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CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Jennifer Chastain

Hello, Readers!

I am thrilled to be able to introduce you to this special lady today. I have gotten to know author Jennifer Chastain through a rather interesting channel. We are in a texting group huddle! We are both members of Novel Academy (started and curated by Susan May Warren). And, as members, we had the option to sign up to be part of a “huddle.”

We ended up in a huddle together with some other just fantastic ladies and I have so enjoyed getting to know Jennifer, being encouraged by her and the other ladies in my writing, in my personal life, and just being supported in general. I can’t tell you what a wonderful thing this has been in my life!

In our huddle, we have had the privilege to watch part of this journey unfold for Jennifer – her debut novel becoming published. It has been amazing to watch. I have already gotten my copy of the book and started it. I. am. hooked. So, let me step out of the way and let you meet Jennifer Chastain!

Christmas in the South



A Guest Post by Jennifer Chastain

What are some of your best memories of Christmas? Growing up in snowy New York State, there are a lot of memories. As I look back, it was cold, with a lot of snow! But as a kid, I looked forward to those long days of sledding out in the cold, snowflakes drifting down on our faces.

Around noon, we would take a break. Somehow, the other neighborhood kids ended up at our house too! Mom would put everyone’s soggy mittens, scarves and hats in the dryer and then she’d feed all these kids by making a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We’d sit in the living room in front of the fireplace, talking, laughing and sipping hot chocolate. We warmed up from the inside out, and it wasn’t only from the hot chocolate.

It was a much simpler time, and a period in my life that I remember fondly.

But, when my dad’s job moved us to the South, my brother sister and I were devastated. That first Thanksgiving and Christmas we spent in North Carolina, the temperature was a balmy 75 degrees! We were so disappointed – no snow, no friends, no long days of sledding under the stars. 

What a bummer.

We grumbled that first year (a lot!) but in reality, it only made us stronger as a family. You see, we had to learn to stick together,

As I’ve gotten older, and hopefully wiser, all the things we cherish as part of our Christmas traditions are just that, traditions we make up.

Christmas doesn’t need snow, or sleds or pretty packages wrapped up with ribbon.

Christmas is being together with those you love, whether they are family or friends. As we enter the holiday season, my Christmas prayer for everyone is that we will all open our hearts and hands in the true spirit of Christmas. For me, Christmas is a time of love, forgiveness and new birth. All we have to do is open our hands and hearts to receive the greatest gift of all – salvation. Salvation is only found in Jesus  – He is the only hope for this world.

Merry Christmas and may you have a blessed New Year!

INTERVIEW

Love that, Jennifer! It is true. Christmas doesn’t truly need any of those things…just togetherness and a right focus. And a good Christmas movie…or better yet…Christmas novel…doesn’t hurt, does it?

So, let’s talk about yours! Because that’s what’s on my Kindle right now! Can you tell my readers a little about your novel?

My novel is a modern-day marriage of convenience story set in my small, fictional town of Providence, NC. Nate Rutledge fell in love with Meredith 8 years ago when his sister, Tori, brought her home for Christmas break. The only problem is, he broke Meredith’s heart and she never recovered. Fast forward to the present: Nate’s business is in trouble and Meredith is sent to conduct a forensic audit. Due to a stipulation in his grandfather’s will, Nate needs to be married in order to inherit the family business. And when Meredith walks through the doors, he believes she’s the answer to his prayers. But can these two work together? Or will old scars and hurts drive them further apart?

I LOVE a good marriage of convenience story! And this one does not disappoint (if I may interject). But I’m jumping in…I’d love to hear, though…what was the inspiration for The Mistletoe Contract?

Actually, the inspiration for this novel came from several different sources. Three years ago when Hallmark started airing on their new Christmas movies, I thought, why not? I did know I wanted it to be a marriage of convenience too. One of the reality shows I watch on a fairly regular basis is Married at First Sight. The participants of the show go through a rigorous vetting process and if they are matched, they don’t meet their spouse until the day of the wedding. This can make it extremely difficult. Either the couple works harder to make the marriage work or they don’t even try. I thought, well, since both of my characters are Christians, and believe in the sanctity of marriage, they would possibly work even harder to make the marriage work. But then, if they had a history together, regardless of good intentions, there would definitely be some detours along with way to their happily ever after.

That definitely adds tension! I want to hear a little about your writing process. I always “set the mood” for my writing. Music is definitely a part of that for me. How about you? What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?

