Please welcome Melissa Jagears to Ladies in Defiance! Her latest book, A Heart Most Certain, has just released and it looks to be another winner!!!

Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->

How was one of your book heroines, “A Lady in Defiance” of the times or circumstances in which she lived?

In A Heart Most Certain, my heroine becomes a lady of defiance in the book–that’s her main growth arc through the novel. She starts out believing what most do about the poor and unlovely in town and doesn’t want to disturb the waters within her moral society group. But my hero–as a requirement for obtaining the donation she wants–brings her face to face with how the church treats the sinners in town and calls for compassion….though he does it in a rather Mr. Darcy-ish way, and they butt heads. But working together makes them realize they have to defy the social mores of the day and be bold about it.

Your husband sounds like quite the adventurous guy with his love of blacksmithing, knife-smithing, traditional archery, hunting, etc. Have you ever needed him to give you insight on “mountain man” workings for your books?

He comes in handy for so many things! Along with the list you have, he also has a martial arts and military background and he was a bouncer once . . . he’s like a literal Jack of all trades. So in A Bride for Keeps I said “I need a guy who is drunk with a knife, in this sort of space, and I want another character to do this and that, but I don’t want this to happen, etc. etc.” He came back the next day with a choreographed fight scene for me. He led me through the paces as victim and aggressor (hopefully no one was looking in through our windows) and then after I wrote it, he “signed off” on the fact that I had described it right. I also always ask him my gun questions. I have a blacksmithing novel in my “want to write” box, and you better believe I’ll be getting his help!

Being that you are a former English teacher, I’m sure that you’re a stickler for the wording and grammar in your writing. Have you ever been stuck on trying to find just the perfect word or phrasing to put into your story? Any examples to share?

I LOVE grammar. I am probably the only college student in the world whose grammar professor told me I needed a life after listening to me excitedly explain how I’d thought all weekend about a more precise way to diagram a sentence that had stumped everyone including the professor. But you’ll find out I’m not a grammatical purist in informal settings (which fiction is). I speak ungrammatically a lot. If someone is communicating well enough in an informal situation, I don’t want to pull my hair out over occasional incorrect grammatical usages. When my students would catch me saying something wrong, I’d always say, “I know it’s wrong, but I know the rule behind it, can fix my mistake, and diagram the sentence, can you?” 🙂 Sometimes I want to write things ungrammatically for reasons of cadence and intonation. Sometimes writing grammatically makes fiction sound stilted.

There is often a war between my writer side that wants things to roll off the tongue nicely and my grammar side that wants everything perfect. I even tend to edit emails 4-5 times before I send them, though I’ll leave some things ungrammatical, because if it was perfect it wouldn’t look like I was simply having a conversation anymore. But I do tend to write as grammatically perfect as possible, though I am not adverse to breaking the rules for good reason. Deciding if I can live with myself for breaking the rules and putting it in print is a struggle!

I see that up to now, your published writing has been historical fiction. Have you thought to dabble in a non-fiction book of some kind?

I have all kinds of stories in my head. The first book I wrote was a young adult romance, but early on, I realized that I had to build an audience with one genre first. I chose historical fiction because that’s my favorite genre to read, and I have tons of historical story ideas. But I have a few books of different genres in my head that I may write one day.

The only books I’ve ever wanted to write non-fiction-wise were textbooks for high school English language learners because I didn’t like any of the textbooks on the market when I was teaching. But since I haven’t taught ESL for over a decade, that’s not something I’ll be pursuing anymore!

Do you have a favorite quote from A Heart Most Certain, your latest book, you can leave us with?

I am never good at picking quotes from my books. All the lines I like that don’t require context are quips. So can I leave you with a line from my RT Review that made me all warm and fuzzy? “The romance is a real treat here, and the story has an almost fairy-tale like quality to it, plus an utterly romantic ending.” Sigh, that line right there would put any book on top of my To Be Read pile, and so it makes me happy that it’s mine!

A Fresh Voice in Historical Romance!

While Lydia King’s reasons for joining the Teaville Moral Society might be suspect to some members, her heart is in the right place. Because of her father’s debts and her mother’s persistent illness, her best chance at a secure future and curing her mother is to impress the politician courting her. Her first task–to ask the town’s wealthiest man to donate–seems simple enough . . . until he refuses.

Despite appearances, Nicholas Lowe wants to help others, but prefers to keep his charity private. When Lydia proves persistent, they agree to a bargain, but Nicholas still intends to do things his own way. Neither predicts what they’ll learn about true charity or foresee the complications their actions will bring to the town, forcing Lydia to decide where her beliefs and heart truly align.

The Giveaway

Thank you so much Melissa, and as a bonus, she has offered to giveaway a copy of A Most Certain Heart to one lucky winner. Due to shipping costs, the winner must have a US address. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run through August 16, 2016 and the winner will be announced on August 17.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a stickler for doing your research when you write a book. Having been on both sides of the writing fence – as an author and a managing editor of Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents line – I think I’ve seen and heard just about all when it comes to this topic.

Research for me is an important part of my job. History and the historical setting almost become characters all their own and it’s my job as an author to give the reader an accurate portrayal, without boring them to tears. It’s a fine line to walk.

When I first began reading, I was easily drawn into the settings and time periods. I remember as a child going in search of the historical facts as I read a particular book. One of my favorite books was Pride and Prejudice and so I wanted to know more about England and the 1800’s. It happens that way even now when I read historical fiction. I think that’s due in part to the author’s ability to relate the history in an intriguing way. But, to do so requires work on the author’s part. In the case of Jane Austen—she was writing contemporaries. She wrote about what she knew, which is the writer’s first encouragement in basic writing classes. Research accuracy is just as important in contemporary stories as it is for historical. Nothing is worse than to be reading along about a place you know and have the author describe it inaccurately. For instance, I grew up in Kansas where there are no mountains, but I’ve read poor fiction that put them there.

When I was managing editor I received a lot of manuscripts from would-be authors and attended numerous one-on-one appointments with the same. In many cases the historical details were either few and far between so that the story was simply a contemporary in period clothing or the details weren’t there at all. Worst of all were the stories where there were a ton of historical details, but most of them were wrong. In dealing with one author whose historical facts were mostly historical inaccuracies, I ask her why she hadn’t done her research. I pointed out detail after detail, explaining to her that publishers check facts and want accuracy. She was completely indignant and replied, “Why? It’s just fiction.”

As a storyteller who loves to write historical fiction I am in defiance of poor research. I want my research to be as detailed and accurate as possible. People who read my books know this and expect it. It’s a trust between my readers and me. They know when they pick up my work, I will have done my job. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes—because I have and do. And when I do, my readers love to point it out. Keeping that in mind makes me work all the harder. Sometimes, however, I do get called on the carpet for what the reader believes to be inaccurate when in fact it might be a detail that was subjective to the individual or the location. I had one reader berate me for details I had in a character’s breast-feeding, yet the issues were documented and I’d even talked to women who’d experienced the same. So you have to keep in mind that sometimes facts can vary. Another issue that’s hard to deal with at times is the reader who writes to tell me that what I wrote can’t possibly be right because their grandmother told them stories about the same event and my details were different. I always try to explain that if you have ten eye witnesses to the same event – you’ll most likely get ten various opinions. When researching I usually go for the details that seem most often agreed. As a historian, my husband taught me early on to use the “rule of 3”. Get at least three various sources regarding the detail I’m researching. If they all agree, it’s probably accurate.

Keeping that in mind, when I sit down to plot out a story, I make notes about the location, time period and events that might have taken place in the locale. I start reading as many non-fiction books as I can and watch documentaries. Right now I’m working on a series set in Oregon Territory in the 1840-1850’s. I have about twenty books on my desk that deal with the time period, location and events. I have an additional ten on my Kindle or computer that are public domain. Many of these are diaries from people who lived in my time period and location. I listen to lectures from experts on my topics and dig into government records. The series I just finished writing deals with the discovery of Yogo sapphires in Montana. I had to research sapphires and how they were found, how they are treated and faceted, and what goes into actually creating jewelry. I found a wonderful team of folks who still mine Yogos and create jewelry to advise me. In fact, I even bought my own Yogo sapphire ring. Hey – it’s research, right?

With each book I have historians I talk to. I go to the places that I write about (if at all possible) and I even go to the trouble of learning various arts and crafts that might pertain to my story. For instance, right now I’m learning to use a spinning wheel. In the past I’ve learned to tat, make soap and candles, panned for gold and even drive a stage coach. The travel and learning are fun for me and make my stories come alive. Best of all, I hear from the readers who have found themselves intrigued enough that they want to visit the places I’ve written about. Homeschool moms have told me they’ve used my books to interest their daughters in history. Seniors RVing through their retirement have told me about reading my books on the road to each other and suddenly remembering stories about the location or events that were handed down to them from great-grandparents.

Another aspect of this trust regarding accurate research is that my writing is a ministry for me. I often speak at events and when I do I explain that I’m unapologetic for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you find that offensive, you’ll find my books to be the same and we might as well get that matter settled right up front. I want to share the Gospel message and Bible application for everyday living, without beating people over the head with the Bible. In doing my historical research accurately, hopefully it will also encourage the reader to believe I’ve done my Biblical research as well. That’s important to me and definitely stimulates my defiance of poor research. I want to share my faith, because it’s the foundation of all that I hold dear. It’s my life and of course is going to come out in my writing.

