AFTER THE RAIN - Rita Gerlach - One Free Book

Welcome back, Rita. Tell us about your salvation experience. When I was 9, I was sitting in church and there was a big cross up front. I stared and stared. Then the realization hit me that Jesus had died for me. I will never forget the way my heart felt. It swelled up, that’s the best way for me to explain it. I prayed to God and said in my heart, that I believed Jesus died for my sins, that God raised him from the dead, and that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I was a talkative child and wanted to tell everybody what happened. My parents smiled and patted me on my head.

I was 7, and my parents’ reaction was similar to ours. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

MaryLu Tyndall: MaryLu has been a strong sister in Christ, and has prayed for my family, counseled me, and been a good friend, even though we only met once face to face.

Rachel Muller: Rachel is a talented woman, homeschool mom, and friend. She helped me set up the Writing to Inspire Christian Workshop. I would have been stressed if I hadn’t had her help.

Roseanna White: Roseanna has been an inspiration to me. She is talented and one of the nicest writers you could ever meet. Like Rachel, Roseanna graciously accepted to teach at the workshop several times.

Carrie Pagels: Carrie opened up the door for me to be published with Barbour Publishing. She has been a friend and an inspiration. She also taught at the workshop, and we’ve had lunch on a few occasion. She is one of the most giving writers I know, and an inspiration to me to persist in storytelling.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that. Not in the true sense. But I have taught classes on writing. Each year at the Writing to Inspire Christian Writers Workshop, and on dialogue at the Lancaster Christian Writers Conference.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it? The most? There are too many to tell, and too embarrassing to share.

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? I would first ask them why, and if it is really on their heart, when are they planning to begin. What genre would they like to write in? Then I’d give them a bit of advice. Write because you love to write, even if it means never getting published with a major publisher and going Indie. If the person isn’t interested in writing novels, I suggest they write in a journal.

What is important is touching the lives of others through an inspiring story. Do not ever let fame and money be your motivation for being an author. If it is, you are writing for the wrong reasons.

Tell us about the featured book. Back in 2014, I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life. It was a time I never thought I would experience. I’d done my best, what I believed then, to take care of my health. But when I heard the words, “you have breast cancer,” I felt the ground move under me, and I was shaken to my core. Those words invoked images of the suffering I saw with a close friend who died from breast cancer, and what my dear sister-in-law was going through at the time, and how it would eventually take her life. I cried in the doctor’s office in my husband’s arms, thinking life was over, that I was going to leave him and my two boys.

I was taken on a roller coaster journey through treatment. Once I was over the initial shock, I was determined to live. One thing that kept me going, besides Paul’s constant care and humor, was writing. I had several novels published, but two books came into my life. One was Mercy’s Refuge, a historical romance set in 1620 inspired by William Bradford’s diary Of Plymouth Plantation. But there was another story that I began with a synopsis and a few first chapters. After the Rain. I loved every minute writing this story.

After the Rain was published in 2015. It’s been out there up until 2021 when a young writer called me for advice on her career. We talked things over, and then she directed me to her website. I soon discovered how talented this young writer is, which included her ability to create stunning graphic designs. I hired her to redo the cover for After the Rain, and my heart soared at the prospects of a relaunch.

Here is the synopsis for your readers.

It is 1908, a year in the Edwardian Age, the year J.M. Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows, premiered in Atlantic City, and the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when the New Year would heal the wounds of loss.

Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a new and thriving community on the outskirts of Washington, DC for the well-to-do. Against the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a loveless marriage, and instead searches for her calling in life.

When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything, including the lives of all those around her.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Autumn 1908

Jackson O’Neil scanned the ridgeline. The clouds were low and misty, shades of blue and gray ash that stretched along the mountains as far as his eyes could see. Autumn came early. The dogwoods were turning crimson. The maples gold, the oaks deep brown—taking his breath away.

A whisper of a breeze stirred the changing leaves and ruffled his dark hair. His quarter horse grazed in the field beyond the farmhouse his father had built so many years ago, before he was born, before his younger sister took her first breath.

