About The Book
Book: Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling, a Novella
Author: E.V. Sparrow
Genre: Historical fiction
Release Date: May 10, 2023
A heartsore widower with hidden fears and little faith…
The naïve daughter of a farmer guarding a repulsive secret…
A township unaware of the hidden menace amongst them…
Heartbroken from losing his family and his farm, Mick Muldoon is hopeful as he emigrates to America with his siblings. All he finds is despair and no work. Were America’s rumored promises of plenty all lies? Would God ever hear and answer his prayers?
Seventeen-year-old Shauna McGann is determined to marry Mick Muldoon despite her mother’s objections. His past and his limp might repulse others, but not her. What burdens Shauna is her terrible secret – a secret she promised her friends she would keep. Now Shauna needs help and protection. Could she trust Mick, or will she lose everything by telling him?
Will Mick finally be free of loss and find success in America? Will Shauna overcome her fears and finally feel safe?
In this Muldoon’s Misfortunes prelude novella, author E.V. Sparrow creates a provoking tale of flickering faith and enduring hope through an emigrant’s efforts to adapt, and a young woman’s unprejudiced love.
Click here to get your copy!
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About The Author
E.V. Sparrow is a short story writer turned novelist. Her readers encounter God’s unexpected presence through her character’s escapades. Her own adventures she wrote about involved traveling in over twenty countries. Sparrow lived on an Israeli kibbutz, worked for the U.S. Army in Bavaria, and hopped a freight train for a weekend.
A highlight for Sparrow is when Guideposts and Bethany House Publishers accepted four of her anthologized stories before she signed a 3-book historical fiction series contract with Celebrate Lit Publishing.
Her father’s family’s immigration from Ireland, their letters and documents, and some family stories inspired her current historical fiction novels.
In E.V.’s personal and church life, she ministered through prayer, worship, mission teams, and in Divorce Care and Singles. California native relocated to North Carolina, E.V. Sparrow and her husband enjoy family time with their grandchildren and exploring their new state.
More from E.V.
I’m writing books inspired by my father’s family because they believed in God but wrestled with their faith. Faith doesn’t come easy for every believer. We grapple with intimacy with God, but does God battle with us?
My oldest brother shared some stories of our great-grandfather, who emigrated here after losing his wives and children in Ireland. Yes, at least two families. I wondered, how could a suffering heart and soul survive those losses? Our great-grandfather’s inner turmoil didn’t change once he resettled in America. I read letters he wrote to his son—our grandfather and sifted through family photos. Certain aspects from the timeline of great-grandfather’s life fashioned my main character, Mick Muldoon. Mick encountered God’s unexpected presence several times without recognizing it.
Thinking through a Scripture verse, 1 Corinthians 13:13, (NIV) “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love,” reveals what remains when all else we are accustomed to is gone. I assume hope is as powerful as faith and love. It’s a triangle of strength for us until it goes wobbly. What happens when one or two of the three stabilizers are weaker than the others? Wounded, confused, and resilient characters named Mick, Orla, and Liam Muldoon.
Q & A with E. V. Sparrow
Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?
I was a storyteller from the time I could talk. Once I learned to read and write, I wrote my stories on paper with illustrations! I had a diary, then wrote essays in school, and as an adult, kept journals. Writing short stories started my writing career in 2015, before being offered a 3-book contract as a novelist.
Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative, who encouraged you to pursue writing?
My mama was the biggest encourager for me as a child and as an adult. Her rapt attention bolstered my desire for storytelling, but she first planted the love for books in us. I have so many photos of me reading books. Next was my best friend, telling me I was a writer. She put me in her critique group, and what followed was my writing career.
Why did you choose Historical Fiction genre?
It chose me! I wrote a short story including an event my grandfather shared with me from his railroad foreman days in South Dakota, circa 1914. My critique partners said I’d found my lane.
Tell us a little about what inspired your latest novel.
My dad’s quirky family again. Celebrate Lit and I signed a 3-book contract, and as I wrote Book 1, my mentor at a writing conference said to cut a section from it and use it as a stand-alone story or book. That section was what I converted into Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling, a novella. It covers ten years of my main character’s life removed from Book 1, Muldoon’s Misfortunes.
Readers always want to know what is next for an author. Do you have any works in progress you can share about?
Absolutely. Book 1 of 3 will be going through edits, and Book 2 and 3 of Those Resilient Muldoons series are what I’m currently researching and writing. The era spans from 1866 through 1916 or maybe 1918—I haven’t decided until Book 3 is complete. The main characters are all related and their stories overlap in places. The Muldoon family, in Those Resilient Muldoons series, battles with all three of God’s spiritual benefits of faith, hope, and love. Like us, they have reasons for their strife with God because of the heart and soul wounds from others or from their own terrible choices. I focus on how God gets their attention and rescues them from themselves.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 23
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 24 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, January 25
Bizwings Book Blog, January 26
Sylvan Musings, January 27 (Author Interview)
An Author’s Take, January 27
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 28
A Reader’s Brain, January 29 (Author Interview)
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 30
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, January 31 (Author Interview)
Life on Chickadee Lane, February 1
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 2
By The Book, February 3 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 3
For Him and My Family, February 4
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, February 5 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, E.V. is giving away the grand prize package of an eBook copy of Muldoon’s Minnesota Darling and an Amazon $50 gift card!!
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/299bb/muldoon-s-minnesot-darling-celebration-tour-giveaway
The plot sounds quite intriguing!
Thank you, and nice to connect with you here. 🙂
How have your personal experiences shaped the themes in your books?
Hi Tracie, I’ve always seen God working in my life, even before I was a believer. Whenever I’ve wondered if He could see what was happening, He’d work in a way that told me He was. That’s why my tagline for all my stories is Encounter God’s Unexpected Presence. It’s a theme in my work. Thanks for asking!