The Story Behind "The View from Coral Cove" by Amy Clipston

Today we have a special guest! Meet my author friend Amy Clipston. She's the author of The View from Coral Cove and she's here today to not only tell the story behind her story but to give away a signed, paperback copy! Read her guest post below for details. 

~*~

The Story Behind The View from Coral Cove by Amy Clipston

The View from Coral Cove is my second contemporary romance book, and I’m excited for readers to get to know the main characters—Maya, Brody, and Ashlyn.

This book takes places goat a fictional North Carolina beach town named Coral Cove. I was first inspired to write it in June 2020 when my husband, Joe, and I took a day trip to the North Carolina coast on our anniversary.

It was the start of the pandemic, and Joe and I wanted to get away for the day. We got in our car and just drove to the beach. After spending some time at Oak Island, we decided to just drive and we spotted signs for Southport, NC—a town we hadn’t ever visited in the past. It’s located on a waterfront that is the mouth of Cape Fear. Later, I learned a few movies were filmed there.

As we drove into town, I immediately fell in love with it. Southport has a small town feel with streets lined with cute little stores—antique shops, cafes, a toy and candy shop, clothing stores, jewelry stores, restaurants—as well as beautiful historic homes. Joe and I found a place to park and then walked around the town. Since we are antique store fanatics, we took our time wandering through all of the amazing shops.

Joe and I ate lunch at a restaurant named Oliver’s, which is located on the waterfront, and as I looked out over the sound, I thought, “I need to write a beach book!” After we ate, we walked along the waterfront, strolled out onto a pier, and I took in the town and felt more and more inspired.

At that time, I had a contract for three standalone contemporary romances with my publisher, HarperCollins Christian, and the first book, The Heart of Splendid Lake, was already written. I had set The Heart of Splendid Lake at a fictional North Carolina lake.

I have always enjoyed the beach since I was a little girl when my parents and I would take day trips to Jones Beach on Long Island. I also lived in Virginia Beach, Va., for 15 years. My first “date” with my husband consisted of driving around Sandbridge Beach and discussing which of the oceanfront homes were our favorites. Joe and I also enjoyed taking day trips to the Outer Banks, where we would drive out on Oregon Inlet and spend the day.

My love for the beach and my discovery of Southport inspired me to brainstorm a contemporary romance plot. Not long after our trip to Southport, I had a brainstorming session with my editor, and we kicked around ideas for my book. My editor suggested that my main character would move to the beach after inheriting a house, and I suggested that my hero be a single dad who works as a veterinarian.

After our phone call, I took those ideas and ran with them. Soon my heroine, Maya, who inherited her great-aunt’s toy store, came to life in my mind. And Brody, the hero, was a veterinarian and a single father who also runs a cat rescue in memory of his mother.

The town of Coral Cove encompasses everything I love about the Outer Banks, Virginia Beach, and Southport. Coral Cove includes the small-town feel of Southport with the stores and restaurants. It also has a sound side without the waves as well as the ocean side with the waves and the beautiful oceanfront houses, which is similar to The Outer Banks.

I hope readers enjoy visiting Coral Cove as well as getting to know my characters who live there.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. 

She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. 

Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and six spoiled-rotten cats.

~*~
Blurb for Amy’s book:

When a jilted romance novelist returns to the small beach town she once loved, she discovers not only inspiration but also a romance to call her own. 

Maya Reynolds is recently single after her fiancé chose to move to Europe without her. She's struggling with her heartache-along with her latest novel-when she learns she's inherited her great-aunt Cecelia's store in the small town of Coral Cove, North Carolina.

As Maya arrives and begins combing through her beloved aunt's belongings, long-held secrets from her family's past come to light. Soon Maya is questioning fundamental beliefs about who she is and the people she has always loved.

While working in the shop one day, Maya meets Brody Tanner-the town's local veterinarian. It's clear the handsome vet has some secrets of his own, but Maya cannot help but be intrigued by him and the spunky child she believes to be his daughter.

As Maya works to make ends meet, she and Brody grow ever closer. But will the pasts they're hiding from each other get in the way of a future together?

~*~
Connect with Amy:
Facebook Page: facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks/
Instagram: instagram.com/amy_clipston/
Twitter: twitter.com/AmyClipston
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/2765728.Amy_Clipston
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/amy-clipston
Pinterest: pinterest.com/amyclipston/
Website: https://amyclipston.com
Online bookstore: https://amyclipston.com/shop/

~*~
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: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Story Behind "What Remains True" (novel) by Nancy Naigle

Dear Reader friends,

Today, we're featuring my author friend Nancy Naigle and her NEW novel that releases today (May 3, 2022)!

Join me in wishing Nancy a "Happy BOOK Birthday" by leaving a comment for her at the end of this guest blog post.

Nancy is here today with the story behind her story and she's hosting a book giveaway! The winner will receive a signed, paperback copy of her featured novel. 

Enjoy!

~*~

Story Behind the Story of What Remains True by Nancy Naigle:

Hey y’all! Nancy Naigle here, writing from my back porch in Patrick Springs, VA with a beautiful view of No Business Mountain. I’m so excited about my newest book release, What Remains True.

Just look at that cover! Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s even prettier in person. The blue is a warm, washed denim color which is just perfect with a rugged cowboy hero and a back drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In 2019, I released a novel titled Christmas Angels set in the fictional mountain town of Antler Creek, North Carolina. A beautiful setting along the barn quilt trail, the story had a cast of neighbors and merchants that absolutely stuck with me. I found readers loved it too, and so I was so excited when I had the chance to return to Antler Creek in this book written for WaterBrook Press.

I’ve been a long-time rodeo fan, traveling as far as Vegas to catch events including the National Final Rodeo for years. The sport is fast and exciting, and sometimes scary too. It’s so much easier to watch if you don’t have a personal relationship with someone out there competing! It’s also no secret that I had never ridden a horse until I was 52, but I fell in love with trail riding and the beauty of this world from the saddle—taking it all in from between the ears of a horse.

Those two things had me dreaming up a smart, competitive cowboy who is laser-focused on winning the national title this year. He’s not just a rugged cowboy though. This guy is smart, educated, has long-term goals and even bakes a mean strawberry pie. Sounds perfect, right? Well, he has his troubles too, and he and his parents have been estranged since he chose rodeo over the medical career he’d gone to college for to appease his father. Pair this “I only have eyes for rodeo” guy with a gal who is fresh out of a divorce from a husband who is bellyaching over his alimony check, and we have two people who have anything but love on their minds for sure.

Of course, life is always changing and these two are in for some interesting challenges along the way, but they have a wonderful community and friends around them to keep them on the road. I just love that about Antler Creek.

Fans of Christmas Angels will be delighted to see that Krissy, owner of Hardy House: Fine Linens & Gifts on Main Street, is back and we get to know her better in this book. Maizey is still doling out unsolicited advice at the Creekside Café, and Matt and Liz are still cozy at Angels Rest and doing up parties that the whole town gathers for too.

I found so much joy writing this story and the growth that both Adam and Merry Anna go through is beautiful. I can’t wait for you to join me in Antler Creek, and I hope you’ll let me know what you think after you read it, and I’d love to hear your ideas for another visit back.

I’m beginning to think of Antler Creek as my annual time-share vacation resort.

Join me!

Hop over to my website www.nancynaigle.com to sign up for my newsletter for updates about new books, sales, and the new movies on the way too! 

Visit www.nancynaigle.com/whatremainstrue today and read the first chapter of What Remains True FREE and download lots of fun goodies like bookmarks, barn quilts to color and even jigsaw puzzles and a word search.

Hugs and Happy Reading!

Love,

Nancy

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. 

She began her contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career as an SVP for Bank of America and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm.

Now enjoying an early retirement from the financial industry, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, cooking, trail riding on her Palomino, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she now calls the Blue Ridge Mountains home.

Nancy's 2021 release of The Shell Collector debuted in the top #20 on the ECPA Bestseller list.

Several of Nancy's books have inspired made-for-television movies. Watch Christmas Joy, Sand Dollar Cove and The Secret Ingredient on the Hallmark Channel and Hope at Christmas on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Nancy wrote the novelization for the first three Hallmark Original Movies in the popular Christmas in Evergreen series too.

Sign up for Nancy's newsletter to stay up-to-date on everything going on with her story worlds.

Nancy also enjoys collaborating with other authors on projects like her humorous women's fiction, Seasoned Southern Sleuths Cozy Mysteries previously known as The Granny Series co-written with Kelsey Browning. Honey, these are not your momma's grannies.

Stay in touch with Nancy through social media and her newsletter.

~*~
Blurb for Nancy’s book, What Remains True:

An uplifting novel about three months that may change three lives—and lead to love—from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle. 

Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?

Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.

Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too.

~*~
Buy Nancy’s book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, indieBound, GooglePlay, iBooks, Kobo or Audible

~*~
Connect with Nancy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyNaigleAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyNaigle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynaigle/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynaigle/

~*~
*United States of America Residents ONLY may 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:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 Days of Love: Say It's For Good

Today, we're shining the spotlight on a book by my author friend Teresa Tysinger.

~*~

Book Blurb for Say It’s For Good:

Is a decade enough time to heal old wounds? 

