Blessings of Love – Book 6 – “Backward Blessings” by Rachel A. Anderson
Today’s the release date for the final book of the amazing BLESSINGS OF LOVE sweet romance novella series (my book is out this Friday). Today, it’s BACKWARDS BLESSINGS, by Rachel A. Anderson.
First, a little about Rachael
One of Rachel Andersen’s favorite memories in college was when a music theory professor turned one of her exams back to her. With a twinkle in his eye, he said, “I can always tell that it’s your paper because you have a story written on the back.” She was just killing time after the ear training and aural skills portions of the test (where he played notes, and the students were to write down the interval or melody), but it hinted at a larger love. She loves stories. She loves reading them, she loves hearing them, she loves telling them, and she loves living them!
Growing up as the oldest of nine children, she used stories to make mundane (and sometimes disgusting) tasks fly by like when she quoted Disney movies for her youngest siblings while she changed diapers or got them dressed. Though the youngest sibling is a senior in high school, the quotes she pulled out of thin air are used as family jokes that rock the house with laughter.
Stories propelled her through difficult days in college. They sustained her through the stress of student teaching. They were her favorite time of day in elementary and early childhood classrooms.
Her only hope is that these stories bring you as much joy and pleasure as they bring her!
You can follow Rachel at her website, on Facebook and on her Amazon Author Page.
And now for the book!
Jake Littlefield hates Thanksgiving. So, naturally, his sister abandons him to spend the holiday in Blessings where the town starts celebrating a week early. The only thing keeping him from hopping onto the next plane to Miami is the promise his sister makes to leave his love life alone for a year if he’ll endure a week-long stay in Blessings. At least, that’s what he’s telling himself…
Teresa Rampton’s marriage and subsequent divorce has left her a little gun-shy in the romance department. Content to wrap her world around her young son Logan, she’s unprepared when her new guest comes in for a landing.
Now, if he’d just ask her to the Harvest Ball, things might go smoothly with the mysterious pilot taking control of her Thanksgiving.
You can buy it on Amazon RIGHT NOW!
Last, but certainly not least, we’ve got a great interview with Rachel!
Who is your favorite author?
That’s such a tough question! The author I pick up almost without question is Rick Riordan though that may be more because I fell in love with his first characters and they’ve been woven into almost every series he’s written in one way or another.
How do you describe your writing style?
My writing style is sensitive to the delicate nature of relationships and emotions. I enjoy peeling back the curtain in the lives of men and women who face difficult challenges and come off conqueror in the hopes of inspiring readers to try to do the same.
Why should we read your books?
My books bring humor and compassion to relatable experiences. Though they are geared toward adults, they are safe enough that children and teens could read them without the questionable material to which they are so often exposed. While not overtly Christian, there are themes of redemption and healing in each of her stories.
Have any of your characters been modelled after yourself?
All of my characters have a piece of me in them. Teresa Rampton is probably the most like me. Though I’ve never been married, I know the walls she’s erected to protect herself intimately. Like her, I’m a good cook and a decent homemaker though I can come across intimidating and cold from time to time. I’m learning how to be a better advocate for myself and others as well, and I have a wonderful support network of people like Jake who help me learn how to do that for myself instead of trying to do that for me.
If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?
Ooh! Interesting! I’ve always wanted to run a bed and breakfast, so I would probably switch places for Teresa for a day–especially if I could go to the Harvest Blessings festival with Logan! That kid cracks me up!
What books have most influenced your life?
While I was writing Backward Blessings, I got a book-craving for Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles. Reading Cinder and Scarlet helped me develop more vibrant descriptions which made it easier to finish the project. So, those books helped me most recently. C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series opened a new world of literary possibilities to me, followed closely by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Both series helped me to embrace my own quirks and trust that they would become strengths which could shape the world.
If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why?
I’ve had a desire to retell the Rapunzel fairy tale lately. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the moment of reunion with the prince where Rapunzel nurses him back to health after he’s blinded by the witch. At least one version of the fairy tale implied that Rapunzel and the prince had twins somewhere along the way, and I’d love to dig myself into some research. I’d love to peel back some of the emotion behind a reunion where the prince also discovered he was a father (or at least met his children) for the first time.
Beatles or Monkees? Why?
Ooh! Monkees because “I’m a Believer” is the anthem of romance authors everywhere!
Who should play you in a film of your life?
The only thing I know for sure is that whoever plays me has to have a ton of curly hair!
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