It’s an absolute joy to get to team up with Thomas Nelson and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for a brand new Appalachian Romance series!
Iβve had the HONOR of signing with Harper Collins Christian Publishing for a new historical series – the 1st book releasing summer 2018 from Thomas Nelson!
The story sets sail when a young widow leaves Norway for America to make a new start housekeeping for her late husbandβs cousinsβthree rough & tumble brothers who brew cider in the hills of Appalachia. Itβs a beauty-from-ashes tale, a swoon-worthy romance, and delves deep into the bond and rivalry between brothers.
As the forefront brother can neither hear nor speak, the dearness in this series also lives in writing from the perspective of a Deaf character. Having taken American Sign Language and Deaf studies in my school years, itβs an utmost privilege to share the heart of a silent and steady hero as well as the love story that will abound.
A special thank you to my agent, Sandra Bishop, for paving the way, and to the team at Harper Collins for so stoutly believing in me and these books. Also, a very special thank you to all YOU dear readers for celebrating this new adventure and making the writing journey so incredibly special!Β
Ooooh I’m so excited! The story sounds interesting and I’ve no doubts that it will be a beautiful love story!! <3 <3
Hi Jen!
You’re always such a smile-maker! I’m excited for you to read this one and have been so blessed by your enthusiasm!
what a challange this book must have been and knowing the type author that you are, I am sure this will be an experience like no other to read this story. I like the story and am sure the characters will be fantastic.
thanks for sharing.
Pauline, It truly was! I’ve written the rough draft and found that getting the Deaf hero’s thoughts across proved a unique challenge. Thanks for celebrating with me!
How exciting, Joanne! Congratulations!
Beth, Thank you so much!!
So exciting! Cannot wait to read!!! You truly have a God given gift! π
Lisa,
Biggest thanks!! You’ve givene me such a smile!
They love deep because they are deeply loved ~ Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 43:1 our Redeemer ~ Isaiah 54:8
Kathleen – thank you for that beautiful verse. <3 Hour heart is so precious.
<3 thank you
You already know I am SO excited and ready to read this series. Congrats, sweet friend! <3 <3 <3
I do know and it’s such a treasure to me! It’s been fun chatting about Thor, Hakon and Aven with you and can’t wait for your insights on the pages!
Oh dear. It’s still not quite 2017 and I’m already going to have to start a 2018 TBR pile! Such exciting news!
LOL, Katie! I mirror your sentiments exactly. π We’ll both be reading all the great 2017 releases and I’m happy to say that I’ll have one novella, if not two novellas coming out next year, so maybe one of those can be a nice little appetizer, LOL.
Oh, I am absolutely giddy with excitement!! I’m thrilled for you, Joanne, and can’t wait to read this new historical series. It is sure to be extraordinary, as all your stories are.
Thank you, Britney!! Your excitement is such a joy for me! I can’t wait for you to read this one. π
I agree with Katie, I’m going to have to start a 2018 TBR pile.:) So glad you have another series coming out, will each of the three brothers get their own book?
Hi Lientjie!
It’s always a joy to see you π The first book will be from the POV of the Deaf brother as well as the young woman, but the youngest brother also plays a key role in the plot, so he’ll be front and center as well and I’m *planning* on adding his POV into the second book. The third brother has his own love story that will be woven into each of the books as seen from the perspective of the other characters, so there’s a lot of different dynamics going on which have been fun to write. I’m so glad you are adding it to your TBR already! <3
Joanne: I am over-the-moon thrilled for you, sweet friend! HaPpY dAnCiNg for you!!
Hi Beth! Thank you so much, my friend! Your happy dancing FILLS my heart!
Joanne, I’m so thrilled and excited for you! And for myself as well (whose copy of The Lady and the Lionheart has been languishing in the throes of scant newlywed reading time) as I’m already anticipating reading this series! Congratulations!
Rachelle – You are so sweet! And I completely understand the problem with reading time. I need to inflate mine so that I can squeeze in more books, too! Looks like newly-wed life is treating you wonderfully. I hope you two had a most wonderful Christmas. π
I’m absolutely thrilled for you Joanne! That’s so exciting for you AND us! The story sounds so fascinating. It’s going to be a looooong wait, though. Like Katie, I’m going to have to start a 2018 TBR list. That sounds so far away, but if it goes as fast as 2016 did, it will be here in no time. Congrats! I’m looking forward to some happy reading.
Winnie, It’s such a treat to hear that it’s already going onto those 2018 TBR lists. π It does seem so long away, but I’ll have a novella out this winter with Barbour (The Message in a Bottle romance collection) and hopefully one other little surprise in 2017. π So glad this series already sounds like one you’ll enjoy!! Thanks for celebrating with me!
Awesome! Congratulations, Joanne!
Thank you, Caryl!! π
So happy and proud of Joanne! Looking forward to hearing the wonderful testimonies these stories will inspire in people’s lives as your stories always do!
Miranda,
These kind words mean so much! As does your sweet support and enthusiasm over these last few years! THANK YOU.
This is amazing! Congrats! I’m so happy for you, Joanne! And I’m happy for me too because I will get to read these books! π The synopsis sounds so intriguingβwhy is 2018 so far away!? π
Thanks, Kim! I’m so glad you’re happy π That’s the best kind of news for me to ring in this new year. And oh… it does seem far away, doesn’t it? I have a hunch that all the great books to come in 2017 will more than pass the time. π Can’t wait for you to read this one some day as well!
I am sooooo excited about this! Absolutely cannot wait to read!!!
Hi Sydney!!! Thank you so much, my friend!
It sounds very interesting to me, can’t wait to read this.
Jennifer, It’s going to be such a joy sharing these stories with you. Thank you!
How very exciting! Congratulations, Joanne! π
Thank you, sweet Kiersti!
Exciting News…..Proud for you! I just won Lady/L. on a blog …and am sooo thrilled. I can’t wait to read it as well getting some older books of yours to read! Blessings on you and your writing!!
Thank you, Jackie! That means a lot! AND YAY! I am thrilled that you won a copy of Lionheart. I hope you have a great time at the circus with Charlie and Ella!
This series of books sound exciting. I love the setting of the Appalachian Mountains. Your book was great in “The Message in a Bottle Romance Series”. Thank you for letting me be part of the Influencer Team.
Brenda, I am so glad you enjoyed the novella and the collection! This one has been really special. We’ve been so blessed to have you.
And thank you! I’m incredibly excited about this new series and look forward to getting to share the stories with you.
Hello! I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Lady in the Lionheart. Right now I am trying to get my hands on copies of your other books. I am very excited about this new project! I have always been interesting in sign language (I can do a little, but its more like pidgin English than actual ASL). I find it so fascinating. Can’t wait for the release!
Anne, How it brightened my day to get your comment! It means so much that you enjoyed Lionheart π And to think of you searching out more books just makes my heart soar. And thank you! I’m in the midst of the tail end of this story and the more I work on it, the more excited I am for it to come out. Thrilled that you’re looking forward to it and to hear about your fondness for ASL. Mine is sketchy at best – I find that the more I use it, the more the vocabulary comes back to mind, but when I’m rusty, I really struggle to say anything. π
Congratulations! I love the honest emotions your stories bring to the surface. They surround the heart with love, acceptance and faith. I can only aspire to be so genuine and joyful. I look forward to your new books. Happy writing!
Nancy,
That’s a true compliment, thank you!