RESCUE IN THE WILDERNESS - Andrea Byrd - One Free Book

Welcome to my blog, Andrea. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. In a way, I think it is almost impossible not to allow some of your own self to slip into your characters. But often times, my female characters are much more of who I wish I was or could be than who I am myself.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Oh, this one is downright embarrassing. I met one of my favorite authors at a writer’s conference/book festival. My husband had met her and spoken with her, telling her about my books while I was attending the writer’s conference. When I came out, he told me about it and that she was interested in my books. Well, I had brought copies of a couple with me… so without introduction or preamble… I walked right up and handed them to her! I think I said something along the lines of, “These are for you.” I was (and still am) so embarrassed and my husband will never let me live down that moment! Though, we have met the author again since then and she was still just as sweet as ever!

When did you first discover that you were a writer? In middle school. In 6th and 7th grade, I had a teacher who helped transform my absolute disdain of writing into a love of writing. I have been writing ever since.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I am a little boring because I mainly read historical Christian Fiction. I especially prefer those set in the 1800s and WWII, but there is some range outside of that and I read some nonfiction as well.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Sanity? Haha, I am not sure that I do!

How do you choose your characters’ names? I look for historically and regionally appropriate names, take names from my own ancestors, and also have the readers in my reader group help.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Outside of my marriage and my family, it would most definitely be becoming a traditionally published author. This has been a dream of mine for over half my life.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Probably a black bear. Generally quiet and reclusive with a love for nature and berries, but definitely protective of my family.

What is your favorite food? I have been going through some dietary changes, so it is difficult to say. But I do especially love berries, particularly blackberries (both wild and tame).

I love berries, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? Length and complexity. This is an area in which I am still growing and learning but reading Susan May Warren’s The Story Equation was really pivotal for me. That book contained some wonderful information on how to dive deeper with my stories and characters.

Tell us about the featured book. William Cole cannot forget the cruel burden he carries, not with the pock marks that serve as an outward reminder. Riddled with guilt, he assumed the solitary life of a long hunter, traveling into the wilds of Kentucky each year. But his quiet existence is changed in an instant when, sitting in a tavern, he overhears a man offering his daughter—and her virtue—to the winner of the next round of cards. William’s integrity and desire for redemption will not allow him to sit idly by while such an injustice occurs.  

Lucinda Gillespie has suffered from an inexplicable illness her entire life. Her father, embarrassed by her condition, has subjected her to a lonely existence of abuse and confinement. But faced with the ultimate betrayal on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Lucinda quickly realizes her trust is better placed in his hands of the mysterious man who appears at her door. Especially when he offers her the one thing she never thought would be within her grasp—freedom. 

In the blink of an eye, both lives change as they begin the difficult, danger-fraught journey westward on the Wilderness Trail. But can they overcome their own perceptions of themselves to find love and the life God created them for? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

November 11, 1779—ABINGDON, VA

Every fiber of William’s being fought his presence in the room. His wandering feet itched to feel the soft, uneven terrain of a narrow game trail. His body craved fresh, untainted air and endless expanses of land, free of the confines of human society. Instead, his moccasin-covered foot bounced nervously on a hard wooden floor as he willed himself to remain seated among the sweaty, unwashed men as they imbibed spirits.

From his place in the corner of the tavern, he watched the room from under the brim of the leather hat that never left his head. Just as on the trail, his hazel eyes were ever scanning for danger. The crowd was unusually raucous—undoubtedly due to the sudden arrival of crisp fall air. The muscle across the top of William’s shoulders rippled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up, as

How can readers find you on the Internet? The best place to find me is on Facebook in my reader group, The Reader’s Nest.

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this book with my blog readers. I know they will love it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rescue+in+the+wilderness+andrea+byrd&i=stripbooks&crid=2XXJ48KC0LDO1&sprefix=Rescue+in+the%2Cstripbooks%2C106&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_13

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