THE MAIL-ORDER STANDOFF ~ Susan Page Davis ~ Giveaway

 Hi, Whispers readers. It's What's New Wednesday and I'm pleased to bring you multi-published author

Susan Page Davis

and her

Featured Book: The Mail-Order Standoff 

(Collection that released February 1)

And a Giveaway!

My latest book release (February 1) is a novella in a new collection of romance in the wild West.

The Mail-Order Standoff is about mail-order brides who have second thoughts. How will their grooms win their trust? The four novellas in the book are:

Right on Time, by Angela Breidenbach: Could two people be less suited than an English gentleman and a western gal who is used to giving the orders? From the wild Montana Territory to the refined Kentucky horse farms, can Timothy prove worthy of Tara’s heart?

Pistol-Packin’ Bride, by Margaret Brownley: Attorney Ben Heywood didn’t expect to get shot on his wedding day—and certainly not by his mail-order bride.

The Bride Who Declined, by Susan Page Davis: Rachel Paxton turns down a mail-order proposal, but a few months later she learns the man she rejected has died—and left his ranch to her in his will.

Twice the Trouble, by Vickie McDonough: When Connor McLoughlin and his cousin Brian send for a pair of mail-order brides, they think they’re getting two sweet Irish lasses. But what they get is a stagecoach load of shenanigans.

 In my novella in this collection, “The Bride Who Declined,” Rachel is heir to an unexpected bequest—and she’s not sure she wants it. Here is a short excerpt for your enjoyment.

Jack leaned on the fence and watched Rachel fire his repeating rifle at the target he’d set up fifty yards away. When she’d emptied the gun, she turned toward him with her eyebrows raised.

“Looks pretty good,” he yelled, knowing both the shock of the blasts and the cotton in her ears would deaden the sound of his voice. She’d hit the target with four of the six bullets he’d given her.

She smiled and walked over to him, holding out the rifle.

“Now I think you should learn to handle a revolver.”

The smile drooped. “Do I have to?”

“I think it would be good for you to have one close by in the house.”

She said nothing, looking down at the ground. She scuffed the dirt with the toe of her riding boot.

“What?” Jack asked.

“I just. . .I’m not really comfortable with it.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Were you comfortable with riding the first time you got on Patch?”

“No.”

“Same thing. You’ve shot the rifle twice now, and you’re hitting more than you’re missing. Seems like you have a good eye for it, and a feel for the gun. But the rifle isn’t much good if the enemy is up close. You need to be able to grab that revolver when you need it.”

“You think he’d assault me personally?”

“Why wouldn’t he? You’re the big threat. Let’s say he shoots Ol’ Grumps. What good does that do him?”

“It would scare us,” she said. “Well, me, anyway.”

Jack nodded. “It might even drive you away, but I doubt it. What it would do for sure is decrease the value of the estate. You know his cousin spent a pile of money on that bull. That would be lost if the bull was destroyed. You, on the other hand. . . If you were out of the picture, he gets half the estate. Period.”

She stood very still. “You think he’ll shoot me?”

Jack just looked at her for a long moment then said softly, “I’m not trying to scare you, Rachel. At least not more than I think is necessary. This man means business, and the surest way for him to get what he wants is for you to be unable to claim it.”

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than ninety published novels. She’s a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award and the Will Rogers Medallion, and also a winner of the Carol Award and a finalist in the WILLA Literary Awards. A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky. Visit her website at: https://susanpagedavis.com , where you can see all her books, sign up for her occasional newsletter, and read a short story on her Freebies tab.

Website: https://susanpagedavis.com

Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

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

Newsletter: https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join

Buy The Mail-Order Standoff at:

Amazon

Christian Book

About Susan's Giveaway:

Susan is offering a print (paperback) copy of Mail-Order Bride Standoff to one of this blog's readers who leaves a comment below with name and email address (so we can notify you if you win). Giveaway runs for one week, ending on March 11, 2020, at Midnight, Central time. Winner will be notified vis email sometime on the 12th. Thanks for taking part and supporting Susan.

Solve by Christmas, by Amber Schamel

Solve by Christmas, by Amber Schamel

Peg here. I am so excited to focus the Whispers in Purple spotlight on author Amber Schamel, and her new release,  Solve by Christmas. Intriguing title, isn’t it? Amber also shares the ‘story behind the story’ with us … at my request.

About the book:

Solve by Christmas, by Amber Schamel

When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator.

