Episode Notes

In this episode, Melissa celebrates the upcoming launch of her first historical romance novel, 'Unwavering Faith,' and shares insights about the Bounty Brothers series. She discusses the creative process behind the book cover, character dynamics, and the unique approach to self-publishing. Additionally, she highlights upcoming events and community engagement opportunities for readers and writers.

Takeaways

The final cover of 'Unwavering Faith' has been revealed.

'Unwavering Faith' is the first book in the Bounty Brothers series.

The series is inspired by historical heroes and the Civil War era.

Each book in the series will feature a unique bounty hunter's story.

The main character, Claire, undergoes a significant faith journey.

Melissa emphasizes the importance of direct connection with readers.

The book will only be available for purchase on Melissa's website.

Future plans include helping other Christian authors publish their works.

Community events will be held to engage with readers and promote the book.

The newsletter is the best way to stay updated on events and releases.

https://www.literaryscape.com/podcast/136

Announcements

We have another incredible line up for our final Coffee and Books event this year on Saturday December 7th from 1:00-2:00pm EST. Join authors Karen Witemyer, Jodi Basye, and Abbey Downey for an hour of book talk. Visit www.literaryscape.com/events to sign up for this free event today!

Authors we have KyLee Woodley joining us tomorrow Saturday November 9th from 12:00-1:00pm EST to talk about book proposals. Getting your creative works in front of professionals in the Christian Book Market can be challenging. You need to showcase your best writing and understand what industry professionals are looking for. This class teaches you to polish a query letter, proposal, and writing sample. Additionally, we will preview resources for improving writing and where to find agents and editors. Finally, this class provides three templates to get you started. Visit www.literaryscape.com/events to sign-up for this training today.

Today I am excited to bring author Abbey Downey back on the podcast. She is the author of the Adventurous Hearts series featuring when who make a splash in sports and exploring in the early 1900’s. If you enjoy a sweet romance with spunky characters, then be sure to check out her books.

I also want to mention that Abbey and I will be hosting a couple of adventurous reader events in 2025, so stay tuned for those announcements!

Now let’s hop into today’s author interview with Abbey Downey!

Episode Notes

In this episode of the Literary Escape podcast, host Melissa welcomes author Abbey Downey to discuss her latest release, 'An Unexpected Catch.' Set in 1907, the novel features a female umpire and a pitcher navigating their unexpected romance amidst the challenges of their time. Abbey shares insights into her characters, the historical context of the story, and the research that informed her writing. The conversation also touches on the dynamics between characters, the role of supporting figures, and the challenges of writing compelling antagonists. Abbey hints at her future projects, including a new book that breaks away from the sports theme.

Takeaways

'An Unexpected Catch' is set in 1907 and features a female umpire.

The story is inspired by real-life umpire Amanda Clement.

Emmett, the male lead, is a confident pitcher with hidden depths.

Character dynamics play a crucial role in the story.

Supporting characters significantly impact the main characters' arcs.

Villains in stories should be complex and not caricatures.

Research on historical sports adds depth to the narrative.

The book balances romance with historical context.

Future projects may explore themes beyond sports.

Abbey's newsletter includes fun trivia and games for readers.

Connect with Abbey at: https://abbeydowney.com/

Get your copy of An Unexpected Catch here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5BQ28TF

View the show notes for this episode here: https://www.literaryscape.com/podcast/135

Announcements

We have another incredible line up for our final Coffee and Books event this year on Saturday December 7th from 1:00-2:00pm EST. Join authors Karen Witemyer, Jodi Basye, Misty M. Beller, and Abbey Downey for an hour of book talk. Visit www.literaryscape.com/events to sign up for this free event today!

The Unwavering Faith crowdfunding campaign ends today. Head on over to www.literaryscape.com/campaign to get your limited-edition copy of Unwavering Faith today!

Authors we have KyLee Woodley joining us on Saturday November 9th from 12:00-1:00pm EST to talk about book proposals. Getting your creative works in front of professionals in the Christian Book Market can be challenging. You need to showcase your best writing and understand what industry professionals are looking for. This class teaches you to polish a query letter, proposal, and writing sample. Additionally, we will preview resources for improving writing and where to find agents and editors. Finally, this class provides three templates to get you started. Visit www.literaryscape.com/events to sign-up for this training today.

Let me introduce you to today’s special guest, author Lynn Shannon. It took an international move from Texas to Greece before Lynn turned her love of reading into a passion for writing. Now she spends her days penning fast-paced inspirational romantic suspense. Her novels combine intriguing mysteries with heartfelt romance.

Lynn lives with her husband, two children, an extremely spoiled dog, and a turtle who hibernates half of the year. The experience of a different country has provided amazing new foods—like Yemista and Kourabiedes—to accompany pecans and Blue Bell ice cream on her favorites list. She also never passes up coffee, chocolate, or the chance to watch cute animal videos.

We all crowded in on my couch to talk to author Lynn Shannon. If you’ve been listening over the past month, then you’ve heard us raving about her Triumph Over Adversity series. We are excited to feature her Badge of Honor series next year. Enjoy this fun conversation with author Lynn Shannon and be sure to click the link in the blog post for this episode to connect with her!

Episode Notes

Author Lynn Shannon discusses her journey from being a lawyer to becoming a self-published author. She talks about her Triumph Over Adversity series and how it came to be based on reader requests. Lynn shares her writing process and how she develops suspenseful storylines. She also mentions some of her favorite authors and books in the Christian romantic suspense genre. Lynn discusses her favorite Bible verse and what readers can expect from her next. The conversation ends with a discussion on her Christmas novellas and how listeners can connect with her.

Takeaways

Lynn Shannon transitioned from being a lawyer to becoming a self-published author.

Her Triumph Over Adversity series was born out of reader requests for a story about a character from a previous book.

Lynn's writing process involves a combination of plotting and pantsing, and she often doesn't know who the killer is until the end of the book.

She enjoys reading Christian romantic suspense and recommends authors like Lenora Worth, Christy Barritt, Jessica R. Patch, Laura Scott, and Melinda Leigh.

Lynn's favorite Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 13:13, and she also finds inspiration in Hebrews 11:1.

Readers can expect the first book in Lynn's new Badge of Honor series, set in the same town as the Triumph Over Adversity series, to be released soon.

Lynn has also written standalone Christmas novellas that provide a quick and festive reading experience.

Listeners can connect with Lynn Shannon through her website, newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram.