About the Book

Book: Loving Beth

Author: Bonnie Rose Ward

Genre: Christian Historical Romance Fiction

Release Date: June 8, 2023

A courageous woman, a bitter man, and God’s plan.

Times were hard after Beth McCullough’s father died in the Civil War, but she and her mother are getting by on their little farm outside Rosewood, West Virginia. The kindly banker holding the loan lets them pay what they can. Then Beth’s mother dies suddenly, and the banker’s arrogant son gives her only thirty days to pay her full debt. Beth is left alone and lonely and fears losing the only home she’s ever known. It would be nice to have someone in her life like Jacob, the handsome man who found her mother. Then to her horror, Beth discovers two small children who’ve been abandoned. It’s one more thing for her to worry about, but Beth has to keep faith in God’s ability to work miracles.

Although he has to travel to Baltimore to care for his ailing mother, Jacob Wallace can’t stop thinking about Beth, but he’d promised his late wife he’d never love again after her tragic death. After receiving a letter with terrible rumors about Beth, Jacob returns to Rosewood, angry, bitter, and disillusioned, more determined than ever to keep his vow to never love again. He’s right to close his heart against Beth.

As Beth struggles to protect the children and keep her farm, she’s also defending against Jacob’s unfounded suspicions. The danger escalates with an attack and threats to her life. But God moves in mysterious ways. Is there room in Jacob’s heart for a new love? Will they learn to trust each other and have faith in God’s plan to find their way together?

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About the Author

Bonnie Rose Ward, an award-winning author celebrated for her vivid memoirs recounting life in the Alaskan wilderness, currently resides in West Virginia with her husband. Bonnie’s homestead is nestled within the serene foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. The spirit of these mountains and her husband’s familial tales from the region breathe life into her compelling narratives of Appalachian resilience, strength, and the quest for love. Drawing from her fifteen-years in the wilderness, Bonnie’s present lifestyle encapsulates the essence of self-sufficiency. Together with Samuel, she tends to a menagerie of goats, chickens, Zebu cattle, and other barnyard animals, while also cultivating their verdant gardens. When not immersed in her rural responsibilities, Bonnie transitions into her writer’s persona. At her keyboard, she masterfully weaves new tales echoing the valor of women, the fidelity of men, and the extraordinary miracles that God orchestrates in their lives. Bonnie Rose Ward is not just an author, but a storyteller—painting vivid pictures with her words that resonate with the human spirit’s trials, triumphs, and faith.

More from Bonnie

My husband, and I lived in the Alaskan wilderness for many years. We built cabins and lived off the land. While there, Sam shared stories about his ancestors—especially those of his spunky great grandmother, Easter Mullens. I was fascinated by her life. We eventually purchased my husband’s mother’s old homeplace nestled in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, and together we built our home by hand, reminiscent of the cabins we built in Alaska. Living in the wilderness for fifteen years gave me the skills and understanding of how our forefathers and mothers’ must have lived in the 1800s. Sam often talked about his aunts foraging from the land—they knew what vegetation you could eat and what you couldn’t. I became enamored with these hardy, resilient mountain people and their stories.

I started to write Easter’s story as nonfiction, but my imagination took over and a fictional story grew from the fragments of her life and circumstances.

As you know, characters are typically a composite of people we know and characters we imagine, with a bit of ourselves sprinkled in there. Beth originally was a combination of Sam and my ancestors—at least, how I imagined them to be. As I worked with her, she took on a life of her own. Instead of simply being impressed by her courage, I realized how vulnerable she is. I also realized that being so young, she is going to make mistakes a more mature person wouldn’t. But I think her driving characteristic is her spunk. She does what she has to do to survive in a harsh world and to protect those she loves.

Jacob is a decent man whose devotion to his departed wife leaves no room for another. He has to come to terms not just with his wife’s death, but with what is expected from him as he puts the pieces of his life back together. Most importantly, he must realize his harshest expectations are those he has cast upon himself—and that his stubbornness is destroying not only his own happiness, but the happiness of those he loves.

Faith, love, and determination are the major themes of the book. Faith has been so important in my own life and got me through so much when we lived in the Alaskan wilderness. Therefore, I wanted to illustrate the role faith played in the lives of Beth and Jacob. Love comes in so many different forms, and I wanted to explore the different types of love. There’s the love between a man and a woman; the love between parents and children—even if they are not biologically related; and, of course, the love that grows from relying on good neighbors and friends. Determination is what allows us to survive the unsurvivable. Without the determination that seeds in our guts and grows to see us through the worst times of our lives, we would not succeed. Of course, determination can also work against us. When we stubbornly adhere to principles that are no longer relevant, our determination cause much more harm than good.

