THE CAPTIVE IMPOSTER

Dawn, I'm so glad to have you here back at my blog this week! Welcome! Please give us an update—tell us about your latest release, The Captive Imposter.

Sent away for protection, hotel heiress Estella Everstone finds herself living undercover as a lady’s companion named Elle Stoneburner at one of her father’s opulent hotels in the mountains of Maine—the one she'd always loved best and always hoped to one day own, Everston. The one thing she doesn't like about the situation is that her ex-fiancé is in the area and is set on marrying someone else. Reeling from her feelings of being unwanted and unworthy, Estella reluctantly forms a friendship with the gruff manager of Everston, Dexter Blakeley, who seems to have something against wealthy young socialites with too much money, although they are just the kind of people Everston caters to.

When Estella finds herself in need of help, Dexter comes to the rescue with an offer she can't refuse. She sees no other choice aside from going back home to her family and accepts the position as companion to his sister. Throughout her interactions with Dexter, she can't deny the pull that's evidenced between them every time he comes near. Estella realizes that while she's been hiding behind a false name and identity, she’s never been freer to be herself than when she's with Dexter Blakeley. But will he still love her when he finds out she's Estella Everstone? She's not entirely sure.

You’ve done a marvelous job in your novels of transporting your reader into upper class Boston society and life at their summer resort. How did you go about your research?

I don’t really feel that I do a lot of “work” researching my novels… I just come across things from history that get my imagination going and then my characters show up! I attribute much of this ability to easily day-dreams things up to my ADD. I can get lost in my imagination so quickly, and so deeply! I love finding photographs online—even way before Pinterest was a thing! A photograph can transport me so quickly! 

Has being a busy mom of a little toddler had an effect on your writing? How do you find time to write and handle marketing in your busy day?

It’s been crazy and rough! I wasn’t getting much writing done while launching The Hesitant Heiress and The Bound Heart within three months of each other! By the time I had time to catch my breath, it was December and The Captive Imposter was set to release on February 1^st! Fortunately Whitaker House understood my predicament and valued the time and energy I put in on launching those first two books. I rewrote the last half of The Captive Imposter in December and January and turned it in on the day it was originally set to release. Honestly, I don’t even remember how I did it! It’s all a blur to me now! God got me through it though—there’s no doubt about that! I’ve been planning and outlining my next book, and I plan to begin writing it in May.

Do you have a life verse or a guiding principle from scripture that has affected your writing?

I like to include the theme that God works all things together to bless those who love Him. He knows what is best for us through every day and phase of our lives, and even though it may not seem that things are going the way we want, or even that some difficult things happen to us… He uses EVERYTHING to eventually bring out ways to bless us in ways we could have never imagined. 

I agree, Dawn! He cares so deeply for His children and has a plan for each of us.

Would you care to share about what you will be working on next?

Yes! I’m not sure of the name yet, but Book 4 is definitely in the works! I really look forward to writing Vance Everstone and Violet Hawthorne’s story! It’s not technically part of The Everstone Chronicles, but a new yet-to-be-named three book series about some minor characters readers will have met while reading this first series. I’ve never written an “anti-hero” like Vance before, but I’m super excited! The story will start out at Everston, but will then move back to the Boston setting. Readers will visit some of the settings from the first two books again, plus some new, not so ritzy places too.  

Very exciting! I look forward to hearing more about your next book series! Thank you so much for joining me this week, Dawn.

Dawn Crandall didn't begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing The Hesitant Heiress. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn's first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW's prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013.

Other places to find Dawn and her generous book giveaways:


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To be entered in a drawing for an ebook copy of Dawn's latest
release, The Captive Imposter, please leave a comment or become a member of this site. Thank you! The drawing will
be next Saturday, April 25.

Kate Breslin: Retelling a Beloved Biblical Account

 Welcome Kate Breslin:
 Author of For Such a Time!

A Florida girl who migrated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Kate Breslin lives with her husband, John, and a very spoiled cat named Coco. Kate has written several travel articles, published award-winning poetry, and her first manuscript, a Scottish historical romance, was an RWA Golden Heart finalist. For Such a Time is her debut novel. Kate’s writing journey has been one of faith as well as success; after years spent writing novels aimed at the general romance market, she finally heeded God’s call to write stories of how His love brings two hearts together. When not plotting her next novel, she loves spending time with author friends, reading from her mountain of books, or watching anything Jane Austen on BBC. Kate’s also an avid gardener and enjoys taking long walks in Washington State’s many forests. A traveler as well, she’s toured most of the country at one time or another and also been abroad–Paris, Munich, Rome, Pompeii, Athens, even a day trip to Turkey. She’d love to hear from you so please stop by www.katebreslin.com and say hello!  

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28 (NRSV)

Kate, what led you to write this marvelous retelling of the story of Esther in an historical, yet more modern setting than Bible times? Why is For Such a Time set during World War II? 

