More Summer Winners!!!

Patricia PacJac Carroll is the winner of Return to Love by Susan Page Davis.

Kelly (Kalea_Kane) is the winner of A Promise for Tomorrow by Sara Dubose.

Carrie Turansky is the winner of For Pete's Sake by Linda Windsor.

Please send your mailing address to me. There's an email link in my profile.

And check out the other interviews. More books will be give away next week.

Christmas In July - MONTANA MISTLETOE - Free Books!!!

I now have a new computer on the way. It should be here before Monday, so we're having another blog about me. And we'll give away a couple of copies of Montana Mistletoe, my Christmas novella from last year.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?



I know that many authors only write one kind of book. However, I like to read all kinds of books, so I write all kinds of books. There are some elements I always include. There has to be a strong faith element, and I've never written anything without a romance element, even if it is a mystery, western, comedy, or suspense. But beyond that, the vivid imagination God gave me takes over.



Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?




When you live as long as I have, there are many happy days. Of course, my wedding day and the births of my children, grandchildren, and great grandchild are way up there. So are the day I recieved my first contract, the day I held the first book in my hands, and the first time a book hit a bestseller list. Add to that the times when someone I've mentored sold their first books. . .the list could go one and on. Suffice it to say that I'm usually a very happy person.



How has being published changed your life?




At the time when many women were facing empty nest syndrome, God gave me something new to fill that time in my life. And it's been wonderful.



I have friends around the world--both readers and other authors. I've met really big name authors, too. I'm friends with editors and agents. And I've been afforded the opportunity to read a lot of really good books from the people I've interviewed on this blog. Could life get any better?



What are you reading right now?



After reading The Shack, I've been trying to catch up on some of the books I missed reading while I was on a book deadline. I just finished Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace so I could read the current choice of the ACFW Book Club, Healing Promises, which is a sequel.



While we're talking about that. If you're not a member of ACFW Book Club, go to http://www.acfw.com/ to join. You'll be glad you did. At the end of the month, you'll be able to participate in a chat with each author.



What is your current work in progress?



I just finished the first chapter for a Christmas novlla collection I'm in for next year. The title of the collection is Cowgirl Christmas Brides and my book is Charlsey's Accountant.



What would be your dream vacation?



There are two places I want to visit that I haven't yet, no make it three. Alaska, Hawaii, and Australia.



If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?



I would love to spend time with George and Laura Bush at the Crawford Ranch. It's in the area of Texas that I love.



What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?



I love to travel.



Now about the book.


Love Comes in Unexpected Packages

Four childhood friends from Mistletoe, Montana, made a pact to find true love by their twenty-eighth Christmas. As the deadline looms, each woman keeps busy with expanding careers and experiences that threaten to douse their Christmas spirit – as well as their chances for romance.

Christmas Confusion by Lena Nelson Dooley

Lori Compton, mayor of Mistletoe, needs ideas for ways to prop up the sagging economy. After having her heart broken by the former pastor, she doesn’t want to spend time with the new pastor. Rev. Russell Brown has plenty of ideas, even one that includes his spending the rest of his life with the beautiful mayor. Will Lori be able to move beyond her hurts and recognize God’s intentions for the future of the town – and for her own future?

Return to Mistletoe by Debby Mayne

Deanna Moss assumes Frank is the man she’ll marry, until her old flame, Anthony Carson, arrives in town on business. Their attraction is as strong as ever, but she doesn’t want her heart to be broken again. Anthony has a reputation for not staying in one place for long. Deanna loves Mistletoe and wants to protect not only her heart but the place she loves from people who only care about the bottom line. Will Anthony ever convince Deanna that he’s serious about loving her and making Mistletoe his permanent home?

Under the Mistletoe by Lisa Harris

When Madison Graham leaves the quaint town of Mistletoe for New York City to buy products for her year-round Christmas store, Under the Mistletoe, she’s positive she has met her man. Albert Kendall is everything she’s ever dreamed of: successful, good-looking, and well off. But is worldly success really what she’s looking for in a man, or have the bright lights of the city so blinded her that she’s forgotten the real meaning of Christmas?

All I Want for Christmas Is. . .You by Kim Vogel Sawyer

When Kathy Morgan returns to her childhood home of Mistletoe for a stroll down memory lane before accepting the marriage proposal of her business-partner boyfriend, she doesn’t expect to have her world turned upside down. But local postman Erik Hoffman ends up delivering more than mail – he delivers the disturbing message that Kathy needs to get her heart back in order with her Savior. Although Kathy resists Erik’s advice at first, she slowly comes to realize he’s right – what she need most for Christmas isn’t a husband; it’s faith.

When Romance Arrives in Unexpected Packages, will Each Woman Be Able to Accept the Gift?

Now Readers, be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win one of the free books.

Author Lena Nelson Dooley - MINNESOTA BROTHERS - Free Books

Today, I’m doing something a little different.

My desktop computer with all my data on it had a meltdown today, so it might be a few days before I can access the next scheduled interview. So instead, I will give away copies of some of my books.

Today, I’ll give away 2 copies of Minnesota Brothers. This is a really fun book. It contains a four-book series I wrote.

Some of you may not know me.

My husband James and I have been married since 1964. Ours was one of those love-at-first-sight relationships. We were married three months and three days after we met. He truly was God’s gift to me. We are absolute opposites, but that means that his strengths are my weaknesses, and my strengths are his weaknesses. Together we make a more perfect whole. I believe that is what God intends for all of us.

We have two daughters. Marilyn Van Zant is married to Roger, and they have a son named Timothy, who is married to Crystal. Timothy is serving in Iraq. They gave us out first grandchild --Sebastian. If you want to see pictures of him, go to my personal slide show blog: http://lenanelsondooley2.blogspot.com Jennifer Waldron is married to Eric, and they have three children—Austin, Marissa, and Amanda. James and I love to spend time with our family, and we are blessed that both families live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, so we see them often.

For several years, I worked on the support staff of a church, but in November of 2002, God changed things so that I can stay home and write full-time. It has been the desire of my heart for a long time. In Proverbs 37:4, it says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." I believe that this blessing is a result of my delighting myself in Him, and I praise Him for the opportunity.

James and I like to travel. We have often gone on missions’ trips to Mexico, and some of our best friends are missionaries in several countries around the world. We hope to visit more of them in the future.

We worship at Gateway church in Southlake, Texas. Visit them at: http://www.gatewaypeople.com

Now about the book:

Minnesota Brothers contains four complete romantic novels in one volume: The Other Brother and His Brother’s Castoff are prairie romances. Double Deception is a mystery. Gerda’s Lawman is a western with a touch of comedy.

Love Sets Down Roots

The Nilsson family of Sweden has decided to settle in Minnesota, where each of the brothers seeks a wife.

When Lars suddenly elopes, Gustaf is left to meet his younger brother’s original fiancée at the ship and explain his brother’s absence to her. Could God have designed all along for these two to be together?

August admires his older brother Gustaf, but perhaps not enough to accept his castoff for a wife. Can Anna Jensen recover from the death of a fiancé and the marriage of another beau in order to see August as more than just a friend?

Lowell and Ollie are both fascinated by a mysterious young woman who has come to town–thought she is good at eluding their affections. Will Rissa Le Blanc drive a wedge between the brothers?

Gerda Nilsson envies her brothers’ wives, but there has been no romance for her–until a tight-lipped cowboy rides into town. Will Gerda trust her fanciful heart or lean on her faith to guide her?

Experienve an immigrant family’s adaptation to a new home as each sibling searches for acceptance, fulfillment, faith, and love.

As always, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Minnesota Brothers.

Leah Starr Baker - THE BUNKO BABES - Free Book

Our new author today is Leah Start Baker. Her book is Bunko Babes.

Welcome, Leah. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I’ve discovered that to create a genuine, three-dimensional character that is believable and lovable to a reader, you must always incorporate pieces of yourself and others. In every character I create, a part of myself and those closest to me always makes its way into the mix.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

If you had asked me what the wildest and craziest or even the dumbest or bravest thing I’ve ever done, I think I could have answered it right off the top of my head. But quirky? Aren’t all writer’s a little quirky? The desire to expose your deepest thoughts to the world for their review is definitely what I consider to be quirky.

Okay, I’ll stop dragging my feet. I’d have to say that the quirkiest thing I ever did was to get in a car with my new husband and drive down to Nashville with nothing but a rinky dink demo tape, a week’s vacation, and a couple hundred dollars - thinking that I was going to actually get discovered in that amount of time. Funny thing is…I did meet an independent producer and ended up with a record of my own without paying a dime. Nothing ever came of it but I still got the experience of recording with some of the best in the business. What a blast!

Sounds like great fun. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve always been a writer, a lover of words and the beautiful pictures that they can create when put together just right. I love the sound of certain words, the way they roll off of your tongue. I just feel a certain kinship with books. They were my friends when I didn’t have any friends. I could escape from my everyday doldrums without ever stepping foot out of my bedroom. How many people can claim that they are a part of something that transforming? Writing for me is a way to reach people whom I would never come into contact with in my everyday life. Yep, I’ve always been a writer - it just took me some time to break out of my shell and be ready to share it with the world.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I think I’m rather eclectic in my choice of literature, but my father would beg to differ. I love historical novels, mystery, romance, chick lit, books on music, marketing, and the transforming power of Jesus and God’s grace. I prefer stories to non-fiction. It’s true. And you can chase me away with a Western. Sorry Louis L’Amour - I’m just not a huge fan of the genre. My favorites of all time are Gone With the Wind, Jackdaws, The Thorn Birds, and Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

My first book that I wrote is entitled Shattered Trust. It is a family drama set against the backdrop of Oklahoma politics and old money. Hopefully, you’ll get to read it someday soon.

I hope so. Sounds as if I'd like reading it. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

That’s easy. I don’t. I am a Systemic Lupus survivor, and with Lupus you simply can’t keep up with even the pace of a normal life, much less the hectic, never stop, go-for-broke kind of world we live in now.

I once heard living with Lupus described this way: It begins with a pile of spoons. Ready?

Remove one spoon simply for waking up and doing your stretching exercises. Take away another for taking a shower. There’s goes another for getting dressed, and another for making and eating breakfast. Depending on how you were feeling when you woke up will depend upon how many spoons you have for the day. But let’s say it’s a good day and you have twelve spoons. You’re down to eight and you haven’t even left the house. Each action you do costs you a spoon, and when you get down to zero there is nothing left. No resources for you to draw upon. Zip, zilch, nada and there is no way to refuel for the day.

When you live with a disease like that, you learn that you have to measure everything you do and decide what in your life is truly worth giving up a spoon in order to do it. It’s amazing how many things in your life you discover aren’t worth the energy it takes to do them. It’s quite freeing when you get to that point. I no longer have the option of going, going and going. But I do have a great excuse for saying no.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Great question. I love unusual names and I told myself that if I ever wrote a book my characters would have those kind of names. And The Bunko Babes did have a lot of my favorite names in it until the reviewers got a hold of it. At that point, I was asked to consider putting in more relatable, normal names. I was quite reticent but then I realized that creating beautiful names for all my characters wasn’t the point of the story. The “Babes” are everyday people with everyday problems, and if I wanted to touch people with their story then I needed to make sure that nothing got in the way of connecting with the reader.

After that, I went with names that have good memories associated with them. Names that I knew great people who had touched my lives who bore that name. It made it much simpler. With the exception of Mercedes, every name in the book is the name of someone I know or once knew, and loved very much.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

It’s a toss up between being married nearly 14 years, giving birth to two beautiful children, and finishing my novel.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A great white owl—wise beyond my years, on the lookout for trouble, and protective of the ones I love. A girl can dream right?

I love it. What is your favorite food?

Is sugar considered a food?

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Understanding that sometimes even the best-written scene will need to be removed from the manuscript because it doesn’t add anything to the plot, or worse, it’s a detriment to the story. Boy, it’s hard when you have to cut something that you consider to be stellar writing, Oscar winning stuff. But the story always comes first.

That is so true. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

If you are serious about writing, then you need to write on a consistent basis. And read. You can write well even if you aren’t well-read. If you want to write thrillers, then read thrillers, analyze the thriller genre, dissect your favorite stories. Then when you feel comfortable, confident that you can create that kind of a story, write. Every day write. I read that you can complete your first novel in 90 days if you write 3 to 5 pages every day and that is what I did. And guess what? My first draft was done in 3 months. Just don’t give up. You’ll never regret it. If nothing gets published, you will always have the manuscripts for your own pleasure and that of your family. You never simply want to write for the end goal of getting published. You want to write because it is in your soul.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

The Bunko Babes is a story from my heart. Focusing around 8 eclectic women who gather once a week to play that crazy dice game, The Bunko Babes is a journey of friendship and faith. You will laugh and cry as you walk with the “Babes” through struggles like infertility, infidelity, chronic disease, and the trials of life in general. By the end, your faith will have increased and you will feel as if you have gained another set of friends.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can visit www.thebunkobabes.biz or purchase The Bunko Babes at Amazon.com

Thank you, Leah, for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy. If you don't, be sure to get your hands on a copy anyway.

Hot!!! Winners!!! It's Triple Digits in Texas Today!!!

Rachelle is the winner of Blessed Are the Meddlers by Christa Ann Banister.

Bookwurm70 is the winner of Shadows at the Window by Linda Hall.

Maryzan is the winner of Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck.

Be sure to email me your mailing address. There's a link in my profile in the right column.

And another wonderful interview will come your way tomorrow.

Linda Windsor - FOR PETE'S SAKE - Free Book

We're welcoming Linda Windsor back to the blog with her latest - For Pete's Sake. I read this book a little while ago and LOVED it!!

God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I keep being tugged back to historicals. And not just any historicals, but those that reveal the witness of the first century Christians in Britain. The historical information and this witness, which I discovered while researching my Fires of Gleannmara Irish Celtic series, helped bring my daughter back to Christ after she’d been stalked and assaulted in college, turned against God in anger, and became involved in Wicca. There is such a need for Christians to possess the historical knowledge of the church and what it was up against, knowledge beyond Scripture (which modern unbelievers too often discount in its entirety) in order to effectively witness to family and friends who are into New Age.

At some point, I may even write a nonfiction book- this mother’s journey and what I learned that finally reached my lost daughter. Or simply a nonfiction compilation of historical data that, combined with Scripture, will enable us to witness more effectively. God’s still working on me with regards to these. I’ll know when the time is right.

Of course I say all this, while hopefully keeping my contemporary readers in books too. But that’s God’s decision.

I've loved your historicals, too, so bring them on. Tell us a little about your family.

I have the most wonderful family in the world! When Jim died, I was blessed that my adult son and daughter were still at home. Blessed, but worried. I wanted my thirty-somethings to have someone special like I had.

January of this year, my daughter was married. Make that: she FINALLY got married. Her wedding date floated from September 2007 to January 2008. I should write a book. WEDDINGS ON THE GO :-). And with her marriage, I got instant grandchildren—a little boy (5) and a little girl (7). They are the cutest, most intelligent, charming children ever! And that’s my unbiased opinion.

Their father is saved and even going into youth ministry, at the least. Perhaps more. So, am I blessed? You bet. God has brought my baby the long way back home since she strayed in her early college years.

And now my son has someone special in his life. God does answer prayer. He simply hasn’t synchronized His watch to mine :-). My mom lives with me and is a joy. We have ups and downs with health, but all in all, it’s a hands-down blessing. And a year ago, an old friend of mine and Jim’s, re-entered my life. He is a good friend and companion. It remains to be seen where that will go, but for now, that is enough.

Of course, my mom, comic that she is, said with all this nonsense going on, she’s wondering if she should go on the pill. She thinks it’s in the water. LOL! And people wonder where I get my wacky sense of humor.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Boy, has it! I am so much more particular about what I read now because…SIGH…I start to edit it. And because I am so busy with nonfiction research and writing improvement books, time to read for pleasure comes last. So I have developed a rule of thumb. If said book will keep me on my elliptical for my full workout or more, I’ll finish it. Hey, it kills two birds with one stone. Time is of essence here. :-)

What are you working on right now?

I am working on the proposal for books 3 and 4 of my Piper Cove Chronicles. SWEET NOTHINS is shy Jan’s story. A girl with low self-esteem, who always wants the kind of guy she shouldn’t have, finally gets her head on straight and throws off the yoke of humiliation and verbal abuse—all the while dodging thugs who…don’t want to give it away :-). Readers will cheer for this insecure girl gone wild, once she discovers her worthiness in God’s eye.

Lastly will come sassy Sue Ann’s turnaround in MERCY ME! This bosom buddy is based on Designing Women’s Suzanne—self-centered, outrageous, money-obsessed, but with a big heart that hurts big too. Especially when she finds out her late husband left her his three kids by another woman. Thank goodness there’s a youth minister to help this bad girl put things into a constructive perspective and maybe put her broken heart back together.

I can hardly wait for these two to come out. What outside interests do you have?

I have a music ministry. Music is still an integral part of my life, even though my partner has passed on. I can still hear his harmony when I sing. Music is what brought us together in the first place. I saw this movie called August Rush on a recent plane trip and it speaks volumes of the bond music can have between people. And Liz Curtis Higgs’ fourth Scottish highland book, Grace in Thine Eyes touched me deeply for this same reason. Liz got it so right, even if one of the characters got it so wrong in other ways. Music melds souls. It soothes mine. On St. Patty’s Day, I had friends over and we sang Irish ballads to our hearts’ content.

Yesterday, I spoke writing at a church gathering and sang about the perfect romantic hero—Jesus. He was courageous enough to stand for what He believed in. He was willing to die for those He loved. He had a soft spot for children. He wasn’t afraid to show emotion, to cry before men. He loved me when I wasn’t loveable. He always put me first, even when I was stealing His glory, thinking I’d done something on my own and not acknowledging that I was nothing without Him. Now that’s my kind of hero. I sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" to Him.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I have no idea. I think they choose me. I usually come up with a conflict first and then find a setting to suit it. It might be somewhere I’ve been, or somewhere I’d like to learn more about. Take Ireland. I researched Ireland backwards and forwards to write the Fires of Gleanmara. A few weeks ago, my dream to go there and see the place where it all that happened came true. And it was everything I’d written and imagined.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

My goodness, I hate this question. There are just too many to pick one. I’ll pick St. Patrick. No, wait! St. Columba. No, St. Brendan. (Now SEE what you’ve started?) Face it, all of these guys were really unique individuals. Not quite your garden-variety saints. Their human flaws endear them to me.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

That there were organizations that helped new writers learn the ropes. I stumbled my way into getting published. I made mistakes and received far more rejections than I needed to because I didn’t know any better. I thought everyone wanted a ten-pound manuscript instead of a one-ounce query/synopsis.

I wish I’d known to watch out for allowing my writing to become my god, ahead of my church and family. Keep your priorities in order. They WILL start to wag you, you keyboard-pecking pups! And the sad thing is, you won’t even see it coming, unless you are looking for it.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Aside from re-prioritize, re-prioritize, re-prioritize? I suppose the main one is WWJD when it comes to my time. My mom won’t be here forever. My grandchildren will grow up. So take time to smell the roses…and the stink of their black Lab pup. Lead that church small group. And if I do, God will enable me to write twice as much in half the time. I swear! It never fails.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

See questions eight and nine. Join ACFW. Enter contests for the feedback. Then take that advice only as you are led to accept it, since it is subjective. And the old standby: Read, read, read.

And with the American Christian Fiction Writers national conference coming up in September in Minneapolis, now would be a good time to join and be a part of that--especially the book signing in the Mall of America. Go to www.ACFW.com

Tell us about the featured book.

FOR PETE’S SAKE started out to be about a tomboy willing to risk her heart and a makeover by her bosom buddies for the sake of a troubled child. (There’s a lot of me in Ellen—tomboy, Pied Piper with kids, but a horse instead of a Harley.) She’d waited on love and this felt like the real deal, but how can she compete with a femme fatale, even if Ellen were so inclined? Enter faith, friends and a matchmaking mom.

Then there’s the hero’s conflict. He’s angry at God over the loss of his wife, estranged from his son by business, and now is engaged to the wrong woman for the right reason. He owes his associate much of his success and his son needs a mother. The partner is gorgeous and aggressive like him. But he just can’t get that Harley-riding neighbor of his out of his mind.
And his son is a new person around her. Pete son is like my son. He has Aspergers Syndrome, a condition which can take the most beautiful, sensitive heart and hide it behind low frustration levels masked as anger and other anti-social behavior. It is a parent’s blessing—these kids are usually highly intelligent and incredibly loving—and nightmare. A parent knows the real child and it hurts that others too often perceive this child as an insensitive jerk.

Then came a surprise for this author—facing a major career change during midlife, not only for my heroine, but for the hero too. They both take time to (here comes that word again) re-prioritize their lives. Didn’t see that one coming. God did—not only for my plot, but for the lives of my characters as well. Only He can equip us for such a major change. It’s called a leap of faith.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Stop by www.LindaWindsor.com and sign up for my newsletter, which comes out only when I have something to say, as opposed to a regular basis. What can I say? I’m a spontaneous sort. And definitely enter my contests for signed books and other goodies.

But the main reason to stop by is to read my apology regarding two editorial slips in WEDDING BELL BLUES, the prequel to FOR PETE’S SAKE. Some readers may not have noticed, but if I have offended even one person, that is one too many.

Lena, thank you so much for this opportunity to chat with your readers. Your generosity of sharing your readership is such a blessing to all of us inspirational writers. His Spirit truly shines in you and your wonderful writing.

May His blessings surround you always,
Linda Windsor

And thank you, Linda. It's always a pleasure to have you. I can't wait to see you in person in September.

Readers, you REALLY want to get a copy of this book. Leave a comment for a chance to win one, but if you don't win, go out and buy one. It's a wonderful read.

Sara DuBose - A PROMISE FOR TOMORROW - Free Book

Welcome to our blog, Sara DuBose, the author of A Promise for Tomorrow.

Sara, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

If you see me in my characters don’t be too surprised. It’s hard to hide a lifetime somewhere between a dash or a semicolon. Supposedly, we know ourselves best of all so, whether I realize it or not, my worldview and attitudes are bound to show up in my stories.

Frankly, I like to think of myself as an amateur psychologist, a people watcher. I like to eavesdrop on conversations. Expression, mannerism and voice inflections are all important. I also find myself weighing motives, predicting reactions and speculating regarding the outcomes.

My characters are composites of people I know. A pessimistic acquaintance may take up a frustrated sigh from a busy department store clerk A bossy neighbor inherits the raised eyebrow or staccato speech of an overworked teacher.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

When I shared this question with my husband he said, “The quirkiest thing you’ve ever done is to marry me.”

