Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog, page 36

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you do n't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY .

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Laul K (MT) is the winner of Proposing Mischief by Regina Jennings.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble , or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.  

DEADLY TARGET - Elizabeth Goddard - One Free Book

Welcome back, Elizabeth. Let’s do some fun questions first. What song most closely resembles your life? I can’t say that I’ve thought about that much, but I can tell you my favorite song this week—“In the House” by Crowder. Actually, I can say the song is a good reflection of my life in that I’ve lived in a parsonage next to a church—several different ones—over the last fifteen plus years. Recently we moved across state and found ourselves across the street from our same denomination and my husband is on staff there too. Ha ha!

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? And why is it a favorite? A scripture I repeatedly go back to is Psalm 121: 1-2—I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from. . . The scripture is especially beautiful to me now since we’ve moved to an area where I can often look at Mt. Rainier and so I think of this verse!

What is the one thing you wish you could go back and change in your life? Only one thing? There are too many things I wish I could change. I wish I had follows the Lord’s call to write much sooner, but then again I have to trust that my writing career has unfolded according to his timing.

What is the most important characteristic for a good friend to have? To be a good listener, of course! I’m blessed to be surrounded with good listeners, and I my friends also consider me a good listener.

I so agree. What extracurricular activities did you participate in when you were in school?As many as possible. Tennis, French club. Science club. Junior Engineering Society. College newspaper, to name a few.

What is your favorite movie of all times? I’m a huge movie buff and it’s hard to choose, but love I, Robot with Will Smith.

Tell us about why you wrote this book. Deadly Target is the second book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series, and of course, Dr. Erin Larson had to get her story too.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Puget Sound

For a few hours every Saturday morning, Erin Larson could forget that evil existed.

And usually, only on the water.

She dipped the double-bladed paddle into the sea, then again on the other side—left, right, left, right, left, right— alternating strokes in a fluid motion to propel her kayak across the blue depths. Her friend Carissa Edwards paddled close behind.

Left, right. Left, right. Left, right.

On the water she was close to nature and far from the chaos and noise of the city even though she and Carissa paddled along the shoreline and could see the cityscape in the distance. The quiet calmed her mind and heart. The rhythmic paddling mesmerized her. The exertion exhilarated her. Cleansed her of the stress and anxiety acquired after a week of forced labor.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. Her suffering certainly wasn’t physical in nature.

Water. Mountains. Sky. She took in the sights and once again . . . forgot.

How can readers find you on the Internet? My website http://www.ElizabethGoddard.com

Please subscribe to my newsletter that’s easy to find on the website. Also found on the website are the small icons to all my social media venues

My Facebook author page: http://facebook.com/elizabethgoddardauthor

Twitter: @bethgoddard

Facebook Reader’s Group (private): https://www.facebook.com/groups/371401767951

Instagram: http://instagram.com/elizabethgoddardauthor

Thank you for sharing this book with us today, Elizabeth. I’m reading book 1 in the series, Present Danger, and loving it. I’ll be eager to read Deadly Target as well.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Deadly+Target+Goddard&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

THE LOWBORN LADY - Peggy Trotter - One Free Book

Welcome back, Peggy. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? My favorite theme is taking rejected, abandoned, or forgotten characters on a journey to find their worth in Christ. I feel that a lot of people, myself included, get wrapped up in their own emotions of failure, faults, or past mistakes and can’t see, can’t comprehend how God could love them as they are. Just the other day I found a long-forgotten note in an old Bible which reminded me how finding worth in Christ is a lifelong battle.

On it were some interesting verses. Psalms 94:18 said, “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.” (NIV) I could picture myself climbing a mountain, my hands outstretched, my foot sliding from the tiniest crevice, and feeling that stomach-dropping fear that I would fall into the yawning valley below. Clearly, that verse I’d saved from long ago still fits me. Only now, I invent characters whose feet have slipped from beneath them, and they must strain toward God’s promises, believe his word, live his word.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? The Lowborn Lady is the second of a series, the Society of Outcasts. The Misfit Bride was the first and the third will come out on June 1st, called The Spellbound Schoolmarm. And, here’s a little exclusive secret. The next series is Up from the Miry Clay about former trollops who find their new identities in Christ.

