Author Interview and Giveaway – A Borrowed Dream – Amanda Cabot

35 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – A Borrowed Dream – Amanda Cabot

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.

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 A Borrowed Dream

Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor’s excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek’s dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.

Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He’s managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.

With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.

Amanda’s Website

Cabot_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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Author Interview and Giveaway – The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart – Jan Drexler

34 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart – Jan Drexler

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!

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The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart

As nanny for her nephew, Judith Lapp’s finally part of a vibrant, joyful Amish community instead of living on the outskirts looking in. But teaching her neighbors’ Englischer farmworker to read Pennsylvania Dutch wasn’t part of her plan. And the more time she spends with Guy Hoover, the more he sparks longings for a home and family of Judith’s own.

Guy figured he would never be truly accepted by his Amish employers’ community—even though the Mast family treats him like a son. But Judith’s steadfast caring shows him that true belonging could be within his reach…if he and Judith can reconcile their very different hopes—and hearts.

Jan’s Website

Jan Drexler 300 dpi

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

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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!

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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!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – The Lost Castle – Kristy Cambron

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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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The Lost Castle

A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley…

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved old woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a forgotten castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

Bridging the past to present in three time-periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.

Kristy’s Website

KCambron_Profile 2017

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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!

**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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Phoebe’s Light – Suzanne Woods Fisher

17 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Phoebe’s Light – Suzanne Woods Fisher

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!

Phoebe's Light-Book Cover

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Phoebe’s Light

Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she’s doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a “minder” on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Macy, a man whom she loathes.

Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary’s journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe’s shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way–just in time.

Suzanne’s Website

Fisher_SuzanneWoods

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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!

**If you don’t want to enter Rafflecopter, you must put something very similar to this in a comment below: “I’m not entering the rafflecopter, but please throw me in the hat” so I know to manually put you in there for a chance.**

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Author Interview and Giveaway – Missing Isaac – Valerie Fraser Luesse

34 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Missing Isaac – Valerie Fraser Luesse

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.

Missing Isaac

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Missing Isaac

There was another South in the 1960s, one far removed from the marches and bombings and turmoil in the streets that were broadcast on the evening news. It was a place of inner turmoil, where ordinary people struggled to right themselves on a social landscape that was dramatically shifting beneath their feet. This is the world of Valerie Fraser Luesse’s stunning debut, Missing Isaac.

It is 1965 when black field hand Isaac Reynolds goes missing from the tiny, unassuming town of Glory, Alabama. The townspeople’s reactions range from concern to indifference, but one boy will stop at nothing to find out what happened to his unlikely friend. White, wealthy, and fatherless, young Pete McLean has nothing to gain and everything to lose in his relentless search for Isaac. In the process, he will discover much more than he bargained for. Before it’s all over, Pete–and the people he loves most–will have to blur the hard lines of race, class, and religion. And what they discover about themselves may change some of them forever.

Valerie’s Website

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PHOTO CREDIT: Image by Mark Sandlin

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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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Interview and Giveaway – The House on Foster Hill – Jamie Jo Wright

33 Comments on Interview and Giveaway – The House on Foster Hill – Jamie Jo Wright

Welcome Jamie Jo and her debut Split Time novel!

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The House on Foster Hill

Kaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather’s Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house’s dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide.

A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy’s search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives–including her own–are lost?

Jamie Jo’s Website

jaime-wright-media-12

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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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Interview and Giveaway – The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey – Carolyn Miller

44 Comments on Interview and Giveaway – The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey – Carolyn Miller

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

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The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey 

Tainted by scandal and forced to leave London for the quieter Brighton countryside, the Honorable Miss Clara DeLancey is a shadow of her former society self. She’s lost the man she loved to another and, in a culture that has no patience for self-pity, is struggling with depression. A chance encounter brings her a healing friendship with the sisters of an injured naval captain. But Clara’s society mama is appalled at the new company she’s keeping.

Captain Benjamin Kemsley is not looking for a wife. But his gallant spirit won’t let him ignore the penniless viscount’s daughter–not when she so obviously needs assistance to keep moving forward from day to day. Can he protect his heart and still keep her safe?

When they’re pushed into the highest echelons of society at the Prince Regent’s Brighton Pavilion, this mismatched couple must decide if family honor is more important than their hopes. Can they right the wrongs of the past and find future happiness together–without finances, family support, or royal favor?

Carolyn’s Website

 

Other books in this series:

elusivemissellison captivatingladycharlotte

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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!

**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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Interview & Giveaway – Lady Jayne Disappears – Joanna Davidson Politano

22 Comments on Interview & Giveaway – Lady Jayne Disappears – Joanna Davidson Politano

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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Lady Jane Disappears

When Aurelie Harcourt’s father dies in debtor’s prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.

When Aurelie decides to complete her father’s unfinished serial novel, writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother’s disappearance—and perhaps even her father’s death.

Joanna’s Website

Joanna Davidson Politano

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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!

**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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Interview & Giveaway – Too Far Down – Mary Connealy

28 Comments on Interview & Giveaway – Too Far Down – Mary Connealy

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!

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Too Far Down

When an explosion kills men and damages the CR Mining Company, the Bodens realize their troubles are not behind them as they thought. Shadowy forces are still working against them.

Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back East and all that New Mexico offers. Sure he fights with his siblings now and then, but he does care for them. He enjoys running the mine and, when he’s honest, he admits that Melanie Blake captures his interest in a way no other woman ever has.

