ALICE: “Not long after saying “I do,” Rachel Wood finds herself abandoned by her husband in a mining town in the West. After a year and a half of waiting for his return, she needs to move on. She responds to an ad in the newspaper and becomes the
caretaker for two girls in the small town of Breckenridge, Colorado.
The moment he sees the beautiful young woman climbing into his wagon, widower Clint Harvey second-guesses his decision to hire someone to teach his daughters.
But Rachel Wood is just what his girls need. And it doesn’t take long to realize that she is exactly what he needs, too—if only she didn’t keep holding him at arm’s length.
Clint is the only man who has ever shown Rachel true love and friendship, and it becomes almost unbearable to not let herself fall for him. But she doesn’t want to cause a scandal in such a small town, so she keeps her marital status under wraps.
But when she finally receives a threatening letter from her “husband,” she begins to question whether her marriage was even legally binding in the first place.
Now, she must unravel the status of her supposed marriage before her chance of happiness with Clint has passed—and follow God’s law no matter that outcome, which just might be the most difficult thing of all.”
Historical romance is my go-to genre to read, so once I began writing with my sisters it was only a matter of time before I wrote a historical romance. I love reading western romances (Love Comes Softly is my favorite), and I live in the western U.S., so those were also factors in how Rachel’s Valley came about.
LAURIE: And is this the first book you have coming out with Anaiah Press? I’m excited that we have another historical romance out!
ALICE: It is the first, and hopefully not the last!
LAURIE: What led you to publish with Anaiah Press?
ALICE: I can’t even remember how I found out about Anaiah Press, but I’m so glad I did! They have been prompt, flexible, and all-around wonderful to work with.
LAURIE: Are there any authors who’ve influenced you in your writing? Do you have any favourite authors?
ALICE: The authors who have influenced me the most are actually my sisters. We have a writing group and for a few years we met regularly to plot, scheme, and occasionally, write. They helped me gain valuable writing skills, gave me confidence to write, and have helped so much with editing and ideas. My favorite authors to read, besides my sisters, are Jane Austen, Sarah M. Eden, and Janette Oke.
LAURIE: How long has it taken you to get published?
ALICE: I’ve been writing for about four years now. The first book I wrote was a YA fantasy. It was such a fun experience, and quite a learning process. It wasn’t Christian, yet it probably wasn’t edgy enough for mainstream publishing. Plus, it needed a lot of work.
Instead of rewriting my YA novel, I decided to start from scratch on a novel in my favourite genre to read: historical romance. I wasn’t actually planning for my novel to be Christian – just a clean romance – but my own beliefs just sort of popped out on the pages and came to be the characters’ beliefs. It also felt more authentic for faith to be a part of the story given the time period.
LAURIE: What advice would you give to other writers trying to break in to the Christian market?
ALICE: Keep writing! The Christian market is a wonderful goal, and if writing inspiring stories is your passion, then keep on writing.
It’s also okay to take breaks when needed. Life gets busy and occasionally I had to let writing go. But I enjoy it enough that I always get back to it when I’m ready.
LAURIE: What hobbies do you like to do when you’re not writing? Anything else you’d like our readers to know about you and your work?
ALICE: I like reading, hiking, baking, and running. My cute kiddos don’t always allow me the luxury of doing much of those hobbies, but my other hobby is hanging out with my family. So it’s all good.
LAURIE: Where can your readers find you on social media?
ALICE: Look for my author FB page, Author Alice Patron https://m.facebook.com/authoralicepatron/
LAURIE: And finally, how long do we have to wait for your next book?
ALICE: Ummm…. Good question. I’ve started another historical romance, but I have one more kid now, so it will probably take a while to finish. My goal is to have the rough draft finished by the end of the year.
Not long after saying “I do,” Rachel Wood finds herself abandoned by her husband in a mining town in the West. After a year and a half of waiting for his return, she needs to move on.
She responds to an ad in the newspaper and becomes the
caretaker for two girls in the small town of Breckenridge, Colorado.
The moment he sees the beautiful young woman climbing into his wagon, widower Clint Harvey second-guesses his decision to hire someone to teach his daughters. But Rachel Wood is just what his girls need. And it doesn’t take long to realize that she is exactly what he needs, too—if only she didn’t keep holding him at arm’s length.
Clint is the only man who has ever shown Rachel true love and friendship, and it becomes almost unbearable to not let herself fall for him. But she doesn’t want to cause a scandal in such a small town, so she keeps her marital status under wraps.
But when she finally receives a threatening letter from her “husband,” she begins to question whether her marriage was even legally binding in the first place.
Now, she must unravel the status of her supposed marriage before her chance of happiness with Clint has passed—and follow God’s law no matter that outcome,which just might be the most difficult thing of all.
You can buy RACHEL’S VALLEY here: BOOK LINK
About the Author:
Alice Patron grew up in a small town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. During college she served for her church in Chile, studied abroad, and did an internship for the forest service. She worked as a pharmacy technician until becoming a stay-at-home mom, her favorite job of all!