Professional chef Leah Spencer is level-headed, responsible, and practical, so moving home to Laurel Cove, North Carolina to care for her ailing father was an easy choice. All he wants is for her to find love like he had with his late wife—before he leaves Leah all alone. 

Desperate to ease his worries, as well as her own fear, she breaks character and creates a fake relationship with the one man in town who likely wants nothing to do with her. The one man she’s ever truly loved.

Jasper Bowdon has successfully avoided commitment ever since his heart was broken a decade ago. When casual dating grew tiresome, he decides to take a break from women to finally figure out what he really wants. Why, then, does he agree to a pretend relationship with the very woman who’d ruined him in the first place? And why is he left wondering if it could all be part of God’s plan to heal them both?

Love and friendship get a second chance in this final installment of the Laurel Cove Romance Series. Books in this series are stand-alone and can be read and enjoyed in any order.

~*~
Author Bio:

Teresa Tysinger is an author of Southern Contemporary Romance inspired by grace.

She writes on the fringes of being a wife, mom, and full-time communications and public relations professional.

Teresa loves coffee, traveling, and loves almost every genre of music.

Born in Hawaii, raised in Florida, and educated in North Carolina, she now resides in Texas with her husband, daughter, and dog.

~*~
Buy Teresa’s book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Teresa:
Website: https://teresatysinger.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresatysinger_author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresatysingerauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16536072.Teresa_Tysinger
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/teresa-tysinger

~*~
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: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Teresa Tysinger about her NEW novel, "Suddenly Forever"

Please welcome my author friend Teresa Tysinger to my blog today! 

She's here to talk about her new story, Suddenly Forever. Teresa is also going to give away one e-copy of her book for the Kindle of the reader who wins the book giveaway contest! 

Remember to enter the contest via the Rafflecopter widget toward the end of this blog post. 

Enjoy your time with Teresa! 

~*~

Interview with Teresa Tysinger about her book, 

Suddenly Forever (Laurel Cove Romance): 

Alexis: Describe the setting for your story, Laurel Cove. What makes it special to your characters?

Teresa: Laurel Cove is directly influenced by the hometown of my best friend from college. Burnsville, North Carolina sits tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, just twenty minutes or so from where we attended college, so I made many visits to my best friend’s parents’ house there. It’s quiet, charming, and very “small town America” with little shops, family-owned restaurants, and lots of character. I believe the characters in my Laurel Cove Romance Series books find peace and comfort in this place. Much like I do when I get to revisit Burnsville.

Alexis: Why did you make your story’s heroine, Cora Bradford, an author? What genre does she write?

Teresa: Cora is a New York Times best-selling author of mystery/suspense novels. I wanted her to have a career that would be possible to step away from during her grieving process but also re-engage with without much trouble as she drew closer to healing. Her huge level of success as an author with a lucrative contract helped make this possible.

Alexis: In what ways does your real-life experience as an author play into this fiction story?

Teresa: Well, I’m most certainly not a New York Times best-selling author like Cora. But, I do know what it’s like to have to set writing aside when other parts of life take higher priority. At the beginning of the book, Cora hasn’t written since experiencing tragic loss. I took about two years off in between writing my first book and Suddenly Forever because my husband’s job took him on the road. I essentially became a single mom and it wasn’t time for writing. Both Cora and I had to find a way to rediscover inspiration and trust our talents weren’t too rusty to use again. That takes tapping into faith! I think I really connected to Cora in that way.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in your characters’ lives in this story?

Teresa: Faith is Cora’s lifeline as she still struggles with the grief of losing a dear loved one. She prays often, asking God for mercy and healing. For Luke, faith is something he’s maybe always had a little bit of but never cultivated. When he finds his deceased mother’s prayer journal, it awakens within him the need for prayer and faith in his own life. And, Cora and Luke’s elderly neighbor Ina offers up a lot of wisdom based on many, many years of a fine-tuned faith that has seen her through many of life’s ups and downs.

Alexis: Why did you make Luke an award-winning journalist? How does his career affect his character and show his personality?

Teresa: Having lived a life as a photojournalist for nearly twenty years speaks to Luke’s nomadic life, not only literally but probably also emotionally. He’s never really been grounded by a close-knit family. Similar to Cora’s writing career, Luke has achieved great things with his job, so his financial security makes it believable that he can take some time off and move to Laurel Cove. I think his career also highlights Luke’s natural curiosity and ability to observe people. He sees a lot of Cora’s pain early on and I think it helps him be more empathetic.

Alexis: What – or who – draws Luke and Cora together, and what threatens to tear them apart?

