Friday, May 15, 2020

Mid-Month Madness Party



Welcome to the Mid-Month Madness Party! We really appreciate you coming by! We will be giving away six books so be sure to pay attention to how to enter.

To enter to win you MUST leave a comment WITH your email and you MUST ask one or more of the authors a question you'd like to know about them, their writing, or their books.

We are looking forward to getting to know you better and hope you'll get to know us better, too!


BE SURE TO DROP BY THE FACEBOOK PARTY FOR A CHANCE TO MINGLE WITH THE AUTHORS, AND EVEN MORE GREAT GIVEAWAYS! 

The Damsel's Intent




Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

 Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they’re not?





Katelyn's Choice



Scandalous news just keeps begging to be told, and taming her tongue seems an insurmountable task.

Katelyn Kavanagh’s mother dreamed her daughter would one day escape the oppressive environment of their Upstate New York farm for service in the enchanting Thousand Islands, home to Gilded Age millionaires. But when her wish comes true, Katelyn finds herself in the service of none other than the famous George Pullman, and the transition proves anything but easy.



Thomas O’Neill, brother of her best friend, is all grown up and also working on Pullman Island. Despite Thomas’ efforts to help the irresistible Katelyn adjust to the intricacies of her new world, she just can’t seem to tame her gossiping tongue—even when the information she’s privy to could endanger her job, the 1872 re-election of Pullman guest President Ulysses S. Grant, and the love of the man of her dreams.







Spies & Sweethearts





A secret mission. A fake bride. A run for their lives.

According to the OSS training manual, the life expectancy of a radio operator in Nazi-occupied France is six weeks. Partnered with one of the agency’s top spies, Gerard Lucas, newly-minted agent Emily Strealer plans to beat those odds. Then their cover is blown and all bets are off. The border to neutral Switzerland is three hundred miles away-a long way to run with SS soldiers on their heels.



Will Emily and Gerard survive the journey and get home?



And what about their hearts? Nothing in the manual prepared them for falling in love.





Kate




A prostitute’s daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come out of Deadwood?

Kate Benton, daughter of a saloon floozy, runs away, straight into the arms of Tom McBride, fleeing from his outlaw brother’s past. Can these two, damaged by life experiences, tear down the walls that separate them with God’s help? Or are they destined to remain alone forever?




Bitter Honey




With God all things are possible.

But can lost love be found again or two wounded hearts knitted together?
Young love, sweeter than honey, is separated by a natural disaster and turns bitter. After five years, a miracle reunites Samantha Adams and Silas Mercier, but it seems it’s too late. How will love prevail? Can it ever fail? With perseverance and God’s help—throw in a little jealousy—dreams may come true.



Waltz with Destiny



When war comes to America, Esther questions whether she has the grit to carry on the McConnell legacy. 

Romance reverses into a battle for survival—and an unforeseeable ending. Ruby McConnell Meir leaves Kentucky and returns to Detroit with her daughter, Esther, and son, William. 
The Big Band Era and the big city of Detroit has Esther’s head in a whirl. She meets the handsome Eric Erhardt who knows how to give a girl a twirl around the ballroom. 
The realities of World War II sudden slam America’s shorelines and Eric comes face to face with death when he’s drafted into the Army and shipped to fight in Italy. 



Mail-Order Refuge



She needs a place to hide—he needs a woman’s touch

Rand Stafford isn't looking for true love. He'd ridden that trail until his fiancée left him with a shattered heart. What he needs now is a wife to help care for his orphan nieces. Desperate, he sends an advertisement and hopes for the best.

Fleeing her employer’s unlawful acts, a newspaper advertisement reads like a refuge to Carly Blair. Hiding herself on a cattle ranch in Kansas is her best shot for freedom. 

But its sanctuary comes with—a husband. While marrying a man she doesn't love means sacrificing her dreams, it's better than being caught by the law.

Or is it?






Surprised by Love in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin



Will she lose her heart to the intruder who stole her job? 