I’ll want to feature each of those books, too. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? I would love to spend a night with my old Pastor’s wife, Donna Miller who passed away some years ago. She will live on in my memory as the kindest most supportive woman I have ever met. Having a night in her living room, laughing over the shenanigans of my children (once, my daughter, as a toddler, sprayed the pastor with a water hose!) It would be wonderful to ask her advice and bathe in her gentle, loving presence. I’m positive she would be my biggest fan.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why? King David. I am most interested in the stories that show how he had incredible wisdom. (Perhaps not with Bathsheba, but we’re all human.) But the story of how his best fighting men broke through battle lines and brought him fresh water from his favorite spring near the gate of Bethlehem. Then, because of the valor and bravery of the men risking their lives, David poured the water out on the ground to God.

When I read this I remember thinking, man, I would have guzzled down that water! Hot, thirsty, bound in battle and his men thought that much of him? To risk their very lives? But he didn’t. He valued God above his needs, his tremendous thirst and desire. Or the many times he refused to eliminate King Saul, even though he’d tried to kill David over and over. That’s a nobleness that not many have.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? My favorite saying is: A successful author is one who did not quit. Are rejections hard? Yes, horribly so. Is writing difficult? Yes, among the most difficult professions there are. But there are also varying definitions of “success.” And sometimes along the way, we discover a talent we didn’t even know we had. I’ve seen writers become successful bloggers, reviewers, devotion writers, journal creators and more. The thing is to keep learning, keep seeking, keep trusting in God’s guidance. Firmly believe and implement Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct Thy paths.” (KJV) Rejected, budding authors, take a breath (and maybe a few days of clarity), look for the good advice, reject the bad, and repeat to yourself, God’s got this! Even if success doesn’t look like what we thought.

Tell us about the featured book. It takes a former character, a very irredeemable character and mixes in deep dark secrets and a very dangerous mission! Here’s the blurb: Rhapsody Hastings finds herself in the arms of a ruffian, Cavanaugh Blackledge, when her carriage breaks down on a dark country road. Wedding him stills the scandal of their late-night tryst while soothing the guilt she holds of her first husband’s untimely death. So, she accepts the arrangement as her own personal penance. Yet, an unexpected mission wakens her dead heart despite the fact that a high society lady shouldn’t be involved with such…dangerous illegal conspiracies.

Using his new marriage to shield his clandestine operations proves to be an unanticipated godsend for Cav. And how could he not appreciate the fetching Rhapsody’s presence, creating the perfect buffer when he must face his former true love, now his smug brother’s wife.

But their artificial life turns ugly when information surfaces, putting both Rhapsody’s and Cav’s covert efforts in jeopardy. Secrets reveal even more scandalous secrets, and the skeleton discovered in Rhapsody’s closet may not only undo her, it may make them both very dead.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Remember ladies. Grace…at all costs.

Miss Bickle’s finishing school mantra berated Rhapsody Hasting’s brain while the hand of her dead husband weighed on her shoulder. Rhapsody tightened her grip on the armchair to repress the instinctual recoil. Surely the woman who’d dispensed such wisdom had never—never sat for a mourning portrait.

“Mrs. Hastings, please move your head a bit to the right. And here,” the brown tweed-coated man appeared from beneath a black sheet shielding the back of the camera, “if you could reach up with your right hand and lay it over his.”

Rhapsody shifted her chin slightly, bringing her husband’s pale rigor mortis fingers into her peripheral vision. Nothing gleaned from Miss Bickle’s Ladies’ Etiquette and Finishing School had prepared her for this. Mindful of the twitch that tended to pulsate below her left eye, Rhapsody tensed her jaw. Miss Bickle intruded into her thoughts again.

