A FATHER'S GIFT - Paula Peckham - One Free Book

Welcome back, Paula. Why do you write the kind of books you do? My talent for writing, such as it is, is a gift from God, and I want to honor Him in what I write. So I chose to write Christian fiction. I write historical because I love learning about the past. And I write romance because I wanted to share an honest depiction of what love is like. Being a Christian doesn’t automatically mean there are no problems in your life. My characters to show how they deal with the issues life throws their way, but do it with God’s help.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? That’s a hard question to answer. Maybe the birthdays of my children. Maybe the day I married John. Maybe the day my mother told us she did NOT, in fact, have cancer after all.

How has being published changed your life? I have more self-confidence as a writer now. To have someone in the industry tell me she thought my work was good enough to publish made it all feel real. It also gave me the confidence to feel I’m good enough to help others, even though I’m still learning so much myself.

That’s good. I learned that  wherever we are in our writing career, we should be learning from those who’ve walked longer in this journey, and we should be helping those who haven’t gone as far as we  have. What are you reading right now? A book written by a good friend of mine. It’s historical, and it’s magical realism. The book is titled River Witch, written by Cheryl Burman.

What is your current work in progress? Book three in my San Antonio series. It’s titled Accepted, and it tells the story of Jonathan, Manny’s best friend from Protected. It also includes a historical fact that, so far, 100% of the people I tell about it have not known.

I love learning historical facts. What would be your dream vacation? I love the ocean and I love scuba diving. I want to spend a month in Greece.

How do you choose your settings for each book? For the next little while, my setting will be San Antonio, because that is where my series is set. After that, we’ll see. It will undoubtedly be somewhere in Texas though.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Sting. He is a poet, and I’d love to hear how he creates. I love music as much as I love reading, and I’m a huge fan. Also, I think Sting is a Christian. Like Bono, of U2, Sting writes lyrics that might not be obviously Christian to the casual listener.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I like to cross-stitch. I’m not artistically talented at all, and creating a cross-stitch design is the closest thing I can come to making art. I’d also love to learn how to quilt.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Staying disciplined about a writing schedule. There is so much other stuff to do when you write: marketing, editing, research, promoting, learning. I’m easily distracted.

What advice would you give to a beginning author? Find a critique group. Follow writers on social media. Take their recommendations about best books to read on learning the craft. Never stop learning how to be a better writer.

Tell us about the featured book. A Father’s Gift was originally published in a Christmas anthology titled Christmas Love Through the Ages. It continues the story of Abby and Manny from Protected. I asked my publisher if she’d be interested in reading it, and she liked it. So we added it to the series. When I originally started writing it, the third character in the book, Gabe, was going to be patterned from the angel Gabriel who announced the birth of Christ. Things quickly went sideways, as they tend to do, and the book morphed into something completely different. That’s always fun.

Please give us the first page of the book.

San Antonio, Texas, 1864

“Let’s go, boys. Time to head home.” Manny climbed onto the seat and slapped the reins against the backs of the long-suffering oxen. The wagon groaned, the wheels pressing deep ruts into the ground. He glanced behind him.

Maybe I got carried away.

He’d cut down some small trees where the creek ran parallel to the road in front of his property. He loaded the last of the cut wood, wiping sweat from his brow despite the chill in the early December air. His list of chores before the baby came just decreased by one. They would have plenty of fuel for warmth or cooking once his son arrived.

Enough wood to last two winters filled the bed of the wagon. He shrugged. Being prepared was a good thing.

Excitement and unease competed in his chest, the same as he’d felt when Dr. Simpson confirmed Abby’s hunch. Her pregnancy was a dream come true. But this dream dragged thunderclouds behind it. Manny swallowed the discomfort that sprang to mind every time he thought of the impending birth. He had little experience with fatherhood, none with babies.

His dad had disappeared. At the age of five, Manny didn’t understand why it had happened. He only knew his father never came home. Card games were more important to Mark Blair than his family. That wouldn’t happen with his son. He’d be there.

How can readers find you on the Internet? I have an author page on Facebook, Paula Peckham, Author. I have a website where I blog – www.paulapeckham.com. I’m on Twitter and Instagram, and occasionally I post on TikTok.

Thank you, Paula, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I absolutely love your writing.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/FJZb50L29RH

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