Already a summer retreat for Chicago's elite, the small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin wants to promote their greatest asset--the crystal clear waters of Geneva Lake. A new recreational building is almost complete with plans for a grand opening set to take place in a couple months. It is the height of the big-band era and the new ballroom is exactly the final touch the town needs to draw people to their special place.

Local girl Meg Alden works for the local paper and aspires to be a reporter--a job only given to men. When the reporter position opens up, she applies, only to be told that Jack Wallace, son of a Chicago newspaper magnate has already been hired. Jack is drawn to Meg and suggests they work together to uncover a local scandal. But how can she work with the man who stole her job and makes her pulse race?






Direct a comment below to one or more of the authors for a chance to win her book giveaway! And don't forget to join the Mid-Month Madness Facebook party for even more great prizes!










Bestselling, award-winning novelist MARY DAVIS has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She is a member of ACFW and has led critique groups for more than two decades. Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-five years and two cats. She has three adult children and two adorable grandchildren. She enjoys playing board and card games, rain, and cats. She would enjoy gardening if she didn’t have a black thumb. Her hobbies are quilting, porcelain doll making, sewing, crafts, crocheting, and knitting.





Susan G Mathis is an award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma and Katelyn’s Choice are available now, and she’s working on book three. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family LegacyChristmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise are also available. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.
Susan is also a published author of two premarital books with her husband, Dale, two children's picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs, enjoys traveling globally with her wonderful husband, Dale, and relishes each time she gets to see or Skype with her four granddaughters.





Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is also a trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry. Linda has lived in historic places all her life, and is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. 





Donna Schlacter writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 30 times in novellas, full-length novels, and non-fiction books. She is a member of ACFW, Writers on the Rock, SinC, Pikes Peak Writers, and CAN; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests




Caryl McAdoo, praying her story gives God glory, loves God, her husband of fifty-plus years Ron, five sons and six daughters (birthed and in-loves), and nineteen grandsugars—then writing stories and singing the new songs God gives her. (Hear at YouTube.) Readers love her historical Christian romance family sagas with their characters who become like friends and family. She also writes contemporary romance, Biblical fiction, and for young adults and mid-grade booklovers. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville—seat of Red River County in Northeast Texas—waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.




Catherine Brakefield is an award-winning author of the inspirational historical romance Wilted Dandelions. Destiny series: Swept into Destiny, Destiny’s Whirlwind, Destiny of Heart, and Waltz with Destiny.



She has written Images of America; The Lapeer Area, and Images of America: Eastern Lapeer County.  

Her short stories have been published in Guidepost Books, Baker BooksRevell, CrossRiver Media, and Bethany House.
She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), President of the Great Lakes Chapter (ACFW GLC), Heart of American Christians Writers Network (HACWN), and is a longtime Michigan resident. Catherine lives with her husband of 45 years, has two adult children, and four grandchildren. 





Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Cindy is married to her husband of 37 years, has two grown sons, a son residing in heaven, and two beautiful daughters-in-law. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, and genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.





Pamela Meyers has written most of her life, beginning with her first diary at age eight. Her novels,
set in and around her hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, include Surprised by Love in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, along with Safe Refugeand Shelter Bay.(Books One and Two in the Newport of the West Series.) Tranquility Point, Book Three which just released on May 5th. A fourth book in the series will publish in 2021. 
Pam resides in northern Illinois with her two rescue cats, only an hour or so away from Lake Geneva where she often is found nosing around for new story ideas. 



Please be sure to include your email address in your comment using at and dot so we can notify you of your prize! Example: janedoe at gmail dot com

60 comments:

  1. Wow! There are some great covers featured there! Congratulations to all of you!

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    1. We do have some awesome covers! I just LOVE mine! I was so excited to get a purple dress for my heroine!

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    2. Thanks, Connie. Wish I could claim some credit, but it was our awesome cover designer Chautona Havig ")

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    3. Thank you, Connie! Like Donna, Chautona Havig is responsible for my LILAH Prairie Roses Collection cover and Virginia McKevitt did the BITTER HONEY cover for the Lockets & Lace Collection! I believe covers are important :)

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    4. SO exciting. What a wonderful group of authors I get to hang with!