A true lady never reveals any distress or disappointment. Your countenance remains unimpassioned, imprisoning all the uncouth, lowly desires of the commoner. Miss Lennox, still that tic near your eye. Miss Bickle would snap her waspish figure to attention in front of Rhapsody, making sure the terrible malady had been controlled. Always remember, Ladies. You are to be graceful, elegant, and refined. Sacrificing everything for dignity.

Yes, Miss Bickle. All girls had promptly replied in low, controlled tones. Too loud and one earned a wooden spoon to the head.

Reality pressed the fog of childhood away. The brown tweed coat approached her. The best photographer in the city, she’d been told. His downtown, spacious office perched near the Ohio River amongst the thriving businesses of New Albany, Indiana, catered to the elite of the city, both here and in Louisville. The man had the latest and best equipment money could buy in 1853. But that did not stop him from grasping Rhapsody’s wrist most unwelcomely.

“If you could just clasp this area of your husband’s hand, it would make such a…fine picture.”

In other words, make the dead appear alive.

Wow. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Oh, lands. So. Many. Places.

peggytrotter.com

peggytrotter.blogspot.com

diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Peggy_Trotter

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

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13778873.Peggy_Trotter

Amazon Author’s Profile Page:  amazon.com/author/peggytrotter.com

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

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

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-trotter-44a29b95/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13778873.Peggy_Trotter

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-trotter

MeWe:  mewe.com/i/peggytrotter

Parler:  https://parler.com/profile/PeggyTrotterAuthor

Usa.life: https://usa.life/PeggyTrotterAuthor

Gab:  https://gab.com/PeggyTrotterAuthor

Thank you, Peggy, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Lowborn+Lady&ref=nb_sb_noss

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you do n't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY .

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Elva (SC) is the winner of Honor in the Mountain Refuge by Misty M Beller.

Tdstevens (TX) is the winner of Harmony on the Horizon by Kathleen Denley.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.
Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book. 

PROPOSING MISCHIEF - Regina Jennings - One Free Book

Welcome back, Regina. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions? First, I’d like to thank Elly Mae Clampett for being the inspiration for Maisie, and my grandparents for introducing me to The Beverly Hillbillies. I’ve enjoyed learning Joplin history from Paula Callihan and Mary Anne Phillips. Also, Brad Belk provided me with information on Joplin’s Crystal Cave.

On the industry side, my editors Dave Long and Jessica Sharpe are sure to work my book over, but only after my critique partners Stephanie Landsem, Kristi Hunter, and Tarisa Holman have their say.

If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar? Today, I’m in Joplin, Missouri, the setting of Proposing Mischief, for a presentation on my research and a book signing. Saturday, I’ll be back in Mustang, Oklahoma, for my book launch party. After that, I’ll have a nice break for the holidays before starting back to work.

If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why? Great question! I’m very family-oriented and a lot of my family live nearby, so if I had to leave my first thought would be to go to Missouri where the rest of my family lives. If I was picking a place unrelated to the relations, I’d like to live in a quaint village in England. I’m sure it’d be nothing like I expect, but it seems so enticing.

If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be? Enjoy where God has you today—learn from it, be a blessing to others, and exalt our Lord. Take advantage of opportunities. When the time comes, you’ll be ready, but don’t forget to appreciate where you are today.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related]) If I was organizing entertainment for a cruise, I would include salon-type discussions with interesting people from different disciplines. Some people I’d love to make available to guests would be Jordan Peterson, Amy Coney Barrett, Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Fry, Lin Manuel Miranda, Ree Drummond, and Chris Pratt.

For musical entertainment I’d have Adele, Harry Connick, Jr, and Mumford and Sons. When Harry isn’t performing, he’s welcomed to come visit in the salon.

Tell us about the featured book. Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even as she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it’s only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny—not knowing that she’ll be working for her idol—Joplin’s leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.

