PEACE IN THE MOUNTAIN HAVEN - Misty M Beller - One Free Book

Bio: Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Welcome, Misty. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else? I’ve always loved reading, but never actually thought I could write a book. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I began thinking I’d like to try. I added “write a book that’s published” to my bucket list, and as I worked through that first book, I realized how much I loved writing. Even then, I never imagined God would have me doing this full time. Some days are hard, but writing really is my dream job!

How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish? It varies a little, but if I’m really focused on the writing, it usually takes me 2 to 2 ½ months to write a book. That requires focusing on writing and editing for a significant part of each day. J

How do you come up with themes for your stories? This question is hard to answer! I usually start with developing my characters, and maybe a general idea of the plot or their story goals. As I get to know their backstory, I begin to learn how each character will develop through the story, and that usually helps me understand the theme for the book.

Do you have a schedule of when you write? I’ve learned that my most creative time is in the afternoons, so I try to protect that time for writing new words. That means I do a lot of the business part and editing in the mornings. I do have five kiddos, so that time is often interrupted, but that’s the way I try to schedule my workday.

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing? I’m not always sure I do! As I said, we have five kiddos (ages 5 months to 14 years), and we also homeschool, so there’s a lot going on in our home! It’s usually pretty chaotic, but the kids are also good about trying to let me work. I set goals with them (when Mom gets these last 3 chapters edited, we’ll go to the library), and they encourage me. J

What elements do you think make a great story line? Ooo, good question! Definitely strong, interesting characters, with story goals that drive the book forward. I love settings that really come alive. My books are often set in the Rocky Mountains, a setting that adds so many layers of challenge my characters must face! I love a good plot twist partway through!

What was the hardest thing about writing a book? Finding the right words. J Especially if I’m especially sleep-deprived, meeting my daily word count can be SO HARD some days.

How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite? I’m just starting my 34th book. In some ways, it seems impossible to believe I’ve written that much. When I think of all those words and storylines, though, it feels like more than 34 books. J Picking a favorite is hard though! There are some that feel like milestones, like Hope’s Highest Mountain, my first book published by Bethany House Publishers, or This Healing Journey, a book that earned a spot on the USA Today bestseller’s list. But there are other books that are special for sentimental reasons, like The Lady and the Mountain Man, the book where I realized how much I love writing remote mountain settings. Or This Courageous Journey, a book where my oldest daughter helped me brainstorm the plot. I think it would be impossible to choose a favorite!

Do you have a favorite character? This is even harder than choosing a favorite book! I love strong characters, with courageous heroines and mountain men heroes. By the time I’m a third of the way through writing a story, the characters have become dear friends. I really love the hero and heroine in Peace in the Mountain Haven. Hugh (the hero) has lived a hard life, protecting his two younger brothers from their abusive father, then working on his own as a trapper for the last dozen years. He’s such a good man, protective and honorable and courageous, but he’s learned not to get too close to people. And Watkuese (the heroine) is brave in her own right! When her closest friend died, she adopted her 6-year-old daughter and has been trying to help her work through the grief of losing both parents. My own younger brother and sister were adopted, so it’s a topic close to my heart!

Tell us about the story. I’d love to! Levi Masters is a British army spy trying to uncover the United States’ secrets, and he can handle anything the Canadian Rockies demands. Yet he’s tired of the lies and half-truths that have become his life as a spy. When he’s taken captive by the warriors of a hidden French village living in mountain caves, he determines to answer their questions truthfully—even if that truth ends his life at the edge of their blades.

He’s only able to escape the village with the help of one of their own—namely, Audrey Moreau, the village healer, who takes him to a hidden cave away from the village. But when Levi faces a life-threatening injury and the fierce mountain winter closes in, Levi and Audrey are forced to discover just how far they’ll go to ensure the safety of the other and the love growing between them.

Please give us a peek at the first page of the book.

February 1815
Rocky Mountains, Rupert’s Land (Canada)

The sound of animal hooves shattered the quiet morn, and a flock of chickadees shot from the trees near Audrey Moreau. Recoiling, she slipped behind a brushy cedar. That noise reverberated much too loudly to be an elk or caribou, even a whole herd of them. Her breath puffed in icy clouds as she peeked through the snow-covered green needles, her heart thumping in her ears.

Down the creek a distance from her hiding place, a man sat atop a horse, letting the animal drink from the rushing stream. Her chest seized for a half second until recognition settled in.

Evan MacManus. Her friend Brielle’s betrothed had re- turned already. Brielle had been watching for him for days, but Audrey hadn’t really expected his arrival for another few weeks at least. His trip must have gone smoothly. And his desire to see Brielle had likely driven him to travel faster than he might have otherwise.

Audrey stepped from behind the tree and raised her hand to call out to him, but as her mouth parted, another figure caught her notice—this one much closer and tucked in the shadow of the woods. He, too, sat atop a horse.

Beneath the brow of his hat, his gaze locked on her.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

I love to connect with readers! One of my favorite ways is through my newsletter, and readers can get a free copy of my book, A Pony Express Romance, when they sign up for the newsletter. Here’s the link for that: https://mistymbeller.com/freebook

I can also be found at these links:

https://mistymbeller.com/

https://amazon.com/author/mistymbeller

https://www.facebook.com/MistyMBellerAuthor

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/misty-m-beller

https://www.goodreads.com/MistyMBeller

http://www.pinterest.com/MistyMBeller

Purchase Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K7BXC3Q

https://books.apple.com/us/book/peace-in-the-mountain-haven/id1591930276

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/peace-in-the-mountain-haven

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/peace-in-the-mountain-haven-misty-m-beller/1140407689?ean=2940165533051

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Misty_M_Beller_Peace_in_the_Mountain_Haven?id=zflJEAAAQBAJ

Thank  you, Misty, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m always eager to read your books.

Readers: 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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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: https://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/2022/04/peace-in-mountain-haven-misty-m-beller.html