About the Book

Book: Dial V for Valentine

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2022

Valentine’s Day is perfect for a wedding. If only the bride will agree.

Being part of the military is not just a job for Fergus Rafferty, it’s a calling. He’s worked his way up the ranks and doing what he loves best: flying Apache helicopters. The only thing that will make his life complete is marrying Celeste. After he transfers to a unit scheduled to deploy in three months, he’s thrilled at the idea of marrying before he leaves so they can start their new life. Except Celeste wants to wait until he returns. Can he convince her to wed before he leaves?

Celeste Hardwicke has just opened her law practice when she finally accepts Fergus’s marriage proposal. Not to worry. She has plenty of time to set a date, then plan the wedding. Until she doesn’t. But a quickie wedding isn’t what she has in mind. Besides, why get married when the groom will ship out after the ceremony? When she stumbles on her great-grandmother’s diary from World War II, she discovers the two of them share the same predicament.

At an impasse, Celeste and Fergus agree to call into WDES’s program No Errin’ for Love. Will DJ Erin Orberg’s advice solve their dilemma or create a bigger divide? One they’ll both regret.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

My mom was born on February 14^th, so when I was growing up, Valentine’s Day wasn’t about romance and falling in love. Instead, it was a celebration of my mother. When I was asked to participate in the multi-author project, You are on the Air, I was hesitant to accept because of having little connection to the holiday and the books in the series are contemporary romance. I primarily write historical romance. But I loved the concept: the stories revolve around couples who call into a Christian radio station for relationship advice. I spent about two weeks mulling over (and discarding) ideas, then I realized the plot was right in front of me.

I had just finished putting together an exhibit with the curator at the museum where I volunteer. One of the display items was a wedding gown made from a parachute. Included with the dress was a photograph of the couple, and their names and wedding date, but nothing else. The lack of information got my mind going, and I wondered about their story. Why did they wait until the end of the war to marry? Why not wed before the groom shipped out? Did they regret waiting? I realized that members of today’s armed forces might deal with the same situation and decided to combine the two plot lines. (See? I can’t leave my historical roots behind!)

In Dial V for Valentine, Celeste and Fergus struggle with the sacrifice that comes with true love. Not the you-can-have-the-last-cookie kind of love, but a love that puts another’s needs and wants above one’s own. What they learn is that we can only love successfully when we understand that love comes from God. We are capable of loving (mates, significant others, friends and the unlovely) because “He first loved us.” Love is an emotion, but it is also an act of obedience.

Interview with Linda

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? Each author is inspired differently. For me, ideas are everywhere, and I’ve written stories based on snippets of overheard conversations, the Bible, and scenes from movies or TV shows. Because I write historical fiction I’ve also gotten ideas from magazine or newspaper articles about past events, documentaries, and exhibits in the museum where I am a volunteer docent.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book? The reality that the life of a military family is not their own. I didn’t realize how much the armed forces is at the beck and call of the government. He or she can literally be called to a new assignment will little to no warning. I lived in the Washington, DC area for many years, and the church I attended saw a lot of military families come and go, but I never realized what it was like for them.

USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author Jodie Bailey and her husband 1SG(R) Paul Bailey were a tremendous resource. They both patiently answered my myriad questions and provided invaluable information about being a member of the armed forces and life as a military family.

What’s your favorite part about being a writer? Research? First Draft? Editing? I am a research nerd! I enjoy coming up with the plot and outlining the story, but research is my favorite part. I allow myself a couple of weeks to totally immerse myself in digging into every aspect of the foundation of my story: location, real life individuals, what my characters would have read or watched (if movies or TV was around during the era of that particular story), popular food, slang. I go down a lot of rabbit holes during the research phase. Some of the information never sees the light of day or doesn’t apply, but it is never wasted. I often come up with potential story ideas during the process.

What do you think makes a good story? A good story hinges on how well the reader can relate to the characters. I recently read Michelle Griep’s Brentwood’s Ward which is set in 1807 London, and the character I most related to was the male protagonist because the author had gotten me inside his head and heart through internal dialogue and seeing how he reacted to each situation.

What project are you working on now and how do we find your books? I have taken a break from fiction and am working on a non-fiction project that will be out in mid-2025 for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. I can’t share any details, but I’m very excited about the project because it involved lots of research. J I am also in the early stages of planning a new series tentatively called The Resistance Chronicles which will be stories set in countries that were occupied by Germany during WWII, shining the light on the brave men and women who were part of the resistance network.

A complete list of my books and associated purchase links may be found on my website: http://www.lindashentonmatchett.com/p/lindas-books.html

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 14

Texas Book-aholic, February 15

Simple Harvest Reads, February 16 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, February 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 18

Artistic Nobody, February 19 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, February 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 20

For Him and My Family, February 21

Fiction Book Lover, February 22 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, February 23

Back Porch Reads, February 24 (Author Interview)

Karen Baney Reviews, February 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 25

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, February 26 (Author Interview)

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

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Visa Gift Card and signed 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/29db9/dial-v-for-valentine-celebration-tour-giveaway