THE DEBUTANTE'S CODE - Erica Vetsch - One free Book on this blog, Plus more

Do you have a fiction lover on your holiday shopping list? Look no further for a gift suggestion! Just in time for the gift-giving season, award-winning author Erica Vetsch is kicking off her new Thorndike and Swann Regency mystery series with the release of The Debutante’s Code (Kregel Publications). This new series combining a historical setting, romance, and mystery has been described as Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes. With that combination, where can you go wrong?

Welcome back Erica. Introduce us to the new Thorndike and Swann Regency Mystery series which has been described as Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes. This story has been a long time in the making! It has to be almost ten years ago that I first thought up the story idea, and originally, it was set in Gilded Age New York. But when I began writing stories set in Regency England, I realized the original tale could easily be adapted to the Regency Era.

Our heroine longs to be reunited with her parents and have her debut season in London, but her plans go awry when her parents do not meet her at the docks and are, in fact, missing. She discovers that she comes from a long line of spies for the Crown, and she has a choice, either to finish what her parents started, or turn her back on her heritage and become the socialite she assumed she would be all along. Her mind is made up when murder is afoot.

Our hero is a Bow Street Runner, one of London’s earliest policemen, and he’s on the hunt for a stolen painting…then other valuables from the same shipment of rare items disappear one by one, and an art dealer is found murdered in his gallery. Each clue leads our hero closer and closer to the thief and killer, but he’s disconcerted to find that his chief suspect has become the debutante he finds so attractive.

Tell us more about your leading lady, Juliette Thorndike. Juliette is fresh from finishing school in Switzerland, where she has been for several years. Because of Britain’s ongoing war with France, her parents determined a cloistered school in Switzerland was a safe place for her to remain, especially while they were doing daring deeds for the monarch. Juliette is an accomplished toxophilite, avid reader, puzzle solver, and good dancer. 

Most of all, Juliette yearns for her family to be reunited. She was a child when she was sent to Switzerland, and she longs to know her parents as an adult. They have been in frequent communication via letters, but it isn’t the same as being together in person. When she discovers that her parents have kept such a dire secret from her all these years, she wonders if she’s ever known them at all.

Juliette has a somewhat fantasized view of who her parents are, yet she really hasn’t spent that much time around them. What happens to make her realize she’s never really known them at all? They’ve hidden so many things from her—from her heritage to their activities and hidden rooms in their house. She has created an image in her mind of what life will be like once they are reunited, but now she wonders if any of it is even possible, much less probable. 

She’s always felt secure in her parents’ love, but if they can lie about something so big, what else have they lied about?

Why does Juliette not only feel abandon by her parents, but abandoned by God? We often form our views of a Heavenly Father from our experience with our earthly parents, for good or for ill. Juliette has not been ill-treated by her parents, or at least she didn’t think she had, but if they could abandon her on the eve of her coming out in society (in what should be the most important year of her life), can she trust anything about them?

Their priorities clearly don’t line up with hers. They put their work ahead of their daughter. Is that fair? Is that right?

They’ve taught her that God is with her, that He will never abandon her, but can she trust what they have taught her when they can lie so easily?

How have Juliette’s parents been preparing her to be a part of the “family business” even though they haven’t been a physical presence in her life? A variety of ways, starting with protecting her from the truth when she was very small. They also took great care in the school they chose for her to attend. She’s conversant in French and some Italian as well as English, has been taught the skills required of a young lady in the British aristocracy, such as dancing, deportment, music, and art. 

But she’s also learned a great deal of history, logic, and rhetoric in her curriculum, as well as archery. All skills that will aid her if she chooses to follow in her parents’ footsteps as a spy for the Crown.

And her father added another twist. He wrote to her often, but always in code. A different code each time, growing more complex as she grew and became more adept at deciphering his codes. 

Juliette comes to realize that her parents have been preparing her for her future role, but she doesn’t realize how quickly her skills will be tested.

A Regency novel is not a Regency novel without a swoon-worthy hero. Just who is Daniel Swann? Ah, Daniel. He’s had very little say in his life up to now, being the illegitimate son of a household servant. He’s done every chore that can be found on a country estate, from being the boot boy in charge of cleaning and polishing all the shoes, to helping the groundskeepers and gardeners with the weeding and planting, to working in the stables and riding the master’s horses out to exercise. In his own way, he’s been training for his future, too.

Through more outside influence, he was removed from his mother’s care, sent to boarding school, and then to Oxford with the understanding that his guardianship would end at his 25th birthday, which is fast approaching. Then he will be in command of his life for the first time…but he wonders if he’s up to the task.