For this Christmas novel, I watched a lot of Christmas movies and got ideas of what did and didn’t work. Typically, I listen to country music – I know, right? But if you listen to the lyrics, my word, they truly tell a story in song. I’ll listen to a song several times on a loop and from there, my imagination takes off.

Now…(Sara rubs hands together with a mischievous smile)… What about your current projects? Care to share?

I am working on a couple of different manuscripts at this time. But I do have a new story I just plotted out, it’s about a wedding planner who doesn’t like weddings and the guy she left behind in their small North Carolina town.

I’ve just sent off my second manuscript to my publisher for consideration. This story kind of reminds me of Jane Austen’s persuasion (only a longer separation). Preston Jamison and Austen-Kate Chandler were high school best friends but then one terrible decision during prom 20 years ago set a series of events in motion. They are reunited after all this time apart, and in addition to hurt feelings, there is guilt and remorse on both sides.

I’ve also started on Megan and Kyle’s story. Kyle Larsen is Nate’s COO and I have about half of their story written. I had to put it aside while working on The Mistletoe Contract since I had a lot of edits to complete.

I’d also like to start on Tori and Cole’s story too. But I just have a vague idea of where to start. This story needs to be fleshed out and I’m going to try to get this done over the summer.

My goodness! You are busy!

Thanks, Jennifer, for hanging out and answering my questions and for the Christmas thoughts. Now we’ll take a closer look at your book!

The Mistletoe Contract

Confirmed bachelor Nathan Rutledge shut his heart to romance when he was forced to break the heart of the only woman he ever truly loved. Now, with his father’s retirement from the family conglomerate, the torch has been passed to him. But there are two problems—first, he needs a wife in order to take over the family business. Second, someone has been embezzling company funds. With the pressure mounting, and time expiring to find both a wife he can trust and the thief, Nate needs a Christmas miracle.

Forensic Accountant, Meredith Mitchell’s life is in a shambles. Her mother needs a lifesaving transplant, Mom’s medical bills have bankrupted Meredith’s meager savings, and she’s sold everything of value, but it’s still not enough. To make matters worse, she’s now tasked with discovering accounting errors for a new client—none other than Nathan Rutledge—the same man who gave her a broken heart for Christmas eight years ago.

Meredith wants to run. Nate wants the chance to right his wrongs. So, naturally, when he proposes a modern-day marriage of convenience, she balks at the idea. But he desperately needs a wife, and she really needs the money he offers. Is this the answer to her prayers? Or will this mutually beneficial arrangement re-open old wounds that can’t be healed?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Choking back tears, Meredith swallowed her apprehension. “And for the record, it seems my affection for Nate hasn’t faded.” Her whisper-soft voice filled the cold room, her declaration infusing her with warmth.

“Affection, huh? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Mom smiled and waved her out the door. “Never mind. We’ll talk later. Night, Mere.”

“Night.” Meredith closed the door with a soft click and propped herself against the wall. Tilting her head up, she released a huge sigh. She hated lying to her mother. Weariness settled deep in her bones. Her to-do list for the wedding grew with each passing hour. She had a lot to accomplish between now and Friday morning.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Meredith’s eyes popped open. “Nate! You scared me!” Facing off with her fiancé, she straightened her spine. “What’re you doing here?”

His back against the wall, he crossed his ankles. Even after working all day, Nate still appeared fresh. When she glanced at her gray dress pants, the red sauce stain from her rushed dinner glared at her. She was wrinkly… and frumpy.

Nate frowned, his gaze roving over her.

Meredith moved her purse from her shoulder and held it in front of the stain. “I’m sorry. That was unkind.”

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

She pulled herself up to her full height. “You didn’t. It’s… I didn’t expect to see you.” At least, not until their wedding day, giving her a couple of days to steel her emotions against his all-American boy-next-door charm. Why did he have to ruin her well-thoughtout plan? His nearness sent her pulse into overdrive.

Nate turned toward her and rested one hand on the wall above her head. He was so close she saw the golden flecks ringing his pupils. “Can’t a guy see his fiancée before the wedding?” The low timbre of Nate’s voice raised goose bumps on her arms, and her heart rate kicked up another notch.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and she licked her dry lips before her gaze settled on his mouth. “Yeah, sure.”

Nate’s free hand came up and traced a line down her cheek. Meredith closed her eyes. She had to stop this flood of emotion. Why was he doing this to her? His spicy cologne wafted between them. Comforted her. Shoot. Nate smelled good.

“Nate… please… someone will see us.” Meredith swallowed hard, and her breaths came in short gasps.

“So?”

