A TIDE WORTH TURNING - Beth Wiseman - One Free Book

Dear Readers, several years ago at an ACFW national conference in Minneapolis, one of the women in my critique group introduced me to Beth. We clicked right from the start. She wasn’t published at that time, but soon her first book released. Now she had a number of books out, and I love her writing.

Welcome back, Beth. How did this book come about?

I love reading books about the beach, and a novella is always nice on vacation. I enjoy writing romances, but my stories are also relationship driven with several subplots going on. In this story, we unravel secrets between Addison and her mother, feeling their pain and rejoicing with them as they find their way back to each other. There are two romances running parallel with each other, but there is also a mystery that isn’t revealed until the end. I write a lot of Amish novels and novellas, so I wanted to do something a bit different.

Tell us about the book’s cover and what makes it unique.

I’m so glad you asked this question. I took the photo on the cover. My husband bought me a fancy new camera for my birthday, and I captured this shot in Mexico. Then I turned it over to a graphics designer who came up with the final cover. The book starts off in Galveston, Texas, but if you’ve been to Galveston, you know right away the photo doesn’t look like Galveston; and it’s not meant to. This story takes my characters to another beach I would like to visit some day—and that is the intended beach on the cover.

Please explain and differentiate between what’s fact and fiction in the book.

All of my books are fiction, but this is another good question since certain truths always find a way into my stories. In the story, we know from the beginning that Logan is in some sort of trouble. But we also know he is a good guy. This mystery isn’t revealed until the very end, so I don’t want to give any spoilers. The idea came to me based on something that happened to my son’s friend.

Yes, we authors often hear or experience something that takes us right into a story. How much research did you have to do for this book?

I had to do quite a bit of research for this book. Novellas need to pack a punch since they are shorter reads, but they also need to be as accurate as full-length novels. I’ve never been to the place my characters visit in the story, so I had to research certain customs and the area. And there were some legal issues that I had to research.

When I was in school, even college, I hated when we had to do research. Now I love it for my books. What are some of the most interesting things you found about this subject that you weren’t able to use in the story?

The food! Logan is from Australia, and he loves to cook, so I researched popular foods in Australia. I included two recipes in the back of the book, but I couldn’t squeeze them all in.

What inspired and surprised you while you were writing the book?

I’m always inspired by the ways God feeds me the story. And I’m always surprised by the ways I’m ministering to myself while writing the story. And there is something in the book that I wrote in early on, but I had no idea if it had any special meaning. One day I looked it up, and I just smiled when I realized it was very significant to the story and my character’s spiritual arc.

What do you hope the reader takes away from the story?

There is a reason for everything. God never wastes a hurt. So, if bad things are happening to good people, it could be God’s effort to direct our journey onto a better path.

What is the next project you’re working on?

I’m working on my second book in the Amish Secrets series (not yet titled). As I’ve done with my other series, I’ve brought back some of the same characters from Her Brother’s Keeper, but I’ve also introduced new people I hope readers will love.

What do you do when you have to get away from the story for a while?

It depends. If I’m just totally brain dead and my eyes hurt from staring at a computer and my phone, I’ll read a book. Other times, if I want a total escape, I’ll play games on my phone, just really tune everything else out. And I clean house. It’s amazing how dirty the baseboards become when I’m under deadline. I’ll find anything to do but write, lol.

Please give us the first page of the book.

ADDISON PACED ACROSS HER MOTHER’S LIVING ROOM as sweat dampened her temples and the base of her neck. May was already punishing them with Texas temperatures that were usually reserved for July and August. But Lee Ann Burke had a steadfast rule not to run the air conditioning until July. If there was any saving grace at all, it was the ocean pushing a breeze ashore, which wafted through the screened windows of the house Addison had grown up in. She breathed in the briny aroma, a smell she’d haul to her grave someday, with enough good and bad memories to keep her balanced on the plank she’d been walking since her father died. She glanced at her smart phone, wondering if she was going to make it to her next appointment on time. The continuous drip of the kitchen faucet around the corner felt like water torture against her left temple. She rubbed the source of the irritation. “Mom, are you sure the agency said three o’clock? It’s almost three thirty.”

“That’s what they said.” Her mother didn’t glance up, but kept focused on the jigsaw puzzle she was hunched over. Addison couldn’t recall a time that her family—small as it was—had ever shared a meal at the kitchen table, except maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving. On most days, her mother had one of her puzzles spread atop the oak table, with a sweating glass of sweet tea nearby and an ashtray. There was still sweet tea within reach, but at least Mom had taken to smoking her cigarettes outside a few years ago, something she should have done when it became common knowledge that secondhand smoke was unhealthy. 

I can hardly wait until my copy arrives, so I can read the rest of the story. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is the best place to start. It’s updated all the time, and you can read the first chapter of all my books for free. There is a place to sign up for my newsletter and direct links to vendors for each book. I’m also at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook. I’m on Twitter as Beth Wiseman. I have a Pinterest account and an Ello account. I sell my photography at www.FineArtsAmerica. And I’ve just recently signed up with Periscope, which is live videos, kind of like having your own TV broadcast.

Thank you, Lena, for the opportunity to be a guest on your blog.

I am always happy to host you on my blog, and I look forward to the next time we can meet face to face.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog. 

A Tide Worth Turning: A Novella

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