Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Kate Lloyd is Martha Franks! Please email my assistant Christen with your mailing address. (ckrumm@litfusegroup.com)

This week please welcome Tracie Peterson in the spotlight! To win a copy of her new book The Quarryman’s Bride (Bethany House, 2013), leave a comment on this post.

Tell us a little about your new book . . . Quarryman’s Bride is a story that takes place in the late 1800’s in St. Cloud Minnesota. It deals with unrequited love and the things we face at times when we practice honoring and obeying. Emmalyne and Tavin have loved each other for a long time and as their wedding day approaches, tragedy strikes and Emmalyne’s father ends the engagement. Years pass before the couple come face to face again only to realize they still feel strongly about one another. Can God help them to overcome the obstacles that have separated them? Or maybe a better question is – will they let God help them?

How can readers find you and your books? My website is www.traciepeterson.com The books are available through local bookstores, amazon.com, Christianbooks.com etc. I’ve even found them on ebay. ☺

Anything new for you on the book horizon? I have a new co-written book coming out in January 2014. This is a new venture written with an awesome author – Kimberley Woodhouse. It’s set in Alaska during the 1930’s and deals with FDR’s experimental Matanuska Colony. It was a very interesting topic to research and I hope everyone will enjoy the story. I also have book #100 coming out in March 2014. It’s titled A Sensible Arrangement and is book one in a new series (Lone Star Brides) and will tied together two previous series Striking a Match and Land of the Lone Star by marrying characters from each to one another.

What is the smartest writing advice you ever got? Wow, there’s a lot of really great advice I’ve been given over the years. Probably the best is to get a prayer team together to cover each book in prayer.

Why do you write? My writing is a ministry and a labor of love. I want my books to entertain, educate and encourage. My 3E’s are important to me, because I feel this is the calling God has put on my writing.

I’m inspired by… So much – Bible studies, documentaries, friend’s conversations, books that I read, photographs. Inspiration is everywhere!

My great adventure has been… Hard to say. There have been some really neat adventures in my life – marriage, having children, traveling, getting to write.

If I could go anywhere, it would be… Right now I’d like to see Ireland. It’s part of my heritage and I would like to explore it for story ideas, get to see the landscape, museums and people and just experience the culture.

Describe yourself in one word. Authentic

What has been your most surreal, “pinch-me-I’m-dreaming” moment so far?  That one makes me smile because it all seems surreal. Getting to have a job that I love to do and that honors God and shares the Gospel is incredible. Getting to spend time with fellow authors (some of whom are my favorites to read), publishing people (whom I’ve long admired) and traveling to meet readers is far beyond all of my expectations and hopes.

What drives you to succeed? Serving God. My heart goal is to bring others to Jesus and to encourage those who know Him and long for Heaven.

Good Things are Coming!

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