THE GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSE BRIDES - Lena Nelson Dooley and others - One Free Book

I’m Lena Nelson Dooley, author of The Disappearing Ship, in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides novella collection.

Here’s the blurb for my book:

The Disappearing Ship by Lena Nelson Dooley
1902—Whitefish Point Lighthouse
Romance and mystery collide at Whitefish Point Lighthouse when unemployed doctor Norma Kimbell and Drake Logan, owner of a steamship line, search for evidence of a supposed shipwreck.

Here’s a peek at the first page:

1902, Upper Michigan

Early Summer

Defeated.

The word drummed through Norma Kimbell’s head as she gazed out at the pine forest rushing by the window in a blur. Riding the train always felt as if life were passing her by without noticing her. Despondency clung to her weighing her down like the heavy woolen robe, packed in her trunk in the baggage car, did in the long winter months. Sometimes they went for days without seeing even a peek of the sun.

That’s what she needed right now, to know the sun was shining on her. But how could she believe it? She had failed at the only thing she ever wanted to do with her life. Papa had encouraged her to follow her heart.

After Papa died, she’d spent several years living at the Whitefish Point lighthouse station with her uncle and aunt. Because of her inheritance, she’d been able to pursue her dreams. Dreams of being a doctor. She knew it would be hard, but some medical schools accepted a woman or two, and she’d enrolled.

When she graduated at the top of her class, Uncle Charles contacted a friend, who was a doctor in a needy area of Chicago. He’d agreed she could be a part of his practice. After all, he’d needed all the help he could get. But now she was returning to Whitefish Point a complete failure.

Have you ever been to any of the Great Lakes? If so, which one(s)? Did you enjoy visiting there?

Have you ever been in a lighthouse? If so, tell us about it.

I would really love for you to follow my author page on Book Bub. All my new books will be announced through Book Bub when they release.

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lena-nelson-dooley

Here’s the scene where the heroine first became aware of the hero:

Norma was up bright and early to board the packet boat that would take her to Shelldrake. With any luck, she’d arrive in enough time to get a freight wagon or farmer to take her the rest of the way home. She didn’t want to leave her luggage unguarded at the coastal town. She didn’t know anyone there, and the area had plenty of poor people. She’d seen enough in Chicago to know that desperate people would sometimes resort to stealing to get enough food to feed their families.

As she sat on the edge of one of her two trunks, she noticed a man pacing on deck. With his hands clasped tight behind him, worry wrinkled his brow, and his eyes scanned across the water as if trying to see what was on shore. Then he turned his attention to the open water side of the packet.

She liked watching people and trying to figure out what was going on with them. This man was an easy read. He had to be really concerned about something important. She hoped he wasn’t carrying as heavy a burden as she was. Her life was a mess, and her bright future had dimmed. She tried in vain to put together an explanation for Uncle Charles that would keep him from knowing how hurt she was.

Even though she wouldn’t please her uncle, she looked forward to feeling her aunt’s warm hug. Auntie never seemed disappointed with Norma, no matter what happened. Her aunt was the closest thing to a mother Norma had these last few years. Her hugs felt almost as strong as those her mother had given her when she was younger. The memories filled her eyes with tears.

Norma glanced up when the pacing man stopped beside the ship’s railing in front of her. She could tell from the way he stood with his feet wide apart and his arms folded across his chest that he wasn’t aware of her nestled in the shadow of the captain’s cabin, where the cold breeze off the lake didn’t reach.

From her vantage point, she watched him without him seeing her. By the clothes he wore, he must be a man of business. He turned his face straight into the strong breeze that gave his cheeks a ruddy hue. With his hands clenched tight, his muscles rippled, straining against the confines of premium wool.

His eyes seemed to take in everything outside the boat, but not what was on deck behind him. A fine specimen of a man, with muscles bulging against the stretched fabric of his clothing.

Norma tore her gaze away from him before someone else on the boat noticed how closely she studied him. For a moment, she whispered a prayer for the man and his problems. Those words pushed her wayward thoughts from her mind.

As always with our blog posts, there will be a free book for one winner .

