A MAN OF HIS WORD - Kathleen Fuller - Free Book

The last two books we featured by Kathleen were Amish collections. Now she's back with a single title. Welcome, Kathleen Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Romances are my favorite genre to read, so naturally I want to write them! I’ve always loved history, which is why most of my novels are historical. Now that I’m writing Amish fiction I can explore contemporary issues through characters that live a lifestyle reminiscent of years gone by.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Four way tie—my wedding day, and the birth days of my three children.

How has being published changed your life?

I have less time to read! Being published also puts me out of my comfort zone—I don’t like to put myself “out there”, yet I do through my books. However, I’ve had the opportunity to share my faith with others, so it’s definitely worth a little discomfort. :-)

What are you reading right now?

The Blue Enchantress by Mary Lu Tyndall

I love MaryLu's books. What is your current work in progress?

A Woman of Virtue, the third book in my Hearts of Middlefield series.

What would be your dream vacation?

A Mediterranean cruise. I’ve wanted to take one for years.

I've cruised the Carribbean more than once. Doing the Mediterranean sounds wonderful. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Choosing Middlefield was easy—I live near the settlement, and I knew there weren’t any Amish books set there. Middlefield is the fourth largest Amish settlement, and I thought it was important to highlight this wonderful area.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Anita Renfroe. She cracks me up!

James and I would like to join you. We own several of her DVDs, which we enjoy watching. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to do crafts, but I have so little time for them. I enjoy stamping and cross stitch. I also like playing the Wii with my kids and swimming.

After I became a fulltime novelist, most of my crafts went by the wayside, too. But I still knit and crochet while James and I watch TV or DVDs. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Procrastination! Having deadlines helps with that, but I’m still a work in progress. Some ways I do try to overcome procrastinating is to give myself an earlier deadline than what my publisher gives me and I put it on the calendar. That way I have some wiggle room in case of a disaster, like a lost document or a family crisis. Disasters seem to happen around deadline time, for some reason.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Persevere. If you truly want to be a writer, you have to persevere because this can be a frustrating business. Don’t let rejection keep you from pursuing your goal. If you get rejected, learn from it and move on. Just make sure you keep writing and keep submitting. The one sure fire way to never get published is to give up.

Tell us about the featured book?

A Man of His Word is about Moriah Byler, who marries her sweetheart at the beginning of the story. What she doesn’t know is that her husband’s identical twin, Gabriel, has always loved her. When her husband leaves her for the Yankee world, she doesn’t know who to trust. Then she discovers she’s pregnant. Another unexpected tragedy occurs, and although Gabriel is there for her, she’s afraid to unguard her heart.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Moriah Byler ran her fingers across the soft fabric of the dress hanging on her closet door. Its powder-blue hue, her favorite color, resembled a clear summer sky, bringing a smile to her face. Giddiness coursed through her. In three hours she would don this new dress, and before God and her church, she would become Mrs. Levi Miller.

Closing her eyes, she pictured her handsome husband-to-be, his sandy-brown hair falling across his forehead, his chestnut-colored eyes filled with mischief when he was up to something, which was often. Was he experiencing the same excitement she felt? Since he had proposed to her a few months ago, she had dreamed about this day, the day she would marry the man she loved, the man God had set apart especially for her. Memories of his proposal flashed through her mind. He had taken her by surprise that day in the barn, first by asking him to marry her, then by boldly kissing her.

Opening her eyes, she touched her cheeks, flushing at the memory. She had always thought she’d experience her first kiss after she married. Then again, Levi had always been unpredictable. Although he’d tried to kiss her again, she had stopped him. Kissing led to other things—things that should occur after marriage, as their faith taught. She had seen the disappointment in his eyes, but he had agreed to her wishes. Since then he had also been on his best behavior.

She took one last look at the dress she and her mother had finished a week ago, then frowned. Was that a hole in the sleeve? She removed the dress from the hanger. Sure enough, a part of the shoulder seam had separated. She retrieved a needle and thread and quickly stitched it up. After knotting the thread, she snipped it close to the stitches with a small pair of scissors. There. Now it’s perfect. The dress and her wedding day would be fehlerfrei.

Moriah hung up the dress and walked to her second-story window, peering into her family’s backyard. She gave thanks for their two-acre spread, which included a large clapboard barn and storage shed, both painted in the same shade of white as the house. She spied her father and two of her younger brothers, Lukas and Stephen, bringing inside a long wood table the family had borrowed several days ago. Behind them followed Gabriel, Levi’s identical twin brother, carrying a couple of wooden chairs.

As she watched Gabriel, she recalled the close friendship the three of them had shared as children. Some of her favorite memories revolved around watching Levi and Gabriel try to outdo each other in everything. Gabriel always had the better grades and was physically stronger, as he had proved in third grade when he and Levi had taken turns to see who could lift her up. Gabe had carried her across the yard as if she weighed no more than a kitten while Levi had carried her only a few feet. But Levi soon proved he could best Gabe in games of speed and agility, and she smiled as she remembered his determination to climb trees faster and higher than anyone in their school.

She and Levi had begun courting at age sixteen, just after Frau Miller had passed away. Gabriel quickly distanced himself, as if they had never been friends at all. At first, she thought Gabe was grieving the loss of his mother, but he continued to treat her coolly, more so with each passing year. She hoped that would change once she was a part of his family. She missed his friendship.

I can hardly wait until my copy comes. It sounds interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

On my website: http://www.kathleenfuller.com/ , and at http://www.amishhearts.com/ .

Kathleen, thank you for introducing us to this book. We enjoyed this time with you.

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