“This is supposed to be a business relationship. No funny business. You promised.” Meredith scooted out from under his arm and hurried down the tiled hallway, her steps echoing in the empty space. She needed air. And personal space. “Is there a reason you stopped by?”

Nate fell in step beside Meredith. She scampered down the hall to the elevator bank.

Nate touched her arm, and they stood facing each other in front of the elevator. “Have a cup of coffee with me?” His blue eyes held a glimmer of amusement.

Shock or maybe desire rooted Meredith’s feet to the floor.

The elevator door opened, and two nurses in scrubs emerged. Meredith entered and jabbed the first-floor button. When she looked up into the polished steel doors, she met Nate’s steady gaze. Turning to face him, she crossed her arms. “Why, Nate? What are you trying to do to me? We have an agreement.”

Nate matched her stance, a smirk on his face. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Meredith snorted, and her lips stretched into a sneer. “Oh, come on. You cannot seriously be this clueless.”

He stepped closer, his hands in his pockets, causing her to back up a couple of steps.

“This attraction—you’re not immune to it, either, are you?”

Shaking her head, Meredith braced her back against the elevator car. “No, you’re wrong. This isn’t the type of relationship you’re thinking about.” She bit her lower lip.

Nate’s warm breath whispered against her ear, and chill bumps raced up and down her arms. “But it could be. Think of how much fun we’d have.”

His nearness muddled her mind. But she was older now. Wiser. Fool me once and all that. She’d be doggoned if he’d fool her again with his sweet talk. Before she answered, the elevator doors opened with a whoosh. Saved by the bell.

Meredith darted into the parking deck. “I don’t think so,” she said over her shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow at 4:00 to finalize the details.” She sprinted through the deck and unlocked her car. Safe from Nate’s attention, she released a breath and locked her doors. Gripping the steering wheel, she started her old SUV. It sputtered, then came to life. She had to mentally prepare herself for Friday’s ceremony. This business marriage was proving to be more difficult than she’d imagined. If Nate kept this up, she’d lose all her resolve. And her self-respect.

Because Meredith had already lost her heart.

Buy Link

Amazon

More About the Author

Jennifer Chastain is a member of ACFW, ACFW-NC, and My Book Therapy/Novel Academy. Several of her other stories were finalists in the Blue Ridge Mountains Foundations contest and she was a finalist in the Touched by Love contest, sponsored by the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of RWA. Her contemporary romance stories contain the themes of redemption, grace, and forgiveness.   

A hopeful romantic, Jennifer loves dark chocolate, Diet Coke, old movies and a good romantic movie. She loves to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen and when not cooking, she’s reading. Growing up in the snowy North, Christmas has always been her favorite holiday, with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla, and pine scenting the air.   She and her husband have been married for over 25 years and they are permitted

Connect with Jennifer and Her Work

Website

Newsletter

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

GIVEAWAY!!!

Jennifer is offering a giveaway!!! There will be one (1) winner randomly chosen by rafflecopter (see instructions below) to win one (1) ecopy (Kindle edition) of The Mistletoe Contract!! The giveaway will run from today, Friday, December 4, 2020 through next Friday, December 11, 2020 at 11:59pm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Jennifer Chastain appeared first on Sara R. Turnquist.

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Jessica R. Patch

Hello, Readers!

I have another author for you to meet this week. A friend of mine! This is an author I absolutely adore! I met her through my writing mentor and friend who, of course, has a great amount of respect for this lovely lady. And I have sat under her teaching as well. So, with that, I would like you to meet Author Jessica R. Patch! Jessica writes clean/inspirational contemporary romance and is just one of the warmest people you will ever meet. I am so very thrilled to have her on the blog to day sharing about her Christmas novella!

Welcome to my blog, Jessica! It is so good to have you visiting! First can you tell us a little about your novella?

Honey for the Holidays is the 4th sweet contemporary romance in the Honeyhaven series. These books can be read as standalones, but the friendships and community are carried from each book, so I do recommend reading them in order! This is about a couple who broke up a few years ago and it’s been nothing but animosity since. It’s a story of forgiveness, of not believing every word spoken—we need to be careful who we let influence our lives and that even includes us and our insecurities that play into things we might believe. It’s full of humor and Christmas fun!

I love that kind of trope! And what a great message! What was the inspiration for Honey for the Holidays?

I’ve always wanted to write a story about pretending to date or be engaged and this actually worked perfectly between this two! It was so much fun.

Sounds fantastic! It does sound like a fun story to write! Tell us, did you always want to be a writer, crafting these interesting tales of romance and suspense?

