Author Chat with Denise Weimer

Welcome to Stitches Thru Time, Denise.

Thank you for the invitation to join you today, Pegg! 

We’re excited about your new release, The Witness Tree. It’s set in the early 1800s in the southeastern states. What intrigues you about that time and place? 

Well, my past published novels have all been set in Georgia. I love to use my stories to highlight little-known lore about my home state. While I was poking about the Internet for inspiration for a new historical, I came across mention of the Moravian mission at Springplace, the school for children of Cherokee chiefs on the property of Chief James Vann. I had visited the Vann plantation as a child and even blogged about Moravian Christmas traditions, but I’d never realized the connection between the Moravians from Salem, North Carolina—a favorite weekend vacay spot of my parents, like a mini-Williamsburg—and the Vann house in Northwest Georgia.

Writing something set in the Federalist period was also new to me. My previous historicals have focused on either the Revolutionary War or Civil War/Reconstruction periods. Yet the fact that Northwest Georgia was Cherokee Territory in 1805 gives The Witness Tree more of an earlier frontier feel.

Not surprisingly for that setting, you have many Native American characters. That must have taken a lot of research to be both historically and culturally accurate. What resources did you use?

I used journal articles online and a stack of books, including some I picked up on my research trips to Olde Salem, the Vann House, and the Cherokee capital of New Echota. One was even a reprint of a late-1700s moral instruction manual for leaders in the Moravian church. But my main sources were History of the Moravian Missions Among Southern Indian Tribes of the United States (Rev. Edmund Schwarze, Ph.D., UNC) and the actual diaries written by the missionaries at Springplace, The Moravian Springplace Mission to the Cherokees: Volume 1, 1805-1813.

Many of the things that happen in The WitnessTree, such as the unusual earthquakes and the miraculous recovery of one of the Cherokee girls, were actual historical events. But it’s important to note that I consolidated these from about a ten-year timeframe into a single year. I did have to keep it under 90,000 words, after all. :)

What was the most surprising historical tidbit you found and incorporated into your book?

The progressive Cherokee chiefs sought education and advancement, but others feared that the ways of the white settlers would bring destruction. I think the thing that might surprise most people was how violently many Cherokees opposed the work of Sequoyah (or George Guess/Gist) on the first Cherokee alphabet. A troop of Georgia Cherokee Lighthorse had to rush to North Carolina to rescue him from a slow death by torture for witchcraft … for writing down the language. An 1811 Cherokee law mandated a civil trial before execution, allowing Sequoyah to prove the legitimacy of the syllabary.

The Moravians struggled to master the Cherokee language and expressed the desire to see it written down. This gave me the story idea: “What if one of the Moravians tried to do that? What would the backlash have been?”

Your hero and heroine are both Moravian. In a nutshell, tell our readers who the Moravians were.

I will try, although they were a complex group! We might burst out of the nutshell. :) 

The Moravians were a lesser-known sect of “plain people.” Originally known as Unity of the Brethren, the church had been in existence since a Bohemian priest, John Huss, was burned at stake in 1415 for challenging the authority and ethics of the Catholic Church. The Hussite churches were scattered, persecuted, and influenced by Pietism. Eventually, these people found refuge on the Saxon estate of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, where they practiced communal living. In 1727, revival broke out and led to the biggest thrust to date in Protestant missions.

The Moravians established trade and farming settlements in America intended to support mission work around the world and to the American Indians. At first, the men and women lived separately in “choirs,” but by the late 1700s, married people raised their families in individual households. However, they still brought major church and life decisions before the elders and “the lot.” After prayer, they would draw a slip of paper out a bowl or tube that read yes, no, or wait. They based this practice on biblical references in Numbers 33:54 and Acts 1:26. The outcome indicated the will of the God and was not to be challenged.

Rumor has it that you’ve also released a contemporary book recently. Tell us a little bit about that one.