Readers, here is a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Lighthouse-Brides-Collection-ebook/dp/B07D8GNHBF/

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com  

THE DISAPPEARING SHIP (The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection) - Lena Nelson Dooley - One Free Book

This is the last of the novellas in this collection. I really loved writing it.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I first started writing Christian Romance, so my daughters would have books to read. I loved reading romance stories, but they were having more and more things in the that I didn’t like reading and didn’t want junior high aged daughters to read them.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I hoped I haven’t lived it yet. But there have been many super happy days. Like when my husband and I were married, when each daughter was born, and when each of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren was born. There have been many super happy days in my writing life. When I signed my first contract. When I first won major award. When I first hit a major bestseller list.

How has being published changed your life?

It helped me discover my God-given destiny. I could never read a book the same after that. I’ve gone places I’d never have gone before. I’ve met hundreds of wonderful authors, editors, and publishers. It totally broadened my horizons.

What are you reading right now?

North by Starlight by Diane and David Munson.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m researching a book set in the panhandle of Texas in 1913. I don’t have a title yet. And after that, I’ll be researching a book about a Widow Gold Digger.

What would be your dream vacation?

James and I would really love to go to Hawaii. And I’ve dreamed for years about going to Australia.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Often the story idea comes with the setting attached. Sometimes, a publisher requests a particular setting.

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

Mine is two people—George and Laura Bush. I believe God chose them specifically to be our first family when 9-11 happened. I’d love to visit the ranch near Crawford, Texas, while discuss his work with wounded warriors.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of hobbies, but not so much now. I spend time with family and with friends a lot.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write. Connect with other authors. Write. Read a lot. Write.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Disappearing Ship a novella in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection is a mystery that draws two people together in an unusual way.

Please give us the first page of the book.

1902, Upper Michigan

Early Summer

Defeated.

The word drummed through Norma Kimbell’s head as she gazed out at the pine forest rushing by the window in a blur. Riding the train always felt as if life were passing her by without noticing her. Despondency clung to her weighing her down like the heavy woolen robe, packed in her trunk in the baggage car, did in the long winter months. Sometimes they went for days without seeing even a peek of the sun.

That’s what she needed right now, to know the sun was shining on her. But how could she believe it? She had failed at the only thing she ever wanted to do with her life. Papa had encouraged her to follow her heart.

After Papa died, she’d spent several years living at the Whitefish Point lighthouse with her uncle and aunt. Because of her inheritance, she’d been able to pursue her dreams. Dreams of being a doctor. She knew it would be hard, but some medical schools accepted a woman or two, and she’d enrolled.

When she graduated at the top of her class, Uncle Charles contacted a friend, who was a doctor in a needy area of Chicago. He’d agreed she could be a part of his practice. After all, he’d needed all the help he could get. But now she was returning to Whitefish Point a complete failure.

Tears filled her eyes, blurring the landscape even more, like one of those impressionist paintings she’d seen in the museum she often visited on her one day off per week. Before she could control them, they leaked down her cheeks. She grabbed a hanky from her lady’s carpetbag and dabbed at her eyes, trying to stem the flow.

“Are you all right, Miss?” The conductor’s gentle bass voice interrupted her thoughts.

She glanced up and gave him a quick nod. “I’m fine.” At least her words hadn’t trembled or revealed just how much she wasn’t “all right.”

After lingering a moment, the man headed farther down the railroad car, checking on other passengers. Norma was so glad the train wasn’t crowded. She wanted to sit as far away from other people as possible. She wouldn’t have been able to carry on a conversation without sobbing. Being by herself was better.

As the train began to slow when they reached the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Norma grabbed another hanky and mopped up the rest of the mess from her face. She took a deep breath. Soon they would pull into the railway station. She faced many more miles before she’d reach the Whitefish Point lighthouse and feel her aunt’s arms around her. She needed that hug so much.

But she dreaded seeing Uncle Charles and the disappointment in his eyes. She’d done her best. Her failure wasn’t her fault. But none of the patients wanted a woman doctor treating them. She could understand men feeling that way. But the women? Why didn’t they want her? Much medical treatment dealt with intimate exploration of the patient’s body. She would much rather have a woman examine her, but not a single one of the women who came to the clinic wanted to be seen by her. She was just a glorified nurse for the physician. It wasn’t his fault or hers. Women doctors all over the country were facing the same situation. She’d heard of a few physicians out in the far west, where male doctors were scarce, who experienced success. If someone needed a medical help, and the only one close enough to reach was a woman, they used her. Maybe she should have gone west, instead of staying in Chicago.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.lenanelsondooley.com

