Fields of Bounty Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Fields of Bounty

Author: Lauraine Snelling

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: March 21, 2023

They must set aside their own plans and rely on their faith to bring their true destiny to light.

Lilac Nielsen’s dream has come true: handsome young Reverend Ethan Pritchard has finally noticed her. Yet she must balance this new courtship with the pursuit of another dream–the publication of her artwork in a New York paper. She has secretly been submitting a series of drawings under a pen name, and if anyone traces the drawings back to her and finds out where Lilac and her sisters settled, the entire Nielsen family could be in danger.

As their family farm expands and Lilac’s relationship with the reverend grows, it’s a time of new beginnings. But when a family crisis back in Ohio shakes the Nielsen sisters, can they continue to build the new life they’ve begun in Nebraska? And will Lilac be prepared for what God has in store for her future?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lauraine Snelling (www.laurainesnelling.com) is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California.

More from Lauraine

One of the things I love about writing novels is that the characters often surprise me as I write. I usually jot notes, then have to hunt for them because I have the bad habit of scribbling on whatever paper happens to be handy. But as I play with the characters who’ve already taken up residence in my head, they seem to develop a mind of their own. Once I have the opening line, the adventure flies off in directions I never expected.

Lilac’s story, Fields of Bounty, is book three of Leah’s Garden. The series follows the adventures of four sisters, all named after their mother’s favorite flowers. Lilac is the youngest sister. She’s a dreamer, as I’d already learned in two of her sisters’ stories. She loves playing the fiddle with her sisters, who are each proficient on a different instrument. As she lives the frontier life, she sketches everything around her, their farm animals, her growing extended family, and their new life in Nebraska. Her story unwinds in ways you might not expect.

It’s interesting how flowers show up in so many of my books. I love to talk about flowers. I  choose and plant them so I can pick flowers, arrange them, and enjoy the fragrances. I take photos and paint watercolors of my flowers as well. Our acreage is hedged in lilac bushes. In the spring when my lilacs are blooming and a breeze is spreading the perfume, I can take my laptop out to the deck, inhale deeply, and write.

Since we wish we could keep the scent of lilacs around all year, I found a great recipe for making lilac potpourri from The Experimental Homesteader. Check out her website for instructions. I think our Nebraska Lilac would approve.

Interview with Lauraine

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

When my three kids were in their teens and our boys were in Future Farmers of America, our oldest, Kevin, was given two pigs by his uncle Don for his FFA project. It wasn’t long before we were raising hogs on our one-acre mini-farm. I ended up being Swine Superintendent at the Clark County Fair in Vancouver, WA. Ah, the stories I could tell there. I dearly love pigs. And kids too.

What book is currently on your bedside table?

I start each day with a devotional. Right now I’m reading Morning Moments with God by Grace Fox. It’s a great way to start my morning and such a beautiful book, inside and out. I usually have a non-fiction book going too, and I just finished The Cat in the Christmas Tree, a collection of cat stories edited by Callie Smith Grant. She has published several books of dog, cat, and horse stories. I have so enjoyed all of them and have had stories of my own included in many. I read most fiction on my iPad with the Kindle app. I have learned that holding books open when I am in bed is rough on my thumbs, and this way I can take plenty of books with me when I travel. I enjoy cozy mysteries and find I like the ones with a dog or cat as a main character the most.  Surprise, surprise. I recently finished the Cozy Corgi Mysteries series by Mildred Abbott, and when I look back on my iPad, I find many other series with other breeds, locations, and main characters. Cozies are relatively short, easy reads with no blood or gore and clean language. I keep putting off starting A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny starring Inspector Gamache because I know I will not be able to put it down, and reading far into the night does not work well for me right now. I have a to-be-read stack that, if on the floor, would be about three feet tall. They are on a bookshelf, sorted and organized.

I find I choose a lot of my books because of the author. The one I am reading now is Over the Water by Deborah Raney, and I just started it. I have enjoyed all her books, so I figure I will find the same delight with this one.

What has been my favorite part of the publishing industry?

Do I have to have only one favorite part?

The first thing that popped into my head was the people. I have met so many wonderful, incredible people in my years in this industry. Other authors, industry people, people who’ve helped me with research, the people I’ve met in my travels, and my readers. So many friendships have grown through someone reading my books. I’m so incredibly blessed through the people I have met.

Another favorite facet: my characters and their stories. How I love to write their stories and be part of their lives for a while. For instance, the series I am writing now, Leah’s Garden, is about four sisters, and last night I realized that each sister is a different part of me.

Key challenges?

Through the years I have found—and I know other authors have found the same—that at times life gets in the way of the writing, no matter where in the book you are. Covid has been a culprit for many of us, and my husband got a bad dose. But God brought him through, and slowly he is regaining his strength, thanks to so many who have prayed for us. I never planned on being a caregiver, but our Father says He will get us through, and He is and has.

Several years ago, I teamed up with a collaborator, Kiersti Giron, and she picked up much of the writing to make this book happen. I so enjoy working with her and thank God for the gift He has given both of us.

Theme?

I think the theme of the entire series is trust. Trusting that God will not let the sisters go and that He has a plan for each of them. That He loves them no matter what.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

My website is laurainesnelling.com, and on Facebook you can find me by searching Lauraine Snelling Author.

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

Book four in this series, A Season of Harvest, is in the editing stage and will release in January of 2024. The series closes with Lark’s story and the man I had no idea would become her hero. So Leah’s Garden grows in Salton, Nebraska, and I do love these four sisters. I hope you do too.

Blog Stops

Bigreadersite, April 21

lakesidelivingsite, April 21

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 23

Texas Book-aholic, April 24

Lily’s Book Reviews, April 25

Cover Lover Book Review, April 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 26

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 27 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 27

Connie’s History Classroom, April 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 30

For Him and My Family, May 1

Holly’s Book Corner, May 2

Splashes of Joy, May 3

Mary Hake, May 3

Pause for Tales, May 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback set of the books in LEAH’S GARDEN series: The Seeds of Change, A Time to Bloom, and Fields of Bounty!!

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/258b1/fields-of-bounty-celebration-tour-giveaway