Showcase: The Cadence of Grace Series by Joanne Bischof

 (The Cadence of Grace #1)

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.

 Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.  
 
Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob. 
 
Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?
 
Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

(The Cadence of Grace #2)

Gideon O’Riley has two wives—but he doesn’t know it. 

Settling into a simple life in the majestic Blue Ridge mountains, Lonnie and Gideon O’Riley have finally found happiness after the rocky start to their marriage. The roguish bluegrass musician has fallen in love with his gentle wife and the God she serves, and Lonnie rests secure in his tenderness for her and their young son. A heartless ruse interupts their peace, bringing them back to Rocky Knob—and forces them to face the claims of Cassie Allan, a woman who says she is Gideon’s rightful wife.

As Gideon wades into the depths of his past choices, Lonnie is stunned by the revelations. She has no choice but to navigate this new path, knowing that surviving the devastating blow will take every ounce of strength  she has.

While Gideon’s guilt  and his bitterness towards Cassie threatens to burn up his fledgling faith, Lonnie wrestles to find the courage to trust the God who brought them together in the first place. Will their hard-earned love be able to conquer all? 

Lonnie only wanted her husband’s love. Now that he belongs to another, can she surrender Gideon to a God with a bigger plan?

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Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life.

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Q.  What inspires your writing?

I love to write about redemption-I think this is what inspires me the most. I love to take characters who are unlikely heroes and show their growth throughout the story. It’s that journey that I want to show, the journey from a life of hopelessness to a one that God has blessed in His mighty way.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I’d have to say it’s connecting with readers. It is such a joy to get emails and messages from readers who want to share what the Cadence of Grace series has meant to them, or how they connected with Lonnie or Gideon’s characters. Having these books bless the hearts of readers has been the absolute best part and whenever I get to hear their thoughts or just chat with them about books or life, it’s so rewarding.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

Sometimes the toughest part of being an author is balancing it all. I’m a stay at home, homeschooling mom, and I never want to give up time with my children to write. I love writing, so very much. I write late at night or while they are napping and while it often doesn’t feel like enough time, God always seems to multiply the effort and I am amazed each time that the words flow onto the page, despite my limited writing time. I am so thankful to be able to do the two things that I love—be a writer and be with my kids.

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

Probably a cook or a baker. I love to make food for people…whether it’s a past a dish or a dessert, it just feels so right to throw on my apron and put a meal together for family and friends, or to send some scones down the road to a neighbor.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

I’d say: “Joy is in the Journey.” I’ve been learning this time and time again. It’s often not the end result that we need, but the process of getting there were we grow and learn and are molded into who God wants us to be.

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

I’d have to say the Little House books. I love those books and my parents read them to me when I was just a little girl and I’ve read them countless times myself. Now I love reading them to my own children! We curl up on the couch and they enjoy looking at the sketch picture as we read.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

Fun question! This must be why I answered the last question the way I did, but I would have to say Laura Ingalls Wilder. I grew up reading her adventures all the way through when she marries Almanzo and her life captured in those stories relates in so many ways to my own. I admire her spunk and her kindness.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?

I would probably have to say Lonnie. She’s shy and quiet, but with a strong faith, but over the course of the story, and the Cadence of Grace Series, she grows stronger and a little bit braver. One thing I admire most about her is her compassion and her willingness to love when all hope seems lost.

Q.  What is your favorite season?

Autumn is my favorite season, but with Spring just around the corner, I have to say that I might love this one just as much. I can’t wait to see the first daffodils poke their heads above ground, or to plant in my garden, or watch the kids play in the sun. I’m looking forward to the smell of fresh cut grass and just lying in the yard, reading a book!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

I am so blessed by the work my book designer has done. They did a photo shoot to capture the essence of the characters and every time, I see the cover for Though My Heart is Torn, I am amazed once again at how well they captured the emotion of Lonnie and Gideon and their yearning for one another.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

When my first book, Be Still My Soul, came out. My husband and I went to a bookstore because I was so excited to see it on shelves. It wasn’t there, or in any stores that we peeked in. I was a little sad, but he knew just how to cheer me up. I think he made it his main purpose that day to make me laugh. I can’t remember all that he said, but I remember laughing the whole way home, so hard I had tears in my eyes. I forgot all about the fact that the book hadn’t been unpacked in the stores yet and just had so much fun being with him.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

Soon I will begin the edits on the third book in the series, My Hope is Found. This is the final book in Lonnie and Gideon’s story and I am so excited about this one. It has been such a joy to work on and I am eager as can be to bring this story to its triumphant end. I can’t wait to share it with readers! 

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

I love connecting with readers and you can always find me on Facebook or my Blog, and right now, I have a giveaway going on with a few things inspired by Lonnie and Gideon from the series. You can check it out here: http://www.joannebischof.com/extras/