Guest Blogger Author Noelle Marchand

Today, Author Noelle Marchand shares about the important role secondary characters play in our stories! Enjoy!          ~Michelle

By Noelle Marchand

Imagine the sound of a single cello playing a melody—deep, rich, vibrant. Now, imagine two violins and a viola joining in. Suddenly, what was once simple becomes complex with each instrument bringing out a new quality in the others. This is exactly what secondary characters do for main characters. I always try to create well-rounded characters to interact with hero and heroine.

However, in writing The Outlaw’s Inconvenient Bride, I gained a better understanding of the importance of secondary characters within a novel. Never before had I tasked these characters with so much responsibility. With a huge portion of the story taking place in an outlaw gang’s secluded hideout, the six outlaws who lived there needed to provide external conflict, help set the tone of the story, and make the time period seem believable.

It was also paramount, due to the short nature of a novella, that these characters be immediately distinct from each other. I ensured this by researching accounts of real outlaws who lived during the old west. Inspired, my imagination went into overdrive. I created six characters complete with a list of their past crimes, endowed with a weapon of choice, unique character traits, motives for mayhem, and outlaw monikers. Meet all six members of the Renegade gang in The Outlaw’s Inconvenient Bride.


The Outlaw’s Inconvenient Bride by Noelle Marchand
1881, Wyoming
After a gang of outlaws uses a mail-order bride advertisement to trick an innocent woman into servitude, an undercover lawman must claim the bride—even if it puts his mission in jeopardy.

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage/dp/1683224442/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.noellemarchand.com/books

Noelle Marchand is an award-winning author and a proud Texas-native. She enjoys spending time with family, dancing, and going on daytrips.

http://www.noellemarchand.com/books

Guest Blogger Author Liz Tolsma: Researching a Book

Author Liz Tolsma continues our Blog Tour of the authors of The Mail-Order Brides Collection by sharing some of the fascinating historical tidbits she learned while researching her story! Enjoy!                ~Michelle

By Liz Tolsma

My story, A Fairy-Tale Bride, is set just after the Civil War in the make-believe town of Cuento, Texas. Nora, the main character, is a Southern war widow who has lost her husband, her home, and her land. She is impoverished and has no means to support herself. The only respectable option she has is to become a mail-order bride.

As I researched the story I wanted to write for this collection, I found it was very common for war widows, especially those from the South, to enter into such marriages of convenience. Most of them had lost everything during the conflict. Some of the surviving Confederate soldiers left the Southeast to begin new lives in the cotton fields of Texas. This air of familiarity helped with their transition back into civilian life.

The Texas cotton industry boomed around this time. With their former homes and crops razed and slaves gone, many men turned to Texas as a place to start fresh. The land was fertile, crops were good, and they were able to tap into the now-freed slaves as a work force familiar with growing cotton. Texas quickly became one of the leading producers of cotton in the nation. With the new plantation owners thriving, it was natural for the Southern war widows to go to Texas to enter into new marriages and to start new families.

While I considered not having the sharecroppers appear in the story because of the oftentimes unsavory aspects of the institution, in the end, I decided to show them because sharecropping was a way of life in the South after the war. The hero and his friend would not have been able to sustain their large plantations without this means of getting workers. Neither of the characters is unkind to the sharecroppers, and I don’t dwell on it because the characters wouldn’t have. It was part of daily life.

As I researched this book, I learned so much about what life was like for some Southerners following the Civil War. When you read it, I hope you learn a little something too.

Purchase from your local bookseller or online at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage/dp/1683224442/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WT6X9D0B6ETRDGH42MHS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mail-order-brides-collection-megan-besing/1126627885?ean=9781683224440#/

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection/Megan-Besing/9781683224440?id=6797742722867#ReviewHeader

Christian Book Distributors: https://www.christianbook.com/brides-collection-historical-stories-marriage-precedes/megan-besing/9781683224440/pd/224442?product_redirect=1&Ntt=224442&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP


Liz Tolsma

Author * Editor * Speaker

The Melody of the Soul coming January 2018

Romantic Times 4 ½ stars top pick

Second Chance Brides, Matchmaker Brides, Rails to Love now available

Mail Order Brides coming February 2018

The Amish Widow’s New Love coming May 2018

What the Heart Sings coming August 2018

www.liztolsma.com

Guest Blogger Author Jennifer Uhlarik: Inspiration

The Blog Tour of the authors of The Mail-Order Brides Collection rolls on. Author Jennifer Uhlarik is with us today talking about inspiration and how stories develop in an author's mind. Enjoy!                                                                                                                   ~Michelle

Hi all! Jennifer Uhlarik here. I’m so excited to share with you the story behind the story on The Brigand and The Bride, my selection from The Mail-Order Brides Collection. So…where did the idea for this story come from? As I pondered the idea of a mail-order bride story, I knew it needed to be different than a previous mail-order bride story I’d done (Wedded to Honor from The Convenient Bride Collection). I began thinking of different scenarios and quickly struck on the idea of a woman marrying a stranger to escape her outlaw family. Probably not the most original of ideas—but then, every story’s been told a million times already. It’s the fun twists you add that makes a story unique. So as I pondered the heroine that was taking shape in my mind, I saw a scene begin to unfold.

