Thursday, June 1, 2017

Blog Hop Tour: Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands Romance Collection

~Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAYS below!!~
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Genre: Christian, Historical
Publisher: Barbour
Publication date: June 1, 2017
Number of pages: 448

Dime Novel Suitor by Carrie Fancett Pagels
When a British dime novel enthusiast finds himself flat broke in Kansas, he discovers what western life and true love are all about. Barden Granville IV grew up at Cheatham Hall, Kent, England, devouring cowboy stories and dreaming of the day he, with no prospects of inheriting estate nor title, could escape to the American frontier. Educated and ordained an Anglican priest, his trip to America is his “last hurrah” before accepting a vicarage in a small town far from his aristocratic family’s estate. When a series of misadventures leaves him without money and stranded, he must take up employment immediately.
​After her father dies, widow Caroline Kane becomes the owner and proprietor of a restaurant and inn. She also assumes responsibility for her five teenaged siblings. Caroline’s busybody married sister insists that an Englishman who purports to answer an ad for help, is the perfect candidate for Caroline’s next husband. While she’s relieved to have help, Caroline finds Barden’s primary asset to be his silver tongue. When his efforts finally bring fruit, Barden receives word from England that could leave Caroline worse off than before, for her heart will leave with him. Will Barden answer his heart and God’s call in Kansas, or will his family responsibilities compel him to leave his dreams behind?
GOODREADS | AMAZON | B&N | CBD | TARGET 
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Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is an ECPA bestselling and award-winning author. With a dozen Christian historical romances published, this former “Yooper” writes Christian historical romances about overcoming. She grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where many of her stories are set. Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn’t “cured” by twenty-five years as a psychologist, she loves bringing characters to life. Carrie and her family reside in Virginia’s Historic Triangle, which is perfect for her fascination with history. Carrie enjoys reading, traveling, baking, and beading-but not all at the same time!

Her short story, The Quilting Contest, was Historical Fiction Winner of Family Fiction’s “The Story” national contest. Her novella, The Substitute Bride was a 2016 Maggie Award published finalist for Romance Novellas. Grand Exposé was a 2014 Maggie Award honorable mention for a novel set on Mackinac Island (now entitled My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring, Barbour, July 2017). All three of her Christy Lumber Camp books were long list finalists for Family Fiction’s Book of the Year and The Fruitcake Challenge was a Selah Award finalist. Her novel, Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter (White Rose/Pelican, June, 2016) received a Starred Review by RT Book Reviews.
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What inspired the idea for the Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands Collection?  How did you become involved in writing a novel for this series?
Cynthia Hickey, the lead on this collection and a wonderful author, came up with the idea of a Mail Order Husband instead of Mail Order Bride. We see a ton of MOB stories. I was initially contacted by Cindy as I was sitting at our Tidewater Area Christian Writers luncheon (I am co-chair) and we were beginning to finish up our lunch and get started when I got a text from Cindy Hickey asking about my interest.

What inspired your idea for “Dime Novel Suitor” novella in Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands?
My grandfather became a cowboy out west after his first wife, his childhood sweetheart, died. His parents had immigrated to Michigan from England. So I’ve often wondered how someone of British descent adapted to that life. And I’d wondered what inspired him to do so. Dime Novels were really popular then and during his father’s youth, so I’d wondered if maybe my great-grandfather may have harboured a secret fascination with the west and cowboys and Indians. My grandfather was born in 1886, and was a kid when those Wild West shows were getting popular, too. So I wanted to one day do a British cowboy story about someone influenced by those Dime Novels.

