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Author Spotlight,  Giveaway,  Hope-filled Fiction

Penny Frost McGinnis: Spotlight on Home Away From Home

June 28, 2023 /

I hope you enjoy hearing from my friend, Penny Frost McGinnis, as she shines a spotlight on Home Away From Home, Book Two in her Abbott Island Series. Be sure to comment below by July 4 for a chance to win an ebook of Penny’s Contemporary Romance novel!

Thank you, Deena, for hosting me on your blog. 

Home Away from Home, Abbott Island book 2, continues the series of the characters who live on Abbott Island, Ohio. Fifty-four-year-old Marigold Hayes has been searching for her father for forty years. The night her mom died in a car accident; her dad disappeared. Johnny Papadakis longs to marry Marigold and reconnect with his daughter, but neither seems to be working out. 

As I planned book two, I wanted to explore what it would be like for two people in their fifties to discover love late in life. Being in my sixties, I could imagine how hardworking Marigold might react to Johnny, who one reader called swoon worthy. As I write, I listen to the characters. And Marigold spoke to me in a clear voice. She’s a bit stubborn and strong willed, with a tender heart, which created a likeable character with a strong faith.

Along with the romance, the mystery of Marigold’s missing father intrigued me. After research into how or why someone might be missing so long, I felt the heartache of the families who have loved ones out there somewhere, with no closure. This helped me understand Marigold’s hold on the past and her hesitancy to dive into a new future with Johnny.

Research adds layers when writing a novel, whether the book is historical or contemporary. Johnny owns a Greek-American restaurant on the island. As I researched the Greek foods he prepared and served, I craved baklava. Someday I might try to make some, or find a bakery that sells it. Johnny’s daughter is a geologist, so I researched what she might do for a job. Plus, the information I’ve gathered about island life plays a big part in the story.

Home Away from Home is a contemporary romance with a dash of mystery and the promise of hope. Everything I write focuses on hope. Whether the hope we have in Jesus or hope for a better day, my characters hold on to the hope they hold in their hearts. 

God has called me to bring hope and joy to people’s lives through the positive relationship I have with Jesus. He has so much to offer to the hurting world and if my writing brings healing and hope through Christ, I’ve done a good work.

Thanks so much for sharing about your novel, Penny. I love that your writing centers on hope! May the Lord bless your book launch and all your future endeavors.

Comment on this spotlight with Penny Frost McGinnis by July 4 for a chance to win an ebook of her novel, Home Away From Home. #giveaway #amreading #ContemporaryRomance

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Join the conversation. Have you read Book One in Penny’s Abbott Island series? Does Book Two sound like something you’d enjoy reading? What are your thoughts about a romance between older characters? What questions or comments do you have for Penny?

Be sure to comment below by July 4 for a chance to win an ebook of Home Away From Home!

Home Away From Home Book Cover

Home Away From Home by Penny Frost McGinnis

Click the book cover for purchase link

When Marigold Hayes turned fourteen, her mother died, and her father went missing. For forty years, she has searched for her dad and lived a quiet life on Abbott Island, until she met Johnny. As her love for Johnny grows, her sorrow from the relentless search for her father breaks her heart. She begs God to help her move forward with her life before she has no love left to give. Then three mysterious strangers show up who could change her life.

Johnny Papadakis moved to Abbott Island ten years ago. His ex-wife had pushed him away and discouraged him from having a relationship with their daughter. After years of hard work, his restaurant flourishes, so does his relationship with Marigold. As he seeks Marigold’s hand in marriage, his daughter shows up on his doorstep, looking for a place to call home. 

Can Marigold and Johnny settle the past and move toward the promise of a blessed future?

Penny Frost McGinnis, author of Home Where She Belongs and Home Away From Home, books #1 and #2 of the Abbott Island series, would live in a lighthouse or on an island if she could. Instead, she and her husband are content to live in southwest Ohio and visit Lake Erie every chance they get. Her life’s goal is to encourage and uplift through her writing. Visit her blog at Hope for Today’s Heart, where she brings God’s hope to people’s lives through the written word.

Connect with Penny: Website / Facebook / BookBub

Penny Frost McGinnis Head Shot

Please share Penny’s spotlight on social media to help spread the word about her book!

Check out these interviews with Betty J. Slade, Lori DeJong, and Henry O. Arnold.

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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14 Comments

  • Jody
    June 28, 2023 at 10:12 am

    Penny,
    I loved your first book. It was great. When I started the second book, I was so mesmerized by your descriptions, the depth of your research, and the ultimate connections of characters. What a work! God has given you a gift. Thank you for sharing with us, your blessed readers.

    • Vickie
      June 28, 2023 at 8:34 am

      Oh my! This book sounds so fascinating. I love that the characters are “older” since I’m in the “older” age group. My best friend actually has a niece that’s been missing for six or seven years. It’s heartbreaking.

      So much research went into writing this. I don’t think we, as readers, always realize all the behind work, including research, that go into writing.

      • Deena Adams
        June 28, 2023 at 10:13 pm

        I’m so sorry about your friend’s niece, Vickie. That’s got to be so hard to live with. I agree with you about all that goes into writing and publishing a book. I’ve been an avid reader my whole life and I had no idea until I started writing. I definitely took authors for granted all those years.