The heroine hurries through town, anxious about being caught by her brother. Rather than heading straight to the church, she stops in the seamstress’ shop to pick up a suit for her mail-order groom—something they’d pre-arranged through their letters. Suit in hand, she goes to the church, lays out the clothes and grooming supplies for him, then waits in the sanctuary. A bit later, the hero rushes in, shaves and cuts his hair, dons the suit, and steps out of the room, where the pastor’s wife shoves him down the aisle, scolding him for his lateness.

The scene played so vividly in my mind’s eye that I knew I had to write it and find out how the rest turned out. From the couple’s first awkward face-to-face meeting to the “quickie” wedding that ensues, I was giggling and grinning ear-to-ear. I sure hope you’ll read The Brigand and The Bride to find out why!

The Brigand and the Bride by Jennifer Uhlarik
1876, Arizona
Jolie Hilliard weds a stranger to flee her outlaw family but discovers her groom is an escaped prisoner. Will she ever find happiness on the right side of the law?


Purchase from your local bookseller or online at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage/dp/1683224442/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WT6X9D0B6ETRDGH42MHS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mail-order-brides-collection-megan-besing/1126627885?ean=9781683224440#/

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection/Megan-Besing/9781683224440?id=6797742722867#ReviewHeader

Christian Book Distributors: https://www.christianbook.com/brides-collection-historical-stories-marriage-precedes/megan-besing/9781683224440/pd/224442?product_redirect=1&Ntt=224442&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won and finaled in numerous writing competitions. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

Guest Blogger Author Megan Besing: Lies Characters Believe

The blog hop continues with Author Megan Besing! Have you ever believed a lie? Megan shares how her characters had to overcome many obstacles to get to the truth. Enjoy! 

                                                             ~Michelle

By Megan Besing

As we all know, lies are a part of everyday life—and every good book. Whether it’s one we tell ourselves for years or one someone else makes up, lies consume our time. In my story, Perfect for the Preacher, lies, gossip, and assumptions nearly become main characters themselves.

Despite his age, Pastor Amos Lowry believes he’s the man to fill the pulpit at Hilltop Chapel. He’s certain he’s qualified and longs to be hired. Wouldn’t a congregation with such generosity be a preacher’s ideal church? At least that’s what he tells himself.

Those on the council assume Pastor Lowry is too young and immature, and they believe marriage for Amos could be the answer to all their problems. Except no one asked for a mail-order bride with a sketchy past to apply as Amos’s wife. After all, won’t an ex-saloon girl ruin Hilltop Chapel’s reputation?

Sophie Ross was told she could be a pastor’s wife. Except when gossip mixes with the dreadful experiences from her past, Sophie fights the doubt in her head. If a man of God can’t love and accept her, what kind of future does that leave?

Behind every deception, whether in real life or story form, is the truth waiting to save the day and set us free. I hope you discover and enjoy the truths buried in the lies of Amos and Sophie’s happily-ever-after. What starts off as an unlikely match might just become a marriage built on unconditional love and a ministry for a renewed congregation. Lies may win a battle, but like the characters of Perfect for the Preacher, let’s not allow evil to claim victory of our lives.


Perfect for the Preacher by Megan Besing

1897, Indiana

Fresh from seminary, Amos Lowry believes marriage will prove to his skeptical congregation that he’s mature. If only his mail-order bride wasn’t an ex-saloon girl, and worse, pregnant.



Purchase from your local bookseller or online at:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage/dp/1683224442/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WT6X9D0B6ETRDGH42MHS

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mail-order-brides-collection-megan-besing/1126627885?ean=9781683224440#/

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection/Megan-Besing/9781683224440?id=6797742722867#ReviewHeader

Christian Book Distributors: https://www.christianbook.com/brides-collection-historical-stories-marriage-precedes/megan-besing/9781683224440/pd/224442?product_redirect=1&Ntt=224442&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Megan Besing adores reading, writing, and reviewing stories with happily-ever-afters. Her own writings have received many awards, including being a multi-category finalist in ACFW’s Genesis and a winner of MCRW’s Melody of Love contest. Her debut Perfect for the Preacher releases February 1, 2018 in Barbour’s Mail-Order Brides Novella Collection. She lives in Indiana with her husband and their children where she dreams of the beach and drinks way too many Vanilla Cokes. Connect with Megan on Facebook and at www.meganbesing.com.

