Can this small-town girl trade her tarnished past for a respectable life?During the hot, windy summer of 1870 in the burgeoning prairie town of Assurance, Kansas, Marissa Pierce is fed up with her abusive boss. She longs to start a new life and is growing weary of convincing townsfolk that she is most certainly not a prostitute.
Civil War veteran and preacher Rowe Winford arrives in town intent on leaving the tragic memories of his deceased family behind. Although Rowe has no plans to fall in love anytime soon, the plans of God rarely match those of man.
Face with adversity and rejection from the town and Rowe's family, can Marissa overcome her past, renew her faith, and experience the life of love that God has planned for her?
Here is a little about Brandi herself as well:
Brandi Boddie holds a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law
and a BA in political science from Youngstown State University. Her love of
writing and research has led her to work that includes case management for the
Office of the Attorney General in Washington DC and teaching assignments for
elementary and secondary students. When she is not working on a story, Brandi
enjoys hiking, fencing, and swing dancing. Soon to be a Texas resident, she lives
with her husband and a cocker spaniel who aspires to be a food critic. Visit
Brandi’s blog at http://brandiboddie.blogspot.com.
Brandi is on tour to introduce The Preacher's Wife to the reading world at large, so be certain to check the end of this post for more fun stops along the way! In the meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy getting to know her and learning about her story in this fun interview.
Interview
Would you mind telling us a little about yourself? Hobbies, personality . . . tea or coffee?
Brandi: Well, like most writers, I consider myself to be an introvert because I replenish my energy through solitary activities like reading and arts and crafts. However, I am a complete nerd girl when it comes to hobbies. I enjoy swing dancing and at some point I plan to take up fencing again. I love attending Renaissance Faires and sci-fi conventions. Don’t even get me started on how much fun steampunk is, lol. As for beverage of choice, definitely coffee.
What led you into the writing life? Were you always a storyteller?
Brandi: I remember making up stories featuring my favorite cartoon characters when I was child. Only back then, no one called it fanfiction. As I got older, I still made up stories, but I used my own characters. Writing has always been a source of joy and healing for me.
Tell us a little about your debut novel, The Preacher’s Wife. How long did you work on this story? How did the idea come to you?
Brandi: The Preacher’s Wife follows the journey of saloon girl Marissa Pierce as she breaks away from her abusive employer and draws the attention of Rowe Winford, the town’s new preacher. Even though Marissa seeks to reform herself, she faces ridicule and vicious rumors concerning her virtue. Rowe, being new to the small town of Assurance, Kansas, must decide what’s more important to him, pleasing those who hold his job at stake or defending the young woman for whom he is starting to have feelings.
I became inspired to write The Preacher’s Wife shortly after my husband and I moved to our first military duty station in Oklahoma in the beginning of our marriage. The windy prairie and the local culture was quite a change from the East Coast cities that I grew up in. To help myself adjust, I began writing a story about characters feeling out of place, but also learning to trust God. The story took me close to eight months to complete, counting edits.
Can you pick a favorite character from this story?
Brandi: Definitely Marissa. She’s resilient, determined, and just a wee bit sassy. J I also love her Comanche heritage. It makes me happy to see diversity celebrated in fiction.
What inspires your work? Where do you turn when you need a renewal of inspiration?
Brandi: I draw inspiration from historical accounts of people’s lives. It’s amazing how, despite years of separation, the basic human emotions and motivations never change. When I need an inspirational renewal, I turn to my Bible and prayer. And the occasional video game.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing process?
Brandi: My favorite part is that initial flicker of creativity that occurs even before you know what your characters look like or what the plot is going to be.
Brandi: I’d have to go with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes was my first literary crush. Doyle created a brilliant character possessing a razor wit and his share of troubling and complex emotions.
So
what is next on your publishing horizons? Can we look forward to a sequel to The
Preacher’s Wife? Or perhaps something
completely new?
Brandi: A Windswept Promise, Book 2 in my Brides of Assurance series, is slated for release next year, followed by the tentatively-titled third book, The Freedom Trail. I also plan to release a steampunk novella sometime this winter. It takes place in an alternative historical setting, where Britain and France are rival empires that race to get their hands on all sorts of industrial curiosities.
What are you actively writing right now?
Selection from
The Preacher's Wife
“That must be our new preacher.”
Linda Walsh, the town’s young seamstress, walked up beside Marissa. Always
eager for conversation, Linda would speak to anyone who stopped to listen, as
Marissa had learned since coming back to Assurance a couple years ago. “We
weren’t expecting him for
another two weeks. I wonder what
made him take off from home so fast.”
Marissa
groaned at the thought of meeting another preacher. Every preacher she came
across had turned her away once they discovered her profession.
She
watched the small schooner pull up to the local inn. She recognized the driver
Dusty Sterling seated beside the other man. Dusty hopped down and tethered the
horses. The man in black stepped onto the dusty curb. His recently polished
boots gleamed.
“Fancy
one, he is,” Linda continued. “I hear he comes from a city somewhere in
Virginia.”
“Where
did you hear that?”