Daniel has a bit of a mysterious past himself—one that even eludes him even though he’s a detective. How has his past directed his career choice? Daniel has no idea who his mysterious patron is, and he is forbidden from searching out his identity. He’s given other rules he must follow, including cutting off all ties with his mother. He was a bewildered, homesick child, wrenched from his home and shipped off to boarding school, and he believes his mother was only too glad to be rid of him, otherwise why would she agree to such a terrible thing? 

Daniel studied art and history at Oxford, unsure of what he would do for a career, but when a Bow Street officer shows up to investigate a murder in the Oxford Canal, Daniel is hooked on detective work. With the help of his hidden patron, he secures a job at Bow Street, against the wishes of his new superior officer, who is always looking for a reason to dismiss Daniel. 

With his past so shrouded in mystery, his current situation tenuous, and his future racing toward him at his 25th birthday when his patronage will cease, Daniel focuses on being the best detective he can be and hopes things will all work out.

What kind of research was required to write a mystery set in the early 1800s? What are some of the methods detectives of the day would have to depend on? There was quite a bit of research involved in this one, from police procedures to art history. Much studying of maps and the hierarchy of society, the lives of British spies, and fitting it all into the current political and social situations of the times. I had fun deciding upon the various items that would go missing, from statues to jewelry to artwork, and deciding upon different ways each piece could be acquired.

As to the police methods of the day, the Bow Street detectives didn’t have our current levels of forensic science to help identify culprits. They relied upon eyewitness testimony, circumstantial evidence, catching someone red-handed, and by following the paperwork/money trail. Some things have not changed. The main motives for lawbreaking still fall into three categories: money, power, and sex. Who has it, who wants it, who wants to deny someone else from acquiring it? And in Regency times, the detectives were still looking for motive, means, and opportunity. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Debutante’s Code is my first true mystery, and it’s all wrapped into a heist story, so layering those different threads together was a new adventure for me.

Fans fell in love with the characters from your Serendipity and Secrets series. Is there any chance we might see some familiar faces make a cameo in your new series? I am delighted that the Thorndike and Swann mysteries take place in what I like to call the “Haverly Universe” first created in the Serendipity and Secrets series. In The Debutante’s Code, several characters from the S and S series reappear, including the Duke of Haverly, Marcus, his duchess, Charlotte, and the Dowager Duchess of Haverly, who is a personal favorite of mine.

Though there is a host of new characters in The Debutante’s Code, as the series unfolds, more of the S and S cast will come into the stories. 

Can you give us a tease of what to expect in the remainder of the Thorndike and Swann series? The next book, Millstone of Doubt, begins with a bang! Literally! A grist mill on the Thames explodes, but when the rubble and dust are cleared, a man is found dead, not from the explosion, but from a gunshot! Was the mill blown up to cover the murder? Who would want the mill owner dead? Daniel and Juliette put their heads together to sort out the crime, while Juliette juggles her new career as a spy and a debutante, and Daniel uncovers many of the secrets he needs to piece together the puzzle of his past.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor) and Instagram (@EricaVetsch).

There is a blog tour giveaway as well as one free book from this blog. You can find out about the tour giveaway by going to one of these links:

https://www.audrajennings.com/2021/11/enter-erica-vetschs-cozy-up-with-good.html

https://www.ericavetsch.com/giveaway.html 

Thank you, Erica, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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, 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: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE INDEBTED EARL - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book on this Blog plus more

Erica Vetsch brings her much beloved Serendipity and Secrets series to a close with the highly anticipated release of The Indebted Earl. This latest installment tells the story of Lady Sophia Haverly, the free-spirited and energetic younger sister of Marcus Haverly readers will remember from The Gentleman Spy, and Captain Charles Wyvern, a longtime naval officer trying to find his footing on dry land.

Q: Both Lady Sophia Haverly and Captain Charles Wyvern feel a responsibility to care for someone who is left behind. From where does that sense of duty come? Lady Sophia’s care of her fiancé’s mother is born out of her love for him. She was also instilled from birth with the social customs of noblesse oblige. As a woman of noble birth, she has an obligation to live up to that nobility by behaving nobly. While her fiancé is at war, he has entrusted her with the care and companionship of his mother, Lady Richardson. Sophie is delighted with the responsibility, because it allows her to demonstrate her love, and it gives her a bit of freedom that living in her older brother’s household would not afford.

Captain Wyvern naturally shoulders responsibility for his ship and his crew. As the leader, everyone under his command is also under his care. This responsibility extends to the dependents of his crew, including the fiancée of his late best friend. Charles feels he bears the blame for his friend’s death, and he must attempt to make some sort of amends. His natural leadership abilities cause him to throw his mantle of responsibility over Lady Sophia, Lady Richardson, the three waifs who wash up on his shore, and the estate and community he’s inherited.

