Guest Author: Terri Bentley and For the Love of Family: Book One *Prize of Free Copy of Book to Random Commenter
- ChristinaSinisi-Author
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Dear readers,
I hope this message finds you well. One thing I love about this blog is that I'm getting to "meet" people from all over the country, and sometimes the world. That includes authors and you, dear readers. Terri is from Idaho! I've been there but it's been so long, I only remember beautiful countryside. Thanks to all of you for being a part of this little corner of the internet!
Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you.
I’m Terri Bentley.
I live in a small mountain community about an hour north of Boise, Idaho with two big dogs and my husband of 49 years. I am a retired English teacher. I grew up all over the Pacific Northwest where my father designed highway bridges.
I have a ready smile and an approachable demeanor. I am the type of gal that people approach in the store to ask questions even though it is clear I do not work there. Maybe it looks like I might know something – who knows.
Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb.
For the Love of Family Book One: In A Land So Strange series
When Lena Neubauer is sent from German to America to help her immigrant brother on his farm with two small children, she never expects what awaits her in antebellum America.
With family honor and devotion propelling her to an unknown world, Lena soon finds herself stepping into this strange country where people are judged by the color of their skin and treated like animals. Aghast, Lena seeks to find goodness in the land where God has led her.
Lena meets Karl Muller on her journey to her brother’s farm, and he introduces her to the ideas of senatorial candidate, Abraham Lincoln, showing her his election could change things for the better. The more time she spends with Karl, the more she finds herself longing to be part of his world, but loyalty to her brother keeps her from pursuing what her heart longs for
the most – to be loved by this man.
After tragedy strikes, Lena finds herself at the crossroads and must make a decision tat will affect her future – and her family – forever.
Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book.
Even though I am now retired from teaching, it is still difficult to find uninterrupted time to dive into writing. My mind needs to be free to wander in the pages with my characters and story without daily modern activities pulling me away from it. This is especially true since my novels are historical. I cannot interject a modern problem (like a computer malfunction or a disturbing phone call) into my character’s dilemmas.
Share an excerpt.
“As I gawked at the busy New Orleans street life all around me, I escaped the chaos of the docks for more chaos of the city. A smartly dressed man in an evening coat and top hat careened through the middle of the street on an ornate enclosed carriage. The glass enclosure house two men who looked like they would be comfortable in a board room or a government state room. Their necks were draped in silk cravats and their beaver hats reflected a sheen of fresh brushing. The driver flipped his horse whip high over his head to strike a black man pushing a freight cart for not moving our of his way fast enough on the street.
Watching the scene before me, I lost my own footing and almost tumbled off the boardwalk into the street, where the rapid carriage approached. Dropping my bundle, I squeaked a gasp as I realized I was being lifted off my feet and placed back on the walkway next to my German shepherdess. I had narrowly missed the whip’s backswing after it struck the man in the street squarely on his back. Frau Oldendorf grabbed my arm to steady me as I recovered from the ordeal. I straightened myself and smoothed my skirt, curious about the strong arms tat had moved me out of harm’s way. A flash of a green jacket vanished around the corner before I could get a thorough look at him.
The carriage had sped out of sight in the other direction without a backward glance. The black man simply lowered his head and continued working the docks as if he had not been struck by a horse whip. Nor did he attend to the red welt rising on his bare back.
Frau Oldendorf motioned me closer to her. “Stay close dear. The streets can be dangerous down her.”
She continued her hurried pace as if this was to be expected. My senses stirred at the scenes before me. How could anyone treat another person that way? The area teemed with people; yet no one aided the injured man, nor did they chastise the carriage-driving assaulter. On the other hand, who was the young man who had kept me from harm? Was he so hurried that he could not wait to be thanked or make his acquaintance? Was this how people in America lived? In what kind of place had I landed?”
Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two.
1. Have you ever been to a place where you felt like you might not have belonged?
My husband and I have done a bit of traveling and last year we spent some time in Venice. It is a beautiful place and certainly set up for tourists like us, but it is not easy to drag your luggage up all those canal bridges. I did not realize until we were there that all the bridges had stone steps to climb. After pulling two large suitcases over several of these bridges in the summer heat (obviously too cheap to pay a porter), we arrived at the address for our hotel. The building was locked and dark inside. What? After several phone calls and discovering that the check-in desk was someplace else, we eventually paid a porter to get us over a few more bridges before we resigned ourselves to sleeping on the streets. We were never so happy to plop down on a soft bed in an air-conditioned room. (And guess what? The original address was where our actual room was all along.)
2. If you have an extra 30 minutes with nothing pressing for you to do, how do you “waste” that time?
I am a Candy Crush fanatic. It’s almost embarrassing to reveal what level I am on, since I have been playing it almost since it’s inception. (I just looked. Can you believe I am at level 8791?)
Share your social media and buy links!
Thank you, Terri, for sharing! I hope everyone has a fantastic week, Christina