BY DARKNESS HID - Jill Williamson - Free Book

We're talking to a debut author with her first book in her Blood of Kings series. Welcome, Jill. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Not much. If my character is experiencing something I’ve experienced, I may write in the emotions and thoughts I remember, but only if it’s natural for the character to behave that way.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I dressed up as Waldorf, my husband dressed up as Statler, and we hosted a teen variety show in the theme of the Muppet Show at our church to raise money for teen camps.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In 2004. I decided to write a book. I took it (only three quarters of the first draft done) to an ACW conference in Anaheim and pitched it to Steve Laube. I just knew it was the next Harry Potter. Steve was very kind, but I could tell from his response that I didn’t do a good job explaining what the story was about. (Because I hadn’t even finished it. Duh! I didn’t even know what the story was about.) It was a big eye opener that brought my overactive imagination back to earth. I knew I could quit or press on. Well, I’d never been much of a quitter. Plus, writing was the most rewarding and enjoyable activity I’d ever experienced. I loved it. So I kept going.

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

I particularly enjoy suspense, fantasy, mystery, and comedy. In no particular order, I love Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Lisa Samson, Caroline Keene, C.S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, Jenny B. Jones, Brandilyn Collins, J.R.R Tolkien, Michael Crichton, Cathy Gohlke, Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Cooney, John Grisham, Megan Whalen Turner, Nicolas Sparks, Francine Rivers, Randy Ingermanson. The list goes on and on. I also like some non fiction. Literary fiction is my least favorite.

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

I’ve written the first two books (The New Recruit, and The Profile Match) in my spy series for young adults. I’ve written the first book (Jason Farms) in my Test Tube Nation series for young adults. I’ve written a stand alone young adult novel called The Truth About Seagulls, which is about a Native Alaskan girl who moves out of the Alaskan Bush to go to school in town. I’ve also written an all-reader children’s book tentatively called A Mango and a Mud Church that will release from Beacon Hill Press in 2010.

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

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming... :-)

Just kidding. I often lose my sanity, but thankfully when I do, I remember to stop and pray. Playing my guitar is also very relaxing.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I like to choose names that mean something. With my Blood of Kings series, I used a Hebrew dictionary. Each character’s name means something that describes that character. In my spy series, I picked names based on their meaning and how they related to my characters internal goals. But sometimes I just pick names I like.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My two children. I think they are pretty awesome.

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

A magpie. Once I get talking…

What is your favorite food?

Fettuccine Alfredo. Any pasta, really, but Alfredo is my ultimate fave.

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

I didn’t understand showing and telling. Once it dawned on me, I was so excited. I overcame it by learning to rewrite. As I learned what to trim and reword, I figured out the big mystery. I don’t drive myself crazy weeding it all out of my first draft. I write fast and get the book done. Then I go back and seek out all the problem areas and rework them. I love rewriting. That’s where the magic happens.

It took me until after I sold my second book to begin to understand showing and telling, and I learn more all the time. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Just write. Get that first draft done. Don’t agonize over perfection until you’ve got a finished draft to agonize over. The beginning of the story could change once you know the end, so don’t waste time. Just get ’er done. Then write a different book.

And read. When you read, study what the author did. Look at their dialogue, action, punctuation, characters, plot, everything. Learn all you can. It will help you be a better writer and storyteller.

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

I originally wrote it for the young adult market—my characters are fifteen and seventeen—but sold it as an adult novel. Also, you don’t have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy it. It’s fast-paced and suspenseful.

Here is the premise:

Achan is a kitchen servant who hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. His owner learns of his training and forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince, more of a death sentence than an honor. As Achan struggles to serve the prince without being maimed, strange voices in his head cause him to fear he’s going mad. He travels with a procession escorting the prince to a council presentation. Along the way, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded, arrested, and escapes from prison only to be brought back before the rulers of the land. There he discovers a secret about himself he never believed possible.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m everywhere! My Web site is http://www.jillwilliamson.com/. I’m also on Shoutlife, Facebook, MySpace, Shelfari, GoodReads, Amazon…

On top of that, I run two Web sites. The first is Novel Teen Book Reviews at http://www.novelteen.wordpress.com/. It’s a website that reviews clean teen fiction. If you have a teen or know a teen or know someone who has a teen, this is a great resource to see what books are available in the Christian market for teens. We review books in these age ranges: 8-12, 12-16, 16 and up.