“It
was in the paper a month ago. Our advertisement for a new preacher was answered
from a man back East.”
Marissa
focused again on what was in front of her. The traveler indeed looked foreign
to the prairie. Not a hint of travel dust stuck to his long, black frock coat
and four-inhand necktie, probably changed into just before departing the train.
His gray pants were new and expertly tailored. He
removed his hat briefly to wipe his
brow, and Marissa saw the dark, wavy hair cropped close to his head.
“He
doesn’t have a wife or children with him. Such a shame.” Linda clucked her
tongue. “He’s a handsome fellow, for certain.”
Marissa
agreed with her on that. He must have stood over six feet tall, with broad
shoulders and a powerful build. The man’s profile was strong and rigid, his
square jaw and straight nose a true delight for the eyes. Assurance’s former
preacher, Reverend Thomas, did not look like this. “Would having a wife and
children make him a better preacher?”
Linda
tossed her a look. “That’s got nothing to do with it. One ought to be settled
down at a certain age, wouldn’t you say so? Instead of running wild with the
barmen?”
Marissa
absorbed the sting of emotional pain. Anything she said in response would not
sway Linda or anyone else’s notion that she was just a beer-serving
streetwalker. She put on a polite stoic face. “I’m sure the ladies of this town
will clamor for his attention. Will you excuse me, Miss Linda? I
should be going.”
She
left the seamstress just as Dusty carried the new preacher’s valises inside the
inn. The preacher moved to follow then stopped short, pausing for Marissa to
walk past. Marissa saw his blue eyes widen and take in her entire form, from
the feathered hat on her head to the dainty-heeled boots on her feet. By his
expression she didn’t know whether he admired or disapproved.
His
lips settled into a firm line of what looked to be distaste, and she got her
answer.
The
preacher hadn’t been there for an hour and already she drew out his scorn.
Marissa returned the stare until her image of him blurred with beckoning tears.
He
jolted from his perusal. His low, straight brows flicked. “Good day to you,
ma’am.” He amiably tipped his hat to her.
She
paused, not used to being addressed in that fashion. Kindness was in his
greeting, not the sarcasm she normallyheard from others. Marissa tilted her
head to get a clear look at him. His eyes were friendly, calm deep pools. The
rest of his face, with its strong, angular lines, remained cordial.
“Good
day,” she replied, hoarse. Awkwardness seized her person. Marissa hastily
continued on her way to the bank.
_________
Thank you, Brandi, for sharing with us about your story! I hope all of you readers are now eager to pick up a copy of The Preacher's Wife and discover what adventures are in store for Marissa and Rowe. And I'm sure all of you are as intrigue as I am about this mysterious upcoming steampunk novella . . . .
Do enjoy following the rest Brandi Boddie's tour, dear readers, and be certain to congratulate her on her new release in the comments! And did you see that she's offering a sweet giveaway???
The Preacher's Wife
Blog Tour Schedule
October 1 Brandi Boddie – Penning Praises: Inspirationalromance with brass and sass
October 2 Anne Elisabeth Stengl – Tales of Goldstone Wood
October 7 Between you, me, and the gatepost
October 24 Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and More
October 25 Just The Write Charisma
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f1a5510/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f1a5510/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway
9 comments:
This sounds exciting! I love the expression of the woman on the cover. She strikes me as very Marissa-like. :D
Interesting. Not the kind of thing I usually read, but it still sounds interesting.
Lovely cover and excerpt!
Your allusion to Urkel made me laugh. I hear that same voice during rewrites! :-D And I certainly remember that out-of-place feeling as a young military wife.
Blessings to you on your author adventures!
Congratulations! How exciting to debut your first novel! It's a lovely cover--the background is so rich. I like that your main character has Comanche heritage! :)
Allison: Thank you! I love how my publisher's design team did such a great job with the cover. The model is exactly how I pictured Marissa.
Sarah: Thanks! I wanted to write a historical romance with a slightly gritty theme, so it's a bit different. And if you happen to read the novel, I hope you enjoy it :-)
Jill: Thank you! Yes, Steve Urkel was alive and well during the rewriting and editing stages, lol. And from one military wife to another, thank you for sacrificing for our country!
Hannah: Thanks! I love the red and gold background of the cover. And I also love diversity in the characters that I read about. Marissa's heritage is so rich. I loved writing her story.
Thank you for stopping by!
And a BIG thanks to Anne for the blog feature. I loved the fun interview!
Congratulations, Mrs. Boddie. The novel sounds very interesting. I love that the main character is trying to escape her past. The theme of ostracization is such a wonderful one to explore. Is there any possibility of your book being available in audio at some point? Who are some of your favorite historical fiction writers? I enjoy Francine Rivers Redeeming Love and Mark of the Lion series and Liz Curtis Higgs Scottish books. Keep up the outstanding work. God bless.
Meredith: Thank you for the compliments! The book may be on audio later on in the winter months, but I will confirm with the publisher to be sure. As for my favorite historical fiction writers, I enjoy Phillippa Gregory, Francine Rivers (especially the Mark of the Lion series), and Marylu Tyndall for her pirate romances.
That sounds so awesome! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.
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