Teresa: Literally speaking, their proximity as neighbors on the small lake just outside of Laurel Cove brings them together. Even though Cora isn’t interested in making friends, she keeps running into Luke. Eventually, she warms to him and an instant and much-needed friendship blossoms. I won’t give away any details of the challenges they face, but I think it’s safe to say that Cora and Luke have to find ways to work through their fear and past disappointments to trust in the hope of new love. 

Alexis: Who is Ina McLean and what role does she play in this story?

Teresa: I absolutely adore Ina McLean, an elderly widow who is the only other resident on the small lake other than Cora and Luke. Having only recently lost her husband, Ina is grieving in a way much different than her younger neighbors. Her long years of experience with loss and disappointment, plus a deep and tested faith, give her the unique ability to be a voice of reason and comfort. She’s spunky, wise, and speaks her mind. She absolutely loves Luke and acts as a bit of a matchmaker between him and Cora, though maybe a bit clumsily. I think Ina adds a much-needed layer of humor throughout the story, too. She’s just great. In fact, most of my favorite quotes from the book belong to Ina.

Alexis: Why did you want to write about the themes of restoration, hope and love for this story?

Teresa: Even if every reader may not relate to the loss of a family member, everyone has dealt with disappointment, hurt, or hopelessness at some point. This side of heaven, we all need hope of being restored in our times of need. Love, at the root of Christ’s power to restore us, is the best way to show that. I felt so strongly about writing about loss in an honest, real way so that the restoration was also deeply real.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Teresa!

~*~
Author Bio:

Teresa Tysinger is an author of Southern Contemporary Romance inspired by grace. 

She writes on the fringes of being a wife, mom, and full-time communications and public relations professional. Her acclaimed debut novel, Someplace Familiar, released in 2017.

Teresa is a member of ACFW, the Association for Women in Communications, and the Religion Communicators Council. She loves coffee, traveling, and prides herself in knowing and loving almost every genre of music.

Born in Hawaii, raised in Florida, and educated in North Carolina, she now resides in Texas with her husband, daughter, and dog.

~*~
Book blurb for Suddenly Forever:

On the outskirts of Laurel Cove, North Carolina sits a quiet lake tucked into gentle mountains carpeted with the brilliant colors of autumn. Grief binds the lake’s only residents into an unlikely family, where old and new love build a bridge between loss and hope.

For years, best-selling author Cora Bradford has worked tirelessly to tread the unrelenting waves of grief in solitude. That is until a new neighbor moves in down the road and threatens to disrupt what she’s carefully preserved of the life she once knew. Will God ever answer her prayer for peace and calmer waters?

Following a scandal, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Luke Bassett escapes to the one place in the world he’s ever experienced peace—his mother’s cabin on the lake where he spent childhood summers. But the memory of her and the mistakes he made are hardly peaceful. To make matters worse, he gets off to a rocky start with his bitter, but breathtakingly beautiful, neighbor. Was running away from the life he’s always known the biggest mistake of all, or the beginning of something he never knew he wanted?

Spunky, opinionated, and recently widowed Ina McLean is alone for the first time in over ninety years. When Cora and Luke come together to care for their only other neighbor, Ina’s belief in God’s goodness through life’s ups and downs works to restore their hope in learning to live—and love—again.

~*~
Buy Teresa’s book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Teresa:
Website: https://teresatysinger.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresatysingerauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teresa_tysinger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresatysinger_author/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/39SyGgO
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16536072.Teresa_Tysinger
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/teresa-tysinger

~*~
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:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Boyfriends: Mary's hero

Interview with Price, the hero from Sparks of Love by Mary L. Ball

Mary: What is it like living in Freedom, North Carolina?

Price: Freedom, is a small town where people seem to know everything about each other. It’s also a place where everyone comes together and helps in times of need.

Mary: The townsfolk didn’t appreciate Lynette Cunningham coming back home. How did you handle that?

Price: I turned the other cheek and left it to the Lord to sort. We all face situations where sometimes that’s the only thing any of us can do.

Mary: Price, Lynette is the black sheep in town. Weren’t you afraid people would talk about the local pastor dating a thief?

Price: People gossip, at times even Christians. I had to trust the Lord and pray that they would find compassion in their hearts.

Mary: Were you discouraged when you and Lynette found out that the one thing she hoped would clear her name failed?

Price:  Yes, but I told Lynette to forget the past and move on with her life.

Mary: Price, what made you fall in love with Lynette Cunningham?

Price: Despite her attempt to keep me at arm’s length, I discovered she was as pretty on the inside as she was on the outside, and had a generous heart. That’s when I knew she was the one lady for me.

Mary: How did it make you feel when Lynette told you she was leaving town?

Price:  I thought I’d lost my soul mate forever. Still, I had to go on and believe that somehow she’d realized she loved me as much as I loved her.

Mary: Why did you hide in the garage and attempt to capture a villain singled handed?