“I’ve struck a deal with God, Jasper, and you’re my angel.”

Mr. Rudin charges Jasper to build a “case” of reasons for his employer to continue his life. If he fails, Mr. Rudin will end it in suicide on Christmas night.

As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile, and Jasper is left staring at the stark reality of his own soul. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?

 “Amber Schamel's engaging prose weaves together not one, but two edge-of-your-seat threads in this historical mystery. With the hero racing against time to solve the two cases readers will be kept guessing as they attempt to crack the case.”   ~ Review by Laura V. Hilton, author of Christmas Admirer (Whitaker House)

A peek behind the scenes:

Where did this idea come from? This is one of the most popular questions that authors get asked about a new release, but I think I’ve heard it more with Solve by Christmas than any other book so far.

It was one of those ideas that just popped into my head, then took on a life of its own and evolved over several weeks. I wanted to give my readers a new story before the year was out, but I didn’t have a specific plot in mind yet. I did know I wanted to write a Christmas story. So, I had that much. Then I decided I wanted something with a firm deadline.” If this doesn’t happen by this date, everyone dies” sort of thing. Then “By Christmas” popped into my head and flicked on a light. What if Christmas was the deadline?

I’ve always loved detectives and mystery stories, and they go perfectly with deadlines. So, then I thought, what if a detective must solve the case by Christmas or death wins?

Sometimes, as an author, there are ideas and thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Almost like God dropping a card into your mental mailbox. The next point of Solve by Christmas was that way. What if a detective was assigned a case that he had to solve by Christmas, but it wasn’t a real case –at least not the type of case he wanted—but something completely different? From there, the story began to really take shape.

The next step, of course, is to come up with a character to be the detective. I wanted the story to have a Sherlock Holmes feel, so I started by studying his character a bit. But my story also has a less serious side since it isn’t a murder mystery and takes place at a sugar factory. I wondered…what would happen if you took Sherlock Holmes and meshed him with Barney Fife?

Now THAT would be hard to pull off. But I was determined to try. So, I made a list of Sherlock Holmes traits, and one of Barney Fife’s traits. I began to see that they actually have several similarities. They’re both a bit socially awkward. They both have a very similar flavor of pride. And they both have this air of authority…although Sherlock can back his up while Barney struggles in that area. Then I began to pick and choose between the traits that were left, this Barney trait, this Sherlock trait, and pretty soon I had Detective Jasper Hollock forming on the page. Whether you will get a Barney Fife and Sherlock feel when you read Solve by Christmas, I can’t say. But I do believe I was successful in creating a unique, quirky character that will bring this Christmas mystery to life.

There you have it. The scoop behind Solve by Christmas.

I would love to hear of two book or TV characters that you would like to see meshed! Leave me a comment for your chance to win an eBook copy of Solve by Christmas! Comment by Midnight, CDT, one week from today, with your contact information, to be eligible.

About Amber

Amber, reading

Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft and has been awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year Award in Historical Fiction. Between ministry, family and working in their family-owned businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites.  Amber is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Where to find Amber:
http://amberschamel.com/

Newsletter & updates: http://www.amberschamel.com/newsletter-signup.html
Blogs - http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/
           http://www.hhhistory.com/
           http://amberschamel.blogspot.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberSchamel

Twitter - @AmberSchamel https://twitter.com/AmberSchamel

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073165.Amber_Schamel

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Amber-Schamel/e/B00CIXK91M

Pronoun-  https://books.pronoun.com/amberschamel/

Purchase Links for Solve by Christmas:

Amber’s Website:

Amazon:

Smashwords

Kobo:

Barnes & Noble

How Great is Our God ♦ Carole Brown

How Great is Our God! 

By Carole Brown 

And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

It seems everywhere you turn today, the world is a mess. I try to keep up with current events, but sometimes I find myself pulling back away from it all. The enemy of us all would drown us in disbelief, doubt and worry if we would allow it. I find my spirit beginning to flounder in that sea of distress and must need revive it with the good things of God.

In my newest WWII Spies series, in book two, soon to be released, both Jerry and Josie Patterson are rebellious, self-centered people. Neither have given much thought to God, and both have gone gung-ho after their own pleasures and desires.

·       Jerry not only suffers a serious physical injury, but his spirit is troubled over actions taken as a spy in Germany. Guilt over the death of a sweet woman, guilt over all the deceit he needed to use, guilt over the temptations that knocked, and though he didn't give in to them, nevertheless, troubles his mind and soul. Who do you turn to when you have no God in your life?