No. I never thought about being a writer, but I did love to make up stories whether it was on paper, playing “house” or creating a complicated drama for my Barbies.

I gotta say…I did the same thing with those Barbies…convoluted dramas! So…if not a writer, what did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a missionary. I even went to Bible college and majored in Missions. I feel like I am just that—only instead of physically going to spread the Gospel, the books go. God rarely accomplishes His plans in the way we expect Him to!

Isn’t that the truth! I very much believe that writers have a unique opportunity to reach places that a person may not be able to, in ways that conversations may not even be able to.

I am intent that I have to set the mood for my writing…that includes music for certain! What kind of music, if any, do you listen to while you write?

It depends on the scene and the story. For Honey for the Holidays, I listened to Christmas music with a country flavor as well as some love songs—mostly country pop. It fit my characters.

Love it! Definitely gives me a feel for the book!

I get this question often, so I guess readers like to know… How long does it take you to write a book?

I can write a novella like this in a week and have it revised in about two weeks. That doesn’t count the proofing and reading for little things. For a mass market paperback like my Love Inspired Suspense books which are 55-60K, I write a first draft in about 20 -30 days. Major revisions take about 2 weeks and then I give it the final tweaks in about 3 days and send to my editor. For a trade length novel which is 70-100K it usually takes about 60 days. If I have a full synospsis written, I can move much faster than if I’m simply pantsing my way through it, but overall I am a fast writer—so I’ve been told.

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Ann Brodeur

Hello, Readers!

And welcome to yet another edition of this Christmas Series. And, as always, I am introducing you to another Christmas themed book and another author that may be new to you! I have author Ann Brodeur on the blog sharing about her Christmas novel, Snowbound in Winterberry!

I connected with Susan through one of the Facebook Author Groups we are both a part of. I just love how, as authors, we can connect and network across the miles through this wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) thing known as “technology”

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Susan Bateman

Hello, Readers!

And welcome to another installment of my Christmas Series. I am happy to introduce you to another Christmas themed book and another author that may be new to you! I have Susan Bateman (writing as S.B. Roth) on my blog today sharing about her Christmas novel, It Happened One Christmas!

I have connected with Susan through the ACFW Romance genre Facebook Group Page. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I am a huge fan of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and their efforts to bring writers together for networking, encouraging one another, and helping each other out. As well as just connecting! Meeting Susan to introduce her to you all is just one of the many examples of why I love what the ACFW brings to my life

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Toni Shiloh

Hello, Readers!!

I have a treat for you all today! One of my favorite fellow authors – Toni Shiloh is on the blog today. Toni has always been on my radar as an author of interest. But in the last couple of years, I have come to admire and respect her all the more as a gifted, creative, and capable author both in her work and as an instructor in the business and craft of writing. I have enjoyed sitting under her instruction and gleaning from her knowledge. It is such a privilege to have her join us today!

Hey, Toni! It is so good to have you on my blog again! I really enjoy hearing more about your writing every time you visit

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer (Guest Post and Offer)

Hey, Readers! It has been a while since I have been on the blog, but I am reviving it due to active requests (thank you for your kind words!).

And I am re-launching it with a CHRISTMAS SERIES – featuring posts about Christmas novels, novellas, and short stories! (‘Tis the season, indeed.)

Now, I know you may be saying, “It’s too early for Christmas stories.” And perhaps you are right. But Christmas themed works start making their debut this time of year. And I, for one, plan to celebrate my fellow authors and their work!

First up, is another Sara(h)! Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I had the privilege to meet this author at my first ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference many years back. We were both newbies at that particular conference and both Historical Fiction/Romance writers.

I particularly admire her connection to the past through her ancestors and their lives. And how that has led to her writing about the Choctaw. I am only too eager to learn more about this connection and her works!

So without further ado, I will turn you over to Sarah!

Guest Post



by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer

I once made a humorous video declaring myself a writer for a contest. I used clips from classic TV shows and movies, and was tickled by one comment it got:

“I love this video, Sarah!! I thought an “older man” came up with this.”

To which I thought, “No, I was just raised by one.”

My daddy grew up in the days of listening to Gunsmoke as a radio show before it hit the black and white and later, color screen. Roy Rogers was his hero, and for all my life, we watched reruns of the classic TV Westerns:

Have Gun – Will Travel, Daniel Boone, The High Chaparral, Hopalong Cassidy, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Annie Oakley, The Big Valley, Rawhide, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Zorro, and more.