Melanie has been a friend to the Bodens forever. A cowgirl who is more comfortable with horses and lassoes than people, she never expected to find herself falling for someone. Particularly for refined Cole Boden, a Harvard graduate who may not stay long at the ranch. She’s determined, however, to help the Bodens finally put an end to the danger that’s threatened all of them. But will putting herself in harm’s way be more dangerous than anyone expected?

Mary’s Website

Mary Author Pic

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!

**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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Author Interview and Giveaway – All She Left Behind – Jane Kirkpatrick

15 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – All She Left Behind – Jane Kirkpatrick

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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All She Left Behind

Already well-versed in the natural healing properties of herbs and oils, Jennie Pickett longs to become a doctor. But the Oregon frontier of the 1870s doesn’t approve of such innovations as women attending medical school. To leave grief and guilt behind, as well as support herself and her challenging young son, Jennie cares for an elderly woman using skills she’s developed on her own. When her patient dies, Jennie discovers that her heart has become entangled with the woman’s widowed husband, a man many years her senior. Their unlikely romance may lead her to her ultimate goal–but the road will be winding and the way forward will not always be clear. Will Jennie find shelter in life’s storms? Will she discover where healing truly lives?

Jane’s Website

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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!

**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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Freedom’s Ring – Heidi Chiavaroli

22 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Freedom’s Ring – Heidi Chiavaroli

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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Freedom’s Ring

Boston ~ 2015

Although two years have passed since the Boston Marathon bombing, Annie David continues to be haunted by the call to be Boston Strong. She knows the truth: she is far from strong. She cannot seem to release two burdens left to her that tragic day—guilt over a crippled niece, and an old ring that evokes a hazy hero’s face. But when she finds a business card with the same emblem as the ring, she’s finally able to discover her hero…and the story of the woman behind the ring.

Boston ~ 1770   

As a single woman in a rebellious town, Liberty Caldwell finds herself in a dangerous predicament. When tensions mount in the form of the Boston Massacre, her world is shattered as her brother, with whom she has just reunited, is killed in the fray. Overcome with anger at all redcoats, she plans to leave her employment at the British Officers’ Home. But upon her return she is attacked by the roguish captain when Lieutenant Alexander Smythe isn’t there to rescue her. In her fury she leaves the home with all of her belongings and a ring that belonged to her dear Alexander. Suddenly her attraction to him is tarnished by the uniform he wears.

The Boston Massacre sparked the American Revolution; the Boston Marathon bombing set a city on edge. Both became the proof of where true strength lies.

Heidi’s Website

heidi

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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!

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

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Author Interview and Giveaway – My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island- Carrie Fancett Pagels

28 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island- Carrie Fancett Pagels

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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My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring

Although the Winds of Mackinac Inn has been in her mother’s family for generations, Maude Welling’s father refuses to let her run it without the guidance of a husband. So she seeks to prove her worth and independence by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel.

Undercover journalist Ben Steffans, posing as a wealthy industrialist, pursues a story about impoverished men chasing heiresses at the famed hotel.  While undercover, he becomes attracted to an intriguing maid. By an act of heroism Ben endears himself to the closed-mouthed islanders—including Maude—and he digs deep for his story.

But when scandal threatens, will the growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed?

Carrie’s Website

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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!!!

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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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A Scavenger Hunt and and bonus Giveaway for TEN Copies of A Love So True

33 Comments on A Scavenger Hunt and and bonus Giveaway for TEN Copies of A Love So True

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!

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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

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Other Books in this series:

Engaging the Competition final cover HeartMostCertain cover
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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Author Interview – Behind the Scenes – Jen Turano

33 Comments on Author Interview – Behind the Scenes – Jen Turano

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!

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Behind the Scenes

Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”

Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store. While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in the country.
When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford, she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her, she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll end up at risk as well.

As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .

Jen’s Website

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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.  

 

 

 

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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!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – Redeeming Grace – Jill Eileen Smith

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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.

Redeeming Grace-Book Cover

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Redeeming Grace

When famine visits Bethlehem, Boaz holds out hope for rain while his relative Elimelech moves his wife Naomi and their sons to Moab. For a while, it appears the Lord is blessing Elimelech’s family, and his sons marry two lovely Moabite women. But calamities strike, one after another, leaving Naomi alone in a foreign land with only her childless daughters-in-law for comfort. When news reaches Naomi that the famine in Bethlehem has lifted, only Ruth will hazard the journey to her mother-in-law’s homeland. Destitute and downhearted, Naomi resigns herself to a life of bitter poverty, but Ruth holds out hope for a better future. And Boaz may be the one God has chosen to provide it.

Jill’s Website

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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!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – A Moonbow Night – Laura Frantz

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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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A Moonbow Night

From the beloved author of The Frontiersman’s Daughter and Courting Morrow Little comes a new Kentucky novel…On the vast, uncharted Kentucky frontier of the 1770s, Temperance Tucker has learned to be fleet of foot, accurate with her rifle, and silent about the past. But her family secrets complicate her growing attraction to a handsome Virginia land surveyor with a harsh history of his own. Will the hurts and hardships of the past prevent them from a fulfilling future?

 

With her signature sweeping style and ability to bring the distant past to vivid life, Laura Frantz beckons readers to join her in a land of Indian ambushes, conflicting loyalties, and a tentative love that meanders like a cool mountain stream.

 

Laura Frantz’s Website

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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!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill – Julie Klassen

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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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The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant landlady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business. But with the town’s livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?

As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

Julie’s Author Website

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Website for the new series

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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!

Author Interview and Giveaway – Lynn Austin – Waves of Mercy

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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.”

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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!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – Sarah Loudin Thomas – A Tapestry of Secrets

36 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Sarah Loudin Thomas – A Tapestry of Secrets

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

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A Tapestry of Secrets

For decades, Perla Phillips has hidden the truth of a decision that still fills her with guilt. But now, seeing her granddaughter, Ella, struggle in a similar way, she’s prepared to finally open the past to her family, no matter the consequences. But when the opportunity is snatched from her in a most unexpected manner, will she have waited too long?

Spanning generations, this moving family drama weaves together the interlocking stories of two women as they navigate relationships, family, faith, and the choices that will shape their lives. Heartwarming and nostalgic, the story explores the courage to share the wounds of the past and celebrates the legacy a family passes from one generation to the next. 

 

Sarah’s Book

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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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Author Interview and Giveaway – The Beautiful Pretender – Melanie Dickerson

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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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The Beautiful Pretender

After inheriting his title from his brother, the margrave has two weeks to find a noble bride. What will happen when he learns he has fallen for a lovely servant girl in disguise?

The Margrave of Thornbeck has to find a bride, fast. He invites ten noble born ladies who meet the king’s approval to be his guests at Thornbeck Castle for two weeks, a time to test these ladies and reveal their true character.

Avelina has only two instructions: keep her true identity a secret and make sure the margrave doesn’t select her as his bride. Since the latter seems unlikely, she concentrates on not getting caught. No one must know she is merely a maidservant, sent by the Earl of Plimmwald to stand in for his daughter, Dorothea.

Despite Avelina’s best attempts at diverting attention from herself, the margrave has taken notice. And try as she might, she can’t deny her own growing feelings. But something else is afoot in the castle. Something sinister that could have far worse—far deadlier—consequences.

Melanie’s Website

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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.

Author Interview and Giveaway – His Prairie Sweetheart – Erica Vetsch

58 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – His Prairie Sweetheart – Erica Vetsch

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

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His Prairie Sweetheart

After being jilted at the altar, Southern belle Savannah Cox seeks a fresh start out West and accepts a teaching position in Minnesota. But between her students’ lack of English, the rough surroundings and sheriff Elias Parker’s doubts and distrust, Savannah’s unprepared for both the job and the climate. However, she’s determined to prove she can handle anything her new town throws her way. 

Elias gives it a week—or less—before the pretty schoolteacher packs her dainty dresses and hightails it back home. But no matter how many mishaps he has to rescue her from, Savannah doesn’t give up. Yet the real test is to come—a brutal blizzard that could finally drive her away, taking his heart with her…

Erica’s Website

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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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Counted with the Stars – Connilyn Cossette

35 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Counted with the Stars – Connilyn Cossette

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!

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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 WebsiteConni001 edit (1)

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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!

**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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Dressed for Death – Julianna Deering

24 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Dressed for Death – Julianna Deering

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!

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Dressed for Death

A REGENCY-ERA COSTUME PARTY SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN AN AMUSING DIVERSION, BUT IT SEEMS, WHEREVER DREW FARTHERING GOES, MYSTERY—AND MURDER—ARE ON THE GUEST LIST

Drew and Madeline Farthering arrive at a Regency-Era house party at Winteroak House, excited to be reunited with old friends, including Drew’s former Oxford classmate Talbot Cummins. Tal is there with his fiancée, Alice Henley, and though many present seem worried about the couple, nobody is prepared when Alice dies from an apparent overdose. Tal refuses to believe she’d taken the drugs intentionally, and a dark question arises of whether the death is an accident or murder.

The police have their own information though, and Drew is shocked when they arrest someone he’s trusted and admired since his childhood—someone who’s been smuggling drugs into the country for years. Stunned by what has happened, Tal begs Drew to get to the bottom of everything, but Drew’s never felt more unsettled. Questioning his own ability to see people as they really are, Drew doesn’t know who to trust, and he’s not ready for the secrets he’s about to uncover—or the danger he’ll bring down on everyone he holds dear.

Julianna’s Website

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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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Author Interview and Giveaway – A Sweet Misfortune – Maggie Brendan

37 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – A Sweet Misfortune – Maggie Brendan

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

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A Sweet Misfortune

Rachel Matthews isn’t one to rely on others to take care of her. Homeless and alone, she still wants to make her own way and her own money to buy back the family ranch—even if she’s forced into the life of a dance hall girl. Horrified by her circumstances, Rachel’s brother who left for California sends a friend to rescue her.

 

Cattle baron John McIntyre is focused on acquiring as much land as possible in Montana and has little time to deal with a dance hall gal. Rachel isn’t sure she can take one more day in John’s home—especially once she discovers that he’s the one who holds ransom the key to her family’s future.

 

Sparks fly between this spunky, independent heroine and the ruggedly handsome hero as they navigate the snarled terrain of pride, greed, faith, and love in Maggie Brendan’s delightful series set in the Old West.

 

Maggie’s Website

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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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With This Ring? Giveaway – Witemeyer, Connealy, Jennings, and Jagears

66 Comments on With This Ring? Giveaway – Witemeyer, Connealy, Jennings, and Jagears

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!

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With This Ring?

Green High ResolutionThe Husband Maneuver – Witemeyer
When ranch foreman Daniel Barrett seems ready to leave her life forever, Marietta Hawkins decides to grab the reins on their relationship. But to have any hope of maneuvering him into a proposal, she has to act fast or risk losing him completely.

Regina Jennings(427x640)

Her Dearly Unintended – Jennings
Josiah Huckabee just wanted to make sure Katie Ellen Watson was safe, but when the only bridge to her farm is washed out, the two find themselves alone. Alone, that is, until a menacing stranger appears. Maybe by pretending to be newlyweds, they’ll save their reputations–but can pretending to be in love turn into the real thing?

MConnealyRunaway Bride – Connealy
Hired to help Carrie Halsey escape from a dangerous man intent on making her his wife, Big John Conroy never expected the job to interrupt his solitary Texas Ranger life. But now that he’s promised to keep Carrie safe, he discovers he may just want to make a few more promises.

jagearshorizphotoauthorEngaging the Competition – Jagears
Harrison Gray and tomboy Charlotte Andrews have been rivals for years. With Charlotte intended for someone else, it seems they’ll never settle their differences until an accident changes things completely. When Charlotte breaks Harrison’s glasses–without which he’s nearly blind–she must help with his teaching position, and working together forces these former adversaries to reconsider everything.

 

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?

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The Husband Maneuver:

Dime Novel Hero; Lemonade Disaster; Calamitous Hailstorm; Story-Within-A-Story

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Her Dearly Unintended:

Stubborn Cows, Childhood Sweethearts with a Grudge, Flying Hammers, A Dangerous Guest

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Runaway Bride:

A Texas Ranger, old friends, little brothers who are growing up fast, tough women

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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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Regina Jennings – At Love’s Bidding

34 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Regina Jennings – At Love’s Bidding

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

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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 WebsiteRegina Jennings(427x640)

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

withthisring

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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Author Interview and Giveaway – Naomi Rawlings – Love’s Sure Dawn

26 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Naomi Rawlings – Love’s Sure Dawn

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.

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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

Naomi Rawlings Author

 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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Author Interview and Giveaway – The Lost Heiress – Roseanna M White

27 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – The Lost Heiress – Roseanna M White

I have this book on my bedside table right now! I haven’t started it because, well life, but it’s waiting for me! Maybe you’ll put it on your bedside table too, maybe even win it through the giveaway below!

PLUS – Roseanna is holding a special giveaway for her release, including a beautiful necklace Roseanna made herself! Make sure you check it out.

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The Lost Heiress

1911 – England

Brook Eden has never known where she truly belongs. Though raised in the palace of Monaco, she’s British by birth and was brought to the Grimaldis under suspicious circumstances as a babe. When Brook’s friend Justin uncovers the fact that Brook is likely a missing heiress from Yorkshire, Brook leaves the sun of the Mediterranean to travel to the moors of the North Sea to the estate of her supposed family.

The mystery of her mother’s death haunts her, and though her father is quick to accept her, the rest of the family and the servants of Whitby Park are not. Only when Brook’s life is threatened do they draw close–but their loyalty may come too late to save Brook from the same threat that led to tragedy for her mother.

As heir to a dukedom, Justin is no stranger to balancing responsibilities. When the matters of his estate force him far from Brook, the distance between them reveals that what began as friendship has grown into something much more. But how can their very different loyalties and responsibilities ever come together?

And then, for a second time, the heiress of Whitby Park is stolen away because of
the very rare treasure in her possession–and this time only the servants of Whitby can save her.

 

Roseanna’s WebsiteRoseannaWhite2014

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Questions about Roseanna’s Story

What inspired your story?

The first week of 7th grade, I decided I was going to write a novel—and finish it, unlike all those others I’d started. I’d recently fallen in love with historical fiction thanks to Lori Wick’s books, so naturally I decided it had to be a historical romance—never mind the fact that I was only 12 and had certainly never been in love, LOL. Over the course of the next year and a half, I wrote Golden Sunset, Silver Tear…a story of a girl raised as a princess in a small kingdom, but who was really the daughter of English nobility. The story of a girl who unwittingly carried her parents’ secrets with her all the years she was away—and who then had to find the truth about their deaths when finally she came home as a young woman to the land of her birth. Fast-forward 20 years, and most everything about that book had been rewritten a gazillion times, until we ended up with The Lost Heiress—a story about a girl raised as an illegitimate daughter to a prince of Monaco, who then learned she was the heiress to a Yorkshire earl…and who had unwittingly carried the secrets of her mother’s death with her all those years. That kernel has remained the same—while absolutely everything else has changed, LOL.

(Melissa says: Oh my, it was 7th grade when I read my first Lori Wick, and well, I didn’t write until I was in my late 20s, but she’s the reason I’m in love with Historical Romance too!)

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

Love this question!!! My favorite character turned out to be one who hadn’t existed in any of the previous drafts of the book—Brook’s father, Lord Whitby. Originally I’d meant for both her parents to have been killed, but for the purposes of her inheritance, I finally decided it made more sense to have her father still alive…which then gave me a whole plotline I’d never had before, of Brook reunited with and getting to know the man who had been searching for her for eighteen years. I absolutely adore Whitby, who has that dry British charm I find so amusing. And when I told my editors that he was a new addition, they looked at me like I was insane—because really, how did this story ever exist without him?? I have no idea.

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.

That would have to be my big middle-twist in chapter 17…which is also The First Kiss. =) In the editing process, some revisions to the pacing of the love story made one of the editorial team suggest getting rid of this, but I just couldn’t—I changed everything else about the romance, but not that! LOL. This is a kiss, but it’s more—it’s Brook being typically-Brook and running headlong into a dangerous situation just to resolve a disagreement. It’s Justin battling with his demons. It’s stolen cars and injuries and…just yeah. The moment where everything between them changes, and there’s no going back. The End of an Era, as they come to think of it. And the beginning of something altogether new.

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Questions about Roseanna’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

There are quite a few Edwardian-set book out right now! The ones I’m eager to get my hands on are Carrie Turansky’s Edwardian Brides series.

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

Definitely Lori Wick’s Kensington Chronicles. I devoured her books as a teen, as well as those by Stephanie Whitson, Tracie Peterson, and Linda Chaikin. But I guess even before those were L. M. Montgomery’s books. Not historical fiction, per se—they were contemporary when they were written. But reading them now gave me a glimpse into the historical world that made me never want to leave it.

What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now?

Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman. She’s my critique partner, so I’ve read most of her books, but not this one yet. Very excited to dive in and read about her would-be female knight!

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Roseanna 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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Make sure you check out her cool prize package on her website:

Author Interview and Giveaway – Susan Anne Mason – Irish Meadows

27 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Susan Anne Mason – Irish Meadows

This month’s giveaway actually came out last month, but you’ll forgive me right? (I’ve been swamped and overwhelmed here lately). I hope you enjoy the interview with Susan!

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Irish Meadows

Brianna and Colleen O’Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he’s put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, depends on their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures.

Brianna, the quiet sister with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry—as long as her father’s choice meets her exacting standards of the perfect man. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant family member Rylan Montgomery stops in on his way to the seminary in Boston, the two men quickly complicate everyone’s plans.

As financial ruin looms ever closer, James O’Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid becoming pawns in their father’s schemes and follow their hearts. Yet even if they do, will they inevitably find their dreams too distant to reach?

Susan’s Website

Susan small author photo

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Questions about Susan’s Story

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I loved creating a big Irish family full of secrets and complicated relationships. Throw in a boy (now a man) who was taken in as a ward, and a distant relative who arrives to stir up things, and more havoc ensues!

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

Funny enough, it was Rylan Montgomery, the distant relative who comes to stay with the O’Leary’s. He is studying to become a priest, and although I expected him to be kind and compassionate, I never expected him to be funny and to add a quirk of humor to the book!

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. 

One of my favorite scenes is the first meeting between Colleen and Rylan (Chapter 4). Colleen is sent to meet Rylan at the train, but on the way, her carriage gets stuck in the mud. Rylan (who she doesn’t know is him) stops to help her and they both end up covered in mud!

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Questions about Susan’s Reading

Who is your favorite Christian Historical hero? It’s tough to choose, but I’d have to say Silas Ballantyne from Laura Frantz’s “Love’s Reckoning”. He is honorable and romantic. I love how instead of writing love notes to Eden, he sends quotes from scriptures.

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. It was Julie Lessman’s “A Passion Most Pure” that taught me the meaning of deep Point of View. I had been struggling to figure out what this elusive term meant, and when I started reading APMP, Julie’s emotional style of writing really brought this home to me. I finally understood what it meant to delve into a character’s inner most thoughts and emotions.

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it?    
I recently finished “To Win Her Favor” by Tamera Alexander. I loved the Irish hero, Cullen, who buys some land and ends up getting a wife in the bargain! I adored the way he set out ‘to win his wife’s favor’ and how they fell in love. This story had several similarities to mine in that it involved an Irish immigrant and thoroughbreds!

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Susan 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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It’s Me, Giving away my New Books!

5 Comments on It’s Me, Giving away my New Books!

This month is when I give away my newest release and I’ve got TWO!

And since interviewing myself every single time I have a release would be silly, I have to come up with something else fun.

12545 ABrideAtLast_mck.inddSo first, my prizes. I’m going to giveaway 5 SETS of books. Five winners get two books, A Bride at Last and The Convenient Bride blindedbylovecoverCollection. (And though the collection is not officially a part of the Unexpected Brides Series like A Bride at Last is, my story in the collection, Blinded by Love, is about a character you’ve met in the novella prequel of the series, Love by the Letter. So Neil sorta makes this collection part of the series!)

To enter my giveaway, you can get points for the normal things of course: Getting the Index’s Newsletter and Visiting the Index’s Facebook page where I post ebook sales.

And of course, if you dislike the rafflecopter, you can always email me that you want one free entry. 🙂 mjagears AT gmail DOT com

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Some Great Christian Fiction Novellas recommended by The Convenient Bride Collection Authors

2 Comments on Some Great Christian Fiction Novellas recommended by The Convenient Bride Collection Authors

I’ve got a new novella out in The Convenient Bride Collection called Blinded by Love, and the nine other authors in the collection and I are giving away a loaded Kindle Fire in celebration!! Woot!

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I thought since we all wrote novellas, I’d ask them to recommend some good novellas to you before you entered the Rafflecopter for a chance at the Kindle Fire. I know there are plenty of you out there that think there is no such thing as a good novella (because I used to be one of you.) 🙂

Erica Vetsch says:

My favorite Novella is The Christmas Candle by Mary Connealy. It’s part of the Candlelight Christmas Collection. I loved it/recommend it because 1) it was written by Mary Connealy and I love all her stuff. 2) I enjoyed the way Mary used the children to bring the adults together. 3) I love Christmas novellas. 🙂

Jennifer Uhlarik says:

My favorite novella (at this moment) is Regina Jennings’ An Unforeseen Match in the collection A Match Made in Texas.” I loved it because the heroine’s journey brought me to tears in a couple of places.

