Thursday, November 14, 2019

New Release by Merrillee Whren

Today the final book in my Front Porch Promises series, A PLACE TO FIND LOVE, releases. Click on the title to read an excerpt. Even though I have a Christmas background, the cover doesn't look much like Christmas. It looks like summer. The story in the majority of my books have a time span of several months. This particular book starts in early summer, but the epilogue ends the following February. In between my hero has a special Christmas surprise for the heroine, because he knows how much she likes Christmas decorations. Here are several buy links.
Amazon
Apple
B&N
Kobo

For a little incite into the heroine, Whitney Hamilton, here is an interview.
Interviewer: Tell me the most interesting thing about you.
Whitney: Maybe that I speak five languages, English, French, German, Dutch, and Spanish
Interviewer: Wow! How did you come to learn so many languages?
Whitney: Languages have always come easy for me, and I studied a couple in high school and college and learned the others on my own because I worked as an interpreter in my previous job.
Interviewer: What is your job now, and do you still use your language skills?
Whitney: I used to live in Atlanta, but I had to move home to Pineydale, Tennessse, because my mother needed me to help with my ailing father. I was fortunate to find a position with the company where I interned when I was in college. I haven't used my language skills much in this job, but the company owner is planning to expand his business overseas, so I'll get the opportunity to use those skills again.
Interviewer: Even though your father was ill, were you happy to return to your hometown?
Whitney: Sadly, my father passed away a couple of months ago, and now I'm caring for my mother, who seems to have developed dementia. This has been tough, and Pineydale has a lot of bad memories for me.
Interviewer: Do you mind telling me about them?
Whitney: I'm not going into detail because I hurt a number of people, and I deeply regret that. So being back in my hometown brings up all those painful memories.
Interviewer: On a lighter note, what do you like to do for fun?
Whitney: I've been pretty focused on my job and taking care of my parents. I haven't made much time for fun. I do like to play golf, but that's usually business related. In fact, my boss asked me to take the new employee out for a golf lesson, not something I'm looking forward to because he's the younger brother of my old boyfriend. Too many bad memories there.
Interviewer: I guess that didn't bring us to a lighter note. Let's try something else. What do you like to read?
Whitney: Again work and taking care of my mother have occupied my time, but my coworker has challenged me to do more Bible reading. I'm up for the challenge.
Interviewer: That's a good challenge to take. If you could go back in time, where would you go, and why?
Whitney: That's easy. I'd go back to the summer of my high school graduation and stand up to my parents and not let them dictate where I should go to college. The one bad decision to do as they said rather than what I wanted led me to make a bunch of other foolish decisions. I'd like to undo them all, but I know that's not possible. I have to live with those and try to do better going forward.
Interviewer: That's a good way to look at it. We can't change the past. Now for the last questions. What is most important to you, and what do you want out of life?
Whitney: Right now the most important thing is taking care of my mother and making sure she gets the help she needs. Since I travel a lot for my job, I need a caregiver who will be there while I'm gone. As far as what I want out of life, I want to do well in my job and find peace with those I've wronged and peace with myself. I'm learning that God will help me in that quest.

As a reader, which do you prefer? Books that have a longer time span or books that have a shorter time span?

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.
 

3 comments:

  1. Merrillee, I love the interview format. So clever! And best wishes on your new release, I'm sure it's another fabulous read.

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  2. Thanks, Josie. I always find it fun to interview characters.

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