Cumbrian Rain, by Tenya Ingalls - FREE eBOOK

Tell us about your book.

Cumbrian Rain is the first book in The Weather Tales series.  It is a contemporary, faith-based adventure/romance which spans the globe.  I could have called it “From Britain to Burma and Back Again”, but that seemed a bit too Tolkien-esque.  I really put forth the effort to keep it under 80,000 words because I do my best writing under restraints.  The story, however, is packed with plotlines of romance, intrigue, danger and suspense, but most importantly the power of God’s restoration and justice.

This is the blurb I use for the book:

This contemporary adventure romance weaves a web of international intrigue and danger.

Attempting to escape her grief, tragically widowed Annora Lang travels to Cumbria, England to bury herself in research for her doctoral thesis, but when she meets the mysterious Tad, she discovers her own sinister past has come back to haunt her. Caught between her fear of one man and her love for another, can Annora be the hero this time, instead of the victim?

Secrets, Tad must keep them, but the appearance of the fascinating Mrs. Lang threatens everything he has carefully hidden for twenty years. Although his work breaks the law, it’s for all the right reasons. Can he leave it all behind to get what he really wants?

Can you give us a sneak peek?

Here's an excerpt I have not published anywhere else as an excerpt:

He tapped the pipe against the steps to clear the bowl and stuffed it into his pocket.

“I need to tell you something.”  The words seemed to stick in his throat.

“I know.”

He looked at her with wide eyes.  Her uncanny ability to read people still surprised him.  How could she possibly know?

“I’m just waiting for you to get around to it.”

Annora was hoping he was going to tell her he loved her, that he would actually say the words.  Last night, he had alleviated her doubts.  She wanted to hear the words now.  She wanted to say it back to him.

“On Monday morning, I’m going fishing with Captain Hodge.”

“Oh...”

She would wait; let him get past his nervousness.

“I don’t mean here.  We’re leaving the country.”

Annora was confused.  He could see it.

“It has been planned for a long time.  I can’t change it.”

“You’re not going fishing.”

Her voice was soft, gentle and factual.  He was like a freshly cleaned window pane; she could see through his façade.

Tad jumped to his feet, pacing the grass at the foot of the steps into oblivion.

“I can’t...”

“I know.”

Annora stood on the second step, putting her at eye level with him.  He stopped his pacing and looked at her, ashamed he could not speak the truth.  She reached out, but did not touch his cheek.  She experienced a sad understanding of the dangerous man with whom she had fallen in love.  He was leaving her now and that would be the end of it.  So be it.

“Be sure you lock your doors tonight.”  Her hand fell away.  “And keep the gun.”

“I have my own.”

“Keep it anyway.”

She opened the screen door of the porch.  He seized her hand to hold her a moment longer.

“I’m going to miss having you more than an arm’s length away.”

His voice was normal, rich and low, but his eyes spoke desperately to her.  Tad wanted to hold her, kiss her, ask her to come home to his cottage and spend… the rest of her life with him.  He couldn’t; this was not the time.

An epiphany of truth was washing over Annora.  Nathan had used her to get to Tad.  He intended to kill him and did not care if Annora’s feelings or even her life got in the way.

She hated Nathan Cort.

Once Tad realized the truth of the matter, the love and longing in his eyes would be replaced by repulsion and distrust.  The truth just might kill him; it was killing her.

“You don’t need to protect me, Sir.”  The formal term was thrown out, purposely, to separate, to squelch his feelings.  “It is you he’s after, not me.”

She turned to go into the house, but Tad pulled her back toward him, almost violently.  She ended up in his arms, his hand grasping the back of her neck.

“How do you know?”

Exercising every bit of self-control he possessed, he alternated between wanting to wring her neck and kiss her.  He repeated his question, more assertively.

“How do you know?”

Annora’s eyes reflected her secret remorse.  He was angry.  He had every right to be angry.

“Let me go.”

She struggled against his chest, but he held her more securely trapping her between the wall of the house and the weight of his body.  Her breath came in short gasps because of the crushing pressure, because she was desperately holding back the anguishing cry building in her throat.