Yes, Fall Flip released with Candlelight Romance earlier this month. It’s a great contemporary read with historical undertones for anyone who is a fan of Hallmark, HGTV, and second chance romances.

The tragic death of Shelby Dodson’s husband—her partner in a successful Home Network house flipping business—stole love, status, and career. Now a bungalow redesign thrusts Shelby into the company of a new contractor. Scott Matthews remembers high-and-mighty Shelby from high school, and her prissy, contemporary style goes against his down-to-earth grain. When the house reveals a mystery, will its dark secrets—and their own mistakes—cost a second chance at love?

How on earth are you juggling TWO releases this close together? Are you Superwoman? Do you have a matching cape and tights?

LOL. I agree, it’s kinda crazy! But when we found out both books would be releasing within a few months of each other, anyway, we (my managing editors at LPC and I) decided to tag team the releases. This way, readers have a choice—historical or contemporary. Or both!

Thank you for stopping by Stitches Thru Time, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Only that I’m doing the crazy again in March. I have a heart-warming athletic romance, Spring Splash, and a nail-nibbling romantic suspense novel, Traces, releasing together. Check out my web site for more info.

Thank you, readers, for stopping by today. I’d love to answer your questions below and connect with you on social media. There’s also one more day to hop over to Singing Librarian Books for a chance to win a massive Fall Flip or Witness Tree gift basket! (link)

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Author Chat with Sherrinda Ketchersid

Welcome, Sherrinda! We’re tickled to have you on Stitches Thru Time. And congratulations on your new release Lord of Her Heart!

I’m excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

Good! Let's just right in. Historical romance encompasses a huge range from Biblical era to the Vietnam War, but one of my personal favorites is the medieval period. Castles and chivalry, knights and kings, the occasional damsel in distress, it’s all fascinating. What prompted you to write in this era?

I think my love for medieval stories began when my dad drew pictures of knights and fair maidens for me and my sisters to color. He loved the era and even wrote a medieval fantasy novel published by Thomas Nelson. When I decided to fulfill my dream of writing a book, there was no question what era to write. Little did I know at the time, medieval stories were not ‘the rage’ in the Christian market. Thanks to my publisher, Smitten at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, who took a chance on my story, I will now see my dream of being published realized.

How fun is it that your dad had a medieval book out too? Speaking of the occasional damsel in distress, your heroine, Jocelyn, could have been one … and yet she’s not. How did you balance this take-charge lady with the constraints of that era?

Good question. Yes, it wasn’t easy for women in the middle ages, but the more you read into the history of the times, you find women who rose in prominence and did amazing things. What I love about Jocelyn is her love for her father and her memories of home drove her to face her fears, doing everything within her power to get home. The difficulty for me was to make Jocelyn likable in the midst of her fierce determination. She was a wee bit too sassy in the early draft. My hope is that I balanced Jocelyn’s kindness with her sass to where readers like her as much as I do.

No romance would be complete without a swoon-worthy hero and Malcolm certainly fits that mold. Why are readers going to fall in love with him?

I immediately want to ‘heave a sigh’, because Malcolm is every woman’s knight in shining armor. He knows his strength and abilities, but his focus on chivalry and his care of Jocelyn softens his warrior personality. I think what I love most about Malcolm is his sense of humor. While powerful in mind and body, he allows his humor out to play, which delights Jocelyn—and me—to no end.  I’d be remiss not to mention that he is a good kisser.

A good kisser goes a long way in a romance! There’s also a bit of a mystery in this romance as well as a really nasty person. I love a story with a good nasty in it! Let’s not give any spoilers, but tell us if you had fun writing this into the romance.

Boy, did I have fun writing my villain! In fact, I got so carried away with making her horrible, I had to tone her down. It was fun to think of ways my villain could frustrate Jocelyn, and I had trouble limiting the number of bad things my villain orchestrated. I was thinking of the evil Ursula in The Little Mermaid when I should have been thinking more in the line of the step-mother in Cinderella. Yes, the step-mother was mean, but not over the top crazy like Ursula. I had to learn to make the villain nasty, but believable.

