Today’s featured book:

About the book:

Sarah Laughlin left her big-city life and dead-end relationship behind for a fresh start as a fourth-grade teacher in the small Wisconsin town of Meadow Creek. And it feels like home, too, despite the persistent troublemaker in her class and the lack of familiar faces. But the holidays are going to be lonely this year. Until she meets firefighter Lincoln Thompson. Suddenly, the hope of spending Christmas with someone she cares about is within reach.

Lincoln loves his home town of Meadow Creek, but ever since his long-time girlfriend left him for a better life in the city, he wonders if he’ll ever find love in this small town where everyone knows everyone. Then he meets Sarah during her class’s field trip to his firehouse, and a spark is lit. But when they discover that Sarah’s troublemaking student is none other than Lincoln’s beloved nephew, their newfound relationship is put to the test. Can they navigate through the complexities of family dynamics to find a love that will last?

Excerpt from Christmas in Meadow Creek:

“Y’know, it’s kind of funny how we keep running into each other.” Lincoln leaned his elbow on the table with his head resting on his hand, as if blocking out anyone behind him, and focused solely on Sarah’s face.

She was suddenly ultra-conscious of her breathing, her blinking, her every move. And was it just her, or was it getting hot in here? “Yeah,” she finally managed to say. “Three days in a row now.”

Lincoln’s lips formed a slanted smile, and for the first time she noticed a dimple on his handsomely rugged cheek. He leaned in before speaking again, his voice extra low. “I was wondering if you wanted to make sure we saw each other again? Maybe tonight—for dinner?”

She prayed he didn’t notice how hard she swallowed upon hearing his question. And what was that noise—was that her heart beating? She hoped he couldn’t hear it. Why was it so hard to think straight all of a sudden? This was the first request for a date she’d received since moving. Well, since Todd had broken up with her, really. Thankfully, her brain was finally able to send her mouth the message to smile. “Sure. Yeah, I’d like that.”

Lincoln’s crooked smile turned into an all-out beam. “Great. Can I pick you up at seven? If you don’t mind giving me your address.”

Quickly nodding, Sarah got out her phone. “I can text it to you. What’s your number?”

She sent the text to the number he recited and put her phone away.

Lincoln’s eyes crinkled as he spoke. “Well, I better get back to serving.” He stood to leave, touching Sarah’s arm gently. “I’m glad I ran into you again. I’ll see you at seven.”

Sarah nodded. “Looking forward to it.”

As she watched Lincoln walk away, her heart raced. Did that just happen? She peered at the faces around her table and locked in on Jessica’s gaze. She was flashing Sarah an excited grin, and Sarah blushed. I know, she mouthed, making Jessica laugh. Thank goodness she’d changed her mind about coming to the breakfast. The excitement gurgling around in her stomach was more than she could ask for. She now had something to look forward to this holiday season after all.

About the author:

Katy Eeten is married to a Pastor of Student Ministries and is the mom of two boys, ages 12 and 9. She lives with her family in southeast Wisconsin, despite her dislike for cold weather. She works full time in corporate America, but her true passion is writing.

She has three Christian Romances available on Amazon and another Christmas novella coming out later this year (watch for “First Class Christmas” on December 1st!). When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks or bike rides with her kids, baking goodies, playing the piano, or spending time with her family.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/

Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

Our tomcat, Boots, was one of our first rescues. He showed up with his momma and brother in our garage six years ago. He was friendly. We had him neutered. He lived in the garage that fall and winter.

The following spring, a new stray momma cat joined our outside cats and ate with them in the garage. A few weeks later, she brought two kittens around. One day, she left them. We didn’t see her again until the following spring (that’s a story for another day.)

The new kittens were skittish and we couldn’t tame them. Boots became like a surrogate father to them. You could find them all cuddled together on a carpet in the garage. Even as they got older, they still liked to hang around Boots. Then the female came up missing. Just last winter, the young male cat died.

Boots is still around. He has another companion now, a spayed female that couldn’t adjust to being in the house. Boots seems like an old man, even though he is only six years old. He’s considered one of our household now but remains an outside cat.

My guest today is Katie Barger, author of the YA dystopian novel, Fortune’s Fall. Katie, thank you for joining me today. Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I’m a lawyer-turned-writer living an exhausting, but awesome, life with two little kids, a high-maintenance cat and a high-energy dog. My husband helps keep me sane.  We’ve moved around a lot with the military and have finally settled (hopefully for a while) in Mississippi, where I’ve seen more storms in six weeks than I did in seven years living in California. I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl and am so excited about my first published novel: Fortune’s Fall.

What is your book about?

While her classmates prepare for elite careers across America, Nyssa Ardelone trains for her secret job as the president’s dream interpreter. But when her mentor lies to the president about the prophecy in his latest dream, Nyssa must figure out why before the lie unravels. What she learns could destroy her own future.  

Fearful of a rumored rebellion, the president has launched a gas attack on Nyssa’s hometown, and her mentor lied about the dream to protect the survivors from more harm. When Nyssa learns her parents were injured in the attack, she flees with a stranger sent to steal the antidote—a stranger who claims to know her. 

Together, they race to deliver the cure as well as an interpretation of another prophetic dream only Nyssa can provide. But a devastating loss dulls her caution, and she learns too late that not everyone is trustworthy. To survive the president’s deadly pursuit, Nyssa must break every rule she’s ever followed, learning along the way that faith is the only thing that can save her. 

What is the inspiration behind your story?

FORTUNE’S FALL is loosely inspired by the lives of Daniel and Nehemiah. They lived during a time in which the Jews were in exile in Babylon and longed to be able to return to Jerusalem. Daniel also interpreted dreams for the king. As I studied these stories, my imagination began to whirl, and eventually, FORTUNE’S FALL was born: a dystopian story about a dream interpreter to the president who lives during a time when a group of people have been forced to live in a place they don’t belong.

Do you have a day job?

My day job consists of homeschooling our oldest daughter and doing all the things stay-at-home moms do. How do I find the time to write? Great question, haha! I get up really, really early and hammer out as much as possible before my two year old (a very early riser) comes into the kitchen to demand Cheerios. Then, I find little chunks of time during the rest of the day to write, too.  

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

The faith element. I think about it now and have to smile at how awesome God is. I didn’t set out to write an overtly Christian novel, but then God showed up. Nyssa’s personal journey to faith became an intricate and necessary part of the overall story, and it just sort of fell into place as I was writing.

How did you come up with the names of your hero and/or heroine?

All of my characters (for the most part) have Greek or Hebrew names with meanings that reflect their personalities. Nyssa, for example, is Greek and means “goal” or “beginning.” I chose it because it reflects her journey away from her old life and into a new one.

If you didn’t write books, what would you do for a living?  

I’d like to think I’d get back into law. I loved being an immigration attorney. Life had dealt my clients some incredibly tragic and horrifying experiences, but they were stronger because of it and I loved working with them. They were inspiring.

What book or author has inspired you the most?

Madeleine L’Engle is my favorite author. I love that she wasn’t afraid of tough issues in her books, and she managed to weave Bible verses and faith messages into each of her stories without getting preachy.

What’s next for you as an author?

I’m working on the second book in The Exiled Trilogy right now!

Excerpt from Fortune’s Fall:

What are my chances of actually making it to Fortune’s Fall? Not high. Then again, according to Pallas, there’s a network helping people get there. True, some people have been caught. But what if I’m not?

“Can I really do this?” I say aloud to my empty room. I scan the furniture. The walls. My messy bed. It’s all so familiar to me after seven years that I usually overlook the paisley on the quilt and the stain on the rug where an exhausted Ethelind tripped and dropped an entire pan of accidentally undercooked brownies one night. We ate them anyway. A mud puddle laced with carpet fibers, scooped up with spoons and laughed about later. I blink, and the memory is gone.

      “I’m going to do this.” I turn toward my closet, grab a shirt, and pull it over my head.

      “I have to do this for my family.” I zip my jeans. 

      “For Pallas.” I tie my shoes.

      I’m a robot. Don’t think. Just act.

      “I’m going to do this,” I repeat.

 If I stop talking, if I stop moving, the likelihood of failure will paralyze me. I pull my hair into a ponytail and open the door, tiptoe across the common room and into the hall. The door closes behind me without a sound.

Where can readers find you online?

Twitter and Instagram: kbargerauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KBargerAuthor

Fortune’s Fall will be released from Anaiah Press on November 3, 2020.

Follow Anaiah’s blog here so you don’t miss the release!