"This was my first book by Vivi Holt but it definitely won't be my last.
I love a good historical read, one that makes you feel like you are in that time period. This story does exactly that. I could picture everything perfectly."
I love a good historical read, one that makes you feel like you are in that time period. This story does exactly that. I could picture everything perfectly."
—Review by Reds
 |
| AMAZON |
Boston, 1870 - When tragedy strikes, Katie finds herself
pregnant and alone. Unable to trust anyone, she and the baby face a dismal
future.
After the California Gold Rush, eligible women are hard to find. Swedish
immigrant, Kristoff, owns a thriving business in Sacramento. Yet, even with all
his success, he longs for a companion to share his life.
When Katie arrives in California she makes a very memorable first impression on Kristoff. She's sure that marrying him is the only way to care for the baby growing inside her, but she's worried that he won't go through with the wedding. He's looking for love, but soon becomes convinced that she's keeping something from him. Misunderstandings threaten to tear them apart, and she's fearful about what will happen when he learns the truth.
Readers say, " I cried and laughed...What an awesome ending. Can't wait for more!!", "I did not want to put it down", "Got better and better".
Q&A with Vivi Holt
What is your
favourite scene in Katie?
My favourite scene in this book
is by far the final chapter. Throughout the book we're taken on a dramatic and
emotional journey as Katie not only travels across the country to marry a man
she doesn't know, but journeys from a place of brokenness and grief, to finding
love again. The last chapter brings everything to a climax. I actually cry
every time I read it - is that hokey? Anyway, I just love it. The characters
really come to life in this book, and you feel the pain of their growth and the
fear behind their uncertainties as the story progresses.
Do you have
to be alone or have quiet to write?
No, I don't. I have three small
children, so finding alone/quiet time to write is pretty hard. I would love to
be able to dedicate several hours a day to writing quietly on my own, my
thoughts and imagination able to run wild... but that never works out.
Generally, my writing happens while other things are going on. I try not to do
it too much when the kids are awake, since I want to devote my attention to
them at those times, but sometimes I'll grab ten minutes when I can. If I write
at night, my husband wants to talk to me about his day, so I am used to writing
while being distracted.
What is the
hardest thing about writing?
I think the hardest thing for me
about writing is finding the time to do it. Writing a novel is quite a
time-consuming task. Not to mention, as an indie author I also run my own
publishing company (for my own books). I have so many ideas, and love writing,
so I want to spend time doing it, but unfortunately I have to make it fit in
around my busy life.
What is your
favourite book and why?
I think for me it's very hard to
pick a favourite book. There are so many that I love, and I don't stick to one
genre when I read. Most of my favorites are literary fiction, like Jane Austin
books, anything by the Bronte sisters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel
Pie Society, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Related to my current genre, I loved
Gone with the Wind, and the Little House series. If you're talking about modern
books, I love the Christian Sci-Fi series, Red/White/Black, by Ted Dekker. The
Bridget Jones series is also one of my favorites. I also love a little-known
book called 'The Chataine's Guardian'. It's a beautiful little Christian
romance by Robin Hardy - it's a little bit fantasy, a little bit romance, and
really sweet. Definitely a lovely escape from reality.
Tell us a little about your next book, The Strong One.
My next book, coming out on 16th
May, is called The Strong One. It's the first book in a new series I'm
doing with Kit Morgan, Annie Boone and Kari Trumbo, called Cutter's Creek. This
series was begun because of an image of a small, red, chapel found on
Pinterest. It soon became the foundation of our stories. This chapel could
shelter, connect and host weddings for various characters across generations.
And so was birthed our beloved Cutter’s Creek – a cozy fictional town on the
nineteenth century Montana frontier.
When you study the history of that period in Montana, you find stories of men and women who were tough, vibrant, resilient and passionate. A strikingly beautiful state, it has come to symbolize the pioneering life on the western frontier and everything that represents in the landscape of American history.
The folk of Cutter’s Creek epitomize the essence of the old west, and embody the charm of Montana. Their stories will draw you in. I hope everyone will enjoy visiting Cutter's Creek. I know I had a blast writing the book and reading the others in the series as they were finished.
Continue reading for an Excerpt and Book Giveaway . . .
Excerpt
from Mail Order Bride: Katie
Orphan Brides Go West,
Book 3
By
Vivi Holt
Inside the building, Katie stopped to unravel the
long, red scarf from around her neck. She was beginning to feel overly warm and
queasy again. It was then that she saw the two men at the bottom of the
staircase speaking quietly together and looking her way. One of the men wore a
bowler hat. It sat jauntily on top of his head. His faded suit jacket was
missing a button. The other man held his hat in his hands and his small eyes
squinted at her through a pair of spectacles that had slipped down his long
nose.
“Mrs. Pearson?” asked the taller one, removing his hat
and holding it at his side as he walked toward her. The other man followed, a
few strands of greying hair combed over the top of his bald head.
“Yes?”
“I’m Detective McNamara, and this is Detective
Constantine. We’re with the Boston Police Department, Ma’am.”
“Oh. Are you looking for me?” asked Katie, her voice
quavering.
“Yes, I’m afraid so, Ma’am. There’s been an accident.
I’m sorry to say that your husband has been killed.”
Katie stared at them, her eyes wide. “No!” she
whispered. Then she fell to the floor in a heap, unconscious. Hannah screamed
and ran to her side. She took Katie’s head off the hard, tiled floor and placed
it in her lap. She stroked the pale cheeks gently even as Katie’s eyes
flickered open.
“Nick,” she said, tears squeezing from her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, my dear,” whispered Hannah, her own
cheeks wet with tears.
Hannah leaned her head over to hover above Katie’s
curled figure, and the two women sobbed as the Boston sky fell dark about them,
and an early snow drifted silently to the ground outside to cover the thick
spread of leaves that lay there. The sounds from the street grew silent as
neighbors hurried home for dinner. People returning home to their own
apartments moved about them, shaking their heads and tut tutting, wondering
what the two young ladies were about, laying on the floor of the foyer like
that. As they rested there, the cold of the floor seeped up through Katie’s
coat and into her body, chilling her to the bone. She wondered how she would be
able to go on without Nick. He had been her comfort, her friend, her lover, and
now he was gone. What would she do?
Giveaway
Vivi is giving away three e-book copies of her new release, The Strong One, coming 16th May! This book is the first in a new
series: a collaboration between Kit Morgan, Annie Boone, Kari Trumbo and Vivi Holt. Open internationally. The winner will be chosen on 5/18/16.
Enter by leaving a comment or completing the entry form (recommended): http://goo.gl/forms/RLsnZJlEUp
Meet the Author
Vivi Holt lives in beautiful Brisbane, Australia with her
husband and three young children. Growing up on a farm she learned to love the
country life and now she writes about it in her books. History has always
fascinated her as well, so writing historical romance seemed a natural
progression. She loves horse-riding, hiking, and reading.
Her goal is to write touching, emotional and sweet romance stories that captivate the reader and transport them back in time.
Her goal is to write touching, emotional and sweet romance stories that captivate the reader and transport them back in time.
Connect with Vivi
