Meet a gifted cook in
Sarah Loudin Thomas’
debut novel
Miracle in a Dry Land
Bethany House
********
The Story
In a Drought,
It’s the Darkest Cloud That Brings Hope
It’s 1954 and Perla Long’s arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.
Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor . . . until he meets Perla. She’s everything he’s sought in a woman, but he can’t get past the sense that she’s hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla’s unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.
Introducing Perla
Brief physical description
Perla Long is 24 and petite with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Resembles…
Grace Kelly without any makeup
Strengths and weaknesses
Loves her child deeply, wants to give back and take care of people, excellent cook, struggles with forgiving herself and believing she has value because of a bad choice she made.
Quirk (if any)
Her quirk is the core of the story—when she cooks she can feed however many are hungry and always have a little left over.
Your inspiration for the character
A friend from church who looks a bit like Perla and has a husband who plays the mandolin (as does the hero of my story). Although Perla ultimately has little in common with my friend—once I had the seed she sprouted on her own!
Background to the story
Christ’s feeding of the 5,000. What if there were someone who could multiply food that way? And what if having that ability almost felt like a curse instead of a blessing?
Thanks Sarah
Relz Reviewz Extras
Visit Sarah’s website
Learn about Sarah’s free e-novella
Buy at Amazon: Miracle in a Dry Season (Appalachian Blessings Book #1) or Koorong
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August 15, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Many times the cover influences my decision or the recommendation of others.
August 22, 2014 at 5:19 am
Me, too! And I love my cover . . . although I may be prejudiced.
August 16, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Most of the time it’s because of a review I read about the author and their debut novel.
August 22, 2014 at 5:20 am
Hope you find my GOOD reviews! Turns out my mother was right, you can’t make everyone happy ; )
August 17, 2014 at 12:57 am
I look at the cover first especially if it is an author I have read good reviews of and sometimes I pick it up even if cover is not especially interesting and read the back cover.
August 22, 2014 at 5:21 am
Do you ever read the first line? Sometimes, if I’m not completely sold, I like to read the opening and see if it pulls me in.
August 17, 2014 at 2:28 am
I generally go by the description and reviews. If it grabs my attention, appears well-written, and has decent reviews (if any), I’ll at least add it to my to-read list. The cover has some influence, but if the book looks really interesting I’m not going to avoid it simply because of the cover. If there are typos in the description or it’s otherwise poorly written, I am less likely to read the book.
Also, just a note that I am a fan of the Facebook pages as my blog, poetree.
August 22, 2014 at 5:22 am
Oh, those typos.
August 17, 2014 at 6:28 am
I buy a book by a debut author when the storyline intrigues me! Good reviews also help convince. I like to read at least the first chapter or so, to get a feel for how the writing flows and if it’ll keep my attention. A great cover (like this one) will make me pick it off the shelf, but it’s what’s inside that convinces me to buy it.
August 22, 2014 at 5:24 am
Glad you like the cover. And I like your first chapter test–I’ve finally learned that I don’t HAVE to finish a book just because I start it.
August 17, 2014 at 6:48 am
What makes you buy a book by a debut author?
~ Knowing that the publisher is one that I trust
~ The cover is appealing
~ The cover blurb sounds interesting
August 22, 2014 at 5:24 am
Publisher branding–that’s a hot topic in publishing today. Glad to hear you take it into consideration!
August 17, 2014 at 8:47 am
Good reviews on blogs I regularly read help influence my reading of a book by a debut author. A great cover helps spark my interest too.
August 22, 2014 at 5:25 am
Trusted reviewers–good call!
August 17, 2014 at 9:18 am
A great review, an interesting storyline or location will draw me into a debut book.
August 22, 2014 at 5:26 am
Hope you like West Virginia ; )
August 18, 2014 at 4:11 am
In this case, I liked the cover…then saw Debbie Macomber’s recommendation (a big plus)…then read the book description…all positive!
August 22, 2014 at 5:27 am
Those three things made me pretty happy, too!
August 18, 2014 at 8:05 am
Sometimes it’s the cover, but more often I’ve red reviews about it, or had it recommended to me.
August 22, 2014 at 5:27 am
Word of mouth is so powerful, isn’t it?
August 18, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Usually the theme of the book will inspire me to pick up a new author. I have a few themes that I gravitate towards, so that would be my first inspiration. However, since I have been subscribing to some of these reviews, I have found many new authors, within my theme list, and outside of it that peak my interest.
August 22, 2014 at 5:28 am
How’s forgiveness grab you for a theme?
August 18, 2014 at 7:45 pm
covers peak my interest…but the storyline is important to me, too!
August 22, 2014 at 5:28 am
The appetizer and the entree!
August 19, 2014 at 12:10 pm
I read reviews when I am trying to decide whether to buy a book by a new author.
August 22, 2014 at 5:29 am
I’m curious–how much weight do you give the bad reviews if most of them are good?
August 25, 2014 at 8:41 am
If it’s just one or two bad reviews and the rest are positive, I will still give the book a chance.
August 22, 2014 at 10:46 am
Hello Relz. The title and cover will draw me in, but then I need to look at the writing on the back to see if I’m interested in the storyline. And the authors I have read and then liked. tried and true ( of course) But it helps to read some reviews. And there some Genres I just don’t care for. Would love to enter this drawing. Thanks! Maxie
August 25, 2014 at 9:08 am
Yeah, I have some authors who are almost always safe bets for me. It’s good to find a new one, though!
August 22, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Hey Sarah! I take many things into consideration but most of the time the book makes my list anyways. 😉 Publisher isn’t too important to me, neither are bad reviews because there is always someone who will either be picky or just not like the book. The cover draws me to look at the book, the author does influence me, but what really makes the decision is the description. Draws me in every time, hope to get to read your book!
August 25, 2014 at 9:05 am
Glad you like the description.
August 23, 2014 at 1:38 pm
the plot