Guest Post with Author Lizbeth Selvig and Giveaway

Meet Lizbeth Selvig, author of Rescued By a Stranger.

LIZBETH SELVIG lives in Minnesota with her best friend (aka her husband) and a hyperactive border collie. After working as a newspaper journalist and magazine editor, and raising an equine veterinarian daughter and a talented musician son, Lizbeth entered Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® contest in 2010 and won the Single Title Contemporary category. That book, The Rancher and the Rock Star, became her debut novel with Avon Impulse. In her spare time, she loves to hike, quilt, read, horseback ride, and play with her four-legged grandchildren, of which there are nearly twenty, including a wallaby, an alpaca, a donkey, a pig, two sugar gliders, and many dogs, cats and horses. She loves connecting with readers! Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.lizbethselvig.com.

Places to find Lizbeth:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Hi Danielle and all the fans of RFTC! I’m so happy to be back here—I got the chance to come and visit when my first book came out in 2012. Thanks so much for letting me visit again.

When I set out to write the book that became my first published novel, THE RANCHER AND THE ROCK STAR, all I knew was that I wanted it to be set on a small ranch/farm in the country. It was natural to place it in my home state of Minnesota, but as the story developed, I realized I needed an anchor town. I created a fictional one that, were it real, would be situated near one of my favorite state parks. Little did I know I would fall head over heels in love with Kennison Falls—the little town my husband named.

I didn’t start out to make Kennison Falls a character, but that changed in a hurry. When I needed a place for my heroine to go eat, I had to create a restaurant. With the restaurant came the teacher who worked there summers and the cockatiels who acted as greeters. I discovered the gas station and garage and, lo and behold, its owner who had an unrequited crush on my heroine. There had to be little stores along Main Street. And there had to be The Sisters—a pair of sixty-something matriarchs of the town who knew all the gossip and held all the secrets.

It’s just plain fun, I discovered, to build a town. It’s even more fun to keep it running through multiple books. During the writing of my new book RESCUED BY A STRANGER, I found more quirky residents, more business owners, and even some local politics. I started wanting to move there myself!

RESCUED BY A STRANGER is a many-times revised version of the first manuscript I ever wrote, and the original setting was the real town of Northfield, MN—famous for routing the Jesse James gang during an attempted bank robbery. Northfield is now mentioned as one of the “big cities” Kennison Fallsians can visit for business or bigger shopping trips. That gave my little fictional town some grounding in reality while allowing me to make up any crazy place quirks I wished without offending anyone.

One of KF’s nicest quirks is the townspeople’s closeness and willingness to embrace—and protect—their newest residents—like my hero in RESCUED BY A STRANGER, Chase Preston. Another discovery: small towns are GREAT places in which to nurture true love.

So I thought I’d give you a little KF Chamber of Commerce listing of its most recognizable places and an intro to some of its most memorable characters.

The Loon Feather Café – the heart of the town. Famous for its owner’s pies. Effie Jorgenson will always stuff you as if she’s your grandmother! But maybe the most famous things about the Loon Feather are Lester and Cotton—two cockatiels who live in a their cage in the entrance foyer and greet you upon arrival. Each bird has his and her special way of welcoming you to the restaurant! Also—you’ll rarely miss seeing Claudia Lindquist and Gladys “Gladdie” Hanson – AKA “The Sisters”—at the café. These two great ladies see all, hear all, and know all in town. Claudia is a master gardener. Gladdie could probably bring order to a herd of stampeding squirrels

Dewey’s Gas ‘n’ Garage – The only gas station right in town and the best garage within fifty miles. The reason it’s so great is owner Dewey Mitchell. A former HS football star, Dewey has lived in KF all his life. Now he’s a town treasure because he can fix almost anything that runs. People might take him a little for granted—but he doesn’t seem to mind.

The Bread Basket – best bakery in southern Minnesota.

ThINK Designs – the tattoo parlor owned by brother and sister pair Damien and Nora Pint (pronounced with a short “I,” not a long one.) The parlor is mentioned in THE RANCHER AND THE ROCK STAR, and you’ll find it featured in Book Three!

Butte Glen State Park – just a mile out of town, this popular park features the beautiful, 20-foot high, Kennison Falls.

And now you have a little starter list of places to visit in Kennison Falls. I hope it makes you want to visit soon. Remember, my little town is a place that will embrace you whole-heartedly if you choose to visit!

Now—I’d love to know: what’s the quirkiest thing you’ve ever come across in a small town—or any town for that matter? The KF Chamber wants to know!

She’s a woman full of dreams

When a stranger arrives in town on a vintage motorcycle, Jill Carpenter has no idea her life is about to change forever. She never expected her own personal knight in shining armor would be an incredibly charming and handsome southern man-but one with a deep secret.

He’s a man hoping to outrun a tragedy

When Chase Preston jumped on his motorcycle to escape his wounded life, he didn’t expect the perfect woman to fall into his arms... literally! But though he can’t deny his feelings for the sweet and beautiful Jill, he doesn’t see any way he and his mistake-filled past will fit into her bright future.

Falling in love may require more than either can give

The longer Chase stays in Kennison Falls, the more deeply Jill and the people of her home town pull him in. The more Jill discovers heroic qualities in Chase, the more she wants to find a home in his arms-if only he would trust her with the truth. But will truth tear them apart when Jill’s dreams start coming true and Chase’s past finally returns to haunt him? Or, can they get beyond dreams to find the love that will rescue their two hearts?

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 print copy of Rescued By a Stranger

To Enter: 

• Please answer Lizbeth's question: Now—I’d love to know: what’s the quirkiest thing you’ve ever come across in a small town—or any town for that matter? The KF Chamber wants to know!
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Lizbeth Selvig & Tasty Book Tours for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.

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