Where does love find you?
Romance, Mystery and the Wonder of God’s
Creation
Author Melanie Dobson transports readers
to a magical place and time to
reveal God’s majesty
Not only does God love to create, He also loves His
creation. This is the message author Melanie Dobson hopes that her readers gain
from her latest release Love Finds You in
Mackinac Island, Michigan (Summerside
Press/July 1, 2012/ISBN 978-1609366407/$12.99) that combines historical romance
with her trademark element of mystery.
A story filled with beauty and wonder, Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan transports
readers to a magical place and time. The story begins in the 1890s at the end of
the Gilded Age, a golden era of prosperity and growth. As the Gilded Age comes to
a close, the kingdoms of many wealthy industrialists begin to collapse,
including the once-wealthy Bissette family who has nearly lost its fortune. However, the Bissettes still own a
home on the fashionable Mackinac Island, where they will spend one last summer
in the hope of introducing their daughter Elena to a wealthy suitor.
Not only is Elena is repulsed by the idea of
marrying for money, she quickly grows tired of the extravagant balls and spends
most evenings escaping back into Mackinac’s rugged forest. There she meets
Chase, a handsome laborer who shares her love for the night sky. The two begin
to meet in secret at an abandoned lighthouse where they discover a mysterious tattered
diary.
As Elena falls
in love with Chase, her mother relentlessly plots to introduce her to Chester
Darrington, the island’s most eligible bachelor. While marriage to the elusive
millionaire would solve the Bissettes’ financial woes, Elena is torn between
duty to her family and true love.
The Love
Finds You series from Summerside Press is a collection of novels that
captures the flavor of towns and cities across the country with colorful
histories. The towns become as much of a part of the stories as the characters
themselves. Researching the towns in which her novels are set is the aspect of
historical fiction that Dobson enjoys most. In writing Love Finds You in
Mackinac Island, Michigan, she was able to explore the island that has
intrigued her since her early years growing up in Ohio. “I've always been fascinated by Mackinac
Island because I was told time seemed to stand still there,” explains Dobson. “From
the moment I got off the boat, I could sense it was a magical place. There are
no cars on the island so people ride bikes or horse-drawn carriages through the
charming village and back into the forest. The island has been a popular
vacation destination on the east coast since 1819, so it’s rich with fascinating
history and lore.”
In the midst of writing this book, Dobson went to Haiti to help lead a
retreat for the wives of Haitian pastors. Each member of their team spoke on a
different name of God, and Dobson spoke about God as Mighty Creator. “As I
researched God's passion for creating and the love He has for His creation, it
was a joy for me to incorporate the wonder and beauty of the universe into this
historical novel. I hope that readers leave with a sense of God's
majesty on this beautiful island.”
Advance Praise
“Love Finds
You in Mackinac Island, Michigan whisks you away to a beautiful time and
place, and you'll never want to leave the Island. Author Melanie Dobson weaves
genuine characters with unique twists and turns. You won't be able to put this
one down.”
~ Nicole M. Miller, Writer
& Reviewer
About the Author
She enjoys the research process that
comes along with being an author of historical fiction so much that she often
has a difficult time stopping the research on the history and locale in order to
start the writing. Because Melanie visits each location she writes about, she’s
been able to spend time in the beautiful and fascinating towns across the
country that bring her stories to life.
Melanie received her undergraduate
degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in
communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, Melanie was
the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The
Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked
in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years.
She met her husband, Jon, in Colorado
Springs, but since they've been married, the Dobsons have relocated numerous
times including stints in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado,
Berlin, and Southern California. Along with their two daughters, Karly and Kiki,
they now enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family
loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the
Pacific.
When Melanie isn't writing or playing
with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line
dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.
For more about Melanie Dobson and her books, visit www.melaniedobson.com.
Melanie Dobson is available for interviews
to promote the release of Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan. To
request a review copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please
contact Audra Jennings, audra@litfusegroup.com.
Comments