Guest Post (and a Giveaway!): Jennifer Delamere & Holding the Line

Please join me in welcoming Jennifer Delamere to the blog today to talk about her new historical romance, Holding the Line, and how her heroine Rose unfolded over the course of the series!

HOLDING THE LINE by Jennifer Delamere
SERIES: Love Along the Wires #3
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2022
PAGES: 360

Can she find the strength to heal the wounds of her past–and open her heart again?

A widow at just thirty years of age, Rose Finlay is determined to put all ideas of marriage and family behind her and pursue an independent life. But when she notices a young woman about to be led astray by a roguish aristocrat, bitter memories from her past arise, and she feels compelled to intervene. The unintended consequences of her efforts will ultimately force Rose to reexamine her life in a new light.

As the guardian of his two widowed sisters’ financial and domestic affairs, John Milburn carries heavy responsibilities for a single man. But he’s faced with his biggest challenge when his headstrong niece falls prey to the attentions of a powerful man who could ruin both her and her family.When Rose and John join forces to protect his niece, they put everything they hold dear–including their growing attraction–in jeopardy.

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Character sketch of Rose Finlay

by Jennifer Delamere, author of Holding the Line

When it comes to writing my novels, I’m a plotter. Not in minute detail, but at least in the big picture. I always have a good idea of where the book is going and how I am going to get there, but I leave room for discovery along the way.

I usually have a sense of who my main characters are from the beginning. Rose Finlay, however, was an exception. Her story came to me more slowly. She revealed herself to me layer by layer over the course of the LOVE ALONG THE WIRES series. Starting off, the only things I knew for sure were that Rose was a young widow and that her marriage had not been a happy one. She was reticent, keeping much of her past sorrows to herself, not sharing them even with her close friends. Many aspects of Rose’s character and personality begin to reveal themselves in Crossed Lines, even though she is only a supporting character in that book. By the time I wrote Holding the Line, I understood the events of her past and how they had shaped her.

I love all the heroines in my books, but I must admit that if I could choose one to have for a real-life friend, it would be Rose. She is loyal, honest, hardworking, and reliable with a quiet but keen sense of humor. She’s fearless to jump into any situation. She’s forthright about her opinions but not unkind. Rose has come a long way through hard work, and she is proud of her good reputation at her workplace. She is also an avid reader! This will be a big factor in her friendship with John Milburn, which may soon lead to something more. . . . (You can read an excerpt at https://jenniferdelamere.com/book-holding-the-line.php.)

Rose also shows compassion for the people around her, from coworkers to friends and even to irascible family members. She has survived some of the worst betrayals and heartaches imaginable, which I believe is why she can empathize with the plights of others.

In Holding the Line, more is revealed about Rose’s earlier life, including some interesting revelations. Despite her middle-class career as an assistant manager at a post office, it turns out that Rose is no stranger to life among the higher classes. Her experiences in high society, plus her compassion, are what lead her to get involved in the life of a young woman who is about to be led astray by an aristocrat who has wealth and charm—and bad intentions. Rose’s intrepid nature and her determination to see a task through, no matter how difficult, will be critical as the situation grows more serious and complicated. Rose will find that her biggest challenge is whether she can fully overcome her bitterness over the past and the fears that still linger deep within her. Only then can she find the healing and strength she needs to see her future in a new light.

One of the best things about a good friendship is how you learn more and more about one another over time, and how that deepens your love and understanding toward each other. I truly felt I had that the same experience as I saw Rose’s character come to light over the course of LOVE ALONG THE WIRES.

Jennifer Delamere’s debut Victorian romance, An Heiress at Heart, was a 2013 RITA Award finalist in the inspirational category. Her follow-up novel, A Lady Most Lovely, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer earned a BA in English from McGill University in Montreal, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She’s been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for nearly two decades, and lives in North Carolina with her husband. Visit her website to connect with Jennifer.

Bethany House is offering a print copy of Holding the Line by Jennifer Delamere to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Holding the Line by Jennifer Delamere?