Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Amy Anguish

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Amy Anguish

Linda:  Welcome back and congratulations on your latest release, Faith and Hope. What was your inspiration for the story?

Amy: This story started from a simple question. What would happen if two grown sisters who didn’t get along were forced to spend the summer together?

LM: What a loaded question. Sounds intriguing! You recently returned from a writer’s retreat. How did that impact you and your writing?

Amy: This was my second year to attend, and I am planning to go every year from now on. It’s amazing to be surrounded by other authors whose brains work similar to yours. The setting was gorgeous, too, which left us all relaxed. And it actually inspired me to write a novel this summer that I hadn’t planned on for a while.

LM: In addition to being an author, you are a wife and mother. How do you juggle all your responsibilities?

Amy: Sometimes it’s easier than others. I’m blessed in that my children still nap most days, which gives me several hours in the afternoons to work. I also have a husband who is understanding and knows sometimes I will work in the evening, too. And he’s a teacher, so he is home more often than a lot of other jobs would make him. That helps, too. And I try to stick with a schedule most days, because that keeps things from overwhelming me.

LM: What do you do to prepare yourself for writing? For example do you listen to music or set up in a specific place?

Amy: I don’t really do anything except sit in my chair and open my laptop to wherever I left off the day before. I guess the most preparation I do, is that I think about my story as I try to fall asleep at night so I can have a better idea of where I want the next scene to go when I can write the next day.

LM: What is the quirkiest thing you’ve ever done?

Amy: Put pink streaks in my hair.

LM: Here are some quickies:

Favorite season: Fall

Favorite Bible verse: Isaiah 3:5-6

Favorite Actor or Actress: Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant

LM: What is your next project?

Amy: I’m editing a couple of stories now with hopes of getting them sent to publishers before the end of the year to try and get them contracted. I have another one contracted to come out next September. And I’m going to try my hand at writing a Christmas romance during Nanowrimo in November. That sounds like quite a bit, doesn’t it?

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Amy: My website is http://abitofanguish.weebly.com and my Facebook page is http://facebook.com/amyanguishauthor. I’m doing some fun things on there right now so definitely come check it out!

About Faith and Hope:

Two sisters. One summer. Multiple problems.

Younger sister Hope has lost her job, her car, and her boyfriend all in one day. Her well-laid plans for life have gone sideways, as has her hope in God.

Older sister Faith is finally getting her dream-come-true after years of struggles and prayers. But when her mom talks her into letting Hope move in for the summer, will the stress turn her dream into a nightmare? Is her faith in God strong enough to handle everything?

For two sisters who haven't gotten along in years, this summer together could be a disaster ... or it could lead them to a closer relationship with each other and God. 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/31RhrHv

Wartime Wednesday: Lemon Refrigerator Pie

Wartime Wednesday:  Lemon Refrigerator Pie

I love to bake, but my schedule doesn’t always allow me to indulge. The recipe below is a “no-bake” pie, cutting down on preparation time. I found it in my Better Meals in Wartime cookbook. Surprisingly, it uses three (3) eggs which sometimes were difficult to find unless you lived on a farm. It’s easy and delicious. Enjoy!

11 Graham crackers

3 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Juice of 3 lemons

Grated rind of 3 lemons

2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Great a large pie plate. Place the crackers on the bottom and fill the sides and spaces with broken pieces and crumbs, bringing them well up to the edge of the pie plate.

Separate yokes and whites of eggs. Beat the yolks well and add the milk, juice and rind. Pour mixture into the pie plate.

Beat the whites until stiff and fold into sugar. Spread lightly over the pie. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown the “meringue.” Put pie in refrigerator and chill for at leave five hours.

__________________________

Love's Allegiance: Now available!

With most U.S. boys fighting for Uncle Sam in far off countries, Rochelle Addams has given up hope for a wedding in her future. Then she receives an intriguing offer from a distant relative to consider a marriage of convenience.

Conscientious objector Irwin Terrell is looking forward to his assignment at Shady Hills Mental hospital to minister to the less fortunate in lieu of bearing arms. At the arrival of the potential bride his father has selected for him, Irwin’s well-ordered life is turned upside down. And after being left at the altar two years ago, he has no interest in risking romance again.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof to Rochelle, Irwin is drawn to the enigmatic and beautiful young woman, but will time run out before his wounded heart can find room for her?

Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose beliefs were at odds with a world at war.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2KCMyke

Wartime Wednesday: Florida Slaw for Six

Wartime Wednesday: Florida Slaw for Six

With the “dog days of summer” upon us, the thought of turning on the stove or the oven is probably not your idea of a good time. Next week, I’ll be posting a no-bake dessert, but this week I’m sharing a side dish that is a great accompaniment to just about any entrée. I’m visiting my dad who lives in Florida, so I was pleased when I found this recipe.

Did you know the word cole slaw comes from the Dutch “koolsla” meaning cabbage salad? The anglicization of the word came as far back as the middle of the 18^th century. According to Wikipedia, the original recipe was found in a 1770 Dutch cookbook whose author gives credit to his landlady. Too bad we didn't get her name!

As I read the recipe name, I wondered what made this particular dish Floridian, so I did a bit of poking around. The recipes I found claiming to be Florida slaw were nothing like the one below and most included lime juice (a nod to its tropical climate, I suppose), so perhaps the origins of  this “old time favorite” as my cookbook Better Meals in Wartime touts will remain a mystery unless one of you can shed some light! Meanwhile, enjoy!

4 Cups cabbage, shredded fine

½ green pepper, minced

¼ Cup minced sweet pickle

1 Tablespoon mustard

¼ Cup vinegar

½ Cup thin cream

1 Tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Shake of pepper

Mix the cabbage with the green pepper and pickles. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cabbage. Toss slaw thoroughly and chill. Serve “as is” or with lettuce lining the salad bowl.

______________________________

Love’s Allegiance:

With most U.S. boys fighting for Uncle Sam in far off countries, Rochelle Addams has given up hope for a wedding in her future. Then she receives an intriguing offer from a distant relative to consider a marriage of convenience.

Conscientious objector Irwin Terrell is looking forward to his assignment at Shady Hills Mental hospital to minister to the less fortunate in lieu of bearing arms. At the arrival of the potential bride his father has selected for him, Irwin’s well-ordered life is turned upside down. And after being left at the altar two years ago, he has no interest in risking romance again.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof to Rochelle, Irwin is drawn to the enigmatic and beautiful young woman, but will time run out before his wounded heart can find room for her?

Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose beliefs were at odds with a world at war.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2KCMyke

Traveling Tuesday: Florida and WWII

Traveling Tuesday: Florida and WWII

I’m visiting my dad this week, so I thought it would be fun to delve into Florida’s association with WWII.

Like many other U.S. states, Florida sprang into action immediately after the attack at Pearl Harbor. Thousands of young men rushed to enlist. As uniformed service became available to women, they signed up too. Eventually, over 250,000 Floridians would serve.

It wasn’t long before the military showed up in force. Because of Florida’s warm climate and vast amounts of vacant land, it was an ideal location for military bases. The number of military installations increased from eight to 175! At 180,000 acres, Camp Blanding became the state’s fourth largest city and housed 55,000 soldiers. Naval stations were reactivated in Key West, Tampa, Valparaiso, and Pensacola. In addition, there were forty airfields that trained pilots and crews, including one in Pensacola where Jimmy Doolittle and his crew trained for their dramatic raid on Japan.

Overcrowding on the bases became a problem, so the military took over hotels and resorts for housing and in some cases, hospitals. With the tourism industry at a crawl during the war, perhaps the facilities were glad to have the business. Three years into the war, Florida became a popular destination for soldiers on furlough.

Shipyards in Tampa, Panama City, Pensacoloa, and Jacksonville produced Liberty ships, and in Dunnedin, amphibious vehicles were designed and manufactured. Even landlocked Orlando built 9,000 assault boats. At one point, Florida considered changing its nickname from The Sunshine State to The Steel State. The citrus industry boomed and surpassed California in production for the first time during the crop year of 1942-43. Shortly thereafter, citrus growers patented the process to make concentrated orange juice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized the temporary importation of 75,000 Bahamians and Jamaicans to work in south Florida fields.

In the early days of the war more than twenty-four ships were sunk off Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, so the “Mosquito Fleet” (the fast wooden PT boats used by the Navy) was created to patrol Florida’s coastline to help eliminate the threat of submarines. Thousands of volunteers were also trained to keep track of air activity.

Folks on the home front “did their bit” by collecting scrap and holding “money drives” to help build ships and planes. Victory gardens flourished (Tampa officials estimate 10,000 gardens in their city alone), and people learned to do more with less.