“It’s time to tell me the truth, Annora!”

The tears were welling up in Annora’s eyes.  The reaction was one she could not control.  Tad saw it and let her go.  He could not control his reaction to her tears.  His emotions were too raw.  But, he could try.

“Your tears won’t work this time.”

Annora hid her face in her hands, squeezing the tears out with her fingers and wiping them away.  After a deep breath she should be able speak.  She had no idea what she should say.  She prayed God would intervene on her behalf.

When she opened her eyes, she was staring down the barrel of her own Walther PPK.

What inspired this book?

I’m always inspired by places which remind me of my hometown in northern Idaho, in the gently rolling Bitterroot Range of mountains surrounding lush floodplains and sunken valleys.  Cumbria and the Lake District of northern England reminds me of that a lot, so it was easy to transport my characters into that setting.  I believe that the mountains which nurtured me as a child will make their appearance in the third book of the series.

I was also greatly inspired by the love I’ve experienced in my own life from my husband. People, who love one another, even if they are Christians, have the same struggle with passion and desire as anyone else.  But, the characters in Cumbrian Rain rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and keep them in these struggles.  It’s a major theme of the story.

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book?

Time! I’m a wife and mother of three nearly grown children, the youngest of which I’m homeschooling.  I also work three part-time jobs, mostly from home, so I’m one crazy busy Chiquita.  Just finding quiet, unhampered moments can be challenging.  Settling all the sediments of life to the bottom of my brain long enough to get words on paper is often as big of a challenge, even when I have quiet moments.

What is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc)?

A consistent theme through most of my fiction is the oppression of the helpless by the wicked.  My hope is that through entertaining stories, vital issues such as human trafficking, slavery, bullying, and the general exploitation of women and children across the world is brought into the line-of-sight of my readers.  My goal is not to educate about these issues, per se, but to make others aware of these issues to inspire hard thinking about hard topics.  I want people to research the truth about these things and make their own decisions about what each of us can do to change the atrocities which take place everyday around our planet.

I have covered this topic extensively on my blog under several posts entitled “Why Do I Write? It Hurts!”  http://www.itenya.blogspot.com/

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I want my readers to enjoy what they read, but I want them to see this story as an example of restoration and justice.  God is in the business of restoration!  He restores us to Himself and by that restoration gives us back what the enemy has stolen.  He is also a God of justice, and the day is soon coming when all things will be made right.

Also, as I said before, I want readers to become aware of the vast injustices in this world.  If my simple little novels can make one fired-up advocate for bringing about change, then I’m satisfied.

What is your favorite color?

Purple.  I never outgrew it, sorry.  Fortunately, I moved to south Louisiana where purple (and gold) are very popular.

Do you have a favorite recipe?

Homemade pizza, crust and all, is my favorite meal to make or eat.  Every Saturday night when I was growing up, my family made pizza and ate together.  Although we do not eat pizza every Saturday night, my husband and I have continued the practice of homemade pizza with our children.  It’s a good family tradition I hope I can share with my grandchildren one day!

If you could travel back in time when and where would you go?

I’ve had a fascination with the world of ancient Egypt since I was about ten years old, so I guess I would want to go back to about 3500 BC and check it out.  I already have my Egyptian name picked out – Tenyanamun.

What project are you currently working on?

I am currently outlining the second book in “The Weather Tales” series, Congo Storm.  Some of the characters from Cumbrian Rain will make an appearance, especially the enigmatic Bruce Hodge who will be the main character.  This book will also be a love story, but the horror experienced by thousands of women in the Congo will be a big part of the plot.

I’m also constantly working on The Dog Chronicles, my sci-fi futuristic allegory.  Science fiction is probably my favorite genre – true science fiction, not fantasy.  With 500+ years of back story history written, I hope that the first installment will make its appearance some time in 2013.

Tenya has offered one free copy of her book to a lucky winner. At least 10 people need to leave comments WITH email addresses for there to be a contest OR you can email me at srstormo@yahoo.com and put "contest-Cumbrian" in the subject line. Winner announced April 15th.