Price:  I may be a pastor, but I’m also a man in love. I wanted to protect the woman I love.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Mary L. Ball is a multi-published Christian author. 

She resides in the heart of North Carolina. 

When she isn't working on her latest story, she enjoys fishing, reading, and ministering in song with her husband at various functions. 

~*~
Book Blurb for Sparks of Love: Misjudged and accused, Lynette Cunningham walks away from God and everything she loves.

Ten years later, a phone call from father offers hope when he announces he may have a clue to the unsolved crime that forced her to run. She’s scared, but encouraged. Maybe this will clear her name from slander in her small North Carolina hometown. 

Before Lynette returns tragedy strikes. A fire destroys her childhood home and kills her father. While she sorts through the ruins and hopes to find the clue, Lynette meets the new pastor, Price Fletcher. She must face the two things that scare her most. The past and a man of God.

The past wants to stay buried. Will Lynette stay alive long enough to prove her innocence and accept the love that is offered?

~*~
Buy Sparks of Love (book) on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Mary:
Website - http://www.marylball.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gracefulbooks
Twitter - https://twitter.com/inspires4mary
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8757890-mary-l-ball
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/authormary/
Visit Mary’s singing ministry site - http://heirsofsalvation2.webs.com

~*~
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: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall into Love: Lee Carver's story

An Autumn Remembered
A Fall into Love story by Lee Carver

Fifty years ago, my grad school roommate cornered me into a blind date with a guy in her German class. He invited me to the UNC Chapel Hill football game, for which we both had free student cards. I hadn’t been to a single game. I didn’t even know where to park or which section to sit in, but wanted to see a game before the season ended.

At the time, I lived off campus as a graduate biochemistry student and owned my first car. My prospective date had given his VW bug back to his dad because the university deemed that a student didn’t need a work scholarship if he could afford a car, and he worked in the library photo shop. So we’d use my car, and it wouldn’t cost the guy anything to take me. No strings. I accepted.

After the game Darrel drove around, tried to connect with his friends giving a hamburger party which never developed, and we wound up having dinner in an Italian restaurant. The date ran very long, and I had a terrible headache because I’d stayed up sewing until the wee hours the night before. I enjoyed his company and found him the most normal guy I’d ever met—no pretentions, not braggadocios, always polite, and he made no improper advances. At the end of the day, he said he’d call me.

Yeah, right.

But he did. We went to a movie, Bonnie and Clyde. I hated the movie but liked Darrel.

My roommate raved about the beauty of autumn in the North Carolina mountains. Being from South Alabama, I’d never seen the leaves as she described them. We don’t do autumn down there. “You’re going to miss it,” she said. “This is probably the last weekend the leaves will be pretty.”

In many hours of conversation, Darrel had spoken of having gone to the mountains during fall and over Christmas with his roommates in previous years. He knew where to go, and I had the car. So I, who never called men, phoned my new best friend. “Would you like to drive to the mountains with me to see the leaves this Saturday?”

He impressed me by filling the car with gas as we began the most beautiful, glorious drive I’d ever experienced. He bought us a KFC picnic, and we spread out on the deep, green grass in a field beside a little white Baptist church. In the grand setting of the North Carolina mountains dressed for autumn we began to realize we had something special.

"Tunnel of Trees" photo by Lee Carver

Four months after our blind date, I made a lovely wedding dress, my family came up from Alabama, and Daddy, a minister, officiated at our marriage.

Pictured: Lee Carver and her husband Darrel

This year we celebrated fifty years of courtship and marriage, our romantic season from September to February, by driving in search of autumn leaves. We went to Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Kentucky, Virginia—and the best place at the perfect time, Lake Placid, New York. Every day we walked in the crisp air, captured the colors in photographs, and praised God for his craftsmanship. Along seacoasts and in mountains for more than a month, we wrapped ourselves in glorious reds, oranges, and yellows. We held hands as we strolled and stopped for kisses in hidden glens. Red berries hung from flowers and trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway, in botanical gardens, and deep in the wild forests. We feasted our eyes and our souls on God’s creation.

When we’d drunk our eyes full of shimmering fall beauty, we started the drive home to Texas. On the way, we stopped for a week with our son and his family in Maryland, where fall had not yet gotten serious, but the crab was fantastic. During evening prayers the first night with Quinn, his wife Sue, and their three children, a sense of joy settled over my heart. 
This was what our fifty years was truly about: our adult son and daughter and the five precious grandchildren they had given us. Each of them has chosen to live in a loving relationship with God, each accepted salvation through Christ Jesus. Surrounded by their prayers, Darrel and I witnessed and felt the wholeness of our fifty years of love.

~*~
Author bio: 

Lee Carver lived in the Brazilian Amazon for six years, the hardest and best years of her life. 