Blog: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenandooley/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lenandooley  

Official Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/333031.Lena_Nelson_Dooley

Christianbook.com:  http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=1728796&sp=67484&event=67484|1728796|67484

Blogtalk Radio, The Lena Nelson Dooley Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/along-came-a-writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenanelsondooley/  

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lenanelsondooley

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JPAIDE

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lena-nelson-dooley?follow=true  

Readers, I hope you’ll enjoy reading my story, and the others in the collection, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Here are links to the book.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection - Christianbooks.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Amazon.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Kindle 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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

THE WRONG SURVIVOR (The Great Lakes Lighthouse Collection) - Marilyn Turk - One Free Book

Bio: Multi-published author Marilyn Turk calls herself a “literary archaeologist,” because she loves to discover stories hidden in history. Her World War II novel, The Gilded Curse, won a Silver Scroll award. When readers asked what happened to the characters after the book, Marilyn wrote the sequel, Shadowed by a Spy. Her four-book Coastal Lights Legacy series—Rebel Light, Revealing Light, Redeeming Light, and Rekindled Light—feature Florida lighthouse settings. In addition, Marilyn’s novella, The Wrong Survivor, is in the Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection. Marilyn has also written a book of devotions called Lighthouse Devotions. Marilyn writes for the Daily Guideposts Devotions book.

She is a regular contributor to the Heroes, Heroines and History blog, (https://www.hhhistory.com) as well as the Christians Read blog,

(https://christiansread.wordpress.com).

Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat. http://bluelakecwr.com.

She lives in the panhandle of Florida where she and her husband enjoy boating, fishing, and playing tennis when time permits (and it’s below 100 degrees).

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

I write historical fiction because I love to research history and discover things I didn’t know before. I wonder what it was like to be in that place during that time, and my characters appear and show me.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

That’s a hard one to answer. The births of my children rank at the top, but also the day I married my husband.

How has being published changed your life?

I’m a lot busier. There are so many expectations of a writer these days – marketing, being present in all forms of social media. Also, one published book is only the beginning. When readers like my books, they want to read more, so I have to keep writing more books for them. At the present time, I have three contracts to fulfill. But I’m thankful to be this kind of busy.

What are you reading right now?

Actually, I’m reading two books – one isn’t published yet and I’m reading to endorse it. The other is Liar’s Winter by Cindy Sproles for our book club.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m currently working on the fourth and I think final book in my Coastal Lights Legacy series set in the 1800s in Florida. Each book has a different lighthouse setting. This book is called Rekindled Light and is set in Pensacola Florida.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’d love to take one of those river cruises in Europe where I’d get to see castles.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Normally, a book idea comes to my mind when I read about an interesting event in history. So far, they’ve only been set near water like the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic where I can have a lighthouse somewhere, kind of like a Where’s Waldo. However, I’m going to write a cowboy novella that isn’t near water. How am I going to work a lighthouse into that? Hmmm.

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

Liz Curtis Higgs. She is a woman of God and is so wise and loving. She’s a great encourager and you just want to hug her. In fact, the first time I saw her in person, that’s just what I did!

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy playing tennis when it’s not too hot, like August here. I also enjoy boating and fishing with my husband and traveling to see lighthouses. In addition, I garden and enjoy playing Scrabble or working puzzles with my family.

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

Consistency and focus. I have to turn off distractions and set word goals or I wouldn’t make my deadlines.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Every author says it – keep learning the craft. Go to conferences, read about writing, listen to editors who offer your advice. In the Christian writing world, other people truly want to help you do well.

Tell us about the featured book.

 My story, The Wrong Survivor, is about the lightkeepers’ daughter and the two brothers of the assistant keeper. They’ve grown up together until one of the sons goes away to work on a merchant ship, and while he’s gone, the other brother and the girl grow closer and plan to marry. But when the other brother comes back, he talks his brother into going away with him to work before he gets married. Unfortunately, while they’re gone, their ship wrecks and the brother who is engaged drowns while the other survives. When he returns, the girl is angry with him for talking her fiancé into leaving and blames him for the death. The story is about forgiveness and grief, and how those emotions interfere with the joy of living and loving others.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Au Sable Lighthouse, September 1911

Pausing from her daily lens polishing, Lydia Palmer peered through the windows of the lantern room high above the sapphire-blue water of Lake Superior at the boat heading toward the dock below.

