First Line Friday — Hope Like Wildflowers

4 Oct

I’ll let you in on a big secret — Pepper Basham will be attending the Turning A New Page Book Festival in January 2025. Squee!! To say I am excited is an understatement. I cannot wait to meet her!

Today I am featuring Pepper’s newest historical romance, Hope Like Wildflowers which released this past Tuesday. Pepper and her family live in Asheville, NC, and as you may imagine are facing some tough days ahead. Their power has been restored, but it will be weeks until they have water again. Please pray for Pepper and all those who are facing such a daunting future. And if you like the sound of this book and want to help her out, put it on your Goodreads TBR list and/or order a copy to read. Sassafras on Sutton is a fabulous indie bookstore with three locations, including Black Mountain, and Waynesville, NC. You can purchase a copy from their online store, not only helping out Pepper, but a bookstore that has suffered a big loss. Click HERE to order.

Here’s the first line:

A high-pitched howl split through the shadowed dusk, echoing against the towering pines of the forest.

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
 
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams’s story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose? 

Pepper Basham is a best-selling author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at http://www.pepperdbasham.com.

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