Of course, we’re going to recommend that everyone read Lord of Her Heart! But I think this one would also appeal to the YA market. It’s a clean read, so mothers and grandmothers can feel good giving their teenage girls a copy … after they’ve read it, of course. ;)

Is there anything you’d like to share with our STT readers before you go?

If you haven’t read a medieval romance, I’d encourage you to try one! There are a few clean and Christian medieval authors out there, such as Tamara Leigh, Jody Hedlund, and Melanie Dickerson (just to name a few). It’s a fun time to explore and get lost in. Thanks for having me!

Thanks for stopping by and giving us the skinny on your book, Lord of Her Heart. I know our readers are going to want to connect with you, so we'll list your social media contacts here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrindaKetchersidAuthor/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sherrinda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrinda

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherrinda/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19022507.Sherrinda_Ketchersid

Website: https://www.sherrinda.com

Sunday Drive in the Country

My next release, coming April 20th, is set in 1888 where I grew up. The countryside of my childhood--dirt roads snaking through thick woods of pines, oaks, and cedars, wild blackberry bushes and plum trees. Hidden along the way were decaying barns and farm houses that invigorated my imagination.

Maybe you're old enough to remember when the family would pile into the car for a Sunday afternoon drive in the country. That experience is now lost, like the ghosts those old houses held. This old house reminded me of the abandoned farmhouse my family would stop by to gather black walnuts from the trees that stood in back. I think my sisters told me it was haunted to keep me from exploring, and it worked. I was sure the ghosts were watching us. Incidentially, the bobby pins of the era were useful for picking out the nuts, a tiresome chore, but goodness, how delicious were the black walnut cakes my mother baked.

Have you ever sucked the nectar from honeysuckles? I have. Not from the small vine flowers but the wild, tall bushes with large honeysuckles. Along one of the dirt roads was a field of such bushes, and we would pick huge bouquets. The stems were long and thick, and the flowers would last the whole week, filling the house with the sweet perfume.

Even during the heat of July, the thick woods kept the temperature cool and pleasant. We also stopped to harvest blackberries and plums, not only to eat our fill on the way home, but to make jams and jellies. None of the land was posted back during those days, and fortunately, the fruit bushes and trees grew close to the roads. One didn't venture too far into the woods during the summer because snakes were as prevalent as the berries.

I learned to drive a car on one of these dirt roads in a car that look like this one. You didn't have to worry about staying inside the lane of these roads. There was only one and the ditches were unforgiving.

The only way I could explore those old roads of my childhood was in my mind. The countryside has changed, the roads either closed or paved. All the old buildings torn down or fallen to dust on their own. It didn't matter, since my book is set a hundred years prior to the land I remember. But it still gave me a flavor of the setting. Be on the lookout for Escaped, Book 4 of Intrigue under Western Skies.

  Juliette Kendal has vowed to protect her siblings from their abusive step-father after their mother’s death. When she finds him attacking her younger sister, Annie, she accidentally kills him.  

  Jake Gresham is known as a fun-loving, careless cowboy, as good at finding trouble as he is roping cattle. So far, he’s managed to avoid God and decent women. But on a scouting trip for his boss, he steps in a bear trap in a South Georgia swamp. Facing certain death changes his outlook, and Juliette, who fights tenaciously to save his life, changes his opinion of women.

  When Jake asks Juliette to marry him and take her family with him when he returns to his Nebraska ranch, she sees it as an escape. But she can’t marry Jake without confessing to him and God the secret buried in her backyard.

Author Chat with Jennifer Uhlarik about Sand Creek Serenade

Jennifer Uhlarik, welcome to Stitches Thru Time! Jennifer is a multi-published author who has just released her first full-length novel, Sand Creek Serenade, with Smitten Historical Romance.

What inspired you to write a historical romance with the backdrop of the Sand Creek Massacre, an admittedly dark blot in U.S. history?

I’d like to joke here and say it was my own stupidity, but the truth is I stumbled into this story without knowing fully what I was getting into at first. I’d been asked to put together a novella idea for a collection themed with “women working in men’s jobs.” So I immediately came up with the idea for a female doctor in the 1800s. Then, I started looking for a circumstance that would allow her to really dive into her medical practice—something big. Late one night, I read a very cursory paragraph or so about the Sand Creek Massacre and jotted it down into my brainstorming notes. Immediately, I found my hero—a Cheyenne brave—and went to bed. Overnight, my mind was alive with ideas. But later, as I dug further into the research on the massacre, I began to realize just how horrific it was—and how wrong my initial perceptions were about the events. No story about a massacre is “light” reading—but the circumstances of this event are so very tragic and unbelievable. The more I read, the more my heart broke. I debated scrapping the project because—how on earth could I convey the gravity of this tragedy in a 20,000-word novella?—but instead, I opted to expand this from novella to full-length novel. That would allow me the opportunity to write a more thorough depiction of the historical events and the characters’ feelings about them. And I hope that, in that process, I not only shed some light on the history of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people but maybe inject a touch of hope into that piece of American history as well as whatever tragic circumstances readers of this story may be facing in their own lives. There is hope, no matter what we’re facing, and that’s what I wanted to convey.

Hope is eternal, is it not? Tell us why readers will love your hero.

Oh, goodness. Five Kills is…where to start? He’s charmed me, and I’m the author! LOL Five Kills is a half-Cheyenne/half-white man who stands caught with one foot in each world. He was raised for his first 10 years with his parents in a white settlement, then left there and lived with the Cheyenne for the next 15 years. He has fond memories of his life with his white father, but he’s also embraced his life among the Cheyenne. From each culture, he’s learned honesty, morals, strength of will. He’s kind, caring, and protective, with a gentlemanly streak that I hope is going to set readers’ hearts a-flutter. Not to mention he’s tall, lean, and handsome—with a quick wit and a charming smile.

What's not to like there? Now tell us why readers will sympathize with your heroine.

Sadie is an interesting young woman. Raised by her widower father, who was a doctor, she latched onto the stories of how the medical practice brought he and Sadie’s mother (a nurse—and the daughter of the doctor under which Sadie’s father apprenticed) together. Since she’d lost her mother before she ever had a chance to know her, medicine is a way to be close to both her parents. And her father was forward-thinking enough to allow her to pursue her passion, in spite of the culture telling them such things were wrong for a young lady. Sadie has enough strength of character to buck the tides and follow her heart, no matter what anyone might say. Sometimes that trait gets her into trouble, but it’s also what helped her become a woman doctor and embrace the life she must pursue.

That sounds like a pair anyone would enjoy reading about. The U.S. and Native American conflicts—past and present—are a very touchy subject for many. How difficult was it to balance the true history with today’s views of our history?
I know there’s a big push by some in our country today to rewrite or whitewash the history books and try to make the historical record exonerate some groups of all guilt while heaping all the blame on others. The truth is—history lies between these two poles. No one is all good. No one is all bad. Maybe I should have been more concerned about this delicate balance while I wrote the story, but I didn’t really worry about it. My plan all along was to stick to the facts—the historical record of what transpired—and not to fudge those lines any more than I had to in order to make the story work. To my great surprise, I was able to craft a fictional story around the history without really changing anything major. In any of the minor spots where I did have to adjust the timeline or historical facts to fit, I made sure to mention those adjustments in my author’s note with my reasons for the change. I’m sure there are going to be those who read Sand Creek Serenade and think I’ve committed an unspeakable act because I didn’t depict one group as wholly evil and the other wholly good. That was never my intention because it is not the truth. There’s only ever been one Man to walk the earth who was wholly good with no spot or blemish—Jesus Christ. The rest of us fall far short of that mark, and so I did my utmost to convey the facts of this history while telling a compelling fictional story with a happily-ever-after romance. I can only ask—and hope—that readers will set aside their preconceived notions, read the story without any bias one way or the other, and let the story and research speak for itself.

