VALLEY OF THE SHADOW - Stephanie Grace Whitson - One Free Book

Tell us about your salvation experience.

My mother was a believer when I was born. Daddy came to faith when I was about nine months old, so I don’t remember a time when Jesus wasn’t the centerpiece of home life. By the time I have conscious memory, Daddy was a deacon and Mother was running everything the Southern Baptists allowed a woman to run J. I don’t honestly know when I came to faith. I remember going up one Sunday night after church and asking Reverend Leininger if I could attend the classes he held on the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Everyone he baptized had to take those classes, and while I don’t remember the classes themselves, I imagine that it was at some point during those studies that I became a Christian. Reverend Leininger had explained that he would ask us to speak our name when he baptized us, and that when we did that, we were offering our lives to Jesus. As far as a nine-year-old can understand it, I did understand the gospel and the significance of what I was doing that day.

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

I would ask writers who write in a genre different from mine, because they would encourage me to get out of my “rut” and think in a new way about plots and characters. I’ve had this experience before, and it was very rewarding. I’d probably want a romantic suspense author, a mystery author, someone who writes thrillers, and someone who writes science fiction/fantasy. And if possible, I’d want half the group to be men. Again, I’d want to tap minds that work differently from mine, because I think that encourages creativity.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

The first time someone asked me if I did public speaking, I was really surprised, and my knee-jerk reaction was to say no. But my then-husband (who died of cancer in 2001) encouraged me to consider it. I’d shared my testimony at church and taught women’s Bible studies, and so I began, very slowly, to say “yes.” Over the years I’ve developed a menu of about a dozen topics and lectures for church groups, writers conferences, and civic organizations. The most frequently requested talks this past year were “A Patchwork Life,” which is my personal testimony (illustrated with quilts in my collection), “Calico Trails,” which talks about how pioneer woman inspire my fiction (and is also illustrated with antique quilts and tops), and “Quilts and the Sod House Experience,” which is based on my recent non-fiction book Home on the Plains: Quilts and the Sod House Experience. I also teach writing workshops on various aspects of writing. I limit the speaking part of my ministry to a couple of times a month.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

Oh, my. Let’s just say it involved a surprise that backfired when my husband unexpectedly brought his boss home for lunch. We all laughed. Later. I still laugh, and it happened over thirty years ago.

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?

“That’s wonderful! Go for it!”

Tell us about the featured book.

Valley of the Shadow (a Christy Award finalist) was inspired by the incredible sacrifice and bravery of the Christian Dakota Indians who risked their lives to save their white brothers and sisters in Christ during the Dakota War of 1862. My imaginary characters, Daniel Two Stars and Genevieve La Croix, struggle to adapt to the changing culture around them. Just when they’ve taken steps to find a way to survive, the war erupts and everything they thought they knew about God is challenged. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

            How he had managed to get that beautiful Ellen Leighton to marry him was beyond the realm of logic for anyone who knew Simon Dane. Never, people said, were two young people more unsuited for one another.

            Even though she was only seventeen, Ellen Leighton was the very definition of a lady. Why, hadn’t her own grandfather fought under General Washington himself? And wasn’t it her grandfather on her mothers’ side who had had a commission from King George? Certainly Ellen’s parents had nothing approaching marriage to the likes of Reverend Simon Dane in mind when they sent their daughter to be educated at Miss Bartlett’s finishing school in Ipswich. Ellen had gone reluctantly, but came home a vision of manners and grace that made the entire village proud. She poured tea like royalty. And those gray eyes! Well, any young man upon whom those alighted felt a thrill down to his elegant riding boots.

            And so, when the practically middle aged and almost homely Reverend Simon Dane arrived to temporarily fill the pulpit at Christ’s Church, imagine everyone’s amazement when Ellen Leighton looked upon him with something more than passing kindness.

            “He has a mind, Mother,” Ellen had explained firmly. “A girl can’t always be a girl. I enjoy flirting as much as anyone, but when it comes to marriage, I want a man with a mind; someone I can talk to late into the night, for all those long years after youthful passions fade.”

            “Ellen!” Mrs. Leighton scolded, blushing.

