Sherrinda Ketchersid and Free Books!

He’s fighting for his future—she’s running for her life.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of The Mennonite Queen, by Patrick E. Craig, is:

Neesie315@...

Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's meet novelist Sherrinda Ketchersid, author of the inspirational historic/romantic adventure, Lord of Her Heart (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, May, 2019).

Sherrinda Ketchersid is a lover of stories with happily-ever-after endings. Whether set in the past or present, romance is what she writes and where her dreams reside.

Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her preacher husband. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I have a secret desire to dance well. I’ve never learned how, and I know I look ridiculous when I do, but I still think I should take dance lessons, just for the fun of it.

Oh, yes, I hear you there. I'm a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance! Those dancers have spent their entire young lives honing their skills and beating their bodies into shape! I have so much respect for them.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Lord of Her Heart.

Lady Jocelyn Ashburne suspects something is amiss at her family’s castle because her father ceases to write to her. When she overhears a plot to force her into vows—either to the church or a husband—she disguises herself and flees the convent in desperation to discover the truth.

Malcolm Castillon of Berkham is determined to win the next tournament and be granted a manor of his own. After years of proving his worth on the jousting field, he yearns for a life of peace. Rescuing a scrawny lad who turns out to be a beautiful woman is not what he bargained for. Still, he cannot deny that she stirs his heart like no other, in spite of her conniving ways.

Chaos, deception, and treachery threaten their goals, but both are determined to succeed. Learning to trust each other might be the only way either of them survives.

What is it about Lady Jocelyn Ashburn that will make your readers care about her?

Lady Jocelyn Ashburn is brave in the face of her fear. Time and time again, she is faced with difficult circumstances and rises to the challenge with grace and determination. She does the hard things in order to reach her goal. I wish I was more like her in many ways.

Let’s fantasize—your publisher is sending you to explore the history and setting for a new novel. Where are they sending you? Why there?

Scotland, hands down. I love the history and the beauty of the Highlands. It seems mystical to me. They were very family/clan oriented and loyal to a fault. They seemed fierce, but there is much to be admired in their pride and determination to keep their kin secure.

Such an adventurous, rugged, and romantic setting. 

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

The last book I read was Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate. My goodness, what a moving story. The characters stayed with me for days and I was moved by the determination of the oldest child to survive and keep her siblings together. It’s a beautiful novel.

A book that successful has surely touched a nerve in the reading public. It's high on my ridiculously long TBR list. I can't wait.

What are you working on now?

I took Ian McGowan, the head guardsman in Lord of Her Heart, and gave him his own forever love. I’ve finished his story and am now in the rewriting phase.

Where else can readers find you online?

www.sherrinda.com
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads
Book Bub
Amazon

The book is available for purchase online via the following button:



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

Trust is a major theme throughout Lord of Her Heart—trusting others and ultimately trusting God. Sometimes I struggle with trusting others and sometimes trusting God when things seem bleak. Is trusting God or trusting others something you struggle with? What have you found helps you to trust God?

Thank you, Sherrinda, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your novel. Readers, Sherrinda has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE

Patrick E. Craig and Free Books!

The Mennonite Queen—an epic saga of forbidden love, bloody revolution, and powerful faith.

This week we're focusing on novelist Patrick Craig, author of the Amish/Mennonite historical novel, The Mennonite Queen (P&J Publishing, April 2019).

Patrick E. Craig is a traditionally published/independent author. In 2013, Harvest House Publishers published his Apple Creek Dreams series, which included A Quilt For Jenna, The Road Home, and Jenny’s Choice.

His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first book, The Amish Heiress, was published in 2015. It remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list for seven months. The Amish Princess was released in 2017 and was followed by The Mennonite Queen in April 2019. In 2017 Harlequin purchased the print rights for The Amish Heiress for their Walmart Amish series. That book went into Walmart stores on April 2 2019.

Just recently Patrick signed with Elk Lake Publishers to publish his kids’ mystery series, The Adventures of Punkin and Boo.

Patrick and his wife, Judy, make their home in Idaho. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I was a singer in a well-known rock band and a Pastor.

Okay, Patrick, the tiny researching corner of my brain had to go snooping online. Very cool. 

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of The Mennonite Queen.

