Appalachian Song Releases TODAY!

 

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO 

Appalachian Song!!

Readers,

I am thrilled to finally get to share this story with you! The characters, setting, and history have quickly become some of my favorites, and I hope they'll become yours too.

The Walker Sisters
Photo taken by Jim Shelton in 1909.

The first time I visited the Walker Sisters cabin, deep in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I knew I would write a book about them someday. I'm excited to tell you Appalachian Song is that book! While it is inspired by the real Walker Sisters' fascinating lives in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, the story follows the fictional Jenkins Sisters and the young girl who captures their hearts. 

Here's the back-of-the-book blurb:

Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.

Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.

Appalachian Song is available in hard cover, soft cover, eBook, 

and Audiobook. To snag your copy, go HERE!

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              ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

My little red VW Bug
on the Walker Sisters' cabin
porch. One of the characters 
in Appalachian Song drives
a car just like this!

I'm giving away a FREE signed copy of Appalachian Song (or choice of one of my other books) to subscribers of my newsletter. I'd love to include your name in the drawing! If you aren't already a subscriber, just go to the top right corner of this page and fill in your email address and WA-LA! You're entered in the contest. I'll draw a winner on October 31. 

PS. If you aren't sure if you're a subscriber or not, check your email inbox. I sent out a newsletter today! 

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JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK 

FOR THE LAUNCH PARTY! 

I will celebrate the release of Appalachian Song with a Facebook Launch Party on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CST! Lots of fun and prizes, including books, Amazon gift cards, and 

bookish goodies. 

Just go to my Facebook Author Michelle Shocklee page and click the "Like" button so you'll be sure to get my updates in your Facebook feed. I will post reminders, but mark your calendars! You don't want to miss the party!

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Me at the Walker Sisters cabin site.
This is the springhouse John Walker built
in the 1870s. Bertie and her sisters
have one just like it that their 
Papa built!

THANK YOU, everyone, for celebrating with me! If you enjoy reading Appalachian Song, I would love it if you'd leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, or on social media.

Book club folks, I would love to join you via Zoom or in person if you're local! Shoot me an email for details. 

Many blessings to you all,

~Michelle

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #29

UPDATE: The winners of my drawing have been notified via email. THANK YOU to everyone who joined the hunt, subscribed to my newsletter, and left a comment! Y'all are the BEST!!!

Many blessings, 

~Michelle

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 6/15 at noon MST with Stop #1: Lisa Tawn Bergren's website. 
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 6/18 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

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Hi everyone! 

Welcome! I hope you're having FUN on the hunt!

I'm Michelle Shocklee. I'm a bit of a history nerd, which comes in handy since I write historical fiction.  One of my favorite things about writing fiction set many years ago is the excuse to read research books on all kinds of topics, like World War II and the Vietnam war (for the book I'm currently working on). My last three novels are historical split-time stories, so that means I got to research TWO different time periods for each novel! You can learn more about me and my books on my website, on my Facebook page, my Instagram page, and my Pinterest page for folks who enjoy looking through the pictures I use for inspiration as I write my books. 

Speaking of books, I'm quite anxious to share my latest, Appalachian Song, with all of you! It releases October 3, 2023, just in time for fall colors, bonfires, and hot cocoa. One of my favorite places on earth is the Great Smoky Mountains, so when I started thinking about a setting I would enjoy reading about, the mountains began'a callin'! Here's a little blurb about the book:

Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.

Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife 

who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.

For fans of historical and Southern fiction comes a poignant story of love and sacrifice 

set in the heart of Appalachia.

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COME WITH ME TO THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS....

Great Smoky Mountains; nps.gov

The Great Smoky Mountains have been home to Native American tribes as well as white European settlers for hundreds of years. In the 1800s, logging became a large industry in the area, but by the early 20th century, people began to realize that clearcutting--the logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down--was destroying the forest's natural beauty. 

A woman by the name of Ann Davis is credited for suggesting a National Park in the Smokies. She and her husband Willis returned from a trip visiting several Western national parks in 1923 and determined they needed a national park closer to home. This started discussion of the idea with leaders in the area, especially around Knoxville. Sounds like an idea everyone would love, right?