He drew in the scent of apples fallen from the trees, listened to the hum of yellow jackets thirsty for the sweet overripe nectar of the rotting pulp. As he heaped hay over the fence, he whistled to his horse Ransom. With a sweep of his mane, Ransom raised his head and trotted over.

Jackson rubbed the velvety nose offered him and reached inside his pocket for a sugar cube. “Come spring, I’ll find you a mare. It gets lonely, doesn’t it?”

He understood loneliness and was weary of being asked why he hadn’t found a wife. Community picnics in Chestnut Creek were the worst with every unwed daughter shoved in front of him. Always he’d been polite, and felt sorry for the girls embarrassed by their mother’s interference.

He rubbed his horse’s ear and recalled the seasons when mares and foals grazed in his father’s fields, and a stallion paced in the next meadow over. He’d been home more than a year since his father turned the land over to him, land that had been in his family for three generations, named for the place where his great grandfather was born in Ireland. Jackson smiled, grateful to be home, regretful he had ever left.

An engine rumbled in the distance. It drew closer and a dust cloud flew up into the air. Choking exhaust mixed with rusty sand and dirt, held no comparison to the colossal billows of soot and concrete dust he remembered. He threw back the images and focused on Bill Shanks barreling toward him on the motorbike used for delivering the mail. Whipping around a bend, Shanks skidded to a halt, frightening Ransom away from the fence.

“I’ve a letter for you.” Shanks lifted his goggles and drew a brown envelope out of his leather satchel. “It’s from your pa.”

“Thanks. It’s warm today, isn’t it?”

Shanks wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Sure is. I bet it’s even hotter in Washington. How long have your folks been away?”

“Months.”

“Seems longer. Are they coming back?”

“Eventually.”

Jackson took the letter in hand. Shanks was the last person he’d share information with. He already knew too much and was as much a gossip as the old women in the village. Chestnut Creek had its share of chinwaggers like any other place. But hereabouts they assumed too much, stretching a story beyond all proportions into a brow-raising whopper.

Shanks scratched his head beneath his brown leather cap. “Nice of your pa to hand over the farm. I suppose it’s helped you forget.”

Jackson shifted on his feet. “Forget what?”

“You know—the earthquake out there in San Fran.”

For a moment, Jackson looked into Shanks’ inquisitive eyes. He had no idea what it felt like to have the earth buck under his feet, to hear it rumble like deafening thunder beneath the ground, to see the walls of buildings ripple and bend, then collapse into the street onto carriages, wagons, people, and horses—to hear the screams and calls for help. The fires—they compounded the devastation. Hundreds were dead or injured. Thousands were homeless.

Shanks pulled off his cap and smoothed back his hair. Sandy blond and slick with cheap hair grease, it fell over his forehead and he jerked it away. “Guess you don’t like talking about it, huh?”

“Not really. Got a newspaper in your satchel?”

“Yep. It’s the Washington Post if that’s okay.”

“Thanks.”

“Not much good in the news these days.”

“At least we aren’t at war.”

Shanks glanced at the door. “Got any coffee on the stove?”

“Sorry, no.”

“That’s okay.” Shrugging, Shanks moved his motorbike back. “I got to get going. More mail to deliver.”

“Thanks for bringing mine.” Jackson glanced up at the sky. “Looks like rain.”

“Ah, it won’t be for hours.” Shanks adjusted his goggles and turned the motorbike toward the dirt road. As he drove away, Jackson looked at the postmark on the envelope. September 21, 1908, the District of Columbia.

He sat down on the stoop of his porch and tore it open. Unfolding the page, he noticed a change in his father’s handwriting—shaky and quickly scrawled. Blotches of ink marred the paper.

Dear Son,

Doctors can do nothing more for your mother. She’s been poked and prodded to the point of tears, and still they can’t find the cause of her ailment. Some say cancer. Others say anemia, or that it is all in her head. I’ve given up on the ole quacks.

