Marian P. Merritt - Lagniappe

Where the Bayous Meet the Mountains

Monday, May 04, 2015

Catherine West - Bridge of Faith - Digital Giveaway!

Good Monday Morning Readers!

Today, Catherine West visits Lagniappe to discuss her latest release, Bridge of Faith.

Welcome, Cathy!

Tell us about Bridge of Faith
Two lives taken down different roads - one enduring love - one shot at starting over.                   If only they believed in second chances.

Julia Connelly is finally free from twelve long years in an abusive relationship. Now able to live the life she’s longed for, Julia takes her two children back home to Vermont, hoping for peace and healing. The last person she expects to see is the man she eloped with at eighteen—who then abandoned her two months into their marriage, with little explanation.

When an assignment in the Middle East ends in tragedy, popular news correspondent, Reid Wallace, returns to his hometown seeking answers and peace of mind.

Confronting his past was not in the plan.

Now he’s asking different questions. Like why the only woman he’s ever really loved still mesmerizes him. Why the haunted expression she wears reaches right into his soul.

And why her twelve year-old son looks just like him.

They say you can’t go home again. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.

Here's the Amazon link for Bridge of Faith: http://amzn.to/1cqx4vM

What Bible verse speaks to you the most?
Cathy: I always love this question. Lately it’s been Isaiah 43:19
“Behold I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

SO much truth in that! Because God is ALWAYS faithful!

Give readers your brand/tagline and share how you came up with it.
Cathy: “Stories that resonate.” My goal with the books I write is not simply to entertain, but I really pray my words will touch someplace deep inside, that my readers will come away changed in some way. I want them to remember the story and the characters long after the last page is turned, and I truly pray that they see a glimpse of God’s grace and mercy in every book I write. Any more than that is totally up to God, but He can do anything!

Give us the description of the ideal person you wish would read your book.
Cathy: My ideal reader is probably pretty much like me. I like an intense story that deals with real issues at a believable emotional level, and leaves me wanting more at the end. They enjoy characters who may be flawed, but willing to do something about it, and they want their stories to dig a little deeper. I’m not much into fluff and I don’t believe in sugar-coating, so my ideal reader won’t either.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Cathy: Apart from buying the books?! LOL! Word of mouth is absolutely key. If you like a book, tell people about it! Write a review on Amazon or GoodReads or other venues. Write to the author and tell them what you enjoyed and why. This is actually how I created my Promotional Team for Bridge of Faith. I kept a list of names of readers who’d taken the time to reach out in some way with my other novels, and I invited them to join the team for this one. And the fun thing is, most times all these excited readers turn into friends too!

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing come from?
Cathy: I think my parents. They were big readers and I started at a very early age, and soon learned to love books. Trips to the library were just the highlight of my week! I was always good at writing at school, and as I got older I’d make up my own stories in my free time. So I suppose the writing bug bit hard and stuck. I’m so grateful to my Mom & Dad for always encouraging me to read, and to pursue my dream of becoming a published author.

Can you give us a brief summary of your writing process from idea to holding a published book or a download onto your eReader.
Cathy: Oh, my word, I don’t think we have enough time for that!! LOL! Actually, ideas sort of pop into my head and I play around with them until something sticks. I develop a few characters and let them have at it. If they won’t stop talking to me, then I know I’m onto something. I usually just start free-writing at this point. If the chapters flow and I don’t get stuck, I keep going. Unfortunately I am NOT a plotter, so I just have to let it pour out, then go back and fix it later. Usually it makes sense, which is great, but oftentimes there’s quite a mess to clean up. But I’ve tried plotting and it seems to send my muse running off into the sunset … so I muddle through.

If you could have been the author of any classic book, which one would you choose and why?
Cathy: AH! Pride & Prejudice! Because who doesn’t ADORE Jane Austen? This is such a classic, but timeless romance and I never get tired of reading it! And I have to say I love the movie version too! And now I want to watch it again!

What can we expect from you in the future?
Cathy: Well, there are some exciting things on the horizon for me! I'll be able to share more about this soon, but my readers can definitely expect more books from me in the future!


Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, Hidden in the Heart, released in September 2012, was long listed in the 2012 INSPY’s and was a finalist in the 2013 Grace Awards. Catherine’s latest novel, Bridge of Faith, is now available on Amazon.

When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, and is represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at:


Cathy, thanks so much for sharing!

Readers, thanks for visiting Lagniappe.
To win a digital copy of Cathy's book, answer one of the following or all five:

Pride and Prejudice or Gone with the Wind?
Coffee or Tea?
eReader or Paper book?
Dogs or Cats?
More important: Plot or Characters?

The winner will be chosen next Monday so 
check back to see if you've won!

I pray you find
"a little something extra"
in each of your days.

Marian

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I loved this book. It is a really good one. Since I have already read it on my Kindle I don't need to be included in the drawing. Just wanted to check in and share what a great read this is.

Unknown said...

Ann, thanks for stopping by! It's downloaded on my kindle and on my list!