Lisa Harris - WILD PRAIRIE ROSES - Free Book

This is the first of three interviews we'll be running for Wild Prairie Roses this month. So you will have three chances to win a copy, and you'll get to know each of the authors. I'm one of the authors. We're really proud of this collection. I was at Walmart yesterday, and it was on the top shelf of the Inspirational fiction section.

Welcome, Lisa. What contribution did your story make to the collection?

Tara’s Gold is the second book in the Wild Prairie Roses collection. It continues the overall story of three women’s quest for gold and personal fulfillment. Living up to the reputations of her aunt Rachel, who worked as a spy in the War Between the States, and parents who were instrumental in Boston's Underground Railroad is a difficult task for Tara Young. So when she finds mention of an unsolved gold heist in her aunt's journal, Tara decides her claim to fame will be finding the missing gold. Aaron Jefferson is a government agent seeking the same illusive goals-the cache of gold, but more importantly, a place of worth in his own illustrious family. When Tara and Aaron find their paths converging, however, each is determined to find the gold on their own. But their Heavenly Father has another plan. Will they ever learn that God Himself is to be desired more than fame or fine gold?

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

It’s always a blessing to work with other authors and develop those friendships. I consider it both an honor and a privilege to work with both Lena and Laurie Alice.

Did it take a lot of interaction?

In the beginning it was necessary for the three of us to work together closely as we developed the overall theme and mystery for the collection. After that, we were able to write the stories pretty independently, in keeping with the theme and setting we’d chosen.

Have you ever been to Iowa?

I’ve never had the chance to visit Iowa, but it’s given me the desire to see more of our beautiful country.

How was the setting chosen?

To be honest, I don’t remember exactly. :-) We wanted a place that would work for our idea of the lost gold from the Civil War, and one that was still available in the Romancing America series.
What do you like most about this collection?

I love the overall thought that we all are searching for things as individuals, but the one thing that will bring us true joy is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.” (Matthew 7:7)

What book are you currently writing?

I’m currently working on book two in my International suspense series for Zondervan. Book one, Blood Ransom, will be released in March of 2010.

And I'm very excited about that series, too, Lisa. I can hardly wait. Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I live in Mozambique with our three children where we are involved in a church planting movement with African Outreach Ministries. The past few years have been an adventure, to say the least, but we know without a doubt that God has us exactly where He wants us to be. We love to travel as a family and one of our favorite things to do is go on safaris through southern Africa. We’re into our second year of homeschooling, which has been a fun challenge, and one of the most rewarding things has been learning Portuguese as a family.

Please give us the first page of your story.

Chapter 1
July 1870

Tara Young stuck her hand into the satin lining of her fringed jacket. The thin paper crinkled between her fingers, assuring her of its presence. All she had to do was carry the message into the mercantile and pass it to the young clerk who worked there. A simple task considering her last assignment. Stopping in front of the sheriff’s office, Tara measured the distance between her and the front door of the store. Ten steps, maybe eleven. A quick look down the boardwalk, which ran parallel to the town’s whitewashed storefronts, confirmed her assessment that no one was paying attention to her.

And why should they? There was no reason for anyone to sense anything out of the ordinary with her presence in the busy passageway. She looked like any other fashionable young woman out for a day of shopping for ribbons or perhaps a peek at the latest dress fabric that had just arrived from the East. There was no cause to suspect her of carrying confidential information on the war. No grounds for anyone to guess she was a spy for her country. A man stepped in front of her, his boots clanking on the wooden flooring. The afternoon sun caught the shiny ivory handle of a gun beneath his black overcoat. Tara swallowed hard. The moment of truth had arrived. And this time, she was ready.

Tara’s head smacked against the back wall of the stagecoach, jarring her from her slumber. She sucked in a deep breath of air and held herself upright, hoping the other five occupants of the horse-drawn vehicle hadn’t caught her snoring. Two trains, and now a stagecoach that had seen better days, had been enough to prove to her the inconveniences of traveling. How was a lady supposed to endure mile after mile of wheels jarring at every rut and fellow passengers snoring like an off-key church choir?

Sighing, she glanced down at the fawn colored material of her traveling suit and winced at the condition of the garment. When she’d purchased it two weeks ago, it had been one of the most stunning ensembles in the store, guaranteed by the saleswoman to travel with ease. Now the folds of fabric were wrinkled, covered with a layer of dust, and stained with coffee. Any positive
first impressions she’d hoped to leave with her new employers were bound to be sadly lacking.

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from my readers. You can visit my website at http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/ or my blog for a taste of Africa at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com/

Thanks for letting me stop by and chat with you Lena!

And thank you, Lisa. We enjoyed visiting with you.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Wild Prairie Roses:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy. Your only notification will be the winner announcement post on this blog. Be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. If you're afraid you'll miss it, sign up for FeedBlitz in the right hand column. Then every post will come into your Inbox.

If you're reading this on Facebook or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave a comment:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com