Welcome to Friday Reads!
There’s a giveaway for a print copy of The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt, courtesy of the publisher. (US ONLY!) Enter by using the Gleam link at the bottom of the post. (Contest ends October 31, 2025.) If you’re the chosen winner, I’ll contact you for your information to pass along to the publisher.
About the book…
An Appalachian farmer’s daughter and a wealthy businessman find a surprising love but must reckon with what divides them in this retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by the award-winning author of The Lady and the Lionheart.
New River, Virginia. 1904. Lizbeth Bennet longs to preserve her family’s farm, securing a future for her and her sisters, a difficult task in their Appalachian coal mining town. Money is scarce, and Lizbeth is determined to find a way without giving up treasured pieces of her family’s legacy. But when the mine is put up for sale, it’s clear change is approaching. A contingent of coal barons descends on the town to investigate whether the mine is worth their investment, among them a young man rumored to be a very rich, eligible bachelor.
William Drake arrives focused on business and keeping his distance from the townspeople, especially those living on land entangled with the mine, including a farmer by the name of Bennet. As William digs through legal issues, his struggle to weigh the potential financial gain against what is right for the community grows more complicated when he meets one of the Bennet daughters.
Despite an awkward first meeting, Lizbeth and William continue to cross paths, and soon Lizbeth questions her first impression of the man she believed to be proud and indifferent. But just as their friendship begins to evolve, a revelation shakes Lizbeth’s tenuous trust, and she learns all may not be as it seems. To determine what is true, and step toward a love she’s barely dared dream of, Lizbeth must confront her own prejudices . . . and decide whether the future she’s always imagined is the one her heart truly wants most after all.
Q&A with Joanne…
Q: How have Jane Austen’s books impacted your writing?
A: There is something very profound about reading a novel that was written long before our current technology. To think that Jane sat there and handwrote her novels truly inspires me in the craft. She had to be witty and cunning, detailed and dedicated, all on paper, and her drafts would have been so precious and painstaking. When I think of that, it challenges me to be a better writer even in this modern era with computers and word processing. Beyond that, she infused love and humor into her stories that has set her apart for over two hundred years. Someone like Jane is a true inspiration as a romance writer and I’m so thankful we have her books today.
Q: This book is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Why did you choose early 1900s Appalachia as the setting for your book?
A: I have been writing Appalachian romance from the start of my career and it’s one of my favorite settings. When I began to wonder what a new series could be about, it dawned on me to try and merge my love of this setting with my love of Jane Austen’s works and the series was born. It’s felt so natural to merge her world into 1900’s Appalachia and I’ve enjoyed finding the commonalities while getting to have a little bit of fun with the differences.
Q: Austen’s approaching 250th birthday will be celebrated around the world this year. Why is Jane Austen still relevant today?
A: I think so many people can relate to her. She played by the rules of her society, but not perfectly so, and it’s an inspiration for the advancements she made in women’s fiction. She gave an emphasis and voice to what the lives of women were like nearly 250 years ago and she shows their ups and downs, joys and graces in a way that continues to
resonate centuries later.
Q: Which Pride and Prejudice character are you the most like?
A: I’d say I’m probably a split between Elizabeth and Jane. Elizabeth because we share some of the same personality traits of creativity and a love of reading and walking outdoors and Jane because I’m an introvert and can sometimes be shy.
Q: The romance industry is oversaturated with mature content. Why did you choose to write a clean romance?
A: I find clean romance to be sooo romantic because it forces us to read between the lines—hear what is unsaid or unspoken and to see that the little nuances between man and woman, be it a look, a touch or a sweet gesture is incredibly romantic. It’s the material that all lasting love stories are based on and so there’s a richness to clean romance that really makes it special.
Q: What is a “sweet romance”? What is your key advice to making a sweet romance believable?
A: Sweet romance is in the little things. It’s not an absence of passion but simply a precursor to it. It’s the slow development of love and admiration that really defines it. The believability comes down to showing that the hero and heroine truly want the best for one another and when that happens, a tenderness unfolds in unexpected ways. It’s more than just following certain literary rules, it’s making the reader fall as much in love with the characters as they do themselves. If the reader is rooting for them to get together before they even realize it, then it’s the perfect sweet romance.
Q: You are a writing professor at an online writing academy. What are the most common misconceptions novice writers have about entering the publishing industry?
A: The most common ones are that writing a full-length novel equates advanced skill. What I do as an instructor is to help break that process down through our curriculum so that they are learning the bones of a solid story. Another one is when young writers love their characters more than the reader does. This is a common pitfall and one that we have to slowly help with. It’s only by looking at a story and character group objectively and with a critical eye that they will take on the right shape for an audience. Sometimes students will find themselves too close to their story at this point and we try and step in with gentle fresh perspective that will help them make their characters and novel even more poignant.
Q: What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? How do you advise your students when they are struggling with writing?
A: I find it to be different with each story. Sometimes it’s research issues that just won’t align. Sometimes it’s time management and finding the capacity to even write the novel. At other times, it’s a plot that strays off course. I advise my students when this happens to take careful stock of their process and what’s happening to see where they can micro adjust. There’s lots of need for grace as well and even after we’ve done our best to make changes to help the process flow, sometimes a little extra grace is all we need next.
Q: On your YouTube channel, Joanne the Story Stitcher, you combine your love of books with embroidery. How do reading and writing inspire your crafts?
A: I have found stitching to be a wonderful way to unwind. It’s so satisfying to make tiny stitches and to see a beautiful piece unfold. I’m currently working on a few Jane Austen–inspired pieces to coincide with the release of The Heart of Bennet Hollow, so reading and writing definitely inspire some of the projects I create! I find that a lot of the people who stitch are readers too!
Copyright information for photo: Author photo by Alyssa Tackett, Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Christy and Carol Award–winning author Joanne Bischof DeWitt writes romantic fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. Her historical romance The Lady and the Lionheart received an extraordinary 5 Star TOP PICK! from Romantic Times Book Reviews and was the very first independently published novel to win a Christy Award. It has also recently taken to the stage.
“The Heart of Bennet Hollow” by Joanne Bischof DeWitt
Rules for the giveaway can be found here.
I love sweet romances because they are where I first discovered the romance genre, and deepened my love of reading. I like using my imagination to enhance the details and generally getting to really know each character. This book sounds wonderful-I am a huge Jane Austen fan!
This book sounds like it’s right up your alley! Good luck, Candice.
As a teenager, I would read secular romances that I checked out from the library. I really did not need to be putting all of that trash in my head! I love all of the sweet and clean romances that are available today.
So true! I’m very glad for the “clean and wholesome” books that are widely available. Good luck, Patty.
I love sweet romances because they are an escape for me after so much suffering and hatred happening in the world. I also appreciate the “clean” romance aspect that can still give me all the emotions and chemistry between the characters.
Very true! Good luck, Danielle.
interesting characters
They’re important, for sure. Good luck!
Sweet romances and Christian romances are the only romances I read. I want what I read to lift my heart, spirit, and mind.
Yes! I agree. Good luck, Roxanne.
The book sounds really good!
It sure does, Trudy. Good luck!
They give me hope for my own happily-ever-after one day!
I hope you get that, Elizabeth. Good luck!