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

Readers, here's a link where you can order By Darkness Hid:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THROUGH THE FIRE - Shawn Grady - Free Book

I first met Shawn Grady on Shoutlife. Welcome, Shawn. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Having written Through the Fire in first person, I’d say quite a bit with my protagonist Aidan O’Neill. I approach my writing similar to how a method actor would with a role.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

That’s a hard one. Once, as part of a church scavenger hunt about twelve years ago, I did dress up as a homeless man and sit on a bench in the middle of downtown with a cardboard sign that said "Impeach Nixon" in black marker.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was very young, but did not feel I was ready to write a novel until after I read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway about 7 years ago. Reading that made me realize that I didn’t need a stack of detailed 3x5 cards and a completed story arc and timeline all mapped out to be a writer. I just needed to start writing. So one night, at a coffee house with a pen and a napkin, that’s exactly what I started doing.

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

It’s a broad range and I enjoy all sorts of books that are well written. I am often drawn to literary fiction. It is usually the voice that makes me buy a book. I don’t like to read back cover copy. To me, it gives away too much. I look at the first sentence on the first page, and if I like that I’ll read more. If I like the voice on the first page I’ll usually pick up the book.

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

Besides Through the Fire, I have one other completed novel based around a paramedic. I’m reworking it for release as my second book with Bethany House Publishers in 2010.

I'll want to feature you again on the blog when that releases. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Funny you’d ask that. At the fire department when we respond to calls we call them runs. On my days off, my writing career seems to be increasingly demanding more time. My wife is an incredibly supportive partner in all this and we make it a point to not do writing on the weekends when I’m home and instead place extra focus on each other and our family.

Very wise. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes it is the actual meaning of the name. Like "Aidan" in Through the Fire means "fiery". Other times a name will just seem to me to fit a character.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Knowing and walking with the Lord. Then marrying my wife. After that being a loving father to my three children.
　
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I might want to be a Labrador because they get to go on hikes and swim and roll around on their backs and are pretty much happy and content with life and the world that God has made.

What is your favorite food?

Right now, I love vanilla yogurt with Grapenuts and blueberries.

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

Learning how to effectively structure a story is a big challenge that I have grown in with my craft. Attending writing conferences like Mount Hermon and ACFW and being shepherded by talented writers like James Scott Bell has strengthened me in that.

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Write what is on your heart. Write what you know. Attend writing conferences and learn the industry and hone your craft. Network with other authors whose writing you respect.

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

Through the Fire is about Aidan O’Neill, an angst driven fireman with a gift- the fire speaks to him.

Already haunted by his father’s death in a warehouse fire five years prior, a near fatal experience leaves Aidan sensing flames that are out for him personally. When a serial arsonist surfaces in Reno, Aidan employs the help of young arson analyst Julianne Bordeaux. Together they’re thrust into an incendiary chase in which Aidan must come to terms with his mortality in order to find his father’s killer and attain a lasting peace.

Sounds really exciting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.shawngradybooks.com/
Or check out my pages on http://www.shoutlife.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/

Thank you, Shawn for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Through the Fire:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

MONTANA ROSE - Mary Connealy - Free Book

Today, I'm welcoming back one of my favorite authors, Mary Connealy, who is at ICRS right now. Mary, tell us about your salvation experience.

I accepted the Lord publicly at a Lowell Lundstrom Concert when I was about 16. But I remember sincerely believing the truth about Jesus Christ at a much younger age. I was raised in a wonderful Christian home and we were really raised up in the way we should go.
　
How did you and your husband meet?

