About the Book:How far will a girl go to win back a guy she can’t stand?
This funny, sweet, and romantic story proves that opposites do attract—and that God has a sense of humor.
Samuel Payton is a passionate youth pastor in Virginia, but below the surface, he’s still recovering from the blow of a failed business and insecurities he can’t shake. His coworker, start-up expert Kimberly Foster, is brilliant, fearless, and capable, but years of personal rejection have left her defensive and longing for a family. Two people have never been more at odds—or more attracted to one another. And every day at work, the sparks sure do fly.
When Kimberly’s ambitious plans for Sam’s ministry butt up against his risk-averse nature, Sam decides that obligations to family trump his work for the church. He quits the ministry and heads home to Australia to help his sister, Jules, save her struggling farm. As Kimberly’s grand plans flounder, she is forced to face the truth: that no one can replace Sam. Together they strike up a deal: If Kimberly comes to work on Jules’s dairy farm and lends her business brains to their endeavor, then maybe—just maybe—Sam will reconsider his future with the church.
As Kimberly tries her hand at Australian farm life, she learns more about herself than she could’ve ever expected. Meanwhile Sam is forced to re-evaluate this spunky woman he thought he already knew. As foes slowly morph into friends, they wonder if they might be something even more. But when disaster strikes the farm, will Sam find it within himself to take a risk that could lead to love? And will Kimberly trust God with her future?
About the Author:
Australian author Jessica
Kate is obsessed with sassy romances.
She packs her novels with
love, hate, and everything in between—and then nerds out over her favorite
books, movies and TV in the StoryNerds podcast. When she’s not writing or
discussing fiction, she’s hunting the world for the greatest pasta in
existence.
Her debut novel Love and Other Mistakes released July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hits shelves in January 2020.
Receive her sassy shorts The
Kiss Dare and The Kiss Thief FREE when you sign up for her
newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com.
Connect with Jessica at:
Facebook and Instagram:
Jessica Kate Writing
StoryNerds podcast: Available
on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.
Author Interview:
What was your inspiration for A Girl’s Guide to the Outback?
Jessica: I grew up on dairy farms (the fictional Yarra Plains is based on a Queensland property we lived on), so the farming story is full of anecdotes and details inspired from real life.
As for the love story – I
just adore stories where they hate each other at the start! When I wrote early
drafts of Love and Other Mistakes Sam and Kim both existed, but I had no
thought of getting them together. Then I started thinking about my next book
and I realized that they already had a great set-up—Sam would have picked
Natalie to work with him over Kimberly, so there was already that little bit of
friction between them. So I wrote A Girl’s Guide, and then went back and
layered some more details into Love and Other Mistakes before it was published.
It was pretty cool to get the chance to set them up the way I wanted.And Jules and Mick and kind of a gender-swapped alternate history of my parents. My Mum’s from the beach and Dad’s a farm boy. They married at 20 and have spent 30 years compromising on where they live, so this ended up kind of being ‘what if they had decided to go their separate ways at 20?’
How long did it take you to write this novel?
Jessica: First draft was about a year, six months for a second draft, then I was publishing Love and Other Mistakes in between and then a whole nother round of edits. I first started A Girl’s Guide in early 2017.
Do you have a favorite character in A Girl’s Guide to the Outback?
Jessica: Mick! The boy is unashamed of his rainbow crocs and is always there for Jules no matter how much she drives him nuts. I love him. 😊
What do you hope readers take away from this novel?
Jessica: I hope people are challenged to look at how their fears are holding them back from the life God intended, and that they learn to rely on God’s love and let go of those fears.
Can you share a book you are currently reading or have read recently?
Jessica: I’m currently reading Rachel Scott McDaniel’s Above the Fold, another love/hate story!
What hobbies do you enjoy when you aren't writing?
Jessica: Watching movies. Discussing books, tv and movies. Making podcasts on books, tv and movies. I’m a very social person so I love hanging out with friends and going to visit my family, too.
Who is an author that you would recommend to anyone and everyone?
Jessica: Jenny B Jones! She’s hilarious!
Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Jessica!
Book Links:
Love and Other Mistakes – https://books2read.com/u/3L06gJ
A Girl’s Guide to the Outback
– https://books2read.com/u/b570Dl