Interview with Bonnie

What has been your favorite part of the publishing journey?

I was very naïve about the publishing world with my first book. I thought once I wrote “The End,” that that was it—the end. That first book was a memoir about our life in the Alaskan wilderness, and, between working full-time, managing a farm, and taking care of family, it took me ten years to write. It was a relief to finally type those two coveted words at the end of my manuscript. However, sending it out to agents and publishers only to have it rejected was one of the biggest disappointments in my life.

Believe me, the thought of scouring the Yellow Pages for a “Rejected Writer’s Group” did cross my mind. So, after licking my self-pity wounds, I rolled up my sleeves and got to the real work of publishing a book. I spent another year editing, re-writing, and finding a professional editing company that helped me make my story the best it could be. Then it was time to proof, proof, and proof again by as many pairs of eyes as I could get. Only then was my manuscript ready for publishing. All that extra polishing paid off when my book won five book awards and the Kindle version has remained on at least two best seller categories for almost ten years now.

Publishing can be very daunting for the first-time author.  I learned many things the hard way, which ended up costing me a lot more time and money than it should have. Now my favorite part of publishing is taking all that experience and knowledge that I learned the hard way and sharing it with upcoming writers.

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

Loving Beth is my first fiction and, believe it or not, I started this story as non-fiction. The first chapter is based on an actual event that happened to my husband’s great grandmother, Easter Mullens. Her story captivated me, and I knew I had to write it. But as I started doing research,  another story evolved with characters who were inspired by the familial tales of my husband’s ancestors, a hardy and resilient mountain people.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

I know this sounds biased, but I really love my characters—well, most of them. You “live” with these characters for a long time when you are writing about them. They become close to you and you feel connected to them, and they continue living in your head long after they’ve been put on a page. I have several favorites, but if I have to pick one, I’d say Tommy, the little boy in the story, is my favorite. I love how brave he is when he and his baby sister are dealt a hardship no child should ever have to endure. As his character evolved, I came to love him, and that love poured out through my character, Beth.

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

The key challenges to writing a historical novel is the research that must be done. I spent more time researching than writing. The story takes place in 1878, so I might spend half a day or more researching one thing—but finding what I needed was the highlight of my day. I love weaving historical details into my story and sharing it with my readers, perhaps teaching them something they may not know.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

If you haven’t read my first two memoirs about our life in the Alaskan wilderness, you wouldn’t know that my husband and I moved to Alaska in 1981 and settled on an uninhabited island in the middle of a huge glacier-fed lake. This was before cell phones. We lived completely off grid for nearly a decade—the first three months in a pup tent while we built our first log cabin by hand. It was the greatest challenge of my life, especially that first year. But the wilderness grew on me, and I came to absolutely love it. It was the best adventure of my life.

The other thing readers wouldn’t know about me is that I was a ballerina before I married my husband. I was accepted into the Minnesota School of Dance and Theater when I was sixteen years old. I loved ballet. It might sound strange going from a ballerina to a wilderness woman, but that was my path. Ballerinas may look fragile, but they are not. They have stamina and agility, coordination and balance—all of which helped me along my journey.

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

I am most active on Facebook

I have two websites:

https://bonnieroseward.com/

https://windsofskilak.com/

Facebook for Loving Beth:  https://www.facebook.com/BonnieRoseWardAuthor

Facebook for Winds of Skilak memoirs: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBonnieRoseWard/

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/49TFpFR

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonnieRoseWard

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bonnieroseward/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnieroseward/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bonnie-rose-ward

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

Loving Josephine is already in the works. Also taking place in the late 1800s, it’s the story of Josephine, the only child of a prostitute. When her mother becomes too ill to work, the proprietor decides to replace her with young Josephine. Her mother sends a letter to Josephine’s father to come and rescue her. Unfortunately, her father died during the Civil War, and her letter goes to his family, who have no idea Josephine, or her mother were a part of his life. Yet, without their help, Josephine will have no choice in the fate that awaits her.

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 13

Bizwings Book Blog, January 14

Exploring the Written Word, January 14

Holly’s Book Corner, January 15

lakesidelivingsite, January 16

Madi’s Musings, January 16

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 17

Lighthouse Academy Blog, January 18 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Cover Lover Book Review, January 19

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 20 (Author Interview)

Devoted To Hope, January 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 21

Texas Book-aholic, January 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 23

Pause for Tales, January 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 24

For Him and My Family, January 25

Books I’ve Read, January 26

Connie’s History Classroom, January 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Bonnie is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & a paperback copy of the book!!

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/2979d/loving-beth-celebration-tour-giveaway