My husband, Ivan and I were high school sweethearts. Our first date was a few weeks after my sixteenth birthday. We dated for nearly four years and married about six weeks after I graduated from college. The only reason I hesitated to go out with him was because he was one of my best friends and I was afraid dating wouldn’t work out and I’d lose my best friend.

Thirty-two years and four children later, I’d say I made the right choice by saying I’d go out on that first date.
　
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

You are such a brat, Lena. I’ve got about twenty friends I’d like at this retreat, and forty more acquaintances I’d love to have. And sixty more people I’d love to meet.

So how am I supposed to pick four?

I’ve got my Seeker buddies that I love and miss desperately. I’ve seen some of them just recently so maybe I should go for some of the ones I haven’t seen.

Ruthy Logan Herne, Cara Slaughter, Tina Russo, Sandra Leesmith, Glynna Kaye and Audra Harder. I know, that’s six, shut up!

I know you have a speaking ministry. Tell us about that.

Yes, I suppose you could say I have a speaking ministry. Despite my desperate attempts to avoid one. Public speaking is soooooo not my thing. But I’ve been trying to be brave in my attempts to market my book, so I’ve done a little speaking. Yeesh.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lena. Are you even going to use this on your blog? Or are you just looking for blackmail material? I once started laughing in front of the camera when I was doing the news during a college television broadcast. This was live. I couldn’t stop. The teacher went to a commercial and came and threw me off the set. Which I suspect he was right to do, but I still hated him for it. Awful experience.
　
People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I tell them to write. Don’t even think about being a writer until you’ve written one whole book. Then get back to me. We’ll work on revisions.

Good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Montana Rose is something kind of different for me. I’ve had a grand old time writing heroines that are so strong they’d almost dangerous. So I wanted to go the other way, just to see if I could.

Montana Rose’s heroine is a damsel in distress. Cassie is a pregnant widow on the western frontier. At her tyrannical husband’s funeral every man (or so it seems to her) in Montana Territory shows up to try and marry her.

She finally says yes to one man just to escape from all the pressure. Expecting her new husband to be like her old, she quietly waits to obey his orders. Red married her to save her. He couldn’t stand by and let her be dragged off by any one of the men who wanted her. Now he’s married, and because he’s never seen Cassie or her husband darken the doorstep of his church (he fills in when the circuit rider is gone) he suspects he’s married an unbeliever. A terrible sin to his way of thinking.

Red soon learns that he can’t believe anything Cassie says, because she will only say what she thinks he wants to hear. Cassie needs to grow up and learn to respect herself and her opinions. Red needs to teach her how to be a western wife before she destroys his whole ranch.

They both need to believe that this sudden, ill-advised marriage, is all part of God’s plan.

Sounds wonderful. I just received my copy this week. I'm anxious to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.maryconnealy.com/
http://mconnealy.blogspot.com/
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/
http://petticoatsandpistols.com/

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

Readers, here's a link where you can order a copy of Montana Rose:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WInners!!! WInners!!! Winners!!!

Lastnerve is the winner of Cranberry Hearts from Elizabeth Goddard.

Julianna is the winner of Beloved Counterfeit by Kathleen Y'Barbo.

Carly Kendall is the winner of Love Thine Enemy by Louise M. Gouge.

Edwina is the winner of Cranberry Hearts from Lisa Harris.

Please contact me with your mailing address so we can get the books on their way to you.

You can find a link to my email if you click View My Complete Profile in the right hand column.

Or you can go to my web site www.lenanelsondooley.com and click on the Contact Me button.

CRANBERRY HEARTS - Lena Nelson Dooley - Free Book

This is the third, and final, interview with an author of Cranberry Hearts. Although it's hard to interview myself, here goes. What contribution did your story make to the collection?

My story, Who Am I?, is the first story in the book. It’s my first romantic suspense.

Did you enjoy working with the other authors in the collection?

Very much. Both Lisa and Beth were in the critique group that meets in my home before they moved away. I mentored them before they became published. And Beth’s story in this book was her first sale. Lisa and I worked hard to make it happen.