            Ellen’s gray eyes crinkled up at the corners. “It’s all right, Mother. You needn’t act so shocked. Miss Bartlett’s gave me a very thorough education in every manner of life.” Her peach-colored lips parted in an almost impish grin …

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.stephaniewhitson.com

www.Facebook.com/stephaniegracewhitson

www.stephaniegracewhitson.blogspot.com

www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com

Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing this book with us today.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Valley of the Shadow (Dakota Moon) - paperback
Valley of the Shadow (Dakota Moons) - 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 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

A PATCHWORK CHRISTMAS - Stephanie Grace Whitson, Judith Miller, Nancy Moser - 2 Free Books

It's that time of year again. Christmas stories and novella collections are coming out. I'm happy to host three of my favorite authors with their novella collection.

How did your story for the collection come about?

Stephanie: Many years ago I read an anecdote written by a sod house pioneer involving a snowbound train. It was only a couple of paragraphs of a pioneer’s memory, but the idea captivated me. When I heard that Barbour was open to new ideas for Christmas collections, I remembered that snowbound train on the prairie, and I contacted my agent to see if she thought Barbour would be interested in an anthology with a quilt theme. The answer was yes, so I invited two of my best writing friends—and two women whose historical fiction I admire—Judith Miller and Nancy Moser to join the project. 

What are you reading right now?

Judith:  I just finished Laura Frantz’s new book, Love’s Reckoning—I highly recommend it!

Nancy:  I’m rereading A Tale of Two Cities.  I love Dickens.

Steph: I’ve been re-reading A Patchwork Christmas, now that I have the actual book in my hands. It’s fun to see how Judy and Nancy’s stories ended up, after all our brain-storming and after the final edit. I’m also reading My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok.

What other books have you had published?

Judith: Since all of us are multi-published, it might be best for readers to take a peek at our websites where they’ll find complete lists of our books. www.judithmccoymiller.com  www.stephaniegracewhitson.com and www.nancymoser.com

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

Stephanie: For me personally, the “extras” were the hardest part about this project. Finding recipes our readers would enjoy, coordinating the craft projects, and then working out the details of the give-away associated with the book’s release took a lot more time than I thought it would. And I still have to make the doll quilt we’re giving away!

Nancy:  Writing short!  I’m used to writing over 100,000 words, so to write a story in 33,000?  That was a tough one.

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

Stephanie: It helped me a lot, because it was like having two extra editors, since we critiqued each other’s work as we developed our stories. I loved that part of the process.

Nancy:  I agree I like having two other pairs of eyes.  Plus, considering Judy and Steph are my best buds… it was a joy.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Nancy:  I go to the social security site, and put in the birth year for the most popular names: Names by Birth Year  This is for years 1879 and after, but many are applicable to earlier years too.

Steph: I collect names from local histories related to my setting and around the era that my story takes place. I also collect names from cemeteries.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

Nancy:  God’s ways are not our ways.  And He is patient and will achieve His will even if we get on the wrong track!

Steph:  God is often doing His best work when, to us, it looks like circumstances out of our control have ruined everything.  

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?

Judith: Yes, I joined back when the organization first began and have continued my         membership ever since. I enjoy the fellowship of other writers.

Steph: Yes, I’m a member. It’s a great resource, both for information and for fellowship.

Nancy:  Yes, I’m also a member.  It’s amazing how many writers there are, all with the same goal to publish for Him.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

Nancy:  Be willing to edit, to take criticism.  Actually, editing is my favorite part because I finally get some feedback.  Often I’ve thought a story was right-on, when an editor showed me how it could be much, much better. 95% of the time, I implement their suggestions.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

www.stephaniewhitson.com, www.Facebook.stephaniegracewhitson.com, www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com

www.judithmccoymiller.com, https://www.facebook.com/JudithMcCoyMiller

www.writespassage.blogspot.com

www.nancymoser.com, https://www.facebook.com/nancymoser.author

Thank you, ladies, for the interesting article. And I just love the quilt samples you shared with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Patchwork Christmas: Three Christmas Romances with Bonus Handcraft Patterns and Cookie Recipes - paperback
A Patchwork Christmas: Three Christmas Romances with Bonus Handcraft Patterns and Cookie Recipes - 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 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