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list numerous times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

  

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferUhlarikAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferUhlarik

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenuhlarik/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferuhlarik/

Website: www.jenniferuhlarik.com

Author Chat with J'nell Ciesielski about Songbird and the Spy

Welcome to Stitches Thru Time, J'nell! We're all excited to see your second book that released this week, Songbird and the Spy.

What is it about the WWII era that inspired you to write about it?

I’ve always loved the WWII, mainly for the clothes and music. It was the perfect expression for both (in fact I’m listening to some WWII tunes as I type this). The U.S. was heavily involved in this war and its history surrounds us. I was completely drawn to the way citizens pulled together in the name patriotism to overcome horrific circumstances. The idea for Songbird came to me after watching a movie with a British soldier who posed as a Nazi to spy for the Allies. One of his rendezvous happened in this little French bar, and I thought aha! Now that would be interesting. Could a woman fall in love with the enemy and what would that look like? The story would be ripe for drama!

Why will readers love your hero?

Captain Michael Reiner is a man of principle. He’s loyal, courageous, disciplined within an inch of his life, yet incredibly passionate when it’s a cause that speaks to his heart. In this case, Claire. Michael is the man you want when everything goes wrong because he won’t let you down. No matter what, this man persists and will face evil itself to protect those he loves.

Why will readers sympathize with your heroine?

Claire is an ordinary woman from an ordinary family, and of all my heroines I think she’s most like me. She’s not overly daring, but there’s courage when the time calls for it. She may not have all the answers, but she doesn’t give up. At the end of the day, she wants a small home with the man she loves and the two of them can listen to records as the sun sets. What could be better than that?

What did you learn while writing this book that surprised you?

I learned that I could never be a spy. I mean, I wouldn’t make it past the first day because my face gives away absolutely everything. Secretly, I’ve held dreams of doing and being something daring, but in reality, I’d be the worst. The lies would get mixed up, the anxiety would explode under pressure, and I’d sing like a canary.

On a more serious note, the men and women who signed up for spying often didn’t last very long in the field. Spying was incredibly dangerous work and if you made it past a year, you were considered beyond lucky. To this day, many of these brave souls’ files are still under top-secret classification because of the amount of danger they discovered.

Your first book, Among the Poppies, was set during WWI. Songbird and the Spy is set during WWII. Where is your next book taking you?

My favorite place in the whole wide world! Scotland! Night Fox takes readers to 1716 at the end of the Jacobite rebellion, where the weary hero is returning home from war only to discover a thief creating chaos on his lands. But this thief isn’t like any others. When she set out to steal jewels to repay her family debts, never did our heroine imagine snagging the laird’s heart.

This novella will be coming out later this year in a Smitten collection with three other authors, so be on the lookout!

Follow J'nell on her Amazon author page!

Birthday Bash Interview & Book Giveaway with Ann Gabhart

Welcome, Ann! We're so glad you could stop by for our Birthday Bash! What is your most recent book birthday?

River to Redemption had a July 3, 2018 book birthday. Almost a 4^th of July book. A book making it out into the reading world is always an exciting time for its author.

The inspiration for River of Redemption was a true event that happened in Springfield, Kentucky, during the 1833 cholera epidemic. A slave named Louis, who was unaffected by the disease, put aside any personal desires for freedom to bury the fifty-five cholera victims in Springfield after all who could had fled town to escape the disease. Years later when Louis was to be sold by his owner’s heirs, the town of Springfield collected money to buy his freedom because of what he’d done during the cholera epidemic. My story is a fictional account wrapped around that nugget of true history of how that might have happened. The story begins with a young girl losing her family to the epidemic and being cared for by Louis. Adria Starr never forgets what Louis did for her and is determined to find a way to free him, but in 1840s Kentucky, she needs all the courage and strength she possesses and more.