A diet of more vegetables and fruit has sustained her, but she’s lost so much weight I barely recognize her. The doctors here in Washington have passed her back and forth without giving us a solid diagnosis. She’s tired and wants to come home. The lease on the house is about over and I want to bring her home by Christmas.

Your sister misses you. Specialists suggest I place her in an institution and have her sterilized. I understand she should never bear the burden of motherhood, but to do this to her and to send her away? I can’t do such a thing. It would break all our hearts.

I was firm, and they said I’ll do it eventually, and if they see any neglect on our part, they will contact the proper authorities and have her taken from us. There is no neglect. Only love. But they will be watching. This has added to your mother’s worry and mine. I’m afraid of what the future might hold for people like your sister. So, we must protect her.

Come as quick as you can. I’ll need your help bringing the family home.

Pa

With his mouth tense, Jackson tucked his father’s letter inside his shirt. He would pack right away and head out. He had three dollars in his pocket, sixty in his dresser drawer, more than enough to cover the cost and get him to Washington by train.

He ran his hands over his eyes and whispered a prayer for his mother. She had suffered enough. His heart lurched thinking of his sister. He would not allow them to take Blossom away or hurt her. Compared to every person he had known, she was the kindest and most loving of all. If God were to make angels out of humans, she would be one of them. Blossom was the apple of Alan O’Neil’s eye, and to be badgered to put her away had to be taking its toll.

Jackson glanced down at the newspaper beside him. An announcement and the photograph at the bottom caught his attention. A woman dressed in a lace gown, her hair piled up and loose beneath a broad feathered hat, caused something electric to shoot through him. Her eyes fascinated him, and flamed a fire in his bosom.

Mrs. Beatrice Whitaker will receive Mr. Rupert Eastcott, the future Lord Pencroft, at her home on Lenox Street, Chevy Chase, by Thanksgiving. An engagement to her granddaughter, Louisa Borden, daughter of Mr. Maxium Borden, will be forthcoming.

Jackson shook his head. The girl’s soft mouth, gentle smile, and liquid eyes pale in black and white, were enough to captivate. However, looks could be deceiving. A woman like her would not give him the time of day. If they met—which was a million to one—she would give him the cold shoulder and a haughty look—but boy was she pretty.

Only in your dreams, Jackson. Only in your dreams.

He folded the newspaper and hurried inside, gathered some clothes, and shut the door behind him. He hurried down the staircase to the first floor. Clara Robinson stepped out the kitchen door.

“I wish you’d bring them home the minute you get there. I know Miss Emma must be loathing the city.”

“I’ll get them back as soon as I can, Clara.” He dragged on his hat.

“Here take this with you. You’ll get hungry on the train.” She handed him a brown bag stuffed with food.

He smiled. “Thanks.”

She raised her chin. “No thanks, just promise you’ll eat it.”

“I promise.”

“Wish you’d let Grant drive you to the station.”

“I need the brisk ride. Where is Grant?”

“He’s gone hunting.”

Jackson stepped outside and spotted Grant trotting toward the house. “He’s back. Looks like he got a brace of pheasants.”

Grant Robinson and his wife Clara had worked for the O’Neils as long as Jackson could remember. Two robust people who knew all there was to know about living off the land were a part of the family and Jackson loved them both.

Grant stopped short when he reached the front porch steps. “Two birds for the pot tonight, Clara.” He held up the birds for her to see. Then he looked at Jackson. “Are you going into town, Mr. Jackson?”

“I got a letter from Pa. I’m going to Washington.”

Grant frowned. “Your ma—is she…?”

“No, not yet. Pa wants to bring her home and needs my help. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I know Ballyshannon is in the right hands with you and Clara.”

“I’ll pull out the motorcar.”

“No need. I’m riding Ransom into town. Come by the livery stable later and fetch him. Be sure he gets plenty of oats.”

Grant nodded. “I’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.”

Jackson put his hand on Grant’s shoulder. “That I believe.”