Q: What is Sophie struggling with spiritually in The Indebted Earl? Is Charles facing something similar? Sophie struggles with the idea that God is both good and sovereign. It’s easy to accept one or the other, but both? How can God be good when He’s taken her beloved fiancé away? How can He be sovereign when bad things happen? How can she trust in His plan when it seems everything is spinning out of control?

Charles’s struggle is similar in that he is all about control, about ordering his life according to his plan, but with the cessation of war, he is on the beach without a command. And he’s carrying a tremendous weight of guilt over the death of Major Richardson. Did God make a mistake, having Rich die in his place? What Charles wants—to continue his naval career—is both noble and reasonable. Why won’t God make it happen?

Both Sophie and Charles are learning to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God’s plans, and realizing that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours.

Q: Marcus tries to get Sophie to come back to Haverly Manor with him after her fiancé dies. Would a single woman in her situation during the Regency period have the choice to live on her own?

It would be difficult for an unmarried woman in the Regency era to live on her own. Though Sophie had the financial means to live independently, it would have been considered improper for her to live alone. However, for her to continue to live with Lady Richardson, as her companion and friend, was entirely proper.

Though Marcus is acting out of an abundance of compassion and brotherly concern, Sophie is reluctant to return to his home. She’s reluctant to give up the freedom she’s gained, as well as reluctant to live in a house where everyone will be watching her grieve. She wants to remain at Primrose Cottage with Lady Richardson.

Q: All of your leading men in the series end up with titles and responsibilities they weren’t expecting. Within moments of arriving at his new home, Charles’s new responsibilities multiply. Can you tell us about the surprise he receives?

Charles finds himself as the guardian to three young girls, sisters who were born on the estate. His uncle, the previous earl, had, for reasons of his own, taken on the orphaned girls as his wards and paid for them to go to boarding school. But at his death, the girls were returned to the estate.

The eldest is nearing womanhood and is a romantic, eager to fall in love and bewildering to Charles. The second is a daredevil, tomboy, and adventuress in whom Charles sees glimpses of his younger self. And the third is a girl barely six summers old, who is fascinated by Charles and imitates him at every turn. He’s not certain which of the girls scares him most, and as a collective, they have that crusty old sea captain shaking in his boots.

Q: Something doesn’t seem quite right with the staff at Gateshead and the surrounding village. What does Charles pick up on? What trouble does he find himself in?

Charles encounters inconsistencies in the behavior of those on the estate and in the nearby town. The town is more prosperous than he anticipated, people have possessions he didn’t expect, and there are signs that something is amiss.

    https://www.ericavetsch.com/giveaway.html

Q: Will you be sad to let this trilogy—your first Regency series—go? What can readers look forward to next?

There’s such a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in seeing this series completed, but to answer your question . . . YES! I am so reluctant to let these stories and characters go that I’m bringing some of them back in my new series, the Thorndike and Swann Regency Mysteries!

The first book, The Debutante’s Code, should arrive in the fall of 2021 and features Lady Juliette Thorndike and Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann in a fast-paced tale of intrigue, espionage, and art thievery!

Q: Where can Regency fans go to interact and talk about books on Facebook? I am thrilled that we have a place on Facebook to discuss all things inspirational Regency romance. There is a lively and growing community of readers that can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2568745689914759 . We have contests, giveaways, polls, notices of sales, reviews, and much more, and we’re always welcoming new members. Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com . She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor) and Instagram (@EricaVetsch).

Thank you, Erica, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I so enjoyed the first two books so much, and this one is at the top of my to-be-read pile.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3cwe8gP

https://amzn.to/3rFj080

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book on this blog. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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, 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: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

THE GENTLEMAN SPY - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book Here plus more

Welcome back, Erica. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

The Gentleman Spy is the second book in the Serendipity and Secrets Series, and the idea came because I so enjoyed writing about Marcus Haverly in the first book. He was mysterious, helpful, knowing, and intriguing. He’s a spy for the Crown, a newly-minted duke, and a man in need of a wife. I knew I wanted to get to know him better and give him his own story.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

This is such a tough question. I have so many writer friends! I just know I will exclude someone…I do have some friends who are always up for a writer-dinner, so I’ll say Susan May Warren, Gabrielle Meyer, Ruth Logan Herne, Andrew Huff, Missy Tippens, and Katie Ganshert. (And a whole lot more who are welcome!)

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I have even more friends who write historical fiction! I find it so difficult to choose…I’ll go with Mary Connealy, Julie Klassen, Michelle Griep, Jan Drexler, Vickie McDonough, and Amanda Barratt. That would be a historical fiction writer’s PARTY!

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

At the moment, it’s a bit of pandemic fatigue and struggling to concentrate! With all that was/is going on in the world, I’ve felt a bit of anxiety and lack of focus. It’s getting better, Praise the Lord, but it has been a grind this year so far.

I so understand. Tell us about the featured book.

