As part of the A Promise to Keep Book Birthday Bash we’ll be celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the book’s release by Melony Teague.
I have to tell you – I’m halfway through this right now – and I LOVE it. Teague’s writing, the heartwarming romance, the intensity of the characters, is a breath of fresh air. I’m so excited I could join in to celebrate this book birthday bash!
Make sure you enter to win a $5 Amazon gift card. The giveaway will run from Jan 18 – Jan 22, and the winner announced the week of Jan 25th. Giveaway entry link at the end of this post.
There are many stops on this tour, so be sure to check out the full schedule link posted at the end of this post.
Below, Melony Teague gives us a glimpse into her research process.
Let’s Party!
Thanks for having me on your blog, Sara Beth!
In some ways, the research part is the fun part. And not for the reasons you might think.
First, as an extrovert, (yay another extrovert! – sorry for interrupting, Melony – sorry go ahead – ahem) any excuse to go out and meet people is welcomed. (Especially nowadays when we can’t be doing that.) Second, I am an innately inquisitive person, so I love asking all sorts of questions that I otherwise would not be able to ask. Writers and journalists get to ask weird questions, ya’ll! It’s such fun!
However, I wrote A Promise to Keep before the pandemic, so I was able to meet with people and travel to settings. I’m sure we all long for those days again, and they will return.
Michael McCann, my hero is a technical rescuer (so swoony by the way) so I needed to consult with a technical rescuer or firefighter about probable scenarios that he might deal with. I wanted to get inside the mind of a first responder. What might they be thinking? What factors would cause them to choose one action over another?
I was fortunate to have local Firefighter, John Catoul, help me out on the rescue situations. When the book was published, I was able to visit the station and take him a copy. That was quite memorable and great fun.
Medical questions were directed to Dr. Bill Etzkorn, and it was funny because when I was talking to him, I explained that the victim in question needed to be rescued in a mountain rescue. I’ve known Dr. Etzkorn for many years and his reply was, “I used to do mountain rescue when I was in med school.”
Well, I nearly fell off my chair! I had no idea. It was like I was meeting just the right people for what I needed.
Much of the setting for Michael and Savannah’s escapades take place in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, both of which are popular tourist destinations in Canada.
In preparation for these scenes, my family took a day trip to Niagara falls and we did the “journey behind the falls” experience. I’d been on the boat before, so we didn’t do that.
My daughter and I went to the butterfly conservatory and my son wanted to go to a war museum. It was a full day of adventure, as well as education. Niagara Falls is a fun place to explore. In the book, Michael takes Savannah to Bird Kingdom, because he knows how much she loves birds. He, on the other hand, isn’t a great fan, but he puts her needs above his own.
The only part of their story that you can’t visit, because it is fictional, is their hometown of Point. It doesn’t exist. You can visit it through the experiences and eyes of Michael and Savannah as they step back into a time when they were high school friends in A Promise to Keep.
Nothing like a dreaded high-school reunion to set the sparks flying.
I hope you enjoyed the settings and story in A Promise to Keep.
If you could armchair travel to anywhere in a book, where would you like to go?
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT OF CHAPTER ONE of A PROMISE TO KEEP HERE
“With charm, wit, and romance, Teague’s debut novel takes readers on a journey of second chances, grace… and a trusty fern. Hope and humor blend throughout the story, balancing deep emotions with lighter moments and a sweet romance besides. A bright new voice in Christian fiction!”
—Carrie Schmidt, ReadingIsMySuperPower.org
About the Book
A Promise. A High School Reunion. And a pact that proves harder to keep.
Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.
Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah. Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?
About the Author
Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. With foamy lattes in-hand, she writes Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor. Though she has no hobbies outside of reading, writing, and eating chocolate, she is a member of ACFW and The Word Guild. She teaches seniors in her community to write their memoirs. She confesses with no shame that she has a strong belief that pumpkin pie is an acceptable breakfast food since it’s mostly vegetables. Her Fiction Debut, A Promise to Keep, released in Jan 2020. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in Toronto with her husband, their two teenagers, and two cats who think they’re humans.
You can connect with her here
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Comments
2 responses to “Book Birthday Bash: A Promise to Keep”
[…] Sara Beth Williams hosts a post on insights into the research for A Promise to Keep. […]
Thank you, Sara!