Bio: Jennifer
Deibel is the
author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award for
Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor, and The Maid
of Ballymacool. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The
Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and in other
publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes
stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and
family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives
in Arizona with her husband and their three children.
Jennifer draws from her years of experience living in Ireland to craft historical novels
steeped in culture. In her newest novel, The Irish Matchmaker, Deibel journeys back to Ireland with a
tale of mismatched romances, fresh new starts, and happily ever afters.
About the story: As the daughter of a matchmaker with an excellent reputation, Catríona
Daly is well-versed in love. The one thing love hasn’t done for her yet is take
her away from the tiny town she’s been languishing in. The only time the
village is truly bustling is during the annual matchmaking festival. And this
year, she has her eye on the grandest prize at the festival, Andrew Osborne,
the son of a lord. After a failed romance set up by a rival matchmaker, Andrew
is ready to find a new match. And Catríona has just the match in mind—herself.
Donal Bunratty is left adrift after the loss
of his wife. He has been trying to manage his cattle farm and raise his
daughter all alone. But finding new love is more difficult than it would seem.
Despite his shyness, Donal agrees to attend the matchmaking festival for the
sake of his daughter. Alas, when he attends the festival, the only woman to draw
his attention is the one who’s supposed to find his future wife for him—and she
is set on matching herself with another.
It will take everything Catríona has learned
of love to end this festival with success. The matches she makes could change
her life forever.
Welcome, Jennifer. Can you please provide a brief summary of
your novel The Irish Matchmaker? Catríona Daly is no stranger to the business of love—even though
personally she has yet to find it. Eager for a match of her own and a fresh
start away from her sleepy village, she makes grand plans for the annual
Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. She never expects a shy, widowed sheep
farmer to distract her from her goal.
What do you hope readers will gain from
reading The Irish Matchmaker? I pray that all readers will be encouraged
in their own faith journey—whether they’ve been following Jesus for years or
just exploring what this God thing is all about. And if anyone is struggling to
trust in God’s provision, when it’s almost impossible to see how He could
provide, I hope that they would be heartened and encouraged to trust Him.
Why do you love setting your novels in Ireland?
The culture, language, and people are part of
my heart and soul. I love being able to help others experience even a piece of
that incredible country. It is such a joy.
What type of research was required to portray
the historical setting in The Irish Matchmaker? While I’ve driven through Lisdoonvarna and stopped for tea once or
twice, I was never able to spend much time there. So I spent a lot of days and
weeks online learning about the town’s history, as well as the history and
methods of matchmaking. I was so grateful to be able to chat with people at the
Spa Wells Historical Centre, as well as talk to third-generation matchmaker
Willie Daly (who is still making matches in Lisdoonvarna to this day)! It was
some of the most fun research I’ve done in a while!
Catríona is the daughter of a renowned
matchmaker. What were the responsibilities of a matchmaker during this time
period?
Matchmakers were responsible for finding
suitable matches for their clients. Sometimes the first match worked, other
times it took a few tries. Then it was their job to negotiate the terms of the
match—money for dowry and land or livestock that was going to be part of the
deal, etc. Many matchmakers also kept meticulous records. Lisdoonvarna’s
current matchmaker carries a book with him that has the details of every match
made by him, his father, and his grandfather!
Catríona is determined to make a reputation
for herself as a great matchmaker, as well as make herself a prosperous match.
What, in your opinion, makes a great match between two characters? That’s the million-dollar question! There has to be some common
thread connecting the characters to begin with. It could be a shared
circumstance, mutual attraction, or even mutual annoyance! But both parties
really need to have the same goal for the relationship. A good dose of conflict
or a few obstacles can really help refine those goals and draw the couple
together. I also think laughter is a must for any successful romantic match.
What do you love most about writing
historical romance? I love being able to experience the world
through a different lens. No matter how many stories I write, I learn so much,
and I get to see countries, cultures, and time periods most people don’t get
the opportunity to if they don’t read or write historical fiction. It’s a chance
to see what things were like.
What
about your own life influences your writing? Oftentimes, my own faith and
struggles influence what or how I write. I’m able to draw on those experiences
in order to add a deeper layer of authenticity to the characters’ thoughts and
actions. Many of the humorous situations in my books were inspired by events I
actually experienced—like the “moving cloud” (aka sheep) in the nighttime
journey over the Errigal Pass in A Dance of Donegal and the cows
munching on seaweed in the middle of the street after a storm in The Lady of
Galway Manor!