THE SHADOW ON THE QUILT - Stephanie Grace Whitson - One Free Book

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

I don’t set out to write about a theme per se, but at some point in the process of writing, I seek to answer this question about my main character(s): What does she/he need to know about God? The answer to that question often leads to a spiritual them. Sometimes the understanding of what the book is “really” about doesn’t happen until I’m two-thirds of the way through a book. I’ll think, “Oh—this book isn’t about that. It’s about this.” It might be that “she” needs to know Jesus in a personal way or that “he” needs to understand forgiveness. When I realize that need, it’s always a very satisfying moment for me as a writer. Many of my books are about trusting God when it doesn’t look like He’s paying any attention at all to what’s happening in a life. I think The Shadow on the Quilt is more about forgiveness in its many forms. But I didn’t set out to write a book about forgiveness. I set out to tell a story.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

A Patchwork Christmas just released. Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, and I each have a novella in that anthology. A quilt plays a role in the story. Judith’s is set in Amana (a whole cloth quilt), mine is set on the Nebraska prairie in a snowbound soddy (a doll quilt), and Nancy’s story happens in Gilded Age New York (a crazy quilt). My contribution allowed me to finally write a story that had been lurking in my story-telling brain for a very long time. This is the first novella I’ve ever published—and the first book to include a contest with its release. Lots of firsts for me!

The Message on the Quilt, the third Quilt Chronicles book comes out next spring.

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

Oh, my … what a question. Should I be “light-weight” and have fun with this … or be writerly and scholarly. HHHMMMM … “Light-weight” for fun answer: Blues musician Doug MacLeod, because his lyrics make me laugh and cry and feel better about life in general. Writerly/scholarly answer: Historian/author David McCullough, because he is my hero as a historical writer.

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

I think I gave you a very long list the last time you asked me. I’ll keep it simple this time:

Aunt Clara Brown, because in spite of the evil that was slavery, she managed to live agape love in a way that amazes and humbles me.

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

When I was offered a publishing contract, I was self-taught when it came to story-telling. I didn’t know how to write a synopsis and I’d never heard of one-sheets. I had never been to a writing conference. I didn’t have an agent. But God still made it happen. I’m not saying that I was lazy or fatalistic. I’m saying that when the time is right for anyone, my journey to publication is proof that God will do what God will do. In the meantime, we do what we can do, and at the end of the day that boils down to “trust and obey.”

             I realize how very difficult that can be. Simple answers don’t always mean “easy.” But we “simply” need to keep writing. Keep reading. Keep learning. Keep obeying. Keep on keeping on. “He who began a good work” in each one of us has promised that He will be “faithful to complete it.” We do our part of the job, and He does His.

            There’s a red notebook on the shelf in my office. The spine is labeled “Favorite Quotes.” Often when I get discouraged, I take it down and spend some time re-reading poems, Bible verses, and essays that have encouraged me over the years. If readers of this blog would like to receive a copy of one of the poems I read and re-read when I’m struggling, I’d be happy to send it. Just e-mail stephanie@stephaniewhitson.com with “poem” in the subject line. I promise not to add you to a list or send spam. Only the poem.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Shadow on the Quilt tells the story of Juliana Sutton, a woman who appears to “have everything,” but who learns that much of her life is built on a false premise. When her life falls apart, she finds the courage to survive. This is (of course) a romance, and so readers also meet Cass Gregory, who lives with guilt over his own personal failings. Along the way, readers also meet Juliana’s elderly live-in aunts, prickly Theodora and sweet Lydia, and Cass’s sister Sadie who is “a caution.” The “shadow on the quilt” is a name on a signature quilt that haunts Juliana because of who and what it represents. This book came from my researching a small sign at a local cemetery which says H. of F. (that stands for the Home of the Friendless). Researching that institution’s real history inspired this book.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The Shadow on the Quilt

Stephanie Grace Whitson

Chapter 1

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

 I sink in deep mire, where there is not standing:

I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

Psalm 69:1–2

Lincoln, Nebraska

April 15, 1883

            Juliana Sutton stood before her husband’s mahogany dresser, staring down at the gold locket. What was it doing nestled in the leather box where Sterling kept his diamond studs? She glanced back at the bedroom door, feeling almost guilty for having found it. He was probably planning to surprise her. And it was lovely. Ah, well. She would pretend to be surprised and tease him about how she’d come to find it.

