and storyline. She’s written several books set in Michigan, and her newest novel Undaunted Hope, is actually set in the same historical Michigan town on Lake Superior as my Eagle Harbor Series. The one difference between us is Jody puts villains in her novels who usually cause trouble for evil reasons and purposely try to hurt others in her stories. I usually don’t have purely bad villains in my novels. I lean more towards having characters want two different things and so they end up fighting, but the characters themselves often aren’t all bad. For example Gilbert Sinclair is the antagonist to Rebekah’s brother, Elijah Cummings, in Love’s Every Whisper. But Gilbert is the type of character that could then go on to have his own story because his actions and motives were understandable, even if they set him against the hero of the previous novel. But if readers like Jody Hedlund’s novels, then it’s pretty safe to say they’d like mine too.
	Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it? Fire and Ice by Mary Conneally. It’s been a while since I read a Mary Conneally novel. She has a certain trademark with and hilarity to her novels, and so reading Fire and Ice was like a breath of fresh air, simply because her writing is so different. I laughed the whole way through that novel.
	What Christian Historical Novel are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out? Well, I’ll claim author privilege, so even though not all the novels have released yet, I’ve read them all since I know the author. But Roseanna White’s Ladies of the Manor Series is excellent. The Lost Heiress is out now, and The Reluctant Duchess is coming out next, and both are great books. The series has a bit of suspense that runs the whole way through, so while each novel is a separate romance, trouble follows the characters through all three books.
	What was the last Christian Historical Novel whose characters stayed in your head days after you finished reading it? With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden. Honestly the hero wasn’t a super likable, swoon-worthy hero. But his dedication to fight tuberculosis and the sacrifices he was willing to make stayed with me for a long time.

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Naomi is giving away a copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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