ThrowBACKLIST Thursday: NEWLYWED GAMES

In honor of “ZOLA’S CROSS-COUNTRY ADVENTURE”, a novella in The MISSAdventure BRIDES Collection, releasing this month and in honor of the heroine being named after my mom, Zola, and the hero after my dad Allen, I thought it would be fun to interview my mom about one of my backlist titles.

ME: Mom, what did you think when your youngest daughter first started writing books?

MOM (Zola):
Excited. And proud!!! Even in grade school, you wrote and wanted to be a writer. You said it was to get the characters out of your head. You were always making notes as you got older to use.

ME: I still need to get those characters out of my head. What is one of your favorite books that I’ve written? What is it about?

MOM (Zola):
I’ll give a mother’s answer. All of them!

ME: You always were my cheerleader. Early on in my writing career when I’d be down about my writing, I’d send you something I wrote because I needed to hear your usual reaction, “This is the best thing you’ve ever written!” And it would help me get encouraged again. I know that not everything I write is the best, but I know in your eyes it is, and I’m so grateful for that.
    But back to my question of picking one of your favorites. Unless you want to answer each of my questions for every book I’ve written, you’ll need to choose just one for this interview.

MOM (Zola):
If you insist, Newlywed Games.
Newlywed Games is a hilarious romantic comedy about a “little white lie” that grows into a very big problem. Meghann Livingston invents a husband to soothe her dying mother. But when her mom miraculously recovers, then comes for a visit, Meghann is hard-pressed to explain her “husband’s” absence! Before Meghann can come clean, her handsome, elusive boss, Bruce Halloway, inadvertently steps into her romantic charade ... and to Meghann’s shock and horror, insists upon playing “son-in-law” to her mom. The masquerade’s success depends upon them playing their newlywed games extremely well. But when they do, both Meghann and Bruce -- even as they struggle to overcome the consequences of their deceptions -- find themselves falling in love ... for real!

ME: What made this story stand out to you?

MOM (Zola):
It was your first one. Daddy and I were excited that this was a full length and not a short story!!!

ME: What did you take away from this story?

MOM (Zola):
Little white lies can get you in just as much trouble as big ones.

ME: Yes, they can. What is your favorite part of this story?

MOM (Zola):
The mothers trying to control things.

ME: Anything else you’d like to tell us about this story?

MOM (Zola):
I had to keep reminding myself this was my daughter's book.

ME: It was a fun story, and I enjoyed writing it.

If anyone may be wondering why I only interviewed my mom and not my stepdad too that I named the hero after, it's because he passed away years ago. But I imagine him smiling down from heaven and enjoying the story too. =0)

HAPPY READING!
=0)


NEW!

The MISSADVENTURE BRIDES Collection
Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?
    Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure, a 1904 road trip.
Zola Calkin sets out on an adventure to be the first woman to drive across the country. Will the journalist tasked to report her presumed failure sabotage her efforts? Or will he steal her heart?

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a great Christmas present!

RECENT!

THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT ~ A sweet historical romance that will tug at your heart. This is book 1 in the Quilting Circle series.
Washington State, 1893
     When Lily Lexington Bremmer arrives in Kamola with her young son, she’s reluctant to join the social center of her new community, the quilting circle, but the friendly ladies pull her in. She begins piecing a sunshine and shadows quilt because it mirrors her life. She has a secret that lurks in the shadows and hopes it doesn’t come out into the light. Dark places in her past are best forgotten, but her new life is full of sunshine. Will her secrets cast shadows on her bright future?
     Widower Edric Hammond and his father are doing their best to raise his two young daughters. He meets Lily and her son when they arrive in town and helps her find a job and a place to live. Lily resists Edric’s charms at first but finds herself falling in love with this kind, gentle man and his two darling daughters. Lily has stolen his heart with her first warm smile, but he’s cautious about bringing another woman into his girls’ lives due to the harshness of their own mother.
     Can Edric forgive Lily her past to take hold of a promising chance at love?
THE WIDOW'S PLIGHT is available in ebook and paperback.


COURTING HER SECRET HEART
A Prodigal Daughters story, Book 2

Caught between two worlds…Deborah Miller lives a double life as an Amish woman—and a fashion model! All photography is forbidden in her Plain community, so she must keep her job a secret. But when Amos Burkholder starts helping at her family’s farm, hiding the truth from him is impossible. And soon she must choose between the Englisher world of modeling and the Amish man she’s come to love.