            “It’s not my fault my husband doesn’t pick up after himself,” she would say. “I was sitting at my dressing table brushing my hair before retiring last night, when something glinted in the lamplight. I glanced over and there it was, one of your diamond studs, languishing against the baseboard. It must have gotten lost when I … when we—” And she would blush, as she was blushing now, remembering her part in—things just last night. Her response to Sterling’s hand at her waist when he pulled her close. Her removing one glove before reaching up to rake her fingers through his hair. Her unfettered joy at his kiss.

            She turned the locket over in her hand. He’s had it engraved. She shouldn’t read the inscription, but now that she’d discovered it, she couldn’t help herself. And so, leaving the dresser drawer open, she retreated to her dressing table and held it close to the lamp and—gasped. She sat down.

            To my P.L.

            S. T. S.

            Her mouth went dry. She didn’t know anyone with the initials P.L. Sterling was Sterling Theodore, S.T.S.

Oh, my goodness. I can hardly wait to read this book. Thank you, Stephanie for sharing it with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Shadow on the Quilt (The Quilt Chronicles) - paperback
The Shadow on the Quilt (The Quilt Chronicles) - 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 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

THE KEY ON THE QUILT - Stephanie Grace Whitson - Free Book

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

This September, book 2 of The Quilt Chronicles, The Shadow on the Quilt, releases. My editor and I are going back and forth with re-writes at the moment. I’m thrilled to be one of three authors with a novella in A Patchwork Christmas releasing with Barbour for this next Christmas season. (Judith Miller and Nancy Moser are also contributing.) And I have the third installment of The Quilt Chronicles titled The Message on the Quilt to write this summer. Greenbrier Book Company has reissued my Keepsake Legacies series (Sarah’s Patchwork, Karyn’s Memory Box, and Nora’s Ribbon of Memories both as ebook and print books), and I’m working to get Prairie Winds, Dakota Moons (2 Christy finalists in that series) and Pine Ridge Portraits back in print and available as ebooks.

How exciting. I’m really liking using my Kindle as well as having print books. Tell us a little about your family.

We are a blended family—three adult sons and their wives, two adult daughters, one married, one single, five grand-children on earth and one in heaven and one expected this October.

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

Writing has probably made me a little harder to please when it comes to reading fiction. It’s difficult sometimes for me to turn off the “inner editor.” For that reason, when I read for pleasure, I tend to read in genres that I don’t write. I love suspense and mystery.  

I understand. With my more limited reading time while on deadline, I don’t like to waste it on a book that doesn’t catch and hold my interest. What are you working on right now?

Final edits on this fall’s release titled The Shadow on the Quilt, research for next year’s release titled The Message on the Quilt, final preparations to teach at the Called to Write conference in Kansas April 13-15, and my final project for my master’s degree in history (I graduate in May).

What outside interests do you have?

Quilt history, quilting, women’s history, delighting in my grandchildren, riding my motorcycle, travel, music (my children are all musicians, some serve in their local church, one daughter is a singer/songwriter in Nashville and my husband and I love attending live events in small venues).

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Settings are usually dictated by a compelling historical event or situation that I want to throw a character at and see if they sink or swim. I’m always reading a Great Plains history book or something in the area of women’s history. Settings and situations literally reach out and grab me sometimes and I’m “off and running” with a new story idea.

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

That’s an incredibly difficult question for me because as I type this I’m staring at about twenty-five running feet of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves overflowing with history books. There are literally dozens of people from history I’d love to spend time with—although I’d want them to come to me so that we could enjoy electricity and indoor plumbing. Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Charles Eastman (who inspired my fictional character Soaring Eagle), writer Bess Streeter Aldrich, Mary Chestnut (author of an amazing Civil War diary), Mrs. William Jennings Bryan, Isabella Bird, The Delaney sisters, Aunt Clara Brown, Mary Riggs, Luna Kellie, Varina Davis, Dolley Madison, Mary Allis, Mrs. Frederick Douglass … and dozens of quiltmakers whose work I’ve admired.

