Hi. I hope the sun is shining for you today, even if it’s
just through a window. 🌞 Here in Alaska, we’re deep into breakup, which is our
version of spring. Breakup is the time when the snow melts and uncovers all the
mud, trash, dead leaves, and other unsavory things that have been hiding under
that innocent blanket of snow. It’s not pretty, but it’s a necessary pause
before the daffodils can bloom, the grass can green up, and the rhubarb can
leap to life.
My latest book, Alaskan Dreams, which just came out yesterday, is
about a woman with a dream. Since childhood, Lauren has longed for permanent
place to belong, and to her, a farm is symbolic of that. She’s been saving up
for years, taking lessons, and gaining practical experience so that someday she
can buy a farm and make a living raising goats and making cheese. She’s still
ten years away from implementing her plan when Bonnie, a retired dairy farmer, invites
Lauren to move in with her on her Alaskan farm and raise goats there. Delighted,
Lauren acquires three starter goats and drives from Oregon to the Mat-Su Valley in Alaska.
Bonnie’s grandson, Patrick, can think of several reasons
a young woman might move in with an elderly stranger, and unfortunately none of them bode
well for his grandmother. His suspicions are just the start of their troubles. Goat hi-jinks, financial difficulties, a hunt for treasure that may or may not exist, and an ill-advised mutual attraction all complicate the plan. Yes, just like
breakup in Alaska, there’s a lot of messiness Lauren and Patrick will have to work
through in order to get to the good stuff. But it will be worth it.
Alaskan Dreams will be on tour starting May 11th,
with excerpts, reviews, and a giveaway. Plus, blog posts will contain special
treasure hunt clues that lead to a second giveaway. Be sure to check it out at https://www.prismbooktours.com/.
Happy Reading!
Happy Reading!
The dream she wants
The love she found
Lauren Shepherd has traded her hectic office job for a quiet life working on an elderly friend’s farm. Risking everything to move to Alaska might just be the perfect opportunity for her—if Lauren can convince handsome and fiercely protective Patrick O’Shea that she’s not swindling his grandmother. But when financial troubles threaten her dream, Lauren and Patrick unite in a hunt for a legendary treasure…only to discover something between them more precious than gold.
The love she found
Lauren Shepherd has traded her hectic office job for a quiet life working on an elderly friend’s farm. Risking everything to move to Alaska might just be the perfect opportunity for her—if Lauren can convince handsome and fiercely protective Patrick O’Shea that she’s not swindling his grandmother. But when financial troubles threaten her dream, Lauren and Patrick unite in a hunt for a legendary treasure…only to discover something between them more precious than gold.
Tell me about the research for this book. Do you live in Alaska? That has always been the Call of the Wild for me. I wanted to go there right after I graduated from college. I let my friends talk me out of it. Then they all packed up and went to their homes, leaving me in D.C. where we went to school. That was the last time I let anyone talk me out of anything, but I love reading about Alaska.
ReplyDeleteHi, Shirley. Yes, I've lived in Anchorage since 1990, although after my husband retired, we now spend part of the year in Arizona. I loved Call of the Wild and White Fang when I was a kid. It's fun to speculate what might have happened if your friends hadn't talked you out of it. I've met so many people who say they came up for a summer after college and never left.
DeleteCan't wait for this--going to order it right now. Goats and Alaska--I love them both!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz! Hope you enjoy the story.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Beth! Baby goats, cheese-making, Alaska....I can hardly wait to start reading!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAll the best with your new release. Sounds so interesting--I had friends who raised goats in Maine years ago and it was always an adventure. You sure the make the most of your Alaskan settings!
ReplyDeleteGoats do seem to create adventures. Someone posted that to test a fence for goats, get a bucket of water and throw it at the fence. If any gets through, eventually a goat will, too.
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