Lisa Bergren is our guest this week. She has a fascinating new historical series beginning with Keturah! Such a unique idea. Here’s a little about the book.

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined-and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

What inspired you to write the story?

I started thinking about sugar plantations while lounging inside a Kauai condo, listening to the rain pound on the roof, and reading a local history book on the subject. I’d been in Nevis in the West Indies years before, and knew the island had once been a big sugar producer, so the wheels started turning. Plus I had a big birthday (5-0!) coming up the following year and figured I wouldn’t mind a return trip to the islands for research!! (I always love to place my novels in locations I want to tour/explore/absorb.)

So I had my locale down…I needed my characters. With just a dip into researching the era I knew that men went to the islands with little and came home millionaires (if they survived the malaria, yellow fever, etc.). I read a lot about men in the region, which got me to thinking about the women they left behind to seek their fortunes…and The Sugar Baron’s Daughters concept came together.

Then I started thinking about these girls, who would each need their own unique “bent,” so they could each carry their own novel as a title character. Keturah was the eldest, so I assumed she’d need to be the strong, stubborn sort…but I gave her some wounds from her first marriage that leave her weak in many ways. Verity is my loyal middle-sister…who finds herself becoming a spy in the midst of the American Revolution. Selah is the loving, empathetic youngest sister…who finds herself a slave owner, and will end up fighting to abolish slavery. Finding those core “struggles/conflicts/weaknesses” that demand resolution was key for me to get excited about writing this series. And what’s fun about writing a trilogy is that I get to explore each of those “issues” through three books, which allows me to more fully develop character growth.

For me, reading about others’ conflicts and struggles helps me to work through my own…or avoid making the same mistakes. That’s the empathetic nature of reading fiction—we get to feel what characters feel, think what they think, experience what they experience. All part of the ride that makes writing (and reading) fiction so wonderful.

Sounds fascinating. Thanks for joining us, Lisa!

Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning “Waterfall,” RITA®-finalist “Firestorm,” bestselling “God Gave Us You,” and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.

Find out more about Lisa at http://lisatawnbergren.com.

Lisa is on a blog tour with Litfuse and part of their giveaway through March 12th. To enter the five-book giveaway, please follow this link.