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

That I would be teaching writing someday. I wish I had kept track of the process and retained examples of what I would be teaching from my own work.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

What Jesus meant when He said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. What it means to be “free” in a spiritual sense. The difference between repentance and shame, and the security and freedom that comes from knowing how completely God forgives and how furiously He loves.

Wow. Those are some real essentials in our walk with the Lord. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Pray over that word “success” and decide how God would have you define it for yourself in        light of eternity.

Write write write.

Read read read.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Key on the Quilt is the first book in The Quilt Chronicles. Each of the three books is inspired by a unique quilt and explains the “why” behind the way it was made. In the case of this book, why is there a brass key sewn to the center of a courthouse steps quilt? What does it open? Why the courthouse steps pattern? The story introduces a prison warden’s wife, the prison matron, and a female inmate and draws them together in a setting where no one would expect them to be friends and no one would expect them to find love. And yet …

Sounds like a book I’ll love reading. Please give us the first page of the book.

April 1876

Dawson, County, Nebraska

            If it wasn’t for the occasional night when he tried to kill her, Owen wouldn’t be a bad husband. Jane Marquis risked a sideways glance at him. Moonlight and shadows revealed an all-too-familiar expression on his weathered face, as Owen guided the wagon across the spring prairie toward home.

            Doing her best to suppress a shiver, Jane ducked her head and closed her eyes. Oh … God. It wasn’t much of a prayer, but it was the best she could do. God hadn’t seemed interested in answering her prayers for some time now. When the wagon lurched, she grabbed the edge of her seat with her right hand, lest she be thrown against him.

            From where she lay sleeping in a tangle of quilts in the wagon bed, Rose whimpered. She stirred but did not awaken as the wagon lurched back up out of the ruts on the trail. Thank God for that. If only Rose would sleep through until morning. By then it would be over. Owen would smile and tease her from across the breakfast table, and everything would be fine.

What an opening! I can hardly wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I am in the process of redesigning my outdated web site, so the best places right now are:  www.Facebook.com/stephaniegracewhiton, www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com.

I still love my old web site www.stephaniewhitson.com , it just doesn’t have my new books up because I don’t know how to do that. My beloved webmistress graduated to heaven and I’m totally lost without her. 


Thank you, Stephanie, for the interesting interview.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Key on the Quilt (The Quilt Chronicles) - paperback
The Key on the Quilt - 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 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

A MOST UNSUITABLE MATCH - Stephanie Grace Whitson - Free Book

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

I don’t consciously write myself into my characters, but friends who read my books tell me they see me. Certainly my understanding of humanity and the things that are important to me as a believer filter into situations, but that happens naturally, not as part of any plan on my part.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

If I told you that I’d have to kill you. J

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I knew I loved to write by the time I was in junior high school. I loved getting writing assignments in school, loved writing letters home (in the days before e-mail), and wrote my first novel when I was in my early teens. However, I never expected writing to become a vocation. Feeling like a writer in the professional sense of that word didn’t happen for me until I got my second three-book contract. For some reason, when that happened, I began to think of myself as a “real” writer.

That should do it. I've now signed my second three-book contract, too. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My to-be-read pile right now includes a stack of non-fiction history books with a concentration on American women’s history and biography. When it comes to fiction, I love suspense, thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, contemporary women’s fiction … honestly just about any genre except fantasy, science fiction, and horror.

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

You speak of insanity like it’s a bad thing J. Truly, I gave up trying a long time ago. That sounds flippant, but it isn’t. I wish I knew the secret of keeping up, but I’m on the search as much as anyone. Even though I have learned to say the word “no” without false guilt, even though I try to reassess my goals and “only do the A’s,” even though I try to “eliminate and simplify,” I still find myself over-committed. One thing maturity has given me, though, is the sense to only commit to things I love … things I think are really important “in light of eternity,” as Randy Alcorn says.   

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I collect names off tombstones in the area where my book is set.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

That’s a tough question because of the qualifier most. I’ve worked very hard to build two good marriages (my first husband died in 2001). Seeing my children grow into productive adults with good lives and strong faith is extremely gratifying, although I’m well aware that it’s a blessing from the Lord and not something I can claim to have accomplished. Knowing that God has used my writing to His glory is something that simultaneously amazes and humbles me.