With sadness in his heart, he went out to the barn and saddled Ransom. Alongside the tracks Shanks’ motorbike had made, he galloped his horse down the road toward the train station.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have a Facebook page and an author’s page:

https://www.facebook.com/rita.gerlach.3/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/249323152879604/

My website is here: http://ritagerlach.wordpress.com/

Thank you, Rita, for allowing me to be a part of the relaunch of this book. I’m eager to read it, since I love all your books I’ve read.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3nvyv1K - paperback

https://amzn.to/3e3R9L5 - Kindle edition

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 

AFTER THE RAIN - Rita Gerlach - One Free Ebook

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

An excellent question. I strive to weave spiritual themes into the story by fleshing out the characters. I do not preach at the reader. Readers want don’t want a sermon, they want to journey with characters they can relate to. In real life, we all deal with spiritual issues whether we are a believer or not. Some of the spiritual themes in my newest release, After the Rain, are the care of widows and orphans, unplanned pregnancy, trusting in God for guidance, discernment, and living a godly life, just to name a few.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

October has been a busy month. My Daughters of the Potomac series came out in Audible alongside After the Rain. I’ll have other books coming out in the next year. I’m working on writing another Edwardian era novel, and my agent and I are discussing the publication of a novel that is finished.

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

I wouldn’t mind having dinner with Dr. Dennis Slamin. He’s an oncologist and chief of the division of Hematology-Oncology at UCLA, known for his work in classifying the oncogene that is found in HER2 breast cancer, and the treatment of Herceptin. I received Herceptin IVs for a year during breast cancer treatment. It has saved so many women’s lives, including mine. He fought the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA to get the drug approved. So many of us BC survivors are very thankful. There is a movie called Proof of Life about him, and as I watched it, I could see how the Lord had his Hand in this.

You know my oldest daughter battled breast cancer this year, because you prayed for her and reached out to her. I so appreciated that. God had laid you on my heart through your battle. For a while there, I was praying for four different author friends who were also in the battle. I’m so thankful you and my daughter are on the other side of the battle. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

If it were another writer, undoubtedly I’d want to meet Mark Twain. If anyone has ever read his work, he’d be in the top ten of people to meet. Not only was he a brilliant writer, he was witty, and a very wise man. I can imagine sitting on his porch on a summer evening talking while he smokes a cigar. I’d do a lot more listening than speaking, but I’d have many questions about writing.

It would be fun to be there with the two of you. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

I’d encourage them by saying not to allow rejections to hold you back from doing what you love and fulfilling your calling as a Christian writer. All writers get rejections, and most of the time it has to do with the market. Publishing is a business, and publishers are in it to make money. That’s the bottom line. If you are called to write, no one can take that away from you. Only you can decide what to do with it. And we have the option of self-publishing with Amazon’s KDP program, which gives you all the rights, full control, and higher royalties. There is always hope, so let God lead you. Write and don’t fold.

Tell us about the featured book.

I loved writing After the Rain. It was a leap forward in time for me. My other books were Colonial era novels, so this one was exciting to delve into, especially with all the new research I had to do. Here’s the synopsis.

It's 1908, a year in the Edwardian Age, the year J.M. Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows, premiered in Atlantic City and the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when the New Year would heal the wounds of loss.

Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a new and thriving community on the outskirts of Washington, DC, for the well-to-do. Against the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a loveless marriage and instead searches for what she hopes is her calling in life.

When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything, including the lives of all those around her.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Autumn 1908 Virginia

Jackson O’Neil scanned the ridgeline. The clouds were low and misty, shades of blue and gray ash that stretched along the mountains as far as his eyes could see. Autumn had come early, and the dogwoods were turning crimson—the maples gold, the oaks deep brown.

A whisper of a breeze stirred the changing leaves and ruffled his dark hair. His quarter horse grazed in the field beyond the farmhouse his father had built so many years ago, before he was born, before his younger sister took her first breath.

He drew in the scent of apples fallen from the trees, listened to the hum of yellow jackets thirsty for the sweet overripe nectar of the rotting pulp. He heaped hay over the fence and whistled to his horse. Ransom raised his head and trotted over.