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    5. Thank you! My husband designed my cover, and I'm so proud of the work he did. He's so supportive!

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    6. So excited to be among these talented ladies

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    7. Thank you Connie! I can't take credit for them. CrossRiver does all the cover art!

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  2. Ok girls, this question goes to all of you....
    When writing, do you ever have conversations in your head with two or more characters and do they ever have a disagreement?

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    1. Hi Melanie,
      My characters converse in my head ALL THE TIME, with each other and with me. It can get pretty noisy up there, but I'm never alone. =0) Arguments happen. When they argue with me, I don't usually win. They can be pretty stubborn. Some times they dig in their heals and fold their arms and won't budge. Other times they turn and walk away and leave me to deal with whatever trouble they just caused, as I'm calling after them to come back. =0)
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. Hi Melanie, same as Mary, except instead of calling them to come back, I plead and beg--I can't afford to lose them! But one of the best times when they talk to me is when they say something I wasn't expecting--and it's a great line. In "Kate", one of Zeke's great lines is: He couldn't have been more surprised if she'd smacked him with a porcupine.

      That came from an Alaskan cruise we took, and the park ranger at a glacier park told us that more people were injured by porcupines falling out of trees than by grizzly attacks. So I spent the rest of our time there peered up at the trees--I didn't see much else :) But Zeke reminded me of that, even though I didn't know he was even with me on that cruise.

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    3. Hello Melanie! I think it's so fun that we "see" each other online so much more than we do in person, especially since you live between me and the Walmart! :) Of course, Ron's taken to going with me about every time now to get groceries, just because we love being together, so there aren't as many opportunities to get that way for a girl's Taco Casa lunch! <3

      The answer to your question in yes, ma'am. It all happens in your head before it goes onto the paper, and we've discovered if you try and make the characters do something they don't want to do . . . you might as well back right up and let them guide you :) They just do get cranky when they don't get their own ways! <3

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    4. Oh yeah! My characters chatter a lot! Even when I'm not at the keyboard, so I always have something with me to capture the moment (phone, notepad, napkin...). I'm an outliner, and my characters don't always agree with what I plan for them! Then things get dicey!

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    5. Plenty of conversations going on in my head but I usually have to force those characters to argue. I'd rather sail along without any conflict, but alas, that does not make a book.

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  3. I forgot my email..
    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  4. Hi Melanie. I write with a plot outline most of the time and have an idea of what my characters will say before I write the scene but then when I start writing the characters take over and what sometimes comes out of their mouths is not what I intended for them to say. One time my heroine said something that became one of the major plot points of the story and I just sat back and stared at the screen and said, "I didn't know that!" LOL

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  5. Connie, I can't take credit for my covers either except for the visuals which are vintage postcards which I supplied to the cover artists. The historical covers were all designed by Diane Turpin and the Surprised by Love cover was designed by Lynette Bonner.

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  6. Yes Melanie, always. In fact sometimes my characters argue about a certain scene I want them to do. Their character had become so profound, that I sometimes have to find another character to do that scene. I always feel sad when a book or a series like my Destiny series closes. My characters had become so real to me, that I don't want to stop writing about their exploits!

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  7. Hi all! Pam Meyers here. In addition to my historical series set in my hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin I’m also giving away a copy of Surprised by Love in Lake Geneva here at the blog. The story is set in 1933 when the Rivera Building next to the beach was built. It’s the Depression but the townspeople want people in Chicago to know a respite is only a 2-hour train ride away. It’s the time of Big Bands and the new building has a beautiful ballroom on its second floor. Do you like to dance or listen to the Big Band tunes? I had great fun writing this book. It’s not part of my series but some of the characters are making appearances in the Fourth book in the series I’m currently writing. I’m having a lot of fun with that.

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  8. Linda Shelton Manchett - I’m not familiar with your writing, this book sounds intriguing. Is World War II your favorite time period to write?

