Christmas blessings, my fellow readers! So many exciting things
happening around the Diamond Mine. As I write, snow is flurrying through my glass doors. Heehee, shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I LOVE snow!
And, I love giving things away! Mary O. won my last interview's book giveaway with Ann H. Gabhart on Sept. 9th. Also, our $25 B&N Gift Card has found a home with a lucky reader, Roxanne C., and I personally am deep in the midst of planning SO MANY BOOK SWAG giveaways on my own website, I can’t begin to name them! And you are definitely invited to be a part of that. See details below the interview.
But, I digress. Yet I don’t. Because our guest this week, author Mary Alford, is giving away not just a book, but a Christmas book! How fitting is that? Covert Amish Christmas is this week's giveaway. Check it out:
 |
| https://www.amazon.com/Covert-Amish-Christmas-Inspired-Suspense-ebook |
Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas! So, without further ado, lets turn our sleighs toward Mary Alford’s interview.
____________________________________
PT: Season greetings, Mary! So happy to have you this week. I have my fireplace DVD on. Come settle by the fake fire and tell us the basics, your background and your genre.
MA: I write Christian and Amish Suspense for Love Inspired Suspense. I was a bookworm for as long as I can remember. I devoured every book that interested me at our public library. Growing up on Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie and Hardy Boys to name a few. From there, I graduated to Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney’s tales of suspense and romance. When I was a “tween”, I decided to write my own story because I was so sure I knew exactly how to do it. Wrong! It was filled with cliches and sappy romance, but it lit a fire in me that did not die through my teenage years and into adulthood. I tried my hand at different genres, but what I loved reading the most were Christian and Amish suspense. And so, I found my home there.
In 2012, I entered a contest through Love Inspired Suspense
entitled, Speed Writing. I was chosen to pitch, then Emily Rodmell requested a
partial, then a full, and in December of 2012, I received my first contract
with Love Inspired Suspense. Forgotten Past was published in 2014. Since then,
I’ve published 10 books through Love Inspired Suspense. The last 3 have been
Amish Suspense. In addition, I am an Indie author of several Christian suspense
novels. And in 2022, my first Amish Suspense will be published through
Revell.
PT: Wow! Amazing. What a way to begin. I’m sure being chosen was like a gift. Such a fitting story in this gift-giving season. So, do you have a main reason/theme/mantra of writing? Include both Amish/Contemporary if you can.
MA: I think my love for both Christian Suspense and Amish
drives me to write in these two genres. I learned early on to write what I loved
to read, and it has served me well.
MA: I put a little of myself into every character I write. I
cannot say it is one particular trait, but more like how they react to
situations they are thrown into. Victoria Kauffman, in Covert Amish Christmas, in particular. And I find my characters
usually share my love for coffee and cooking.
PT: Where did you get the idea for your Covert Amish Christmas?
MA: I love stories involving spies. There is just something
about the danger they face that makes for a great book. Covert Amish Christmas
is about a former CIA agent who is being hunted by the people she once worked
for because of something they believe she knows about a failed mission in Afghanistan.
What better contrast for the dangerous world of espionage, than the peaceful
Amish community of West Kootenai, Montana, right? And a hero that doesn’t come
from a military or intelligence background. Aaron Shetler is a simple Amish
furnituremaker who refuses to let bad guys take Victoria’s life. And because of
his willingness to help, a love story is born.
PT: Ah, sounds like the perfect novel to curl up with under a fuzzy,
snowflake blanket. What’s the next project you are working on?
MA: Covert Amish Christmas introduces the reader to Aaron
Shetler, the oldest of 5 Amish brothers who will be featured in additional
upcoming Love Inspired books. The next book, Shielding the Amish Witness, comes
out in April of 2021 and features Eli Shetler’s story. And in 2022, my first
book from Revell will be released. It is an Amish Suspense, and I am extremely
excited to get it into the hands of my readers.
PT: Exciting! Any special plans you yourself have for this
year’s Christmas/or a gift you're planning?
MA: As I’m writing this, I’m preparing to decorate the house
for the holiday. Usually, I am struggling with a deadline around the Christmas
holiday, so it sometimes feels like I miss out on some of the beauty of the
season. But not this year. I plan to enjoy every moment of the season. That, to
me, is a gift.
PT: Yes. That is one thing this year has taught me. Time to
enjoy every moment of life. Now, my favorite. It's like yanking down your
stocking and finding all the little surprise trinkets inside! Tell 5 things
quick about you that have nothing to do with writing.
MA: I am a grandmother of three, a pianist, a HUGE coffee
drinker, a want-to-be crafter, and a sometimes-successful gardener.
PT: Let me ask you a very important question. Do you have a
Bible verse that is your current favorite, one that speaks to you right now?
MA: My favorite verse of the Bible is John 14:1-3
Let not your heart
be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
What an amazing promise that Jesus Himself is preparing a
place for us in heaven. I love that.
PT: I love that verse too, Mary. It speaks peace to my heart
in this turbulent time. Thank you so much for stopping by the Mine and sharing
your news and exciting giveaway!
To enter the contest, please leave a comment AND your email address. If you don't leave an email address, you will be not have a chance to win.
Also: please go to peggytrotter.com and sign up for my newsletters and automatically be entered for all my 2021 Book Swag Giveaways!
____________________________________
Want to know more about author Mary Alford? You've come to the right place:
Bio:
2-time USA Today Bestselling Author, Mary Alford, loves
giving her readers the un-expected, whether it be in a rugged mountain setting
or a peaceful Amish community.
Her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestselling List,
Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling List, and have been finalists in the Daphne Du
Maurier award of excellence, The Beverly, The Maggie, and The Selah
Awards.
Mary lives in Texas with her husband, two very spoiled cats,
and a sweet rescue dog name Cody. Mary is very active online and would love to
connect with readers on Face-book and Twitter or any social platforms listed at
www.maryalford.net.
Links:
Covert Amish Christmas:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/covert-amish-christmas-mary-alford/1136826763?ean=9781335403155
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/covert-amish-christmas
Mary’s Website: https://maryalford.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryAlfordAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryalford13
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7235798
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-alford
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maryjalfordauth/_created/