· Josie, filled with elaborate plans on becoming an Olympic participant once the horror of war is over, ignores all the people in her life—except when it's convenient for her to use them. All that matters is attaining her goal and Jerry. Running roughshod over all others, forgiving and forbearing as they are, is her usual ploy in getting what she wants. So who do you turn to when all your dreams turn to ashes?

It's only after each one of them receive a severe injury that prevent them from doing what they want, only when they think they've lost the other, that they begin to listen to what God is teaching them.

Both rebels in their own way, Josie and Jerry Patterson must figure out how to keep the other's love...and keep the German enemy at bay.

She has two loves—her skating and Jerry, her husband. But when he returns home looking like a skeleton trying to return to life, she’s scared. What happened in Germany to change a man so much? Has another woman captured his heart?

Jerry has vowed to let Josie live her own glamourous life...especially after what happened in Germany. But when his wife's life is threatened, Jerry realizes he can’t stand by and do nothing. Jerry has to risk all for the very soul and life of himself—Josie.

These two damaged, rebellious people learn the hard way that leaning on God instead of their ownselves and abilities is the only true way to love and happiness.

  

Isn't that so in our own lives? Many times we go headstrong toward our goals, without prayer or definite assurance from God that it's what he wants for us. It seems a good thing, beneficial, and desirable so it must be good for us, right?

God is so great, so faithful, so loving in pulling us back, in teaching us that He is our all in all. Our strength in times of deep distress and trial, our anchor when the storms of life are blowing us off course, our shield when others would hurt or wound our spirits...our peace through it all.

May we, like Josie and Jerry, learn that our God IS a great God. We need have no fear; he does not fail.

About Carole:

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. 

She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

• Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author
• Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/browncarole212
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sunnywrtr/boards/
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5237997-carole-brown
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=67381031
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113068871986311965415/posts

How it All Happened ♦ Behind the Story ♦ Latayne Scott ♦ Giveaway

  It Came Together This Way . . . 

by Latayne C. Scott

(See below for giveaway details)

One day a fully-formed image appeared in my mind. It was of a woman of ancient times.  She was walking away from a coliseum, beside a cart full of bloody body parts.  She thinks of her dead friend Cordelia, who had been pregnant for decades with a baby that was never delivered and turned to stone within her body. Now that stone baby is in the cart too, seeing light for the first time.

How did that image come to be?  What was the process?

Writing – whether professionally or for personal satisfaction – is an activity that many people share. There’s nothing quite like looking over the words, “The End” and feeling that some unfinished part inside ourselves is now complete, too.

Waiting for a book to be published, though, is frustrating for many people because someone asks you to move over from the driver’s seat of your car and now begins to take you at their chosen speed, not yours, toward a distant destination.

(Sometimes it can take many months from your “The End” to a publisher’s “Now Available.” To help people understand just why this takes so long, I wrote a blog post that's been accessed thousands of times:  “The Seventeen Steps to Getting a Christian Book Published.”)

That lag of time, combined with an author’s distance from his or her original idea, can really add up. In the case of my most recent book, A Conspiracy of Breath, it took eight years.

I remember the day I first read in a Bible commentary that some scholars believe that the book of Hebrews may have been written by a woman.  That was at least three decades ago, and as the year passed, I heard the theory again and again.  I came across a book that thoroughly and convincingly set out the case for the authorship of Hebrews by Priscilla, the wife of Aquila and the fellow tentmaker with the Apostle Paul.

(View a short MP3 video HERE)

I remember the first day I read an Internet news story about a lithopedia, or stone baby.

I remember the day my daughter in law gave me a book called The Bone Gatherers, about the early Christian women who provided proper burial for martyrs.

And thus it came together:  The story of Priscilla, aristocratic Roman, bone-gatherer, author, friend, and protector. What must it have been like for such a woman to throw

in her lot with another Martyr who died on a cross?  To hear the Holy Breath tell her words that would become Scripture? 

And to live with courage during a time when almost everything she loved, she lost? 

 ...................

The Giveaway: Latayne is offering a free copy of A Conspiracy of Breath to one of this blogs readers who leaves a comment in the section below. Your choice of digital, open to all; or print, limited to US residents only. Just leave your name and contact information with your comment ... so we can contact you if you win.

Giveaway ends one week from today, on September 12, 2017, at Midnight CDT. 

....................

