Meet author Sandra Bretting
Sandra Bretting is the author of a bestselling cozy mystery series that ran for five years with Kensington Publishing of New York, as well as three standalone mysteries and an inspirational memoir. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she began her career writing for the Los Angeles Times and other publications. From 2006 until 2016, she wrote feature stories for the award-winning business section of the Houston Chronicle.
Tell us about your newest book.
When the U. S. military adopted a new test from France called the “intelligence quotient test” during World War 1, no one expected the turmoil it would cause. Thousands of immigrants failed the test and were forced to return to their war-ravaged homelands. Unfit to Serve is the fictionalized account of one schoolmarm’s quest to right this wrong by creating a better test. In the end, the U.S. military did adopt a second version of the IQ test, but only after it destroyed thousands of lives.
What inspired you to write Unfit to Serve?
I came across a story of how the IQ test really came to America, and I kept wondering why it took the government an entire year to come up with a better test for recruits who didn’t speak English. I couldn’t stop thinking about the men (and the families) it affected.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
When a shy schoolmarm moves to an Army outpost with her husband during World War 1, she’s appalled at the bigotry leveled at foreign recruits. The Army requires all recruits to pass an IQ test; even those who can’t read the questions on the page. The school teacher secretly works to make a better test that levels the playing field.
What genre do you focus on?
I used to write a cozy mystery series, but I didn’t like the tight deadlines imposed by that genre. I need at least a year to come up with a good manuscript, and standalone novels give me that extra time. Plus, I really enjoy history, and now I get to do research to my heart’s content.
Why do you write?
I think God created me with an empathetic personality, and I’ve always been curious about the lives of others. My husband calls it “an innate curiosity.” God also instilled in me the need and the ability to capture what I see and translate it into words.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Josephine Pembroke is the schoolmarm who winds up at a dusty military outpost in San Antonio. I thought the name captures the period (early 1900s) and her upper-class upbringing very well. Of course, her friends call her Jo, and I like that too.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I think the hardest part about being an author is the uncertainty. I constantly ask myself whether I’ve written something compelling enough for my readers. So much is outside an author’s control (for example, I don’t get a say on the cover art or publication timeline) and that not knowing can be stressful.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
The best part for me is interacting with readers. I love to talk about books, both my own and others, with people who love good stories. Their enthusiasm for my characters warms my heart and compels me to keep writing.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I grew up in a Dutch household, and our Christmas featured Sinterklaas instead of Santa Claus.
What is your favorite pastime?
When I’m not writing, I like to hike with my husband and rescue dog through the hills behind our home in Colorado Springs.
What are you working on now?
My next book will feature a real-life artist who helped wounded soldiers during World War 1. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll leave it at that.
Website: www.sandrabretting.com
Link to book:
Social media links:
Twitter: @sandrabretting1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraBrettingBooks/
Tibbetts Point Lighthouse
Tibbetts Point Lighthouse is an iconic lighthouse where Lake Ontario meets the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands Region. Here’s a little more about it—from Libby’s point of view:
Libby cleared her throat, and a tiny chuckle gurgled in her voice. “Tibbetts Point Lighthouse is situated on three acres near the place that Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River. In 1827, Captain John Tibbetts gave the land to build the first lighthouse that used whale oil and was much smaller than the one we now have. Around twenty years later, the St. Lawrence River locks were built and international trade increased, so the lighthouse became even more important to shipping. Our current brick lighthouse was built several years later and is fifty-nine feet tall. It is tapered from twelve feet at its base to eleven feet at the octagonal lantern room. The parapet and wooden deck surrounding the light are covered with copper, and the walls
inside are lined with wood, so the metal stairs aren’t as noisy as they are in the unlined towers.”
Owen sighed. “Aye, lass. I can picture it all in my mind, and it helps ease my pain. Thank you. I’d be much obliged if you’d tell me more.”
Who was this lovely lass, her voice sweet as sugar and melodic as a nightingale? Her words as that of a poet. “When you’re well, you’ll have to climb to the top and see the fourth-order Fresnel lens that came from France. It’s a beauty to behold. The lantern is huge—a six-feet-wide octagon. It’s fifteen feet high with seven lights of thick plate glass as clear as crystal. The eighth side has an iron door to service it.”
“She must be a wonder. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one up close, but I could be wrong.”