Sex...in the Garden of Eden?!

Genesis chapter two is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. Why? Because it goes into detail about how and why God created Adam and Eve and what his plan was for them. With Valentine's Day just a few days away and the release of a movie that is a shameful, distorted lie about what sex should look like, let's see what God says about sex.

"The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (2:7) The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (2:15) The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper for him." (2:18) So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (2:21-22)

Think of it! God didn't want Adam to be alone so he fashioned the most perfect companion for him. A woman. She was similar to him in many ways, but oh so wonderfully different in others. Then God himself brought the woman to Adam! What a beautiful picture of God's love and faithfulness. That, my friend, is what every marriage should look like. God at the center of two human beings fashioned for one another.

Now comes the best part!

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (2:24-25)

"One flesh." 

"Naked."

"No shame."

This is God's perfect plan for sex, folks! Adam and Eve were naked. Adam and Eve became one flesh through sexual intercourse. Adam and Eve felt no shame. Keep in mind this all happened before sin entered the world. Adam and Eve had sex in the garden and there was no shame in it whatsoever.

No shame.

Let that sink in for a moment. We are a generation that is bombarded by sexual images all day long. On TV. In movie theaters. On our computers and phones. In books, magazines, and newspapers. And the vast majority of it is shameful. Sinful.

There is no shame in sex the way God intended it--between one man and one woman who are committed to one another through marriage. Anything outside of that is a distortion of the original plan. God created sex for us to enjoy. He wants us to enjoy being with our mate intimately. But when sin entered the world, sex became one of Satan's favorite tools to destroy our relationship with God and with one another.

Sex was God's gift to Adam and Eve. There was nothing shameful about it. Don't accept anything other than God's gift when it comes to sex. If you're married, keep only unto your spouse. Work at your marriage if it's not what it should be. If you're single, abstain from all forms of sex. If you have same-sex attraction, you also need to abstain. God has a plan for your life and same-sex union is not it. Seek Him only.

We may not be able to return to the perfection of the Garden, but we CAN choose to keep ourselves pure and holy for the God who created us!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out Countries are:
USA, Germany, South Korea, Australia, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Netherlands, Russia, Kuwait

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives

It's available! Chicken Soup for the Soul: Devotional Stories for Wives is a book of 101 Daily Devotions to Comfort, Encourage and Inspire women. My story, A Harvest of Blessing, is included. If you're married, remarried, engaged or contemplating marriage, I encourage you to get this book for yourself or for someone you love. You can order it online by clicking the link above or look for it in stores.

Marriage is a wonderful, God-ordained gift to a man and a woman. Genesis 1:27- 2:25 (with special emphasis on Gen. 2:24) gives us a clear picture of God's intentions when he created them male and female. At its best, the blessings of marriage are innumerable. You float from day to day with the partner of your heart, forging a new life together filled with happiness, laughter and joy. When problems arise, you work as a team to solve them. When children arrive, you marvel that the two of you created such an amazing creature. Truly, marriage is like no other relationship.

But after 26+ years of marriage to my best friend, I'm here to tell you marriage can also be work. Hard work at times. The same blessings I've mentioned can also become obstacles. Jobs, kids, even mundane household chores are suddenly areas to argue over. Money especially can cause arguments in even the happiest marriage. Whether it is the lack of money or how it is spent, many relationships are seriously damaged by money issues. Sex is another area where marriages suffer. Many husbands and some wives feel neglected in this area, which eventually trickles into feelings of dissatisfaction in other areas. A few years ago we attended the  "Love & Respect" marriage conference with Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs and his wife Sarah. I remember Dr. Eggerichs discussing sex. He said, "The Enemy of this world will do everything he can to get you to have sex before you're married. After you're married, he'll do everything he can to prevent you from having sex with your spouse."

Whether you're married or single, you're probably nodding your head in agreement, because it's true. The Enemy of this world doesn't want happy marriages. He doesn't want whole families. He'd much rather see us fighting, bickering, blaming, and finally, divorcing. He tried to destroy the very first marriage -- Adam and Eve -- while they were still living in paradise. They didn't have all the distractions and cares we have in our daily lives, yet because of Satan's lies they had the first marital blame-game recorded in history.