Jackson rubbed the velvety nose offered him and reached inside his pocket for a sugar cube. “Come spring, I’ll find you a mare, Ransom. It gets lonely, doesn’t it?”

He understood loneliness, and wished for it at times so to forget some of the things he had seen in his life. He rubbed his horse’s ear and recalled the seasons when his father’s fields were dotted with mares and their foals, a stallion in the next meadow over. Would he ever bring those prosperous days back to Ballyshannon? Or had those years of plenty ended?

He’d been home more than a year now, since his father turned the land over to him, land that had been in his family for three generations, named for the place where his great grandfather had been born in Ireland. Jackson smiled—grateful to be home, regretful he had ever left.

An engine rumbled in the distance. It drew closer and a dust cloud flew up into the air. Choking exhaust mixed with rusty sand and dirt, held no comparison to the colossal billows of soot and concrete dust he remembered. He threw back the images and focused on Bill Shanks barreling toward him on the motorbike used for delivering the mail. Whipping around a bend, Shanks skidded to a halt, frightening Ransom away from the fence.

“I’ve a letter for you.” Shanks lifted his goggles and drew a brown envelope out of his leather satchel. “It’s from your pa.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is https://ritagerlach.wordpress.com/

They can find my author’s page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/author.ritagerlach

My regular Facebook profile is at https://www.facebook.com/rita.gerlach.3

Thank you, Rita, for sharing this new book with my readers. I know they will be eager to read it.

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

After the Rain - Christianbook.com
After the Rain - Amazon
After the Rain - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

BEYOND THE VALLEY - Rita Gerlach - One Free Book

Readers, don't forget to follow the instructions at the end of the post to be included in the giveaway.

Welcome back, Rita. Tell us about Beyond the Valley, which released this February.

I loved writing all three of the novels in the Daughters of the Potomac series. But I would have to say Beyond the Valley was my favorite. The heroine, Sarah, resonates with me on so many levels. She is a wife and expectant mother, a loyal friend, a grieving widow. Her faith is shown in a way relevant to the times she lived in, not just a Sunday Christian, but a virtuous woman whose daily walk with God required ultimate trust, though her trials cause her to question. All three heroines reflect these values, Eliza, Darcy, and Sarah.

Can you share a brief synopsis of the story with us?

When Sarah Carr's husband Jamie drowns, her young life is shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and widowed, she reaches out to Jamie’s family for help, but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped through deception and taken to the Colonies to live a life of servitude.

In Virginia, Sarah is auctioned to a kindly gentleman to serve his eccentric wife. After she meets Dr. Alex Hutton, and is loaned to him to help with his orphaned nieces, hope comes alive he will find a way to free her. But when the Woodhouses go bankrupt and sell off all they own, Sarah is sent away. She faces hardships in the wilderness, and is soon surrounded by a family’s whirlwind of secrets, praying the young doctor she loves will find her again and bring her freedom.

If Beyond the Valley was made into a movie, which actors would you chose for the main characters?

You had a cyber tea party for Beyond the Valley. What is your favorite tea?

I really like lemon tea. It’s refreshing on a cold day and iced it reminds me of summer. And who doesn’t want to be reminded of summer when it’s freezing outside?

What was the most surprising thing you learned while writing Beyond the Valley?

That there were cougars in the western Maryland mountains. I could not imagine it. But while researching this fact, I found out that the Department of Natural Resources has placed some cougars back into the mountains to bring the deer population down.

What is new in publishing for you?

I just reissued three novels in the last year. The first is The Rebel’s Pledge.  Thorns in Eden and The Everlasting Mountains are a two in one collection which we featured on this blog earlier this year. All three books are historical romances with lots of adventure.

Thank you, Rita, for sharing this new book with us.