The Gentleman Spy is book two of three in the Serendipity and Secrets series. Here’s a bit of information from the back cover:

He only wanted a duchess for a day—but she’s determined to make it a marriage for life

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she’s meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life—as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She’s determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society—the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she’d remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

Please give us the first page of the book.

He supposed that someday he would have to forgive the child for being a girl.

Marcus Haverly took one look at the squirming pink bundle in the nurse’s arms and sighed, the weight of the world threatening to push him into the ornate rug beneath his Hessians. He set down the book he’d been reading, his appetite for the written word evaporating as reality set in.

His mother dragged into the study, her shoulders slumped, her hands lax.

Who was more disappointed? He would hate to have to live on the difference. He rose, put his hands into the pockets of his breeches, and went to stand before the window, staring out into the night. Frost rimed the edges of the panes, and in the distance, black trees lifted skeletal arms toward the moon.

“How is Cilla?” he asked.

“The accoucheur has just gone. He says everything went well but that she needs rest.” Mother’s voice sounded as if she spoke from the bottom of a pit. “I can’t bear it. A girl.”

Marcus glanced over his shoulder in time to see her sink into a chair, the very picture of despair. The poor woman. All her hopes dashed in a split second.

Readers, there’s a wonderful giveaway for the release of this new book. To enter, click on any of these links:

https://www.audrajennings.com/2020/07/win-copy-of-gentleman-spy.html   
https://www.ericavetsch.com/giveaway.html
https://promosimple.com/ps/10029/the-gentleman-spy

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have a website at www.ericavetsch.com and am on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ (Where I spend way too much time!)

Don’t we all? Thank you, Erica, for sharing this new book with me and my blog readers. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here are links to the book.
The Gentleman Spy - Christianbook.com
The Gentleman Spy (Serendipity & Secrets) - Amazon paperback
The Gentleman Spy (Serendipity & Secrets Book 2)  - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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, 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:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE LOST LIEUTENANT - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book

Welcome back, Erica. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I grew up in a believing home, and at age 11, after hearing the gospel in Sunday School yet again, I believed in my need for Jesus as my Savior.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

OOO, this is a tough one because I have so many author friends. I will stick to ones that I have been on a writing retreat with before: Gabrielle Meyer, because she never runs out of things to talk about, Mary Connealy, because she is awesome to retreat with, Ruth Logan Hearne, because she is a terrific cook (her bread pudding is phenomenal) and Jan Drexler, because her son is marrying my daughter this summer, and we can talk about them. J

I love the idea of that wedding. How fun. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I don’t have a speaking ministry, though I do love teaching writing workshops.

Teaching workshops is just as important as speaking. People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Write it! Just start. It’s okay if you don’t know what you’re doing at first. But learn. Read writing how-to books, blogs, articles. And keep writing your book. Lots of people want to write books, but actual writers do the work! Jump in!

Tell us about the featured book.

The Lost Lieutenant is the first book in the Serendipity and Secrets series.

He's doing what he can to save the Prince Regent's life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well?

Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero—he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous—and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Seaton Estate Berkshire,

England

January 4, 1813

“You’ll do as you’re told if you know what’s good for you. I won’t be humiliated again.”

Diana Seaton gripped the back of the chair she stood behind, grateful to have the piece of furniture between her and her father. Red suffused his face, and his eyes glittered. He paced the oriental rug in front of the fireplace in the drawing room of Seaton Manor. She gathered her courage. “But wouldn’t it be better if I remained here this Season? I could look after Cian—”

“Do not mention that name here. Not his and not his trollop of a mother’s.” The Duke of Seaton halted his pacing and jabbed his beringed finger toward Diana. Her pleas wadded into a lump in her throat, and fierce tears pricked her eyes.

Her half sister, Catherine, hadn’t been a trollop. She’d been an innocent, a naïve debutante taken advantage of by a true rake and scoundrel—a mistake that, had word gotten out, would’ve cost her reputation, and in the end had cost her life. But Diana knew better than to protest aloud to her father.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Erica's Goodreads

Erica's Books on Amazon

Erica's Facebook Page

Erica's Pinterest Boards

Erica's Twitter

Erica’s website and newsletter sign up

Thank you, Erica, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. After this interview,I’m eager to read it. All the reviews on Amazon are rave reviews. That's really good.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Lost Lieutenant
The Lost Lieutenant (Serendipity and; Secrets)
The Lost Lieutenant (Serendipity and; Secrets Book 1)

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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, 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:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