Book 3 in the Prodigal Daughters series due to release January 2019, COURTING HER PRODIGAL HEART
#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection (January), Courting Her Amish Heart (March), The Widow’s Plight (July), Courting Her Secret Heart (September), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection (December), and Courting Her Prodigal Heart (January 2019). She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

MISSAdventure Brides series: EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

My hero in “ZOLA’S CROSS-COUNTRY ADVENTURE” in the MISSAdventure Brides Collection is Allen Basart, newspaper journalist. In my novella set in 1904, Zola has taken up the challenge to prove women are as capable as men, and to prove this, she sets out to drive an automobile from coast to coast. This at a time when automobiles were still a novelty and most people didn’t trust them.

Allen has been tasked with getting the story and is ordered to follow her. His editor wants all the muddy details of her failure and why women aren’t suited to operating automobiles. If she should happen to make it, that would make for a good story as well.

Allen doesn’t want the assignment. He’d been begging for a big, newsworthy piece to prove he could handle the job, not some mudslinging side piece about a foolish lady and her flight of fancy for the society page. This could be a disaster for his career.

In addition, he’s been assigned a rookie photographer who doesn’t know the first thing about automobiles or how to operate one. This would be the longest few days of his life.

During the course of the trip, Allen comes to respect and care for Zola. He determines to write the best story he ever has and hopefully win the heart of the courageous Zola in the process.

My hero is named after my step-dad who was my dad since I was five-years-old. (Love you and miss you, Dad!)

Happy Adventuring!

MISSAdventure Brides Collection

Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures

Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Releases December 1, 2018

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She has five titles releasing in 2018; "Holly & Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection in January, Courting Her Amish Heart in March, The Widow’s Plight in July, Courting Her Secret Heart September, & “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection in December. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter   Blog   FB   FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads  BookBub

MISSAdventure BRIDES Series: HORATIO’S DRIVE

My novella “ZOLA’S CROSS-COUNTRY ADVENTURE” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection is about a courageous young woman in 1904 who attempts to be the first woman to drive from coast to coast. She was inspired to do so when she heard stories of the first successful automobile trip across the country.

In 1903, a man named Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to drive across the country. His transcontinental trek in 1903 is an actual historical event. Jackson took a fifty dollar bet that he could make it across the country in an automobile in ninety days or less.

Four days after making the bet, having bought an automobile and supplies, he set out on his historic expedition. He, along with his chauffeur/mechanic, Sewall Crocker, traveled from San Francisco to New York City in a twenty-horsepower Winton automobile. Along the way, Horatio bought a dog named Bud who enjoyed the trip immensely. Dr. Jackson and Mr. Crocker left San Francisco on Saturday, May 23, and arrived in New York on Sunday, July 26, at four thirty in the morning, completing the first American cross-country road trip. The journey took sixty-three days, twelve hours, and thirty minutes. Two other two-man teams left California in the following weeks of the same year, but Dr. Jackson’s team was the first to make it. Other endeavors to drive across the country in an automobile had been attempted in years prior to Jackson’s trip without success. I thought it only natural for ladies to follow suit and join in the fun.

He named his Winton the Vermont, so I too had my characters name their Winton. They chose the Atlantic, so the Atlantic and Pacific could meet.

Dr. Jackson’s trek had shown the possibility of the automobile and that it could do far more than people realized and that it was here to stay.

Jackson began a tradition that people for generations to come would follow—The Road Trip.

In 1944, Jackson donated his 1903 Winton to the Smithsonian Institution

Happy Adventuring!

MISSAdventure Brides Collection

Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures

Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Releases December 1, 2018

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She has five titles releasing in 2018; "Holly & Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection in January, Courting Her Amish Heart in March, The Widow’s Plight in July, Courting Her Secret Heart September, & “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection in December. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

     Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter   Blog   FB   FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads  BookBub

MISSAdeventure Brides Series: STORY BEHIND MY HEROINE

By Debby Lee

My character, Heather Duncan is a Scottish lass who makes her home in the rugged wilderness of present day Wyoming with her fur trapping father. She was inspired by Claire from The Outlander series. While Claire isn’t from Scotland, Heather is proud of her heritage. Both Heather and Claire are trained and highly skilled healers.

For fun, I added traits of my paternal grandmother, like resourcefulness and a whole lot of spunk. Heather must make do with few items and learn to stretch her meager food supply. She also faces harsh weather conditions and dwell in close proximity of wild animals. And Heather has red hair, like my grandmother. I hadn’t yet created a heroine with ginger hair, so I thought the time was right to do so. Although my grandmother had brown eyes, I chose to make Heather’s green.

I did a lot of research on the history of medicine and learned more about chloroform than I ever cared to know. I also took a class about herbal medicine which was really enjoyable. There are a great number of medicinal plants in the world, some of which I’d never heard of before. Most people have heard of Pennyroyal and Belladonna, and their affects, but who knew apple cider vinegar could cure a fever. I certainly didn’t. By the way, all of these medicines, and more, are mentioned in my story.