L-R: Adam, Little Joe, Hoss, and Pa (Ben)

And, of course, the ever classic Bonanza. Do you know the Cartwright boys? If not, allow me to introduce you: Adam, Little Joe, Hoss, and Pa (Ben).

Don’t ask which is my favorite because I love them all—Adam, the level headed, book reading, dedicated leader; Hoss (my mama’s favorite), the loving, forgiving gentle giant; and Little Joe, the quick tempered, fun loving but-don’t-mess-with-my-family protector. Then there was the patriarch, Ben, whose steadfast integrity and faith held those boys in line.

Right always prevailed, no matter what dangers threatened the family or their ranch, the Ponderosa. They laid it all on the line and never compromised.

In part, that long-running series from the ’50s-’70s helped shaped who I am as a person and as a writer. It also shaped one of the main characters in my Choctaw Tribune series without me even knowing it—Matthew Teller, Choctaw owner of a controversial newspaper in Indian Territory, 1890s.

I didn’t realize this until a friend (who has a “mom crush” on Matthew and threatened me to never kill him off in the series) asked how he came to be. Though I hadn’t contemplated it before, I knew right away: He’s a mash up of the four Cartwrights. He has elements from Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe.

Once that came forefront to my mind, I started seeing it through each of the three books in the series: The Executions (book 1), Traitors (book 2), and Shaft of Truth (book 3).

I’m seeing it in the final three books that I’m working on in this series (books 4, 5, 6), and it makes me love Matthew Teller even more. He’s a brother like I saw the Cartwright boys being. (I always thought they should have had a sister, and Matthew does in the series!)

I wrote Shaft of Truth listening to the soundtracks of classic TV Westerns. I knew the theme songs as soon as they came up, especially Bonanza, which put me into that world as I wrote Matthew’s story.

In a way, these books came about because of my daddy and his love for old TV westerns.

My mama with William’s portrait held in
care at the Choctaw Nation Museum
in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma

But there’s someone else who had a great deal of influence on Matthew Teller — my great-great-great-great grandfather, William Robuck.

Young William crossed the Choctaw Trail of Tears as a boy with his family in 1831. Among the tragedies they experienced was burying his father on the trail.

With courage and faith, William went on to attend the Choctaw Academy in Kentucky and became a statesman for our tribe and served in several official capacities, including president of the Choctaw Senate. He and his wife, Annie, owned a ranch near present day Grant, Oklahoma. If you’ve ever been to Roebuck Lake near the Choctaw Travel Plaza and the Casino in Grant…yes, that 2,000 acre ranch at Roebuck Lake was in my family once upon a time. Uncle Preston’s ranch in the Choctaw Tribune series is loosely based on it. Danger on the Red River  (A Choctaw Tribune Christmas Short Story) is set on the ranch.

At my grandfather William’s
headstone in 2009

I learned William’s story many years ago, and it prompted me to write my first Choctaw tale — Contrast, which mirrored my experience on one of our annual Choctaw Trail of Tears Commemorative Walks, and the hardships my family endured in the 1800s.

I see my grandfather William in Matthew Teller — passionate about serving his people, no quit no matter what, intelligent. I imagine my grandfather faced his own racial issues as a mixed blood Choctaw. It was said he could pass for a white man. To my knowledge, he didn’t try. He was involved in Choctaw tribal government until he passed in 1885.

That’s right about when Matthew’s story picks up. Maybe subconsciously, I was continuing my grandfather’s story, and the legacy he left me.

I like to think that as you get to know the Teller family…you’re getting to know my family, too.

Danger on the Red River

Christmas at Uncle Preston’s ranch sounds delightful to Ruth Ann Teller, who is ready for a break from the Choctaw Tribune newspaper and the hard times they’ve endured. Namely, nearly losing her brother to a gunman.

But drama follows them to the ranch with a flooded Red River, quicksand, and a surprise Christmas present that ties the whole family together.

Spend an 1893 Christmas with the Tellers in this free ebook!

Download Link

Download a free copy of Danger on the Red River (A Choctaw Tribune Christmas Short Story) here!

Enjoy an Excerpt

Indian Territory

Christmas Eve, 1893

“Come on, Matt! It’s past time to leave, and there’s a storm coming.”

Ruth Ann Teller skipped out of the telegraph office, a lean-to attached to the print shop, and went straight to the coat rack next to her brother’s desk. She halted and frowned.