SAGEBRUSH KINIGHTS - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book

Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

Welcome back, Erica. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I tend to have recurring threads of forgiveness and letting go of the past. I’m not sure what this says about me, except I have been forgiven much. Forgiveness is such a beautiful gift.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I don’t have anything currently on the radar, though I have a couple of projects out to publishers. Hopefully, I’ll hear something soon. Until then, I’ll keep working on the next novel. I’m currently writing a story set in post-Civil-War Kansas at Fort Larned. My heroine wants custody of her orphaned niece and nephew, but they are currently in the care of the post physician who isn’t of a mind to give them up.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I would fly to Boston to visit a dear friend. We have only met in person one time, but we communicate frequently. I would love to see her home, her family, her state. There is so much I would love to experience. I’ve never been to New England, and I’d love to explore the history of that region with my good friend.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Winston Churchill. He’s fascinating, and his life spanned so much interesting history and world-changing events. I would love to sit down to dinner with him and just listen.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Ah, rejection. In the beginning it hurts so much because we pour so much of ourselves into our work without really understanding how the business end of publishing works. We take those rejections of our work as rejections of ourselves. All I can say is, as you continue in the business, those rejections will become somewhat easier. Not that they aren’t still disappointing, but they aren’t personal. Remember that rejections are about the work, not about you.

Tell us about the featured book.

Sagebrush Knights is a novella collection, four mail-order bride stories that I just love.

Journey along with the four Gerhard sisters as they head to Wyoming Territory in search of husbands and discover that happy endings are not ready-made. Evelyn arrives in Wyoming with a secret and a grudge, only to find her prospective groom holds a secret, too. Jane vies for the attention of her workaholic husband who is bent on saving his ranch even if it means losing love. Gwendolyn’s would-be husband dies, leaving her to the will of another man. And Emmeline’s knight-in-shining-armor herds sheep instead of cattle. Will love prevail, or will their journeys have not so happy endings?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue:

Four sisters, Christian, 18-28, seek matrimony with four God-fearing men as soon as possible. Must live in close proximity. Apply: Matrimonial News, #278.

The final eviction notice and the marriage proposals arrived in the same post. Though she couldn’t help but wince at the comedown in their circumstances to be driven to posting an advertisement for husbands, Evelyn Gerhard Stanford couldn’t cavil at the timing of the response.

Evelyn presented these missives to her sisters as matter-of-factly as possible, but inside, insecurities and doubts roiled. The advertisement had been her idea, after all, arrived at after many a sleepless, prayer-filled night.

            With each of her three younger sisters looking to her for guidance and assurance that they were making the correct—the only—decision they could, she kept her fears to herself and put on a brave front. All through the packing, the leave-taking, and the jolting journey via hissing, sooty train and bone-jarring stagecoach, she maintained her calm, controlled demeanor.

            She could do this. She could get her family across more than half this continent and see them safely ensconced in new homes with new husbands. She would meet every crisis and obstacle with determination, intelligence, and fortitude. And try to pretend she wasn’t scared out of her mind at the unknown racing toward them all.

Evelyn clutched her reticule, crackling the papers inside. Two letters, the only communication she’d had with her prospective groom, one Gareth Kittrick. Not much to build a marriage on, two single-sheet missives. The first was from the Matrimonial News, passing along the marriage proposals of four men from the town of Sagebrush in Wyoming Territory to advertisement #278. The second was from Mr. Kittrick himself and contained tickets for the journey and a few lines about himself and his ranch. A widower—that thought gave her some solace, being a widow herself—looking for a kind woman to grace his home.

With the eviction notice hanging over her head like the Sword of Damocles, she’d expedited their departure from Seabury. They’d barely had time to think. But now, as mile after mile rolled under the train and stagecoach wheels, doubts and fears ran rampant.

Glancing down, she touched the thin, gold circle on her left ring finger. A lump formed in her throat as she slipped it off and moved it to her right hand. For more than ten years, she’d worn Jamison’s ring, though she’d been widowed nearly all that time. Still, it would be bad form to show up in Sagebrush to meet her new husband while still wearing her first wedding band.

Not that Mr. Kittrick would need that reminder of her previous marriage. No, the permanent reminder lay on the seat beside her with his head pillowed on her lap. She stroked his sable curls. Guilt chased anxiety and fear through a twisting maze in her head.

In her brief and hurried communication with her intended husband, she’d neglected to mention she had a son.

 How can readers find you on the Internet?

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Thank you so much, Erica, for sharing this collection with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Sagebrush Knights (Romancing America) - paperback
Sagebrush Knights (Romancing America) - 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.)