Maxfield Scott is intrigued by his new nanny—she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. Some untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What’s worse, Maxfield’s current client wants changes to his plans because of Amos’s work.

As the competition between the men heats up, Olive’s involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?

Please give us the first page of the book.

“When I told Pa I wanted to go to town, I didn’t mean the feed store.” Maisie Kentworth reached over the side of the wagon bed and let the elm leaves swish against her hand as they passed. “That feed store doesn’t sell any phosphate drinks, and I aim to have me one of those today.”

Her brother Amos pulled one rein tight, swerving to make the sharp turn into the feed store’s lot. “Welp, we gotta get feed, that’s a fact, and ever since that Silas Marsh business, they want to keep you on a short leash. So if you want to step foot off the ranch, it’s church or the feed store, or else you’ll be tied to Granny’s apron strings. Them’s the only options.”

Maisie grabbed the supple end of a branch and held it tight so all the leaves were stripped away as it ran through her hand. Silas Marsh. She wished she’d never lit eyes on the man. She’d been staying in town with her cousin Calista when Silas had entered her world. Charming, attentive, and romantic, the young miner seemed just what Maisie had wanted in a man, but evidently she wasn’t the only lady to feel that way.

Turning around in her seat and throwing her leg over the back, she planted her sturdy boot in the middle of her cousin’s back and jostled him until Hank groaned and rolled over.

“Wake up. We’re here.” Maisie tidied her chestnut hair behind her ears, and wiggled her freckled nose at the sweet scent of the feed that should’ve told Hank it was time to wake up and work.

Hank lifted his straw hat from his face and squinted at the sun. “What do you need me for? I thought we brought you to do the toting.”

With a boot to his shoulder, Maisie shoved harder. “Get on your feet, Hank. It’s time to work.”

“Hank ain’t afraid of hard work,” Amos cheerfully added. “He’ll curl up right against it and sleep like a baby.”

“What’s your hurry?” he groaned. “I was out hunting all night. Give me a minute.”

“If we have time to spare, we might could drive on into town to the soda fountain,” Maisie said.

Hank bolted upright. “I do admire myself a phosphate cherry root drink.” The flat, immovable planes of Hank’s face gave his every pronouncement the weight of the granite tablets from Mount Sinai.

“There ain’t no way.” Amos set the brake and wrapped the reins around the handle. “I have strict orders not to let Maisie anywhere near town.” And even when Amos was serious, the sparks of merriment in his eyes didn’t allow one to believe him.

Where can we find you on the Internet? My website is www.reginajennings.com. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter and very rarely Instagram. I look forward to visiting with you all there.

Thank you, Regina, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. My copy is on my table at the top of my to-be-read pile. I’m eager to dive into it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Proposing+Mischief&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

HARMONY ON THE HORIZON - Kathleen Denly - One Free Book

Welcome back, Kathleen. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon? I’ve recently signed a contract to publish three new novels for my Chaparral Hearts series. I’ve already begin work on the first of these novels—which will be book four in the series—and I’m very excited with where it’s going.

Tell us a little about your family. I’ll be celebrating my twentieth anniversary with my amazing husband at the end of this month. We have four beautiful children—three boys and one girl who range in age from five to sixteen—whom we homeschool. In addition, we have one dog, six indoor cats and four feral cats who live in a cattery on our twenty acre homestead. In the next year we hope to get chickens and eventually plan to add goats to the list of living beings we’re trying to keep alive.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? Yes. I have discovered that while I am writing my first drafts, I cannot read novels set in England or which have characters with dialects or accents. I also cannot watch movies with accents. All my life I have been an accent sponge. If I spend more than five minutes around someone with an accent, I have to make a conscious effort not to start talking like them. Turns out, I do the same thing with writing. If I spend too much time reading a regency set in Englandand suddenly my American heroine sounds like she’s from London.

