12 Days of Christmas Joy: The Christmas Husband by Lucette Nel

Interview with Lucette Nel about her book, 

The Christmas Husband:

Alexis: Paint a picture with words of the setting for this story. What makes it special to your characters?

Lucette: Noelle is a typical small town, where the community is close, where neighbors help one another.

Alexis: Tell me about Naomi Stuart, the heroine of this story. What are her greatest hopes, dreams and fears?

Lucette: She’s a mother, determined to support and provide for her daughter. Her greatest fear would be to fail Elise.

Alexis: Tell me about Benedict Ramsay, the hero of this story. What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Lucette: Benedict’s strengths are his kindness. His weakness is his need for closure.

Alexis: How old is Naomi’s daughter?

Lucette: Elise will be five after Christmas.

Alexis: What kind of issues does Benedict have with his dad? Why?

Lucette: Benedict’s father abandoned him and his mother.

Alexis: What does Benedict like about Naomi? Is there anything he does not like? Explain.

Lucette: Though he doesn’t necessarily agree with her methods, he does admire her work ethic, her determination to provide for Elise.

Alexis: What is it about Benedict that makes Naomi care about him? Is there anything she does not like?

Lucette: Benedict’s sacrificial, but you’ll have to read the story for the details.

Alexis: How did you get the idea of a ready-made family for this story?

Lucette: This story wrote itself, I had a different course planned initially for Benedict’s father, but once I acquiesced to Ambrose’s idea, the story flowed.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about this story?

Lucette: That grace exists.

Alexis: Did you play Christmas music while writing this story?

Lucette: I’m not a very big fan of Christmas music. Lol!

Alexis: What is your favorite Christmas holiday treat? Did it help you while writing this story? If so, explain.

Lucette: Hmm … not really. Most of my favorite treats are available any time. Coffee. Coffee is my favorite treat. Lol!

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Lucette. Merry Christmas!

Lucette: Thanks for having me! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

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Author Bio: 

Lucy Nel is a coffee addicted work-in-progress daughter of the Lord Almighty. 

She's married to her real-life hero and mommy to a rambunctious preschooler and a sweet toddler.  Along with a spoiled Pug, they make their home in Gauteng, the smallest of nine provinces in South Africa.

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Blurb for Lucy's book The Christmas Husband:

It was one little lie told only to protect impoverished Naomi Stuart and her daughter. 

But when Benedict Ramsay – a man she met fleetingly years before who should be in England – arrives in town, all she'd carefully constructed threatens to crumble.

Benedict arrives a stranger in Noelle, hoping to confront the father who'd abandoned him. 

What he did not expect was to discover he was a married man ... to a woman he didn't even remember meeting. And against his will, Benedict warms to the idea of a ready-made family.

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Buy Lucy's book on Amazon

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Connect with Lucy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucetteNel/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32799187-the-widow-s-captive
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/36iaxQJ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucettenel
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucette-nel

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Cozy Christmas Reads: Lucette's story

A Match of Sorts, story excerpt by Lucette Nel 

Cedar Grove, Texas

December, 1875

“She changed her mind.” Caleb Brennan dragged his fingers through his hair. His mail-order bride backed out of their agreement. After three months of corresponding with the young widow, she took one look at him and opted to marry a fellow passenger instead. Three months. Wasted! Numerous letters exchanged, arrangements made, money spent, and all to end with Mrs. Haddon heading to Austin in the very stagecoach that was meant to bring her to him.

“You can scowl at me all you want. It won’t change anything.” Trust his twin to state the harsh reality, without a touch of sugar.

“I’m still processing the sting, Luke.” Caleb scrubbed his face. His glower might intimidate Abby and Libby, his daughters, but it was useless on his brother.

“You should’ve told her sooner.” Luke collected the stack of wanted posters and thumped them thrice on his scarred desk to straighten the pages.

“I’m hardly a cripple.” Caleb rubbed his aching leg. The pain flared in concert with his frustration. 

He glanced at the far side of the room. Upright rusted bars like an iron fence separated the jail from Luke’s tiny office. The snores from the figure on one of the two bunks continued undisturbed.