She squinted, shielding her eyes against the glare of the bright afternoon sun. It was the boat bringing their monthly supplies. Maybe it was bringing some mail, too. Anticipation fluttered in her chest. Was there a letter from Nathan? He’d sent one every month since last spring when he left with his brother to work on a freighter.

She’d eagerly waited for each supply boat, hoping there’d be another letter from him, but none had arrived in the last two months. His parents, Assistant Keeper Drake and Mrs. Drake, hadn’t received one either. Lydia sighed. How could she bear the next two months without hearing from him before the shipping season ended and he returned home?

The boat disappeared beyond her line of vision as it neared the boathouse.

Eager to find out if it brought word from Nathan, she hurriedly climbed down the ladder to the room below, then lifted her long skirt to keep from tripping over it as she rushed down the wrought iron spiral steps of the lighthouse. When she reached the bottom, she ran into her father coming in the lighthouse door.

His hands stretched out to catch her. “Whoa! What’s the hurry, Lydia?”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://pathwayheart.com plus I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing your novella with my blog readers. I know they’ll love it as much as I do.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection - Christianbooks.com

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Amazon.com

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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

THE LAST MEMORY (The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection) - Kathleen Rouser

Dear Readers, here's another book in the collection. Only two more to go.

Bio:

Kathleen Rouser is the multi-published author of the 2017 Bookvana Award winner, Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and its sequel, Secrets and Wishes. She is a longtime member in good standing of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. A former homeschool instructor, mild-mannered dental assistant, and current Community Bible Study kids’ teacher, she lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of thirty-some years, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest.

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

It was a long journey to get to where I am. I started out wanting to write children’s stories. As a young believer I enjoyed reading Gilbert Morris’s series on the Winslow family. They were some of my first exposures to Christian fiction. Then there were Janette Oke’s books. I loved the romance and that it was clean and inspiring. I could go on and on about different authors who have inspired me, including Jane Austen.

My desire is to write clean, uplifting fiction carrying a message of God’s grace and new beginnings in Christ. Since I enjoy reading stories in historical settings, I decided I’d like to write in them as well.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

It’s kind of a tie between the day I married my husband, Jack, and the birth of each of my children, but especially my first, since it was such a wonder when I first became a mother. Marriage and motherhood are each so special in their own way.

How has being published changed your life?

It’s definitely become more of a balancing act. Some days I juggle well and other days I’m afraid I drop the ball! Marketing and the ever-present platform are often in the back of my mind—two things I didn’t used to have to worry about as much as I do now.

However, on the up side, it has given me a sense of accomplishment and been an exciting time for me as it is something I had dreamed of since I was a child. I’ve also been awed by God’s hand through it all.

What are you reading right now?

Right now I’m reading Katelyn’s Choice, by Susan G. Mathis, which hasn’t yet been released and The Miracle Morning for Writers by Steve Scott and Hal Elrod.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on the third novel in my Stone Creek series. The main characters are

completely new. Rose Sinclair is a heartbroken nurse, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, who is working at Hope’s Place for unwed mothers in Stone Creek. The hero is Wade McCormick, a Deputy U.S. Marshall on the run, framed for murder and looking for help. The working title is Scandals and Mercies. 

What would be your dream vacation?

I would love to travel around Italy. There is so much to see! And eventually end up in Sicily where my grandparents came from. Then I’d like to return to England and see the historic sites of London and Oxford, as well as farther north and some of the coastline. As long as I’m over that way, I’d like to see Ireland too.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far, I’ve only had stories published that have taken place in Michigan. I seem to be stuck! LOL As a lifelong resident of this beautiful state, it was easy to start with a fictional town loosely based on the area where I live.

When Pegg Thomas asked if I would be interested in writing a novella for The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection it was easy for me to want to write about the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. I’d visited there many times and always thought it would be fun to include it in a story.

However, I’ve also used settings of ancient Egypt as I wrote about Moses’ two mothers. And I also started a YA series set in Victorian England, a time and a place that’s always interested me, but these stories aren’t yet published.