Wrong.

Gregg-Cable house in Cades Cove; nps.gov

There was a lot of opposition to overcome. There was also the issue of money. (Isn't that always the case?) However, the idea soon took root and was championed by prominent people in Tennessee and North Carolina. The group began raising private funds to help the cash-strapped National Park Service acquire land. John D. Rockefeller even contributed $5 million, with the US government adding $2 million. Congress finally authorized the project in 1926. 

I snapped this pic of my little red VW Bug at 
the Walker Sisters cabin! A red VW Bug is 
what my heroine drives when she visits a 
cabin very much like this one!

Purchasing the land, however, proved difficult, even with the money in hand. Some 6,000 small farms, large tracts, and other miscellaneous parcels had to be surveyed, appraised, dickered over and sometimes condemned in court. The timber and paper companies had valuable equipment and standing inventory, which required compensation. Some mountain homesteaders, like the Walker Sisters who inspired the characters of Bertie and her sisters in my book, were given lifetime leases to remain on their property, although they couldn't hunt, log, or farm on it. Everyone else was evicted. 

Today, the park occupies 522,419 acres of gorgeous, well-preserved land in two states--Tennessee and North Carolina. It boasts two visitors' centers, miles and miles of hiking trails, historical buildings, waterfalls, lakes, and recreation areas. The well-maintained roads take you through some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen, especially during the fall. 

Great Smoky Mountains; nps.gov

If you've never been to the Great Smoky Mountains, I encourage you to plan a trip soon. In the meantime, you can preorder a copy of Appalachian Song and travel there vicariously with some of my favorite characters as soon as the book releases October 3, 2023! 

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Here’s Your Critical Stop #29 Info:

If you’re interested, you can preorder Appalachian Song on Amazon,

Barnes & Noble, Tyndale or at your local bookstore! 

Clue to Write Down: Let's READ! 

Link to Stop #30, the LAST Stop on the Loop: GRAND PRIZE ENTRY!

BUT...before you go, I'm giving away THREE paperback copies of Appalachian Song 

as soon as it is available. To be included in the giveaway, all you have to do is sign up for my 

e-NEWSLETTER at the TOP RIGHT corner of this page! 

If you're already a subscriber, you're already entered!

For an EXTRA entry, after you sign up for the newsletter, leave me a comment 

and tell me if your favorite vacation is:

A. Going to the mountains!

B. Going to the beach.

C. Neither. I'd rather go to  ____________. 

I'll draw the winners on June 20, 2023. (US only, please.)

COVER REVEAL!

     COVER REVEAL!!

Hi everyone!

I'm thrilled to share the cover of my next book with you!! 

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?! The design team members at Tyndale House Publishers are SO talented. Much thought goes into each cover they create. This split-time story takes place deep in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, and the cover truly captures their beauty. This photo looks just like what I've seen every time I've visited the Great Smoky Mountains. I can almost smell the wonderful earthy scent that fills the air as you walk through the woods. I'll share more about the young woman featured on the cover and give some hints about the journey she goes on in the coming weeks and months as we all patiently wait for the book's birthday!

Appalachian Song will release in FALL 2023!! 

Preorder is available at:

Tyndale House 

Baker Book House

Barnes & Noble

Amazon 

Blessings,

~Michelle

Looking Forward to 2023....Looking Back at 2022

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

I wonder how many of you are waking up today, asking the same question I am:

WHERE DID 2022 GO???

As I look back and reflect on everything that happened in those 365 days, I see God's hand in it all. He is a loving, faithful Father, no matter what challenges, changes, losses, and victories we experience in life. Thankfully that is still true, even with the flip of a calendar page and the ushering in of a new year. 

I've chosen the word Shalom as my word for 2023. Last year I chose the word Peace, and although shalom is the Hebrew word for peace, I've recently learned that shalom has a deeper meaning than what we might define as peace. 

In his book The Wonder of Advent Devotional, author Chris Tiegreen writes that shalom is "the Hebrew word we often translate as peace, and it does mean that. But it's so much more. It's a state of spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being that resembles the abundant life Jesus promised." 

Shalom is what we all crave deep inside. It can't be found in a job, a relationship, or a bank account. It isn't even that warm, cozy feeling we have when everything is right in our world for a day or two. All those things provide temporary peace, but it can't be sustained. Something is bound to happen that will steal that sense of peace away from us. I've had that happen over and over in this life, and I'm sure you have too.

Isaiah 9:6 declares that a child is born to us, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Shalom. This year I'm going in search of the deeper meaning of Shalom. I'll be journaling the things I learn about shalom through scripture and other readings as well as getting honest about the things I don't understand about it. If you're interested in going deeper with me, shoot me an email to receive my brief monthly update on how my journey is going. I'd love to hear your thoughts on shalom, too.

                 2022 WAS A REALLY GREAT YEAR...in spite of!

We have much to be thankful for as we look back on 2022! 

Even though our sweet boss passed away on December 26, 2021, we didn't lose our jobs. Her son and daughter-in-law, whom we love as much as we loved Miss L, have taken over the farm. In January we moved back into the house where we first lived when we came to Tennessee in 2017 and resumed our responsibilities here on the farm. 

I also learned that my older brother passed away--the first of my siblings to die. Death is so final, yet the hope of eternity with God is what keeps us going in times like this. My husband and I traveled to New Mexico over the Christmas break to attend a memorial for Mark. While it was a sad occasion, it was good to be with my family. 

The Lord continues to bless my writing endeavors, for which I'm very grateful. My novel COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS released in March, and just last month it won the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award for Fiction! I'm excited that I'll have new books release in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with Tyndale House Publishers, and I'll have a short story included in a compilation book published by Guideposts, publication date TBA.

 

One of the most exciting things that happened in 2022 was our oldest son proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, and she said YES!! We are over-the-moon happy for them and look forward to all that God has planned for these two! 

All in all, I feel incredibly blessed and hopeful as I head into a new year. Only God knows what awaits in those far-off tomorrows, but just knowing He is already there brings the peace, the shalom, that my soul longs for.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Michelle  

GIVEAWAY & Crazy4Fiction Book Bash Stop #1!

Hello and
Welcome to Nashville, Tennessee! 

During this week’s Crazy4Fiction Summer Book Bash, I’m taking visitors on a virtual visit to Nashville where Priscilla Nichols and Audrey Whitfield live in my new time-slip novel Count the Nights by Stars. Both Priscilla and Audrey want to host a summer book club in Nashville’s beautiful Centennial Park, and if you could meet these women in real life and join them for an afternoon, I know you’d love a chance to talk books with them. But since Audrey and Priscilla can’t join us in person, I’ve come up with a few ways you can have a little book bash of your own, inspired by our two heroines in Count the Night by Stars.

First, here’s a quick peek around Centennial Park, one of the fascinating settings in Count the Nights by Stars: 

The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Greek structure, was built for the 

Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897 and is the only building that still remains in the park. 

Makes me wish I could've seen them all!

Centennial Park is a lush, historic park that has a storied history dating back to the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition of 1897 which Priscilla visits in Count the Nights by Stars 

and plays a key role in her story. 

There are several informative signs along the paths circling

Lake Watauga that tell the history of the exposition.

I was SO excited to see a vendor selling Italian ice, 

just like the yummy dessert Priscilla enjoys with 

a handsome man in the book!

Even though summers may be hot and humid here in Tennessee, Priscilla and Audrey would love to sit under one of the park’s tall trees on a breezy afternoon with a good book and some sweet iced tea, and maybe even a bowl of peaches and cream--a favorite dessert of someone in the book!

How can you enjoy your own book bash inspired by Audrey and Priscilla? Invite your book group or just some book-loving friends over and have a fun afternoon of books and goodies! Or treat yourself to a quiet day of summer reading and relaxation on your own! 

