About the Book

Book: A Summer at Sagamore

Author: Lisa M. Prysock

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: March 14, 2023

Can summer love survive amid mystery and mayhem?

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks,  all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?

When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor of the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some of his posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can’t he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling Author who writes both Christian Historical Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance books—”Romance with a Dash of Food, Fashion, Faith, & Fun.” She writes both traditionally and indie published novels.

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. Happily married to her husband of more than 24 years, she homeschooled two of their five children, now grown. When she isn’t writing, she likes to cross stitch, crochet, sew, scrapbook, read, swim, dance, take walks, travel, explore historical homes, garden, cook for her family, learn to play the piano and violin, and read great books.

More from Lisa

Behind the scenes at A Summer at Sagamore

When a dear writing friend approached me about writing a contribution for Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts, my heart leapt. The Gilded Age is my favorite time to write. Ask me to write anything from 1870 to 1910, and I’m hooked. I love the way traditions are colliding with progress and changing the world in this era.

An exciting time for women, I knew the heroine, Abigail, would be a writer, enthralled with her new, clunky, heavy manual typewriter. Independent, set to inherit her grandmother’s wealth, she would not be looking for romance. I wanted Abby’s grandmother, cousin, and sister to give us plenty of humor and fun along the way. Meanwhile, Abby, would portray a young woman on the brink of writing about her faith, inspired by a few pioneer writers and a previous experience to join the endeavor to pave the way for others to do the same.

Along comes our hero, Jackson. Jack has this Clark Gable kind of vibe, only younger, more handsome. He has strong faith, but it’s quiet, stifled by his position in society. Abby brings out the best in him. I loved watching their romance blossom and their trust in God grow amid the mystery of all the happenings at the Sagamore. More themes came out of the book than I expected. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Interview with Lisa

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

Thank you, Gina, for taking the time to interview me! Something most readers wouldn’t know about me …

If I’m in the car driving through a historical neighborhood with my husband or even by myself, a war is going on inside me between where we are going and what I’d prefer to do. I want to stop the car, jump out, choose a house that inspires me—preferably one with a big front porch—set up a lounge chair on the sidewalk, and sketch the house. Maybe I’d like to sketch two or three of those houses.

As I consider who may have lived there in the past, my imagination will wander, and all sorts of stories and ideas begin to percolate. I know, you might like to know how I deal with this problem. If I’m not the one driving, I try to take photos of the houses to revisit them later. If I’m the driver, I pass the phone to the husband and beg him to start taking pictures. I’m sure he finds it annoying, and occasionally he will oblige, knowing how much I love all things historical.

I’d also like to share about our new puppy, Bailey. She’s very active and curious about everything, keeping me busier than usual. She calms down once she has her energy out and will sit beside me when I’m writing. We adopted her as a rescue from the local humane society. She’s a Boston Terrier Mix—probably with some beagle in her judging by her beautiful markings. Bailey loves to cuddle at night before bed and is very sweet-tempered.

What book is currently on your bedside table?

I’m currently reading a contemporary romance, One Cinderella Night by Linore Rose Burkard. I’m about halfway and savoring every word. Highly recommend!

Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?

Yes! The heroine and her sister, cousin, and grandmother had an interesting summer the previous year. Gran was sick. She’d heard about the Azusa Street Revival in California, so she invited her granddaughters to visit the mission with her. While there, Abby’s grandmother is healed. Abby and her family members are also transformed by the experience. Abby comes away from the revival inspired to write for Jesus.

I did a ton of research about the Azusa Street Revival and discovered many writers around the country criticized the movement despite great numbers of physical healings, witnesses, testimonies, and deliverances. As a result, Abby doesn’t like the criticism and sets out to write a memoir to set the record straight with her own testimony about her experience at Azusa. She struggles with how to write it, but I won’t tell readers much more other than to say one of the miracles Abby speaks about in the book is based on a true story.

What were the highlight or key challenges you faced when writing this book?

One challenge I faced in writing this book involved staying in the word count of around 35k, give or take a few thousand words. I love this era so much, I went way over the word count and had to trim it up considerably. The writer must choose only what is essential. In the end, I felt I had a much stronger novel by making the cuts. It’s sometimes painful to tell some of your words good-bye, but in the end, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.

I also had a challenge with the first chapter. The longer I am a writer, the more I like my first chapters and descriptions of settings to be short, tight, and compelling, but how do you cut words used to describe the beauty for a setting such as the Adirondacks (the setting for this novel) and do it justice? I found it easier said than done. In the end, I felt I finally achieved a balance of compelling dialogue, brief main character introductions, action, and setting description. I re-wrote the first chapter four times. I hope readers love it.

What is the key theme and/or message in the book?

Romance is a key theme in the book. Abby has no intention of falling in love at the onset of the story, but as she falls for Jack, she realizes two are better than one, and a three-fold cord isn’t easily broken. Another strong theme has to do with doing our part to witness to others about Jesus without worrying about their reaction. Kindness is another theme present in the story.

A half dozen other themes arose from the writing, but I’d like to mention a key theme and memorable message in A Summer at Sagamore about the importance of maintaining a pure heart, unspotted by the blemishes of jealousy, judgment, hatred, strife, lust, impure motives, and other sinful attitudes which can stain our hearts and ultimately, impact our actions.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, April 16

Texas Book-aholic, April 17

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 18

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 19 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 21

Mary Hake, April 21

Connie’s History Classroom, April 22

Cover Lover Book Review, April 23

Holly’s Book Corner, April 23

Book Looks by Lisa, April 24

Sylvan Musings, April 25

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, April 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 26

Blogging With Carol, April 27

For Him and My Family, April 27

Splashes of Joy, April 28

Blossoms and Blessings, April 29

Pause for Tales, April 29

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lisa is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2566e/a-summer-at-sagamore-celebration-tour-giveaway