When New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award-winning author Erica Vetsch isn’t writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum or cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. A self-described history geek, Erica is plotting her first research trip to England.

Erica is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she says is both her total opposite and her soul mate.

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What started you on your writing journey?

I think I have always been a writer, but I didn’t know it. I was one of those kids who always made up stories in her head or continued the adventures of books she’d read. I led an intensely vivid inner life … much to the dismay of my parents and teachers. I wrote some in high school, but then life … college, marriage, kids, teaching school. 

It wasn’t until I brought my kids home to homeschool them that I began writing again. It was as if a part of my brain that had been asleep woke up. I rediscovered my love of creating imaginary worlds. 

I love the challenge of learning new skills, trying new things in my stories, and especially all the friends I’ve met along this writing journey.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

2016 was a year of Divine Detours. A few weeks after getting the news that THREE of my novellas had been named finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. 

Everything changed in that moment, and I didn’t want any of it. I had already lost family members to cancer. I didn’t want to travel that road again. I was supposed to be headed to Nashville to accept an award, not pacing the halls of the Mayo Clinic waiting for my husband to come out of surgery.

But God had other plans. And blessings. My husband had successful surgery. And with the doctor’s permission, we traveled to Nashville between the surgery and the start of chemotherapy, so my husband was able to attend the awards banquet with me. 

Let’s talk about your new book, The Lost Lieutenant (Kregel Publications, April 2020). It sounds great! Please tell us about it.

Thank you! The Lost Lieutenant, the first book in the Serendipity & Secrets series, is my first foray into novel-length Regency romance. 

He’s doing what he can to save the Prince Regent’s life … but can he save his new marriage as well?

Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero — he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn’t think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn’t have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there’s something he can’t quite remember. It’s important, dangerous — and if he doesn’t recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone’s very life.

What’s next in the series?

Book two in the series launches in July 2020, and features the new Duke of Haverly, Marcus. 

He only wanted a duchess for a day — but she’s determined to make it a marriage for life.

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she’s meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life — as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She’s determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society — the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she’d remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I do most of my writing at the coffee shop, so when things are going well or badly, I’m drinking Mango Black tea and eating cranberry scones. I love the coffee shop atmosphere, being able to get out of the house, be with people, and pop in my earbuds and write. 

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

The verse I have clung to the most since I was a child is Isaiah 41:10. 

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

In the best times and the worst times, I have learned the truth of this verse. God has been my strength and my source of hope. 

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I think I’d have to be characterized as the bookish girl next door. I’m more apt to be reading about daring adventures than to be performing them. 

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child. 

I don’t currently have a pet, though I have had a couple “once-in-a-lifetime” companions. Growing up, I had an Irish setter/black lab cross who was a sweetheart. And for fifteen years, a gray cat was my joy. 

I’ve been contemplating getting a new pet but haven’t quite pulled the trigger yet. 

Thanks, Erica! It’s great to have you as a guest at Divine Detour.

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For more information about Erica, visit her website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

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