Audrey’s and Priscilla’s Summer Book Bash Ideas:

The food/drinks: Ice cold lemonade, spicy BBQ sliders, 

and birthday cupcakes to celebrate Tennessee's birthday!

The music:  A band is set up in the gazebo. Music from the 60s fills the park!

 

The theme: Happy Birthday, Tennessee!

The setting: Centennial Park or your own backyard complete with lots of big trees!

(You could even print out a picture of the Parthenon for decoration!)

THANK YOU for stopping by the Crazy4Fiction Summer Book Bash! 

Happy Reading!

~Michelle

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BEFORE YOU GO!! 

Click HERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN a signed copy of 

Count the Nights by Stars, a scrapbook album, 

and a cool Nashville themed coffee mug! 

Contest closes July 31, 2022

The Next Crazy4Fiction Summer Book Bash stop is 

Author Jennifer L. Wright's Book Bash Stop #2!

Jenn's Book Bash begins Tuesday, July 26!

P.S. You'll want to check out each Book Bash post this week because...

there's a GRAND FINALE GIVEAWAY which includes a signed copy of each 

participating author’s book along with a Kindle e-Reader and a tote bag!! 

It opens July 29th on the Crazy4Fiction site. 

Details & links will be available on the last Book Bash stop!

Exclusive Giveaway Just for YOU!

Happy Spring, everyone!

I'm popping into your day to let you know that because you're a regular subscriber to my blog, I'm entering your name into a drawing for a signed copy of my new release COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS plus a $10 Amazon gift card and a few other goodies!

The book released into the world March 22, so I'm celebrating! And YOU, subscribers to my blog/newsletter, are the only folks eligible for this exclusive offer. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you! If I could give all of you a book, I would!

I'll announce the winner (and contact them via email) Saturday, April 2. 

If you haven't had a chance to snag a copy of COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS yet, here's a blurb and a link for purchase options. 

Again, THANK YOU for going on this journey called Life with me!

Blessings,

~Michelle

PS. If you're NOT a regular subscriber to this blog/newsletter and are reading this online, you too can become a Subscriber simply by entering your email at the top-right of this page where it says "Subscribe." I promise not to fill up your inbox with posts! You'll only hear from me a few times a year, either with bookish news or an inspirational post. 

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ABOUT COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS

Count your nights by stars, not shadows. Count your life with smiles, not tears.

1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.

https://www.tyndale.com/p/count-the-nights-by-stars/9781496459930

A New Year, a New Book, and a New(ish) Job

Happy 2022, everyone!

My prayer for each of you is that this new year will be full of God's blessings, grace, and peace. And honestly, I'm praying the same thing for myself and my family. 

Our year ended on a sad note. Our sweet employer whom we've worked for since October 2017 passed away. She'd been declining the past month so it didn't come as a shock, but we will deeply miss her. Gratefully, her son has decided to keep her farm and asked us to continue working for him. We're excited to move back to Franklin in a few weeks to the cute little house we lived in when we first moved to Tennessee. I'll miss the 100-year old farm house we've lived in on her brother's property since June 2019 and my nearly perfect office, but there are lots of positives to moving too. 

Once the dust settles from all the above, I'll start gearing up for the 

March 8th release of my newest novel, 

COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS! 

Only 67 days until this dual-time novel set in Nashville goes out into the world, and I can hardly wait to share it with you! 

Here's the back-of-the-book blurb:

Count your nights by stars, not shadows. 

Count your life with smiles, not tears.

1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.

1897. Outspoken and forward-thinking Priscilla Nichols isn’t willing to settle for just any man. She’s still holding out hope for love when she meets Luca Moretti on the eve of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Charmed by the Italian immigrant’s boldness, Priscilla spends time exploring the wonderous sights of the expo with Luca―until a darkness overshadows the monthslong event. Haunted by a terrible truth, Priscilla and Luca are sent down separate paths as the night’s stars fade into dawn.