Luke yanked a drawer open and shoved the papers in, and then rammed it. “She probably jumped to the wrong conclusion. Since you kept it a secret, she might wonder what other information you withheld from her.”

“Do you suggest I mention I’m a cripple in my next advertisement?”

“You’re planning to advertise again?” Luke frowned.

“I need a wife. What choice do I have?” And as far as he was concerned, whoever filled the position could have the face and personality of a fencepost, as long as her presence improved his chances of not losing his daughters to his embittered father-in-law.

“Miss Preston seems interested.” Luke studied the steam spiraling from the mug of coffee cradled between his hands.

“You’re loco. You know I can’t marry Miss Preston.” The seamstress might be the prettiest woman in town, but she was too young and too idealistic. His second marriage wouldn’t be one of love and companionship and his bride needed to understand and agree with the terms from the start. He’d experienced love once before. Almost from the moment he’d first laid eyes on Margaret, he’d loved her. And she’d returned his affections. Her death near destroyed him. Never again. His next union would be one of respect and remoteness. An alliance on paper suited him.

Luke drummed his fingers on his desk. “How about I ask Ellen to pose as your fiancée?”

“You want to ask your wife to pretend to be my fiancée?” Caleb blinked. The warmth in the sheriff’s office receded despite the old woodstove standing only feet away. “I can’t wait to hear what she’d think about this idea of yours.” He shook his head. He loved Ellen—as a sister—and she was exactly what Luke needed in his life. But she’d drive Caleb crazy with her endless chatter, even if it was only a fleeting charade. Her overtly bright personality would exhaust him.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’ll be a temporary solution. The girls love and know Ellen.” Luke shifted on the chair, scrubbing a hand along his jaw. “There will be certain rules, of course. Limitations. No kissing. No touching.”

“It was one thing swapping places as boys to play pranks on people. Having your wife pose as my fiancée is a different ball of wax.”

“She’d do it if it means you get to keep the girls.”

“She’s a saint. What did you do to deserve her?”

“Got the Lord Almighty to thank for that.” Luke grinned and dipped his head. “I’ll speak with her tonight. We don’t have much time—”

“Whoa. You expect the entire town to go along with it?” Caleb braced his elbows on the desk. “We can try.”

“Will you throw those who refuse to play along in jail?” A rustle from the bunk drew Caleb's gaze. The comatose drunk had rolled over, but audible snores still floated from the cell.

“Can you imagine the entire town in my cell? At least old Jeff would have company.”

“I’d rather not.” Caleb downed the last of his coffee. After putting so much effort into convincing his daughters how nice it would be to have Mrs. Haddon around, he now needed to tell them their plans had changed. He massaged his hip. The wound had healed, but the constant pain and distinct limp remained despite the doctor’s predictions that it would disappear.

“This is just a hiccup. It’ll work out.” Luke propped his heels on the desk and tilted his chair back, folding his hands behind his head.

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Author Bio: 

Lucy Nel is a coffee addicted work-in-progress daughter of the Lord Almighty.

She's a mommy to a rambunctious toddler and wife to her best friend and real-life hero.

Along with three spoiled Pugs, they make their home in Gauteng, the smallest of nine provinces in South Africa.

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Connect with Lucy:
Quills and Inkblotts ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

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Blurb for Lucy's book, A Match of Sorts: As Christmas approaches, widowed Reverend Caleb Brennan needs a wife, or his vengeful father-in-law will take his young daughters. When his mail-order bride jilts him, Caleb grows desperate. 

During a storm, he finds an unconscious boy outside his home with signs of foul play. Despite his previous misfortune, obligation compels Caleb to lug the stranger inside. But as he provides first aid, he discovers more than he expected. 

Bounty hunter Grace Blackwell refuses to owe a debt to any man, especially one as charming as Reverend Brennan. To repay him for saving her life, Grace agrees to pose as his mail-order bride. If their ploy is discovered, Caleb could lose his daughters. But in their pretense, the reverend and the bounty hunter might just both lose their hearts.

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Book Review of A Match of Sorts: Lucette Nel has written another precious story with believable characters. I was drawn into the story as soon as I began to read it. Here is a new author to watch! ~Susan Snodgrass wrote this review and published it on Goodreads.

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