LOVE FINDS YOU IN REVENGE, OHIO - Lisa Harris - Free Book

I've been looking forward to featuring this book. Welcome, Lisa.Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and my mother took time out of her busy schedule to teach us about God. But while I accepted Christ and was baptized when I was twelve, it wasn’t until college that my faith really became my own. I was away from home and realized I had to decide if my faith was really my own. It was a huge turning point in my life.
　
How did you and your husband meet?

Scott has just finished a two-year internship in France, so when I first met him, at a mixer at University, he had this charming French accent that I loved. I’d already taken a year of French and wanted to do missions in a French speaking country, so from the very beginning I knew God had brought us together. And He’s kept us together as well. This summer we celebrate 19 years of marriage!
　
That's really something to celebrate, for sure. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

Only four? That is so hard! I’ve been blessed with so many writer friends that have made such a huge impact in my life. And the thought of a writing retreat sounds like a bit of heaven to me. So, where do I even start? For the past six months, I’ve been writing a medical thriller with Lynne Gentry. Skype’s been great, but meeting face to face would be even better. Beth Goddard, because we’ve critted together for years and she always encourages me. DiAnn Mills, because she believed in me early on and helped me get my first book published. And you, Lena for all the evenings we spent critiquing in your living room. I wouldn’t be where I am now without your support and great critiques. I miss it!

And I really miss having you here. Maybe we can Skype sometime. I'm planning to download it to my laptop soon. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I typically speak at different women’s functions when I’m back in the States, but not on a regular basis.
　
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

A few years back my husband and I were at a retreat with our teammates up in the mountains in South Africa. We stayed in this quaint cottage with only solar panels used to power the house. During this weekend, I somehow locked myself in the bathroom. The owner had to come take off the door handle while I sat on the other side wanting desperately to disappear. Which wasn’t, I suppose that bad. Except that was just the first time! About an hour later, I somehow locked myself in the bathroom. . .again! They’ve never quite let me live it down. Especially when it happened again here in Mozambique. I’d been giving my youngest a bath as it was blistering hot, and somehow, once again, I couldn’t open the door. I could feel the cool air of the air-conditioned room coming through the key hole, so every few minutes I’d press my face to it for some relief. I probably ended up waiting an hour for my husband to return, and even then I ended up having to escape through the small window above the toilet (don’t ask me how I managed that) because it took another hour or so to finally get the door open.

And how did I react to it? Let’s just say, I’ve become a bit paranoid about getting locked in strange bathrooms.
　
Sounds like the year I kept locking the keys in the car and had to have my husband come and unlock it. Maybe sometime I'll tell you about that. People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Start writing! You’ll never write that book unless you sit down and start. There are many resources out there that can help you from how-to books, to face-to-face conferences, to crit books. I also tell people that while my writing journey has been exciting and rewarding, it’s also one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. It can be a lonely and frustrating journey, but if you really want to write, you can’t let it stop you. Use it as a time to grow and learn and write that book!

Tell us about the featured book?

I’m so excited about this story. I grew to love Catherine and her sisters and the challenges they faced. Here’s the blurb from the back of the book.

　
The only thing worse than being a spinster, is being a twice-jilted spinster.

Sensible Catherine Morgan is the first telephone operator in the small town of Revenge, Ohio. Bound by her promise to take care of her three sisters until they marry, she’ll do anything it takes to keep them safe. But Sheriff Corbin Hunter stands in her way. With evidence that her sister’s fiancé is really an infamous bank robber, Catherine finds herself torn between saving her sister’s heart and losing hers to a former jilted love.

A confidence man, a lawman, and a grubstaker converge on the small town of Revenge, Ohio with explosive consequences.

Sheriff Corbin Hunter never expected to return to Revenge. Seven years ago he walked away from the one woman he ever loved, a decision he’s regretted ever since. Revenge, though, can be stronger than love. When Corbin’s father is killed during a bank heist, Corbin vows to avenge his father’s death--even if it means losing the woman he loves a second time.
　
Please give us the first page of the book.

Revenge, Ohio 1884
Chapter One
The only thing worse than being a spinster, is being a twice-jilted spinster. The notion struck Catherine Morgan like a spring tornado and brought with it a deluge of unwanted memories. It didn’t matter that the implied words came from her well-meaning younger sister, Emily. Well-meaning or not, Catherine was tired of afternoons filled with tea and scones that consistently turned into an unrehearsed chorus of matchmaking schemes from one of her three sisters.

Corbin Hunter had been the first suitor to leave her with both a broken engagement and a broken heart. Technically, Robert Foster never proposed. Once he realized he’d be living under the same roof with all four of the Morgan sisters, he bolted. But she’d realized long ago that marrying either man would have been a mistake she’d have lived to regret. Any man unwilling to shoulder a parcel of responsibility in caring for her sisters wasn’t worth the nest egg she’d hidden in the bottom of the sugar jar.

She bit into a sweet piece of molded chocolate to ease the sting and stared out across the tall prairie grasses framing the skyline to the west that eventually merged with the Appalachian forest to the east. A sticky breeze filtered across the wraparound porch of her sister’s house and left her longing for the cooler days of springtime.

"I heard that the new sheriff is unattached." Emily poured herself another cup of iced tea from the cut glass pitcher made at her husband’s shop. "And incredibly handsome."

Once again, Catherine ignored the implications and took a sip of her drink. She caught the smile on her sister’s face that was as bright as it had been on her wedding day fourteen months ago. Catherine couldn’t deny marriage had been good for her younger sister. As for herself, she’d long since given up on any expectations regarding her entry into the so-called blissful state of matrimony of which Emily constantly spoke. Not that Catherine felt she had any say in the matter. Last she looked, there were no eager suitors lining up outside her general store ready to profess their undying love to her.
　
Oooo! I can hardly wait for my copy to arrive. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’d love to hear from readers! You can visit me at http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/ or on my blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for having me, Lena!

I'm glad we had this time to visit, Lisa.

And readers, you'll want to visit her blog often. Maybe even sign up for it, like I have. I love reading about Lisa's life in Africa.

Here's a link where you can order the book:

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