THE SHELL COLLECTOR'S DAUGHTER - Beth Wiseman - One Free Book

Welcome back, Beth. You have a lot of books out now. What is your favorite setting to use in your books? 

My Surf’s Up series gives me the opportunity to include a beach in every novella, which is a nice change from writing Amish stories in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The diversity keeps me from getting bored with either genre. Who doesn’t love the beach? And the peacefulness of Amish country is a big draw also.

What do you look for when you’re shopping for a book to buy for yourself?

Cover, plot, and REVIEWS. We are all told the importance of reviews, and I rely heavily on what other readers have said about a book. I almost always read a sample before I make a purchase.

I’m with you on that. There are certain things I look for in the review that will determine whether I get the book or not. Please give us a little tour of the setting for this book.

This book is set at Mustang Island in Port Aransas, Texas. Once I had that setting established, I wanted my hero to be a traveling journalist who was covering the top beaches for shell collecting in the United States. I was thrilled when I found out San Jose Island is on that list AND that it was a ten-minute ferry ride from Mustang Island. I’ve been to Mustang Island a lot of times over the years, and I’ve been to San Jose Island twice.

What other books do you have coming out soon?

I partnered with Ruth Reid, Kelly Irvin, and Amy Clipston for An Amish Christmas, a novella collection slated to release in August 2017. Book #3 in my Amish Secrets series—Home All Along—releases in September 2017.

We need to be sure that both of those books are scheduled to appear on my blog. My readers will love them. Please give us a glimpse inside your home.

We are empty nesters living in the country in South Central Texas, so it’s very quiet—inside and outside. I have a lovely office that I enjoy writing in, when it’s clean, lol. Otherwise, I typically write on my couch in the living room. We have a bright sunroom that overlooks the pool, and it’s also a nice place to write. My husband took up the piano about three years ago, and even as I write this I am listening to him practice. I’m proud of him for taking up a new passion later in life. He loves it, and I like listening to him play. I love to cook, so I stay busy in my kitchen, and I believe I need to own every kitchen gadget known to man, lol.

My husband bought me an Instant Pot for Mother’s Day because he heard me say I wanted one. I’m learning to use it now. Is this novel part of a series or a stand-alone book?

The Shell Collector’s Daughter is book #3 in my Surf’s Up series. Other novellas in the collection are A Tide Worth Turning and Message In A Bottle. I also included a short story and sampler of the other stories in Christmas by the Sea. 

Tell us about the story.

From the back cover:

Each Surf’s Up novella takes the reader to a beach locale, weaving romance and adventure into a soul-soothing journey of hope. Carianna's story is a heartwarming tale which follows one woman's journey as she navigates the many types of love God gifts to us.

Carianna isn’t like other twenty-six-year-old women. She’s never been on a date, never experienced the euphoria of a first kiss, and certainly never been in love. Can a man’s heart speak to hers in a way that she can understand? And if so, will any man believe that she sings with the angels and has tea with God? Will they see the stardust twinkling in her eyes or hear the secret whispers of the ocean in a sea shell?

Dominic is grieving the death of his mother, so he welcomes a job opportunity that takes him to a beach community on the Texas coast. But what begins as a distraction and change of scenery shifts into a healing journey filled with discovery. Amidst his heartache, Dominic finds love in a beautiful and unexpected way when he meets Carianna—the shell collector’s daughter.

But can Dominic convince Carianna’s father to lift his protective wings and allow Carianna to soar into the life that God meant for her? And will Carianna hear Dominic’s heart speaking to hers in a way that she understands?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Carianna sat across the table from God, the way she’d done every Thursday for as long as she could remember. In the backyard of her father’s shop, there was an oak tree with limbs that were hundreds of years old—three hundred and twelve God had told her. Protective branches formed a dome over Carianna’s head, even though no protection was needed on Thursdays. 

Her father’s shop was far enough away from the beach that Carianna couldn’t hear the breaking of the waves, but it was close enough to inhale the briny smells of the ocean. A perfect breeze swirled amid the branches of the old tree as Carianna took a sip of her raspberry tea. She loved living on Mustang Island, and she loved these visits with God.

“I’m sending someone into your life, Carianna,” God said as He lifted His blue cup to His lips. “A man of My choosing, a person to be with you for the rest of your days on Earth.”

Carianna frowned as her stomach clenched. “I have my father for that.” She stared at God, and without knowing why or how, Carianna knew He was perfect. Perfect love. A smile replaced her sour expression. “And I have You.”

Her friend set His cup on the worn wooden table, and He folded one hand on top of the other. God’s hands were wrinkled, like her father’s, and God’s gray hair swept sideways in wiry wisps to one side of His tanned face. A face filled with connecting lines, spidery and deep. She believed God to be older than her father, but it was hard to know for sure.

I love it already. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.BethWiseman.com. You can read samples of all of my books there. I’m also at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook, and @bethwiseman on Twitter.

Thank you for having me again, Lena. It’s always an honor to be a guest on your blog.

Beth, it’s a pleasure to host you and introduce your books to my readers. You’re a real favorite of mine … and of my readers.

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

The Shell Collector's Daughter: A Surf's Up Novella (Volume 4) - Paperback
The Shell Collector's Daughter: A Surf's Up Novella - Kindle

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