Would his memory return once the pain subsided? What if it didn’t? His heart skipped several beats at the thought, but the lovely lass returned to painting a wonderful picture of their
surroundings and filling his mind with better thoughts.
“The light has sixty-one candle power and flashes every ten seconds and then is off for four seconds. It illuminates two hundred-and-seventy degrees of the watery horizon and keeps
ships, schooners, and all sorts of boats safe. And with the lamp so strong, it can get very hot up there, especially in the summer. Do you remember seeing it?”
He licked his lips again. “Nae, I cannot recall. But I have to say that you’re the cleverest lass I’ve ever met, and you paint a poet’s picture. The details make me head spin.”
About Libby’s Lighthouse:
When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.
Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.
When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past.
With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?
Meet author Davalynn Spencer
Internationally acclaimed novelist and Will Rogers Gold Medallion winner, Davalynn Spencer writes historical Western romance set along the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. She is a Publisher’s Weekly and ECPA bestselling author, and an award-winning rodeo journalist and former crime-beat reporter. She teaches writing workshops, plays and sings on her church worship team, and loves bacon and chocolate—but not necessarily in that order. Connect with her at https://www.davalynnspencer.com.
Tell us about your newest book.
Covering Grace is Book 6 of The Cañon City Chronicles series. Books 4 and 5 tell the story of Grace’s twin brothers, Cale and Hugh. Now Grace gets center stage—a perfect place after three years riding with Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. She can do it all—rope, ride, and take care of herself. But fitting in back at the home ranch is beyond her. She has more in common with her grandmother, Annie Hutton, the heroine of Book 1, Loving the Horseman. Full of the grit and independence of the renowned Hutton women, the road won’t be easy to the love and acceptance Grace longs for.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
After three years with a Wild West show, Grace Hutton returns home to Cañon City with Harley the Wonder Horse and a broken heart. She needs work and a place to live—not romance.
Dan Waite is caring for his invalid father and trying to keep their hat business in the black. Grace Hutton turns out to be more than he bargained for because he’s not ready to bargain with his heart.
What genre do you focus on?
I enjoy writing historical Western romance because I love happy endings and cowboys. The 1880s are my favorite period of the American West. Life was simpler then. Not easier, by any means, just simpler. I believe that’s one of the primary reasons people enjoy reading historical fiction.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Grace Hutton has been riding around in my mind ever since I wrote her brothers’ stories. She’s the kid sister tag-along, and she resents it just enough to prove herself better than her brothers. But Grace also wears her name well, in the way she moves and thinks—in spite of her grit and sass.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
As much as I would love to jump right on a story the first thing in the morning, I end up writing primarily in the afternoon – especially in the summer when I’m working outside more. I write every day except Sunday, and I look forward to that day of rest, a sabbath, if you will. I find it rejuvenates me for getting back to work on Monday.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Writing is hard work, but I love it. I’m compelled to write, to get the story of a character’s challenges out there so readers will root for her or him. The greatest reward is hearing from a reader who struck gold in a personal way because of how they related to the people, struggles, or themes in my books.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
When my children were little, our family went to Southern California and stood in line for two hours to get on the television show, The Price Is Right. I thought sure the people running the show would pick my husband in his cowboy hat, but they picked me! I didn’t win, but the consolation prize was a crate of Jelly Belly jellybeans. Can’t go wrong with that.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
It’s all about word choice. Saying more with fewer words, the right words. I’m a work in progress, with hopes of achieving the more-with-less finesse of writers like C.S. Lewis.
What is your favorite pastime?
I like to walk early in the mornings and take pictures.
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on a Christmas novella collection and kicking around the idea of combining Books 4, 5, and 6 of the Cañon City Chronicles under one cover as I did for Books 1, 2, and 3.
Website: www.davalynnspencer.com
Link to book: https://davalynnspencer.com/books/covering-grace/
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Meet author Janice Cole Hopkins
Janice Cole Hopkins grew up with an Appalachian heritage and has set several of her novels in the region. She is an avid reader herself as well as a prolific writer who has now published over seventy books. She works hard to make her stories come alive for readers, draw them in, enthrall and inspire, and give a sigh-worthy ending that makes the book hard to forget.
Tell us about your newest book, A Match for Merle.
