Welcome Paula Peckham today as she shares about her recent release, and generously offers a giveaway to one random person who leaves a comment. Read all the way through to find out how to enter. We're calling this one "Author's Choice", but she has some great gifts to choose from.

A Peek Inside Accepted:

San Antonio, Texas – Spring, 1864

Chapter One

They wasted time with every moment they stood idle.

Jonathan Campbell squinted one eye and peered at the cloudless sky. Mr. Nelson, from the feed store in San Antonio, should be along directly. Jonathan placed his order for corn and cotton seed back in March, and they were due to arrive today. He sucked his teeth, impatience building. The store owner’s offer to deliver surprised him, but he was glad enough to accept the help that saved him from making a trip to town. The urge to start made him antsy. Where was the man?

With one knee pressed into the damp ground, he stretched his tight back with a groan. Sweeping his hat from his head, he wiped his sleeve across his brow. The sun’s rays brought welcome warmth after a frigid February and a rainy March, and he had worked up a sweat. Long, straight furrows gave testament to the labor he and the two farmhands had completed so far. The week had been productive. Preparing the soil to receive seed, helping along the life cycle established by God, spoke to a spot deep in his soul.

He gave the wrench he gripped in his sweaty hand one last yank and glanced up at the young man, who waited for him to work his magic with the plow. The hired hand had phenomenal skills with horses, but mechanical things reduced him to fumble fingers. “Try now, Teddy. I think it’s ready to go.”

Teddy grinned. “Is there nothing you can’t fix?” He popped the reins against the back of the draft horse, urging him on with a click of his tongue. The animal’s enormous hooves dug into the ground, and the machine lurched into motion. The depth wheel rotated easily now, silver metal from the plowshare glinting in the sun.

A pleased smile broke across Jonathan’s face as the rich, brown earth appeared. God made Adam from the dust of the ground. If only creating came that easy for him. Unfortunately, his took nothing but honest, hard work. Ah, well. When God made him, he added an extra pinch of farmer. He loved this life.

About Paula:

A fifth-generation Texan, Paula Peckham spent two decades teaching math. She divides her time between her home in Texas and Rio Bravo, Mexico.

Protected, Book 1 in The San Antonio series, was published in April 2022. It finaled in ACFW’s Genesis contest and won the gold medal in the 2022 Global Book Awards. Book 2, A Father’s Gift, finished third in the 2023 Selah contest. Book 3, Accepted, came out in October 2023. You can find it on Amazon. And, the series page is here

Connecting online:

Subscribe to Paula’s blog at www.paulapeckham.com.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/PaulaPeckhamAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/paulajopeckham/

https://twitter.com/PaulaPeckham

https://www.tiktok.com/@paulapeckham

Getting to know Paula:

• Do you prefer cats or dogs? We have both, but I prefer dogs. They’re usually more affectionate and fun to play with. Cats are kind of snooty.

• Do you prefer to cook or to bake? We don’t eat a lot of sweets in our house. It’s not that we don’t like them, we just sort of forget they’re there and they get stale or old. Plus, I usually have a to-do list for writing that’s like two weeks' worth of work without stopping, so pausing to bake is just not gonna happen. I cook because we have to eat. No time for fun stuff like cookies or pies.

• What hobbies do you have? I like to cross-stitch, but I’ve been working on the same project for over a year now. Writing takes up all my time. I’d like to learn how to quilt, but not sure if that’s going to happen or not. Maybe when I’m really old and have run out of writing ideas.

Giveaway: In Accepted, they make flavored butters to sell. I have some wooden paddles that are used to pat butter into a nice rectangular shape. I also have a butter dish. I will draw a random name and send one of those gifts to a reader in the US. Please include your cleverly disguised email address. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com