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A BRIDE SEWS WITH LOVE IN NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book

Welcome back, Erica. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I’ve got two releases coming out in back-to-back months, but beyond that, I’m waiting on God to see what He has in store for my writing. I’ve got a proposal circulating, and I’m hoping it finds favor with someone.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have a wonderful husband of almost 23 years (In December.) Peter is so supportive of my writing and pretty much any other passion I decide to pursue. He’s gentle and quiet and a perfect balance to my talkative self. I also have a 20 year old daughter who is currently a senior at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. She’s studying Early Childhood Education, and she’s looking forward to being a preschool teacher when she graduates next Christmas. My son James is 16, loves reading and playing basketball for the Rochester Defenders homeschool team. Our cat Pookie rounds out the family and pretty much runs things the way she sees fit.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

It’s certainly cut down on the time I have to read. I read a book per week when I used to read two or three. My reading has picked up a little bit since I got my Kindle, because I can read more easily in bed at night without waking my husband.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on the first of what I hope will become a three-book series set in 1860’s Kansas at Fort Larned on the Santa Fe Trail. The first book is called The Major’s Minors, about the post surgeon who inherits a pair of twins and the commander’s daughter who arrives at the fort under protest and can’t wait to return East as soon as possible. It’s the story about how each of the main players learns the true definitions of home and family. Home isn’t a house, and family is more than blood ties.

What outside interests do you have?

Reading, family, church, cross-stitch, now quilting. I love connecting with folks through blogging and facebook, and I love to travel.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Many of my settings have been places I’ve visited. When I can’t visit a place, I read everything I can about the place and try to talk to someone who has been there. My current release is set in the inhospitable desert of southeast California, a place I’ve never been. Several people questioned the location, saying it was a horrible, hot, barren place, but it’s what I needed for the story, so the location actually becomes a character, forcing the character to make decisions based upon where she lives.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

I’ve always been intrigued by Winston Churchill. I’d love to have dinner with him and listen to him tell stories about his amazing life and all the historical events he not only witnessed but was a part of.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

How all-consuming it can be. It takes time, imagination, money, patience, support, and so much more. I thought it would be easier, but it’s hard work.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Patience and trust. I’ve been under contract non-stop for the past three+ years, having thirteen books published in that time. But at the moment, I’m not under contract, so I’m waiting and working and trusting that God has something in store for me.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Persevere – keep writing, keep learning, keep networking and finding out how this publishing business works.

Cherish the friendships this journey will bring to you. Nobody ‘gets’ writers like other writers.

Find ways to give back. Judge contests, mentor writers, be a critique partner. 

Tell us about the featured book.

About The Book: (From the back cover)

A Bride Sews With Love in Needles, CA

A Harvey Girl waits on True Love.

With her brother already on the front lines in France, Meghan Thorson becomes a Harvey Girl in Needles, California. Ready and willing to wait on the hundreds of doughboys heading for Europe, Meghan deems this service her way of contributing to the war effort. When a Red Cross representative breezes through town, Meghan embraces the challenge to do even more, committing to completing a Red Cross signature quilt and canvassing the town for donations to the cause.

Horseman Caleb McBride makes his living by training stock for the US Cavalry and keeps his pride by remaining a loner. When Meghan meets Caleb, she senses something mysterious and wounded about him, piquing her curiosity. But after the townsfolk scorn him as a coward and a profiteer, Caleb feels her pity and becomes even more guarded.

When Needles is hit by an influenza epidemic and the Harvey hotel is made into a temporary hospital, Meghan discovers Caleb’s shameful secret.

Will both Caleb and Meghan find a way to kill their pride before their chance of love rips them apart at the seams?

Please give us the first page of the book.

“There is nothing so stubborn and exasperating as a headstrong Irish daughter.”

“You only bring up my Irish half when I’m suggesting something you don’t like. If I please you, you claim my Norwegian side.” Meghan set her jaw, determined to stand up to Papa.

“How do I know this isn’t just another one of your wild schemes? Like the mail order candy or the door-to-door sewing notions? Remember how those ended? Flying high only to fall to earth with a thud after only a few weeks.” His huge boots clomped as he passed the sitting room floor, drowning out the sound of rain pattering against the windowpane as a late spring storm blew through. “You always start out with the best of intentions, child, but you don’t think things through. Always you think you can whip the world, but you take on too much and come crashing down.”

“It won’t be like that. I was a child then. I didn’t know what I was doing.” Meghan Thorson poked the logs in the fireplace, sending up a shower of sparks that raced up the flue. “I won’t be trying to start my own business. I’ll be working for one of the most reputable companies in the country. And it’s only for six months, not forever. If I don’t like it, I can come home then. But I will like it. You’ll see. You’re the one who has been saying I need to find something to occupy my time, something that would help the war effort and keep me out of your hair. This job will definitely keep me out of your way. Needles is more than fifteen hundred miles from here.”

Papa stopped pacing, stroked his reddish-blond beard, and studied her with somber blue eyes. “And how long will it be before I get a letter saying you hate it out there and you’re coming home?”

“You won’t get such a letter from me.”

“Couldn’t you find something closer to home? I thought you would get a job here in Mantorville, or even over in Rochester. California is too far away.”