Vanessa Acker didn’t have a very good reputation in Pinyon Falls, Texas. All the men she’d flirted with had rejected her, and some people even considered her a shrew. Since she’s not getting any younger and wants to marry, she decides to contact the same matchmaker three of the men in Pinyon Falls had success with.
Merle Sullivan has made a lot of money as a successful real estate speculator, but he’s ready to move on with his life and settle down. He contacts a matchmaker to begin the process. When he meets Vanessa Acker, she’s pretty enough, but he knows he’s in for a challenge. However, he senses something special about the woman buried beneath what she shows to the world.
What inspired you to write A Match for Merle?
A Match for Merle is part of a multiple-author collection, although each book can also be read as a standalone. Vanessa Acker had been an almost villainous character in my first three books in the collection (also set in the Hill Country of Texas), and I had no idea that she would eventually insist that she have her own book where she was the heroine. Of course, she does a lot of changing here.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
People in Pinyon didn’t much like Vanessa Acker, but when she sends to the matchmaker for a groom, she gets more than she expected in Merle Warner.
What genre do you focus on?
I write mainly inspirational, historical fiction and have written sixty four of them. But I also have seven inspirational contemporary ones and two Christian non-fiction with another on the way sometime next year.
Why do you write?
I have been an avid reader since I was six years old. Even writing full-time, I still read well over 350 books a year. I started writing my own stories in the third grade and freelanced for magazines when I taught school, but I didn’t start a novel until I became tied down to take care of my mother. I can look back and see how God was preparing me for this time in my life, so I write for Him, to hopefully bring Him glory and encourage others to draw closer to Him in an entertaining way.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Merle Warner and Vanessa Acker are my two main characters in A Match for Merle. I try to choose names that both go with the region where the book is set and match the characters’ personalities.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
When I’m working on a new manuscript, I set my goal to write a chapter a day, and I spend most of my day writing. When it’s finished, I take a break and catch up on some other things, especially editing.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I love writing, but there are some challenges. I find editing to get an error-free book difficult. I personally edit each book at least six times, my husband edits it once, and I always have a professional editor, and yet, a few mistakes still sometimes sneak through. Promoting and marketing are also challenges because, with Amazon and all the changes in writing and publishing, there are so many books available.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love the actual writing. I write character-driven novels, and I get lost in their stories, writing fast because I’m eager to see where they take me. As a history and English major, I also enjoy the research, and I’m meticulous with it, even making sure the vocabulary I include was used during that time.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I’m also an avid traveler, believing that to be a great way to learn. I’ve been to all 50 states and 45 other countries.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Tremendously, but it’s something that’s hard to pinpoint, describe, or measure. It just happens, and it’s hard to separate from who you are.
What is your favorite pastime?
I’ve had many hobbies and interests over the years: Most crafts, art, drama, folk studies, history, travel, home canning, etc.; but now, most of my activities revolve around my faith, family, and writing.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I’ve been publishing for ten years and now have 71 books listed on Amazon. You can check them out here:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00SIFWZLG/allbooks
What are you working on now?
I just finished writing the rough draft of Andrea: Christmas Quilt Brides, and I’ll start on Willa’s Woe’s, a book in Westward Home & Hearts series, next.
Website: Reflections – Past, Present, and Future with God (janicecolehopkins.blogspot.com)
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Match-Merle-Matchmaker-Agatha-Returns-ebook/dp/B0CR41BL9F
Social media links:
Facebook (https://www.facebook. com/JaniceColeHopkins/)
Twitter – Janice Cole Hopkins (@J_C_Hopkins) / X (twitter.com)
Libby’s Lighthouse
Two weeks ago, Libby’s Lighthouse, came out, and I hope you’re enjoying the story. It’s the first in my Love at a Lighthouse three-book series. Here’s an excerpt from Libby’s Lighthouse:
“That sad day a year ago, Libby’s life had been dashed to pieces by an earth-shattering, deathbed confession. Her heart broken into a million pieces. Her family turned into an enigma. Her lifetime desire to stay at the lighthouse and be the first female Tibbetts Lighthouse keeper—destroyed.
All with a heart-wrenching, terrible lie.
Her father stirred and stretched as she stepped into the room. She peeked at the handsome stranger who slept peacefully for the moment. Papa scanned the injured man, too, then rose and quietly left his side, beckoning her to follow with a tilt of his head and wiggle of his still-bushy brows.
She trailed him into the hallway and closed the door. “How is he doing? Did you find out any more about him?”