Oh, wow. That sounds like a great story! If Adria Starr was invited to our birthday party, would she come? What would she bring?

Adria would come if she didn’t have to work at Billiter’s Mercantile Store that day. She’d probably bring an attitude and maybe her soapbox since she has strong and often unpopular opinions about women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. However, since her aunt Ruth sells baked goods to supplement her schoolteacher income, she could bring some delicious sugar cookies or perhaps a yellow cake with caramel icing.   

Yellow cake is a favorite! If we asked Adria to sing us a happy birthday song, what would happen?

She wouldn’t sing the traditional happy birthday song we know that is attributed to two Louisville sisters who wrote the song in 1893. However, I’m sure Adria has a lovely voice, and she’d be glad to sing a special song to the birthday person. Perhaps it would be one her aunt Ruth wrote since besides being a schoolteacher and a baker, she loved writing verse. A verse written with the birthday person in mind might be something Adria could sing.

How interesting that her aunt was so accomplished. Now let's switch to Ann Gabhart. What was your most memorable birthday? Why?

My 33^rd birthday was memorable for two reasons. One was a very sad reasons since three days before my birthday, my sister-in-law was killed in a freak accident when a gate broke off of a horse trailer instantly killing the driver of a pickup truck that then crossed the median and collided with the car my sister-in-law, who was nine months pregnant, was riding in to the doctor. She and her unborn baby boy were killed by the collision. So you can imagine how terribly sad that birthday was as I attended her and her baby’s funeral.

Frankie - Ann's current canine companion.

But that birthday was memorable for a happier reason as well. I had always talked about how I loved this little cocker spaniel my aunt had for a brief time when I was around eight. My aunt had to give it away since it killed chickens, but I did love that little dog. So all those many years later, my husband decided to surprise me with a cocker spaniel pup. We didn’t have much money at the time so he sold his class ring that he loved to wear to get the money to buy the pup. Of course, he couldn’t know the tragic events that were to happen before my birthday, but that little pup was a gift of love that helped get me through a very sad time.  

I can't imagine and shock and sorrow of losing a family member like that, but your husband's sacrifice was so touching. Wow. You married a keeper for sure. Now let's shoot off some questions in our Rapid Fire Round:

Birthday cake or Ice Cream?

Both please, but if I have to choose, let’s make it strawberry ice cream.

Streamers or confetti poppers?

The only time I’ve had birthday decorations was when I turned fifty and my church threw a surprise birthday party for me with a black cake and black streamers.

Do you like surprise parties?

I’ve only had that one actual birthday party that my church family hosted for me, so I guess the answer is yes.

Books or gift cards?

A gift card to a bookstore would be perfect.

Wrap up questions:

Where can readers find you online?

You can always find out more about my books by visiting my website, www.annhgabhart.com where you can also read my blog posts on One Writer’s Journal and the Heart of Hollyhill. I enjoy interacting with readers on Facebook, www.facebook.com/anngabhart and Twitter, www.twitter.com/AnnHGabhart. You can see book research pins and more at https://www.pinterest.com/annhgabhart or check out my Goodreads profile at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/311723.Ann_H_Gabhart.

  

Anything else you’d like to share?

I do like celebrating a new book birthday, and I like those getting older birthdays too, even my own which is coming up soon. These days they all seem to come up soon instead of taking forever the way they did when I was anxious to go from twelve to thirteen so I could be a teenager. Now I don’t bother counting up the years and just enjoy the gift of a new year coming my way. One thing about getting older, you sometimes get to add a few grandkids into the family. Those grandkid birthdays are always fun times. I hope you have many fun things to celebrate in your life. 