Kathy, thank you so much! The idea came to me as I was reading Queen Esther’s story and was struck by the fact the Jewish people have suffered prejudice and torment throughout history. The most recent event that came to mind was the Holocaust of WWII, and so I began to see similarities between the wicked Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews and Hitler’s “Final Solution.” I wondered if I could superimpose the Biblical work into this more modern venue; and as I began research, the story was born.

Do you have any favorite characters among your cast? And why? 

Having spent so many years with all of my characters, it’s hard to choose a favorite. Still, I think the houseboy, Joseph, is closest to my heart. He proves to be resourceful, intelligent and oh, so brave, yet his young years hold onto a measure of innocence. I imagine many Jewish children must have endured as he did during that horrific time. 

I agree, Joseph is an endearing character!

What have you found to be the best research sources? 

When I first began writing For Such A Time, there wasn’t much available on the Internet, so my information came primarily from reading books, watching documentaries, looking at photographs, etc. For my latest novel I was able to research almost exclusively online. The World Wide Web has become an amazing tool! 

Would you like to share something about your next book with us? 

Yes, thank you! My next novel for Bethany House is another historical romance, this time set in the “Garden of England,” Britain’s county of Kent, during WWI. Take a beautiful London Suffragette and a mysterious aristocrat, mix with a dash of Downton and a pinch of espionage and you’ve got Not by Sight, which will release next summer. I really enjoyed writing this story and hope my readers will love it, too! 

What have you learned about yourself through the writing process? 

I’ve learned I can work long hours under pressure while fighting off wild dust bunnies and climbing mountains of dirty laundry!  Seriously, I’ve discovered I’m more organized in my approach to writing than I realized. Preparation up front saved me tons of time and I like having a “map” (synopsis) before I begin. It allowed me more creativity, while minimizing those plot snags halfway through a manuscript. Writing is an ever-changing process, however, so I’m certain I’ll evolve even more with the next novel. 

Kate, is there anything you would like to share with readers about yourself, such as information about family, hobbies, pets or anything else? 

 I’d love to! I have been married 35 years to my incredibly gifted guitarist husband,    John, and we have a grown son and ten-year-old grandson who live locally. And yes, I dote on them whenever possible. We also have a cat, a beautiful Russian gray named Coco (as in Channel,) that I admittedly spoil. She’s ten years old now, but for most of her life our other cat, Nick, loved picking on her at every opportunity. He’s gone now and we miss him, but Coco is THE QUEEN of the cat condo.  

As far as hobbies, I enjoy dabbling at the piano, but my true passion is writing. I’m also an avid walker and try to get in a couple of miles each day. It helps clear my head for writing and is great exercise. Fortunately, our neighborhood is quiet and wooded, so I can take off whenever I like. I love to read, I enjoy my rose garden, and John and I go camping in our RV around Washington State as often as we can get away. Traveling abroad is also one of my favorite ways to vacation. I hope to venture to Barcelona, Spain in a year or so. A return trip to Greece is definitely on my bucket list as well.  And who knows? There may be another story in the making… 

Thank you, Kate, for sharing with us about your writing journey and your life. 

Where to connect with Kate Breslin:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

More about For Such a Time:

Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther

In 1944, Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, her Aryan-like looks allow her to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, to maintain her cover as von Schmidt’s secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths, Stella appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's indulgence gives her hope even as she risks discovery with every attempt to help the prisoners. When her bravery brings her to the point of ultimate sacrifice, she faces an excruciating choice. God may have brought her to the camp for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she cannot save herself?

WHERE TO BUY: Barnes & Noble; ChristianBook.com; Amazon.com

Books 'n' Blurbs

This week's picks are both excellent reads! I recommend them for your summer reading. 

For Such a Time

by Kate Breslin

April, 2014

Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther

In 1944, Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, her Aryan-like looks allow her to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, to maintain her cover as von Schmidt’s secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths, Stella appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's indulgence gives her hope even as she risks discovery with every attempt to help the prisoners. When her bravery brings her to the point of ultimate sacrifice, she faces an excruciating choice. God may have brought her to the camp for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she cannot save herself?

WHERE TO BUY: Barnes & Noble; ChristianBook.com; Amazon.com

The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots

by Karla Akins

August, 2013

Humorous and touching!

Pastor's wife, Kirstie Donovan, lives life in a fishbowl, so when she hops on the back of a bright pink motorcycle, tongues start to wag at the conservative, century-old First Independent Christian Community Church of Eels Falls.

Kirstie loves roaring down a road less traveled by most women over forty, but she's not just riding her bike for the fun of it. Kirstie has a ministry. However, certain church members have secrets to hide, and when God uses Kirstie's ministry to fill the pews with leather-clad, tattooed bikers, those secrets could be exposed...and some will stop at nothing to hide the truth.

Join Kirstie and her motorcycle "gang" - two church matrons and a mouthy, gum-smacking non-church member - as they discover that road-toughened bikers are quite capable of ministering to others, and faith is fortified in the most unexpected ways.