Here's a link for more information and to PREODER the book: 

https://www.tyndale.com/p/count-the-nights-by-stars/9781496459930

Peace is the word I've chosen for 2022. My hope is to do a deep dive into scripture throughout the year and discover what true peace looks like and feels like. So I'll leave you with Jesus's own words about Peace and wish you and yours a very Happy and Peace-filled New Year!

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

John 14:27

Every blessing,

~Michelle

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #22

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 10/21 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.

• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).

• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/24 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.

• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

************************************

Hello, beautiful Scavenger Hunt folks!

I'm Michelle Shocklee, author of several historical novels, including UNDER THE TULIP TREE, a 2021 Christy Award finalist! (I'm still pinching myself!) You can learn more about me and my books here on my blog, my website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

One of the best things about being an author of historical fiction is the research. I positively adore visiting historical sites--Civil War battlefields, old homes, graveyards, etc--and imagining the people who walked those hallowed places long before I was born. When we moved to Tennessee in 2017, I felt like a sponge soaking up the fascinating history of the area. A very cool event I kept reading about was the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. And the more I learned about this World's-Fair-type event, the more the novelist in me knew I'd have to write about it someday! 

Ta-da! My next release, COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, a time-slip novel, takes readers to 1897 Nashville, where forbidden love, star-filled nights, and dark secrets come to light when unmailed postcards from the expo are discovered in an elaborate scrapbook 65 years later. The book releases March 8, 2022, but I'd love to give you a sneak peek of that magical place and time now. 

 

Promotional map of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition
(If you look closely at the cover of my new book, you'll see some
familiar buildings hiding on Priscilla's blouse!)

The History:

Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796. To celebrate its 100th birthday, officials decided to hold an exposition. Planning and finances delayed Tennessee's party, making it one year late for the actual centennial when the expo opened May 1, 1897.

The Buildings:

Me at Centennial Park in front of the
Parthenon and Lake Watauga

Over 100 temporary buildings were constructed on the 200-acre fairgrounds, with the most famous being the city of Nashville's contribution, the Parthenon. Built as an exact replica of the Parthenon located in Greece, it honored Nashville's nickname "the Athens of the South." Because the Parthenon became the symbol of the expo, it was left standing after the fair closed and was rebuilt with permanent materials in the 1920s. All other buildings were torn down or sold and moved. 

Vanity Fair:

Vanity Fair offered a Giant See-Saw, Chinese village, Streets of Cairo, animal shows, historical exhibits, and all manner of exotic foods to over 1.7 million visitors. You could even take a gondola ride on Lake Watauga in an authentic Venetian gondola, steered by a true Italian gondolier. (My characters do this in my new book. So romantic!)

While researching COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, I visited Centennial Park many times, imagining Priscilla and Audrey there in 1897 and in 1961. I hope you'll "visit" the exposition again when my book releases next year!

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Here’s the Stop #22 Basics:

If you’re interested, you can preorder COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tyndale, or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: blanket

Link to Stop #23, the Next Stop on the Loop: Pepper Basham’s site!

Before you head out to the next stop, be sure to sign up for my e-newsletter (top right corner of this page) and be entered in my giveaway! THREE WINNERS from my newsletter list will choose between a signed paperback copy of UNDER THE TULIP TREE now OR wait until March for a signed paperback copy of COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS! (USA only, please.) Giveaway closes 10/25 at 12:01 AM MST. I'll draw the winners and post names here and on my social media outlets by Wednesday Oct. 27.

For an EXTRA ENTRY, leave a comment and tell me what your favorite state fair/county fair food is! Make my mouth water, y'all! 😋 

Count the Nights by Stars is Available for Preorder!

Happy September, all!

The year is flying by and March 2022 will be here before we know it! What's happening in March 2022?!

This!

Here's a blurb about the story:

Count your nights by stars, not shadows. Count your life with smiles, not tears.

1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.

