About the Book

Book: Dial V for Valentine

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 14, 2022

Valentine’s Day is perfect for a wedding. If only the bride will agree.

Being part of the military is not just a job for Fergus Rafferty, it’s a calling. He’s worked his way up the ranks and doing what he loves best: flying Apache helicopters. The only thing that will make his life complete is marrying Celeste. After he transfers to a unit scheduled to deploy in three months, he’s thrilled at the idea of marrying before he leaves so they can start their new life. Except Celeste wants to wait until he returns. Can he convince her to wed before he leaves?

Celeste Hardwicke has just opened her law practice when she finally accepts Fergus’s marriage proposal. Not to worry. She has plenty of time to set a date, then plan the wedding. Until she doesn’t. But a quickie wedding isn’t what she has in mind. Besides, why get married when the groom will ship out after the ceremony? When she stumbles on her great-grandmother’s diary from World War II, she discovers the two of them share the same predicament.

At an impasse, Celeste and Fergus agree to call into WDES’s program No Errin’ for Love. Will DJ Erin Orberg’s advice solve their dilemma or create a bigger divide? One they’ll both regret.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

More from Linda

My mom was born on February 14^th, so when I was growing up, Valentine’s Day wasn’t about romance and falling in love. Instead, it was a celebration of my mother. When I was asked to participate in the multi-author project, You are on the Air, I was hesitant to accept because of having little connection to the holiday and the books in the series are contemporary romance. I primarily write historical romance. But I loved the concept: the stories revolve around couples who call into a Christian radio station for relationship advice. I spent about two weeks mulling over (and discarding) ideas, then I realized the plot was right in front of me.

I had just finished putting together an exhibit with the curator at the museum where I volunteer. One of the display items was a wedding gown made from a parachute. Included with the dress was a photograph of the couple, and their names and wedding date, but nothing else. The lack of information got my mind going, and I wondered about their story. Why did they wait until the end of the war to marry? Why not wed before the groom shipped out? Did they regret waiting? I realized that members of today’s armed forces might deal with the same situation and decided to combine the two plot lines. (See? I can’t leave my historical roots behind!)

In Dial V for Valentine, Celeste and Fergus struggle with the sacrifice that comes with true love. Not the you-can-have-the-last-cookie kind of love, but a love that puts another’s needs and wants above one’s own. What they learn is that we can only love successfully when we understand that love comes from God. We are capable of loving (mates, significant others, friends and the unlovely) because “He first loved us.” Love is an emotion, but it is also an act of obedience.

My Interview:

What is the definition of success as an author for you? As a writer of Christian fiction, it is important to me that my books minister to readers. I hope my stories encourage or exhort people. It can be difficult not to get caught up in how many books I sell or whether I get the coveted “Best Seller” tag on a retail site, but as long as I feel I’m writing the book God wants me to, then I am successful.

What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)? Research over the years has turned up unexpected information. In Dial V for Valentine, I was surprised to discover I didn’t know as much as I thought about the life of a military family. For almost twenty years, we attended a church in Virginia that had a high population of navy and air force families, so I felt I knew what it was like for them. Nothing was further from the truth! I especially had no idea how much a member of the armed forces is at the beck and call of the government. Their lives are truly not their own. Fortunately, I had a source who answered my dozens of questions.

Tell us about your first published book. What was the journey like? Love’s Harvest is my first published book and it came out in 2016. I was part of a group blog, and one of the authors suggested we publish a series of novellas under the title “Threads of Love.” There was a fairly short window on the publication dates, and I was floundering with a story idea. Then I remembered Francine River’s Redeeming Love which is a retelling of the story of Hosea set in the American Old West. The biblical book of Ruth being my favorite, I decided to give that a try. I had recently seen a BBC show about the Women’s Land Army of WWII, and thought that would be a good fit. I needed a famine to springboard the story, and I was stunned when research turned up two almost immediately that fit perfectly into my time frame. Additional research turned up more events and people that fit the plot. After that, the outlining went more quickly than any book I’ve ever written. The writing, too. It’s still one of my favorite books.

Can you share a snippet that isn’t in the blurb or excerpt? From Chapter one:

She and Fergus had talked about deployment many times, and he’d assured her they could work out whatever came their way.

His statements only partially set her mind at ease, but when he’d proposed for the fifth time, she knew she had come to the crossroads of committing to him or letting him go. She couldn’t keep him on the hook, as Dory has said. And she did love him, so she’d said yes. But did she love him enough to give up her life?

What do you hope your readers take away from this book? First, I hope readers are able to be entertained and escape the stresses of their day-to-day lives. Secondly, I hope the story makes them realize just how much God loves them and wants the very best for them. He holds us in His hand, and we can rest in His sovereignty.

 

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 14

Texas Book-aholic, February 15

Simple Harvest Reads, February 16 (Author Interview)

She Lives To Read, February 17

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 18

Artistic Nobody, February 19 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, February 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 20

For Him and My Family, February 21

Fiction Book Lover, February 22 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, February 23

Back Porch Reads, February 24 (Author Interview)

Karen Baney Reviews, February 24

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 25

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, February 26 (Author Interview)

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, February 27 (Author Interview)

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Visa Gift Card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/29db9/dial-v-for-valentine-celebration-tour-giveaway