Hair mussed like he’d been running his fingers through it, Matthew was leaned back in his chair, inky hands folded over his midsection. He stared at the empty wall on the other side of the vacant shop. He was that way these days, lapsing into nothingness whether there was work to do or not.

Well, they had no work left this morning. The siblings had arrived at the newspaper office long before dawn on Christmas Eve, a day they were closed but there was one last print job Matthew needed to run and Ruth Ann took care of telegraphs before wishing the other operators a jolly and joyful Christmas.

That and the print job finished and delivered, still Matthew sat rather than cajoling her to get moving so they could get on out to Uncle Preston’s ranch. Their cousin Peter Frazier had stayed home, finishing chores and helping their mother load the buggy. They were waiting on Matthew and Ruth Ann…

She rehung her coat and touched Matthew’s shoulder. He flinched and looked up, blinked, then smiled. He was back.

“Ready?” he asked.

“And waiting. We don’t want to miss Melinda’s noon meal. She made us promise to arrive in plenty of time to set the table.”

“Right. I’m almost finished here.” He shuffled papers scattered over his desk into neat piles, something he normally didn’t bother with. Busy-work, he called it, not something to waste time and energy on. But this morning, he was stalling.

Ruth Ann laid a hand on his arm, stilling him.

“It’ll all be here after Christmas,” she said quietly.

He didn’t move. “You’re right. This is Christmas. Time to put all this aside and just…be. And I’ve already taken care of your surprise.”

Ruth Ann scoffed and stepped back as he stood and lifted their coats from the rack.

“You aren’t fooling me this year, Matthew Teller, I’m going to guess your present by tonight.” She pulled her coat on. “You just worry about guessing your own present.”

His eyes twinkled in a way that told her he already had it figured out. She swatted him. He dodged and slipped into his coat.

The bell over the door jingled despite the sign that read “closed.” Ruth Ann was dismayed to see a customer step in, then he turned. It was Mr. Bates from the General Store for whom they’d run a sales sheet for him to pass out first thing after Christmas. Was something wrong with the flyer?

But Mr. Bates had a deeper look of concern on his aging face. “’Scuse me, but I just got a letter in the morning mail from my brother in St. Louis. I wasn’t going to make the trip up there this Christmas, but he says our mother is feeling poorly. That was two days ago, and he said not to worry, but I wondered…would you mind sending a telegram off to him before you leave? He should reply quick. Just want to make sure everything’s all right, you know?”

“Of course.”

Ruth Ann didn’t bother removing her coat. She’d already banked the stove in the telegraph office, and coolness was setting in. Mr. Bates gave her the written message and she settled at the sounder, knowing she could get through to the St. Louis office. It was large enough to keep operators going through Christmas Eve.

Dots and dashes, dashes and dots, just like sleigh bells might sound dashing through the snow. They had little need for sleighs in Indian Territory, but the image made Ruth Ann smile despite the delay.

St. Louis responded that they received the message. She hesitated. How long would the reply take? Mama and Peter were waiting for them.

Matthew nudged her from behind. “Y’all go on out to the ranch. I’ll wait for the reply and catch up on Little Chief.”

Ruth Ann stood and met his gaze. He gave her a look that said she needed to stop being a mother hen.

Since the shooting, and the terror at the Warren home, she walked with him every morning to the newspaper office and stayed—no matter how late—every night to walk home with him. She didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

He’d tolerated it, but today he was firm. “I’ll catch up,” he repeated.

Mr. Bates apologized for the trouble, but Ruth Ann gave him a hug and wished him a merry Christmas and promised prayers for his mother.

Ruth Ann walked toward her family’s box house by the railroad tracks, moving slow despite a rumble of thunder, waiting to see if the telegram would come through and Matthew might catch up. But he wouldn’t, and it was time to stop walking in fear and start walking in the faith that there would be peace on earth, at least in their souls, as was promised so long ago.

More About the Author

SARAH ELISABETH SAWYER is a story archaeologist. She digs up shards of past lives, hopes, and truths, and pieces them together for readers today. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her work in preserving Choctaw Trail of Tears stories. A tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, she writes historical fiction from her hometown in Texas, partnering with her mother, Lynda Kay Sawyer, in continued research for future works. Learn more at SarahElisabethWrites.com and Facebook.com/SarahElisabethSawyer

Connect with Sarah and her works

Website: https://www.sarahelisabethwrites.com

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

Instagram: @sarahelisabethsawyer

The post CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer (Guest Post and Offer) appeared first on Sara R. Turnquist.

INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Chris Ann Yim

This week, I have another author for you to meet. This is actually an author I have worked with in my local critique group. She is just the sweetest lady ever and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to her debut novel!