What are you working on right now? I am currently working on two projects. One is a novella which takes place between books one and two in my Chaparral Hearts series. It’s both fun and challenging because my heroine for this novella was the villain of Waltz in the Wilderness, my first book. The second project I’m working on is the fourth book in my Chaparral Hearts series. It’s going to be set primarily in what is now eastern San Diego County and will include adventures based on true historical events.

What outside interests do you have? Well, you can probably guess that I love cats, but as hobbies go, I enjoy crafting, hiking, and diy projects.

How do you choose your settings for each book? Well, so far all of my books have been set in California, with a special focus on Southern California. This is because that’s where I have spent the majority of my life. When I set out to begin the Chaparral Hearts series, one of the things I noticed was a lack of novels in my genre that featured the unique and fascinating history of the southern portion of our golden state. When planning each subsequent novel I searched for interesting historical events and unique physical locations. For example, in Harmony on the Horizon, I wanted to focus on the seedier side of San Francisco’s early days. So I chose San Francisco’s Barbary Coastas my secondary setting. For book four in the Chaparral Hearts series, the idea began with the story of our nation’s second bloodiest gun fight (second only to the infamous O.K. Corral shootout) and the bandit gang that instigated it.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why? Jane Austen. I want to know what she was like as a person and an author. I am curious about her reasons and methods. And I’d love to see her reaction to being so famous and so deeply studied all these years later. I wonder if she’d approve of the many movie adaptations and fan fiction novels her stories have inspired.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? Which writing craft books would work for me, and that conferences are valuable even before you’ve finished your manuscript (or think you have). The one thing I would change if I could, would be to start attending them sooner. On the other hand, we were dirt poor at the time, and I couldn’t afford to attend them so…

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? Oh, great question. I think I’m still learning to make wiser choices with my time and energy. I’m learning to say no more often and be okay with missing good or even great opportunities. Unless I’m called to do something, it’s optional. And just because someone else is doing something or an opportunity seems enticing, doesn’t mean I need to do it. He’s teaching me to trust in His timing and provision instead of working myself to the bone trying to do it all, be there for everyone, and be perfect at everything. I’m learning that if He wants me to accomplish something, I don’t have to pull an all-nighter to accomplish it. He’ll provide me with the time and energy to get it done in His timing. (He’s proven this to me time and again.) And I’m learning that rest isn’t just okay. It’s Biblical and necessary.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Don’t overcommit! Remember to schedule rest days.

Don’t follow a publishing path or implement a marketing technique, or do anything else just because it’s what others say is best (even if that person is an agent, best-selling author, editor, or publisher). Instead, listen to God and the loved ones He has placed in your life.

Learn, practice, and learn some more. No matter what stage you’re at, there’s always something you can learn.

Tell us about the featured book. Her calling to change the world may be his downfall.

On the heels of the Great Rebellion, Margaret Foster, an abolitionist northerner, takes a teaching position in 1865 San Diego—a town dominated by Southern sympathizers. At thirty-seven years of age, Margaret has accepted spinsterhood and embraced her role as teacher. So when Everett Thompson, the handsomest member of the School Board, reveals his interest in her, it’s a dream come true. Until her passionate ideals drive a wedge between them.

After two decades of hard work, Everett Thompson is on the verge of having everything he’s dreamed of. Even the beautiful new teacher has agreed to his courtship. Then two investments go south and a blackmailer threatens everything Everetthas and dreams of.

As Everettscrambles to shore up the crumbling pieces of his life, Margaret unwittingly sets off a scandal that divides the small community and threatens her position as teacher. With the blackmailer still whispering threats, Everett must decide if he’s willing to risk everything for the woman still keeping him at arm’s length.

Please give us the first page of the book.

