My Blog's 10th Year Birthday Bash: Liz Tolsma's book giveaway

Welcome to the 20th day of my blog's birthday bash!

Please welcome my author friend Liz Tolsma.

She's here to give away one of her books!

Enter the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget the end of this blog post. Only residents of the USA are eligible to receive a signed paperback copy of this author's books. International residents will only receive ebook copies due to costs of mailing books outside of the USA.

Let's learn a little bit more about Liz and her book ...

Author Bio:

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. 

She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a U.S. Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. 

Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.

 Please visit her blog, The Story behind the Story, at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), and Pinterest. She is also a regular contributor to the Midwest Almanac blog.

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Back Cover Blurb for Liz's book:

When Harriet Peters came to Boston in 1882, the Robinson family took her in like one of their own, and Harriet became closer to Lizzie Robinson than her own siblings. 

Now, four years later, Lizzie is deathly sick, failing quickly just like several others in her family have done over the past few years. How can so many in one family die from the same mysterious illness? 

Harriet doesn’t have answers, but she is determined to help the family, bringing in a new-to-the-neighborhood doctor, Michael Wheaton.

As Harriet and Michael close in on the answer, putting their own lives at risk, can the cause be found before anyone else dies?

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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14 Days of Sweet Stories: "A Match Made in Heaven" by Liz Tolsma

Interview with Liz Tolsma, author of A Match Made in Heaven:

Alexis: Why did you choose to set your story in the 19th century? Would this be a historical romance? 

Liz: With Barbour romance collections, they prefer that stories be set in the second half of the 19th century. Every now and again, like in the collection I have coming out in July, they will accept other time periods. But mostly, it’s 19th century. And yes, they always have to be romances. 

Alexis: Tell us about your hero Len Montgomery. What does he look like? Sound like? Act like? Describe his heart and life goals. 

Liz: He has deep-set eyes, a square-shaped face, and light brown hair that tends to stick up every which way despite his best attempts to slick it back. He’s tall and muscular. He has a deep voice. He’s sweet, and even a little insecure. He’s a pastor with a deep love for the members of his congregation and wants to do right by them. He wants to be a good pastor. 

Alexis: Is there a special reason why you made Len a pastor? If so, please explain. 

Liz: Yes. He needs to be a pastor because someone writes him asking if there is a young lady in his congregation of impeccable character who might be interested in being his bride. 

Alexis: What is the inciting incident that starts your main characters on their journey? 

Liz: As I stated above, he gets this letter asking for a potential match. The letter gets out to the newspapers around the country, and letters pour in, asking for Pastor Montgomery to make matches for them. Len can’t keep up with all the mail, so the lovely postmistress offers to help him. 

Alexis: How did you dream up a character like Mr. Kimble? He seems very interesting. Why would he have a problem finding a woman to marry him without asking Len for help? 

Liz: Mr. Kimble is based on a real person who wrote to a pastor (and I believe he probably wrote to many, many pastors), asking if he might have a woman in his congregation might be willing to marry him. It could be because he was a rancher, and that’s a difficult life. It might be that he had children, which complicated matters. Things like this still happen today. I know of several couples who have been “set up” by their pastors. Young men writing churches within their denomination, asking if there are any single women in their congregation who share their beliefs who might be interested in a courtship. As far as I know, these have been very successful marriages. 

Alexis: Now for my readers who may not know, what is a “postmistress”? 

Liz: A postmistress is a woman who runs a post office. She’s the one in charge. In a small town in those days, she might be the only postal employee. It was not an uncommon position for a woman. 

Alexis: Let’s talk about your heroine Cora Thomas (the postmistress). What are her strengths and flaws, dreams and duties? What makes her feel alive? Why? 

Liz: She is very caring and giving. She always brings flowers to those who are sick or sad. She can be a little overbearing, and some don’t like or understand why she always quotes Shakespeare. Her dream is to be a postmistress in a bigger town. Being able to help others, to bring them joy, is what makes her feel alive. She does it because it also brings her joy. And whatever you do to the least of these my brothers, you do to me. A rough paraphrase of Matthew 25:40.

Alexis: Why did Len’s mentor from seminary warn him to not become romantically involved with any of the young women in his congregation that he leads? 