_______________________________

Love's Allegiance

With most U.S. boys fighting for Uncle Sam in far off countries, Rochelle Addams has given up hope for a wedding in her future. Then she receives an intriguing offer from a distant relative to consider a marriage of convenience.

Conscientious objector Irwin Terrell is looking forward to his assignment at Shady Hills Mental hospital to minister to the less fortunate in lieu of bearing arms. At the arrival of the potential bride his father has selected for him, Irwin’s well-ordered life is turned upside down. And after being left at the altar two years ago, he has no interest in risking romance again.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof to Rochelle, Irwin is drawn to the enigmatic and beautiful young woman, but will time run out before his wounded heart can find room for her?

Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose beliefs were at odds with a world at war.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2KCMyke

Release Day!

Release Day!

Love's Allegiance (Wartime Brides, Book 4) is Now Available

for the special price of $0.99 for a limited time.

With most U.S. boys fighting for Uncle Sam in far off countries, Rochelle Addams has given up hope for a wedding in her future. Then she receives an intriguing offer from a distant relative to consider a marriage of convenience.

Conscientious objector Irwin Terrell is looking forward to his assignment at Shady Hills Mental hospital to minister to the less fortunate in lieu of bearing arms. At the arrival of the potential bride his father has selected for him, Irwin’s well-ordered life is turned upside down. And after being left at the altar two years ago, he has no interest in risking romance again.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof to Rochelle, Irwin is drawn to the enigmatic and beautiful young woman, but will time run out before his wounded heart can find room for her?

Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose beliefs were at odds with a world at war.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon

Kobo

Apple Books

Barnes & Noble

Wartime Wednesday: Oberlin and the Civil War

Wartime Wednesday: Oberlin and the Civil War

Statistics vary, but suffice to say there are 4,000 to 5,000 colleges and universities in the United States, so it’s not possible to know about all of them. Thanks to Tamera Krafts Ladies of Oberlin series, I now know about Oberlin College, originally Oberlin Collegiate Institute.

Located about forty miles southwest of Cleveland and approximately ten miles from Lake Erie, Oberlin has a fascinating history. Founded in 1833 by two Presbyterian ministers in response to what they saw as the immoral West, the town began as a religious community and a training facility for missionaries. It is named for the Alsatian minister Johann Friedrich Oberlin who taught in poor areas in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

The school was chartered a year later with a motto of “Learning and Labor,” and the first class had four students. Oberlin is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the U.S. and the second oldest continuously operation coeducational institute of higher learning in the world. Its conservatory is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the U.S. In 1835, Oberlin was one of the first colleges to admit African Americans, and two years later the first to admit women.

Abolitionist and preacher Charles Finney was named president in 1850, and he served until 1866. Under his leadership the college’s faculty and students increased their activity in the abolitionist movement. Oberlin was a key stop in the Underground Railroad.

As most of you know, I’m an avid reader of historic fiction. I love the combination of entertainment and education. Tamera Kraft’s novel Lost in the Storm does both. Here is my review:

This is the second in the Ladies of Oberlin series, but the book was easily read as a stand-alone. I am well-versed in the Civil War era, yet I was unaware of how the history of Oberlin College fit into this period. I have greatly enjoyed my journey through time learning about this intriguing segment. I loved Lavena. She was spunky and sassy without acting modern, and she was very relatable as she tried to forge her way in a man’s industry (journalism). She plowed ahead, and had realistic responses when things went awry, but took her commitment to getting the story seriously and continued on despite fear and trepidation. Cage is a wonderful hero, a fascinating mix of integrity, confidence, and doubt as he struggled with past issues. I loved his relationship with the Chaplain (who I hope gets his own book!). The author has obviously done her research which enriches the story with societal, cultural and colloquial references. Highly recommended.

I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy from the author. A positive review was not required, and all opinions are my own.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2H13HSk

Yowza! All the Books! Giveaway Final Winners

Yowza! All the Books! Giveaway Final Winners

Congratulations to Lucy Reynolds who is yesterday's winner of the Yowza! All the Books! giveaway. You have won an autographed copy of Linda Shenton Matchett's latest release Love's Allegiance (Wartime Brides, book 4). Check your email for official notification and instructions!

Drum roll, please!

The GRAND PRIZE winner of all TWELVE books is...

Jennifer K.