How can readers connect with you? I absolutely love connecting with readers, so I hope they will! My
website has all the links to find me around the web. Readers can sign up for my
newsletter there and find links to all my social media.
Where can readers purchase a copy of The
Irish Matchmaker? The Irish Matchmaker is available wherever books are sold in paperback, ebook, and
hardcover format. And the audiobook will be available after the release date.
The best deal can always be found at Baker Book House where you can preorder
the book for 40 percent off and free shipping.
Thank
you for sharing this book with us. It sounds so interesting.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+irish+matchmaker+jennifer+deibel&crid=17CQ3T8T95GKA&sprefix=The+Irish+Matchmaker+%2Caps%2C88&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_21
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in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If
you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or
Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be
included in the drawing. Here’s a link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY. Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win. Caryl K (TX) is the winner of Calling on the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund. Brenda (MS) is the winner of Earning the Mountain Man's Trust by Misty M Beller. If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author. Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you. Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email. If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
Bio: Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and
award-winning author of more than 50 novels, including Cold Light of
Day and the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her
books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award and Reader's
Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she's not
writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration
for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.
Elizabeth has
mastered the craft of writing action-packed, high-stakes novels that keep
readers on the edge of their seats. In Shadows at Dusk, book two in the Missing in Alaska series,
Goddard returns readers to the last frontier and introduces characters who face
new dangers and dark mysteries as they search for what they’ve lost while
learning to trust each other.
About the story: Alaska is a far cry from
his home state of Montana, but Detective Trevor West would go to the ends of
the earth to find his missing sister. After disappearing in a small Alaskan
town, all she left behind were a few photographs. With Police Chief Autumn
Long’s help, Trevor seeks out Carrie James. An experienced bush pilot with
knowledge of the area, Carrie is his best shot at finding the locations
depicted in the photographs.
But Carrie won’t help for free. Grieving the death of her trusted
friend, she agrees to use her skills to help Trevor if he uses his own expertise
to track down her friend’s killer and bring them to justice.
Neither of their searches prove to be easy as they venture into the dark
secrets of the Alaskan land. To find what they need, they’ll have to trust each
other and stay steadfast in the face of danger. The truth—and a killer—is out
there.
What type of
research was required for Shadows at Dusk? This novel
required a ridiculous amount of research—in fact, probably the most research
I’ve had to do for any of my novels. I had to know everything about flying a
bush plane in Alaska. I had to learn details about the various islands,
conflict minerals, geology, and EPA Superfund sites. I find it all so
fascinating!
Both of your
protagonists, Trevor West and Carrie James, have skills
that the other one needs. Can you explain their roles and how they can help
each other? Detective West is a former Deputy US Marshal
who used to track fugitives, and Carrie is determined to find the person
responsible for her friend’s death and needs his tracking skills. Carrie has
been a bush pilot in Southeast Alaska for ten years, and she recognizes the locations
in the pictures that Trevor’s sister left behind. They make a great team!
Shadows at Dusk is set in
Alaska. Why did you choose this setting for your series? I can’t believe that’s even a question! Ha. Most of my novels are set
in stunning locations, and I figured it was time I write another series in
Alaska. The landscape provides all the elements I need to ramp up the tension.
What do you hope readers will gain from reading Shadows at Dusk?
I hope they’ll come away breathless after the
ride of their life. Entertainment aside, I want to give them a fresh sense of
awe at God’s creation as they learn more about Alaska and to make them feel
like they’ve just come back from an adventurous trip.
Shadows at Dusk is the
second in the Missing in Alaska series. Will we be seeing any recurring
characters from Cold Light of Day, the first book in your series? Carrie and Trevor head away from Shadow Gap in their search, but they
interact with Shadow Gap characters throughout the novel.
What is the connecting element between the books in the Missing in
Alaska series? Shadow Gap, Alaska, and the characters who
live there connect all the stories.
What do readers have to look forward to in the final volume of the Missing
in Alaska series? Another wild ride and a winter story!
What do you love most about writing romantic suspense novels? I love the action and adventure I can add to the suspense elements to
keep pushing the story forward, and, as a result, I often hear my books are
unputdownable.