Besides being headstrong, I added other qualities to Heather, like compassion for people and animals, to help balance her personality. When caring for humans, compassion should be expected, but Heather extends that to animals to an extent that is both humorous but not without consequence.

Heather is bolder than any other heroine I’ve ever written. Determined to pay off her father’s debt to the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, she heads into the wilderness to trap animals herself. Lucky for her, she is aided by the handsome French fur trapper Louie Renault.

In the beginning Heather is reluctant about accepting Louie’s help in trapping beavers, mink, and foxes, but his patience and tenderness soon melt her heart, like a warm sun during the spring thaw.

I hope you enjoy reading about Heather and Louie in my novella, Along the Yellowstone River in the MISSadventure Brides Romance Collection.

MISSAdventure Brides Collection
Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

DEBBY LEE was raised in the cozy town of Toledo, Washington. She’s been writing since she was a small child, but never forgets home.
The Northwest Christian Writers and Romance Writers of America are two organizations Debby enjoys being a part of. Her fifth novella collection with Barbour Publishing releases in December 2018. The Courageous Brides and Mountain Christmas Brides both made the ECPA Bestsellers list. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steven Laube Literary Agency.
A self-professed nature lover, Debby feels like a hippie child who wasn’t born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does when weather permits. During football season Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks with other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of traveling the world someday.

For more information on Debby Lee visit her website at booksbydebbylee.com

MISSAdventure Brides Series: MISSTAKEN IDENTITY

 

By Kimberley Woodhouse

Abigail Monroe is the heroine in MissTaken Identity – my story in the MissAdventure Brides Collection. She’s feisty, accident prone, an advocate for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and truly has no clue about real life outside her family’s ranch. But all that changes when she sets off on an adventure… dressed as a man. Arrested for fence-cutting before she even makes it out of her own county, she’s faced with the challenge of fighting for her life and trying not to enrage the Texas Ranger who has locked her up.

Abigail is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written. Probably because she’s nothing like me and she cracked me up. But she’s fiercely loyal and wants to protect those that she loves and that resonates with me. I love the fact that she falls in love in an awkward and weird situation but still finds her happily-ever-after.

Happy Reading!

I’m hosting a giveaway on my website too – so leave a comment here and on my blog post about the collection and you’ll be entered!

MISSAdventure Brides Collection
Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?


The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

 
Kimberley Woodhouse is a best-selling author who loves the JOY of story. With more than a quarter of a million copies sold, she loves to share her heart and love of research with her readers. Kim and her incredible husband of almost thirty years have two adult children. She’s passionate about reading, music, cooking, and Bible study. You can connect with Kimberley at: www.kimberleywoodhouse.com and www.facebook.com/KimberleyWoodhouseAuthor.  Instagram: kimberleywoodhouse and twitter: kimwoodhouse

MISSAdventure Brides Series: MADDY’S LLAMAS

By Marjorie Vawter

Magdalena Williams, otherwise known as Maddy to all but her parents, grew up in Peru. Her

parents serve as missionaries there, and because of the time period (1898), they rarely come home to the States. However, Maddy’s parents sent her home when one of the national Christians wanted to marry her.

Maddy is spunky, though in the past she has let her parents make decisions for her. But she fought them when they wanted her to leave two of her beloved llamas in Peru. She won, brought them home, and settled on a small ranch in Eldora, Colorado. She’s worked hard, breeding her llamas, working with them to keep them healthy, and finally has won the hearts of several miners who see the value in the llamas as pack animals.

If she’s a little eccentric, no one notices too much, because anyone who lives and works with miners in a mountain community must be a little strange to “regular” people. After all, she’s a single woman in a very strongly male world.

MISSAdventure Brides Collection

Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures

Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Releases December 1, 2018

The MISSAdventure Brides Collection would make a wonderful Christmas present!

Marjorie Vawter is a full-time author, freelance editor, proofreader, and speaker. She has over 200 published devotionals, articles, and book reviews and is the author of four novellas & six nonfiction books. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2004, she has served as the Colorado Area Coordinator, and past president of HIS Writers, the first Colorado ACFW chapter. She is a past member of the MozArks chapter in Springfield, MO, and has served as the ACFW Central Zone Director.
A freelance editor, Margie edits, proofreads, and is an indexer for individual clients and publishers. An avid reader, she also judges for several prestigious awards in the inspirational marketplace.

Margie is married to her college sweetheart and best friend, Roger, and they live in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking and snowshoeing in the mountains near their family cabin. They have two adult children, a daughter-in-love, and two beautiful grandchildren.

You can find her online at www.marjorievawter.com or http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com