AFTER THE SHADOWS - Amanda Cabot - One Free Book

Bio: Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of several historical and contemporary romance series, including Mesquite Springs, Cimarron Creek Trilogy, Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.

She has made a name for herself writing historical fiction that blends the perfect amount of romance and intrigue. In After the Shadows, book one in the new Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series, Cabot returns readers to the Texas Hill Country where the bustling town of Sweetwater holds more than its share of secrets. Fans will be flipping through the pages to solve the mystery in order to get to the happily-ever-after they long for.

About the story: Emily Leland does not grieve when she learns that her abusive husband was killed in a bar fight. She is more than happy to leave the nightmare of her life behind and return to her childhood home. But the homecoming is far different from what she expected.  

First, she discovers that her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then she learns that the house where the new schoolteacher and his son were planning to live has burned to the ground, leaving them homeless. To add to the mix, her family is facing financial ruin. As a last effort, Emily proposes that she and her sister turn their family home into a boardinghouse. But her sister wants no part of this venture and leaves town.

Alone and broke, Emily moves forward with her plans for the boardinghouse, taking on the schoolmaster, Craig Ferguson, and his son as boarders. The widowed father proves to be an unexpected ally. Not only is he a devoted father and an innovative teacher, but as their friendship grows, Craig is determined to help her get to the bottom of her father’s death.

Can they work together to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own past in order to forge a brighter future?

What is the connecting element for all of the books in this series? As you might guess from the series name, there are secrets in each book, but the biggest secret of all—what happened to the man who built Finley House—isn’t revealed until the final book. Finley House, as you probably guessed, is the gorgeous building you see on the cover of After the Shadows.

What makes this series stand out from the other books you’ve written? While each of my previous series has had at least one heroine who’s a newcomer to the town, this time all three heroines are sisters, each of whom has left Sweetwater Crossing for a different reason, who return home to find that both they and their home have changed.

After the Shadows is set in the Texas Hill Country. You have written other series located in this same area. What do you love most about the Texas Hill Country and why do you feel it is a good setting for your new series? Although there are many beautiful parts to Texas, the Hill Country is my favorite, which is why I’ve used it as the setting for a number of books. The varied landscape (hills, meadows, streams, and lakes) as well as the abundance of wildflowers, particularly bluebonnets, make it an appealing location for me, and—judging from the number of letters I’ve received from readers—for readers too. 

Your new novel combines historical romance with the perfect balance of intrigue. How do you maintain this balance? I’m a plotter. In fact, some of my writer friends call me an extreme plotter. That means that I outline my books carefully before I begin to write them, trying to ensure that I haven’t gone too long without addressing the mystery subplot and that it doesn’t overshadow the romance. In theory, I follow the outline faithfully, and the story emerges the way I originally planned. In reality, I sometimes diverge from the plan when the characters tell me I missed something important.

Emily Leland is the oldest daughter in a blended family. Can you please tell readers about her character? Emily’s a classic oldest child, the one who’s felt responsible for her younger sisters, the one who strives for perfection in everything she does. Because she has a deeply ingrained need to excel, she’s reluctant to admit her mistakes and hides the truth of her marriage, not wanting anyone to know how badly she failed. And that could be her biggest mistake of all.

How is her relationship with her sisters? Prior to her marriage, Emily had a close relationship with Louisa and Joanna, but her marriage and her year’s absence from Sweetwater Crossing changed all of them, turning them into adversaries rather than loving siblings. It won’t be easy to mend the rifts.

Can you please provide some background information on your male protagonist, Craig Ferguson? Craig is a deeply principled man who’s lost the love of his life, and has no intention of remarrying. Instead, his focus is on doing what’s best for his son. That’s the reason—the only reason—he moves to Sweetwater Crossing. But once he arrives, everything changes.

What lessons do you hope readers gain from reading After the Shadows? Many of my books deal with the healing power of love, and After the Shadows is no exception. I hope readers will be entertained by Emily and Craig’s story, because after all, the primary purpose of fiction is to entertain, but that they’ll also be encouraged by the way love heals both of their wounds.

What are you working on next? I’m continuing to work on the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series. The second book is in its initial editing, and I’ve started outlining the third. It’s been so much fun bringing this small town to life! I can’t wait to learn readers’ reactions to it.

How can readers connect with you? I love hearing from readers and invite them to visit my website, www.amandacabot.com. I call it my one-stop-shopping site, because it includes information about my books, links to my social media accounts, the signup link for my monthly newsletter, contact information, and resources for writers.

Thank you, Amanda, for sharing this book with us. I’ve loved your writing since I first met you, and I’m glad to introduce you to all my blog readers.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=after+the+shadows+secrets+of+sweetwater+crossing+%231+by+amanda+cabot&i=stripbooks&crid=S3PPW2375I1B&sprefix=After+the+Shadows+%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_18

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