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Thursday, December 20, 2018

BRIDGE BETWEEN US (THE ERIE CANAL BRIDES COLLECTION) - Sherri Wilson Johnson - One Free Book

Bio: Sherri Wilson Johnson is a multi-published Inspirational Romance novelist, speaker, and virtual assistant. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and is passionate about writing and publishing. Sherri has been published in The Erie Canal Brides (Barbour Books), 101 Simple Ways to Show Your Husband You Love Him by Kathi Lipp (Harvest House), Powerline 365 by Nicole O'Dell (Choose NOW Ministries), Open Hearts Family: Connecting with One Another by Jane Seymour (Running Press, Hachette Book Group), The Writing Academy’s Daily Devotions for Writers, and several homeschool publications. She is the author of six inspirational romances which she independently published.

She lives in Georgia with her husband and her spoiled dog. She loves spending time with her adult children and friends or curling up with a good book or her current work-in-progress. Sherri enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles in the winter, watching Bob Ross painting videos (although she can't paint), and counts the days every year until she can take another trip to the beach. You can find Sherri on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Welcome, Sherri. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
I like to write about forgiveness, redemption, and grace.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?
Just this one! But I am working on an Indie contemporary romantic suspense that I may publish in 2019 if I get it finished!

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?
Author Carrie Turansky. She's such a sweet and Godly woman who has always been so kind to answer questions about writing and about life struggles. I've met her twice briefly, but I would love to spend some time with her over a cup of tea.

Carrie is one of my special friends, too. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
I would love to meet my great-great-grandmother who came over on a boat from Sweden and started her family here.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
Keep at it! It could be that your writing still needs work or it could be that it's not the right time for your story. Just keep working on projects and submitting queries. You never know when that yes will come. And maybe your story is meant to be Indie published!  ;)

Tell us about the featured book.
My next release is The Erie Canal Brides Collection: 7 Romances Develop Along Manmade Waterways of New York and Ohio. The ebook releases January 1st and the print version releases in March.

Completed in 1825, the Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, and soon other states like Ohio created canals linking Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Suddenly the Midwest was open to migration, the harvesting of resources, and even tourism. Join seven couples who live through the rise of the canals and the problems the waterways brought to each community, including land grabs, disease, tourists, racism, and competition. Can these couples hang on to their faith and develop love during times of intense change?

My story is titled The Bridge between Us. Here is the blurb:
Susannah Higley is the daughter of sawmill owner Chauncey Higley. Since losing her fiancĂ© to the railroad and his quest for gold, she has focused on her bookkeeping job with her father’s company, declaring never to love again. Susannah almost loses her life when the Albion, New York Main Street bridge collapses on opening day of the county fair, sending her and hundreds of others into the Erie Canal. When John Hawkins, returning from years away in New York City, saves her from drowning, Susannah finds herself drawn to him despite her opposition to love.

Although John doesn’t plan to stay in Albion a day longer than it takes him to complete his business, he’s as captivated by Susannah’s beauty and intelligence as he was seven years ago, before his family left town over an unresolved feud between their grandfathers. Susannah’s loyalty to her grudge-holding father is weakened while her empathy for John grows as he works to clear his family’s name of the shame associated with it. Can she trust a man whose mission is to finish what their grandfathers started thirty years earlier? If so, will her confidence in John destroy her family or will it save it?

Please give us the first page of the book.
The aroma of boiled peanuts and fried dough traveled along the crisp September breeze and tickled Susannah Higley’s nose as exhilaration over the day’s events delighted her heart. She had never experienced a Wednesday like this in all her twenty-three years. Waiting for the results of the wax flower contest and hoping a blue ribbon and prize money would be hers, she stood on the three-arched, iron Main Street bridge with hundreds of other townsfolk ready for the tightrope artist from Brockport to walk across the Erie Canal. Susannah adjusted her white crepe bonnet and stuffed in a few unruly curls then sighed. The fearless young man would do on this fall day what she could never imagine mustering the courage to do. For months, she had lived under the shadow of abandonment. Richard had declared his love for her, but when she had refused to go to California on a quest for gold, he hopped on a train and broke her heart.

