Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #9

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 10/23 at noon Mountain with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer). 
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 10/26 at midnight Mountain)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them. 
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way! 

 

Hi Everyone! Welcome to STOP #9

I’m Jenelle Hovde. I write sweet Regency romance with a gothic twist for Tyndale, cozy WWII mysteries, and biblical historical fiction for Guideposts. I also illustrate for publishers and authors. Somehow, I homeschool three children, and I help my husband, who pastors a small country church. Do I drink copious amounts of coffee? YES.

Today, I’m sharing a little about my archaeology Regency romance, No Stone Unturned, that released this past July with Tyndale! Do you love a good enemies-to-lovers dynamic? Ever since I read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I fell in love with the trope. It can be done very well or very poorly. Here are some of my thoughts on why it carries such appeal and how to do it right!

First, a peek at No Stone Unturned: 

She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground.

Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the ambitious new lord who recently inherited the title and Hawthorn Abbey from his estranged uncle.

There is just something irresistible about two people who start off on opposite sides of a battle of wills. From the very first pages of Pride and Prejudice, readers have been hooked on the tension between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. They misunderstand each other, argue, and clash in pride, yet somehow end up discovering love that feels deep and real. It is one of those tropes that never gets old, no matter how many times it is retold.

Maybe that is because the “enemies to lovers” story captures something true about life. Real love rarely arrives without challenge. Often it begins with friction, when two people see the world in completely different ways. They argue, they grow, and somewhere in the middle of it all, they learn to listen. Watching Elizabeth and Darcy’s pride slowly soften reminds us that love is not about winning an argument. It is about learning humility and finding grace for another person’s heart, and to realize that iron does indeed, sharpen iron.

That same theme runs through my novel, No Stone Unturned. Miss Bridget Littleton is a passionate historian who wants to uncover a buried Roman mosaic. Captain Rafe Hawthorn, the new lord of Hawthorn Abbey, is determined to rebuild his ancestral home after years of hardship. His plans threaten her excavation, and her stubborn dream collides with his pride. They frustrate each other at every turn, but beneath the conflict grows respect, admiration, and eventually love (especially in the face of danger).

Their story, like Elizabeth and Darcy’s, is about transformation. Both must learn to let go of their pride and face what truly matters: hope, forgiveness, and the courage to trust again.

That is why we keep coming back to this trope. It reminds us that love often begins in the most unlikely places, that grace can grow from conflict, and that sometimes the person who challenges us most is the one who changes us forever in the best of ways.

Sounds like fun? I hope you take a peek at Bridget and Rafe’s adventure as they grow together!

Now, for the very important stuff regarding this hunt…

Here’s the Stop #(9) Basics:
If you’re interested, you can order No Stone Unturned on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook or at your local bookstore!

Clue to Write Down: (or light

NOW for Stop #10–the Next Stop on the Loop: Suzanne Wood Fischer’s site!

But wait! Before you go, I’m offering three paperback books to three entrants—No Stone Unturned with Tyndale (or kindle copies of my biblical fiction with Guideposts).

 All you have to do is sign up to get my e-newsletter (or note that you’re already a subscriber). Additional points for those who follow me as an author on Goodreads or on Bookbubs (USA only).

ENTER MY SPECIAL GIVEAWAY HERE:

THE START DATE is set to 10/22 at 12:01am Mountain and the end date is 10/27 at 12:01am Mountain time.

Thanks for stopping by!