Liz: I’m a PK (pastor’s kid), so I know the behind-the-scenes workings of a pastor’s life. I can only imagine if a pastor became involved with someone from his congregation, the tongues would wag. And if the relationship ended, it could cause great difficulty for that pastor, and perhaps even division in the church. While I’ve never heard of a pastor warned against this, and in fact have known pastors who have married members of their congregation, I could imagine a well-meaning older pastor giving a younger man this type of advice. 

Alexis: How does Len’s desire to not become “entangled” affect his relationship with and growing attraction to Cora? 

Liz: He is struggling to take this advice despite his growing feelings. He respects his mentor, and wants to follow what he says, but begins to wonder if it really was the best advice. 

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in this story and how did your position as a woman of faith affect your storytelling? 

Liz: The theme of the book is trusting God to work things out. Faith is woven throughout the story. Both of the main characters are Christians all the way throughout, but they grow in their faith over the course of the story. Just as faith is part of my every day life, so it is for my characters. 

Alexis: Why did you title this story, “A Match Made in Heaven”? 

Liz: Of course, there is the saying that a couple is a match made in heaven. Because Len is a pastor, and because the theme is trusting God to work things out, I thought it was a fun title that played to what the book was about. 

Alexis: If you were Cora’s mentor, what would you advise her concerning her feelings for Len and his position as a single pastor of a church? 

Liz: I would advise her to be prudent and act cautiously so as to not get the gossips going. I would tell her to take her time to get to know him and to not flaunt the relationship, especially in the beginning. 

Alexis: What about writing this story brought the most joy to your heart? 

Liz: I had so much fun with the Shakespeare quotes. Even though I studied him in college, there were sayings that I didn’t realize were his. I had just finished writing an intense WWII book when this opportunity came along, so it was nice to write something lighthearted. 

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most from this book? 

Liz: That you might have a plan in mind, but God might have a different one. And His plan is always best. 

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Liz! Do you have any final comments? 

Liz: Thank you so much for having me. These were great questions that I enjoyed answering!

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Author bio: 

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels and prairie romance novellas. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their two daughters. 

She enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. Please visit her blog, The Story behind the Story, at www.liztolsma.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@LizTolsma), Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

She is also a regular contributor to the Pencildancer blog and the Midwest Almanac blog.

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Blurb for Liz's story, "A Match Made in Heaven": Pastor Len Montgomery receives an unusual letter from an Omaha farmer that turns him into the matchmaker he never wanted to be. 

But the match he most wants to make, the one with the town’s sweet, charming, and Shakespeare-quoting postmistress, may be out of his reach.

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Read Liz's story when you buy the book, "The Matchmaker Brides Collection":
Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Christianbook.com

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Enter the book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Love is in the Air: Author interview with Liz Tolsma

Super excited to introduce today's featured author Liz Tolsma! :) Liz loves writing historical romances. She experienced detours on her way to making her dreams come true but now she's working as an author and she has more than two books in her repertoire!

Now here's the exciting part for you--Liz will give away one paperback copy of her featured book, Remember the Lilies! You can enter by leaving a comment and your e-mail address toward the end of this post and by filling out the Rafflecopter widget.

I hope you will enjoy getting to know Liz via the author interview below.

Enjoy! :)

*Words by Alexis in bold, words from Liz not in bold

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Alexis: Remember the Lilies is quite the captivating title for a book! Tell us about it.

Liz: Remember the Lilies is set in Manila during WWII. The Japanese interned almost 4,000 Westerners at Santo Tomas University for 37 months. In my book, Rand and Irene are two of the internees who must face starvation, cruel treatment, and espionage in order to survive.

Who or what inspired you to write Remember the Lilies? 

I was inspired by the 4,000 real men and women who survived those terrible days with grace and even humor.

Who is your heroine in this book? Describe her looks, style and personality. 

Irene Reynolds is a missionary’s niece who grew up in the Filipino jungle. She is beautiful and blonde and a Jean Harlow kind of way, but dresses plainly and doesn’t use much make-up. She doesn’t realize how pretty she is. She’s sweet and humble, though she does have quite a stubborn streak.