Congratulations, Jennifer. Please check your email for official notification and instructions!

Thank you to everyone who participated! We appreciate your support.

Yowza! All The Books, Day 12: Linda Shenton Matchett

Linda Shenton Matchett

Love’s Allegiance (Wartime Brides, Book 4)

Congratulations, Connie Saunders! You are yesterday's winner of Yowza! All the Books! giveaway! You have won an autographed copy of Nancy Farrier's "The Ranchero's Gift." Watch your email for official notification and instructions!

I’ve been scribbling stories since I was seven or eight years old after my folks gave me a notepad and package of pens and told me to write to my heart’s content. They kept me supplied in paper for years. I even published a family newspaper called The Good Times. (Long before self-publishing was a thing. HA!) I stole the New York Times’ motto of “All the News That’s Fit to Print,” and held all the jobs of columnist, weather girl, and editor.

A voracious reader, I was about thirteen years old when I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and decided I wanted to write and publish stories that affected people like her book affected me. College and career got in the way, but after some freelance magazine opportunities came along about fifteen years ago, the passion to write a novel was reignited, so I began to pursue learning the craft and seeking publication.

My favorite childhood books are the Babar and Curious George series. I recently discovered that the Margret and H.A. Rey, authors of the Curious George series were German-born Jews who escaped Paris in 1940 by bicycle. They ended up in America, and their first book was published in 1941.

Because I’m such a history and research geek, my idea of the perfect vacation is anywhere that includes historic sites, especially associated with World War II. My husband has patiently trekked through museums, historical societies, graveyards, forts, encampments, castles, and numerous obscure locations. I was fortunate to visit England in 2015, and we plan to go again in the next couple of years with Bletchley Park and Churchill’s War Rooms on the to-see list.

When I was in college I need to fill an elective course, and I had gotten to know one of the professors of Old Testament fairly well because I attended his church, so I signed up for his class on Jeremiah. (I might have been hoping for an easy A. Not a chance!) Class was too many years ago to count, but I still remember much of what Dr. Garner taught, and my favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

About Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII where she meets the most interesting people.

About Love’s Allegiance:

With most U.S. boys fighting for Uncle Sam in far off countries, Rochelle Addams has given up hope for a wedding in her future. Then she receives an intriguing offer from a distant relative to consider a marriage of convenience.

Conscientious Objector Irwin Terrell is looking forward to his assignment at Shady Hills Mental hospital to minister to the less fortunate in lieu of bearing arms. At the arrival of the potential bride his father has selected for him, Irwin’s well-ordered life is turned upside down. And after being left at the altar two years ago, he has no interest in risking romance again.

Despite his best efforts to remain aloof to Rochelle, Irwin is drawn to the enigmatic and beautiful young woman, but will time run out before his wounded heart can find room for her?

Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose beliefs were at odds with a world at war.

Connect with Linda:

Website: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LindaShentonMatchettAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lindasmatchett

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett

BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/linda-shenton-matchett

Your turn!

Visit Linda’s website to be able to answer the following question to be entered into today’s giveaway of Love’s Allegiance releasing Thursday, August 15^th. Love’s Allegiance is the last book in my Wartime Brides series. What is the title of Book 1?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yowza! All the Books, Day 11: Nancy J. Farrier

Nancy J. Farrier, The Ranchero’s Gift

Congratulations, Trudy Cordle! You are yesterday's winner of the Yowza! All the Books! giveaway. You have won an autographed copy of Sandra Merville Hart's novel A Musket in My Hands. Check your email for official notification and instructions!


I was a voracious reader. I went to the library and checked out a stack of books every time. I remember loving Walter Farley’s, Black Stallion series. I’d have to say he was probably my favorite childhood author. But if I could spend time with a literary character, I would love to sit down for tea and second breakfast with Bilbo Baggins. That would be such fun as long as he didn’t bring out the pipe.

I’ve always loved stories and enjoyed writing from an early age. I didn’t think I would ever be an author – long story – but then God made it clear that He wanted me to pursue writing for Him. I would rather write, although research and revising can be fun too. Writing, when the words are flowing, is like nothing else. I love it. Sometimes the names are there right away with my characters, but that doesn’t happen too often. I go through the Social Security site for popular names for babies during the years when my characters would have been born. I also note names I like on worker’s badges and have a note file on possible names.