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

Beyond the Valley: Daughters of the Potomac | Book 3 - paperback
Beyond the Valley: Daughters of the Potomac #3 - 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

THORNS IN EDEN and THE EVERLASTING MOUNTAINS - Rita Gerlach - One Free Ebook

Welcome back, Rita. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write them because I love storytelling, whether in the written word or verbally. My mother influenced me as a child with all the stories she would tell us about growing up during the Depression. It caught on to me. I love to write stories that transport me, as the writer first, back in time. I enjoy exploring the time period, how people lived, dressed, what their culture was like and how it affected them. I suppose many a writer would agree we live another life in our stories …we are the fly on the wall…the ear to the wall, or we live through our characters.

I’ve been asked to categorize my fiction. My books are not formula romances. They are what I like to call Inspirational Historical Dramas. You will find romance, but you will also find stories about relationships between people, stories about forgiveness, redemption, faith, and loyalty.

That’s why I call my books Romantic Historical Fiction, because I deal with deep issues as well. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

It’s a tossup between the day I married Paul, and when I gave birth to my sons. Those events were major turning points in my life that gave me such joy I can’t express it into words.

How has being published changed your life?

It’s made me work harder. I can tell you it isn’t glamorous like some people may think. There are no crowds of cheering fans and flashing camera blubs, not long lines around the block at book signings, no calls to be on talk shows, which are all fine with me. I am a shy individual to tell you the truth. I roll up my sleeves and write, market, and answer emails, in the mornings into late afternoon. I forget sometimes to eat lunch and laundry piles up. But life is good, a true blessing I wouldn’t trade in for the world.

What are you reading right now?

MaryLu Tyndall’s newest release Forsaken Dreams.

I love that book. What is your current work in progress?

I am very excited about moving into a different time period than my other books. I’m writing an Edwardian / Gilded Age novel set in opulent Chevy Chase, Maryland, and the western part of that state, entitled After the Rain.

Be sure to contact me about featuring it on the blog. What would be your dream vacation?

A few months in the UK, renting a car, staying at village bed and breakfast inns, exploring places where my books are set.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I draw upon places I have been that take my breath away. I live in a historically rich area. The Potomac River and surrounding historical towns and landmarks are very inspirational. Everyone has heard about Harper’s Ferry. Across from the town on the Maryland side, is the setting for Thorns In Eden and The Everlasting Mountains. I love the peaceful beauty of this area and the surrounding countryside. Thorns In Eden begins in Cornwall, England, a place I have never been but have been drawn to ever since I watched the series Poldark.

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

This might be a long-winded answer, so forgive me. I’m assuming the person would be someone outside my family and circle of friends and acquaintances.  Honestly, after thinking about this, I don’t know. My idea of a good evening spent with someone would be chatting in front of a fire having coffee and dessert. I’d like to meet Queen Elizabeth, but I doubt it would be on those terms. I wouldn’t mind meeting one of the last of the silver screen stars, Olivia de Havilland, but a late evening might be too much for her at her age. So, based on the dream vacation I answered above, and the fact I can’t nail down just one person to spend an evening with, I would say I’d spend it with a group of local ACFW writers, and have my son make sushi for us and tiramisu for dessert…And if I do get to the UK, I’d like to spend the evening with my fan Wendy Jones and her writers group.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy hiking with my husband, exploring out of the way places in the country, especially historical places. I use to cross stitch but my eyes are not good enough anymore, nor my patience. I also quilted, and have my last quilt sitting on the floor beside my desk begging to be finished. I say my last because I have made enough and I don’t have the time to devote to it like I once did.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I’m sure other writers will agree rejections, the doors that never seemed to want to open. I came to a point though, that I relinquished my writing career over to God. When I did that, I was at peace about where I was going with it, where my books would land, whether I’d be published or not. That’s when doors started opening. I’ve gone in several different directions, traditionally published with a major Christian publisher, and on my own to reissue novels that have been out of print for a while. When I do face an obstacle, I take a deep breath, and depending on the severity of it, I move on either after a few tears or a shrug.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Be very, very patient with your writing career. Write because you enjoy it, and learn the craft. Also read about the publishing business and what it entails. That way you will know what to expect.