We laughed but, in reality, my husband is the best thing to ever happen to me. He is the quirky one. I’ll give one example. After our first child was born I had an unexpected, and extended, hospital stay. To add some levity to the situation, Bill put my beloved cat in a laundry bag and sneaked up the back stairs to my floor. Soon Aras (my name spelled backwards) lay perched on my stomach emitting a soft purr.

Minutes later, a nurse walked in and erupted. “You can’t have a cat in here.”

My husband simply put his long index finger to his lips and gave her his best smile. To our surprise, she slowly returned the smile, said, “oh,” turned and left.

That man really sounds like a keeper to me. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

My seventh grade teacher told me I was a writer so I believed her. Never underestimate the power of a teacher! Mrs. English (yes, the name is correct) also told me I’d need to work on my grammar and punctuation and she was right there, too. I also remember an essay assignment from Mrs. English. My subject: Determination. Eventually, her encouragement and my determination paid off.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I enjoy theology and fiction but not at the same time. Theology teaches us about God, and fiction can open wide doors into the study of human behavior.

What other books have you written, whether published or not.

My first book, Conquering Anxiety, is a devotional Bible study written on assignment for my denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America. Since then I’ve written four novels. The first three, Where Hearts Live, Where Love Grows and Where Memories Linger form a trilogy. This fourth novel addresses a new theme and is called A Promise for Tomorrow.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run, world?

When I first wake up I thank God for His protection during the night and then I commit the new day to Him. My best intention is to then have a quiet time but, I confess, the “to do” list often jumps in and, before I know it, stress takes it toll. When this happen it’s like my car. If I don’t give my Honda proper maintenance it needs repair. The same is true for this ole believer’s soul.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes a name comes right away. It just fits. On other occasions I need time to get to know the person before selecting an appropriate name. One thing is for sure. When the character is likeable and optimistic he or she is baptized with a name I admire. Naturally, the opposite is true for unsavory individuals. Of course, there are limits. I wouldn’t name a villain Derange Satana.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

No single event or recognition on my end. My greatest discovery, however, is the surprise and wonder of God’s forgiveness and grace to this sinner.

And we spend a lifetime learning the depths of those two things, don't we? If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I love animals so I must choose two. Right now my dog is going through a serious health problem with almost daily trips to the vet for injections and treatments. Through it all, and with her limited understanding of what is going on, she is demonstrating tremendous trust in me and seems to know we are doing all we can to help her survive.

My second choice would be a lamb because even a cursory reading of Scripture explains why He calls us sheep.

What is your favorite food?

I’m a southern girl so I like fried chicken and potato salad. In fact, I enjoy any southern meal, even turnip greens and cornbread.

I often serve turnip greens and cornbread in our home. I've even worked out my own recipe for cornbread. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

It took me awhile to grasp the importance of structure in a novel. It’s still not easy, but I find it challenging. And, as I have already alluded, I still struggle a bit with the mechanics of grammar and usage. However, I think all writers can benefit from a good line edit.

Oh yes, editors are our friends. They make our books shine. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

For the beginning writer, I would say start small. Try a 250-500 word filler or a brief piece for the local newspaper. If this proves interesting, consider taking a class with a university, a correspondence course, or a study online. I’ve taken courses with the Christian Writers Institute and Writer’s Digest School.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

A Promise for Tomorrow is a 50’s journey with a little girl who longs for adventure but soon finds herself in a life-threatening situation. What seems like a harmless trespass on Mr. Boyd’s property turns into a grip around her waist, a knife to her throat and Boyd’s breath, a smell like spoiled cabbage laced with tobacco and licorice.

Soon Flea unearths secrets regarding other Sugar Hill residents. She discovers the mystery behind Boyd’s locked upstairs room and, eventually, places herself in danger to rescue someone else.

Throughout the story I want readers to realize that nothing is beyond hope. Broken lives can be redeemed.

Sounds like a wonderful read. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to visit my website: www.saradubose.com. Here they can read more about the novels and contact me with any questions concerning speaking engagements or workshops for writers.

Thank you, Sara, for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of her book. Then go check out her web site.