She and her husband served with a Brazilian organization, formerly MAF-Brazil, in which he flew an amphibious ten-seat Cessna Caravan over jungle area half the size of the United States. 

Their home in Manaus—the largest city in the world with no road to it—was a free guesthouse for missionaries, pilots, mechanics, and medical volunteers. 

She went on missions, speaks the language, and knows the people whose story she tells.

~*~
Blurb for Lee's book Rebecca's Redemption: A nurse seeking redemption for past sins joins a doctor contending against the jungle. Both healers need healing.

Rebecca Singer once was the kind of nurse who partied all weekend and closed the bar with the last karaoke tune. Then she met the Lord and vowed to make up to Him for those wasted years by serving in the worst place in the world. She determined to earn her redemption in the Brazilian Amazon jungle.

Dr. Ed Pierce, a widower with two young daughters, operates a Christian hospital in the Brazilian Amazon. A lifelong believer, he struggles with the tragedy of losing his wife—his love, the mother of his children. When the mission board agrees to hire a nurse, he requests an American who can split her time between the hospital and home schooling his children. 

~*~
Buy Lee's book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Lee:
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

~*~
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:  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Interview with Mary L. Ball, author of Christmas at Angel Ranch

Welcome Mary L. Ball to the blog today! She's here to talk about Kayla and Reed, the two main characters of her holiday story, Christmas at Angel Ranch.

Enjoy the interview with Mary! 

Words by Alexis are in bold, words from Mary L. Ball are not in bold...

~*~
Alexis: Why is your story called Christmas at Angel Ranch?

Mary: I’ve always wanted a character’s last name to be Angel. When I created this Christmas novella, it just seemed fitting for the family who owned the lodge to have that surname.

Share the story-behind-the-story. What inspired you to write this book?

Around our house, deer hunting is common during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was listening to my husband describe a particular hunt at his hunting lodge and the idea came to me. All the years I’ve heard his stories and could write a book. But Christmas at Angel Ranch isn’t soaked with hunting details, it’s a romance.

Kayla, your heroine, is a home designer. Tell us why you chose that career for her and what significance it has to the story.

I’m a fly by my seat kind of writer. I let the Lord guide me, and the character’s take over. Kayla’s career choice was just that, her fancy. The fact that many different possibilities arrive from being a designer gave Kayla options that challenged her as she found her life changing. 

Why did you choose to set your story in North Carolina?

Hunting in the mountains of NC is a well-loved sport. What better place to for an elite hunting ranch. And it doesn’t hurt that I’m familiar with the area.

What’s the family business for Kayla like? Why did she leave NC to start her own company instead of growing into the family business?

Like a Hallmark movie. The things Kayla grew up with seems dreary, so she leaves home for greener pastors. She returns to help out with the family business, just until the holidays are over.

Angel Ranch is a hunting lodge that caters to elite hunters. Sounds intriguing! Tell us more about it in a way that helps us envision it.

Angel Ranch is high-class lodge. The huge log cabin style ranch offers hunting at its finest, and a large dining room where meals are prepared daily. The area also has a comfortable den with a massive wood-burning fireplace for relaxing. Added to that is a store where sportsmen can find all the comforts needed.

Reed Jessup, who we find at Angel Ranch, seems like the ruggedly handsome type who lives for being outdoors. Am I right? Explain his persona, traits, strengths, and flaws.

He’s a smart man whose eyes shine with kindness. His smile captures his entire face. Reed is rugged, with a firm build from enjoying outdoor activities. He likes striped shirts because they remind him of his grandfather’s beloved flannel and the winters Reed spent hunting with him. Reed is a Godly man who has been hurt by a past love and is a bit suspicious of a woman’s anterior motive when it comes to love.

What is Reed’s career and why is he ready to leave his corner office for a few weeks of rest and relaxation?

Reed Jessup is a CPA for a prestigious accounting firm. Hunting takes him back to a simpler time and offers him an escape from the mental challenges of keeping his clients happy.

Is there a Christmas miracle in this story? If so, what can you tell us without giving way the ending?

Christmas is about opening up your heart, that’s all I’ll say.

What are you, as an author, looking forward to this Christmas?

I’m happy to be celebrating the Lord’s birth and spending time with friends and family.

Thanks for the interview, Mary! Merry Christmas and God bless you! 

~*~
Author bio: 

Mary L. Ball is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives in North Carolina and writes about real-life problems, blended with romance or mystery.

Her novels include: Escape to Big Fork Lake, Stone of Destiny, Postmarked Ever After, Christmas at Angel Ranch and Redemption in Big Fork Lake.

When Mary is not working on her latest story, she enjoys fishing, reading, and singing with her husband at church functions.