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

Jan Karon. When I was going through a very difficult time in my life, I started reading her Mitford series each evening for about an hour before bed. I was attending a church that didn’t encourage the reading or writing of fiction. Reading her stories about Father Tim, where real life issues were addressed but with an eye toward faith and hope in God, was not only healing, but encouraged me to once again pursue fiction writing. I wrote her a thank you letter for the inspiration her writing gave me, but it would be lovely to meet her, thank her personally, and get to have an evening of conversation with her.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Baking, making jewelry, knitting, and walking or bike riding. I especially enjoy spending time with my husband.

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

I’d say scheduling enough time for writing. When I do that successfully, though, it’s because I’ve told myself I will write at a certain time (an appointment with myself) and then I make a goal for word count. It’s fun sometimes to set out to write 1,000 words in an hour. Other times I don’t want that kind of pressure and I will write 500. I guess the operative words here are appointment and goal.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Though it probably sounds trite, keep writing. Learn the craft of writing and grow a thick skin. Being part of a critique group helps.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here’s the blurb for my novella in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection:

The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser
1899—Mackinac Point Lighthouse

Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her, didn’t bargain on risking his heart—when her past might change everything.

Take a lone survivor of a shipwreck on the Straits of Mackinac, the widowed lighthouse keeper who rescues her, and his feisty six-year-old daughter and you have a recipe for hope, humor, and romance prodded by an innocent little cupid.

Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

Straits of Mackinac April 1899

She struggled to maintain her grip on the splintered wood plank, the only thing keeping her from drowning beneath the roiling waters of Lake Huron. A blur of gray and green swallowed her for a moment. She bobbed, carried along by the water’s current. She couldn’t get her bearings as she swirled away from the sinking ship. Lightning sparked enough for her to see the last of the Mallory sink beneath the stormy waves.

She wanted to cry out, but her mouth filled with the foamy water. She choked and sputtered instead. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Not now. She was too young to die.