Who is your hero? What makes him interesting? What makes him different? What makes him fall in love (I’m guessing with your heroine)? 

Before the war, Rand Sterling was a jet-setting ladies’ man who owned two very successful night clubs in Manila. He’s daring. He falls in love with Irene because she’s so different from the socialites he’s used to associating with. Her quiet faith impresses him.

Why did you choose the Philippines for the setting of your book? 

My son, a U.S. Marine, has always loved the Pacific Theater of WWII. When I needed a 3rd idea for this series, he suggested that one be set there. As soon as he said that, I knew what story to use for the book.

What do you want your readers to treasure most about Remember the Lilies? 

The theme of the book is forgiveness. I want them to know that no matter what has happened in their lives, God offers them forgiveness.

What is the most beautiful part of the writing and publishing process for you? 

I love creating the stories and watching them come alive.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a writer? Why? 

Just finding the time to sit down and write! I have two children still living at home, a husband, and a very busy life. Some days there just aren’t enough hours for all that needs to be accomplished.

Why did you choose writing for a career? Or do you have a day job? Explain. 

It’s what I always wanted to do. My life took many detours along the way, and I do have a part-time job, but I decided that I needed to pursue my dream before I regretted not taking the chance.

Describe your writing space. What makes it unique or special to you? 

 It varies from day to day. Sometimes, I write at a small desk in my bedroom, or on my front porch, or in the family room recliner, or even in the car or at my daughter’s therapy session. Just wherever and whenever I have the chance.

What is your go-to food or drink when on deadline? 

Chocolate!

Are you working on your next book? If yes, what can you tell us about it? 

Yes. This series follows a trio of American women journalists in Europe during WWII. The first book is about a reporter in England during the London Blitz.

What is your favorite feature of springtime? 

The lack of snow ;) And I love to watch my garden come back to life.

Give us a glimpse of your personal life. Are you married with kids? What’s your favorite memory with your family? How do you spend your free time? 

I’m married to my high school sweetheart. We have a grown son and two daughters. All of my children were adopted internationally. The youngest has a variety of special needs. I have so many fond memories with my family, especially of the days each of our children joined our family. We love to be outdoors – camping, gardening, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing.

If you could live anywhere in the world for at least once year and write about it, where would you go and why? 

I’d love to go back to Vietnam (we were there in 1995). It’s so special to us because we adopted our son there. The people were so kind and welcoming to us, so eager to please us, yet my heart breaks for that land which is so dark spiritually. I’d love to work to spread the gospel there.

Thanks for the interview, Liz! Now please leave a question for my readers to answer so they can enter your book giveaway contest.

Liz's question: If you had to give up one creature comfort for a year, which one would it be?
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Author bio:

Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband, their son, and their two daughters. Add a dog and a cat to that mix and there's always something going on at their house. 

She's spent time teaching second grade, writing advertising for a real estate company, and working as a church secretary, but she always dreamed of becoming an author. 

When not busy putting words to paper, she enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family.

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Blurb for Remember the Lilies:

How will two very different people find love—and survive the impossible circumstances of war?

In 1941 Rand Sterling was a wealthy, womanizing club owner and an American of note among ex-pats and locals alike. Now two years later, Rand is just another civilian prisoner of war—one whose planned escape from the Santo Tomas Internment Camp could put him and others in grave danger.

Irene Reynolds grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippine jungle. Now she works for the paranoid Japanese authorities, delivering censored messages to the other American prisoners in Santo Tomas.

When Irene’s negligence leads to Rand’s failed escape attempt, Rand is sent to the torture chambers of Fort Santiago—and Irene suffers under the weight of her guilt. Yet when she crosses paths with Rand again after his unexpected return to the camp, something more than mere survival draws the unlikely pair together.

As life in Manila becomes more and more desperate, and another threatening letter finds its way from Irene’s hands to Rand’s, the reluctant couple struggles to find a way to stay alive... and to keep their growing feelings for each other from compromising the safety of everyone around them.

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Buy Liz's book:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1MPVYka

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1IRJCYa

Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1dMVOhT

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Connect with Liz:

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/liztolsma/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LizTolsma
Website - www.liztolsma.com