Gabrielle Meyer says:

The first novella I enjoyed was in an old Barbour collection The Schoolhouse Brides. It was Prairie Schoolmarm by Grote. The reason I enjoyed the story was because it was the first novella I ever read that felt like a complete story, with fully developed characters and plot. It was set on the Minnesota prairie and was inspired by a true story. Both of those elements also appealed to me.

Amanda Barratt says:

I haven’t read a great deal of novellas, but one that made me realize a novella could be just as intriguing as a full-length story, is Roseanna White’s Fairchild’s Lady. Probably the reason I enjoyed this novella so much is because it featured a minor character from Ring of Secrets and I was so excited to see this character get their happy ending. Plus, Roseanna’s amazing writing style always completely captures my attention, no matter how long the story. AND IT’S FREE!

Melissa Jagears says:

The Sweetest Gift by Mary Connealy in A Home for Christmas was the first novella I read that I said “This was as good as any full length book” after I finished reading it. A lovely short story based on Mary’s ancestors if I recall correctly. And the one by Robin Lee Hatcher in that same collection was really, really good too. It’s worth the $3! (And I second An Unforseen Match by Regina Jennings. Great kiss!)

Mona Hodgson says:

Meeting Her Match by Mary Connealy in the Match Made In Texas collection is a favorite. All four stories drew me in, but I loved seeing the tables turned on a busybody matchmaker.

I thought I’d put the print collection of A Match Made in Texas here since two of the favorites came from this one! 🙂

 

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Author Interview and Giveaway – Karen Witemeyer – A Worthy Pursuit

45 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Karen Witemeyer – A Worthy Pursuit

Who doesn’t love Karen’s whimsical covers? I remember seeing her first, A Tailor-Made Bride, and thought the cover itself told the story and I was so happy to have the inside story match the cute story on the cover. How many can’t wait to see if this cute cover is just as great? 🙂 Maybe you’ll win the AUTOGRAPHED copy! Hope you enjoy the interview!

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A Worthy Pursuit

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A Worthy Pursuit

A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan’s Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily’s mother she’d keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily’s legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he’s been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he’s ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte’s heart.

Karen’s WebsiteGreen High Resolution

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Questions about Karen’s Story

What inspired your story?

There is usually a single spark that get’s a book idea started. For A Worthy Pursuit, that spark was the idea of incorporating gifted children—child prodigies, each having a gift in a different field. And the one who doesn’t consider himself gifted ends up being the one who saves the day, proving he is, in fact, remarkable.
I also wanted to play with the idea of opposites attracting. So I chose a refined, educated headmistress who doesn’t trust men and paired her with a man of action and intrigue who practically walks off the pages of a dime novel. Charlotte has to learn to trust the man who was sent to destroy her in order to protect the children in her care, and Stone must dig deep to unearth the patience it will take to win the heart of the plucky woman he comes to admire.

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

All right. I admit it. The heroes in my books are always my favorites. I suppose it’s because I’m a romance reader first and foremost, so when I write, I create heroes that I, myself, would fall in love with if I was the reader. My philosophy is to write heroines that I wish I could be, and write heroes that make me fall in love with them.

So, in A Worthy Pursuit, Stone is my favorite. He was orphaned at a young age and forced to toughen up in order to survive. He found a career that suited his skills and became the best in the business. However, he’s not a shoot-first-ask-questions-later type of bounty hunter. In fact, he leaves the outlaw chasing business and hires himself out as a retriever in order to use his brain more than his gun. He’s intelligent enough to piece together clues to find things/people nobody else can find. And he’s a man of honor. That’s why when he finds Charlotte and the kids he’s open to hearing her side of the story instead of focusing solely on the paycheck at the end of the job.

He also woos Charlotte with a patience and gentleness that goes completely against his action-oriented nature. There is a scene where he takes her on a walk to watch the sun set, and the triumph he experiences when she finally relaxes enough against him to lay her head on his shoulder always makes me melt. His relentless yet patient pursuit wins not only Charlotte’s heart but mine as well.

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Questions about Karen’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

Mary Connealy writes books that are similar to mine. Western settings, cowboy heroes, late 1800s timeframe. She also incorporates a lot of action and humor into her stories that I really enjoy. In fact, I’m reading her latest right now. It’s called Now and Forever and features a rugged mountain man and a fearless sheep-raising heroine. I’m about a third of the way through and having a great time!

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

When I first started delving into Christian Historicals, Deeanne Gist was the first author to completely captivate me. She wrote fabulous romances that were rich in history and just a touch of lighthearted humor to keep me smiling. A Bride in the Bargain was my favorite of hers.

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Karen is giving away an autographed copy of her book and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of the three books mentioned above. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Author Interview and Giveaway – Carrie Fancett Pagels – The Christy Lumber Camp Series

54 Comments on Author Interview and Giveaway – Carrie Fancett Pagels – The Christy Lumber Camp Series

Carrie Fancett Pagels is such a wonderfully sweet lady who loves to recommend books to readers (as you’ll see by her long list of recommendations and praises for favorite authors below!) and I hope you’ll enjoy learning a bit about her lumberjack stories! SEVERAL Giveaways at the bottom, don’t miss out on your chance for some good reading!