Papa yawned, then swiped his face with a hand. “Nothing. He’s been sleeping soundly and has barely stirred. I’ve decided that, since the fellow I hired as my temporary assistant keeper won’t arrive for several weeks, this Owen fellow can recover here as long as he needs.”
Libby glanced toward the closed door, holding back a smile. Wouldn’t it be lovely to get to know him by and by?
“I’ll help as much as I can. With Alberta and the baby away, the housework is so much lighter.”
Papa touched her cheek. “You’re a good daughter.”
Libby bristled at the moniker as she had for the past twelve months. “Get some sleep, Papa.”
Even that word tasted as sour as a crab apple in her mouth. Returning to the bedside of the still-sleeping stranger, the weight of the unknown threatened to overwhelm her. Why did everything have to change, especially about how she felt about Papa?
Here’s a little more about Libby’s Lighthouse:
When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.
Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.
When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past.
With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?
Meet author Lynne Tagawa
Lynne B. Tagawa is married and the mother of four sons. She attended the University of Hawaii where she met her husband and obtained a degree in secondary education. The Tagawas live in Texas where she teaches part-time.She writes fiction, educational materials, and Christian devotionals; she is especially inspired by the lives of great men and women of faith.
Tell us about your newest book.
The Root of the Matter is a new adventure for me. Yes, it’s historical—kind of. It’s actually time-travel!
What inspired you to write The Root of the Matter?
My last series was set in the 18th century and covered some important historical—and theological—events there, like the Great Awakening. But long ago, I’d read an excerpt from John Winthrop’s diary, and never forgotten the pathos of it. I wanted to explore this “forgotten Founding Father” of the 1600s, and finally got my chance. But when I did, I felt stymied. How could I get into the heads of these people? Time travel as a plot device popped into my head, complete with characters ready-made, seemingly.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
The Root of the Matter is the first installment of a series sending time travelers back to study the Puritans of New England. My near-future heroine, Geneva Fielding, struggles with anxiety, and when she and her friend, physicist Peter Donatelli, are tapped for a Trip to the 1630s, she’s terrified. But she’s fascinated with John Winthrop—what would the real man be like? And what about Roger Williams? Were the Puritans being cruel when they exiled him?
What genre do you focus on?
History grabbed me almost from the beginning—you just can’t make up better material! The real people and real events in history—especially our nation’s history—serve as rich sources for stories!
Why do you write?
I never thought of myself as a writer. Then I put together a curriculum for a school where I taught. I wrote it in narrative form, like a story. I mean, why bore the kids? Then I wondered, could I write fiction? Now I’m addicted.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Geneva Fielding popped into my brain, personality and all. Her first name does have a meaning of sorts. During Shakespeare’s day, there was no King James Bible. One of the translations favored by the Puritans was called the Geneva Bible. King James hated it because it had study notes in it—the first “study Bible.” And those study notes were critical of the “divine right of kings” theory James used to excuse doing whatever he wanted. So he banned it and made his own version.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Schedule? What schedule? I do try to write first thing in the morning—even if I only get fifty words written. I know other things will crowd in throughout the day.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
See the above question. Just getting the words down. You can always edit later (love word processors).
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I’m not sure. I love the process of writing. It’s like living the story. But I also love getting feedback from readers. Some are very enthusiastic, true fans, and their comments help keep me going in the drier times.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
My sister was the “writer” growing up. I was NOT the creative sort. I preferred the chemistry lab. For me to write fiction still amazes me.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’m always growing and learning. My first novel I wrote by instinct—I’m a voracious reader, always have been, and crafting sentences myself wasn’t that hard. But I hired an editor, and she kindly explained everything I was doing “wrong”—the areas I needed to improve. Best money I ever spent. Editors are underappreciated.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading, of course.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
The Russells series is set during the eighteenth century and follows a single family (the Russells) through the Great Awakening, the French and Indian War, and the American Revolution. The Shenandoah Road and A Fallen Sparrow are Selah Award finalists.
What are you working on now?
Now that Root is finished, I’m working on book two. It’s about Puritan minister John Cotton and the infamous Anne Hutchinson. It’s a challenge because I have to understand all the theology—and try to figure out what these people were really like. I wonder what Geneva and Peter will think—maybe they will even have an argument!
Website: www.lynnetagawa.com