Guest Blog: Gretchen Carlson and I Be Brave *Prize of Free Paperback to Chosen Commenter

Dear Readers,

First, I want to apologize. I looked at my calendar incorrectly and skipped the virtue-of-the-month for February! I will catch up--whenever I have a date where a guest has not signed up. I want to respect those who have volunteered as guests!

Now, please join me in welcoming Gretchen Carlson. She grew up in Kansas and I attended graduate school there--a lovely state, no matter how many people say they fell asleep driving across it! I loved my time there. :)

Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, something people notice about you.

I’m Gretchen A. Carlson, and I live near Indianapolis. However, as a girl, I spent summer vacations in rural Kansas. My grandparents’ old farmstead, complete with an out-house, tornado cellar, big barn, and built-in adventures also held stories of gritty faith and resilience during the Great Depression. These fed my heartbeat to write historical fiction. I love engaging with readers and have often been told that people remember my smile.

Tell us about your book—title and back cover.

Although I Be Brave is a sequel to More Than Grit, both books have their own ending and plots that weave the power of forgiveness into broken lives. Here’s a blurb for I Be Brave:

While war rages in Europe, a Kansas family faces battles of its own. In the summer of 1940, as Hitler’s armies destroy Europe, guilt ravages thirteen-year-old Sissy’s heart after her younger brother dies—on her watch. Nothing she does can mend the rift between her and her mother. When an abused and abandoned boy follows Sissy to her farm in rural Kansas, she knows he can’t stay permanently with her broken family, and yet she tries to help him. Her actions stir up fierce controversy in the community and threaten the loss of her family’s farm, driving a deeper wedge between Sissy and her mother. Even though Sissy risks everything to save the boy, her courage can’t heal the hurt and bitterness which blaze hotter than the Kansas summer sun—unless there is forgiveness. But forgiveness is as elusive as victory in Europe.

Award-winning author of More Than Grit, Gretchen A. Carlson writes books that appeal to readers who love to root for the underdog and who desire to rise above fear.

Share one challenge about this book?

I’m excited that the cover is a real photograph (not AI generated) in the rural setting where I Be Brave takes place. God connected me with Michelle Tessaro, an incredible photographer, and although we were states apart, technology allowed me to be apart of the photo shoot. There were plenty of complications from finding different dogs and individuals who fit each book and arranging a photo session in the correct season. Weather didn’t always cooperate!

Ask a quirky question?

What’s the worst weather experience you’ve had? (There’s a blizzard in More Than Grit, and horrible lightning in I Be Brave).

Connect with me!

Personal contact:  gretchencarlsonwriter@gmail.com

Available on Kindle Unlimited or paperback or ebook: I Be Brave

Goodreads

Bookbub

For grins and giggles, watch a three-minute television interview: https://www.wibw.com/video/2022/09/27/more-than-grit-gretchen-carlson-author/

Website and newsletter:  https://gretchen-carlson.com/

I occasionally post personal or book news on FaceBook or Instagram or Pintrest

Thank you, Gretchen, for being a guest!