None are a perfect reflection of me, but a lot of my
characters get something from me, even if they’re my total opposite. Kind of
like my children, my daughter looks a bit like me, but sometimes I wonder where
she got everything else!
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I think that would be showing off my Velociraptor impression
to my college dorm mates. It requires jumping on furniture, and I like to stand
on furniture for some reason. I’m part Billy goat.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
I didn’t grow up writing novels with crayons or anything,
but I just had this innate sense that I could do it, not that I ever did. I
threw my ideas in a box and that was that. Then when I became a stay-at-home
mom and left behind the academic exercise of school and work I was desperate to
exercise my mind. So I pulled out the box…
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I’m rather cliquish with my reading choices. As a kid,
nothing was better than Nancy Drew, so that’s all I read. Once I was ahead of
the Nancy Drew Publishing Mill, having to wait a month or so for the next to
come out—I quit reading, because nothing could be better than those, right? But
now I read Fiction genres: Christian Historical Romance, Historical Young Adult,
and Classics and for Non-Fiction: Religion, History, Parenting, and Education
Topics. However, I’ll read anything outside of those genres that have garnered
serious word-of-mouth recommendations.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
When life turns hectic, I take the time to reconsider what
I’m doing and deciding if this really matters?
And if the answer is no, I drop it. I’ve dropped a lot of things, no TV, hardly
eating out, the desire to have a nicer home, my kid’s have limited
extracurricular activities, I have limited extracurricular activities, etc.
Rather, I just want to focus on what is best in life for my family, and that’s
time together at home doing things we love and things that are
important—attempting to ignore the pressure of the western world to do more and
have more.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
Some just pop in my head. The others … I look at what
letters of the alphabet I haven’t used to name other characters and see if I
can pull something up that fits. If all else fails, I flip through a baby name
book. I just go by feel.
What is the accomplishment
that you are most proud of?
Somehow convincing my husband to marry me … I’m a rather
strange, uncommunicative, introverted, and unromantic girl.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
A cat, so I could sleep all day and come out to play only
when I felt like it. And everyone waits on me because I deserve it. I’d love to
be that selfish and not feel bad about it!
What is your favorite
food?
Sugary Pastries
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Fear of Failure. Turning things over for others to criticize.
How do I overcome it? Sheer willpower.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands
of his homestead, he won't humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever
again—not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning
neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he
has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at
the woman in question. She's the prettiest woman he's ever seen, and it's just
not possible she's there to marry a simple homesteader like him.
Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiancé. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life inMassachusetts ,
she's determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her
looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order
marriage in far away Kansas .
Everett is
skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains,
while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of
marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in
name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to
complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their
distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in
love?
Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiancé. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in
The prequel enovella, Love
by the Letter, is a free download at any bookstore offering ebooks.
Love by the Letter (An Unexpected Brides Novella)
- Kindle
I love mail-order
bride stories. Please give us the first page of the book.
Spring 1876
Everett Cline loosened his grip on the mercantile’s doorknob
and let the door shut behind him. Kathleen Hampden waddled straight toward him,
the white feathers in her hat dancing like bluestem grass in the late March
breeze. In the three years she’d been married to the store’s owner instead of
him, couldn’t she have bought a new hat?
He hadn’t talked to her alone since the day she arrived in
Salt Flatts with those identifying white feathers he’d been told to expect, but
he hadn’t anticipated her being married to Carl before she stepped off the
train. Why hadn’t she thrown her hat out a passenger car window and pretended
she’d never been his mail-order bride?
“Afternoon, ma’am. Is your husband around?”
He glanced behind the long glossy counter cluttered with
candy jars and sundry items and saw that the door to the empty back room stood
ajar. The two overflowing shelves that cut the store into thirds kept him from
being able to see into every corner. The fabric table was a jumbled mess, and a
few potatoes lay on the floor in the corner, escaped from their bin. Were they
the only ones in the store?
Mrs. Hampden stopped three feet from him, the tang of the
wood polish on her rag warring with the leather and tobacco smell permeating
the room. She was such a tiny thing, even large with child. Perhaps it was a
good thing she married Carl. If she worked outside as Everett did every day, the wind would have
blown her away sooner or later.
“Mr. Hampden’s away on business, otherwise he’d have rushed
out at the bell. Especially since it’s you.” Her cheeks pinked.
Carl needn’t worry about him. Stealing someone’s mail-order
bride was different than stealing someone’s wife.
“I know.” She rubbed her swollen stomach. “But he’s still
worried your good looks might make me wish I’d chosen differently.”
The skin under his collar grew warm, and he pulled at the
strangling fabric. He might be a decent-looking sort of man, but a lot of good
that did him.
“I hope you have better luck today than you did with me, and
you know ... the others.” She bit her lip. “I’m sure this time it will be
for keeps.”
He swallowed hard and eyed her. What was she talking about?
Surely another rumor about him ordering a bride again wasn’t circulating. “I’m
afraid I don’t understand.”
“It’s all right. Rachel told me.” Her voice was hushed, as
if someone might hear.
He leaned down and whispered back. “Told you what?”
“About the lady coming on the afternoon train. She said
you’d need prayer.”
I know I’ll love this
one. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website: www.melissajagears.com
Inspirational Historical Fiction Index: http://inspirationalhistoricalfiction.blogspot.com/
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Bride for Keeps - Christianbook.com
Bride for Keeps, A: A novel
- Amazon.com
Bride for Keeps, A (Unexpected Brides Book #1): A novel
- Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, 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.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Bride for Keeps - Christianbook.com
Bride for Keeps, A: A novel
- Amazon.comBride for Keeps, A (Unexpected Brides Book #1): A novel
- KindleLeave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, 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.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
