Interview and GIVEAWAY with Author Patricia Johns!

Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends at coffee shops then head to the bookstores. Yes, plural. After all, books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination! So consider this our virtual coffee shop. I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. <3

Today we are going to pry into the private life of CHAT with author Patricia Johns!

Patricia Johns is a Publisher Weekly bestselling author of sweet romance for Harlequin books. She lives with her husband, teenaged son, and energetic parrot in Alberta, Canada. The winters are long and cold, and give her plenty of time to do nothing but write books. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Connect with Patricia on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Interview ~

This may be the most important question I ask -- no pressure or anything, LOL! 

*drum roll*

What are you drinking in our virtual coffee house? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Something else altogether?

Tea. I love it! I always have a pot on and I’ll even drink it cold. Not iced tea… tea in the pot that I forgot about while it was hot. But that said, I do like coffee once in a while, too. It depends on quickly I need the caffeine to hit my system.

Love a good cup of tea! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

That’s a tough one! But I have to say fresh fruit. But really good, tree-ripened fresh fruit. Give me mangoes ripened on the tree, and I’d be in heaven!

Yum! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

At my desk… mercifully alone! I write best when I’m by myself, and once my family gets home from work and school, I have to give up that solitude. So I don’t take it for granted.

Totally understand! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

Probably my entire existence! I people watch a lot—that might be explained by the fact that I’m a writer. I also like to smell books. I didn’t think that was weird until my husband told me it wasn’t exactly normal. My deepest longing is for a gorgeous library—all mine, with hard cover classics and tall wooden bookshelves and a ladder… and leather chairs to lounge in by a lead-pained window. Cars, restaurants, pool, expensive vacations? They don’t even enter into my daydreams. It’s all about the library.

Wait...those things aren't normal? ;-) What inspired you to write The Amish Marriage Arrangement? 

This book was fully centered around a funny scene that happens at the very end of the book—so I can’t even tell you what it is, or else I’ll ruin it for you! But the idea for the whole book started with a joke on my own head. This book is a fun story—light and full of heart.

How fun! What led you to write in this genre?

I am a total romantic. I believe in soulmates. My husband asked me to marry him after two weeks of knowing me, and I said yes! People say that romance novels give women unrealistic expectations, and I disagree. Romance novels give women the expectation that they’ll find loving, faithful, devoted partners who will think they are just amazing. That’s not unrealistic at all! In fact, it just hands the challenge back to the men to step up to the line.

I love that so much! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

In this book, I hope people will finish the book feeling hopeful and happy, and believing that no matter where they are in life, that real, respectful, honest love is possible.

Great message! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)?

I’d love to! My next release will be A BOY’S AMISH CHRISTMAS that comes out end of October. This is the third and final book in my Butternut Amish B&B miniseries that follows the guests who come to an Amish run bed-and-breakfast. If you haven’t read the first two books, definitely pick them up!

An old-fashioned Christmas…

A newfound love!

Brett Rockwell is looking forward to a peaceful Christmas retreat with his young nephew—until they’re snowed in at an Amish bed-and-breakfast with tenacious journalist Emaline Piper. Though Brett is determined to avoid publicity, Emaline’s charm melts his reservations. And Brett lets slip a shocking truth—a story that could make Emaline’s career. Will professional ambition divide them, or can Brett and Emaline give their love story a happy ending?

And the end of December, my first Amish cozy mystery comes out! It’s called MURDER OF AN AMISH BRIDEGROOM. When the community ice man, Ike Smoker, is found dead and his girlfriend is discovered coming out of the ice house with blood on her hands, everyone thinks they know what happened. But Petunia Yoder knows her best friend couldn’t have done it… now to prove it!

So exciting! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level? 

I do! This is the verse that spoke to me when I was deciding to marry my husband. (We’ve been married 18 years now!)

Isaiah 60:21 “They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.”

I married him knowing in my heart that he was the one.

That's so beautiful! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

Right now, I’m reading a fantasy series called The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. I started reading it as a teenager, and now that I have a teenager who is also reading it, I picked it up again. But I also love reading cozy mysteries, historical sagas, classics, romance… I’m always reading something! 

My husband loves that series! Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Patricia!

Check out Patricia's upcoming release, The Amish Marriage Arrangement! 

Forgiving past mistakes

Could open up a whole new future…

After leaving the community years ago, Amish bad boy Arden Stoltzfus is back to convince his grandfather to move to Ohio. But neighbor Sarai Peachy stands in his way—her grandmother is sweet on the older gentleman. When a sudden windstorm damages her grandmother’s home, Sarai and Arden are forced to work together on the repairs. Will spending time with the former heartbreaker prove to her Arden is a changed man?   

Giveaway ~ 

Patricia has generously offered one paperback copy of The Amish Marriage Arrangement!

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one paperback copy of The Amish Marriage Arrangement!

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only! 

This giveaway will close on 7/27/23 at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls.

A winner will be drawn within four days of close of giveaway. The winner must respond to our e-mails within one week of notification, or their prize will be forfeit. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Enter via the handy Rafflecopter link below. May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable daughters. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

An Interview with Best-Selling Amish author, Amy Clipston!

I was so excited to interview Amy awhile back regarding her successful career as an Amish author because she also holds down a full-time job and churns out books faster than I can churn butter! I just had to know more about this fascinating woman.

The most exciting recent news is being recognized as Essential Romance Author of the Year by Family Fiction!

I can say "I knew her when!"

Be sure to check out her books here: Amy Clipston Books. Her new baker series looks delicious! I can hardly wait!

I think you'll really enjoy this interview with Amy who is a gentle, humble spirit with an amazing life story to tell. Grab a cup of tea, sit back, and enjoy!

And here is a bonus interview about Amy's fiction!

Author Naomi Miller is Mixing Up Something Sweet with a Dash of Mystery!

(Leave a comment below to enter!)

Welcome into the kitchen, readers! Yes, we're mixing up some healthy cupcakes for you little darlings! Author Naomi Miller is with us and, in her own words, combines a batch of tales filled with intrigue and a dash of romance.

PT:  Hello, Naomi! Grab an apron and lets start mixing! You know the readers always want to know the ingredients of a writer's background and how you baked up this sweet treat of writing.

              

NM: I began writing many years ago. . . 1990 to be exact. I had just become a single mom and I found that although I loved writing, I just didn’t have time to pursue it. I wrote notes, letters, articles, short stories, and occasionally I thought about a career as a writer/novelist, but never did I consider such a dream could ever become a reality.

Several years ago, after my own children were grown, my daughter challenged me to sit down and write a novel. She even offered to join me and write one, so I began what I planned to be a sweet story about a young Amish girl—but less than halfway into the story, someone was almost murdered! Needless to say, I was surprised, but kept writing. I’m not quite ready to let it go yet, but in the meantime, I began writing the Amish Sweet Shop Mystery series. . . and that’s my story.

PT: Tasty beginnings! I see you are part of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). Have you attended any workshops/conferences and how have they helped you and your writing?

NM: I have attended two ACFW conferences, with my third one coming up in September. I’ve also attended numerous workshops. . . each one being a treasure of information.

 The very first workshop I attended was in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I lived. The woman who would eventually become the founder of S&G Publishing sent me to a Knoxville Writer’s Guild workshop. It ended up being one of the best things to happen to me, because it was there that I found the courage to begin my career, with information on how to use social media and marketing ideas that was needed to be a successful author.

PT: Tell us a little about the Amish Sweet Shop Mystery Series and how you came up with the idea.

NM: I was working on the Amish Suspense story when I felt a need to write a sweet, cozy mystery without murder or many of the other problems people face today. Just an old-fashioned, sweet story about a community that takes care of its residents. The idea for Katie (the main character) to work in a bakery was to allow her to be an active part of the town, in a job where she would be able to keep up with everything going on around her.

PT: Do you have an goal you’re working toward right now in terms of writing?

NM: Right now I’m finishing up White Chocolate New Year (due next month), re-writing Plain Intent (Amish Suspense), waiting and watching for A Suitor For Rebekah (Amish Romance co-authored with Rachel L. Miller) to be released the end of the month, and… working on a secret project with another author that I’m really excited about (I can’t say anything more about it now; but I promise to post on Facebook about it as soon as I can).

PT: Oooh. A delicious secret ingredient. I love it! Now my favorite mash-up. Give 5 things fast about Naomi Miller that have little to do with writing.

NM:

     1. I homeschool my grandchildren — and I love it

     2. I can’t sleep without a fan running (preferably blowing on me)

     3. My favorite color is purple (although I love them all)

     4. I avoid doctors (like the plague… ha ha)

     5. I love snuggling with a good book and a soft blanket, especially on rainy and snowy days

There you have it, with sprinkles of a delectable book giveaway! Thanks for cooking up something special for us, Naomi! Now, folks don't be left in the freezer. ((shudder)) Leave a comment below for a chance to win Naomi Miller's Blueberry Cupcake Mystery!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Naomi Miller mixes up a batch of intrigue, sprinkled with Amish, Mennonite, and English characters, adding a pinch of mystery—and a dash of romance.

Naomi works full time as an author blogger and inspirational speaker. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization.

When she's not working diligently to finish her next book, Naomi tries  to make time for attending workshops, writing conferences, and other author events. Whenever time permits, Naomi can be found in one of her favorite places—the beach and the mountains.

Naomi's day is spent focusing on her writing, editing, and blogging about her experiences. Naomi loves traveling with her family, singing inspirational/gospel music, taking a daily walk, and witnessing to others of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

How to Find Naomi on Social Media

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP:  http://eepurl.com/bPdjGn

WEBSITE: https://naomimillerauthor.com/

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/NaomiMillerAuthor

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AuthorNaomi

PINTEREST:  http://www.pinterest.com/authornaomi/

GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1VMIegX

INDIEBOUND: http://bit.ly/1PsB9MR

FICTION FINDER: http://bit.ly/1UOlI5P

Laura V. Hilton is Back!

Today we welcome multi-published author Laura Hilton! Please leave a comment after the interview to be entered in the giveaway drawing! The winner gets their choice of any of Laura’s books.

Nancy: Laura, welcome back to the Diamond Mine! It’s good to have this opportunity to catch up with you. You’ve written so many stories! I’d like to learn more about your writing life. Do you write every day or in marathon bursts? 

 Laura: I try to get 500 words written every day. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less, but I also have five children, homeschool, am a pastor’s wife, and am busy, busy, busy, so I don’t have time to spend all day writing. 

Nancy: You sure don’t! It’s amazing how much writing you’ve done! How do you get your story ideas?

Laura: God. This particular one I saw a photo on face book with an Amish man fighting a fire and I started researching and discovered that Amish do volunteer as firefighters and EMTs in their communities.

Nancy: I didn’t know that. That’s wonderful. Do you work from an outline, or craft it as you go?

Laura: I craft it as I go.  I don’t plot. I find it so impossible to plan out a story and then be able to write it.  When I was in elementary school, in fifth grade the teacher had us write an outline. She gave us a week to work on it.  I struggled, until the teacher commented that “next week, we’ll write a two or three page paper from the outline you wrote.”  I’m like “Oh!” So I went home that night, wrote the three page paper, then went back and wrote the outline.  I got 100% on the assignment(s), but I learned then, my brain doesn’t work in the typical outline first fashion. 
 

Nancy: Well, that makes me chuckle! I’m awful at outlines, too, and also craft as I go. When did you first know you were a writer? 

Laura: I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I could remember.  I kept it close to me for awhile, because I’d get the “that’s nice, dear.” And a pat on the head (which even is insulting to a child).  And when I did finally find the courage as a grown up, my brother in law looked at me and said “no one will ever publish it.”  Wow! That hurt.  I get great pleasure in sending my sister and brother-in-law a copy of each of my books. Is that wrong of me???

Nancy: I don’t think so. I’m sure you’re proud of your work, and maybe your actions will teach them to be more encouraging to family members. (I’m an optimist!) What do you want your readers to experience or learn from your stories? 

Laura: I leave the application the reader gets from it up to God. He knows how He wants the reader to respond.
  

Nancy: What a great answer, Laura! Have you ever experienced writer’s block, or had a lot of difficulty with a story?

Laura: Oh yes!  Some of the stories were sooo hard to write. The one that’s releasing in February 2017 (The Amish Wanderer) was one of those. The whole book dealt with spiritual warfare (somewhat) and I was battled.  It seems there’s a part of every book where I’m having the character come to grips with a spiritual truth and I go through great trauma in real life then.

Nancy: Wow! That’s really interesting, and something I haven’t heard before. You’ve piqued my curiosity. Tell us about your latest book: The Amish Firefighter

Can they overcome their past?

Abigail Stutzman’s life is about to change – whether she wants it to or not. Her mamm is getting remarried to a widower with a large family. Abigail is sent to live with her aenti and onkle in Jamesport because she and her new step-brother had dated and their parents anticipate problems. (Her step-brother is needed on the farm.) Abigail launches a full-scale plan to return home to her family—and Mark—when she finds herself in over her head…and heart. When Abigail and her new “wrong crowd” get into significant trouble, her punishment includes helping a collection of crazy old maids with housekeeping. In the midst of her atonement, Abigail uncovers family secrets that run deep, and realizes she’s not the only one with a pain-filled past. Abigail must decide if she’ll continue her messed-up legacy or embrace a new beginning with the man who’s stolen her heart.

Samuel Miller has trouble of his own. When Sam and his close friend Ezra Weiss are in a drug/alcohol-related car accident in Pennsylvania, Ezra is killed. Though Sam survives, he is deeply affected by the tragedy and vows to help other victims. Now a new Christian, Sam is a volunteer firefighter and a college student working to earn his EMT and paramedic license. But Sam has a past. When it comes time to confess his crimes, he finds that the truth may set him free—but it might also land him in some uncomfortably hot water. Will Sam and Abigail be able to find a future together?

Nancy: Sounds really interesting, Laura! What do you like best about your main characters in this story? 

Laura: They are so real!  Sammy is a bit rough around the edges, but he has a soft heart and will do anything to protect those he loves. He has to learn to face his mistakes to move past them.  Abigail was hurting from secrets that she never knew about but now flooded her world. I hurt for her.

Nancy: We authors do go through a range of emotions while working on our stories, don’t we?

Are you ever sad when finishing a story or a series, or do you feel relief and are glad to start your next novel? 

Laura: Yes both of them.  I’m sad to leave characters that have become friends and am anxious to make new friends in the next book.

Nancy: What are you working on now? 

Laura: I’m writing a book called The Christmas Challenge that I think might release in 2017 – maybe September, but I haven’t heard for sure on the release date of that yet.  It is due to the publisher Jan 2 – so I need to hurry!

Nancy: Well, I hope you enjoy the writing as much as your readers enjoy your stories! Thanks so much for the interview, Laura!

Here’s a little more about Laura, followed by her social and purchase links:

Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with almost twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals or blog posts for Seriously Write and Putting on the New. Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye and currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children. When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.

http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q 

visit my blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/  & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/ 

twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/

Purchase her books:

Amazon   http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q 

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=laura+hilton&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/laura-hilton?store=allproducts&keyword=laura+hilton

Deeper Shopping http://www.deepershopping.com/index.php?query=laura+hilton&x=0&y=0&module=productsearch&_logmode=Y&querymodule=SPX

 Interview by Nancy Bolton

Patrick Craig Talks about His New Amish Princess and Gives Away the Heiress

Patrick, welcome to the Diamond Mine. I'm interested in your Amish series, which brings history to life from the 1500's to early America. Please tell us about your newest creation in the ongoing saga of the Hershberger family.

The Amish Princess is scheduled for a late fall release. It is the story of Opahtuhwe, The White Deer, the beautiful daughter of the most powerful Chief of the Delaware tribe. She is revered by her people as a true Indian Princess.  Everything in her life changes when the murderous rengade known as Scar brings three Amish prisoners to the Delaware camp.  Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger are twin brothers, the only survivors of the brutal massacre of most of the Hershberger family. Scar has made them captives and is determined to adopt them and teach them the Indian way.  The third prisoner is Jonas Hershberger, who was made a slave when he would not defend his family because of his Amish faith and his stand against violence.  When the brothers arrive, White Deer is drawn to Jonathan but his hatred of the Indians causes him to push her away.  Joshua's gentle heart and steadfast refusal to abandon the Amish faith ultimately lead White Deer to a life-changing decision and rejection by her people.  In the end, White Deer must choose between the ways of her people and her new-found faith.  And complicating it all is her undying love for the man who can only hate her.

Your prototype cover sets us up to think Colonial times, as in The Last Mohican.

           How did the story for the Amish Princess develop in your mind?

I've been writing about the Hershberger family since my first Amish book, A Quilt For Jenna. Early in that story Jerusha Hershberger learns about her great-great-great-grandfather, Joshua Hershberger from her grandmother, Hannah. It happens like this:

Hannah handed the second book to Jerusha.  It was small with a plain leather cover.