How can readers connect with you? At
my website, ElizabethGoddard.com, readers can subscribe to my newsletter to get
the latest news. The icons for my various social media sites can also be found
on my website.
Where can readers purchase a copy of Shadows at Dusk? Everywhere books are sold,
but especially Baker Book House.
Thank you for sharing Shadows at Dusk with us, Beth. You know
I love all your books.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-at-Dusk-Missing-Alaska/dp/0800742052/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lrSFMecubuCdkXDJAJK75dlTpgomoGbjGJoDVIcrew6oGSAGkWQSXS8la4Jl2wYghqZ2dnsxSDYEqBhOWSJyO9pk4LdMhwFHB_fmyZY_Ih6tPRPpKbosuKZESxnUadC_Hab_qu16W0C9M72gm977cWGB2UIDihdIw_4LCcjyvB5KySgPnUGQyM_j8-zPqgj_Wq9wl4mCpN8ILGUuhLfENxaKKQiAYoaEXB1wsYZMw3U.02ObAlKWtHXMuTKgxtSQaXH-fVXl1760S9_8tgvcAxU&qid=1712892582&sr=1-1
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for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where
prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the
giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer
in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading
this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please
come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the
drawing. Here’s a link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY. Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win. Anne (NM) is the winner of Double Take by Lynette Eason. Brenda (MS) is the winner of Cherished Betrothal by Denise Weimer. If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author. Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you. Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email. If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
Bio: Jody Hedlund is the bestselling author of more than thirty
historical novels for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous
awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. Jody lives in
Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats.
From the talented
pen of bestselling author Jody Hedlund comes a brand-new series set amidst the
bustling streets of St. Louis, Missouri, the gateway to the West. Beloved for
her western historicals, readers are sure to fall for the Shanahan siblings as
they discover their places in life and love—even in spite of themselves—with
the help of a wily Irish matchmaker. Escape to 1849 St. Louis for a daring and
romantic tale in Calling on the Matchmaker, book one in the A Shanahan Match series.
About the Story: Haunted by the
death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she’s not worthy of a
family of her own and commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the
slums.
Unwilling to
consider marriage, Finola has perfected the ability to sabotage the
relationships her parents arrange for her. At wit’s end, her father calls upon
the local Irish matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley
Rafferty. After her usual tricks fail, Finola quickly realizes she can’t
outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.
A candidate in the
St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy
Shanahan family will help solidify his chances of winning—and even more assured
he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak begins to
take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing
danger, testing all they know about love and sacrifice.
Your latest novel, Calling on the Matchmaker, is book one in the new series, A Shanahan Match. Can you please tell us a little bit about the series?
Jody Hedlund: This new series is a saga involving the Shanahan family in the
frontier city of St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 1840s. The Shanahans are a
big and loving family with six children. The oldest are reaching marriageable
age, so the local matchmaker is called upon to help form advantageous matches.
Even though the Irish matchmaker is wily, he still faces challenges as he seeks
to pair each of the Shanahan siblings with their true loves.
Since the series revolves around the Shanahan
siblings, can you provide a short introduction to each sibling? Book 1 in the series involves Finola Shanahan, who is the oldest
Shanahan sibling and the first in line for the matchmaker’s help. The trouble
is that she has no intention of getting married and works to foil the
matchmaker’s plans.
Book 2 tells Enya Shanahan’s story. She is a fiery redhead with an
equally fiery personality and is rebellious against her strict parents. As a
result, she gets herself into trouble and ends up needing a marriage of
convenience.
Book 3 finally gives Kiernan Shanahan a chance to find his true love.
As the first-born son, he’s driven in life, business, and love. He’s ready for
the matchmaker to find him an advantageous match, but his heart may have
already found someone else.
What do readers need to know about the Shanahan family, but
especially about Finola? Finola’s parents both immigrated from Ireland as young adults. As a
result of their Irish heritage, they have strong ties to the large Irish
community in St. Louis and also have a heart for helping the newly arrived
Irish immigrants, many of whom are escaping starvation and poverty in Ireland
due to the potato famine. Finola, in particular, has become involved with a
group of nuns who visit the poor tenements and help the immigrants. She desires
to join the convent and spend her life in service to God. But her parents are
opposed to her entering the convent and want her to get married.
Some major themes that Calling
on the Matchmaker addresses are family relationships, mistakes, and forgiveness.