And now a question for your Stitches Thru Time readers: What do you like best about birthdays? Leave your answer and email address in a comment to be in a drawing to win a copy of my book, River to Redemption.

Thank you so much for being with us and for offering this wonderful giveaway to one lucky reader! 

New Release, The Captain's Challenge

Ever since I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time I wanted to write my own civil war story, but what I was most interested in was the aftermath. So many mistakes were made by North and South. The hatred was even worse than during the war. If Lincoln had lived, things would probably have been different.

But history is what it is. The truth isn’t going to change by those who wish to rewrite the story.

My new release, The Captain’s Challenge, set in three major Georgia cities (modern-day Savannah pictured here) is my take on some of the conflicts experienced by those living in the post-civil war South. I’ve rewritten this story more times than any story I’ve written, but the central theme of love overcoming hate remains the same.

This is Book 3 in the Wolf Deceivers series, but it’s really a stand-alone story. Like Books 1 and 2, the hero and heroine must expose a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is romance with a heavy dose of suspense. It’s my hope that everyone reading The Captain’s Challenge understands how God can bring enemies together and defeat hate with love.

To celebrate the STT Birthday Bash, I’m offering an e-book copy of The Captain’s Challenge. Any comment will win. To spur you on, tell us your favorite civil-war book or movie.

Gillian Carey has spent the last eight years studying music in England. During that time, the American civil war has claimed two brothers and her mother. Another brother is still missing. She returns to her Georgia home and a dangerous world with her family hiding secrets and her father a broken and brooding man. She turns to Alex Blaine, a union captain, rooming in her ancestral home, to find her missing brother, not realizing Alex is investigating her father for insurrection.

An army intelligence officer, Alex, is on a dangerous assignment to identify anarchists responsible for the unrest in post-civil war Georgia, and all clues lead to Gillian’s father. Alex is attracted to the spirited redhead, but he has secrets of his own other than his army mission. He may have been responsible for her missing brother’s death.

As Alex races against time to expose an enemy bent on starting another war, Gillian is torn between her loyalty to her family and her growing love for the handsome captain. Is he worthy of her trust, or will he betray her as others have?

***FREEBIE ALERT*** Book 1 of this series, The Chieftain's Choice, is free on Amazon now through Aug 19. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP39G5D

What's in a Series

Happy Friday STT friends. I’m celebrating a new release in one of my series, and it occurred to me some might want to know how to distinguish one type of series from the other. Sometimes, it isn’t easy to tell.

A series is connected by some common element. It might be a setting, the characters, or a theme. An episodic series is one where a story moves from one episode to another. It can end in a cliff-hanger or not, but either way, you have to read the entire series to get the whole story.

My new release is Revealed, Book 3 in Intrigue under Western Skies. The series is connected by setting, characters and theme. The story begins in Charleston, SC, but quickly moves to a fictional town in Nebraska, where the other books are set. Each book has a different plot, and each story can stand alone, but it adds to the reading enjoyment if the books are read in order. Of course, different readers have different taste. I’ve even heard of readers who read the ending of a book first.

I have two books out in another series, The Wolf Deceivers. It isn’t connected by either characters or setting. Each plot is a suspense that carries the theme of the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. It doesn’t matter which book is read first.

Some series have prequel books, usually a novella. I got carried away with the prequel for Intrigue under Western Skies, and wrote three novellas. And the boxset of all three is FREE today through Jan 14. It contains background information about Carianne Barlow, the heroine of the first two books in IUWS, although the novellas are about her three friends who become mail-order brides.

 https://www.amazon.com/Annex-Mail-Order-Brides-Prequel-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B01NBH8SPR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481300121&sr=8-1 &keywords=elaine+manders 

Also, I’ll be giving away an ebook copy of Revealed to one commenter today. If you are an author, do you prefer to write series or stand-alone books. If you’re a reader, which type book do you prefer and why? 

Katherine Levinson and her gravely ill mother face eviction, and she has no choice but to appeal to the brother she’s never seen, the famous cattle baron, Rhyan Cason. Over her gravely ill mother’s objections, they move to Nebraska and the sprawling cattle ranch, Sollano. 

They are met with whispers and scorn in the little prairie town near Sollano. Gradually, the sins of her parents’ past surface, and Katherine begins to doubt her very identify. With her brother busy with cattle rustlers and her mother too ill to be bothered, Katherine turns to Colt Holliman, a soft-spoken neighboring rancher, for comfort.

Then unexpected danger strikes, testing Katherine's and Colt's trust in themselves and in God.

Swords, Matchmakers and Annoying Scotswomen with Debbie Lynne Costello #bookgiveaway

Today I'm excited to welcome back to the blog a friend and blogging buddy of mine!

Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

Welcome Debbie Lynne! We're so glad you could visit us today. Tell us about your newest release.

Hey Amber. Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m super excited about my first novella, Sword of the Matchmaker. For those of you who have read Sword of Forgiveness, you’ll be revisiting Hawkwood and many of people there, including Royce, Brithwin, Jarren, and Thomas. Thomas is about to find himself the object of Brithwin’s attention and he is none too happy about it. The lady of Hawkwood has decided that Thomas needs a wife and when Penelope, a Scottish warrior lass shows up, Brithwin decides she’s the perfect woman for Thomas. The problem is neither are looking for a mate, and the last thing Thomas wants is a woman who fights alongside of him.

Where did the inspiration for your story come from? 

I fell in love with Thomas when writing Sword of Forgiveness. He was in his mid-thirties, and had looked after Brithwin like a father would since he was barely a man. He never married even though he had such a love of family. I felt he needed his own story and happily-ever-after.

What is your main character’s greatest fear?

I’ll tell you about Penelope since most of this post is about Thomas. Penelope’s greatest fear is letting people down. She has a warrior’s spirit and wants to be a protector and defender to anyone needing it. That spirit instills in her the desire to be all things to all people, something that she finds is not possible.

What was the most fun thing about writing this story?

I loved revisiting all my old characters. Sword of Forgiveness was such a fun book to write and being able to go back and continue their story, highlighting Thomas, was more fun than someone should have. ;o)

How does your faith and spirituality work in with your writing? 

It would be impossible to separate the two. My faith and walk with the Lord is who I am and I hope that He shines through me. Because I write for Him, I pray that He will give me the words and the spiritual thread that He wants me to write. I pray that He is glorified with each book I write. I want my stories to be natural and not feel like I am trying to push something. Because God is not something that needs to be pushed. He is a beautiful gift and I want everyone to see that!

An author after my own heart. What is your favorite thing about writing Historical Romance?

You mean beside it being historical and romance? ;o) Seriously! I love history. It is so fascinating to me how people thought and lived. But I also love romance. I married my high school sweetheart and live with my very own hero. I just can’t imagine my life without romance.

What are you working on next? 

I am super excited to be working on the sequel to Sword of Forgiveness. I don’t want to give any spoilers here so let’s just say if you read the book then you can guess who my next hero is. Expect more surprises in the sequel, Sword of Trust.

Very interesting. Loving the sword theme. Thank you so much for being with us! 

Thank you, so much for having me on your blog! It’s been fun answering your questions and I look forward to chatting with your followers. 

GIVEAWAY:

I’m giving away a copy of Sword of the Matchmaker (if you have purchased the book you can choose one of my other books). Leave a comment or answer one of the questions I’ve asked or ask me a question to be entered.

PLUS

Don’t forget to enter in the rafflecopter, too! There will be lots of ways to earn points. I’ll be giving away a kindle fire with Sword of the Matchmaker, $15 Amazon gift card and much more!

 
The next stop on the blog your will be at Brenda Anderson Books on Tuesday, June 20th, so don't miss out on the fun!

http://brendaandersonbooks.com/blog/

a Rafflecopter giveaway