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The Fruitcake Challenge

The Fruitcake Challege series cover canvaWhen new lumberjack, Tom Jeffries, tells the camp cook, Jo Christy, that he’ll marry her if she can make a fruitcake, “as good as the one my mother makes,” she rises to the occasion. After all, he’s the handsomest, smartest, and strongest axman her camp-boss father has ever had in his camp—and the cockiest. And she intends to bring this lumberjack down a notch or three by refusing his proposal. The fruitcake wars are on! All the shanty boys and Jo’s cooking helpers chip in with their recipes but Jo finds she’ll have to enlist more help—and begins corresponding with Tom’s mother.

Jo is ready to find another life outside of the camps and plans that don’t include any shanty boys. But will a lumberjack keep her in the very place she’s sworn to leave?

The Lumberjacks’ BallA decade after surviving a brutal attack, a mercantile owner’s daughter begins her life anew in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A gifted craftsman wishes to leave the lumber camp and seeks employment at her new store. When his presence dredges up memories she wishes to suppress, the proprietress must learn to face her past and open her heart. When complications arise, will they overcome adversity in time for The Lumberjacks’ Ball?

Carrie’s WebsiteCarrie+pro+headshot+B&W+pm

Carrie runs the Overcoming with God blog

Make sure you put that in your blog feed.

Lots of Book Reviews and Giveaways there!

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Questions about Carrie’s Story

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

Although my cousin’s wife, Jacqueline Williams (thank you Jackie!), told me that the Upper Peninsula was a bustling place, especially with hotels, during the turn of the century, I hadn’t realized that St. Ignace had become a vibrant small city with FOUR newspapers! So the smaller town that I pictured wasn’t correct. And even though I grew up near this town, and thought I knew our history in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, I did not realize.

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

YES!!! The original story was changed because I came across a lumberjack song that creeped me out. It was about a lumberjack going to a sweet young woman’s home, presumably his friend, taking her to the river and killing her. I’d had a different story in mind for The Lumberjacks’ Ball but when I came across that horrid song I added that information into this book.

 

Questions about Carrie’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

Serena B. Miller’s series set in Michigan, in particular The Measure of Katie Calloway

 

 

Deanne Gist’s lumberjack story A Bride in the Bargain

 

 

And Jody Hedlund’s lumberjack stories, but I’m coming at it from a softer and gentler approach than Jody did.

 

Which books got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

Bodie Thoene’s books, particularly the Zion series, from over 25 years ago.  My best friend, Libbie Cornett, suggested Bodie’s books to me when I was recovering from C-section with my daughter. I got hooked and I also suggested them to my mother-in-law, who loved their stories and writing. I tell Libbie and Bodie that it is their “fault” I gave up being a psychologist and became an author 😉 (There were other reasons, like RA, but I like to tease!) I DID think—wow I would LOVE to write like her!!! Some day, maybe…. We’ll see if God can get me anywhere in the same stratosphere with Bodie Thoene!

 

 

 

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.

 

Ohmygoodnessgraciousmeohmy – I read a novel by Michelle Griep this winter that made me want to STOP writing because it was so good. I will be honest, it was so beyond me that I couldn’t really grasp how or why is was so different from mine because I was so immersed plus I was constantly thinking, wow, how did she do that.  Maybe I’ll read it again and see.

 

Tamera Alexander’s stories have taught me about telling your story, the unique story that must be told.

 

Julie Lessman’s stories have taught me about romance and characterization.

 

Julie Klassen’s are about making your story a little quirky and writing outside of the box.

 

MaryLu Tyndall has an inclusive approach that I love—she includes characters who are different and sometimes difficult.

 

Serena B. Miller has it all and some set in the great North woods where I grew up!

 

Jen Turano has taught me that spunky isn’t totally out of my realm—The Fruitcake Challenge was a spunky story, and I think it went well!

 

Which was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it?

I just read a novella by Melissa Jagears that is part of a collection from Barbour. What I liked about it was that the characters were “mature”! I’d heard over and over you can’t have a hero and heroine over 35, and that is just ridiculous. So I was so thrilled with Melissa and Barbour for publishing a mature romance!

(Melissa says, Okay, I just have to say, if my next birthday throws me into the too mature to fall in love category…..stick a fork in me, I’m done!)

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Carrie’s been nice enough to help me pile on the Giveaways! She’s offering both books of her series in any format to a reader, Jen Turano’s After a Fashion in Paperback, MaryLu Tyndall’s A Veil of Pearls in paperback and I’m giving away winner’s choice of ebook of any of the books mentioned above. So FOUR winners. (If the winner chooses Carrie’s books, I’ll buy both if desired.) Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Also Carrie has a virtual tea party scheduled that you should check out.

The Tea Party on Colonial Quills is the third Friday in May (15th). The Facebook Party is at this link from 3-6 pm EST. At the FB party, we encourage our readers to post pictures of themselves in their favorite old fashioned party clothing or tea party gowns. We also post pictures of our settings, recipes, music that fits with our new releases, etc. Giveaways are over on the Colonial Quills blog, though. The FB party is the place where we go to show off our party shoes, etc.!

The blog party is at this link that same day, all day till 9 pm EST. To ENTER, visitors MUST comment on the Colonial Quills blog. http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-tea-party-most-eligible-bachelor.html

Author Interview – The Captive Imposter – Dawn Crandall

6 Comments on Author Interview – The Captive Imposter – Dawn Crandall

Today we get to meet Dawn Crandall and her newest book. There’s lots of buzz going for this series that has come out so quickly you didn’t have to wait very long to read them!