Princess Isabella of Poland has been raised in a life of wealth and leisure. She is destined to marry a king but fate intervenes when she meets Johan Hirschberg, a young Anabaptist who works in her father’s stables. Johan’s strength, kindness, and faith win her heart and they secretly marry and flee to Münster, a city in Germany where Anabaptists have thrown off the yoke of persecution and taken control.

Johan joins in the revolution, but the excesses and sins of the leaders soon turn him away. Johan and Isabella try to leave, but Münster is surrounded by the troops of Catholic Bishop Prince Franz von Waldek, who has been paid to capture the princess. At the height of the battle, they escape and flee to Frisia where they are taken in by Menno Simons, the founder of the Mennonite church.

After two years with Menno they are captured by von Waldek and returned to Poland. There, Isabella must make a choice that will change the course of European history.

Wow, that's a fascinating point in history that I can't say I've ever read about. Intriguing.

What is it about Isabella that will make your readers care about her?

Isabella Jagiellon, Queen of Hungary, is a real historical character who actually wrote the first Edict of Religious Toleration in Europe. I have inserted her into a fictional history where she plays a role in the founding of the Mennonite church. She is bold, smart, lovely and loves the Lord. She is forced to make a choice that changes the course of European history, and that choice will endear her to all my readers.

Yes, both endearing and compelling. I'm sold.

Let’s fantasize—your publisher is sending you to explore the history and setting for a new novel. Where are they sending you? Why there?

I’m being sent to Ixheim, Germany, the town where the last Amish community in Europe closed it’s doors in 1937. I’m researching for a novel titled The Amish Menorah, a story about an Amish man who rescues a Jewish girl from the clutches of the Nazis. Look for it in 2021.

I usually ask this question as a "what if," but sometimes we hit on an actual work in progress, like The Amish Menorah. I hope you'll come back and tell us more about it when it becomes available! 

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

Goodbye Darkness A Memoir of the Pacific War by William Manchester. I read it as research for my new book with Murray Pura and it is one of the best written books about the struggles and fears of the American Marines during the Pacific campaign in WW II.

What are you working on now?

Currently Elk Lake Publishing is getting ready to release the first book in my YA Mystery series, The Adventures of Punkin and Boo. It’s titled The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch. I’m also working on a World War II Novel, Far On The Ringing Plains, with my friend, Murray Pura.

I’m preparing to sign with Elk Lake for two new series. The first is Amor mi Tien (Love Keep Me), which is a three generational romance/historical series set in the time of The Wars of The Roses in England and France. The first book is titled The Roses of Agincourt, and will be finished early next year. I also have a thriller series, Maxfield Williams, starting in 2020. The first book will be Scars on Heaven. And then I have the second Punkin and Boo book, The Lost Coast, coming out in 2020.

Busy man! Where else can readers find you online?

Webpage
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon


The book can be purchased online via the following button:



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

Murray and I have been wrestling with a question about our new book, Far On The Ringing Plains. If a book has a Christian world view and is specifically Christian in its content and focus, but you want it to reach a general audience with a gospel they may never have heard before as opposed to more cloistered Christian readers, and it is about Marines in battle, is it okay to use rougher (not gross) Marine language and situations? Honest opinions, please.

Excellent question. Thank you, Patrick, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your novel. Readers, Patrick has offered to give away a free copy of his book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to his question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE

Tea for Two is 99 Cents This Week!

Looking for something fun to read at the beach, pool, or tea room? Just as Amazon did a few weeks ago with The Perfect Blend, this week it's featuring the ebook version of Tea for Two for 99 cents (through Sunday, August 18).

Counselor Tina Milano has been visiting Milly's Tea Shop regularly for the past several months. She has many friends but no steady man in her life. Zack Cooper is a local farmer who provides Milly with fresh fruit and vegetables. As a single parent, Zack is doing his best to raise his teenage son and daughter on his own.

When the kids get in minor scrapes with the law, Milly gently encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before their rebellious natures land them in even hotter water. At first Tina sees the relationship in only a professional capacity, but soon her friends notice the luscious scent of romance in the air and decide to help things along.

Tea for Two is a faith-filled novel that explores the delight of second chances, warm friendship, and unexpected romantic encounters.

This purchase button will work through Sunday, August 18:



Enjoy!

___________________

I also want to announce that the winner of the drawing for the free copy of my newly released ebook, Unforgettable, is:

psalm103and138@...

and the winner of the free copy of Pat Jeanne Davis's historical inspirational romance novel, When Valleys Bloom Again, is:

tumcsec@...