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Hi Patty! Thanks for stopping by. I'm very intrigued by the WWII era, so it is definitely my favorite time period. I've been blessed to meet many people who served in combat and on the home front, and I admire them so much. My second favorite era is the civil war/post civil war era. I'll be focusing on that time period with several upcoming books.

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  9. This is for all the authors. How often do you base your characters on a real person or real story from the time period you write about.

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    1. Hi Julie,
      I don't usually base a whole character on a single person. I might take a characteristic or name from someone. Or I might combine characteristics from several people. To base a character totally on one person would be limiting for me. And if the person knew and didn't like what I did, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
      I do take snippets of events from real stories and put my made-up characters in it. But since I make up most of my towns and such, I have a lot of freedom.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. Like Mary, I rarely base a character on a single person, but I often base my story around incidents or snippets of events that occurred in the past.

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    3. I like to use real stories from my family history but usually change them up to make them more interesting. My characters may have little bits of several people I've known or heard about but I've never written a character totally based on a real person. Sounds kind of risky!

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  10. What do the authors like to read?

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    1. Hi Roxanne,
      I enjoy a variety of genres. Of course Christian romance is my first love. I like mysteries, fantasy, historical, contemporary, sci fi, YA, some suspense. I don't read horror or erotica or anything that is has graphic violence.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. Hi Roxanne: I love to read lots of historical fiction from just about any era there is. I do read some contemporary, but not much. Also love romance, romantic suspense, and mystery.

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    3. My favorite is historical romance (no kidding!) but I also like old classics like Jane Eyre and Little Women. My favorite contemporary author at the moment is Charles Martin with Debbie Macomber a close second. And I can vouch for any of the authors in this group. They're all amazing!

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  11. If you write in different genres, do you find it hard to switch gears?

    How do you decide what to write next?

    paulamarys49(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Hi Paula,
      I have been published in both historical and contemporary romance with one of those a little suspensey. I have dabbled in mystery and fantasy, but nothing published in those genres yet.
      I write what is contracted next. If nothing is contracted, I tend waffle between option. The characters from multiple project vie for my attention.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. I write romance and mystery and do find it a little difficult to switch gears, but I outline my stories, so where the slowdown occurs is when I'm trying to think up ideas. Once the story is planned, the writing tends to flow.

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    3. I've tried writing contemporary but feel like I'm not very good at it. Maybe I should have lived 100 years ago. Historical romance never gets old - pun intended. I usually don't make a decision about what to write next. I just sit down and start typing. It's like the story is in my fingertips itching to get out.

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  12. I've read quite a few of Caryl's books, and have books by others in my TBR stack. I'd like to know at what age each of you became Christians. TCordle2@cfl.rr.com

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    1. Hi Trudy,
      Though I always loved Jesus and believed in God, I made the commitment the summer between 6th and 7th grades. Best decision EVER!
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. I was very young, five or six years old, and came to know the Lord during Vacation Bible School.

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    3. Very young, not sure what age exactly. It's the only way I know how to travel this life.

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  13. Julie since my books are set in a real place in my hometown, I do include some real people from the towns past here and there. I love doing that. But the main characters and the family are all fictional. I also put them in real houses in the town and have them go to restaurants and events that were there and took place during the time of my story.

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  14. Roxanne, I love historical fiction, more in the early 1900s. going forward and contemporary fiction. Mysteries and suspense are high on my list as well.

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  15. Paula, I started out writing contemporary but when I sensed the tug to write about the history of my hometown from the time of the Great Chicago Fire I had to get used to writing about a time when travel was mostly by horse and buggy and there were no telephones. That took some adjusting. I managed but was very glad when the next book in the series had them actually getting a phone installed in their home. Still travel was mostly by horse, but by the next book, Tranquility Point, they were riding in cars and using telephones. Still there are times I wish I could give them a cell phone LOL.

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  16. Trudy, I did not come to saving faith in Christ until I was in my mid thirties. I wish it could have been sooner but, the Lord's timing is what matters

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  17. Hello Ladies! My question is for ALL of you amazing authors! What has the Lord shown you during this SELAH moment we are in?

