A COUNTERFEIT BETROTHAL - Denise Weimer - One Free Book
Bio: Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporaryromance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editorand the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife andmother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and oldhouses.God has really been moving in your writing life. What doyou see on the horizon? Yes, I am so blessed to work with Misty Beller and her staffat Wild Heart Books with the release of my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier, afive-book series. I also am releasing two novellas in their Romance at theGilded Age Resorts Series. Releases from both series populated 2023 andcontinue throughout 2024. Plus, my novel of Barbour’s A Day to Remember Series,When Hope Sank, about the 1865sinking of the Sultana steamboat,comes out in May.
This year, I’ll be promoting all those novels as well as continuingas the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison at Wild Heart Books. It’s a doubleblessing that I get to acquire and edit Christian historical romances from somany other talented authors! The company is growing, and God is blessing.
My agent, Linda S. Glaz, also continues to shop some of myproposals to other publishers.
I’m blessed to be one of those Wild Hearts Books authorsyou’re helping. Tell us a little about your family. I’m married to Wayne,an investment advisor, and we have two daughters who are currently in gradschool. I’m also thankful to have my parents close by. They attend many bookevents with me.
Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?My editing has changed my readinghabits. Except for the occasional endorsement read, I don’t get to read a bunchfor pleasure just because of the eye and brain strain that comes from lots ofediting. Not to mention, it’s hard not to read a book without my mental red penswitched to “on.” But when I get the chance, I love escaping into otherChristian historical romances…and occasionally, a contemporary romanticsuspense novel.
What are you working on right now? Book Three of theScouts of the Georgia Frontier, ACherished Betrothal, just released, so I’m gearing up for spring in-personevents as well as the activities mentioned above.
What outside interests do you have? I enjoy attendingliving history events, vintage dance, and outings to cute towns and coffeeshops with my friends and the ladies in my family. I’m also part of a hikingclub for Christian women. Trekking around the North Georgia mountains alwaysbrings me fresh inspiration.
How do you choose your settings for each book? Mostof my books are set in Georgia, though some now are in other Southern states. Ilove to find little-known but fascinating historical happenings or locationsand base a story around those.
I’ve been doing that with my novels, too. I love learningabout events. If you could spend an evening with one historical person, whowould it be and why? I never know how to answer that one since there are somany fascinating historical people. I’d have a hard time choosing betweenreligious leaders, military leaders, brave pioneers, and the American foundingfathers.
What is the one thing you wish you had known before youstarted writing novels? Haha! Well, when I first started writing, thepublishing preference was just switching from narrative style to deep point ofview. I learned as a work in process, so I could have saved some time if I hadbeen aware of that transition earlier.
Apart from that, I think I’d go back and tell my youngerauthor self that the best open doors would come through working with otherauthors. And that it will take a long time to gain traction outside my localarea.
My first novel, which released in 1992, was in thenarrative style, and I didn’t know any other authors. What new lessons is theLord teaching you right now? I guess my current lessons have to do withtrusting God to work when we’ve done all we can in certain areas of life andmay not see a change. And I’m learning how our human interpretations of Him andcircumstances are so limited. He is truly so much more gracious than we know.
What are the three best things you can tell other authorsto do to be successful? Study the craft, whether that comes by readingbooks, attending workshops, joining a writers’ group, or working with an editoror mentor. Study the agent or publishing house so that when you submit, you arecertain there is a potential match and you are putting your best foot forwardby offering the materials in the style and format requested. And then, trustthe results and the timing to God.
Very good advice. Please tell us about the featured book.Yes! A Counterfeit Betrothal isa heart-warming homefront romance set during the War of 1812 on the Southernfrontier.
At the farthestGeorgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory, Jared Lockridge serveshis country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can helpsecure the peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring hisbetrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comesacross a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.Freed from a cruelmarriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to helpJared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known sheis secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart withas much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hopeeven as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into localincidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope aloyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?
https://www.amazon.com/Counterfeit-Betrothal-Scouts-Georgia-Frontier-ebook/dp/B0C8ZP46QD/
Please give us the first page of the book.
LATENOVEMBER 1813
JACKSONCOUNTY, GEORGIA
Theunmistakable tang of smoke in the air stiffened Jared Lockridge’s spine as heurged his big red roan down the ridge that cradled the Apalachee River. Notjust a little, either, as one would expect from a chimney or even a campfire.Drawing back on the reins, he scanned the treetops. There, to the north—a sootyfingerprint against the purpling twilight sky gave evidence of trouble.
He’dalready steeled himself against overnighting at his brother’s nearby cabin,stuffing his growling stomach on his brother Noble’s new wife’s cornbread. Thereport he bore should be carried straightaway to his commander at Fort Daniel.In counties to the south, there’d been two attacks in early November by CreekIndians allied to the British. Those incidents verified Major Terrell’sintelligence from Indian Agent Benjamin Hawkins—the Red Stick Creeks had indeedbeen recruiting in the Upper Creek towns and could soon be pressing all the wayup the Jackson Line. The line Jared was paid to scout.
Couldthe fire be more evidence of Creek war parties? This far north? He couldn’tignore the possibility—or that of a settler in need of assistance.
Jaredkneed his stallion toward the smoke. Within minutes, he caught sight of flamesdancing between the trees. In the center of a clearing, a cabin was burning.Instinct begged him to charge up to the homestead in case anyone neededrescuing, but wisdom whispered caution.
This book just moved to the top of my to-be-read list. Howcan readers find you on the Internet?
Connect with Denise here:
Thank you, Denise for sharing ACounterfeit Betrothal with my blogreaders and me. I know they’ll be as eager to read it as I am.
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