by Allie Pleiter
Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical
August 2010
ISBN#: 978-0-373-82842-5
BACK COVER COPY:
No one knows who he is or where he’s from. But witnesses throughout San Francisco report a masked man in black is bringing supplies--and badly needed hope--to homeless earthquake survivors. Some believe that the city’s gallant rescuer is a gentleman of wealth. But others whisper that he is a working class man withcourage as great as his faith. And rumor has it that one of the city’s most spirited society belles is helping him against her family’s wishes. What can be confirmed is that the masked messenger will need more than a miracle to escape those on his trail--and win the woman risking everything to save him...
ONE SENTENCE BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The gallant sequel to Pleiter's San Francisco historical, "Masked by Moonlight," MISSION OF HOPE follows an unlikely hero and his surprising young love as the pair help the city heal from it's massive 1906 earthquake.
EXCERPT:
She looked right into his eyes, and Quinn felt his stomach drop out through what was left of the soles of his shoes. “You’ll probably think it’s silly, but you’ve been such an encouragement to me. Here I was thinking God had left me alone, and you do all those things—those little but very big things—that let me know He’s still minding my path. You’re an answer to my prayers, Quinn Freeman. How does that make you feel?”
He knew the exact moment his heart left his body. The exact instant it disobeyed all the good and solid reasons he had for not pining over Nora Longstreet and left to follow her of its own accord. He stared at her, knowing his affections had just overstepped all kinds of bounds and not caring. He no longer had any choice in the matter. “I’m thinking it might not be wise to answer that, Miss Longstreet.”
AUTHOR BIO:
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, twelve novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/ or her knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/
I was doing research on the 1906 earthquake and fires and came across a detail about the city’s postmaster deciding to keep the mail going. He pledged to deliver any kind of mail--most of the city’s paper had burned so anything became writing material--no matter the postage. People write messages of survival on shirt collars, scraps of fabric, etc. Arthur Fisk (I don’t use Fisk’s real name or personal details, I created a fictional postmaster) realized how desperately people needed communication. That stuck in my head--the power of a cry for help. And the power of meeting a need, even a small one. The story grew from there, and it wasn’t hard to blend in the mythology of the Black Bandit I’d created in MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, since it already had a bit of Robin Hood stirred in the mix.
I loved MASKED BY MOONLIGHT. If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?
Charlene Ann Baumbich, because she’s a dear friend and we could have fun anywhere, anytime; Camy Tang, because she’s also fun and I need someone to knit with; Debbie Macomber, because I’d want to pick her brains for all her wise advice (and she knits, too); Sharon Hinck because I just finished her Restorer book and I’d want to gush to her face, Maureen Lang because I love her work and her sweet personality, and then I’d invite Tosca Lee and make her take us all shopping because Tosca always looks so cool and I feel like I spend way too much time looking like a suburban mom (and I just finished Havah and loved it, too).
Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?
Eek, I’m stumped. Let me think. Okay, I’d invite the winners of the past six Christy Awards and ask ‘em how to bring home the shiny hardware. I suspect they don’t know, either, but we’d have a lot of fun speculating. Or just invite the entire Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical author list, (which is way more than six but I could never pick and choose) because I adore the line so much.
It’s just plain hard for everyone right now. The industry doesn’t have a lot of room for optimism or grace to let a struggling or mid-list author build her career. Risks are very difficult to take, and good art needs lots of risk. For me, it’s the challenge of keeping so many balls in the air with the demands of my family. Emotionally/spiritually, it’s remembering that output is my responsibility (in other words, getting high quality words down on the page) but results (sales, reviews, etc.) are in God’s hands, not mine.
Tell us about the featured book.
I’ve had more fun writing MISSION OF HOPE than any other book. I love swashbuckling heroes, have always adored the historical genre, and Quinn Freemen is a wonderful character. The concept of rebuilding a life from scratch intrigues me so--watching Quinn and Nora learning which things they can change and what cannot be changed. The leverage of hope is a vital message for the world now, I think. So many people are looking for a toe-hold to fend back the loom of disaster. That’s what gives MISSION OF HOPE its power. The fact that it’s about a 1906 earthquake doesn’t change the timeless qualities of love and hope.
Please give us the first page of the book.
It’s not from the fist page, but this is one of my very favorite passages:
She looked right into his eyes, and Quinn felt his stomach drop out through what was left of the soles of his shoes. “You’ll probably think it’s silly, but you’ve been such an encouragement to me. Here I was thinking God had left me alone, and you do all those things—those little but very big things—that let me know He’s still minding my path. You’re an answer to my prayers, Quinn Freeman. How does that make you feel?”
He knew the exact moment his heart left his body. The exact instant it disobeyed all the good and solid reasons he had for not pining over Nora Longstreet and left to follow her of its own accord. He stared at her, knowing his affections had just overstepped all kinds of bounds and not caring. He no longer had any choice in the matter. “I’m thinking it might not be wise to answer that, Miss Longstreet.”
How can readers find you on the Internet?
My website is alliepleiter.com , my knitting blog (which doesn’t have much to do with my writing but is great fun anyway) is DestiKNITions.blogspot.com , and I blog monthly with the Craftie Ladies of Romance. I’m on Facebook and Twitter as well.
Thank you, Allie, for once more spending time on my blog.
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