How do we see these play out in the lives of your female protagonists? Finola is wrestling with a past family tragedy that she hasn’t been
able to forget about or forgive herself for. As a result, she feels as though
she has to do penance for the mistake. One way she feels she can make up for
the tragedy is by becoming a nun and living a life of service to God. She has
tried to talk to her parents about her desire to enter the convent, but they
haven’t listened to her. As a result, she doesn’t communicate well about what
she wants. Throughout the course of the story, she has to learn to gain a voice
as well as learn to forgive herself and others for the past.
This novel is arguably a bit different from other books you’ve
written recently. Can you share what inspired the idea for this story? It is a little different. But I hope readers appreciate getting to
learn about new areas of the country and new parts of history through my
stories. Since I love romance more than anything else, I thought the matchmaker
idea would be a fun way to tie a series together. As I began researching
matchmaker stories, I realized that there is a long tradition of Irish men
being matchmakers. So, the Irish matchmaker takes the stage in all of the
books.
Which character in this book was your favorite to write and why? Do
you think this will be readers’ favorite as well? Obviously I love the hero and heroine! But aside from them, Bellamy
McKenna, the matchmaker, is one of my favorite characters in this series. He is
in the process of beginning to take over the matchmaker duties from his father
and has some different, less conventional ways of bringing about matches. He’s not
only intuitive, but he’s also very clever. Readers will hopefully fall in love
with Bellamy (and maybe, just maybe, he’ll get his love story eventually too!).
Your previous series, Colorado Cowboys, highlighted cowboys in the American West. What prompted you to head
in a different direction for this series? As
much as I loved writing my Colorado Cowboys series, I
didn’t want to pigeon-hole myself as a western or cowboy-romance writer. Since
most of my series highlight different places and historical events, I wanted to
take readers on a new adventure and introduce them to a new part of history
that I haven’t yet explored.
Why set these books in St. Louis? Does it have special meaning to the
story? Knowing I wanted to use the Irish, I
researched places that had large Irish populations in the 1800s, and St. Louis
was one of them. As the Gateway to the West, St. Louis was full of danger,
disease, and disaster—all of the things that make for a great story and the
perfect setting for the Shanahan family.
In particular, I chose the year 1849 as the starting point for this
series because a number of tragedies occurred in St. Louis at that time,
including a deadly cholera epidemic and a tragic fire along the riverfront.
What is one of your favorite things about writing historical fiction?
I love finding and bringing little known eras
of history to life for readers. It’s always fun to hear from readers how much
they’ve learned from my books and how that aspect of history came to life for
them.
What lessons do you hope readers gain by picking up Calling on the
Matchmaker? I
hope readers will learn, just like my characters, that sometimes we mistake our
own inability to forgive ourselves as God’s inability, but instead God forgives
us so deeply, that He puts our mistakes out of His mind as far as the east is
from the west. If God forgives us so generously, shouldn’t we also be willing
to forgive ourselves the same way?
Can you share which
Shanahan sibling the next book in the series is about? The next book is
Enya’s story and involves a marriage of convenience, a steamboat captain, and
the Great Fire of 1849.
That sounds
interesting, too. How can readers connect with you? To stay up to
date, I invite readers to join my Facebook Reader
Room
where I post the most relevant book news and interact with readers. Or readers
can visit my website at jodyhedlund.com
Thank you for
sharing Calling on the Matchmaker with us today. I know my readers will want to read it.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Matchmaker-Arranged-Marriage-Historical/dp/0764241966/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WJLfo39M-naWbtWqdsCmvN9NG1zHQfQ733-7okQz1OvhKyq34Kz0oPc59btk-cqnZEbNux5zCMAi3QUWqv1HmRViY7juCWYrP9UwqQi4lNRJP9jtEVzQzF-mfkhW_ma1QpEfN9HdJg1ubMEnqRRKV3uq2L1pIsnDDm9EpXDmlXQ1noEJiKse6T-5lv1UrAGPBxT3enIevv5FrsjBH0sjcfE4cdQCLMKVXG1HMRr2JkY.MC4DjU6lL2nxHYgGB4XbnhzkDMw1jm-X_9oBTx-RS18&qid=1712246074&sr=1-1
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for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where
prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the
giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer
in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading
this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please
come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the
drawing. Here’s a link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
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