THIS HOMEWARD JOURNEY - Misty M Beller - One Free Book

 Dear Readers, Misty is one of my favorite Christian western historical authors. I always eagerly await the release of the next one. Her well-developed characters leap into my heart and take me along on their adventures. The authenticity of her settings and storylines grab me from the first page of each book.

Author Bio: Misty M. Beller writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty's heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God's abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. 

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

New avenues? I’m blessed to be able to write the books I love to read: frontier romance centered around Christ’s love. I’ll continue to publish 2-3 books on my own each year, and I also have a 3-book series releasing from Bethany House beginning in October, 2019. I can’t wait to share that series with readers!

That’s awesome, Misty. I’m so happy for you. And you know I’ll want to feature each of them on my blog. What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?      

Great question! I’m excited to be participating in several conferences. At the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference in March, I’ll be teaching a couple of classes (indie publishing and growing your reader email list). I’m also excited about that conference because my family is planning to tag along for a mini vacation after the conference. Then in April, I’ll be a participating author at the Christian Fiction Reader’s Retreat in Washington, DC! This will be my first year attending and participating, and I’m so excited to spend a full day celebrating books with readers. Also in April, I’ll be teaching three classes at the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in California (indie publishing, marketing a new book release, and finding your target reader). Whew! It’s going to be a busy spring, but I’m ready!

Of course, I always look forward to ending the conference season at the ACFW national conference in September!

You really will be busy. Blessings on you. 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?        

Hmm… One of my favorite panel discussions is on all things historical! I love the research and breadth for imagination that comes with writing historical fiction. My grandparents live in a Civil War era farmhouse fully decorated with antiques, and when I was a girl, I loved imaging we had to cook on the old wood burning cookstove, and our only light came from the oil lanterns. I still love to imagine life that way! (although I’m quite thankful for electricity)

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

I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) early in my writing journey, and I can’t begin to express how much I’ve learned from the amazing people in that group! I love giving back any time I can, and it’s such a pleasure to see newer writers grow and develop the gifts God has given them.

That is so true. Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?   

My oldest daughter and I both volunteer in the praise team at church, and I love both the music and opportunity to worship with the congregation, but also the chance for the extra time with my daughter doing something we both enjoy. Our church is active in the community, too, and we often participate in service projects to help those around us. 

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?       

I love how this question made me stop and think. This list is not necessarily in order:

My grandmother (Nana): Watching her faith lived out had the biggest impact on my own faith.

My father: He’s never been hesitant to tell us he loves us, and to live out that love through hard work and special kindnesses.

My mother: She gave of herself tirelessly for everything we needed. I don’t think I truly realized it until I became a mom of my own. Now, she’s my best friend.

My grandfather (Pop): He’s taught me so much wisdom about life, including finances. The older I get, the more I want to apply everything he says!

One of my bosses when I worked in the corporate world (Cindy): She’s such a classy lady, and has an incredible mind for business. I so appreciated the wisdom she shared, and the way she truly cared about those around her.

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

This is a tough one! I guess my ultimate wish would be that these words are true:

“Her love for God shone through to everyone around her.”

Tell us about the featured book.    

I’d love to!

She’s desperate for a new life in the Canadian mountains…He’s the last person she should trust to get her there.

Montana mountains to be so treacherous. When two brothers invite her to join their small group traveling to the same area, she refuses. After she and her son narrowly escape a bear attack, she’s forced to admit they need the safety of numbers in this untamed land. If the men prove dangerous, she can always leave with her son and strike out alone again.

Seth Grant has made some bad choices in his life, but God healed him from the addiction that mired him in his sins. Now, he’s determined to live the life God called him to, starting with a journey northward to see the Canadian mountain both his brother and sister have fallen in love with. When he discovers the woman and boy who plan to travel the same mountain trail, he can’t fathom why she refuses to join in the safety of their larger group. Though her decision seems unwise, he has no other choice but to pray God provides her protection.

Despite Rachel’s best efforts, she can’t seem to fight her attraction to Seth—until a secret from his past proves he’s not at all the man she thought. When a new peril threatens her son’s life, she must choose between trusting in what she can control, or the man who her heart says is trustworthy, no matter his previous sins. The path she chooses just may determine whether she can step into the new life God has in store for them all.

After her husband’s death, Rachel Gray is finally free from the turmoil his addictions caused. She wants nothing more than a new life with her twelve-year-old son. If she can reach her brother in the wilderness of the Canadian territories, they’ll have help to start over in peace. She knows better than to put her life in the hands of another man, but she never expected the

Please share the first page with us.

Chapter One

Only a final massive obstacle lies between us and a new life. I can push through the last of this journey. I must.

~ Rachel

June, 1869

Fort Benton, Montana Territory

Rachel Gray straightened her shoulders as she scanned the dim interior of Fort Benton’s trade store. The high brick ceiling made the room feel less hemmed-in than she’d expected, but her vision still spotted with remnants of the bright afternoon outside.

Men's laughter echoed from a back room, tugging the knot in her middle. She’d come into this tiny trade room tucked inside fort walls because she’d hoped to avoid all the raucous men sloshing down the streets of the town. Through the week she and her son had camped outside the town, she’d had her fill of mountaineers sated from an afternoon of drinking and gambling.

It seemed when the men stumbled from their bedrolls late each morning, they headed straight for the gambling tables. Not that a man could help his addictions once the demon was planted inside him. But these were a sorry lot. Maybe they’d come west hungry for gold or to escape their lawless past. She worried some were even running from a hangman’s noose. But all they’d found was drink and cards. The sights and sounds of their den still churned her stomach into a tight wad. 

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

I love to connect at my website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Bookbub, and Pinterest. 

Thank you, Misty, for sharing this new book with me and my blog readers. I’m eager to read it. I’ve loved all the books in this series.

Readers, here are links to the book.

This Homeward Journey (Heart of the Mountains) - Paperback
This Homeward Journey (Heart of the Mountains Book 5) - Kindle

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