Monday, May 4, 2015

The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection Blog Hop

Today I have the privilege of kicking off a fun blog hop! The authors of The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection are talking all about our bachelors this week (could it get any better than that?!?!), and giving away a fabulous gift basket to celebrate the release of our novella collection. Read to the bottom to see how you can enter!

To get the party started, here's a little about my story, Four Brides and a Bachelor, and my very eligible bachelor, Luke Longley.


Luke Longley is dedicated and passionate
about his work with the Chippewa Indians
in Northern Minnesota--but he's also a
rule-follower and bends to the will of the
Mission Board, who demand he find a wife
Luke is a missionary working on the Red Lake Mission in northern Minnesota in 1852. The missionary board has told Luke he must be married by the end of August, or return east, forfeiting over two years of work with the Chippewa Indians. Luke has heard a single female missionary is living a hundred and fifty miles down the Mississippi River at the Belle Prairie Mission. With nothing to lose, he takes a canoe downriver and when he arrives at Belle Prairie, he discovers there is not one single female, but four, and all are eager to marry!
Here are the four young ladies he encounters. Forgive their unsmiling faces. They were actually quite excited to meet the handsome missionary. :)

Genevieve Pinet is beautiful, hard-working, and
intelligent. But she's also very aloof and distant,
and Luke wonders if she'll open her heart to love.

Hazel Smith has the most mission
experience, but her practical personality
leaves Luke wondering if she'll find time
for the little pleasures in life.

Mary Cooper is filled with joy and merriment,
but Luke questions if she'll hold
up under the realities of frontier life.

Sarah Ellis has a gentle, kind spirit, and all the
mission workers love her, but she tends to
break rules set in place to keep her safe.
Luke is a rule-followers, and fears he cannot
marry a woman who doesn't do the same.
The story is set on Belle Prairie in central Minnesota, along the banks of the Mississippi River. The setting is a real place, where a real mission existed over a hundred and fifty years ago, and the premise of the story is real, as well. One of the actual women involved was named Harriet Nichols and she wrote a letter home to her brother about the incident. She said: "There was romance enough acted here to write as good a story as you will find in any novel."

The Mississippi near Belle Prairie

Belle Prairie today
In the fictionalized story, all four ladies have been given the same instructions by the mission board: marry, or return east. But none of them are eager to go back to their old lives. Luke not only represents a way for them to stay in Minnesota, but he's also handsome, hard-working, dedicated to his calling, and passionate about his faith.

Luke spends the week getting to know each woman, and over the course of several outings, his heart begins to fall for one of them...but will he overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of his happily-ever-after?

Now for some fun giveaways!

Hop over to the Coffee Cups & Camisoles blog (here), to enter the grand prize drawing pictured below, and don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a signed copy of The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection from me! I'll draw a winner on Friday after 7:00 p.m. CST.

Stop by Author Shannon McNear's blog today to learn more about her eligible bachelor, too. You can find that here.

 
Here's a list of everything in the basket:
1. Collapsible storage cube.
2. A box of Ghirardelli chocolates
3. A book of MN stories called Bring Warm Clothes
4. A DVD (Nim's Island, Night at the Museum, & Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium)
5. A Gifts in a Jar recipe book
6. A whimsical little book of Dr. Seuss quotes.
7. A CD of Victorian Love Songs
8. A vintage-dressed lady Christmas ornament
9. A jar of preserves
10. A packet of lovely note cards
11. A little treasure box
12. A stuffed cow.
13. Dangly, sparkly earrings
14. A Starbucks gift card
15. A cotton tea-towel with a vintage typewriter on it
16. A turquoise cotton tea-towel
17. An apron
18. A miniature post office counter
19. In infinity scarf and fingerless gloves (In colors inspired by Egypt.)
20. A sweet little notebook with a penny-farthing bicycle on the front.
21. A copy of The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection -- AUTOGRAPHED BY ALL NINE AUTHORS!
 
Also, stop back here on Wednesday to meet one of the other authors from the collection, Kathleen Y'Barbo.

25 comments:

  1. I love the premise of this story, and even more that it is based in fact. You must've been hopping with excitement when you uncovered the history. :)

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    1. I was, Erica!! I love finding gems like this one. :) Thanks for stopping by, friend.

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  2. History is so awesome! And what a great giveaway :)

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    1. I couldn't agree more, Linsey! Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Hey Gabe! I like the fact that Four Brides and a Bachelor is based on fact. I'm sure you had fun researching the details. I can't wait to find out who wins Mr. Longley's heart. Thank you for the awesome giveaway!

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    1. And thank you for all your support, Caryl! You're always so helpful to share on Facebook and elsewhere. :) It was fun researching for this story. I hope you're happy with who he chooses. :)

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  4. I love this story!! Even more kewl to hear the backstory, and I can't wait to read more of your work! <3

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    1. Thank you, Shannon! So happy you enjoyed reading the story and that I'm in this collection with you!! I can't wait to read more of your work, too.

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  5. I love the quote and that you will write that romance!

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    1. Thank you, Joyce! The moment I read that quote, I knew the story needed to be told. :) I'm so happy others will get to enjoy it, too.

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  6. I laugh every time I look at old actual photos. No one is ever smiling and they are so plain looking. I'm sure it's not probably how they really were in life but just funny to me anyway.

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    1. I agree, Gail! They always look so serious, but it was because they had to hold completely still, or the image would be fuzzy. It was a lot of work finding women who could fit the roles I had in my head for this story, but I feel like I found them. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Love the story line, Gabrielle, and can't wait to read Four Brides and a Bachelor!! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!!

    Shared post!!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by to celebrate, Bonnie! And thank you for sharing the post. :) I'm always encouraged by your support. Good luck in the drawing. :)

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  8. Sounds like a fun story! Congratulations again, by the way!!!!

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  9. This looks like a great book, thank you for the chance to win a signed copy!

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    1. And thank you for stopping by today, Trixi!! Good luck in the drawing. :)

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  10. Ghirardelli and a Collection with the crinkled page edges I love! I pick two of those sweet ladies ~ hmm, maybe three of the four. He will probably pick the fourth one I "leftover" :D
    Would love to win. Sounds like a delicious story to go with the chocolates! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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    1. It was so much fun creating four very different women for Luke to choose from. All of them have wonderful attributes that make it hard for him to decide. :) I hope you get a chance to see which one he chooses!! Thank you for stopping by, Kathleen.

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    2. Thank you so much, Gabrielle. I received The Most Eligible Bachelor Romance Collection in our mail this afternoon! Now I get to find out Luke's bride! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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  11. sounds like a great story! would love to read it! Rhonda Nash-Hall, nashhall@aol.com

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  12. wasn't sure I was ever going to be a to post for a chance to win. I am so looking to red this book. thank you for a chance.

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  13. This book sounds so awesome! I love the pictures portraying your characters. :D

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  14. THe gift basket is amazing! wow! I really would love to win! nashhall@aol.com

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Your comments are my favorite part of blogging!