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

An Arabian horse. I’d like to know what it’s like to be that graceful.

What is your favorite food?

Dessert.

I’ll second that, preferably chocolate, but my husband brought home some Italian Cream Cake last night. Yum! What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I hate writing the first draft. I love gleaning ideas, I love developing them into proposals, I love editing and re-writing umpteen times and talking to readers and interacting with other writers. I hate writing the first draft. I haven’t overcome it yet.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Most Unsuitable Match introduces two very different people headed up the Missouri River on a steamboat in 1869. Fannie Rousseau has led a privileged life, but things aren’t going well in the aftermath of her mother’s death and she sets out to locate her only living relative, completely ignorant of the conditions on the river and the realities of Fort Benton, Montana, her destination. Samuel Beck has led a hard life. He, too, is on the river seeking someone, and when he and Fannie are thrown together to face tragedy, sparks fly—and they aren’t necessarily the romantic kind.

Please give us the first page of the book.

            Kneeling before the tombstone, eighteen-year-old Fannie Rousseau retrieved the scrub brush from the water bucket she’d just settled in the grass. First, she attacked the dried bird droppings on the back side of the stone, then moved on to the deep grooves carving the name Rousseau into the cool gray surface. She’d just finished cleaning out the second s when a familiar voice sounded from across the cemetery.

            “Land sakes, child, what on earth are you doin’? You’ll ruin your hands. And put that bonnet back on. What will your Mother s-s—”

            When Fannie laid her hand atop the gravestone to steady herself and lifted her tear-stained face towards Hannah, the old woman stopped mid-word. Tucking an errant hank of wiry gray hair back under the kerchief tied about her head, she hurried to where Fannie knelt. Her voice more gentle than scolding, she said, “You know your mother would have my hide for letting you be seen in public doing such a thing.” She nodded towards the red brick church just outside the cemetery fence. “And it’s the Sabbath, little miss. What were you thinking?”

            Fannie didn’t have an answer. At least not one she wanted to say aloud. She cleaned the rest of the letters out before dropping the brush into the scrub bucket and, bracing her hand atop the stone, standing back up. The soil atop Mother’s grave had finally sunk enough to be level with Papa’s side, but the grass hadn’t filled in yet. For now, the tombstone only told half a story. Louis Rousseau, 1803-1866, Beloved Husband. Eleanor Rousseau, 1803-_____.  The stone mason had yet to add the year 1869 to Mother’s side. Fannie contemplated the words Beloved Husband. She supposed it was only right to add Beloved Wife to Mother’s side. Even if she would always wonder if it were true.

I can hardly wait to read this story. How can readers find you on the Internet?

 www.stephaniewhitson.com

www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com

Thank you for once again giving us a peek into your life. I have to tell you that I loved, loved, loved Sixteen Brides.



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SIXTEEN BRIDES - Stephanie Grace Whitson - Free Book

So glad to have you visit my blog, Stephanie. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.


I never consciously write myself into my characters, but I know it happens whether I plan it or not. As I think back over my writing life, I realize that my character's fears and worries are usually things I've experienced, as are their faith questions and struggles, but then those aspects of my characters are also fairly universal to women in every place and time.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Learning to ride a motorcycle as a 50-something-year-old—and loving it.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I have always written. I was the weird kid in school who loved writing assignments of every kind, especially research papers. Two things eventually made it possible for me to tell people "I'm a writer" and not feel like I was "putting on airs." First, having my name come up when I did an author search at the local public library and second, receiving the contract for my second three book series.