Welcome to the blog, Chris! I’m so glad to have you here. First, I’d love to know about your inspiration for your debut novel, Liaison in Lyudinovo ?

My family’s military duty stations inspire my novels. My Dad was in the Army, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. My love for Carson provided the setting for this novel. They many unique soldiers that I’ve gotten to know in my life inspired the characters.

Dad also travelled to Russia when I was a kid. His stories from his trip, along with the mysterious lore of Russia, made me want to write about it.

I love it. Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a psychiatrist starting around age eight. I partially credit the TV show ‘House’ to my obsession with medicine.

I loved reading, especially about all things military, and I wrote adventure stories ‘for fun’ in middle school. However, being a writer was not in my line of sight until much later in life. I’d prepared myself for Medical School and thought of no other career until the Lord changed my path in the middle of organic chemistry lab, junior year of college.

Goggles on, Bunson burners blazing, test tubes bubbling, he spoke. Call it divine intervention or an epiphany, but I felt a complete shift in my universe and knew with absolute certainty that I had to change course. It was difficult for me because I’d spent my whole education focusing on science, statistical analysis, and all things Med School. However, when the Lord moves you it is for a greater purpose.

So, I became a history teacher and rekindled a love of writing. There’s a whole novel in that story. One day, I’ll have to write it!

What a story! You should write it into a novel…I’d love to read it.

Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?

My next novel is about a psychiatrist who finds a diary that changes American history to its core! I’m currently working on the sequel to her story, where she links up with the heroin in Liaison. Fun stuff for sure!

Sounds fascinating! Thank you so much, Chris, for being on the blog and for sharing about your novel. I know my readers are likely eager to get a better peek at the book for themselves, so I won’t keep them…

Liaison in Lyudinovo

Liaison in Lyudinovo is about a single mom who’s spent the last ten years working overseas for the CIA. She’s romantically jaded, ready to go home, and on the last mission of her career. The last mission just happens to pair her with an attractive soldier who needs her help more than she knows. It’s a military novel about friends, faith, and finding love in the most unexpected places. I also threw in some espionage, guns, and intrigue!

Enjoy an Excerpt

About a mile from the cabin, Jackson pulled off onto a side road.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked, pushing the cuticles back on her fingernails.

He smiled. “Samantha Browning, have you ever driven a stick shift?”

Sam hesitated and looked away from him at the sky like a spaceship could land at any second. “Why?”

“Because the only reason you didn’t drive today is the car is a manual.”

She continued her fake search of the skies for anything to keep her eyes off him. “How do you know—”

“Come on now, Officer Browning,” he said to her as if he were trying to get a kid to fess up to a lie. “Your V8 Mustang is an automatic. You obviously like power, but you don’t know how to handle it.”

Well, that got her fired up. “Listen, Jackson Lee, I can handle power just fine. My Daddy tried to teach me once, but I just… I just…” She clenched her fists.

“You want to know a secret?”

“O…kay?” She shrugged.

“You know that you can try again, right? Some humans do that when they fail at something. Don’t let the secret out, though.”

She rolled her eyes. “Now? You want me to try now?”

“Now,” he repeated as he glared at her. “Do you and the guys have some sort of quilting contest going on back at the cabin, or do you want to learn?”

“Jackson Lee, we are not in a country where we can be distracted from the mission, shooting off on back roads for the enemy to find us. This is not the place to—”

“Do you trust me?” Jackson interrupted her.

She eyed him and shrugged. “This has nothing to do with—”

“Do you trust me?” he asked again, more firmly this time.

She hesitated but nodded. She didn’t like not knowing how to drive a stick shift, but she got frustrated easily with this particular skill. 

“Did the Agency not require that you know how?” Jackson asked her.

Sam hem hawed around at the question. “Well, yes-ish. I took the test.”

Jackson stared into her eyes, waiting on the rest of the story.

“I didn’t really pass the test, but to be fair, I tried. And, I’ve never had trouble since. And, I’m very thankful for that. And, I know it could have gone pretty bad in some situations, but…”

Jackson’s eyes were narrowing in question. “Do I even want to know how any of that went down, the not passing and yet surviving in foreign lands with foreign vehicles?”

Sam rubbed her forehead. “Eh?”

“Fine. Another day,” Jackson said, “but today, you’re learning.”