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The Captive ImposterIMG_3368 (683x1024)

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she’d always loved best and always hoped to own one day, Everston. The one thing she doesn’t like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can’t refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can’t deny the pull that’s evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she’s been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she’s with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she’s Estella Everstone? She’s not entirely sure.

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Questions about Dawn’s Story

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 had a certain character who I was certain was supposed to die during the course of the book… but when I tried to get past that point in the book while reworking the rough draft, she simply would not let me kill her off. I had to completely rethink things at the three-quarter mark since she wasn’t going to die after all. And now that she’s still alive for the end of the book, I’m planning to write a book about her in the future!

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.

My favorite chapters are 18-20 because although my heroine is determined NOT to allow the hero to know how much she’s falling for him (since she’s convinced by certain circumstances that they could never be together), something happens that leaves her a little incoherent, and she ends up telling him more of what was in her heart than she ever planned!

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

The mountain resort in The Captive Imposter (Everston) is loosely based on a hotel called Mt. Kineo House which used to set on a peninsula at the heart of Moosehead Lake in central Maine. I loved looking at www.baharris.org/historicpolandspring/MtKineo/MtKineo.htm since it included tons of old photos and even the floorplans of each floor! Before I started writing the book, my husband and I even went there on vacation and climbed Mt. Kineo (called Iron Mountain in the book). And for some reason, although I’ve climbed plenty of other mountains with my husband before that point, I was so very tired and worn out from that 1000ft trail up the mountain! It turned out that I was a week pregnant with my son!

Questions about Dawn’s Reading

Who is your favorite Christian Historical hero?

Carl von Reichert/Carl Richards (his Americanized alias) from A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle?

I would choose to sell Lori Benton’s books—her three-time Christy-winning debut novel, Burning Sky, her second book, The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, and her third which comes out later this month, The Wood’s Edge.

What Christian Historical Novel are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out?

I CANNOT WAIT to read Not by Sight by Kate Breslin!—her debut, For Such a Time, was one of my favorite books from 2014! I’m not even that huge of a WWII reader, but I just love her voice and the way the turns her novels take twist my heart!

 

What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now?

I haven’t had a huge amount of reading time lately, but I have The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen on my kindle, and I can’t wait to read it after so many of my readers have been mentioning it lately! I’d meant to start it earlier this year and never got around to it.

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Dawn’s has been nice enough to offer one ebook copy of The Captive Imposter. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

Also Dawn is hosting giveaways of her books and other new releases from author friends all through April. See her blog or Facebook author page for details.

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Author Interview – Sword of Forgiveness – Debbie Lynne Costello

22 Comments on Author Interview – Sword of Forgiveness – Debbie Lynne Costello

I’m excited to introduce you to Debbie Lynne Costello today because I certainly don’t think there are enough Medieval Christian books out there! (I love castles and knights 🙂 Make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of the interview!

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DebbieCostello_SwordOfForgiveness_200pxdebbielynneSword of Forgiveness

After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.

     Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim.

 

Questions about Debbie Lynne’s Story

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

I’d choose to by Royce. (Just for your information, I have no desire to be a man! But I love his spiritual arc).  Royce struggles with being forgiven. He doesn’t feel worthy. All he sees is his past failings and how they have hurt people. I love how he wants to be a good person but he does it for the wrong reasons. And then God opens Royce’s eyes and heart and he not only sees real forgiveness but accepts it.

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

Yes, while researching I learned more about John Wycliffe and his Lollards. The history behind Wycliffe and his dedicated followers was fascinating and not something I’d heard much about. As I researched more about the Lollards, I discovered that they believed that every man and woman should hear the word of God and sought to get God’s word to the people. That gave me the basis for Pater.

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

Joseph and Frances Gies have several wonderful books when researching medieval topics. I used several of their books, Life in a Medieval Castle, Life in a Medieval Village, and Daily Life in Medieval Times.  I used Marriage and the Family in the Medieval Ages by Gies to write the wedding scene along with the words that were used for the ceremony.

Question about Debbie Lynne’s Reading

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

Melanie Dickerson sets her stories in Medieval times, although most of hers are not set in England, she, like me, likes to have intrigue and danger included in her stories like The Princess Spy and her upcoming release The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest.

Which book got you hooked on reading Christian Historicals?

Wow, you are going to make me go back a few years here. I read a lot as a teenager, but then marriage and young children took so much of my time that reading other than my bible went to the wayside.  I was taking my daughter and her best friend to see my parents who lived 12 hours away and my daughter and her friend took turns reading to me to keep me awake. They read to me The Sword of Truth by Gilbert Morris.  I fell in love with the characters and the castles and everything historical. I was hooked.

If your job was to sell one author’s historical fiction (besides your own) which author’s wares would you want to peddle?

MaryLu Tyndall. There is never a dull moment in MaryLu’s books not to mention I love her heroes! They are all so flawed and yet so wonderful. I enjoyed her stories with danger around every corner so much that it really influenced that aspect of my writing. The Redemption, The Reliance, The Restitution, and The Ransom all are great page turners. And I can’t wait for her next installment in  Legacy of the King’s Pirates Series!

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Debbie Lynne has been nice enough to offer one ebook copy of Sword of Forgiveness. I’ll give away a copy of any book mentioned in the interview in ebook form. Enter the Rafflecopter below!

Also Visit Debbie Lynne’s Blog The Sword and the Spirit to enter the big contest she’s throwing for her release!

a Rafflecopter giveaway