Although she longed for unforgettable experiences, eloping and leaving behind her widowed father was not among them. She should have known entertaining the idea of love with a drifter who had worked his way to Albion on boats traveling the canal would not be wise. Since Richard’s departure, Susannah had devoted her time to Pa’s sawmill as the bookkeeper, a position Mama held before her passing. Once she balanced the ledgers and completed the household chores each day, Susannah fashioned flowers from wax and dreamed of one day sharing her creations with merchants in New York City. The black metal box containing her patterns, brushes, tints, and wax was the last gift Mama gave her. Every time she formed the red roses, yellow geraniums, and purple and white violets from wax Mama had loved so much, she felt her presence. Winning a ribbon at the Orleans County Fair not only increased her chances of someone discovering her but would also confirm to her this pastime brought as much joy to others as it did to her. The long-awaited day was finally here.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Thank you, Sherri, for sharing this collection with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here are links to the book.
The Erie Canal Brides Collection  - Christianbook.com
The Erie Canal Brides Collection: 7 Romances Develop Along Manmade Waterways of New York and Ohio - Amazon Paperback
The Erie Canal Brides Collection: 7 Romances Develop Along Manmade Waterways of New York and Ohio - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

30 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to reading this collection! Thanks for hosting the amazing Sherri!
    Have a wonderful holiday, ladies!

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  2. Love the interview, I also love stories about forgiveness, redemption, and grace. Would love to win.

    Lourdes Long Island, NY

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  3. Eeee!! This is exciting!! I didn't know about this collection! I gotta add it to my ro-read list immediately!
    Elly -Indiana-

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  4. This sounds like a great collection! Thanks for sharing.
    Merry Christmas!
    Connie from Kentucky
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. Thanks so much for hosting me, Lena! I'm so excited that people are interested in this collection. It was a fun one to write!

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  6. Illinois
    Wow, Sussana and John really have an obstacle here. This sounds like a fascinating story. I love the cover. quilting dash lady at Comcast dot net
    Merry Christmas

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  7. Sheri, Does Suzannah remember John ~ he remembers her when she was sixteen? I love these Collections and the thread between the stories. I often wonder if the characters from the different novellas might meet at the mercantile. Thank you for this interview. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House in Missouri

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  8. Oops, gave her a "z" instead of second "s" ~ Kathleen ~ MO

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  9. And omitted a second "r" in your name ~ time for me to go to bed! Sherri and Susannah! Kathleen ~ MO

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  10. Love Barbour novella collections! Quite a few new-to-me authors in this one. Thanks for the chance!
    Mindy from NJ

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  11. Vivian Furbay1:58 AM

    Since i like historical fiction, this sounds like a good read. Vivian Furbay jtandviv(at)q(dot)com

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  12. The first sentence transported me there! I love books like that! Thanks for sharing with us. Merry Christmas! Robin in NC

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  13. WOW! I love the collections books as they have a variety of stories by some of my favorite authors and usually a few new ones but I think this one has all new authors for me, making this a 'must have' book for me, lol. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.

    Wendy in South Sioux City, NE

    wfnren at aol dot com

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  14. THE ERIE CANAL BRIDES COLLECTION is an amazing collection and one that I'd love to read. BRIDGE BETWEEN US by Sherri Wilson Johnson is an awesome contribution to that book. Just reading the first page has be longing to continue reading.

    Thank you so much for the opportunity to win a copy!

    May you have the merriest of Christmas' and the happiest of New Year!

    Kay Garrett from Mountain View, AR
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    Also the link to her Facebook and Twitter doesn't work. It just takes you to the general page on each site.

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  15. Thank you all for such kind words!!! I am so excited about this collection. It was lots of fun researching the Erie Canal.

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  16. I love these Barbour collections! I’m interested in this one because I used to visit Vermillion on Lake Erie ever summer as a child .
    I’m from Missouri now. Thanks for the interview and snippet.

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  17. Can't wait to start this collection. I live in New York State.
    jean60212atgmail.com

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  18. These books sounds awesome. Looking forward to reading them. I live in Northern Indiana.

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  19. Love these historical compilations from Barbour. Looking forward to reading this one! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! :)
    ~ Holly from Kentucky

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  20. sounds wonderful. Shelia from Mississippi

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  21. Sounds like an amazing collection!
    Beth from Iowa

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  22. Sounds like an interesting story. Thanks for the chance to win. I live in New Jersey.

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  23. "BRIDGE BETWEEN US (THE ERIE CANAL BRIDES COLLECTION) - Sherri Wilson Johnson sounds wonderful.PA. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!

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  24. Collection sounds great, thank you for the chance to win a copy.

    Lourdes Long Island, NY

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  25. These Barbour Romance collections are a must read! I'm excited to read this one.

    Caryl K in TEXAS

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  26. Enter me in your awesome giveaway.
    Conway SC.

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  27. Thank you, again, everyone, for your kind words and excitement over this book!

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  28. Sounds like a great book would love to win! SARAH TAYLOR FROM WATERLOO, OHIO

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  29. I love Sherri's books. I'd love to read this latest installment of her fiction writing!

    Megan B
    Acworth, GA

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  30. sounds good! Shelia from MS

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