Watch for Mary's new release, Sparks of Love from Prism Book Group, tentatively scheduled for Summer 2016. 

~*~
Buy Mary's book, Christmas at Angel Ranch:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1jWwskF
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1RixCFs
Deeper Shopping - http://bit.ly/1P0evP1
Pay Hip - http://bit.ly/1Y79slM

~*~

Connect with Mary:

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/1Riy4DQ

Twitter - https://twitter.com/inspires4mary

25 Days of Christmas Reads: Interview with Jodie Bailey, author of Quilted by Christmas

Meet novelist Jodie Bailey! She's a North Carolina native who loves coffee, the beach and good books. Today we're featuring her award-winning contemporary romance, Quilted by Christmas, which she agreed to give away for free! 

In order to WIN a paperback copy of Jodie's book, enter the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget below. But first, let's look at this lovely photo of Jodie's book cover! 

A truly beautiful photo that makes you want to decorate your house for Christmas, isn't it? Remember to enter the contest via the Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, on to the interview! :)

*Words by Alexis in bold, words from Jodie are not in bold
~*~

Alexis: Your new novel, Quilted by Christmas is a contemporary romance. What do you love the most about writing in this genre?

Jodie: I love the “freedom” of romance. Generally, I write suspense, and there is a certain expectation and pace to that. With straight romance, I enjoy the focus on relationship, on watching two people grow and battle for (and sometimes against) one another. It’s all about the characters and their pull to one another. Being a character-first kind of girl, I love that! As for this one, I loved watching Justin bring out the “real” Taryn again. She becomes herself around him, the self she’s buried for years. It was so much fun to watch her change.

What was the inspiration for and the meaning behind the title of your book?

That was actually a call by Abingdon. The book was in the Quilts of Love series, and the focus was on the story of the quilt and how it needed to be finished by Christmas… and how it symbolized the re-creation of the relationship between Taryn and Justin. The original quilt is destroyed, and they have to work together to finish a recently discovered, half-finished new quilt. I’m a symbolism girl, and the quilts in the book pack a whole lot of symbolism into their stitches!

Tell us about your leading lady Taryn McKenna. What does she love the most about life? What brings her joy? What brings her pain? Why does she believe that she’s “easy to forget”?

Taryn was a challenge to write. She is vulnerable and broken by the choices of others and by her own choices. But she also has an inner strength that helps her overcome. She’s more tenacious than she thinks she is. Taryn loves being alive, and she adores her grandmother. Jemma brings her joy. In fact, everything about being a family brings her joy, but family also brings her the most pain, because hers is so fractured. Because her father dismissed her and because Justin so easily walked away from her so many years ago, she’s pretty certain she just doesn’t have what it takes to be loved. Losing Justin and her actions shortly after that loss cause her enormous pain, so she tries to run and hide. She’s so certain of her unworthiness, she misses the love all around her.

Taryn’s been through a lot with being abandoned by her parents and left behind when her sweetheart went to serve their country. So those are understandable reasons why she “vows to never love again.” But I have a feeling something changes that vow. Want to divulge the details without giving away your story?

Ooh… that’s a tough one. Taryn has believed a lot of lies in her life, and one by one, those lies are stripped away and the truth comes out. Justin is persistent in his friendship with her, in seeing her happy. He’s a hard man for Taryn to ignore. It takes some serious run-ins with unconditional love to make her understand what love really is.

Why does Taryn love the outdoors? Is this story set in the countryside?
Describe the story setting and its role in making Taryn come alive. Taryn was born and raised in the little Blue Ridge Mountain valley town of Hollings, NC. It’s growing as an artsy place, where old-school crafting and town life are blooming. Her family owned a huge apple orchard, and she was always outside as a kid. She’s totally at home on the peaks and in the valleys, and although she doesn’t get to do a lot of roaming in the story, it’s clear that’s where she’s the most alive, especially in one scene, which involves a four-wheeler and a very muddy hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. She finds solace where the people aren’t, because she can be her most authentic self out where she’s alone.

Why does Taryn choose to be a teacher of high school kids? Describe her relationship with her students. Do they love and respect her or give her a run for her money? Explain why.

Taryn was wounded the most when she was a teen, so she has very vivid memories of that time in her life. She holds onto those memories and does her best to see the world through their eyes. Her biggest pains and her biggest mistakes grew out of high school, so she’s determined to use those to help her kids. She’s a mentor to them, someone who loves them no matter what. They respect her and they come to her knowing she’s been there and she’ll tell them straight what they need, and she’ll love them through anything.

What impact did Taryn’s grandmother Jemma make on Taryn’s life before falling ill? What role does Jemma play in this story apart from being Taryn’s grandmother?

