About the Book

Book: Pressed Together

Author: Kim Garee

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: May 1, 2024

World War II is over at last, and the pier amusement park at Buckeye Lake, the “Playground of Ohio,” is lit up, loud, and ready to welcome a summer of better days. The energy of dance hall and roller coaster, though, is disorienting for Sgt. Drew Mathison, weary from battle and trying to track down the one man who can testify in his brother’s murder trial.

He’s not in the mood to celebrate when he simply cannot find that witness. Especially when he suspects Emily Graham, publisher of the Buckeye Lake Beacon, is hiding him. Doesn’t she understand the danger the fugitive has brought to Buckeye Lake?

Determined to save her childhood friend, the beautiful and quirky young woman manages to frustrate not just Drew but her family and community as she tries to fix a whole host of problems by herself.

As Drew and Emily square off amidst secrets and a dangerous game of hide-and-seek, falling in love might be the only way to save the summer … and another life.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kim Garee is the award-winning author of The Together series, including Pressed Together (May 2024), Packed Together (December 2024), and Patched Together (September 2025). Set in Buckeye Lake, Ohio, just after World War II, these romances unfold at the height of the lake’s famous amusement park. Kim has worked as a journalist and college writing instructor. She loves her current work as a Library Innovation Teacher. She and her husband have three recently grown children and live in central Ohio.

More from Kim

Pressed Together, winner of a 2024 Angel Book Award for historical fiction, was inspired years ago when I was a newspaper reporter in Buckeye Lake. Historically, the lake was an “end of the line” stop for a railroad that featured a large amusement park, dance halls, and skating rinks. It was a favorite spot for the biggest of the Big Bands. A fire wiped most of the park out decades ago, but when I watched a crane pull old bumper cars out of the bottom of the lake, I knew the characters of this book series. I spent many happy hours in the historical society’s archives to accurately celebrate the post-war era in a small U.S. town that was also the “playground of Ohio.”

The Together Series represents the mystery, romance, and even humor of an era, even as it explores relatable faith challenges. Get ready to settle in with hilarious crowd draws, a flooded bait shop, a choking blue heron, and, of course, a hidden murder witness!

Interview with Kim

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I don’t think I really decided to become a writer. When I was a little kid, it never occurred to me that I wasn’t one, and no one told me differently. I wrote and illustrated my first real “book” when I was nine. It was about a band of dogs who took over running America from beneath the White House. Then, in seventh grade, we learned about indentured servitude in the Colonies, and I wrote another book about that. It took me a long time to realize that I’d have to publish to officially be an author, and I’m really glad about that because I learned to celebrate the process of writing from the very beginning, recognizing that that’s where the value was, you know? I decided to get serious about publishing just a few years ago because I felt like that was what God had been preparing me for. It was time to share the stories with a wider audience (not the dogs or indentured servants, though – those remain in a drawer).

How long does it take you to write a book?

What is your real-life work schedule like when writing?

I’m a school librarian. I set my alarm very, very early, and I make my coffee and drive into work long before anyone else arrives for the day. There’s something so beautiful about the silence of the library before dawn. I wrote the majority of my last couple of books in a mostly dark school library before school, surrounded by the wonder of others’ stories and the scent of book pages. Total focus. No distractions. Then, the gradual, soft sounds of the school day beginning pull me kind of gently back into real life. A custodian emptying a trash can across the room. Bus brakes. Someone firing up the copy machine.

What are your favorite books to read?

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

How do you create your main characters?

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

The middle. I’m mostly a plotter, so I generally have a pathway I’m following to get from the first to last chapter. Early on, when I’m scribbling furiously on index cards and getting all lost in the plot myself, I’m SO excited. And then, sitting down to write it is daunting, but I still like it. I’ve found that, in each of the three books I’ve published now, I start to despair in the middle of it. I suddenly get filled with self-doubt where I wasn’t struggling with that before. The voices start creeping in. No one is going to want to read this book. It’s going nowhere. That kind of thing. When this happens, there are a couple of things I do. I’ve found I think best when my body is moving, so I’ll take myself out for a hike in the woods, alone, and I “talk” through the story in my head. I’ll take out my phone and, while I’m walking, I’ll leave myself little voice memos to listen to when I get back to my laptop. That’s how I’ve gotten myself back on track the last couple of times. In my most recent book, Patched Together, I had the plot all worked out and was satisfied with it, and there I was, writing away at it, when all of the sudden my main character didn’t fall into line! She wouldn’t do what I needed her to do, and I ran right into this wall. She didn’t want what I wanted her to want, and I hadn’t known it at the beginning because I didn’t know her as well yet. But now that I did know her, I realized she couldn’t take the step I’d planned for her to take. In that case (also in about the middle of the novel), I went to my Bible study friends who are a huge source of support for me, and I just talked it through with them. They’d been reading the series, of course, so I valued their insight, and they got me to the other side. So, yeah. It’s the middle that’s the difficult part for me.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

What does your family think of your writing?

Do you base your characters on real people?

Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

The most profound part of publishing this series of books over the past year has been getting to meet up with book clubs. I wasn’t expecting that at all, but once the invitations started coming, they kept coming, and I’ve met some of the most amazing women I’ve ever known in their living rooms and at restaurants and such. In fact, they’ve inspired other stories for me. Jesus tells us that the Father gives good gifts, and I think that’s my takeaway when it comes to finally making the move to publish. Not copies sold or platform, necessarily, but those unexpected connections with other people. That was the good gift I was never even looking for. I think when we pray about our purpose and we pray for our readers, God says, “Oh, wait until you see what I’m going to do with this.”

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

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

I have a website: kimgaree.com On there, I blog about personal stuff and book stuff. Readers who like historical fiction and, especially, the world of the Together series novels will find blogs about the height of the amusement park in Buckeye Lake. I have photos of old postcards I’ve combed through from the archives of the local museum, and I write up the messages on the back of those. It’s amazing how much we can learn from folks visiting the lake in their own words! Some of those little breadcrumbs really impacted my work on this series. Also, there’s a button to sign up for my monthly newsletter on the website. The newsletter is short, sweet, and includes updates, events, and always fun little “gifts” for readers.

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, December 11

Pause for Tales, December 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 12

Texas Book-aholic, December 13

Stories By Gina, December 14 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 15

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 16

Cover Lover Book Review, December 17

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 18

For the Love of Literature, December 19 (Author Interview)

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, December 20

For Him and My Family, December 21

Devoted To Hope, December 22

Connie’s History Classroom, December 23

Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 24 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kim is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/3edc1/pressed-together-celebration-tour-giveaway