My idea of the perfect vacation is going somewhere with all my kids and grandkids. I prefer the mountains, but will go just about anywhere if they are with me.

My verse for writing is Habakkuk 2:2 – “Then the Lord answer me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it my run.” I love the idea that those who read my stories might be lifted up spiritually and be encouraged in their faith.

About Nancy:

Nancy J. Farrier is a multi-published, award winning author of historical and contemporary Christian fiction. She writes Southwest fiction with real life issues. She lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert with her husband, cats and dog. She has five children and six grandchildren. Nancy loves reading, hiking, bicycling, needlework, and spending time with her family.

About The Ranchero’s Gift

Her greatest desire is to be free. Can his gift fulfill that desire?

When Maya Garza’s step-father drags her to the cantina, planning to auction her off to cover his debts, she is desperate to escape. Her step-brother’s best friend, Rafael—her worst nightmare—is eager to purchase her. She sees no hope as she stands atop the table with a room full of men leering at her.

Yaniv Madrigal is searching for his brother, Rafael. They were to leave Los Angeles today to return home. The wagons and family are waiting, but Rafael has disappeared. He can’t believe his eyes when he finds his brother bidding for a young woman. A woman who has the look of a trapped animal.

As Maya travels with Yaniv and his family, she must avoid Rafael’s advances, and try not to fall in love with the man who purchased her. Yaniv always puts family first, but now he struggles as his heart is torn. Will Yaniv and Maya fid a solution to their trouble before the unthinkable happens?

Connect with Nancy:

Website: https://www.nancyjfarrier.com

Twitter (@nancyjfarrier)

Facebook (@authorNancyJFarrier)

Your Turn!

What is your favorite setting for a book? City? Country? Cold Northwest? Southwest desert?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yowza! All the Books, Day 10: Sandra Merville Hart

Sandra Merville Hart, A Musket in My Hands

Congratulations Deb Forbes, yesterday's Yowza! All the Books! #giveaway winner! You have won an autographed copy of Kelly Goshorn's novel, A Love Restored. Watch your email for official notification and instructions.

When I was in third grade, my teacher took us to the library every week. We could check out books, but I just stared at the shelves. How could I pick from so many books?

The librarian asked me what kind of books I liked. I didn’t know the answer. She suggested starting with biographies. These were about little boys and girls who grew up to do something important.

I took her advice and found I loved to read. What a treasure there was inside a library! I asked her where books came from.

She said, “People write them.”

“Wow,” I said. “I want to be a people who writes books.” And the dream never left me, even when it seemed impossible to pursue.

When I was still in elementary school, I began reading a mystery series with Trixie Belden by Julie Campbell. Trixie was around 14 and I was 11. She was great at solving mysteries and it got me interested in that genre. I still enjoy a great mystery or suspense novel.

In fact, this series inspired me to write my first book. While in sixth grade, I wrote The Mystery of the Missing Diamond Ring. A friend illustrated it and I dreamed the book would be published. My English teacher encouraged me to continue writing, but she had no time to read my book. She gave it to my homeroom teacher. He returned it to me. “I read it,” was his only comment.

I buried the book in my dresser drawer.

A few years later, I read and loved Little Women so much that my favorite author was probably Louisa May Alcott. I cried my heart out over poor Beth’s illness. To this day, I can’t read that part without crying. The writing is very well done.

My debut Civil War romance is A Stranger on My Land. It’s set on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, following the Battle Above the Clouds. It was published in 2014.

About Sandra:

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories A Musket in My Hands, a Civil War romance where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, is 2019 Serious Writer Medal Fiction Winner and a 2019 Selah Award Finalist.  A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and second place in 2018 Faith, Hope and Love Readers’ Choice Award. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger On My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. Her novella, Surprised by Love in “From the Lake to the River” is set during the 1913 flood in Troy, Ohio. Trail’s End, in “Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys” releases on August 15, 2019.

About A Musket in My Hands

“Can I count on you in times of great need?”

Callie Jennings reels from her pa’s decision that she must marry his friend, a man older than him. Her heart belongs to her soldier hero, Zach Pearson, but Pa won’t change his mind. Callie has no place to hide. Then her sister, Louisa, proposes a shocking alternative.

Zach still hears his pa’s scornful word—quitter. He’s determined to make something of himself as a soldier. He’ll serve the Confederacy until they win the war. If they win the war.  

