Dear Readers, Andrea
has been a good friend for a number of years. We’ve written for some of the
same publishers and encouraged each other in our writing lives. This is the
first book in a new series for her.
Connect with Andrea: website, Twitter, Facebook
Welcome back, Andrea.
As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the
people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their
contributions?
A Thousand Shall Fall is one of those stories that weighed
heavily on my heart. I ached to write it. It began first as a Love Finds You
story (Guideposts/Summerside Press) and a contract was sent to my agent at the
time and me. Unfortunately the fiction line closed without all the details of
my contract being ironed out. My present agent, Mary Sue Seymour, sent my
proposal to Kregel Publications. Miraculously, the managing editor there shared
my vision for this book and series and soon I was signing a contract with the
company for a 3-book deal. The staff at Kregel—Steve, Dennis, Dawn, Leah, Noelle,
and Katherine—have all been fabulous to work with. My substantive editor, Lori,
has been great, too. In addition to the Kregel staff, I received valuable
feedback from authors Kimberley Woodhouse, Cindy Hickey, Christina Miller, and
Tracie Peterson. Without the efforts on the part of these folks, my “book baby”
may not have been born.
If you teach or
speak, what’s coming up on your calendar?
Yes, I teach workshops and speak at ladies’ retreats and
other conferences. Presently, I have no speaking engagements lined up—which is
fine. I’m immersed in setting up book signings and online media events for my
novel A Thousand Shall Fall.
If you had to
completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?
I would be in the foothills of South Carolina . My husband and I love the
area. We feel inspired by the mountains—plus, I have a lot of friends between Greenville and Atlanta ,
Georgia Wisconsin ,
I get tired of the winter by January 2nd.
If you could only
tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?
I would advise this: Take caution when choosing to
independently publish your book or sign with a small publishing company. Unless
you’re willing to pay a publicist, self-promotion is difficult. You don’t want
to harass folks by telling them you’ve got a book release. They may sever their
ties with you on social media because they are tired of seeing your two
sentence gloats about your novel! Just because you Tweet it or post it every
fifteen minutes does not guarantee you’ll sell a single copy. Asking your
friends to write reviews helps, of course, but to a point. Publicity, I have learned,
must be very strategic and far-reaching. In addition, building a platform for
yourself (a large collection of readers and “followers” takes time. Start
building as a writer immediately and work up to the title of “published
author.” Your publisher should be willing to invest in you and help you
succeed.
Tell us about the
featured book.
I believe readers of historical fiction will enjoy my novel,
particularly if you enjoy the Civil War era as I do.
A Thousand Shall Fall takes place in the Shenandoah
Valley in 1864. Known as the “Daughter of the Stars,” the Shenandoah Valley had been defended by such Confederate
heroes as General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, General Turner Ashby, General
Stephen “Dod” Ramseur, and General Tom Rosser. But they lost the Valley to
Union General Phil Sheridan and his Army of the Shenandoah by November 1864.
This first book in my Shenandoah Valley Saga covers only the Battle of
Winchester III (September 19, 1864). Book two will address the Battle of Cedar
Creek (October 19, 1864) and the brave women who nursed soldiers wearing both
blue and gray. But that’s the historical part. There’s also a compelling
fictional story woven into this factual account.
In the autumn of 1864, spirited Carrie Ann Bell is searching
for her runaway sister in the heart of Virginia ’s
Shenandoah Valley . Disguised as a Yankee
soldier, she stumbles into a skirmish near Front Royal—and instead of her
sister, she finds trouble.
Colonel Peyton Collier of the Union cavalry division arrests
her for impersonating an
Officer, but protects her from worse consequences. Soon
the Southern girl finds herself drawn to the chivalrous Yankee horseman,
discovering that her foe has become her ally—and more than that, someone she
could love.
But Carrie has promised to keep a dark secret, never
suspecting that her silence might threaten the life of the gallant Colonel
who holds her—and her heart—captive.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
August 15, 1864
Ooh, that Sarah Jane!
Carrie Ann Bell stared at her youngest sister’s sloppily
scratched note. How could that girl do such a scandalous thing? Running off
with a lowlife peddler? Certainly, Sarah threatened to run away numerous times
in the past, but who would have thought she’d actually do it? Mama would be
heartbroken when she learned the news.
Heartbroken and angry. Carrie could practically hear Mama
crying and blaming her for Sarah running off. Mama would say Carrie paid more
attention to Papa’s newspaper than her sisters . . .
And maybe Mama was right. But her sister Margaret was
eighteen and Sarah, fifteen. They weren’t that much younger than Carrie
herself. And writing for the Bell Tower
in Papa’s absence had been Carrie’s refuge, a place of normalcy in a world
turned topsy-turvy.
Staring at Sarah’s note, Carrie debated whether to withhold
this information from Mama. Maybe she’d go looking for her youngest sister and
bring her home to the Wayfarers Inn—
What an oxymoron. The Wayfarers Inn was no more a home than
a damp, dark cave was an elegant mansion. Still, it was a roof over her family’s
head.
Carrie paced the small newspaper office, paused, and ran
one, ink-stained fingertip over the smooth surface of Papa’s desk. Surely she
could catch up with Arthur Sims, that no-account speculator with whom Sarah ran
off. He couldn’t have traveled far in that large, rattling contraption of his.
Painted in obnoxious shades of yellow and orange, it resembled a circus wagon.
Carrie’s hand shook as sudden fire flowed through her veins.
She was tempted to notify the law and file kidnapping charges against the man,
except the law had better things to do than go hunting for a fast-talking
swindler who rode off with a starry-eyed girl.
Love it! Where can we
find you on the Internet?
Readers can log on to my website at: www.AndreaBoeshaar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Andrea.Boeshaar
Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar
Thank you, Lena , for
interviewing me on your blog!
It's my pleasure, Andrea. I always enjoy having you here.
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1jbj37T
Andrea is celebrating the release of A Thousand Shall Fall with a Kindle Fire giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A copy of A Thousand Shall Fall
- A Kindle Fire HD 6
And one reader will win a copy of the book on this blog.
Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers are eager to read the story.
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 Goodreads, Google+, 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:
