About the Book

Book: Intentional Fires (Book Two in the Sunrise Crik Series)

Author: Rebecca McLafferty

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: June 10, 2024

A widowed Christmas tree farm owner and her fiancé, a forest service special agent, deal with fires, thefts, and a 90-year family feud—stretching them to the snapping point.

After experiencing an attack, theft, and arson on the family Christmas tree farm, newly engaged Toni Stevens searches for those responsible, including disputed historic records. With two boys and a mother to support, the pressure is on her to increase profitability of the tree farm. Who is trying to ruin her? Can she put a stop to the generational feud?

Toni’s fiancé, U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Sam Duncan is hunting down a potential arsonist turned murderer. His rugged paths uncover Montana drug runners, feudal secrets—and a host of emotions that were buried alive.

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About the Author

Wisconsin resident Rebecca McLafferty began her writing career by co-creating a writers’ group and hosting writing conferences on her alpaca farm. Married for 51 years, mother of two, grandmother to five, and an Aussiedoodle mom, Rebecca cherishes writing, reading, and fellowshipping. Author of Intentional Fires, Intentional Heirs, and Devotions for Country Living: Prayer-Enriched Fields, she loves getting to know readers

More from Rebecca

There is a saying, “Home is where the heart is.” Rebecca McLafferty totally agrees!

Rebecca is the author of the Sunrise Crik Series, which consists of action-packed romantic suspense novels set in current-day Montana. She and her husband have vacationed and explored the Livingston to Bozeman area where this series takes place. The town of Woodridge is fictious, but a number of area establishments mentioned within her stories are real.

The phrase “The Big Sky” was coined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author A.B. Guthrie in his 1947 novel of that name. In addition to the obvious vision of unobstructed sky, Big Sky Country—to Rebecca—represents big dreams and big faith. It symbolizes the backbone of Montana!

Are you wondering how Rebecca can authentically write about growing Christmas trees? It’s because she and her husband owned Country Memories Farm in Wisconsin where they raised alpacas, and planted and grew Christmas trees! She also operated Country Memories Mercantile (now downsized to an online store). Their love of educating others evolved into an operation that hosted school, family, and community events. That’s why she loves to interact personally with people from all walks of life!

And are you wondering how Rebecca knows about police department operations—even drug smugglers? She worked for a tourist-town’s police department—a fascinating place to get ideas!

Rebecca admits to having worked dozens of unusual jobs (great discussion material for another time). She wondered why she experienced such diverse occupations before God revealed to her that she needed authenticity for her novel writing. What she hasn’t experienced herself, she has visited or thoroughly researched.

The title, Intentional Fires implies forest fires. That’s obvious. But there are other types of fires that burn intentionally. Internal fires can sustain a 90-year feud and lifetimes of unforgiveness, resentment, and broken dreams. Do you suffer from an internal fire?

Whether you live in Montana or dream of visiting the west . . .
Whether you have an entrepreneurial spirit that wants you to succeed . . .
Whether you want to fall in love, rekindle your faith, or root for an underdog . . .

Come and experience the heartfelt struggles that Montanans fight with all their might to protect.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your books?

From the beginning of each book, readers will be drawn into relationships with the characters. They will experience enthusiasm, hopefulness, hopelessness, anxiety, exasperation, anger, and love. Sometimes life is good, and sometimes it’s a battle, but it’s always a journey.

The Sunrise Crik Series begins in Mankato, Minnesota and relocates to a fictional town between Bozeman and Livingston, Montana. The reader will walk trails, choke on smoke, and sheer Christmas trees. Real life Montana blends with fictional places. The Absaroka Mountains, Crazy Horse Mountain, and many other scenes depict real-life Montana—and real-life adventures.

Plots and subplots weave together, keeping the reader turning pages. Some characters will resonate close to your heart. Others will make you want to throw the book at the wall (but please don’t—paint is expensive)!

Some conflicts are heart-wrenching; others make you “madder’n a wet hen.” A few surprises and humorous scenes trigger laughter. And during other scenes, the Lord will whisper into the reader’s heart. As characters work through conflicts and turn to God, readers will feel His message.

What book made you fall in love with reading?

In elementary school, students received Scholastic book order forms. Those were the days I waited for. Our family lived very modestly, but somehow my parents always scraped together money for me to buy two books off each list. My home life was frightful, and the books offered mysteries and adventures that transported me into other worlds. I devoured books like the The Black Spaniel Mystery and Hillbilly Pitcher. Later on, I read the Little House series and Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series.

A big life-changing moment came in 2000, when I read Kristin Heitzmann’s Diamond of the Rockies series. Kristen Heitzmann’s heroine, Carina DiGratia, touched my soul. When she stirred Italian sauce that her restaurant would serve to miners, I could literally smell it! (My family enjoyed Italian recipes for weeks. I would set the book down and dash to the kitchen to cook.) 😊 I think I learned some Italian words, too. I had never before realized the impact of what I read.

Many stories that I read were set in the west, which remains the go-to location for my contemporary stories. The books were powerful, incorporating diverse cultures, real-life hardships, and recognizable faith journeys. I embraced the captivation of reading . . . but now I wanted to write.

Can you share something interesting or surprising you learned while researching for the book?

My husband and I owned an alpaca farm where we grew Christmas trees, so I knew about growing and shearing trees—to an extent. I did significant research to make sure I had every detail correct. I also needed to know about trees specific to Montana. I became enamored with the Ponderosa Pine, the state tree of Montana, sometimes called “the king of the forest.”

Since this book deals with numerous fires, I needed a fire-resistant tree. Was there such a thing? The bark of a mature Ponderosa Pine can be almost four inches thick. It’s practically inflammable. That, along with deep roots and high-moisture-content needles, keeps it alive during low-intensity fires. And the trees are majestic—they can reach two hundred feet tall.

Ponderosa Pines are significant in this story (no spoilers allowed).

What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life?

The book’s hero, U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Sam Duncan, carries a unique blend of responsibilities into his everyday work duties. In conjunction with other government agencies, he hunts for arsonists, drug runners, and those who commit crimes in his jurisdiction.

I kept Sam’s duties realistic, but at the same time illustrated how his duties vary at a moment’s notice—anything from maneuvering rough terrain on foot to chasing drug runners, investigating fires, or chasing a murderer. He needed to use proper equipment and follow investigation procedures. By the way, Sam rocks on All-Terrain Vehicles and rides horses. He’s a hero!

This research was fascinating, but challenging to authenticate. I now respect the U.S. Forest Service even more than I did prior to conducting the research.

What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing?

Christian author Francine Rivers was quoted as saying, “If you are going to be a Christian writer, it is essential to study Scripture.”

All novel writers (presumably) study writing basics. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in English and Creative Writing from Liberty University, whose mission is “Training Champions for Christ”. (What an honor!)

Christian writers have an added responsibility. As declared in Romans 10:13-15, God wants everyone to know about salvation through Jesus. To effectively weave scripture (transparently or not) through our stories, we need the ability to recall and utilize scripture, understanding how to effectively apply it.

I always love hearing from readers. They can email me at mclaffertyenterprises@gmail.com or visit our website at https://www.mclaffertyenterprises.com/author-rebecca.