Hi all! Stephenia has blessed us today with a character interview AND a chance to win a print copy of The Swindler’s Daughter. To be entered for your chance to win, check out the bottom of the post. But first, the interview!
I first met/read one of Stephenia’s books when I was very early on my writing journey. It’s been fun watching her writing career evolve over the years. I’m really excited about her newest release, The Swindler’s Daughter, and today I am excited to introduce you to the heroine, Lillian Doyle. First, let me introduce you to the story.
The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee
A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.
Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away–in jail–Lillian is startled to find that the man has left a business and all of his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.
When she goes to take possession of her father’s house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye–and has put a target on her back.
To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she’s always dreamed of, she’ll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers–especially Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.
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Now for our interview with Lillian.
CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Lillian. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?
LD: Hello, everyone! My name is Lillian, and I am the reluctant heroine of this story. You see, I always believed my mother to be a widow and my father long dead. Turns out that isn’t quite the case.
CC: That is a pretty shocking discovery! And definitely very troubling. What else can you tell us about your story?
LD: I’ve lived my entire life with a mother who wants nothing more than to achieve high-society status. Up until a few days ago, I thought my father had died a long time ago. But then news arrived that my estranged father only recently passed away—in jail. He left a business and all of his possessions to me, but…well, he’s made me a rather unusual heiress.
Then on top of all of that, when I went to take possession of my father’s house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure was already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised to her son! It’s quite the mess.
CC: Yikes! How has this revelation affected you?Â
LD: It’s caused quite the topsy-turvy in my life, let me tell you. Mother and I already had a strain on our relationship—what with her wanting to marry me off to the highest bidder and all—and the revelation of my new inheritance hasn’t helped matters.
CC: Now that you are an heiress, will your plans change?
LD: Everything has changed. My father left me little more than a mystery and house without answers. There’s a lot I need to do to settle the estate—a challenge that has become even more difficult since there are other people trying to lay claim to my father’s home. Jonah insists that the house should go to his family, but my father’s will left it to me.
CC: Who is Jonah?
LD: He is the stubborn cowboy who has apparently taken it upon himself to make everything more difficult for me. It seems my father’s family prematurely gave the house to Jonah’s mother, and Jonah is determined to make sure his mother and sisters aren’t tossed out. As if I would do such a thing!
CC: So what are you going to do now?
LD: To discover the truth and take hold of the independence I’ve secretly always dreamed of, I’ll have to figure out the truth about what my father left behind. It’s a mess for certain, but there has to be something good at the end of this tangle of secrets. Right?
CC: We certainly hope so! Thank you for letting us get to know you a little better. One final question to leave our readers with. If there was one thing you could tell someone reading your story, what would it be?
LD: Don’t be afraid to reach for your dreams. The best things in life often come on the other side of difficulty. It might be hard to face your calling or take a leap of faith, but it’s a risk worth taking!
That is a hard but good lesson that takes a lot of bravery. Readers, don’t miss your chance to read Lillian’s story and figure out all the mystery behind her inheritance.
Stephenia H. McGee is a multi-published author of stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. She lives in Mississippi, where she is a mom of two rambunctious boys, writer, dreamer, and husband spoiler. Her novel The Cedar Key was a 2021 Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice award winner. A member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), she loves all things books and history. Stephenia also loves connecting with readers and can often be found having fun with her Faithful Readers Team on Facebook. For more on books and upcoming events and to connect with Stephenia, visit her at www.StepheniaMcGee.com.
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Stephenia is giving away a copy of The Secrets of Emberwild to one commenter on this blog post. If you could inherit anything, what would you want to inherit?
*US residents only
**Extra entries are available below, but those who do not comment on the blog will be disqualified
money
Money is definitely helpful in most cases.
A working farm with money to keep it going.
Definitely the money to keep it going would be important, but I love the idea of a working farm!
I’m not eager to inherit anything in particular; I’ve already received many family mementos. Anything that my ancestors had in the 1800s would be exceedingly precious to me. A family Bible comes to mind …
Thanks for the giveaway!
CutePolarBear
A family Bible would be precious, and as a historical author, I’d adore anything from my ancestors in the 1800s. Great thoughts!
I would like to inherit my moms sewing machine. She would make lots of clothes for us and she loved to sew. Maybe I would inherit some of her skill on it also.
That is really sweet, and a wonderful memory!
I’m crazy, but if I could inherit anything… A castle with enough money to maintain it for a while. Then I’d turn it into a fancy venue.
Well since I’ve gotten old I would love to inherit enough money that I could pay someone to clean house and keep my yard beautiful.
Isn’t that the dream? LOL
Money
Money helps with a lot of financial challenges.
a valuable piece that I could selll
That would be neat. The hard thing is finding the right buyer.
More time with loved ones far exceeds any value in an inheritance. But if we’re dreaming, a nice house in the country with lots of storage (nothing fancy) with wrap around porches, a sewing room, a big kitchen, a secret room, and a library.
More time is always preferred. However, you just described my dream house–minus the sewing room. LOL
An old house.
And the money to upkeep it! LoL I used to want an old house until I realized how much work they are to upkeep. But I do love walking through them.
I’ve thought about this answer for a few days. I would like to inherit the pictures…in any format…that would have all the memories. I would cherish them.
Hugs. The pictures of memories are so precious. Especially in our digital format world. It feels like they get lost so easily.
Be on the lookout for an email from Stephanie. You’re the winner of her giveaway!
A castle with clothes from 1800’s. I so wish I could go back in time! I was definitely born in the wrong Era! Lol
Sometimes I feel like that too! Then I remember all the conveniences that I have now that I wouldn’t have then. LOL
As a genealogist & family historian, I would like to inherit all the old family documents, Bibles, diaries, etc.; anything that will give me family history information.
That would be amazing to inherit. I would love all that just as a history nerd.