WHEN VALLEYS BLOOM AGAIN - Pat Jeanne Davis - One Free Book (see the bottom of the post for information on the giveaway)

Bio: PAT JEANNE DAVIS has a keen interest in 20^th Century United States and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Her longtime interest in that era goes back to the real-life stories she heard about family members who served during the war. When Valleys Bloom Again is a debut inspirational romance set in WWII. She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her British-born husband.  She writes from her home n Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pat has published essays, short stories, and articles online and in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Subscribe to her newsletter here: www.patjeannedavis.com

Welcome back, Pat. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

When Valleys Bloom Again released in 2019. I enjoyed meeting readers at many events and answering question on the research for my novel and talking with them about their family members who served in the war. I missed greatly this interaction with readers last year. I have scheduled a few in person events for 2021 as I finish writing my next story and looking to publication. With God’s help, I expect to continue to step up my presence on social media, look for opportunities to do podcast interviews, set up online book promo tours, do guest blogging, and participate in multi-author book giveaways.

Tell us a little about your family. My husband, John, and I have lived in Philadelphia since we married 37 years ago. We are blessed with two grown sons and one daughter-in-law who live nearby. Oh, and three cats and two granddogs.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? I especially enjoyed reading historical inspirational fiction, particularly stories set in England. I have less time for this now. Instead, I’ve been reading more biographies of those who played a key role in the shaping of history. Also, letters and diaries written in bygone days loaned to me by friends and family members. And thanks to the Web, I have access to documents in university archives and to newspaper articles written many decades ago.

What are you working on right now? I’ve been working on another story set in London and Philadelphia this time during the Progressive Era. The heroine in this story is a suffragist who is in charge of a settlement house.

Brief Synopsis of To Pursue A Passion: Until that unforgettable day when Marcella Whitney stumbled into the slums of Philadelphia and witnessed the conditions of newly arrived immigrants, her pursuits and outlook on life resembled those of her mother and sister, both society matrons. After that experience, her priorities changed forever. But would her domineering father give his approval to her entering settlement house work and to her taking up the cause of the women’s right to vote movement? She depends on his financial support and would need his consent. Her intended in a prearranged marriage issues an ultimatum if she pursue this course. Will Cella’s commitment to improving the lives of others forever separate her from her parents and ruin any chance of marriage.

How do you choose your settings for each book? I select a setting that I’m either familiar with or a place I’ll be able to travel to and get a feel for the location and the history behind my story. My first novel, When Valleys Bloom Again, is set in England where I’ve spent time over the years with my British born husband and in Philadelphia and Chester County Pennsylvania, where I spent my childhood. My second book is also set in Philadelphia where I’ve lived most of my adult life.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why? I’d love to chat with Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII. After a planned trip to Sudeley Castle, the last residence of Catherine when she remarried Thomas Seymour, I became acquainted with the time in which this heroic woman lived, the many obstacles she overcame and her tragic death. Among Catherine’s many accomplishments, she wrote Prayers and Meditation, the first book published in England by a woman under her own name and in the English language.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? I would like to have known beforehand how much time, effort and money it would require to promote and market a first novel. Writing the story down and having it accepted for publication was only part of a larger process. As a new novelist with a small publishing house, I needed to learn business skills quickly in order to market and promote my own book and still work on another story. I’ve many times used the approach of successful authors when marketing their books.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? Even though I might do my very best to let readers know about my stories, ultimately the results are in His hands. As a new novelist what has touched my heart since the release of my debut novel is the willingness of so many to assist me in getting the word out about the story. I have been truly overwhelmed with the generosity of well established authors and other readers of Christian fiction. I believe the Lord wants me to be more generous with my time and money, to grow in the fruits of the spirit above every other pursuit and to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.

Tell us about the featured book. As war approaches in 1939, Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London, too? Then Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home?

Please give us the first page of the book.

London, August 1939

Abby Stapleton slumped back in her seat, any glimmer of hope she’d harbored would soon be extinguished. A crystal chandelier jingled in the draft of an open window. She loved this room with its embossed wallpaper and rich tapestries, vibrant with memories of family. How could she leave all this?

Her father folded the newspaper with its glaring headlines, plopped it on the table and parted his lips to speak. Abby forestalled him. “I’m nineteen,” she said, her nerves rubbed raw by the endless squabbles with her parents. Speak low and slow, Abby. “I don’t w-w-want to go.” Her voice, thin and strained, echoed back from the high frescoed ceiling.

“A father can’t ignore his responsibilities,” he said, clasping her hand. “You know Hitler’s taken Austria and Czechoslovakia. Probably he’ll take Poland next.” He furrowed his brow. “And when that happens war with Germany will be unavoidable.” His hand shook, and he sounded as though he’d aged ten years in the space of a few minutes.

Sunlight dispersed through a bay window, washing the brocaded settee on which she and her mother sat with patches of red and gold. Her mother sidled closer and stroked Abby’s arm, her face taut and pale. “Do as your father says, dear. There are sandbags and barrage balloons everywhere, and gas masks are being handed out.”

Still determined to speak her mind before it was too late, Abby shut her eyes in a silent prayer. Lord, help me to keep my temper. She released her hand from her father’s. “I sh-sh-should be able to decide for myself w-w-whether I want to leave.” Now of all times when she needed eloquence, this accursed stammer bound her up tight.

Her father leaned forward and ran his fingers through his hair as though engaged in a last-minute tussle with this dilemma. As a senior diplomat in the British Foreign Office, he was privy to the realities behind the rumors of war. If anyone foresaw the hazards facing England, he did. With a pang of regret, Abby noted how weary he looked.

Then with a quick nod of finality—“Right, it’s settled,” he said, tapping his finger on the side table. “It will be safer for you in the States.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: https://www.patjeannedavis.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.j.davis.7

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patjeannedavis/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43600391-when-valleys-bloom-again?from_search=true 

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/patjeannedavis

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-jeanne-davis-34290422/         

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/patjeannedavis/ 

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pat-jeanne-davis

When Valleys Bloom Again can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Valleys-Bloom-Again-Jeanne-Davis/dp/1948888920/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=154

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-valleys-bloom-again-pat-jeanne-davis/1130351044?ean=9781948888929

ChristianBooks.com: https://familyfiction.christianbook.com/when-valleys-bloom-again/9781948888929/pd/888932?event=ESRCG

Thank you, Pat, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.

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