So what can we do to keep our marriages strong in the face of all this adversity? Here are some things I've learned to do and not to do over the years:

• Pray for your spouse and for your marriage. Daily. Hourly if needed. 
• Pray together at least once a day. At a different marriage conference with Dr. Gary Smalley, he suggested simply holding hands at night and praying silently if you aren't comfortable praying out loud.
• Stop playing the blame-game. Eve may have given the fruit to Adam, but he ate it. It takes two to make a marriage work, and it takes two to make a marriage fail. 
• Don't talk negatively about your spouse to others. You may need to share your burden for your marriage with someone you trust who can join you in prayer, but stop short of bashing your spouse.
• Make a point of spending time together alone. Go on a date. Take a walk. Visit an antique store. Whatever you enjoy doing, do it together. 
• Your children are not your first priority. Your marriage is. A healthy marriage will help you raise happy kids. 
• Don't let your job, your ministry, your friends create problems in your marriage. Again, your marriage and your spouse are your number one priority. 
• Revisit the beginning of your relationship often. Look at pictures. Reread love letters. Go to the places you went to on your first date. That person you fell in love with is the same person you're married to. Don't look back with regret. Look forward with hope!
• Remember your vows. The promises we make during the wedding ceremony should never be forgotten. Live them out every single day. 

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

May the Lord our God bless your marriage today!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, Philippines, Poland, Switzerland, Russia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy United Kingdom, South Korea

"Two Are Better Than One"

"Two are better than one." Ecclesiastes 4:9

Today is hubby's and my 26th Anniversary. Twenty-six years ago we said, "I DO!" and twenty-six years later we still do! We've shared the good, the bad and even some ugly along the way, but by God's wonderful grace and mercy, we're making it through this life...together!

Marriage is a wonderful thing, but I'm here to tell you it is not all roses and candy. Marriage takes work, from both partners, to keep it alive and thriving. When things get hard -- and they will get hard, no matter who you are, how in love you are, or how much money you have -- it is tempting to give up. The divorce rate is proof of that.

Normal life stresses -- things like jobs, children, financial problems, health issues-- put a strain on your marriage. Yet the greatest enemy of marriage is the Enemy of this world. He is out to destroy as many families as he can. How do I know? Because he tried to destroy mine! You can look back to Genesis 3 and read about the first family Satan tried to destroy. Not only did he try to destroy man's relationship with God, but his lies created all kinds of trouble between Adam and Eve. Adam blames Eve for his failure. "The woman you put here with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:12) Satan is still telling lies to couples today! He does not want us to enjoy happy marriages. He does not want us to enjoy fellowship with God. And certainly, if we're so consumed with all the problems life throws our way, including marital strife, we often allow our relationship with God to fade into the messiness.

So how can young couples -- and old couples! -- keep their marriage strong, alive and thriving? Here are some things I've learned in the past 26 years:

1. God MUST be the center of the marriage. A marriage not built on the foundation of biblical truths is doomed. 
2. Each spouse MUST put the other first. Always. Winning an argument or being "right" isn't worth the cost.
3. Never let your children come between you. Your first priority is your spouse and your marriage. Your children should always come second. The second greatest gift you can give your children is to love their Mom or their Dad. The greatest gift is, of course, Jesus.
4. Pray together. Every day. Sharing a devotional is good too.
5. Make a point to spend time together, alone, to talk. Real conversation. 
6. Adam and Eve enjoyed a sexual relationship in the garden before sin entered the world (Genesis 2:24). Enjoy each other! Regularly. 
7. Volunteer as a couple. At church or in the community. 
8. Find a hobby you can both enjoy. Cruising antique shops, bike riding, motorcycle trips, camping, whatever. Just do something together.
9. Take a weekend trip alone at least once a year. Even if you don't have kids at home, go somewhere special. 
10. Say, "I love you!" to your spouse EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!!

"It's better to have a partner than go it alone. 

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there's no one to help, tough!

Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

By yourself you're unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 from The Message Bible

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

Romania, USA, UK, Australia, Belarus, Canada, France, Philippines, Serbia, Russia, South Korea, Germany

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband Brian has been my Valentine for twenty six years! We had our first date on February 4, 1984. Ten days later he gave me a giant chocolate chip cookie that said, "Be My Valentine!" I have been ever since!

Our relationship is not perfect or without faults. Every marriage I know has ups and downs, good times and bad. The phrase "for better or for worse" is in the marriage vows for a reason! But after twenty three years of marriage, I think we've finally figured a few things out. As our wonderful pastor and wife shared this morning, it takes a few things on the part of each spouse to make a marriage work.

Forgiveness.
Acceptance.
Investment.
Remembering your covenant.

I'll leave you with some advice I read a few years ago. I don't know who wrote it or even where I read it, but it impacted me so much that I have it typed out and taped to my vanity mirror as a reminder!

"A fulfilling marriage does not drop from heaven into your lap. It becomes fulfilling when it's tended like a beautiful garden. It won't be perfect, no matter what you do. We live in a difficult and fallen world, and we all have challenges. Because of that, the things that matter most require attention. Keeping your marriage strong and growing takes time and attention. It takes making marriage a priority!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click here to watch an inspiring message on marriage from Pastors Joe and Lori Champion of Celebration Church.