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More About the Author

Chris Ann Yim is a historian and author of the new novel Liaison in Lyudinovo. As the wife of an Army veteran, she holds an appreciation for the relationships between military service members and their families. With a background in the social sciences, she has spent the majority of her life researching military leadership, the psychology of war, and the development of culture in societal groups.

Chris is a cat mom who enjoys Blues Rock and Big Band music, drag racing, and photography. She lives and works out of her home on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, and spends her vacations eating good food and travelling the globe with her husband.

Her claim to fame was once being chosen as a contestant on the Price is Right, and in the future she aspires to go an entire week without tripping over her own feet or spilling a glass of sweet tea down her shirt.

Connect with Chris and her creativity

Author Website: www.chrisannyim.weebly.com

Facebook: Chris Ann Yim- Author

Instagram: @chrisannyim_author

The post INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Chris Ann Yim appeared first on Sara's Desk.

INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Toni Shiloh

Good day, readers! I have an author for you today that I have come to “know” through a couple of venues. One is the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Romance genre Facebook Group and we also are part of another group, Pure Romance Reads and Readers of Pure Romance. I have been watching her books and am eager to learn more!

Welcome to the blog, Toni! It’s so good to have you here. Let’s jump right into the lightning round…

Not every part of the writing process is sunshine and puppy dogs…there’s always something that every author likes less. What part of the writing process do you dread?

I dread the editing process! Once I’m done writing the first draft I’m ready to move on to the next story and the editing process keeps me stuck in the same story.

I can totally relate to this…it gets to where I’m so tired of examining every little word.

I find that authors glean a lot from each other…even just in reading their work. What about you? What are you currently reading?

I have a few books in my immediate TBR pile. Forgiving Tess by Kimberly M. Miller, Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh (a reread for me), The Heart Surrendered by Joy K. Massenburge, and The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey.

You have named a couple of my own favorites – all my readers know I’m a huge Tamara Leigh fan. And I adore Joy K. Massenburge!

What about your process? Is there some particular kind of music you listen to when you write?

It depends on the book. I create a Spotify playlist for each book I write. Usually a mix of country, R&B, and Christian/Gospel music.

It is interesting how many authors do this kind of thing…it has made me rethink my listening. I used to have an instrumental playlist for “writing.” Now, like you, I create one for each book.

One last question before you go – do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?

Right now, I’m writing a Christmas novella. My heroine is returning home after being laid off. As the youngest of 5, she wrestles with feelings of inadequacies. It doesn’t help that her sister is marrying her ex-boyfriend.

Interesting premise. I do enjoy Christmas novellas…I’ll have to keep my eyes open for this one

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Angela Ruth Strong

Welcome, Readers! How are you? I hope you are well. I have this special Wednesday Edition of my blog for you all to enjoy! Author Angela Ruth Strong is with me today sharing about her newest release, A Cuppa Trouble. I am so excited to share this interview and book details with you. As well, Angela is offering a giveaway! Now that I’ve gotten you eager, I’ll get started…

Welcome to my blog, Angela! I’m glad you’re here. First, can you tell us a little about your novel?

A Cuppa
Trouble is book two in my CafFUNated Mysteries. It’s about a tea lover and a
coffee lover who start a shop together and their differences make them the
perfect team for solving mysteries. This book is set at Valentine’s so there’s
a romance thread (or two) as well as a spiritual thread about communication.
I’ve tried to emulate the feel of the television show Psych, so it gets a bit
silly at times, but I’m pretty proud of the suspense at the end. Not your
typical cuppa tea.

Love it! A series with “caffeinated” attached to it? This coffee-lover is tuned in for sure! What was the inspiration for A Cuppa Trouble ?

I love heist
stories, so I really enjoyed researching the real life car jacking and
smuggling rings. A lot of the crazy stories in my book are based on true
events. A ten-year-old really did steal a car. A car jacker really did get
stuffed in the trunk of a car by the car’s owner. Ohio really does have a law
that it’s illegal to leave the keys in your car to let your car warm up in
winter if the doors are unlocked. Some stuff is just too weird for me to have
made up.

As a Historical Fiction/Romance writer, I can attest to that! Fact is often stranger than fiction.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

My mom was a
writer, so I grew up with stories about myself in Women’s World. When I was
sixteen, I wrote about something that had happened to me, and my mom helped me
submit it to a magazine—because that’s what you do, right? They paid me $100,
and it was the easiest money I’d ever made. It hasn’t ever been that easy
since, but it inspired me to go to college for journalism and attend writing
conferences.

Neat. I can’t say, in all the authors I’ve interviewed, that anyone has had a parent writing about them in a magazine