So when you pick up a Tracie Peterson novel, remember that a lot of research went into the story, location and time period. Know that you can trust me to have done my homework to bring the history alive in as accurate a way as possible. And, if you find that I’ve made a mistake—you may feel free to write me about it. I promise I won’t be at all defiant. Now, I must be off. I’m plotting a story with three young women who will work at a chocolate factory so I have to go research chocolate.

Phoebe Von Bergen is excited to accompany her father when he travels from Germany to purchase sapphires in Montana. Little does she know that her father’s plans–for the gemstones and his daughter–are not what they seem.

Ian Harper, a lapidary working in Helena, finds the young woman staying at the Broadwater Hotel more than a little intriguing. Yet the more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that her family story is based on a lie–a lie she has no knowledge of. And Ian believes he knows the only path that will lead her to freedom.

Meeting Ian has changed everything. Phoebe is determined to stay in America, regardless of her father’s plans. But she may not be prepared for the unexpected danger as the deception begins to unravel.

The Giveaway

Tracie has also offered a book giveaway to celebrate the release of her latest book, A Beauty Refined. The winner will receive a paperback copy and is open internationally. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run until July 19, 2016 and the winner will be announced on July 20.

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie’s web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com.

Are you a fan of Amish fiction? Did you know that Amy donated a kidney that helped save her husband’s life?

A big hello and warm welcome to Amy Clipston! Learn more about her own personal story and her fictional ones too. 😉

Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->

You have been writing Amish fiction best-sellers for a while now! Have you picked up any super-secret and wonderful kitchen tips or recipes you can share?

After reading my book The Forgotten Recipe, several folks have asked for my recipe for raspberry pie. I’m happy to share my dear Amish friend’s recipe.  Enjoy!

Black Raspberry Pie

2 unbaked pie shells

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil

Meanwhile, moisten 1 cup *Therm Flo with ¾ cup water

Whisk together, then whisk into boiling water

Add ¾ cup sugar

Remove from heat and add one quart fresh raspberries

Pour into pie shells (don’t overfill, you may have extra)

Top with pie crust; cut holes in dough to allow steam to escape

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour

*Therm Flo is a modified food starch derived from waxy maize. It is used in canning and freezing home-prepared foods as a clear thickener.

In The Gift of Love, you share your personal story of making the sacrifice of donating one of your kidneys to help save your husband’s life. Did this experience give you a small view of what Jesus did to save mankind?

Wow!  I had never thought of my kidney donation in terms of what Jesus did for us. I had the opportunity to give a kidney to my husband’s donor’s wife, meaning that I gave to a woman, and on the same day, her husband donated to my husband.We swapped kidneys with another couple. I’m honored and thankful I had a chance to donate a kidney and help the family that touched my family so deeply.  When I donated my kidney, I helped two little boys get their mother’s health back, and, in turn, their father gave my sons my husband’s health. We blessed each other, and I’m grateful God gave me the opportunity to be a part of the kidney donation.

How does someone even get started with becoming a blood or organ donator? Are there other ways people can get involved to help?

If you are healthy and interested in donating blood, then you can contact your local blood bank. Be sure to ask about restrictions as far as medications you may take.

As far as becoming an organ donor, the first step you can take is choosing to be an organ donor when you renew your driver’s license.  If you want to be tested as a possible kidney donor for a friend or loved one, you should contact the recipient’s kidney transplant doctors and find out how to get tested. A simple blood test will find if you are a match.

Is there a favorite quote from The Courtship Basket you can leave us with?

The following Scripture verse has a special significance in the book: 2 Corinthians 1:7: And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The verse really spoke to me, and I hope that it touches the hearts of my readers when they read the book.

Years ago, a picnic basket brought two hearts together. For Rachel and Mike, history may be about to repeat itself.

Rachel Fisher is devastated when the young man she’s loved for years leaves her to date her best friend. Her heart is broken, and she has all but given up on love. Rachel is determined to keep her mind off the pain, and she starts teaching at an Amish school for children with learning disabilities.

Since his father became ill, Mike Lantz has been overwhelmed with the responsibility of providing for his family and caring for his six-year-old brother, John. When John joins Rachel’s class and she learns that his mother is deceased and his father sick, she desperately wants to help the family, even with something as simple as a meal.

With her parents’ old picnic basket, Rachel begins sending food to the Lantz family. As the weeks go by, John’s grades start to improve, and the attraction grows between Rachel and Mike. They can’t deny that their friendship is growing toward something more, but both of them are hesitant to risk a more serious relationship.

The last thing Rachel wants is another heartbreak, and Mike is worried about providing for his loved ones. Will the two be able to reconcile their past hurts with new hope for the future?

The Giveaway

Thank you so much Amy, and as a bonus, she has offered to giveaway a copy of The Courtship Basket to one lucky winner. Due to shipping costs, the winner must have a US address. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will run through July 12, 2016 and the winner will be announced on July 13.