Her shoe grazed something. Was it sand? She grunted as the waves thrust her against the stony shoreline. With one more nudge from the water she lost her grip on the board. Unable to stand, she slipped. Sharp pain surged through the side of her head. The world melted from gray to black.

~~~ 

Cal Waterson held his lantern high from his place in the rowboat. The rain pelted him, flowing off his oilskins in rivulets. His faithful volunteer rescue crew of a half-dozen men from Mackinaw City shivered in the cold. His heart lurched at the sights around him. Nothing left of the ship but some floating boards, a man’s hat, an empty barrel. No survivors.

What good was it being a lighthouse keeper if he couldn’t do more for those guided by the glowing Fresnel lens? Henry MacPherson pointed as they rowed along the shore toward the beacon.

“What’s that? I think there’s someone on shore.”

Something out of the ordinary indeed reflected in the light. A long shot, but a lone survivor may have washed up onto the beach.

Cal glanced back toward the wreckage one more time. He cupped his hands around his mouth and leaned low to be heard over the thunder and wind. “We’re done here. Head for whatever that is on the shore.” Having registered his command above the din of the thunder and wind, his faithful crew rowed harder to shore.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: kathleenrouser.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerouser

Facebook Author Page:https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/

Twitter: @KathleenRouser

Pinterest: https:/ /www.pinterest.com/kerouser/

Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing this new book with my readers. I loved your novella when I read through the whole collection.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection - Christianbooks.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Amazon.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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

LOVE'S BEACON (The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides) - Carrie Fancett Pagels - One Free Book.

Dear Readers, here’s another author of one of the novellas in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides novella collection. Her novella is Love’s Beacon.

Bio: Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is the award-winning author of fifteen Christian historical romances, including ECPA bestsellers. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't “cure” her overactive imagination! A self-professed “history geek,” she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yooper,” in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time! You can connect with her at www.CarrieFancettPagels.com.

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

Yes, God had kept me busy working on some stories. Although I am disabled from my Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease, I’m grateful for the chance to do something for the Lord. I received a contract for another novella collection with Barbour Books. This one is a school teachers romance four-in-one with slightly longer novellas (25,000 to 30,000 words each). My story is set on Mackinac Island, where many of my stories are set, including my Maggie Award 2018 novel My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring.

Congratulations. I’m expecting another contract from them, too. Tell us a little about your family.

We have a 29-year-old electrical engineer daughter who lives the next town over and we’re so grateful to see her regularly. We also have a 16-year-old son who is a high school student taking advanced classes and who shares my love of writing. My husband is a marine mechanical engineer and he is also my “Handsome Chauffeur” for my writing events, driving me and my “Beast of Burden” carrying my stuff in and out! We have two grand-dogs, a 120 pound Black lab-Shepherd mix lap dog who lives with our daughter and a 50 pound two-year-old Aussie Kelpie who lives here with us and his master, Clark.

My husband is my chauffeur, and he also brings in my stuff and sets it up for me. It’s such a blessing to have a husband who completely supports the plans God has for us. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Yes. I used to read more like a typical Christian-fiction reader – as I found an author I’d get their books and read from the back list on. Now I read new releases that are “comparables” usually – books that are comparable to my own subgenre.

What are you working on right now?

I have a Women’s Fiction novel proposal that I’ve sort of set aside to begin work on the novella, which has a deadline of March 1st.  My story is set in 1894 on Mackinac Island and is in the same time frame and story world of a bunch of my other publications, which is super fun. Characters who have appeared in my other stories may show up in this one, particularly little Jack Welling, who was a fan favorite. The school teacher in my story is male and my heroine, Maggie Hadley, named after my college roommate, is posing as one of her brothers as a dray driver on the island. Because of my physical limitations I will need to continue to work on it as I feel well enough, a little at a time. I have wonderful critique partners, authors Kathleen L. Maher and Debbie Lynne Costello.

What outside interests do you have?

I bead, but mostly simple things now because of my hand pain. We attend church regularly and I enjoy reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. My husband and I enjoy watching mysteries, especially British shows. I like to bake, bead, read, and travel. We take dance classes (when my foot is cooperating.) I’m very grateful to be walking again after a five year period of time when I could barely walk without extreme pain. So my son and I walk our dog regularly now.

I’m so glad you’re back on your feet again. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Because I write in character, I like to place my stories somewhere that I would enjoy being and in a time frame in which I am interested. Since I love the Straits of Mackinac area in Michigan, that’s often my go-to choice. I live in Virginia and have a number of stories set here, too, such as my Holt medallion finalist The Steeplechase.

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

I think you mean besides Jesus. Who wouldn’t want an evening with Him? So besides the Lord, I’d say James Madison. https://www.montpelier.org We’ve visited at Montpelier and from what we heard and what I’ve read about him, I believe he also suffered with arthritis yet he overcame so much. Hopefully I’d also get to meet his fascinating man servant and also Dolly!

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