San Francisco , June 30, 1865

A girl's terrified scream jerked Margaret Foster's attention from the mathematics formula she’d been rehearsing in her mind. A chill shivered up her spine as she searched the wooden sidewalks and fog-shrouded buildings lining the cobblestone intersection. To her left, tidy store fronts bore crowded window displays and closed doors—not yet open for the day’s business. To her right, a rough-looking haberdashery was flanked by windowless buildings with faded lettering. She squinted at the sign just beyond the men’s clothing shop. Melodeon? She stepped away. Not another person in sight.

Who had screamed? The sound had been distant. Could she have mistaken a cat’s cry for a scream?

The woman who owned the boarding house Margaret had checked into yesterday had said to turn south at the milliner’s shop with a large, glass display window. No such building met her gaze. She kicked at a loose pebble and started back the way she’d come. Knowing your lessons won’t matter at all if you’re late and—

Another scream spun Margaret toward the windowless buildings. Through the haze, she spotted a small figure chased by a larger one. Her heart squeezed. That child was in danger. The pair disappeared into the mist beyond the melodeon.

Margaret dashed after them.

Human-like shadows flickered in and out of view as she ran through the gloom. Down alleys and up streets, she followed their echoing footsteps. A stitch formed in her side, but she pressed on. That child needed her help.

I’m hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: https://kathleendenly.com/

Kathleen’s Readers’ Club: http://bit.ly/KRCMemberSignUp

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/KathleenDenly.author

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArmchairAdventureKrew/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathleenDenly

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/KathleenDenly

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

BookBub Author Profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/Kathleen-Denly

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/kathleendenly

Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing this new book with us. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Harmony+on+the+Horizon&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

EXCITING NEWS!!! YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!!!

 40 Christian authors (I'm one of them) will host a Christmas Extravaganza Party December 2-4 on the Whispers in Montana Facebook Group. Christian novels, prizes, and fun!!!

See you there.

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you do n't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY .

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Stephanie (NY) is the winner of The Debutant's Code by Erica Vetsch.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.
Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.  

HONOR IN THE MOUNTAIN REFUGE - Misty M Beller - One Free Book

Bio: Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Welcome back, Misty. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? I’ve always loved reading, but never actually thought I could write a book. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I began thinking I’d like to try. I added “write a book that’s published” to my bucket list, and as I worked through that first book, I realized how much I loved writing. Even then, I never imagined God would have me doing this full time. Some days are hard, but writing really is my dream job!

I know how that feels. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish? It varies a little, but if I’m really focused on the writing, it usually takes me 2 to 2 ½ months to write a book. That requires focusing on writing and editing for a significant part of each day. J

How do you come up with themes for your stories? This question is hard to answer! I usually start with developing my characters, and maybe a general idea of the plot or their story goals. As I get to know their backstory, I begin to learn how each character will develop through the story, and that usually helps me understand the theme for the book.

Do you have a schedule of when you write? I’ve learned that my most creative time is in the afternoons, so I try to protect that time for writing new words. That means I do a lot of the business part and editing in the mornings. I do have five kiddos, so that time is often interrupted, but that’s the way I try to schedule my workday.

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing? I’m not always sure I do! As I said, we have five kiddos (ages 3 weeks to 14 years), and we also homeschool, so there’s a lot going on in our home! It’s usually pretty chaotic, but the kids are also good about trying to let me work. I set goals with them (when Mom gets these last 3 chapters edited, we’ll go to the library), and they encourage me. J

What elements do you think make a great story line? Ooo, good question! Definitely strong, interesting characters, with story goals that drive the book forward. I love settings that really come alive. My books are often set in the Rocky Mountains, a setting that adds so many layers of challenge my characters must face! I love a good plot twist partway through!

What was the hardest thing about writing a book? Finding the right words. JEspecially if I’m especially sleep-deprived, meeting my daily word count can be SO HARD some days.