Tell us about the featured volume.

Thorns In Eden and The Everlasting Mountains were originally published separately in 2003 through a print on demand company. They have been out of print since 2005—long story. Anyway, my previous editor and agent recommended I revise these books into a 2-in-1 collection and publish them to Kindle/Create Space. It was great fun working on this project. I found the perfect model for the cover and my son designed it, my husband uploaded and formatted the book.

Here is the synopsis.

John Nash journeys back to England before the first shots of the Revolution are fired. Rebecah Brent, a young woman who has known little more than the solitude of an isolated manor, gives him her heart.

Can Nash protect his wife from a man who has no allegiance to any nation, tribe, or creed, wanted for robbery and murder, who has vowed vengeance? In Thorns In Eden and The Everlasting Mountains, love and faith are the sustaining forces that cannot be overtaken by the vines of adversity.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Ashburne House, Cornwall, England

September 1773

Rebecah Brent drew her legs beneath her and glanced over at the jittery servant sitting in the armchair next to the fire. She tried to appear unmoved by the storm’s rage thinking it would calm Margery Holmes, but every time thunder boomed, her breath snatched and she gripped the letter harder in her hand.

“Oh, this storm…my poor nerves,” Margery muttered. “Dear me…the wind…It seeps straight through the windows.”

“I’m sorry, Margery. What did you say?”

Margery pulled her woolen shawl tighter across her shoulders and shivered. “The wind—it blows through the windows.”

Rebecah folded the letter closed that had come earlier. “Ashburne is an old house. Drafts are to be expected.”

Sighing, Margery stood and tidied the room though it was already neat. Everything was in its place, with a place for everything. Rebecah knew the woman’s nerves were on edge and keeping busy gave her ease. But when lightning flashed, she jumped.

“Heavens!” Margery dropped a pillow on the floor, retrieved it and held it against her bosom.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

I am also on Facebook.

Thank you, Rita, for sharing this book with us.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Thorns in Eden and The Everlasting Mountains


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SURRENDER THE WIND - Rita Gerlach - Free Book

I'm happy to have Rita on my blog. Now, Rita, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

That’s a good question, and a bit difficult to answer. It is one that I have not thought about. I think that if there are any attributes in my characters that reflect my own I would have to say that my characters abhor injustice, bigotry, and cruelty---especially toward children and the elderly. My heroes and heroines hold dear their relationships. They love horses, nature, and books.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

How far back must I go? At my age, which isn’t ancient, but not sprightly either, I am a little more cautious about doing ‘quirkier’ things.

When did you first discover you were a writer?

Honestly, it was when I wrote ‘The End’ finishing my first manuscript. When I was a kid, I enjoyed writing short stories. But I never dreamed I would actually become a writer, not until 1989 when the thought popped into my head that I should write a story. I was hooked.

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

I love old books, especially old historicals. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte are among my favorites, along with Daphne du Maurier and Winston Graham. I like anything written by Mark Twain. I like page-turners. If I am not hooked after the first couple chapters, I’ll close the book. I enjoy humorous historicals and my all-time favorite is Jenny Dorset by Phillip Lee Williams.

In non-fiction I read books on writing. But I’ll take a look at a good cookbook on chocolate dessert recipes any day!

I have quite a large collection of cookbooks, but I mostly just read them, instead of using them to cook from. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I have written three other historicals. The first was based on the slavery of English criminals to the colonies in the 17th century, a heroic love story that crossed the lines of class and status. My other two novels are a romantic pair, centered on the Indian Wars of 1774, the Revolution, set in Maryland and England. I’m returning to these manuscripts in hopes that I will see them published in the near future.