Hmm, I was fortunate to have been given a lot of good advice from numerous authors as I began my career. But since I actually started writing novels decades earlier, but set them aside, I’d say probably that the craft work has to be done. Most writers can’t simply write a novel. Most of us need lots of craft work and that’s fine!

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

His timing. His writing ministry through me. His way.

We all need to remember that. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Listen to the Lord and stay anchored in your faith.

Tell us about the featured book.

In The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides my novella, Love’s Beacon is set at the Round Island lighthouse, which marks the entrance into Mackinac Island and is in the Straits of Mackinac. This lighthouse opened in 1895 and a huge restoration project was initiated when I was working on the island as a dessert maker at Little Bob’s Restaurant in 1974. I actually contributed to that cause (I think $1.00!) and there have been subsequent restorations since that time. In my story, Valerie Fillman is the daughter of the lighthouse keepers – or is she? When Valerie’s entire family perishes at the lighthouse due to illness, her whole life takes a dramatic turn. I write in character and so I wanted this story to have a more positive “feel” to it than it could have had. So there is a strong mystery component as well as romance. The new lighthouse keeper, Paul Sholtus, has longed to leave his farming roots. But with a young daughter to raise, managing a lighthouse becomes a tricky proposition. I had a lot of fun writing this story and my readers will also see characters from my novella The Sugarplum Ladies in The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection (Barbour, 2018) and from some of my other Michigan-set stories!

Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

Prologue

Mackinac Island September 1897

Standing alone in the Island Pharmacy, Valerie’s hands shook as she removed the scrap of paper from her reticule. How strange to be here alone. If Ma and Pa weren’t so desperately ill, they’d never have allowed her to travel by herself from Round Island. She’d pleaded with them only days earlier to allow her to get medicine, fearing the worst for Mary and Tim. They’d refused.

“May I help you, miss?” The young man behind the counter gazed at her, concern reflecting from his dark eyes.

Niggling anxiety nipped at her as she thrust out the list. The scent of camphor mingled with beeswax and a hint of bay rum. Alone here, her senses seemed heightened. The jingling of the doorbells startled her. She pressed a hand over her hammering heart as the clerk turned and went to the back to have the pharmacist fill her order.

A pretty blond woman entered, holding tight to a toddler’s arm. The child looked up, hazel eyes shining. Attired in a fashionable bonnet and matching coat, the young mother smiled at Val, and she realized she’d been staring. Val averted her gaze.

The clerk returned. “Mrs. Swaine, good to see you. I’ve got something for little Robbie’s sniffle.” After pushing his black sleeve garters higher, the young man bent and retrieved a paper-wrapped parcel from behind the counter.

“Thank you.” No payment was exchanged, which seemed odd. Perhaps the woman had an account.

The mother turned and faced Val, her blue eyes darkening. “Don’t I know you?”

“My father is the lighthouse keeper, ma’am.” Val cast her eyes downward, as her mother had drilled into her.

The toddler looked up at Val and held out his hands. Something in her longed to have someone reach for her like this. Just as Val was about to pick him up, the child’s mother lifted him onto her hip.

“I have never met Mr. Fillman. But I know I’ve seen your face somewhere.” For a brief instant, Val again met the beautiful young mother’s gaze. “We do come on occasion to the island.” The very rare occasion, and never unaccompanied.

The toddler sneezed. “Oh my!” His mother leaned away. “Bless you.” Val pulled a handkerchief from her reticule. “This is clean.” She wiped the child’s nose.

“Thank you.” Arms full, the young mother headed out as a tall man entered, holding the door ajar for her.

The pharmacist stepped to the back again and returned with several brown bottles. He quickly wrapped them in paper and then placed them gently in a bag before tying the parcel with twine.

Val accepted the medications and headed out to the docks for her return to Round Island. A stiff chill wind swirled her wool skirts even higher than their already short length. She swiped at the coarse fabric, pushing it down toward her ankles.

As she reached the mooring place for the lighthouse boat, she spied the light-house inspector, Mr. Dardanes, arguing with Jimmy, the boy who’d promised to help her sail back to the island.

As she neared them, she caught his words. “Miss Fillman can’t return and that’s settled.”

She took several steps closer, clutching the medications to her chest. “What’s going on?”

Thank you, Carrie, for sharing some of your life and your novella with my blog readers.

How can readers find you on the internet?

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Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38746255-the-victorian-christmas-brides-collection

Christian Book Distributors  https://www.christianbook.com/lighthouse-collection-historical-romances-beacon-hearts/lena-dooley/9781683227694/pd/227691?product_redirect=1&Ntt=227691&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Barnes & Noble  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-great-lakes-lighthouse-brides-collection-lena-nelson-dooley/1128090023?ean=9781683227694

Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/Great-Lakes-Lighthouse-Brides-Collection-Lena-Nelson-Dooley/9781683227694?ref=grid-view&qid=1533948293060&sr=1-1

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Lighthouse-Brides-Collection-ebook/dp/B07D8GNHBF/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533930144&sr=1-1&keywords=great+lakes+lighthouse+brides

Barbour Books http://www.barbourbooks.com/product/Great-Lakes-Lighthouse-Brides-Collection,15088.aspx?Tab=Books&sj=0

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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SAFE HAVEN (THE GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSE BRIDES) - Rebecca Jepson

Dear Readers, here another of the authors of a novella in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides novella collection. Reviewers have often mentioned how the like the fact that all the stories are so different. I really loved her story.

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

I’ll often give my heroine a struggle that’s similar to something I’ve been through. If I learn anything from my mistakes or trials, I like to share those things in the hope of helping someone else. But subconsciously, I probably write lots of my day-to-day thoughts and feelings into my characters.  