How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? I’m just starting my 32nd book. In some ways, it seems impossible to believe I’ve written that much. When I think of all those words and storylines, though, it feels like more than 32 books. JPicking a favorite is hard though! There are some that feel like milestones, like Hope’s Highest Mountain, my first book published by Bethany House Publishers, or This Healing Journey, a book that earned a spot on the USA Today bestseller’s list. But there are other books that are special for sentimental reasons, like The Lady and the Mountain Man, the book where I realized how much I love writing remote mountain settings. Or This Courageous Journey, a book where my oldest daughter helped me brainstorm the plot. I think it would be impossible to choose a favorite!

Do you have a favorite character?This is even harder than choosing a favorite book! I love strong characters, with courageous heroines and mountain men heroes. By the time I’m a third of the way through writing a story, the characters have become dear friends. I really love the hero and heroine in Honor in the Mountain Refuge. Chogan (the hero) is a Blackfoot brave who’s been exiled from his village because he wanted peace instead of their warlike ways. He’s such a good man, protective and honorable and courageous. And Telipe (the heroine) is brave in her own right! She’s a peacemaker, someone who reaches out to the outsiders. Little does she know God uses that trait to bring her to the man He created for her.

Tell us about the story. I’d love to! After being cast out of his Blackfoot village for his kindness to the Nez Perce captives, Chogan travels west in search of meaning for his life. Meaning that doesn’t require killing or torturing innocent people. Though the lovely face of Telípe, a Nez Perce woman, is imprinted on his heart, he avoids her village.  She deserves a happy life with her husband and coming child.

With her husband dead and the birth of her babe imminent, Telípe’s reality looks nothing like she planned. She’s been forced to return to the village where she grew up and the chaos of her family’s lodge—with all her boisterous younger brothers. She desperately desires to start a new life for herself and the babe growing within her, but she can’t seem to climb above the mire of her past. When she stumbles into the brave who’d shown her kindness during her captivity, something ignites within her—a new hope.

Chogan’s determination to stay and help Telípe is thwarted by her people’s fear and hatred for his tribe—especially since he was among last winter’s kidnappers. It doesn’t matter that he did everything he could to keep her and her unborn child safe and comfortable during that awful event. But as a new predator threatens the safety of the village, Chogan determines to take down the massive wildcat that’s already injured several children—including one of Telípe’s younger brothers. When the danger escalates, Chogan is faced with an impossible choice. No matter which option he chooses, his life will never be the same—nor that of the woman he’s come to love.

Please give us a peek at the first page of the book.

Summer, 1831

Clearwater River Valley, Future Idaho Territory

The fine hairs along Telípe’s neck stood on end, and she turned to scan the woods around her—not an easy feat with the babe weighing down her belly.

Was there an animal watching her? Or could there be a person scouting out there, unseen?

She peered through the summer leaves covering the trees, but all appeared still. Maybe the sensation had only come from sweat trickling down her neck.

Turning back to the fruit bushes, she pushed aside the branches and reached for a cluster of chokecherries. At least the trees offered shade and a bit of a breeze, unlike the hot, smoky lodge she’d escaped. With all her family lounging or milling about the place—including Pisákas, the man her brother seemed to constantly be placing in her path, and his young motherless son—she could barely breathe, much less think.

Of course, she couldn't breathe well anyway, as the baby filled every empty space inside her. She slipped a hand under her belly to better support the mass at her middle, then reached for another cluster of cherries.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

I love to connect with readers! One of my favorite ways is through my newsletter, and readers can get a free copy of my book, A Pony Express Romance, when they sign up for the newsletter. Here’s the link for that:https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

I can also be found at these links:

https://mistymbeller.com/

https://amazon.com/author/mistymbeller

https://www.facebook.com/MistyMBellerAuthor

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/misty-m-beller

https://www.goodreads.com/MistyMBeller

http://www.pinterest.com/MistyMBeller

Thank you, Misty, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I have loved every book of yours that I’ve read, and I’ve read almost all of them.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TZS9M57

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

WINNERS

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you do n't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY .

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Mimi (DE) is the winner of The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin.

Barbthereader (OH) is the winner of  Colleen's Confession  by Susan G Mathis.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.