Dr.  Latayne C. Scott (Distinguished Christian Service Award, Pepperdine University) writes controversial books. Her newest one, the critically acclaimed A Conspiracy of Breath, (TSU Press) is based on the scholarly theory that a woman wrote part of the Bible.  Her first book, The Mormon Mirage--also controversial-- has stayed in print almost continuously for almost 40 years. She has nearly two dozen other published books. One notable recent book is about the discovery of the ancient Biblical city of Sodom (Discovering the City of Sodom.) Her first novel is a murder mystery revolving around a code developed by the early Mormon church. Both are.... controversial. She's also won a national award for humor. Her kids say she's not so funny, but she just holds up the prize check. Latayne blogs at Latayne.com and Tweets @Latayne.

Romance on the Pony Express, with Donna Schlachter

PLEASE WELCOME AUTHOR DONNA SCHLACHTER, A FREQUENT GUEST HERE ON WHISPERS IN PURPLE. DONNA  SHARES A BIT ABOUT HER NOVELLA THAT APPEARS IN A NINE-AUTHOR COLLECTION BOUT THE PONY EXPRESS.

Here's the overview of the collection as it appears on Amazon:

Nine historical romances revive the brief era of the Pony Express.
Join the race from Missouri, across the plains and mountains to California and back again as brave Pony Express riders and their supporters along the route work to get mail across country in just ten days. It is an outstanding task in the years 1860 to 1861, and only a few are up to the job. Faced with challenges of terrain, weather, hostile natives, sickness, and more, can these adventurous pioneers hold fast, and can they also find lasting love in the midst of daily trials?

Hi, Donna, so good to have you as my guest here again. I have some questions for you about this Pony Express Romance Collection. You’re in good company, I see.

So, tell me … how did you come to be a part of this collection?

Donna: I met one of the dreamers and asked what she was working on. She said she was doing a proposal for a Pony Express Romance Collection. I said, "I'd love to be in on that." She told me all the slots were filled, but if something came up, she'd let me know. About a month later, she emailed to say one of the other authors dropped out and was I interested. Was I interested? I knew nothing about the Pony Express, didn't write romance, but wanted in anyway. And they were gracious enough to take me under their wing.

Peg: Who dreamed it up?

Donna: Mary Davis and Debby Lee came up with the original idea.

Peg: I love historical fiction, and the Pony Express part of our country’s western expansion captivates me, and it certainly is romantic. Tell me a little about your story featured in this book.

Donna: Catherine Malloy responds to an advertisement for a mail order bride on behalf of her best friend Maggie who can't read or write. But Maggie dies, and Catherine sees this as her way out of the menial job she's been forced to take. Plus she's developed feelings for Benjamin through his letters. Benjamin, who is also illiterate, needs a cook/housekeeper, and a friend offers to put in the ad and write and read his letters. But the friend knows Benjamin needs a wife, so he changes the ad.

Peg: How much research did you have to do while writing it?

Donna: I originally was going to write a completely different story, one set in Echo Canyon, Utah. In fact, originally the book was going to be set at one station. So I traveled the Pony Express route and since I was the only author in the collection who had, we chose Echo Canyon. But there was some lag time, and I went ahead and wrote the first story as a full length novel, and when the project resurrected again, I decided to choose another station I had visited, the Hollenberg Station in Marysville, Kansas. I visited there three times, went to the museums at least twice, as well as all the other research I did both in person and online and reading.

Peg: There are nine (9) authors involved in this project. How did you work together to make sure each story was different from the others?

Donna: That began with the proposals we each had to do. Then we shared the proposals around. Since all the stories are set at different stations, it wasn't difficult for each author to have a different set of circumstances.

Peg: What about your characters? Were they fun to write? Who was your favorite?

Donna: I loved my characters. I think the most fun to write was the Pinkerton Agent. Although he's a minor character, I always pictured my dad, who was a modern-day Pinkerton man, in that role.

Peg: Please share the blurb / synopsis for Echoes of the Heart.

Donna: Can a woman running from her past and a man with no foreseeable future find love along the Pony Express trail?

Peg: What’s new on the writing horizon for you?

Donna: I am currently under contract with Barbour Publishing for two more novella projects due out early next year, and then I have another cozy mystery releasing in June from my alter ego, Leeann Betts.

