THE HEART'S PURSUIT - Robin Lee Hatcher - One Free Book on This Blog, Plus More

Bio: Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?

After writing historical romances exclusively for a number of years, I am currently working on a contemporary romance series, set in the same small Idaho town that was the setting for my January women's fiction release, A Promise Kept. I'm enjoying it a great deal.

I know I’ll love any contemporary books you write. I’ve always been held captive by the historical ones. What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?

I will be attending the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in September 2014 in St. Louis. I am not speaking but look forward to networking with other writers wherever they gather.

Good, I’ll see you there. If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?

Professional Partnerships: How to have the best working relationship possible between writer, agent, and editor/publishing house.

Panelists would be me, my agent of 25 years Natasha Kern, and my editor Ami McConnell.

How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

I have been very active in writers organizations over the past 30 years, including five years on the board of directors of Romance Writers of America (two of those years as President and CEO) and almost 18 years on the board of directors of Faith, Hope, and Love (I continue to serve as an advisor). The friendships made through writers groups and organizations, such as ACFW, are invaluable to me as a writer. It helps to know we are not alone in this crazy business. It helps to know that there are others who think like we do and spend many hours of every day in an imaginary world.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

My husband and I serve our church on the greeting team. I love it. Our church is on the larger size (2500 to 3000 members, I believe), and being one of the greeters helps me to meet more people. And I love making newcomers feel welcome.      

 My husband has been a greeter for years at our church. He loves it too. Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

My mother: Her impact touched every part of my life, and she was an example of what it means to walk by faith.

My daughters: Once a mother, always a mother. Raising children shapes the parent as much as it shapes the child.

My husband: Marriage has a huge impact on your life. Can't help it. That saying of iron sharpening iron is true. Marriage is one very certain way to rub off some of our rougher edges.

Pastor Hank: I was a new Christian and his preaching and pastoring were foundational in my faith walk in those crucial early years. He helped instill in me a love of reading and studying the Bible that has stayed with me ever since.

Pastor Tri: He was just the right pastor at the right time. Instead of a new Christian, I was a mature Christian with lots of experiences behind me. He and I came to Christ during the Jesus Movement of the 70's, and we have been witnesses to many of the same things through the years. His messages always reach my heart and touch me where I live.

If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?

"She finished the race well."

Tell us about the featured book.

THE HEART'S PURSUIT is a wild ride across the Wild West with two characters I've come to love. Here's the blurb:

A jilted bride desperate to save her family from ruin.

A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.

An arduous trek toward justice—or redemption.

Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea. Bad for Silver’s already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town. Bad for bounty hunter Jared’s secret, single-minded mission for revenge. But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father’s fortune. And Jared’s in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family—even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.

The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn’t theirs to take. Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicion leaves Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most. To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the question they haven’t dared voice: What happens next?

Please share the first page with us.

May 1873

Bright sunlight glared upon the small town of Twin Springs, Colorado, as Jared Newman stopped his pinto gelding in front of the saloon. Silence reigned along the main street. If he hadn’t ridden through here just three days earlier, he would have thought the town abandoned. Not a soul in sight.

 He removed his battered Stetson and raked his fingers through his hair, then stepped down from the saddle. He hit the hat against his pant leg a few times, shaking loose the trail dust. He was bone-weary, and his temper had seen better days. The latter was due to the unseasonable heat. The former was due to the man who rode with him.

“Get down, Peterson. We could both use something to drink.”

His prisoner obeyed, sliding to the ground, his wrists cuffed in front of him.

With a jingle of spurs, Jared ushered Lute Peterson through the swinging doors of the Mountain Rose Saloon. The narrow room was dimly lit and musty-smelling. Two men, a circle of smoke lingering above their heads, glanced up from their game of cards. A blonde in a dress that might have been in the height of fashion a decade or two earlier lounged against the bar.

Behind her, the bartender swirled a white cloth along the bar’s hardwood surface. He grinned at the new customers, but his expression changed fast enough when he noticed the cuffs on Peterson’s wrists. His gaze shifted to Jared. “What’ll it be?”

“Sarsaparilla. Two.” He tossed coins onto the bar.

Peterson cast a look of disbelief in Jared’s direction. “Sarsaparilla? How about a whiskey?”

Jared ignored him.

The woman sidled closer. “Haven’t seen you in here before. Where you headed? Or are you new to town?”

He glanced at her. A generous dusting of powder and rouge had been applied to her angular face. Like her dress, she might have been attractive at one time, but life had left its mark around her eyes and in the cynical corners of her painted mouth.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Website and blog: http://www.robinleehatcher.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/robinleehatcher

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/robinleehatcher/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/62524.Robin_Lee_Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher's latest novel, The Heart's Pursuit, is receiving critical praise: "The Old West lives again in this inspirational romantic adventure. . . . Themes of forgiveness, justice and mercy dominate the story and add to the characters' depth. Hatcher treats readers to a rich sensory experience—you can taste the desert dust and smell the smoke and stench of a crowded gambling hall." (Publishers Weekly)

Robin is celebrating the release of her novel by giving away a $200 "Romantic Weekend Getaway."

  One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card (Get away for the weekend with that special someone!)
• The Heart's Pursuit by Robin Lee Hatcher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 8th. Winner will be announced June 9th on Robin's website.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Robin's blog on June 8th to see if you won.

Thank you, Robin, for sharing this new book and giveaway with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Heart's Pursuit - Christianbook.com
The Heart's Pursuit - Amazon
The Heart's Pursuit - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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