Did it take a lot of interaction?

Not really. There is a thread that ties the stories together, but it’s loose in the first two books. All the cousins come together in the last story to help with the cranberry harvest. But we did critique each other's novels.

Have you ever been to Massachusetts?

No, I haven’t, but I’d like to go there. All my research uncovered a lot of places I want to visit.

How was the setting chosen?

It was one of the states in the Heartsong Presents state series.

What do you like most about this collection?

That the stories are romantic suspense.

What book are you currently writing?

This week I finished a sample chapter for a requested submission, which I’m hoping the publisher will like and offer me a contract. Now I have to get back to my Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, book.

Tell us a little about your family.

Husband of almost 45 years, two daughters, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, two grandsons, and one great grandson.

What is the first page of your story in the collection?

Chapter 1
Leiann Hambrick clutched her upper arms as if to hold herself together
while she stared through the sheer curtains that veiled the picture window.
Would she have to leave all this behind? She no longer saw the Hurst athletic complex, which had been built a few years earlier. In her mind’s eye she saw the thicket full of wild mustang grapevines that used to grow on that spot. Grapes she had picked so her mother could make her famous jelly. Jelly her father loved on his biscuits in the morning. She longed for that simpler time, when she knew who her father was. When she knew who she was.

Leiann swiped at the tears that streamed down her cheeks, ruining the makeup she had taken such pains to apply a few hours ago as she prepared for the reading of her mother’s will. How different her world had been this morning.

The Hambricks had moved to this house on Cimarron Trail in Hurst, Texas, when Leiann was in the fourth grade. Leiann had been excited when they moved to this ranch-style house on the quiet street. A lot of undeveloped property surrounded them. Besides the thicket across the road—and it had been a country road then, not a four-lane street as it was now—a creek ran along the back of the property. Leiann and her friends played there often, wading and hunting bullfrogs on hot summer evenings.

Leiann yearned to go back to that time when she knew what her life was all about. She wanted to hug her mother and have her daddy tell her that everything was all right because they were together. Of course, that was impossible. She didn’t think anything would ever be all right again.

Squeezing her eyes shut could not erase the pictures that danced through her mind. The lawyer’s office. The reading of the will. . .

“And to my daughter, I leave all my worldly goods.” The lawyer’s voice had droned on, listing the things that had belonged to her mother, which were now Leiann’s. Family heirlooms, bank accounts, furniture and household goods, jewelry. But not the house. Her mother hadn’t owned the house.

“Leiann?” From across the living room, the soft voice of her best friend brought Leiann out of her confused thoughts. When Leiann didn’t respond, Arlene came to stand beside her. “You really need to eat something.”

She turned, but she didn’t loosen the grip she held on her upper arms. If she did, she might fly apart. “I’m not really hungry.”

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
http://lenanelsondooleynewsletter.blogspot.com/

I’m also on Shoutlife, Facebook, and Twitter.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Cranberry Hearts:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