Things like that are what make our stories more compelling. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

When I was a teenager, I was running from our house to our van, hurrying so we wouldn’t be late to church. I was carrying a thermos of hot cocoa, which I managed to spill—and my family still marvels about this—on the back of my head. (I was holding my hood up over my head to protect my hairdo from the rain, and the hand that was holding the hood was also holding the thermos. I didn’t notice that the thermos was tilted, or that the hot cocoa was spilling down onto my hair. I didn’t notice it, in fact, until after we’d been at church for a while, and my poor friend Laura spent the church service in the nursery with me, trying to comb out the goo.)

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

When I was a kid, I loved creating stories for my siblings and me to act out together, and people always told me I had a big imagination. Then when I was thirteen, a librarian gave me a brochure for a writing contest for kids, and I saw that the winners received a publishing contract. Suddenly, those two words, publishing contract, seemed like magic to me. I went to the library, found books by previous contest winners, and poured over them. I dreamed and dreamed of one day seeing my name on the cover of one of those books. I entered the contest several times, but never won. Thankfully, the writing dream refused to die. J

We readers are glad that it didn’t die. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My current favorite genre is women’s fiction. I also love historical fiction, and I will read a mystery as long as it’s Agatha Christie . . . I guess that’s a pretty specific criteria for mysteries, isn’t it? J

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

I take long walks downtown along the river with my husband, or go on a drive with him at night, admiring the lights of the city. These peaceful times together give me a fresh perspective. I also like to escape the craziness with a good book (surprise, surprise!) or by watching a TV series that has an inspiring female lead. 

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I look online and find lists of the most popular names in America during whatever decade my character was born. Usually one of the names will fit the persona I have in my mind. 

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I am probably most proud of my three published works (two novellas and one novel), and of the time I spent working at a job I didn’t care for so I could help my husband through college.

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

I would be a goat, because they are so full of spunk, a trait I admire. (I know about the spunkiness of goats firsthand, because I grew up on a farm in northern Oregon and we had lots of goats.)

What is your favorite food?

Pizza, especially if it has black olives and mushrooms on it.

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

All the waiting. When I was younger, I waited to hear back from contests. Later, when I got really serious about writing, I waited to hear back from agents. Now I’m often waiting to hear back from publishers. Not to mention all the waiting on myself, since I have to write each book before I can even begin all the rest of the waiting! I’m not sure I’ve overcome this problem yet, but this quote from Elizabeth George has helped me. “Talent develops itself in secret.” All the time I’ve spent holed up in my office at home writing, with no accolades or fanfare—or for that matter, even readers, for many years—wasn’t wasted time. It’s about honing the craft, about constantly learning, about putting in the time it takes to create.

Tell us about the featured book.

Rose Miller takes over as lighthouse keeper when her grandfather, the former keeper, passes away. Just before he dies, he tells her he isn’t really her grandfather, but that he found her on the lighthouse steps when she was an infant. The only clues as to how she came to be there were child-sized footprints in the sand and a hair ribbon caught in the bushes. He warns her to keep all of this a secret, saying he always had a bad feeling about investigating too much into her past. But Rose desperately wants to know if she has a family out there somewhere, and decides to search for answers. It becomes hard to keep her quest a secret, especially from steamship captain Nathan Perry, a friend of her grandfather’s who insisted on staying in Mission Point to help her through her first winter.

Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

Old Mission, Michigan, New Year’s Eve, 1892

Rose Miller tried to silence her grandfather’s warning, but it kept whispering in her mind, an echo that seemed to fill her wintery world with peril. It had been their tradition, watching the moonrise from the lighthouse tower on New Year’s Eve. The lake always shone silver, illuminated by the thousands of stars that twinkled in the northern night sky. Now those same celestial lights cast shadows that crept toward the shore like malevolent intruders.

   

Before she’d learned about the child-sized footprints in the sand, the hair ribbon caught in the bushes, her lakeside dwelling had been a sanctuary. Whether enveloped by nighttime shadows or sunbursts at dawn, she’d known nothing but wonder as she stood at her grandfather’s side and gazed through the decagonal windows at the sparkling lake below.

Only a few weeks ago, she’d watched as the government agent, sent by the US Lighthouse Board after receiving her telegram, buried her grandfather. Or rather, the man I thought was my grandfather. Her very kinship with this windswept shoreline, her sense of belonging, had suffered a blow that day. A fact that did nothing to lessen her longing for the security of his presence. He’d stood guard between her and . . . something.

A soft breeze ruffled the frost-covered bushes below. Rose craned her neck, as though if she looked hard enough, the footprints would appear. But that was absurd. Not only would they be buried under feet of snow, any traces of the past had long since been swept away by wind,

rain . . . time.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.rebeccajepson.com. There are links from there to my Facebook author page and Twitter.

Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing some of your life and your story with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection - Christianbook.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Amazon.com

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Kindle 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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