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Today’s featured author has a brand-spanking new book baby that just released yesterday! She is sharing five of her favorite secondary characters and an exclusive giveaway just for y’all!

About the Author

INSPY Award-winning author Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda.

When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband have two grown children.

Catherine’s novel, Bridge of Faith, won the 2015 Grace Award. Catherine’s latest novels are The Things We Knew (July 2016) and The Memory of You (March 2017), Harper Collins Christian Publishing.

Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com

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Five Favorite Secondary Characters

Catherine: From The Memory of You

Jeffrey Mitchell… I think some readers might pick Jeff’s dad, Hal, and yes, while he is also a strong contender, I choose Jeff, because he’s kind of the underdog, the black sheep of the family. And you want things to turn out well for him. When I picture Jeff, I get Mark Harmon. 🙂

Beth: I can’t wait to meet them!

Catherine: From The Things We Knew

Well, this is a no brainer, and certain people would kill me if I didn’t choose Gray Carlisle – so yes, the winner is definitely Gray. With a checkered past, Gray is coming out of years of substance abuse, finding his place again in the family he walked away from, and realizing there’s much more to life than he ever dreamed. We love Gray for many reasons, but I think the big one is his heart and his willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right with the ones he loves.

Beth: Gray is a captivating character! My review of The Things We Knew

Catherine: From Bridge of Faith

Hmm. This was tough, but I think I’m going to choose Julia’s best friend, Debby. Debby is our truth-teller. She’s not afraid to speak her mind or to be the voice of reason. She loves without reservation, she is kind and giving, and really doesn’t seem to have any flaws. That said, I’d like to explore her story a little more and see if we can find any. 🙂

From Yesterday’s Tomorrow

My favorite secondary character is definitely Jonno. He’s Luke’s sidekick, but also his best friend. He probably knows Luke better than anyone, and that’s saying a lot. He has seen his share of tragedy and living in a war zone is taking its toll, but Jonno knows he’s right where he’s meant to be. And he gives love unconditionally to those who need it most. His storyline was the first huge challenge for me as an author, and he owes me a few boxes of tissues.

From Hidden in the Heart

Another tough one. But I pick Landon Marsh. He’s another pretty messed up soul with a story I’d like to hear more of. If only I had time to write all the books I’d like to. 🙂

Beth: I need to read the rest of these!

Books

Tell us about your latest release.

Catherine: I was inspired to write The Memory of You after my husband and I took a trip to Sonoma, California, to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary. I fell in love with the beauty of the area, and I was fascinated by the wine-making process and the fact that so many wineries were family-owned. Over the next year, I processed the trip and ideas for this story began to spark.

Once my characters began to emerge, I knew that as in all my stories, the underlying themes of forgiveness, grace, and restoration would be very prevalent. Tanner and Natalie each struggle with past events they feel responsible for, and they are both hounded by guilt. It was fun to figure out how they would come together in their grief and begin the healing process.

Of course, the backdrop for the story is Maoilios, Natalie’s grandfather’s vineyard, so I had a wonderful time researching and remembering our California trip while I wrote this special book! Prior to the book’s release, I blogged about our trip, and you can find those posts here!

Thirteen years ago, Natalie lost a part of herself when her twin sister died. Will traveling back to the family winery finally put the memory to rest, or will it completely destroy her?

When Natalie Mitchell learns her beloved grandfather has had a heart attack, she’s forced to return to their family-owned winery in Sonoma, something she never intended to do. She’s avoided her grandparents’ sprawling home and all its memories since the summer her sister died—the awful summer Natalie’s nightmares began. But the winery is failing, and Natalie’s father wants her to shut it down. As the majority shareholder, she has the power to do so.

And Natalie never says no to her father.

Tanner Collins, the vintner on Maoilios, is trying to salvage a bad season and put the Mitchell family’s winery back in business. When Natalie Mitchell shows up, Tanner sees his future about to be crushed. Natalie intends to close the gates, unless he can convince her otherwise. But the Natalie he remembers from childhood is long gone, and he’s not so sure he likes the woman she’s become. Still, the haunted look she wears hints at secrets he wants to unearth. He soon discovers that on the night her sister died, the real Natalie died too. And Tanner must do whatever it takes to resurrect her.

But finding freedom from the past means facing it.

goodreads | amazon

 

Beth: I am just diving into this book but y’all can expect my review soon!

What are you working on now?

Catherine: I’m always working on something! I have a couple of new stories that I’ve been working on, but I’m afraid I can’t give any more detail than that! 🙂 Hopefully, I will be able to let you know more about these books in the near future!

Beth: Thank you so much for sharing your favorite secondary characters and your latest bookish news, Catherine!!!

Also Available

goodreads | amazon

 

Giveaway

Catherine West has generously offered to send a copy of The Memory of You to one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader!

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Tell us one of your favorite secondary characters!