CLAIMING CANAAN - Barbara M Britton - One Free Print Book

Bio: Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Look for Barb to venture into Christian Historical fiction with Until June. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate.

Welcome, Barbara. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I was a chapel teacher to elementary students for many years. My husband gave me excellent advice. He told me not to bore people with the Bible because it is the most exciting book ever. He also encouraged me not to just teach a Bible story, but to teach why the story is in the Bible. I used that advice in my lessons, and I apply it to the Bible stories that I write. I love bringing little-known Bible stories to light.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I grew up in a wonderful family, but we weren’t Christian. My mom became a Christian through Bible Study Fellowship and took my sister and I to church. My father didn’t attend church with us. We prayed for my dad for years. We were ecstatic when he accepted Jesus and was baptized.

How has being published changed your life?

Once you send a story off into the world and develop a readership, readers want to know when your next book is coming out. As an author, you have to write the next book and spread the word about your existing books. You wear two hats instead of one. I am much busier on social media and with speaking engagements as a published author. It’s very important to me to stay engaged with church and ministry, so my days are fairly full.

What are you reading right now?

I am reading Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar. It is the book selection for the Biblical Fiction Buffs Goodreads group. Tessa brings the story of Aquila and Priscilla to fiction. She is one of my favorite authors.

Another author of biblical fiction that I love is Mesu Andrews. What is your current work in progress?

I’m tackling the life of David in-between book launches. I enjoy writing about the Old Testament and finding new-to-me saints.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’d love to discover more of our National Parks. I visited Yellowstone last summer and was amazed at the beauty and the geological variations. Huge Bison strolled by our car. We didn’t see any bears and that was fine with me. I hear Utah has scenic parks.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The story chooses the setting. With Biblical Fiction, I’m limited to Israel and the surrounding countries. When I get an idea for a book, I am usually standing in the setting. Hearing stories on vacation gets my mind swirling with stories. I have set stories in Israel, Hawaii, Alaska, and Wisconsin.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She was a press secretary to the President, and she is the daughter of a Governor. I would ask how she manages young children and an intense job. What is it like to be under constant scrutiny? Of course, I would listen to any job secrets she was willing to share.

I highly respect both her and her father. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy walking outside. During Wisconsin winters, I walk on a treadmill which isn’t as fun. I get a lot of praying done while I walk on the treadmill. I also like analyzing movies for plot lines.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Insecurity. Even though I have several books published, I still doubt my ability at times. I pray to God that He will help me to write the best story that I can. I also say to myself that I’m writing the manuscript for me and no one else.

I don’t know any Christian author who doesn’t feel insecurity in some measure. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Early in my writing journey, I was given the advice to join professional writing organizations, get involved in the local chapters, and attend writing conferences. I have done that for twelve years. Meeting other writers helps you build a support system. A writer needs to learn how to craft a book, but you also need to learn about the publishing industry. Professional groups help with the learning curve and friendship building.

Tell us about the featured book.

I have been a Christian for decades, but I did not know the story of the daughters of Zelophehad. Five orphaned sisters asked Moses if they could inherit their deceased father’s land. Moses went to God and God said the girls were right. If a man died without a son, his daughters could inherit his land. I wrote a book about the girls’ big ask. I was going to write one book, but at the end, the sisters did not have their land. I followed the girls through the book of Joshua. Claiming Canaan shows the sisters receiving their inheritance of land.

Claiming Canaan book blurb:

When the tribal elders make marriage a requirement for claiming her land, Milcah bat Zelophehad must find a betrothed straightaway. The only problem in finding a husband is that all her suitors were slain while conquering the land of Canaan. Men avoid her in order to stay alive.

After praying to God to send her a bold suitor, a man from her father's clan plummets from a tree right on top of her. Is this God answering prayer, or a foolish antic by Eli, the war-scarred brother from one of her clan's rival families?

Will settling in Canaan sort out Milcah's troubles, or have her woes just begun?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

Six years after the battle for Ai

The camp at Gilgal, outside the fallen fortress of Jericho

Milcah bat Zelophehad stood in the noonday sun, on a hill not far from the rowed tent tops of camp. She waited with her older sisters. Her sisters waited for their husbands. She waited for Hanoch. The man who had asked her eldest sister if he could arrange a betrothal when he returned from battle. Hanoch, a brave soul, did not care that another man who had expressed an interest in marriage to her lay buried deep beneath the ground somewhere in Canaan

Battle-hardened warriors traipsed along the path toward their homes in Gilgal. Men from the tribes of Israel, the sons of Jacob, carried satchels of spoils. Some bulging. Others thin. But all contained wealth from fallen cities.

“Do you see them?” she asked her sisters, rising on tiptoe. She twisted the gold band on her finger. The ring with the ruby as solid and handsome as her Hanoch. He had sneaked the ring to her before he departed.

“Not yet,” her sister Hoglah said. “I have seen few of our tribesmen. Perhaps the men of Manasseh ventured farther north with Joshua.”

Two men passed on the trail. One fighter tugged a wide-bellied cow toward its new home. Would Hanoch bring her livestock?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website has information about my books, www.barbarambritton.com.

I also like to connect on Twitter @BarbaraMBritton, and on Facebook, and Goodreads.

You can purchase Claiming Canaan on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Pelican Book Group, and where books are sold. Libraries can order the series too.

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