Congratulations! We'll get your books right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE

Unforgettable Ebook Release and Free Books!

I'm celebrating the ebook release of my historical novel, Unforgettable, by giving away a copy!

Here's a brief synopsis of the book:

Rachel Stanhope tries to see the good in everyone. But even her good graces are challenged when she meets cocky reporter Josh Reegan outside her Arlington, Virginia dance studio on a brisk fall morning in 1951.

Their paths cross, between Arlington and New York, between the melodrama of ballroom antics and the real drama of political corruption, between family involvement and romantic entanglement. The last thing either of them expects is mutual need and support. But once they stop dancing around the truth, the results are unforgettable.



And this is the button to purchase the ebook:



In order to enter next week's drawing for a free copy of my book, answer this question. This book is set in the early 1950s. If it were part of a series, what would you consider a good time frame for a second book in the series and why?

And be sure to check out my interview below, with Pat Jeanne Davis, author of the historical inspirational romance novel, When Valleys Bloom Again. We'll also have a drawing for subscribers and/or readers who answer Pat's question at the bottom of her interview.

To enter either or both of the drawings, leave a comment and your email below in answer to my question, above and Pat's, below. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE

Pat Jeanne Davis and Free Books!

After fleeing impending war in England, nineteen-year-old Abby Stapleton works to correct her stammer and to become a teacher in America, only to discover this conflict has no boundaries and that a rejected suitor is intent on destroying her name, fiancé, and fragile faith.

Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of Where I Was Planted, by Heather Norman Smith, is:

sarahtaylor601973@...

Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's chat with novelist Pat Jeanne Davis, author of the historical inspirational romance novel, When Valleys Bloom Again (Elk Lake Publishing, Inc., February 2019).

Pat Jeanne Davis lives in Philadelphia with her British-born husband, John. They have two grown sons. She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her husband.

Pat has published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. She has a keen interest in twentieth-century American and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Pat’s father-in-law served in the British Eighth Army during the war. When Valleys Bloom Again is her debut historical romance set in that era.

She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Pat loves to hear from her readers.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I became a mom for the first time at age 46.

Wow, I know that has its blessings and challenges! I was 38 when my second child was born, and I could tell a real difference in my energy level from when I became a mom at 25. But I know the renewal your life no doubt underwent, as did mine, having a child a little later in life.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of When Valleys Bloom Again.

As war approaches in 1939, Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home?

With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty, and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home and find happiness with Jim?

What is it about Abby that will make your readers care about her?

Abby has a lovely singing voice and attends the Royal Academy of Music. She also loves children and hopes to become a teacher. After she is uprooted from her home in England and sent to America, she works to overcome her speech impediment, attends a teachers college, graduates and then uses her skills in the war effort.

Let’s fantasize—your publisher is sending you to explore the history and setting for a new novel. Where are they sending you? Why there?

It’s 1913 and my publisher is sending me to Philadelphia. My assignment is to uncover the extensive corruption in local government where the same political party has been in power for decades.

What are you working on now?

A novel set in the Progressive Era, a time of social reform and the continued struggle for the right of women to vote. (A brief synopsis below).

In 1910, Marcella Whitney is sent abroad by her parents to be educated. Raymond, her intended in a prearranged marriage, agrees to wait until she returns from her studies. While studying in London, she takes up the cause of the suffrage movement, going against the social expectations of her family. Is working for social reform her Christian duty too? The absence from Ray gives Cella time to discover she doesn’t want to be a society wife.

On returning to Philadelphia, she learns Ray and her father are in negotiations with a client who intends to tear down the settlement house in which she is about to assume full responsibility and to erect a brewery in its place. When she stands against them and opposes a determined and vindictive brewery owner and a corrupt local government, her father threatens to disown her. Ray issues an ultimatum.

Will Cella’s commitment to social reform and in improving the lives of others forever separate her from her parents and ruin any chance of marriage?

Your various historical settings are so interesting. Makes me want to write more historical fiction! I love the choices you've made so far.

Where else can readers find you online?

Website: www.patjeannedavis.com, where you can subscribe to my newsletter.
Facebook
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
LinkedIn
Pinterest
BookBub


The book can be purchased online via the following button:



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

If you could return to a bygone era, in what historical period would you like to live and what fascinates you about that time in history?

Thank you, Pat, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your novel. Readers, Pat has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE