About the Book

Book: Hope in the Mountain River

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 31, 2020

This epic journey is not at all what she expected.

Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He doesn’t have time to contend with the two Indian women who seem to be shadowing his every move.

After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a sickness that swept through their Nez Perce camp, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey through the mountains toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force.

When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.

Click HERE to get your copy.

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

More from Misty

I’ve always been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours each day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through years of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group.

I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. I’m so excited for you to meet Elan, the heroine in Hope in the Mountain River!

Elan and her friend are traveling through the Rockies on their Appaloosa horses, animals who can ride faster and longer than all the other horses in their group—even through the treacherous terrain of the Rocky Mountains!

I pray you love this story as much as I loved writing it. Enjoy a glimpse of the famous Appaloosa horse!

My Review

“From the time she first heard the stories, something had resonated in her heart. A God who created His people, then didn’t leave them to fend for themselves but walked beside them, guiding and helping them. Every time she thought of it, an intense longing stirred deep inside her.”

Although I am a relative newcomer to this author’s work, she has quickly become a favorite. Misty Beller, perhaps more than any other author I’ve known, has a gift for writing variations on a theme without any of her work becoming entrenched in repetition. The nineteenth century has always been my favorite time period, so I was looking forward to this read, and it did not disappoint. Opening in the Bitterroot Mountains in December 1830, “Hope in the Mountain River” brings together a cast of characters who include Joel Vargas, a recent immigrant who is searching for his brother Adam, and Elan, a Nez Perce woman who is desperate to escape the grief of losing her husband and child. Both have heard of the God who loves and walks with His people, but neither have personally encountered Him. As the two groups band together to aid in locating Adam, they soon face trials that will challenge them physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Beller implements a shifting third-person narrative viewpoint in this novel, which serves to provide readers with insight into the thoughts and motives of several characters, especially Joel and Elan. Because they come from such different ethnic backgrounds, this technique is very helpful in understanding them both to a greater extent. Also, their mutual attraction is not straightforward and comes burdened with societal perceptions and their own backstories. Add to this the beautiful yet treacherous landscape and weather, and there is no shortage of conflict to keep readers engaged and anticipating the next step of the adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.