"What's this, Grandmother?" she asked.

"This is the story of Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger," said Hannah.  "It tells of the choices the twin brothers made after Indians massacred their family near Fort Henry on the Ohio, and what effect those decisions had on generations of Hershbergers.  One brother, Jonathan, forsook the Amish church and he and all his descendants went out into the world.  The other brother, Joshua, stayed in the church and remained faithful, even under the most difficult conditions.  Joshua was your great-great-great grandfather.  It was his grandson, my father, who came to Apple Creek in 1860 as a boy.  It is because Joshua stayed true, that you are here today."

Once that seed was planted I had in mind to write the story of the twin Hershberger brothers somewhere down the line. So, in my second Amish book, The Road Home, Jerusha's adopted daughter, Jenny Springer, meets Jonathan Hershberger who she discovers is the great-great-great-great-grandson of Jonathan Hershberger, the twin who married the Indian princess White Deer and left the Amish faith. After The Road Home I wrote two more books about the Hershberger women, Jenny's Choice and The Amish Heiress. And in my mind, all those stories were pointing to The Amish Princess. Having laid the groundwork in the previous four books, I went back to Joshua and Jonathan to tell the story of the twin brothers and their relationship to White Deer, the Deleware maiden who became known as The Amish Princess, and tie it into the story of the women of the family that is the centerpiece of both the Apple Creek Dreams series and The Paradise Chronicles series.

      What are your goals for these characters?

If you have read Jenny's Choice and The Amish Heiress, you know that in my epilogues for those books, I used a literary device where Jenny Hershberger, the protagonist of The Road Home and Jenny's Choice is revealed to be the actual writer of all the Apple Creek Dream books and The Amish Heiress. Since she is Amish she cannot publish them herself so she turns the manuscripts over to a "writer" from California who puts the books out under his own name. As the "author" of the books, the fictional character of Jenny has set about to tell the story of all the strong women of her family–her mother, her daughter, her husband's great-great-great-grandmother and even the founding matriarch of the family, the Princess Isabella of Hungary, who in the turbulent days of the Anabaptist rebellion of 1534, becomes involved with one of the first Hershberger men, marries him and is the mother of the Hershberger line all the way down to Rachel Hershberger. That story will be told in the last book of The Paradise Chronicles, The Mennonite Queen. So all along I have wanted to develop a set of women characters that have history, strength, and an enduring nobility that presents their relationship with Christ in a way that reaches the hearts of my readers through a great span of literary time.

     How has writing these stories affected you?

As I have been writing the Apple Creek Dreams books and The Paradise Chronicles series, I have come to love the characters in these books. I feel like I know them. They are so real to me I think sometimes that I see them walking down the street, and my readers agree with me which is extremely gratifying. Actually when I finish the Paradise Chronicles series and wrap up the stories of the Hershberger women, it is my hope that my future books will birth characters that become known and loved by my readers, the same way I have come to know and love Jerusha and Reuben Springer, Bobby Halverson, Jenny and Jonathan Hershberger, Rachel and Daniel King, and now, Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger and White Deer, the Amish Princess.

     What else do you have in the works?

I just released a new edition of the first book in my YA mystery series, The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch and will be following that up with a new edition of The Lost Coast, book two in that same series. (Visualize Frank Peretti mixed with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and you will get an idea of what the books are like.) I have a new thriller in mind called Scars on Heaven and a Historical Romance set during the War of the Roses in England titled Amour Mi Tien, Love Keep Me. I also want to write some western books and more Amish romance.

Best-selling author Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, was published by P&J Publishing in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon bestseller lists for seven months. The second book in the Series, The Amish Princess, will be released in the fall of 2016, followed by The Mennonite Queen. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

Find Patrick online:

www.patrickecraig.com  Webpage
https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig  Facebook

https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig  Twitter

Purchase Patrick's books:

http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg Amazon

The Amish Heiress and all the Apple Creek Dreams books are available in on Amazon, B&N and all your favorite online stores.  You can also find The Amish Heiress on my website  at http://www.patrickecraig.com/my-book-store/

You can also find The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch on Amazon. Look for The Amish Princess in late September, 2016.

Thank you, Patrick for agreeing to a Giveaway­, one signed copy of The Amish Heiress. One fortunate commenter will receive this novel, postpaid!