LOVE AT CHRISTMAS - Anne Greene - One Free Book

Welcome back, Anne. Why did you become an author?

My children were in school and I wanted a new profession. I have a degree in Literary Studies and have always wanted to be a writer. So I attended a two-week writer’s conference. I had to submit three chapters of a book in order to be accepted into the conference.

I’d never written anything that wasn’t a college or high school assignment, but I’d heard an interesting story related in Church that past Sunday. I’d never heard of the Cherokee Removal of 1838 and took that as my subject. At the end of the conference I had an appointment with the editor of Moody Press who said they would like to publish my book. When could I have the novel ready? So my book, Trail of Tears, was born … and so was my writing career. Trail of Tears is being reissued and will be released Spring of 2021. 

Good. I want to feature it on my blog. That event has always interested me. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

I would love to be a Marine Biologist. I’d love to work at the Scripts Institute of Oceanography in LaJolla, California. If not that, I’d enjoy any kind of Scientific research. Geologist comes in second. Archeologist is a third runner. My novel, Shadow of the Dagger, dips into my archeology interests with the mystery centering around two archeologists.  

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Lovely question. Since most of my books are set in different historical periods, that’s a hard choice to make. I might choose 1775 America. I’d love to see the founding fathers and live during the exciting time of America’s growing into an independent nation. I’ve not written a book set in that period, but the ideas are churning in my mind. 

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

Traveling is my hobby. I have visited every State in the US including Hawaii, Alaska, and the American Virgin Islands. I have not yet visited Puerto Rico. So that is high on the list of where I’d like to go explore. 

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

I’ve been privileged to visit thirty-two foreign countries. And that has been a great privilege. Greece is one country I missed that I would like to visit. My favorites are Turkey, the UK – all four countries, and Viet Nam. Of course, Italy comes close to the top three. 

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

Psalm 127:1A Good News Translation

If the LORD does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; To me, this means if God is not involved in my books, they will not succeed in bringing people to the Lord or in strengthening their spiritual lives. I write to entertain and offer escape from hectic lives, but the subtle message of my books is for God to use as He sees fit in my readers’ lives. 

Tell us about the featured book.

LOVE AT CHRISTMAS is an anthology containing four of my clean, historical romances.

A CHRISTMAS BELLE

 Amanda Jeffrey, mail-order bride, arrives in the Wild West expecting to wed a cowboy. Frank Calloway, Sheriff of Angel Vale needs a mother for the baby left on his doorstep. But can the delicate Southern belle with the disappointed expression accept a Southern man, rather than a cowboy, after another Southern groom jilted her at the altar? And is the delicate southern belle strong enough to handle life in the rugged western boom town? 

A WILLIAMSBURG CHRISTMAS

1955 -Trent jilted Holly. Holly’s a widowed mother raising 8-year-old twin boys by working as a waitress in a famous Colonial Williamsburg Inn. Trent disappeared from her life ten years ago. Now he’s back and wants to marry her. Santa’s matchmakers complicate Holly’s decision by introducing new men into her life. 

AVOIDING THE MISTLETOE

1865 -Olivia Rose Baker abandons her dying hometown in Massachusetts to become a mail-order bride in male-dominated Seattle, Washington. Her abusive husband died in the Civil War and left Olivia wary of marriage, so she hopes to take a teaching position rather than become a bride. 

But Stark Macaulay, former Confederate soldier and now Sheriff of Seattle, purchased her ticket and insists she fulfill her contract and marry. Stark is smitten with Olivia. But Olivia hates anything to do with the Confederacy. Fighting demons of his own, Sheriff Stark sees a second chance for love. This widower vows to win the widow or die trying…and almost does. 

THE CHOICE

Felicity’s father dies, leaving her stranded at Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, one-third the way to homestead 640 acres in the Oregon Territory. She has money and supplies to continue her journey, but a woman alone cannot claim the free land. So she advertises for a husband. Ben’s got massive debt and Gold Rush fever and heads to California. But in Ft. Laramie he’s robbed of everything he owns, including his horse. His only recourse is to strike a bargain with Felicity. At the fork in the trail, will he trek to Oregon to help her homestead or will she accompany him to dig for gold in California? Can these two stubborn people with very different goals make the right choice for them both?  

Please give us the first page of the book.

A CHRISTMAS BELLE

October 1877, Wyoming

Was this really what it took to find a husband?      

Amanda Geoffrey heaved a deep sigh and brushed dust from her traveling gown. She turned to one of the other mail-order brides jouncing on the buckwagon’s wooden seat beside her. “Yes, from my earliest memories people esteemed me as a mind-reader. I do possess a knack for reading people’s fleeting involuntary expressions.” She smiled. “People immediately erase those swift reactions hoping to mask their true thoughts.”

“Your ability sounds like a gift.” Though they’d been riding in the wagon almost eight hours, Henrietta’s eyes sparkled.

“When I concentrate, I can almost mind-read. But, after some awkward experiences, I’ve learned to keep the knowledge of my gift to myself. I’m trusting you not to tell a soul.”

“You can be certain I’ll keep your secret. I hope we can become friends. Please tell me more about your gift.” Henrietta arched her back and rubbed gloved hands just below where the buckboard’s backrest ended.

“Expressions truly are the window to the soul, and I knew how to peek into that window and discover whatever the owner wants to hide.”

“That is frightening, Amanda. Can you read my thoughts now?” Henrietta turned a pretty face toward her.

“Like me you’re tired, hungry, thirsty, and frightened at what we shall find at the end of our long journey. These are not the fleeting expressions I’m speaking of. What I do is hard to explain. I study the emotions people try to hide. The emotion appears for less than a second and then the expression is hidden.”

“I see.”

But Henrietta didn’t, of course. She, like most people, never glimpsed those swiftly hidden feelings. Amanda so wanted her new friend to understand. “When we reach Angel Vale I’ll concentrate as if my life depends on what I see in my groom-to-be’s face.” Amanda gripped the tapestry purse jiggling in her lap until her knuckles whitened. Because her future did depend on what she identified in his expression.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love for my readers to visit me. Here are some of my links.

https://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com

www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor,

https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1

Thank you, Anne, for sharing your book with my blog readers and me. We all love to read Christmas stories.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3bvDola - Print

https://amzn.to/3h5iMkV - Kindle

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