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

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    1. Caryl Kane, funny you should ask. I had one of my readers say that my novels had helped her through this trying time in our lives. History often repeats itself. For instance, the Destiny Series begins in 1857 and ends in 1944. it really shows the grit, determination, and character of past generations.

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    2. Hi Caryl: Patience is not one of my virtues, and He has taught me to wait and be still. That His timing is best. A hard lesson to learn for me.

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    3. Hi Caryl,
      The same thing He's been showing me for the past several year. Hang in there and He's still with me.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    4. Perseverance! That and the whole trust/don't worry thing which I'm so not good at it. I hope I'm better at it than I was a few months ago. Lessons learned....

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  18. Your books sound very intriguing and the covers are all Beautiful! What is something you want your readers to take from your book? Have a Great weekend. God Bless you all and Congratulations to you all. aliciabhaney@sbcglobal.net

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    1. Hi Alicia,
      With any of my books, I want my readers to feel loved and feel God's love.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. I always try to have a central overall message with several smaller ones. MOR is about redemption and grace. forgiving and being forgiven.

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    3. With my books, I want readers to understand that God is a God of second chances, and He forgives us no matter what.

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  19. Caryl, I found the first weeks of the Covid lockdown to be very disconcerting. I was starting to write Book 4 in my series and I suddenly couldn't stay focused for more than an hour at a time. I finally decided to just put it to the side and until things settle since it's not due at the publisher until after the first of the year. I am finally able to stay better focused. Much of the U.S. is slowly opening up but where I live in Illinois it's not going to happen quickly. What I miss most is not being able to worship at church with my church family, but I'm very grateful for online services. I think this has been good for me to experience something like this. A real taste of what it's like to suddenly lose the freedom to move about and do for one's self. To take for granted that liberty. I'm sure that will be evident in my future books.

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  20. Alicia, I write books about life with all its ups and downs and trials and tribulations and with romance, of course. But I also have a Christian thread that shows how people who are strong in faith get through the messes of life with God's help. It is always my hope and prayer that the reader might find something to relate to and my story might have a small part in ministry to that person.

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  21. Im curious if any of you are planning to integrate the pandemic, covid-19, lack of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, etc. in any future books?

    Thanks for writing such great books!

    alice@audioedge.com

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    1. Hi Alice,
      I'm not because it's a contemporary thing and I write mostly historicals. I can use some of the things from this experience in historicals with other diseases and outbreaks. I have written and will likely write more contemporary stories in the future, but, at this point, I plan to stay away from COVID-19 because by the time I write a book and it goes through all the publishing wickets, it will be out of date before it is even ready to be published.
      Blessings,
      Mary
      =0)

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    2. Great question! At this point I only write historicals, so including Covid isn't an option. Although, I can certainly use some of the experiences in my stories. Interestingly, this pandemic has given me a tiny glimpse of what things might have been like during WWII with regard to product availability. I live in a very small town, and many items are no longer available. There are also long lines in the morning. Both of those experiences occurred during WWII.

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  22. Alicia, I am currently not writing contemporary and if I do write one down the road I don't know if I will. There's been a lot of discussion about that in past weeks among authors and most say they aren't sure anyone would be interested in reading about something like that for a long while. My Shelter Bay has small pox as part of the storyline because thee was an outbreak of it during the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. By then the vaccine was available but many did not choose to get the inoculation.

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  23. Hi! This is for Pamela Meyers. How do you decide what to write in your stories?

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  24. Erralee, I get a lot of ideas for plot lines to include by going through the weekly papers of the time of my story. What is happening in the town during that time, and when the movie theater came into town what movies were playing during the exact time of my story. Also articles about places in town and families who lived there from various sources.

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  25. Beautiful covers. Some of these books I read the Destiny series thst I could not wait fiir the next book. Bit of Honey. A vreat book about the journey out West

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    1. Thank you Rory Lemond for mentioning them and also for your great reviews. God Bless!

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