Hello, reader friends! Author friend Stephenia H. McGee is joining us for a quick chat in honor of her newly released The Accidental Spy series!
about the author
Winner of the 2012 RONE Best Inspirational Book of the year (2012) and author of six Historical novels, Stephenia H. McGee has a fascination with hoop skirts and ball gowns, Greek revival homes and horse-drawn carriages, quirky Southern sayings, and home-grown recipes.
She currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two boys, (accompanied by their two spoiled dogs and mischievous cat) where she writes stories of faith, redemption, and stories steeped in the South.
Visit her website and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get sneak peeks, behind the scenes fun, the occasional recipe, and special offers! Connect with Stephenia on facebook and you’re invited to join Stephenia H. McGee’s Faithful Reader Team to learn the latest about her writing and chat about book-related topics. Or follow her on twitter or instagram!
q&a
Do you have a favorite bookish habit?
S: I am totally in love with Becca’s (at All Things Bookish) T-shirts. Y’all. I have been collecting these. I love walking around in all my bookish shirts. Fun, quirky, and comfortable, they are totally me.
B: Those are SUPER CUTE! I don’t blame you one bit.
What is your reading style?
S: I read paperbacks, hardbacks, and ebooks. It depends on where I bought the book (and sometimes I buy the same one in multiple formats) and where I’m going. I generally take my kindle if I am traveling, because it’s super easy to carry a bunch of books (and an entire bookstore, should I need it!) in one small pocket of my suitcase or purse. I’ve also discovered I love audiobooks. Now I can read AND do the laundry/clean the house/cut the grass?! Yes, please! Audiobooks are totally my new favorite thing.
B: I’m with you, the more the merrier!
What’s your writing style?
S: I am a hybrid when it comes to plotting. I can’t totally “pants it” or I can end up thinking, “Uh, where was I going with that…?” But I can’t totally plot everything, either. Then I get too stuck in what I have plotted to let new ideas spark or the characters decide they want to do something else.
I now write a brief outline with the major points and where I know my people have to end up. Then I allow myself the discovery process of how they get to those points. Over the years, I’ve learned that both keeps me on track and allows flexibility.
B: Sounds like a great compromise and it’s definitely working for you!
Do you have any writing quirks?
S: I’m not sure if this is really a quirk…more like my inability to focus. Ha! I have to have quiet to write. And not just “kind of” quiet. Silence. I can’t write in coffee shops. Or with people around. Or even with music. And I’m terrible at writing in short spurts. I know (ok, and envy) those writers who can pop out 200-300 words in between kids’ questions, family, laundry, etc, and keep plugging along. I need total quiet for at least 2-3 hours at a time to really write and create. Otherwise, it’s just a disjointed mess. Now that I homeschool my boys, any guesses how often I get THAT? LOL. No, seriously, y’all. Pray for me.
B: As a fellow homeschooling mama, you absolutely have my prayers, friend! Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Stephenia!
about the series
An Accidental Spy by Stephenia H. McGee (The Accidental Spy series book 1)
Some secrets change the world
Once a privileged heiress, Annabelle Ross is now struggling to hold her home and her life together through the devastation of the War Between the States. But with a forced marriage and a desolate future on the horizon, her hopes are beginning to dwindle. When she discovers an encrypted note on a dying soldier, she seizes the opportunity to use it to deliver a message of her own. Instead, she’s mistaken for a spy and captured. Now her only chance to escape is the handsome soldier in charge of discovering her secrets.
After his brother is captured by enemy soldiers, Matthew Daniels vows to rescue him at any cost. When a secret society offers him a chance for retribution, Matthew must decide between his loyalties and his convictions. To prove himself, he’ll have to first unmask the spirited spy holding the key to their plans or risk losing his brother forever.
A Dangerous Performance by Stephenia H. McGee (The Accidental Spy series book 2)
History can change in the blink of an eye
Annabelle’s bravery unraveled a destructive plot and saved the president, but now the thwarted conspirators grow desperate. While trouble turns more deadly in Washington, Matthew and Annabelle escape to New York, where they have finally succeeded in finding Matthew’s brother. But breaking him out of Elmira prison is about as likely as saving her fractured inheritance.
Protecting Annabelle put Matthew on the wrong side of some very dangerous men, but he’d do anything to save the woman he loves—even if it means keeping her from the truth. With time running out and an unexpected miracle testing what remains of his faith, Matthew must confront his fears or risk losing her heart forever.
An Accidental Spy by Stephenia H. McGee (The Accidental Spy series book 3)
To form a future, they must reconcile the past
When Annabelle failed to stop the nation’s first presidential assassination, not only did the country plunge into chaos, but she’s mistaken for one of the conspirators. Imprisoned and berated while waiting for trial, she wants nothing more than to return to Rosswood Plantation. But in order to gain her freedom she must decide between trusting a man from her past or keeping her faith in the increasingly distant soldier she’s come to love.
Forced to choose between his allegiances and the safety of the people he loves, Matthew finds himself swept into the most massive manhunt in history. John Wilkes Booth has disappeared, and everything Matthew holds dear rests on finding the assassin. But to finally bring the conspirators to justice, Matthew must first conquer his own demons. Can he discover the power of redemptive love, or will his future with Annabelle be another casualty of war?
goodreads | amazon individual titles | amazon discounted set | bookbub
giveaway
Thanks to the generosity of the author, we have a signed print copy of An Accidental Spy for one fortunate Faithfully Bookish reader (US only) OR an ebook copy for one winner outside of the US!
print US only | ends 8/4 | complete giveaway rules
enter giveaway here
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Ironwood Plantation Family Saga
also available
I have this series on my Kindle and I’ll be sure to share a series review once I finish reading!
The Accidental Spy Series is a 2020 rewrite of the previously published Liberator Series.
Are you adding The Accidental Spy series by Stephenia H. McGee to your tbr, reader friends?
Faithfully Bookish 
Yay! So fun visiting with you, Beth!
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Can’t wait to read these books..
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I have only read her Christmas novella, so this series is definitely of interest to me.
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I’ve only read one of Stephen is Mcgee’s, but I LOVED it!!! I want to read more of hers!!
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These look good! Putting them on my tbr list!
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beautiful cover. I like that it is part of a series. Sounds good. thanks for the chance
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I’ve enjoyed her books in the past. Thanks for the opportunity.
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Sounds great. Thank you for sharing.
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Hey Beth and Stephenia! You had me at SPY! 🙂
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I love historical fiction and this sounds like a good book.
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I currently have two of her books and am always interested in her historical fiction.
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This sounds like a great story!
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Yay! I love Stephenia’s books!
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Sounds great. Added them all to my TBR list.
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This series sounds so great! My mom and I share books, but her favorite genre is suspense while mine is historical. Stephenia H. McGee’s books will delight both of us.
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