Callie and Louisa disguise themselves as soldiers and muster into the Confederate army in the fall of 1864. Times are tough and getting tougher for their Confederacy. For Callie, shooting anyone, especially former countrymen, is out of the question—until truth and love and honor come together on the battlefield.

Connect with Sandra:

Website: https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.m.hart.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sandra_M_Hart

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sandramhart7/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Merville-Hart/e/B00OBSJ3PU/

Your turn!

Visit Sandra’s website to be able to answer the following question to be entered into today’s giveaway of A Musket in My Hands: Under what name did former slave Maria Lewis muster into the Union Army in 1863? (Hint: https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com/)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yowza! All The Books, Day 9: Kelly Goshorn

Kelly Goshorn, A Love Restored

Congratulations, Linda Dreher! You are yesterday's Yowza! All the Books! giveaway winner. You have won an autographed copy of Pat Jeanne Davis's novel When Valleys Bloom Again. Watch your email for official notification and instructions!

Unlike most of my author friends, nowhere in the deepest recesses of mind had I ever dreamed about writing a book! In 2008, after seventeen years of in-home childcare, my husband and I began praying for God to give me a new passion—a new direction for my life. In 2010, while still waiting for His answer, I began tinkering with storytelling. I’d always enjoyed writing research papers for my history classes but never, ever considered writing fiction. It didn’t take long for my secret hobby to become a God-given passion. Seeing A Love Restored in print is the answer to many, many prayers that all began with an earnest desire to seek God’s will and direction for my life.

I have an M.Ed. in History, so research is my jam so to speak. I enjoy chasing down and incorporating little historical tidbits that readers of the genre enjoy. But, I also love to edit. The more I revise a scene the more I want to keep polishing it, often reading whole chapters and just tweaking one or two relatively minor things. I think writing the first draft is the hardest part of any project and often find myself a bit paralyzed when faced with a blank page.

I love to find the inspiration for my characters early in the writing process so I can visualize my hero and heroine. For A Love Restored, I envision Daniela Denby-Ashe, the buxom heroine in the BBC’s North and South as my leading lady, Ruth Ann Sutton. I would definitely want to cast Daniel Lissing from HMC’s When Calls the Heart to play my hero, Benjamin Coulter.

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised in the least that the literary character I’d love to have a spot of tea with is Elizabeth Bennett from Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice. I remember not liking the story when it was required reading in high school, but when I finally gave the story another try in my late thirties, I was hooked. I saw so much of myself in Austen’s spunky heroine. If we could have tea together, I’d want to ask Lizzy about her life as the Mistress of Pemberley, how she and Darcy were getting along, how many children they have, and if Mary and Kitty ever found husbands!

About Kelly:

Kelly Goshorn weaves her affinity for history and her passion for God into uplifting stories of love, faith, and family set in nineteenth century America. Her debut novel, A Love Restored, won the Director’s Choice Award for Adult/YA fiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference in 2019, and earned recognition as both a Selah Award finalist in the Historical Romance category and as a Maggie Awards Finalist for Inspirational Fiction. When she is not writing, Kelly enjoys spending time with her young adult children, binge-watching BBC period dramas, board gaming with her husband, and spoiling her Welsh corgi, Levi.

About A Love Restored:

With pert opinions and a less-than-perfect figure, Ruth Ann Sutton doesn’t measure up to Society’s vision of a perfect lady. When she accepts a position teaching in a Freedman’s School, it threatens the only marriage offer Ruth Ann is likely to receive. She's forced to choose between life as a lonely spinster or reinventing herself to secure a respectable proposal.

Determined to rise above his meager beginnings, Benjamin Coulter’s reputation as a fast learner and hard worker earns him the opportunity to apprentice with a surveyor for the railroad—a position that will garner the respect he craves. After a chance encounter with Ruth Ann Sutton, Benjamin is smitten with her pretty face, quick wit, and feisty personality. When others ridicule his choice, will Benjamin listen to his heart or put ambition first?

Connect with Kelly:

Website: http://www.kellygoshorn.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kelly-Goshorn/e/B07D2CX3RP

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kelly-goshorn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18023325.Kelly_J_Goshorn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.j.goshorn/

Your turn!

Visit Kelly’s website to be able to answer the following question to be entered into today’s giveaway of A Love Restored: Kelly’s ancestors lived on the Pennsylvania frontier during the French and Indian War. What were their occupations?

a Rafflecopter giveaway