ABOUT DONNA:

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, her first-line editor and biggest fan. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid publisher who has published a number of books under her pen name and under her own name. Her current release, Echoes of the Heart, a 9-in-1 novella collection titled "Pony Express Romance Collection" released April 1. Donna is also a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. She will be teaching an online course for American Christian Fiction Writers in June 2017, “Don’t let your subplots sink your story”. Donna loves history and research, and travels extensively for both.

YOU CAN FIND DONNA AT:

• www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com
• www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor
• Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter
• Books: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq
• Echoes of the Heart: http://amzn.to/2lBaqcW

Merry Reading Stocking Stuffer Christmas Clash!

 

 

The Happiest of Holiday Reading to you!

 

This month we share five books and

 

seven authors with you -- some old friends and some new.

 

Voting starts today, December 9 and goes through

 

Midnight December 15, CST.

Vote now and leave the authors a word of encouragement both here and on the survey form. Share with other book lovers, and Come back Thursday

 

December 17 for the Clash of the Titles champion.

 

Which cover tickles your fancy? Which book would be next for you?

 

Scroll down to find the voting form.

Sixty thousand people watched Candace Rodriguez literally fall off the stage while performing the national anthem, wrecking more than her self-esteem. Will her new faith in Christ be strong enough to bring her to an After she could only dream of in her music, health, and love?

 

***

 

Three in One special shorter reads of romantic Christmases Past for the busy holiday season. From the nineteenth century Wisconsin farm family to a small town doctor fighting a flu outbreak to Medieval Britain lords and ladies...all need a Christmas miracle.

 

***

In 1903 New York City, Italian immigrant Sofia Falcone learns a family secret that sends her mother to the brink of insanity. When she meets a Vaudeville pianist whose own struggles cross hers on the streets of Little Italy, change is on the way, though it may not bring what they expect.

***

The stalwart saint fights for faith... the redeemed rebel, fights for honor. After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile and hope is not as easy as it may seem.

 

***

What if the plane crash that killed Amy's fiancé was no accident? Some questions need to be asked.

Follow this link to VOTE!

 

 

Interview with author Teresa Lilly

Hi, Teresa. Welcome to Whispers in Purple. I’m so happy to have you here. Let’s get acquainted.

What was your first job?

I taught gymnastics when I was in high school.

What’s the first thing you do when waking up in the morning?

Pray for my sister and stretch my feet..

What is your favorite color?

Black, and like Johnny Cash I usually dress in black as well.

Ah, the Man in Black Do you have a pet, or pets? Tell us about it/them

Unfortunatly, no. I love animals but at this time in life do not have time to care for any.

That’s too bad. I don’t know what I’d do without my dog these days. If you weren’t a writer, what would you most likely be doing instead?

Teaching, however, I’ve always thought it would be fun to be a waitress in a truck stop.

Why did you become a writer?

I dreamt of doing it since I was a young girl, and after reading Janette Oke…I knew I had to.

When reading, what is your favorite genre? What are you reading right now?

I love Christian Romance Novellas, however, I also love all of Grace Livingston Hill Books. I am currently rereading all 100 of her books.

Where do you get your ideas?

Most of the time they just appear in my mind.

What is your Book about?

Cooking Up Christmas is about a woman who comes to Angel Vale as one of about 9 mail order brides. She intends to marry, but in the meantime will work at the Angel Vale Eatery as a cook. She can’t seem to find out what her intended does for a living and who owns the eatery. It’s full of fun collisions. I’m actually very proud of this novella, I believe it is some of my best writing.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

When Henrietta agrees to become a mail order angel for Benjamin Capel, she moves to Angel Vale Wyoming eager to begin working in the town’s eatery. Although happy with her job and attracted to her husband-to-be, she discovers that Benjamin has several secrets. What does he do for a living, why does talking about money upset him so much and who actually owns the Angel Vale Eatery. Will these questions be answered so she can freely say I Do or does God have a different plan for her life in Angel Vale?

Check out the book HERE

What is your next project?

I am currently writing a story called Wild Prairie Rose, about a mail order bride coming to Iowa. The main thing is she isn’t a true beauty and wants to find someone who is plain like herself.

About Teresa:

Teresa Ives Lilly lives in Texas with her husband, near her grown children. She loves to write Christian Historical Novellas, although she dabbles in contemporary as well. You can see all her books at www.teresalilly.wordpress.com. She loves to hear from her readers at teresaiveslilly@yahoo.com

 

Thank you so much for being my guest here today, Teresa. Wishing you the very best with your next project. AND . . . we’ll be seeing you back here on October 12! Looking forward to that.