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

I'm a very eclectic reader. I keep a reading journal where I list books I've read and write a brief response—what I liked or didn't like, etc. My 2009 list includes everything from non-fiction to suspense, contemporary women's fiction, historical fiction, murder mystery, gentle reads, end times fiction, Pulitzer winners, and biography. So far this year I've concentrated on non-fiction (I'm working on my master's degree) and obscure biographies as background research for a novel proposal.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

Sixteen Brides is my eighteenth novel. God has blessed me with a publisher for every book so far. I have a quilt history book coming out next year that hasn't been titled yet, but I'd love to hear from people who would be interested in receiving an e-mail when it's released next April. It pays tribute to 19th century sod house homemakers on the Great Plains by showing off their quilts and providing instructions for making reproductions of some of the gorgeous pieces unearthed during the research to document quilts used in sod houses. At any rate, here's the booklist so far:

Historical Fiction:

Walks the Fire, Soaring Eagle, Red Bird, Sarah's Patchwork, Karyn's Memory Box, Nora's Ribbon of Memories, Valley of the Shadow, Edge of the Wilderness, Heart of the Sandhills, Secrets on the Wind, Watchers on the Hill, Footprints on the Horizon, Unbridled Dreams, A Claim of Her Own, Sixteen Brides.

Contemporary Fiction:

A Garden in Paris, A Hilltop in Tuscany, Jacob's List.

Non Fiction:

How to Help a Grieving Friend: A Candid Guide for Those Who Care

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

It's easier now than it was when my children were young and I was home schooling all four of them, living on an acreage, and running a home based business. As I've matured I've found it easier to focus, because I have become more conscious of how short life is and how little time I have left to accomplish the things that really matter to me. I try to be intentional about simplifying my life and eliminating merely "good" activities that might keep me from the best possible use of my time. In recent years I've also been intentional about getting rid of possessions that, because of the care they require, seem to "own me" instead of the other way around.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I often "collect" names from tombstones, and if I'm not doing "on site" research that enables me to visit interesting old cemeteries, I read local histories and collect names as I read--being careful to mix and match first and last names so that I never consciously use a "real" name for one of my fictional characters.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Building two happy marriages (my first husband died in 2001. We were married for nearly 28 years. The Lord provided new love and we've been married for almost seven years).

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

Something graceful. . . because I'm not. Maybe a Lipizzan. If all the foibles translated, I'd be. . . .hhhmmm. . . . a three-legged one-eyed dog named Lucky.

What is your favorite food?

Yes. Except for anchovies.

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

Self discipline is the greatest roadblock and I haven't overcome it yet. Having written is so much easier than writing.

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

Continue to read widely, because reading informs writing in a way nothing else can. Write every day, and if you are writing fiction, get a copy of Sol Stein's Stein on Writing, Browne and King's Self Editing for Fiction Writers, and James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure. Those three books together provide a superb education.

Tell us about the featured book?

Sixteen Brides was inspired by a 1902 newspaper article that said: "ATTRACTIVE WIDOWS--Another cargo of war widows arrived in Gordon last Wednesday morning, sixteen in number and filed upon claims adjacent to town. This was decidedly the best lot of widows that has arrived thus far."

I just had to know the story behind that article, and researching it became "the rest of the story."

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One
A man's heart deviseth his ways: but the Lord directeth his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

As the carriage pulled away from Union Station, Caroline Jamison almost panicked and called out to the driver. Wait! Don't go! I've changed my mind! Take me home! Her heart racing, Caroline forced herself to turn away. St. Louis isn't home. And home doesn't want you. Daddy told you that in his last letter. Still, there were times when she entertained a desperate few minutes of hope. But what if I was standing right there on the veranda. Would he really turn me away? If I told him I was sorry. . . that he was right. . . if I begged. . . what then?

For just a moment the possibility that her father might forget everything and pull her into his arms made Caroline feel almost dizzy with joy. But then she remembered. It had been five years since she'd opened that last envelope, and still she could recite the terse few lines of the last letter posted from Mulberry Plantation.

Daughter.


We received word today. Langdon joins his two brothers in glory. Your mother has taken to her bed. The idea that any--or all--of these deeds may have been committed by one their sister calls HUSBAND--


The sentence wasn't finished. Caroline still remembered touching the spot where the ink trailed off towards the edge of the paper, a meandering line that wrenched her heart as she pictured Daddy seated at his desk, suddenly overcome by such a deep emotion he couldn't control his own hand.


We are bereft of children now. May God have mercy on your soul.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.stephaniewhitson.com/ and soon. . . . http://www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com/

Stephanie, thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using this link when you order, you help support this blog.

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


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 6 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. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/