Friday, May 11, 2018

The Story Behind the Story . . . A Train Ride to Heartbreak By Donna Schlachter (and #giveaway!!!)


The idea for this story came from a love of a movie and a friend with a great story to share.

The movie was “The Fugitive”, both the original series pilot and the more recent remake. I loved the idea of a train ride leading to a second chance.

My friend had recently taken a train ride from Denver to San Francisco, and she shared several delightful stories. I wondered if a train ride might be like a cruise in that it would provide an insulated environment where the travelers might do something they’d never done before. If so, this was perfect fodder for a romance, much like the old TV show, “The Love Boat”.

And then I saw “Murder on the Orient Express”, and as a lover of anything Agatha Christie, decided to incorporate a few of the details in my story.

The result? A chance meeting, two characters with integrity, and a way for God to reach both of them.

Question for readers for a chance to win a print (US Only) copy of Mail-Order Brides Collection: Using the titles of two movies, books, or songs, what would be your real-life love story turned into a movie? For example, mine would be Sleepless in Seattle meets “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” since my husband and I met online, and I moved to Denver to marry him.

PLEASE INCLUDE CONTACT INFORMATION! 


1895, Train to California
John Stewart needs a wife. Mary Johannson needs a home. On her way west, Mary falls in love with another. Now both must choose between commitment and true love.

October 1895
Mary Johannson has scars on her body that can’t compare with the scars on her heart. She is alone in the world, with no family, no prospects, and no home.

John Stewart is at his wit’s end. His wife of three years died in childbirth, leaving him with a toddler and an infant, both girls. Theirs was the love of fairy tales, and while he has no illusions about finding another like her, his children need a mother.

Though separated by thousands of miles, they commit to a mail-order marriage. But on their journey to Heartbreak, they meet another and realize the life they’d planned would be a lie. Can they find their way back from the precipice and into the love of God and each other, or are they destined to keep their word and deny their heart?



About Donna:
Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick, her first-line editor and biggest fan. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She is a hybrid author who has published a number of books under her pen name and under her own name. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime; facilitates a local critique group, and teaches writing classes and courses. Donna is also a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is proud to be represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.


www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!
Other Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2gZATjm


12 comments:

joy said...

A Christmas Card Where the Heart Is
joygibson@highland.net

Donna Schlachter said...

Thank you Laura for hosting me today!

That sounds lovely, Joy! Thank you for visiting today and good luck in the giveaway.

Lucy Reynolds said...

I’ll Always Love You ...The Notebook
Thank you for the chance. Would love to read.
Blessings,

Marilyn R. said...

God Gave Me You and He's Everything to Me.
Your story sounds like a delightful read as the entire collection of Mail Order Brides. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity to win a copy. marilynridgway78[at]gmail[dot]com

Roxanne Willingham said...

Love Comes Softly and The Notebook. My email address is roxannewm@hotmail.com. I have never read any of your books. Would be a blessing!

Donna Schlachter said...

Thank you, Lucy, for stopping by and commenting. Blessings right back to you!

Donna Schlachter said...

Hi Marilyn - Thanks for visiting the blog today. Good luck to you on the giveaway!

Donna Schlachter said...

Thank you, Roxanne, for stopping by the blog today. Those are two lovely stories! Blessings to you.

Mmoore58 said...

My life story would be: "Will You Love Me" by Cathy Glass and the song "Jesus Loves Me"

S Hulbert said...

Mine would be The Nyack College Yearbook "The Missionarian" 1982 and the song by Dallas Holm "What a Difference You've made in my Life". We met at Nyack College and our lives were very different after that!

PSHulbert@Juno.com

Kimmy said...

Coat of many colors & Yours Mine and Ours! I would love to win a book Kim.vizzini@gmail.com

lollipops said...

congratulations to Kim

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