Where have you traveled to complete research for a book you are working on?  What book was the research for?
Whenever possible I DO travel to do the research. My family has come with me on many research trips to Michigan and across Virginia. I did not make it to Kansas to research for this novella, though. I am frequently in Michigan and doing a lot of onsite research

What are some of your favorite books and/or who are some of your favorite authors?
Tamera Alexander is one of my favorite authors and I love all of her books! Also, Jen Turano’s historical romances just really perk me up and I enjoy them so much! I also love Julie Lessman’s historical romances. Susie Dietze is a rising star in Christian fiction and I am a fan girl of hers. Serena Miller is amazing and has those fabulous Michigan-set books. Laura Frantz’s early colonial books are wonderful. I have so many authors I could name but then if I wrote them all my arthritic fingers might fall off!!!
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How Reading Influences People -- Dime Novel Suitor by Carrie Fancett Pagels

​Blurb:
When a British dime novel enthusiast finds himself flat broke in Kansas, he discovers what western life and true love are all about. Barden Granville IV grew up at Cheatham Hall, Kent, England, devouring cowboy stories and dreaming of the day he, with no prospects of inheriting estate nor title, could escape to the American frontier. Educated and ordained an Anglican priest, his trip to America is his “last hurrah” before accepting a vicarage in a small town far from his aristocratic family’s estate. When a series of misadventures leaves him without money and stranded, he must take up employment immediately.

After her father dies, widow Caroline Kane becomes the owner and proprietor of a restaurant and inn. She also assumes responsibility for her five teenaged siblings. Caroline’s busybody married sister insists that an Englishman who purports to answer an ad for help, is the perfect candidate for Caroline’s next husband. While she’s relieved to have help, Caroline finds Barden’s primary asset to be his silver tongue. When his efforts finally bring fruit, Barden receives word from England that could leave Caroline worse off than before, for her heart will leave with him. Will Barden answer his heart and God’s call in Kansas, or will his family responsibilities compel him to leave his dreams behind?


My hero, Barden Granville IV, has been raised at Cheatham Hall, in England. His manservant kept young Barden supplied with “dime novels,” many of which were accounts of cowboys and Indians. Imagine living on a vast estate in England, and being a young boy with a wild imagination. And imagine you knew you had few options available to you as the third son of an aristocrat. Barden wasn’t going to inherit unless his two older brothers died without heirs. He wasn’t about to go into the military as his next oldest brother was pursuing and excelling in that realm. And so, with a strong faith, Barden decides to become a vicar.

But what do you do when you have a strong imagination that demands fulfillment? Barden fights that desire to run off to America, feeling his family obligations. But, inspired by those stories, he longs to enjoy the adventure of the American West. So he has completed his seminary studies and now is about to accept a country church parish as their new vicar. With that summer gap, he’s finally going to quench that curiosity and go to America. Except his parents can’t know what he’s up to because they’d never approve.

What do you do, though, when you have never ever been able to please your demanding perfectionistic father, though? Well, you have to admit it makes it easier to run off, doesn’t it? So, inspired by what he’s read in those dime novels, Barden has gone to America and finds himself, in his first scene in the book, right smack dab in the middle of some bonafide western men, in a saloon, playing cards. You see, he’s really out of his element, isn’t he? He’s read about this kind of situation but it was FICTION! Wooeee, sometimes reality doesn’t quite match up with what we have read, does it?
Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands collection is set in Kansas, right after the Civil War. The west, at that time, was a place in huge flux.
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TWO GIVEAWAYS!!
Giveaway #1: Grand Prize Giveaway listed below in the Rafflecopter.
Giveaway #2: An autographed paperback copy of Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Brides. There must be ten unique comments from different readers for giveaway #2 to be active. 
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Grand Prize Giveaway: Kindle Fire + Postcards of Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order, bookmarks from upcoming release My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring, print copy of Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands, cowboy-themed earrings, and an ebook copy of Holt Medallion finalist “The Steeplechase.”
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway #2: If 10+ unique commenters post on this blog, one commenter will be selected to receive a print copy of Seven Brides for Seven Mail-Order Husbands (US only).

Question: Have you ever read a story, then visited the setting, but it was years later? And found it didn’t quite match up?


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