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

It isn’t easy. But it’s got to do with pacing, prayer, and patience. I’m a wife and mother, and write in the quiet morning hours. I don’t shut out the ‘run, run, run world.’ I just try not to allow it to run me.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I think long and hard about my characters when developing them. Their names come to me out of the blue most times, and fit their personalities. I made up the name Juleah in Surrender the Wind. I wanted my heroine to have a name set apart from all others that would be memorable.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

In my writing career, I would have to say finishing a novel and acquiring a publishing contract with Abingdon Press. However, I don’t think in terms of being proud of accomplishments because I know that the credit goes to the One who blessed me with talent. It’s not about me.

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

I would be a horse. A horse is an awesome creature. Swift, beautiful, intelligent. In historical fiction, the horse is the one animal you will find the most. I have horses in all my fiction. I love to ride, though it has been years since I got in a saddle. As much as I love this noble of beasts, I am happy I was not made so. I’m grateful God made me a woman, and that I can let him take the reins.

What is your favorite food?

Oh, my! Can I put this into categories?

Sweets --- milk chocolate of course.
Drink --- sweetened lemon iced tea in the summer. Blonde coffee with a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar.
Vegetable --- red-skinned potatoes and homegrown tomatoes
Meat --- roasted turkey breast brushed with olive oil and seasonings
Seafood --- tuna salad
Sandwich --- cheese, lettuce, and tomato, with mayo
Snack --- homemade popcorn with butter and a bit of salt.

You're making me hungry. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

When it came to technique, point of view was my first roadblock. I had to learn to stick to one point of view instead of head-hopping. The way I learned to do this, is to read aloud my writing in first person, as if the character that is the focus in a scene is speaking.

When it comes to the business side of this industry, I had to overcome the setbacks and disappointments that were caused when a scam publisher deceived me. I did this by simply deciding to move forward and not allow that experience to prevent me from being the writer my heart wanted me to be. This ‘publisher’ returned my rights, thank God, and I have focused on the good things that I learned, which have pushed me to presevere.

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Read best selling books on writing. Learn everything you can about the craft, from character development to plotting, to how to write tight. Study how to edit your work. Study the industry and get an understanding of how publishing works. Read best selling books within your genre. Above all do not let discouragement get the best of you, and do not write for fame or fortune. If that is your goal, you are starting out for all the wrong reasons. Write because you love it.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

Surrender the Wind is based on Ecclesiastes 2:17-19. These verses of scripture rang as true in the Georgian and Regency periods as they do today. Benjamin Braxton, an English squire, inherited his fortune from his father and his father before him. When facing death the question of what it all meant, what purpose did gaining wealth play in ones life, creeps into reality. It becomes meaningless in the grander scheme of things. The only comfort he would have is hoping his grandson would use his inheritance for good. Seth, the hero in the story, does this, but yet he too sees that love for God, love for his wife, and his duty to others is far more important than land or money.

The Premise: An American patriot of the Revolution struggles with his loyalty to his country, by accepting an inheritance from his loyalist grandfather in England. A nephew is believed dead. A woman is found murdered in the woods, and he is told his wife has perished in a fire. Readers will ask, what is the truth behind these tragedies? As the novel moves forward, they will discover there is one man that holds the answer--one that despises his American enemy, Seth Braxton, for gaining two things he wanted most--Ten Width Manor and the woman he desired---Juleah Fallowes.

Seth journey brings him many trials, where his devotion to those he loves is tested, and his faith is brought to the mere size of a mustard seed. For our heroine, Juleah, she must stand against all odds to be with Seth, no matter what the cost. In so doing, she discovers how very deep the waters of love can flow.

While Surrender the Wind focuses on relationships both marital and within a family, it is in every sense of the word of romantic historical novel with the historical ambience of the period in which it is written, with twists and turns that take readers back to a time of raw courage and ideal love. It will keep fans of historical fiction turning the pages.

I can hardly wait to get my copy. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can visit my homepage. http://ritagerlach.com/

Thank you, Lena, for this interview. I hope your readers have enjoyed it and that I’ve sparked in them the desire to read Surrender the Wind. They will find my guestbook on my site that they are free to sign, as well as my email address in my ‘contact’ page if they would like to get in touch with me personally.

Fondly,Rita Gerlach

Thank you, Rita, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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