RETURN TO LOVE - Betsy St. Amant - Free Book

We're talking to a new author to my blog today. Welcome, Betsy. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I think most of my characters have snippets of my likes/dislikes, or have qualities I wish I had or wish I didn’t. For instance, in my July 2009 release RETURN TO LOVE, the heroine loves penguins and works at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. Penguins have always been a collectible of mine and my favorite animal. So it’s fun to incorporate little things like that into my characters.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I’m very much a Type A personality and stay quirky about my house. Everything must be clean and in its place, a quirk I have to really work on now that I have an infant! But I’m the girl who will walk into someone’s house or office and immediately straighten a crooked picture on the wall or restack a pile of magazines on the coffee table to look neater.
　
When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was about seven years old and my dad brought home our first computer. I pecked away at the keys and wrote short stories and attempted novels as a child and young teenager. I got serious about my writing when I was 18 and began attending conferences and learning the craft. But the other day, my mom showed me some homemade little books I had made when I was just a little girl that were absolutely hilarious! So maybe in a sense, I was born with the desire to write. =)
　
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My favorites are romance and romantic suspense. But lately I’ve even been enjoying historicals and thrillers as well. I try to read a broad range to expand my horizons and grow as a writer. Sadly, I just can not get into sci-fi or fantasy novels, as much as I’ve tried.
　
What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I have a novel MIDNIGHT ANGEL available on Amazon, published through The Wild Rose Press. It was the first full length story I ever wrote. I also have two short story e-books available through The Wild Rose Press. Past that, I contribute articles to Crosswalk.com and have short non-fiction stories in two compilation books – LIFE SAVORS FOR WOMEN published through Tyndale and PRAISE REPORTS VOLUME II by Xulon Press and Crosswalk. My favorite story that is not yet published is a romantic suspense that I am praying gets placed soon. It’s about a cop, an orphan, and a cult leader targeting teenagers, called WHEN SHADOWS FALL.
　
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I’m a busy lady, for sure. I’m a wife, a new mom of a precious baby girl, an author, and I work a full time job. Plus you remember what I said about keeping a clean house! Haha! Things get hectic but I try to keep my relationship with God and my family first and it all works out.

Have you ever had those moments where it seemed literally impossible to get done all the things you needed to do in a single day, and you were tempted to skip your devotional time in order to get to work? Well I believe that in those times when we press on and keep God first, that God blesses our effort and our obedience and gives us "holy time warps" where it all somehow gets accomplished. =)

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Usually when I get my basic plot in mind, I will have the character’s name already chosen. They just sort of come to me. A few times I’ve had to view baby-naming websites to acquire new ideas but I’ve never had trouble naming my characters. I actually have more trouble naming side characters than I do my hero/heroine! =)
　
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Outside of my writing career, it would definitely be my daughter. She is so amazing! Inside my writing career, I am most proud of becoming a multi-published author with Steeple Hill. I know it is only by the grace of God and His will, nothing I could have ever done on my own!
　
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Probably a penguin. I definitely got the waddle thing down when I was pregnant. Haha. But I just think they’re cute and they’re always dressed up for a fancy occasion – sort of like me. I like to dress up and usually will be the one overdressed at an occasion rather than under.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food, definitely. I’ll eat chips and salsa any day, any time. Even for breakfast! When I was pregnant, that was especially all I wanted.

I was that way with spaghetti when I was pregnant with my second child What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest problem regarding the actual craft of writing was, and still is at times, incorporating "high stakes". My stories tend to be more character driven and while I can easily invent a fun or interesting plot, I often have trouble getting those stakes in there! You know, the urgency, the "why this can’t happen to the poor character but why it must happen" type stuff. But I’m getting better! =)

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

KEEP WRITING. Don’t give up—rejections will always be hovering, even after you are published. If you quit, you’ll never know if an acceptance was right around the corner! So hang in there and take the good with the bad, the positive with the negative. And definitely attend those conferences and really learn the craft of writing.

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

RETURN TO LOVE is a really special story to me. It’s set in New Orleans, which is where my husband’s family is from and where he proposed to me in 2004. I really had fun writing this story and incorporating the Cajun culture into the setting. RETURN TO LOVE is about a man and woman who grew up in Louisiana as best friends, but were torn apart as young adults. This story shows their return to love and to each other. Plus, it’s got penguins in it—what could be more fun? =)

How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can email me at betsystamant@yahoo.com
or visit my blog at http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com/
or my author site at http://www.betsystamant.com/.
They can also find me at http://www.shoutlife.com/betsystamant .

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

Readers, here's a link where you can order Return to Love:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

I'm welcoming Allie Pleiter back to the blog. I just loved her last book. I'm sure I'll be as pleased with this one, too.

Bio: An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, six novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.

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

Actually, despite being a huge plan-maker, I try never to look at the horizon book-wise. I’m always in awe of those authors who can see dozens of books into their future--I only seem to get mine one at a time. I crafted one trilogy by forcing myself, what became the Kentucky Corners series, but that felt like pulling my creative teeth. I’m hoping to begin a series in Charleston, SC because I’ve loved my past visit there, but that’s still way off.

Tell us a little about your family.

They deserve Olympic medals in the perseverance and put-up-with-the-crazy-lady-behind-the-laptop events. I have two teenagers (13 and 17), the world’s best husband, and the world’s most beloved dog.

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

We’re a very book-oriented family, and always have been avid readers. I’m always reading three books--one fiction, one non-fiction, and one audiobook. For fiction, I’ve been reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (very funny), I’ve been pouring over San Francisco 1906 earthquake books (very instructional) for my non-fiction as I work on HIDDEN BY DAWN, the sequel to MASKED BY MOONLIGHT that will come out sometime next year; and my audiobook is THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA (very thought-provoking). Eclectic, don’t you think?

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on BLUEGRASS EASTER, a novella due out next February. It’s one more story based in Middleburg, the fictional town of all my "Kentucky Corners" series. After that, I’ll dig into figuring out what those Charleston books might be about. The next book I’ll have out is BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS for the holiday season.

What outside interests do you have?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to knit. I even have a knitting blog where I can gab about my passions for the hobby, DestiKNITions. I run my church’s prayer shawl ministry, where we knit and pray over beautiful shawls to be given to those in need of comfort and healing. I knit all the time, and I do mean all the time.

I love to knit, too, but mostly not in the summer. Only if they are small things. It's too hot in Texas to have a large knitted thing in your lap How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’d love to say there’s some great formula to it, but it’s mostly "where do I want to go next?" It’s important for me to visit the cities my books are set in, because the location research is great fun for me and one of my favorite parts of the process.

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

I’d spend it with Eleanor Roosevelt. She seems to incredibly wise and strong.

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

How to write them (ha!)? Actually, I wish I’d known it would never get easier, but then I might never have started. I keep waiting for the point where I’ll feel sure of my skills and career, and even after a dozen books it hasn’t appeared. I don’t think it’s showing up any time soon.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That I am right where I’m supposed to be. Just this morning I was reading the passages in Daniel where it talks about how God does as He pleases and no one can hold back His hand. That’s a sovereignty I can trust, even when it doesn’t look like it.

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

1) Write.

2) Learn your craft but don’t let yourself get tangled up in it.

3) Craft is good but storytelling is what matters most. We must be tellers of compelling stories above all else. I can forgive mediocre writing from a fabulous storyteller, but even sumptuous prose won’t hold me if the story doesn’t catch my heart. And, as far as I can tell, writing is the only way to learn to write. There are no shortcuts.

Tell us about the featured book.

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS is one of the deepest stories I’ve told in the Kentucky Corners series. Stakes are really high for both characters, and the emotional level is life-changing for these two people God has really taken to the edge. Dinah, Middleburg’s baker, is a wild, artistic woman after my own heart--so of course I needed to give her a tightly wound New York City broker to fall for....I just love "opposites attract" stories!

Back cover copy:

Everyone in Middleburg, Kentucky lines up for baker Dinah Hopkins’s cinnamon rolls. Everyone except her handsome new landlord, Cameron Rollings. The jaded city man doesn’t like anything about small-town life--from the fresh air to her fresh-baked snickerdoodles. And he clearly considers Dinah as quirky as her eccentric oven. The way to Cameron’s heart is not through his toned stomach. But the Lord led him to Kentucky Corners for a reason. And Dinah plans to help him count his bluegrass blessings.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can visit my website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/, and my knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/.

Thank you, Allie, for coming back to talk with us.

Readers, you won't want to miss any of the books in this series. Here's a link where you can order Bluegrass Blessings:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DEADLY INTENT - Camy Tang - Free Book

Welcome, Camy, I'm thrilled to have you on my blog. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I love reading romantic suspense, especially Love Inspired Suspense novels, which is why I’m thrilled to be releasing Deadly Intent with Steeple Hill. I don’t know what it says about me that I enjoy killing people in fiction. :)

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

Probably the day my husband proposed to me. He took me to a lovely seafood restaurant with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, and he proposed after dinner. I was completely surprised because I hadn’t expected him to propose for another couple years.

