Thursday, July 28, 2022

About the Book

Book: The Heart of the Mountains

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance

Release date: July 1, 2022

Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?

To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.

Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.

Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora’s desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroadsand Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can learn more about Pepper at her website http://www.pepperdbasham.com or connect with her on FB, IG, or Twitter.

More from Pepper

It’s so interesting how one idea can influence an entire series, or…how one person’s story can.

The idea for The Heart of the Mountains started in Laurel’s Dream with a hint of a family history story about a girl named Kizzie. (Someday, I hope to bring Kizzie’s story to the pages of a book). From there, the idea began to grow out of a love for my Appalachian culture into a series of books which highlighted (and fictionalized) stories from my family history.

The main story in The Heart of the Mountains is about Jeb and Cora, two different people with similar servant hearts, but the secondary story that touched me so much was the one based on my great grandfather’s life. I write about it in the Author’s Note at the end of the novel, so I won’t go into detail about it. However, what I loved getting to do is bring the truth of God’s redemption in my great grandfather’s life…to life again.

I never knew “Papa Rat”. I only knew the stories handed down to me by my granny and my mama, but in writing this story, I feel as though I had a tiny opportunity to “meet” him in these pages. He was a gruff mountain man with a broken past which led him to make a whole lot of broken choices, but his story is incredibly encouraging, because it points to the God of broken people. My great grandpa wasn’t left in his brokenness, but, after years of running away from God, he would later recount that God pursued him. The beauty of Sam McAdams’ journey in The Heart of the Mountains is only a little glimpse into what I imagine my great grandpa’s redemption story looked like.

Because my great grandpa was forever changed when Jesus saved him (as any of us should be).

I think that’s what my granny and her siblings (and even “Papa Rat” himself) would want most -that his story would point to Jesus. I hope that’s what you see when you read about Sam McAdams in The Heart of the Mountains.

Have you ever read a book based on family history? One of my favorites is Catherine Marshall’s Christy.

MY REVIEW

This story is one that I will remember for a long time. The author draws readers in with vividness and anticipation. Without leaving my home I traveled to the mountains where wild animals roamed and met people who lived a life of hardship.Their ways were very different but gave insight into a world where many kept to themselves. It must have been a culture shock to those who traveled beyond their comfort zone.

Cora was someone I admired because she stepped out of her safe life into a world where strangers were hard to befriend and danger was close as she traveled in the mountains where many liked their privacy. Running away so she would not be forced to marry someone she didn’t love , she travels to her brother’s place. She was not prepared for the journey ahead and found herself in an environment that would teach her to trust, forgiveness and never give up. Her skills as a nurse are valuable but not everyone welcomed her into their home.

Jeb has a tender heart but also has a past that haunts him at times. Being in the war made him witness death in a brutal way. He likes to keep to himself but a certain woman has piqued his interest. It’s not everyday a refined woman is heard screaming on the side of a cliff. I liked how he came to Cora’s rescue and treated her with respect. I couldn’t wait to see how these two would interact with each other.

It is a hard journey to witness as Cora tries to adjust to mountain life. The people that live there have their own ways about them. They don’t take kindly to outsiders and are very protective of their secrets. It is evident that Cora wants to be accepted but Jeb warns her that not everyone will trust her. I enjoyed watching Cora start to understand why God had directed her path to this place where comfort and peace was not always visible.

The illustration of how God loves us no matter what we have done was well written. I think we all have felt like we can’t be forgiven but God shows us grace and loves us unconditionally. Witnessing how women are treated wrongly, alcoholism that turns people into dangerous threats to others, to learning the ways of the mountain people, Cora realizes that God is teaching her to love others without judgment. With Jeb close by to protect her they find a connection that will see them through hard times. The author is so gifted in telling a story that digs deep into your heart that it helps you remember that we are never alone.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.