1897. Outspoken and forward-thinking Priscilla Nichols isn’t willing to settle for just any man. She’s still holding out hope for love when she meets Luca Moretti on the eve of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Charmed by the Italian immigrant’s boldness, Priscilla spends time exploring the wonderous sights of the expo with Luca—until a darkness overshadows the monthslong event. Haunted by a terrible truth, Priscilla and Luca are sent down separate paths as the night’s stars fade into dawn.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming months about Launch Parties, giveaways, and more! In the meantime, click the Tab for my website for Preorder options!

Blessings,

~Michelle

Cover Reveal!

Hello Friends!

I'm SO excited to reveal the cover AND title of my new book! Here it is!!! 

Count the Nights by Stars is an historical time-slip novel set in 1961 & 1897 Nashville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Centennial Exposition took place in the summer of 1897, and I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the history of it. If you look closely, you'll see a map of the exposition overlayed on our heroine's blouse.  

I'll share more about the story in the coming weeks. Pre-order will be available soon ahead of the March 2022 release date. I can't wait to share Priscilla's and Audrey's stories with you!!

Thanks for celebrating with me! 

Blessings, 

~Michelle

Selah Awards Finalist!

 

Hey everyone,

I want to share my exciting news with you! UNDER THE TULIP TREE is a Finalist in the 2021 Selah Awards Contest, sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference! For a complete list of Finalists, go to the BRMCWC Facebook page. Winners will be announced at the conference later this year. 

If you haven't had a chance to check out UNDER THE TULIP TREE, now is a good time to do it! Here's a blurb about the story:

Sixteen-year-old Lorena Leland’s dreams of a rich and fulfilling life as a writer are dashed when the stock market crashes in 1929. Seven years into the Great Depression, Rena’s banker father has retreated into the bottle, her sister is married to a lazy charlatan and gambler, and Rena is an unemployed newspaper reporter. Eager for any writing job, Rena accepts a position interviewing former slaves for the Federal Writers’ Project. There, she meets Frankie Washington, a 101-year-old woman whose honest yet tragic past captivates Rena.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to learn of all the older woman has endured—especially because Rena’s ancestors owned slaves. While Frankie’s story challenges Rena’s preconceptions about slavery, it also connects the two women whose lives are otherwise separated by age, race, and circumstances. But will this bond of respect, admiration, and friendship be broken by a revelation neither woman sees coming?

Thank you, Readers and Judges, for choosing UNDER THE TULIP TREE! It's truly an honor. 

For purchase information, visit my website! 

Blessings,

~Michelle

Exciting News and a Giveaway!

UPDATE: The winners of my giveaway--Susie Q and dpruss--have been notified via email. THANK YOU to everyone who left a comment. And WELCOME to everyone who signed up as a NEW subscriber to the blog!! I appreciate you all very much! I'll have more giveaways in the coming months, so stay tuned! ~Michelle

Hello, Friends!

I want you to be the first to know my exciting news! 

I've just signed a contract with Tyndale House Publishers for my NEW historical time-slip novel, tentatively titled HOLD ON TO THIS MOMENT. Whoo-hoo! Release date to be determined, but look for it sometime in 2022! I'll share more details in the coming months, but for now I want to celebrate and you're invited to join the fun!!

I'm giving away TWO signed copies of UNDER THE TULIP TREE to TWO lucky subscribers of my blog (which is also my newsletter)! Here's all you need to do to be entered:

1. Become a subscriber if you aren't already subscribed! It's easy to do. On the upper right hand corner of this page, you'll see a box that says "Sign up to receive my blog in your inbox." Type in your email address and submit. Done! If you're already a subscriber, you're already entered in the contest.
2. Next, leave a comment on this post and tell me the name of your all-time favorite novel. (Nope, it doesn't have to be one of mine. Haha!) But remember, only subscribers who leave a comment will be entered in the contest. (If you're reading this in an email, click the link to the blog and pop over here to leave your comment.)

On Saturday, February 6, I'll draw ONE winner from the list of subscribers and ONE winner from everyone who leaves a comment. I'll notify the winners via email and post an update here. 

Thank you for your continued encouragement and support. I appreciate each one of you more than you'll ever know!

Okay! Let the fun begin!

Blessings,

~Michelle