Sounds wonderfully romantic. How has being published changed your life?

I absolutely love my job. While I enjoyed being a biologist researcher, it was not as fulfilling as it is to write stories for a living. I am wonderfully satisfied and joyful each day about the work I do.
What are you reading right now?

Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts

What is your current work in progress?

I’m actually working on two things: the fourth book in my Sushi series, which I’ll be making available as a free ebook to my newsletter YahooGroup members in the fall, and my next book for Zondervan, which will be a humorous contemporary romance about a woman who does the Couch to 5K running program. The C25K is a training program where you go from a couch potato to running 3 miles in about 9 weeks. I just finished the C25K myself! Yay!

Wish I could try that, but I can't. What would be your dream vacation?

Touring England! I want to go to Ireland and Scotland and London and Bath.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Usually, ideas for settings come to me at weird times, like when I’m showering or in the middle of the night. Almost always when I don’t have a paper and pencil handy.

I've left the shower many a time and gone straight for a piece of paper and pen to write something down the Lord showed me. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I want Emeril to cook dinner for me. Bam! Good food and an entertaining guest all at once.

That sounds like a fun evening. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Knitting! I love it! It helps me to de-stress and it also helps me think so that I can write.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Distraction. I think of all the things I need to do in the house rather than writing, like cleaning the toilet. Guilt is a terrible thing when your house is messy.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read up on as many writing articles as you can before you finish that first book. I learned SO much from just reading about the writing craft online, and it gave me a leg up because I found out which writing books to get and the basics of crafting a genre novel.

Tell us about the featured book?

Deadly Intent is my first romantic suspense. Here’s the back cover blurb:

SCENE OF THE CRIME
The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake...and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn...and whom can she trust?
　

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One
The man who walked into Naomi's father's day spa was striking enough to start a female riot.
Dark eyes swept the room, which happened to be filled with the Sonoma spa's staff at that moment. She felt his gaze glance over her like a tingling breeze. Naomi recognized him instantly. Dr. Devon Knightley.

For a wild moment, she thought, He's come to see me. And her heart twirled in a riotous dance.
But only for a moment. Sure, they'd talked amiably— actually, more than amiably—at the last Zoe International fund-raising dinner, but after an entire evening sitting next to her, he hadn't asked for her phone number, hadn't asked for any contact information at all. Wasn't that a clear sign he wasn't interested?

She quashed the memory and stepped forward in her official capacity as the spa owner's daughter and acting manager. "Dr. Knightley. Welcome."

He clasped her hand with one tanned so brown that it seemed to bring the heat of the July sun into the airy, air-conditioned entranceway. "Miss Naomi Grant." His voice had more than a shot of surprise, as did his looks as he took in her pale blue linen top and capris, the same uniform as the gaggle of spa staff members gathered behind her. "It's been a few months since I've seen you."

He still held her hand. She loved the feel of his palm— cool and warm at the same time, strong the way a surgeon's should be.

No, she had to stop this. Devon and his family were hard-core atheists, and nothing good would come out of giving in to her attraction. "What brings you here?"

"I need to speak to Jessica Ortiz."

An involuntary spasm seized her throat. Of course. Glamorous client Jessica Ortiz or plain massage therapist Naomi Grant—no comparison, really.

But something in his tone didn't quite have the velvety sheen of a lover. He sounded almost… dangerous. And danger didn't belong in the spa.
　
I'm hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.camytang.com/ and I blog daily at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/. I give away Christian fiction on my blog every week, and I also have a fantastic newsletter contest going on now for members of my newsletter YahooGroup. Join today: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join
Thanks for having me here, Lena!
Camy

It is totally my great blessing and pleasure.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Deadly Intent:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification will be the winner post on this blog. So don't forget to check back in two weeks on Saturday to see if you've won. Or sign up for Feedblitz in the sidebar.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com