Welcome to Friday Reads!
There’s a giveaway for a print copy of In These Hills by Tamera Alexander, courtesy of the publisher. (US ONLY!) Enter by using the Gleam link at the bottom of the post. (Contest ends September 25, 2026.) If you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information to pass along to the publisher.
About the book…
1905. Josephine Dunham is running for her life. After a women’s suffrage rally in Atlanta turns deadly, she buys a one-way ticket on the first train out and lands in rural Tennessee. There, Dodge Coburn―a rough-edged stranger with undeniable appeal―begrudgingly offers her a ride to Lynchburg, a speck of a town where Josephine hopes to disappear.
Battered and desperate, Josephine has little to say when Dodge delivers her to Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House. Hoping to work in exchange for room and board, she soon discovers the only job matching her skills is at Jack Daniel’s Distillery, an irony not lost on a suffragist committed to prohibition.
Dodge is skeptical of Josephine’s claim that she’s on the run from an abusive husband. But between running Jack Daniel’s cattle farm and raising his young niece, he has little time or inclination to press her . . . at first. But when Josephine’s convictions and compassion draw him in, Dodge begins to reconsider the life he’s chasing, while Josephine must face a world far more complicated than the principles she’s held to.
As Jack Daniel’s Distillery gains national recognition, Josephine’s secrets resurface. In a place where whiskey making takes time but justice is too often hurried, Dodge and Josephine must decide what―and who―they are willing to risk everything for, and whether faith will hold when the cost is high and time is running out.
Q&A with Tamera…
Q: What drew you to write a story in Lynchburg, TN?
A: That’s an easy one. Lynchburg, Tennessee, is part of my family’s story. My dad was born just outside of Lynchburg in the Gattis Town/Lois area. You’d be hard pressed to find a more charming town, kinder people, or better Southern cooking than what’s served at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House just off the town square.
I grew up hearing stories about Jack Daniel from my great-grandmother, and her father (my great-great-grandfather William Ballard Preston) broke mules for the distillery around the turn of the century.
I’ve long felt a connection to Lynchburg and that corner of Tennessee, so having the opportunity to write about it was truly a gift. And if I’m being honest, my husband Joe has been bugging me for years to write this book, so there’s that, too.
Q: Faith and resilience often anchor your stories. What spiritual thread runs through In These Hills, and how do you hope readers will see God’s presence in the midst of uncertainty?
A: God’s presence in the waiting is a thread that runs throughout the novel. Both Josephine and Dodge are forced into seasons where answers don’t come quickly. As I wrote the story, I was reminded again that God is not absent in the silence. In fact, he often does his deepest work in the “waiting rooms” of life, instilling trust rather than providing immediate clarity.
Set against a backdrop of accusation and hidden pasts, the story also explores how easily—and swiftly—we can misjudge others. Oftentimes, we judge based solely on what we see on the exterior, or perhaps a “label” someone bears. But God invites us to look beyond appearances and into the heart.
Q: You had the opportunity to write from the locations in your book. Describe this experience.
A: Since my dad was born near Lynchburg in the Gattis Town/Lois area, I grew up visiting family there. Walking those same hills again, revisiting the distillery, and spending time in Miss Mary Bobo’s home gave me a sensory richness and a wealth of detail as I crafted the setting for the novel.
Having family ties to the area—my great-great-grandfather broke mules for the distillery—made writing this story deeply meaningful. I hope the love I feel for the town and its people found its way onto the page.
And to be completely honest, I felt a measure of intimidation writing about Jack Daniel, Miss Mary Bobo, Nearest Green, Susan B. Anthony, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and other real-life figures who appear in the novel. Each is deeply loved and highly esteemed, and I felt a profound responsibility to honor their lives and legacies with care.
Q: Historical fiction requires balancing fact with imagination. In this novel, where did you feel the most creative freedom—and where did history require you to stay carefully tethered to the record?
A: While the historical framework is real, I had the most creative freedom in shaping the inner lives of my fictional characters—their motivations, relationships, and spiritual journeys. Fiction allows us to explore the heart behind the history.
When writing about real figures like Jack Daniel, Miss Mary Bobo, Nearest Green (and his family), Susan B. Anthony, and Nannie Helen Burroughs, and more, I felt a deep responsibility to remain faithful to the historical record and to the spirit of who they were. I wanted their portrayals to align with what is known of them in history and what is respected about their lives.
Q: Your family has a history in Lynchburg. What did you learn about your heritage while writing this book?
A: I grew up knowing my family had ties to Lynchburg, but researching and writing In These Hills brought those connections into sharper focus and made the past feel more personal.
Reflecting on the lives of my great-great-grandparents, Ballard and Martha Jane Preston, gave me deeper respect for the quiet, often unseen labor that builds a community. It reminded me that ordinary lives can leave extraordinary legacies.
The story also deepened my gratitude for those who came before me—and the responsibility we each carry. As someone says to Josephine in the novel, “What we do with our lives matters. Not only for us, but for generations to come.”
It has also impressed on me how precious it is to leave something tangible behind. What I wouldn’t give for a journal from my great- or great-great-grandparents. To glimpse their struggles, their joys, and the everyday rhythms of their lives. What a gift that would be.
Thanks for being here, Tamera. I’m sure my readers enjoyed learning more about your latest release!
About Tamera…
Tamera Alexander is a USA Today bestselling novelist and one of today’s most beloved authors of inspirational historical romance and women’s contemporary fiction. While being Gram Tam is her current favorite role, she’ll never turn down a stroll through an old cemetery or browsing through antique shops.
Her works have been awarded numerous industry-leading honors—among them the Christy Award, the RITA Award, the Carol Award, and Library Journal’s top honors—and have earned the distinction of Publishers Weekly starred reviews. In 2020 she was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame which recognizes authors for their legacy and contribution to Christian fiction. Her deeply drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide.
Tamera and her husband love living in Nashville, Tennessee, and treasure the time spent with their grown children and grandchildren. They live a short distance from the Southern mansions that serve as the backdrop for many of her critically acclaimed novels. Tamera views her writing as a way to grow closer to the Lord Jesus Christ—and her deepest desire is that those who read her novels will take steps closer to him as well.
“In These Hills” by Tamera Alexander
Rules for the giveaway can be found here.
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