Jemma is Taryn’s constant. She has never stopped loving Taryn, ever. She coaxed Taryn through all of the hardest moments of her life, a voice of reason and wisdom. But when it comes out that Jemma made one very big mistake and has kept one very big secret, Taryn has to find her own way to forgiveness and to realize that her grandmother isn’t perfect, but perfection isn’t what it’s all about. Love is. Jemma’s role? She “drives the bus.” That woman is a straight up, take charge meddler, and she’s got her hands all into everything… even from the hospital.

What is an Irish chain quilt? Describe the history and meaning behind it.

I created a history of the quilt for Taryn’s family. For each marriage, the women of the McKenna family hand sew a quilt for the new couple. The quilt serves as a way to link the family together through the generations. The quilt sewn for Taryn’s mother hangs on her bedroom wall, even though her parents’ marriage was a disaster that colored Taryn’s entire life, a symbol of why she herself did something questionable and regrettable out of love. The story begins when Taryn finds an unfinished Irish chain in Jemma’s attic, because there was no bride to go with the quilt. It’s a mystery, but as the book progresses, it’s clear God knows exactly what He’s doing.

How does the quilt-making process help Taryn see her value?

Taryn had one great love in her life, Justin Callahan. One mistake drove them apart, and Taryn compounded that mistake in a way that meant they could never be together again. However, when Justin comes home from the military, he inserts himself into Taryn’s life again. When Jemma is injured and can’t sew the Irish chain for Taryn’s cousin’s upcoming wedding, Taryn has to step in. And Justin keeps showing up to help. His patience, the time they have together where the focus isn’t on them, helps her to heal, to see that love and forgiveness are tied together, even when the hurt may seem unforgiveable.

Is this a love story? Why or why not? I ask because I don’t see a mention of a male lead/hero in your story description.

This is totally a love story. Justin Callahan and Taryn grew up together and fell in love in high school, but they wrecked their own relationship, and Taryn did something she sees as unforgiveable in order to protect him. The problem is, Justin doesn’t know what she did, and when he comes home, he wants to pursue the friendship they used to have. When the feelings grow deeper, Taryn has to deal with her own abandonment issues, her secrets, and Jemma’s mistakes in order to accept Justin’s love. And Justin has to decide if he can forgive Taryn for lying to him for years.

What role does your faith in God play into this story as the author? What can you tell me about the faith of your main characters?

Justin is solid in his faith, but Taryn is a bit shaky. She has to come to understand that God loves her no matter what, that his grace is so much bigger than anything she can imagine. His love… Wow, his love. It’s this all-encompassing thing. I was blessed to have a father totally unlike Taryn’s earthly father, so I understood that God loved me. However, like Taryn, I struggled to find my value. When I finally did, it changed my whole life, just like Taryn.

What do you want readers to treasure the most about Quilted by Christmas?

Jemma, Taryn’s grandmother. She is an amalgamation of both of my grandmothers.

My Nanny is this gentle soul who loves without reservation or condition, and she is a lot of Jemma’s soft side.

My Bopum (grandmother), who had a huge hand in raising me, died the year before I wrote the book, and Jemma gets her hard-headed, fiery, bossy side from her. I grieved a lot in the writing of the book and put a few of my grandmothers’ stories into the narrative. Anyone who knows them has come to me and told me how much of these wonderful women they see in the writing, and that means a lot. So I hope they love Jemma and embrace her. She’s pretty awesome.

Thanks for the interview, Jodie!

Thanks for inviting me!

~*~
Author bio:

Jodie Bailey writes novels about freedom and the heroes who fight for it. She is the author of 2015 RT Reviewers Choice Award winner Crossfire, from Love Inspired Suspense, and 2014 Selah Winner and CBA bestseller Quilted by Christmas from Abingdon Press. 

She is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee, and a great book can cure all ills. 

Jodie lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter, and two dogs.
~*~
Book blurb for Quilted by Christmas: The town of Hollings, North Carolina, nestled in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, is preparing for Christmas. Taryn McKenna, however, is feeling anything but festive. Her grandmother Jemma, the only love in her life since her mother died and her father abandoned her, is facing a medical crisis. 

As her cousin’s New Year’s wedding draws near, Jemma asks Taryn to finish the quilt that is traditionally hand sewn for brides in their family. She finds herself reluctantly accepting help from Justin Callahan, the man she would have married…until one mistake cost them more than their relationship. Taryn has a secret that could derail not only Justin’s life, but the life of a total stranger. 

 When Justin learns the truth, will he continue to stand by Taryn’s side, or will her life unravel one stitch at a time? 

~*~

Buy Jodie's book:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1TDrWUN
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1lAg3TU
Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1XLZCjC