Today, I am happy to host a Q&A with a wonderful author, Kelly Eileen Hake! She is the author of the Prairie Promise series: Book 1-The Bride Bargain, Book 2-The Bride Backfire and Book 3-The Bride Blunder. Welcome, Kelly!
*Stay tuned after the Q&A for a giveaway!*
About the Bride Blunder:
In the Nebraskan Territory of 1859, Gavin Miller comes to Buttonwood looking to build more than a business.As soon as he’s able, he writes home to request the hand of the woman he’s always wanted. Unfortunately, while he never forgot Marguerite was the French word for Daisy, he’d failed to recall that Marge was the nickname of the wrong Miss Marguerite Chandler! When his surprise bride comes to Buttonwood, unexpectedly followed by the very cousin he’d meant to marry, will Gavin be able to make amends and solve The Bride Blunder?
About Kelly Eileen Hake:
Kelly Eileen Hake is a reader favorite of Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents book club, where she has released several books. A credentialed secondary English teacher in California, she is pursuing her MA in Writing Popular Fiction. Known for her own style of witty, heartwarming historical romance, Kelly is currently writing the Prairie Promises trilogy, her first full-length novels.
The Q&A, featuring Kelly’s book, The Bride Blunder(#3 in the Prairie Promise Series:
Q: Marge considers whether in agreeing to come to Buttonwood, she was putting her confidence in Gavin, not in God. Why do you think it is so easy for us to place our confidence in our relationships with people rather than in God?
I think the optimistic answer would be because God so frequently works through people, and we see that. We all rely on our senses to keep us away from danger and steer us toward good experiences, and we can sense other people on more levels than we sense anything else in this world. That tangibility is something that’s so tempting to grab hold of when we feel weak…relying on what is unseen takes an incredible strength few possess and even fewer exercise. We have to work at it—and the biggest problem is that most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re substituting leaning on our fellow man for leaning on the Lord!
Q: Gavin feels cheated when the wrong bride comes to town, but by the same turn of events, Marge feels unwanted. How should we respond to circumstances that make us feel bad about ourselves, without becoming angry or depressed?
We all know that it’s about prayer and having faith in God’s purpose for us. But I think John Eldredge really puts his finger on it—we’ve come to believe that the human heart is essentially a filthy thing tainted beyond repair and that sin is our primary nature. But that’s not true. Eldredge points out something that hit me hard when I was writing this book—that originally we were created in God’s own image, and we possess and mirror a portion of His glory. Original glory goes deeper in our nature and our purpose than the Fall, so if we look down to the very core where we fear finding ugliness, we’ll really find Him. The fear is put there by Satan to cloud us.
And that, to me, was an amazing revelation, even though I’ve read Genesis so many times and know the story of Creation. It never came together for me until I was doing devotions in the morning before writing this novel. All the fear and despair and shame and hiding that causes us to become depressed and furious with ourselves and those we love is because we’ve bought into Satan’s most powerful lie; that man is fundamentally wicked. The Word tells us differently. We are created in His image—how could mankind be fundamentally evil? Impossible! We’ve all sinned and fallen short of our ideal and HIS glory, but that does not change the unassailable truth that we were created to reflect that glory. That takes my breath away. It’s so humbling and uplifting… If we keep sight of this, it would go a long way in our day-to-day lives.
Q: What character was the most fun to write in this novel and why?
Honestly? I love Midge—she’s my favorite character out of any I’ve ever written. But in this novel she struggled with a lot of deep issues. So for fun, I have to choose Ermintrude. That old battleaxe kept me grinning with her pointed comments and how she nudged people the way they ought to go, without apologizing or pretending to be sweet. There’s something so refreshing about how uncompromising she is.
Q: Was there a scripture that inspired this novel?
Two of them. As this is the final book in the series, and Midge’s character arc is completed, there were two spiritual threads to be considered. So for her, there was: “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). The more pivotal verse pertaining to Marge’s spiritual and romantic journey is: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is.” (Jeremiah 17:7).
Thanks, Kelly, for the awesome Q&A!!!
Now for the giveaway! Thanks to Angie and Barbour Publishing, I am able to giveaway one copy of Kelly’s book featured today, The Bride Blunder. To enter, simply leave a comment to this Q&A. You must leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! Giveaway will end January 19th @6pm.
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Now for the giveaway! Thanks to Angie and Barbour Publishing, I am able to giveaway one copy of Kelly’s book featured today, The Bride Blunder. 
This looks like a great book. I’d love to read it.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Please count me in. Thanks for the giveaway.
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
Great interview. The book looks very good. Thank you for the entry.
freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca
The Bride Blunder sounds touching, I’d love a chance to win it. Thanks!
worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com
I love what she said about we are all made in His image. Reminds me of the verse in John 1 about lighting every man that comes into the world:) I would sooo love to read this book. Please enter me. Thanks!!
esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com
this looks like a great read thanks minsthins at optonline dot net
great interview, count me in
pksanddancer(at)yahoo(dot)com
Please count me in.
simplystacieblog at gmail dot com
I really love this type of book.
Please count me in for this giveaway.
I follow by google reader.
cenya2 at hotmail dot com
Sounds like a difficult situation to remedy. And interesting to find out the result. Please enter me. Thank you.
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com
Thank you for the great interview. I enjoy learning about new-to-me authors and their books. Please enter me in your giveaway. I’m enjoying your blog.
Blessings,
Sandee61
Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com
Great interview! I read the first book of the series and loved it. I would love to read this one as well so please enter me. Thank you!
cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kelly Hake is an author that I’m very interested in reading and I would love to see how Isaiah 48:10 inspired this novel. Thank you for the giveaway, Molly.
cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Perfect book for those snowy days. thanks for the chance
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
justpeachy36@yahoo.com
Please enter me in the giveaway.
Looks like a great book.
I enjoyed the interview and would like to win the book. sharonaquilino at hotmail dot com
Thank you for entering me, Molly!
Blessings,
Michelle
scraphappy71 at sbcglobal dot net
would enjoy reading this book…thanks for the opportunity.
karenk
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)Com
Great interview.The Bride Blunder sounds wonderful.Please enter me in the giveaway.Thank you for the giveaway.augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com.
I would love to read this book!
choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com
this sounds like a great book to read
tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
The verses that inspired this book, what challenges they are. Sounds like a great book. I’ll need to read the first two in the series as well.
Wendy
ebeandebe at gmail dot com
Sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway.
eswright18 at gmail dot com
Wonderful interview Molly! I would love to be entered in the giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity!
dleathers36(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like a great book. Count me in for the giveaway.
Blessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com
This book looks great- please enter me! Thanks 🙂
caseymh18(at)gmail(dot)com