Mama’s knitting needles clicked, a sound as familiar to Meghan as her own breathing. “You hoped it would be in Rochester so you could have an excuse to drive your new motorcar over there.” She barely looked up from the sock she knitted. Socks, socks, and more socks. American soldiers in the trenches in France needed socks, and Mama’s knitting needles never stopped.

I pray over every pair as if they were going to Lars himself. They are all my sons in that way, all those soldiers. And I know their mamas are praying for them as well. Mamas of soldiers knit and pray.

“I don’t want a job close to home. I want to stand on my own two feet, do something bigger, travel, and—” she spread her hands “I don’t know how to explain it. I just know I need to do this. I knew it as soon as I saw the advertisement in the Tribune.”

Mama sighed. “She needs to go. She’s gone in her heart already.” Click, click, click. “I’m surprised we were able to keep our little sparrow in the nest this long. She’s always desired to fly. This is her chance.” A faraway look invaded Mama’s expression, softening her face in the firelight.

But Papa was not softened. “Mary Kate, I thought you would have agreed with me that Meghan should stay here. With us. She’s too young to leave home.” He thrust his hands into his pockets and stood square before Mama’s chair. “She is barely more than a child. Not old enough to go so far away from home.”

Mama’s red lashes flicked upward from her yarn, showing eyes so green they seemed to glitter—the same eyes she’d passed onto Meghan, along with her red hair and freckles—and according to Papa her Irish stubbornness.

“Look at her. She’s twenty years old. When I was eighteen, I set out on a wonderful adventure. I sailed away from Ireland to America. And I met a handsome Norseman on the boat who swept me off my feet and carried me away to his new home in Minnesota.” She grinned. “By the time I was twenty, I was already a mama to Lars.”

Papa’s brow scrunched. “That’s different.”

“Is it? I think it is very much the same. Let her have her adventure, Per. She’s young, and there is so much strife in the world right now, so little for a young woman to be excited about. Who knows, perhaps she’ll find a strapping, brave young man to call her own like I did.”

I love the sound of this book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Author Bio: Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

Find Me On Facebook

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Thank you, Erica, for sharing this story with us.

Readers, here is a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
A Bride Sews with Love in Needles, California


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.

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A BRIDE'S PORTRAIT OF DODGE CITY, KANSAS - Erica Vetch - Free Book

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I suppose a little of me creeps into each of the heroines I write, but I try to vary the personalities/character types so nobody sounds or acts just like me. I’ve fallen in love with a book on writing characters called The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines. I love the way this book shows the interaction of character types and gives examples from TV and movies. By mixing up these character-traits, I can hopefully keep my characters from being too much like me—or each other.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I have so many quirks, it’s hard to pick out just one, so I’ll give you three of the many.

--One time when I was in kindergarten while walking home from school, I tried to see how slowly I could walk without falling over. (Yes, really, stop laughing!) I was really, really late getting home from school and my mom came looking for me. I was in soooo much trouble.

--I also scalp my pizza. I eat all the toppings off the crust and eat the crust separately. No clue why, it just tastes good that way.

--My family and I have been to 16 historical sites/museums run by the MN Historical Society. My goal is to eventually visit them all. I think I have four or five left to see.

--Oh, and bonus quirk: I don’t like seafood. At all. Nothing From The Sea is my motto.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I think the seeds were there for a long time. I have a post over on Seekerville where I followed the trail of becoming a writer from my kindergarten days onward. I’ve always loved reading, story-weaving, and daydreaming. Couple those things with my love of words, history, and happy endings, and it was a natural progression to historical romance writer.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I read a lot of different things. Mysteries, history books, thrillers, historical romances, biographies, memoirs. I love Dick Francis, Tom Clancy, Elizabeth Peters, Sarah Graves, Mary Connealy, James Herriot, Essie Summers, Zane Grey, and so many more.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I’m busier now than I’ve ever been, but I keep my sanity the same way I always have. Retreating into my fictional worlds. I have to have this downtime…when it looks like I’m not doing anything at all…in order to recharge the creative batteries and to prepare to write. On a side note, I do have to pull back on other things I’m involved with, say no to some good things in order to pursue writing fiction. I’ve learned I can’t do it all, so I have to be careful what I say yes to. 

How do you choose your characters’ names?

 There are several things I take into consideration when choosing character names. Ethnic background, historical setting, economic background, connotations, and what exceptions can I make to these rules. The era in history that I’m writing has a lot to do with the names I choose, as well as the economic status of the characters. My first series was set in the Gilded Age amongst the upper elite. The names were more elaborate. My second series was set in Idaho territory and the names were more rugged or plain. I consider the ethnic background of the characters as well. Are they Scots, Norwegian, German, Irish? Here in Minnesota we have a lot of Scandinavian and German names. A name like Jukka Thoreson wouldn’t be out of place in a MN historical. I also try to choose names that fit the type of character I’m creating. I want the name to evoke a certain idea in the character’s mind even before they get to know the character. My current Work in Progress has a hero named Gareth, (like Sir Gareth of the Round Table) and I hope this evokes ideas of a knight in shining armor, someone steeped in chivalry, and willing to risk his life for a damsel in distress.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

The writing accomplishment I’m most proud of to date is receiving so many honors in the 18^th Annual Heartsong Awards this past spring. The readers were so kind to me, and it was wonderful to see my books were enjoyed by so many people.

The non-writing accomplishment I’m the most proud of is my family. My husband and I have been happily married for 21 years now and we have two great kids.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I wouldn’t mind being a panda. They are adorable and rare and cherished. Oh, and they’re supposed to be round all over, which I kinda am. J

What is your favorite food?

My current go-to food is taco salad at Carlos O’Kelly’s restaurant. I order it every time I go there.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Showing vs. telling was a hard one for me to get my head around. I thought I knew what it meant, but even now I’m discovering new ways to show instead of tell. As to overcoming it, critique partners helped a lot, as did reading books by masters of showing vs. telling. Some writers are very, very good at this technique and I always learn new things by reading their work.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Queen of the Cow Towns is the setting for a rollicking romantic mystery.

Dodge City deputy Miles Carr is on a mission to overcome his past and prove himself worthy of the badge he wears. When one of the town’s most popular merchants is murdered, Miles’s investigation leads him to the portrait studio of pretty but aloof Adeline Reed.

When Addie Reid isn’t focused on the world she sees through the lens of her camera, she’s looking over her shoulder. But it isn’t her past that’s caught up with her. Unwittingly in possession of a clue that will expose a killer, Addie must join forces with Miles to solve the crime. As their relationship develops, a portrait of the killer emerges. 

I’m totally intrigued. Please give us the first page of the book.

Uncle Carl had taught her that the customer should be accommodated no matter what, but surely there were limitations. Addie Reid pressed her fingertips against her temple. “You want to do what?”

“I want my picture made with my horse.”

“Sir, this isn’t a livery stable. I do serious portraiture.”

The cowboy—so prototypical of the breed as to be comical with his wide hat, sunburned face, and bat-wing chaps—waved a scrap of newsprint in her face. “Read this here ad. It says ‘Come to Reid’s Photography to get your portrait taken with your trail pards and best friends.’ This is your ad, ain’t it? You are Reid’s Photography?”

A small pang twisted Addie’s heart. She was now. What if I can’t do this alone?

“Well?”

“Yes, that’s my advertisement, and this is Reid’s Photography.”

“Good. Then I want my picture made with my trail pard and best friend. I’ve got good, cash money. Trail boss paid us off an hour ago. I got spiffed up down at the barbershop and headed right here.”

“But sir, a horse? The advertisement is intended for humans.”

“That horse”—he pointed through the open door to a dusty animal dozing in the sun on Front Street—“is the best friend and trail pard I’ve ever had. He’s smart and gentle and has forgotten more about cow work than I’ll ever know.”

Which was either an accolade for the horse or an insult to the cowboy. She blew out a breath. “I can’t haul the camera out into the street.” Though she wouldn’t risk moving the Chevalier for a simple portrait, perhaps she could use her smaller Scovill. Though the print would be smaller, too.

“I don’t want no outside picture. I want it taken in the studio with one of those fancy backdrops. And I want the picture to be about this big”—he held up his hands about a foot apart—“so it will look good in a frame on the wall.”

That ruled out the Scovill. A print that size would need the bigger camera. Her mind trotted back to what he’d said, and her jaw dropped. “You intend to bring a horse inside?” Jamming her hands on her hips, she shook her head. “No. Impossible. I’ll take your picture, and it will be a good one, but the animal stays outside.”

He tugged the corner of his enormous moustache. “I reckoned as much. No gumption. Should’ve known better than to come to a woman photographer. A man would understand. Guess I’ll go over to Donaldson’s. He offered to do it for me, but I wanted to give you a try at it first, since you’re new in town and all. He said you’d be too timid.”

Stung, Addie straightened. “Wait. Don’t go.” Donaldson’s Photography three blocks down would be her biggest competitor, and Heber Donaldson had been the most vocal about the new photography shop on Front Street stealing his customers. “We can work something out.” But it would have to be worth her while. She hesitated then quoted him a price.

The cowboy grinned. “That sounds fine to me.”

This book just jumped to the top of my to-be-read pile. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I blog at: http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com/

You can find me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/erica.vetsch

And Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/EricaVetsch

And on the web at: http://webpages.charter.net/ericavetsch/home.html

Thank you, Erica, for the fun interview.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas


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 Feedblitz, Facebook, 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