JUST FOR THE MOMENT - Deanna K Klingel - Free Book

Welcome, Deanna. This book is nonfiction. Do you also write fiction?

Yes, Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy is nonfiction. The stories read like fiction, however. (Truth is funnier than fiction?) Yes, I do write fiction. Rebecca and Heart can be read on Storyrealm.com, and Beth’s Backyard Friends is also on Storyrealm.com. Avery and Gunner, a MG Civil War historical fiction is under consideration with a publisher. Cracks in the Ice, a Y/A fiction has just gone out. Two for young readers, Amanda’s Magic and Walker Hound of Park Avenue, are circulating. Another nonfiction, Bread Upon the Waters, is going into revision. "Marsha Blue," a short story contest winner, is actually a memoir, and Mayor of Ingles’ Parking Lot, a contest finalist, is a true story, too. So, I guess I cover all the bases.

What would you like folks to know about you?

Hmm. I have a pretty ordinary existence. I live in the mountains with my husband. We’ve been married 48 years and have 7 children and 10 grands. We have 2 golden retrievers who are dying to meet you in their therapy dog book. I like to garden, golf, and read. But, mostly I write. All day, every day, I just write. I went back to college last year to take some literature classes and sharpen up my aging brain. I loved it. But, this year I’ll be traveling with my book, so no classes.

Tell us about your family.

My family is great. I have a wonderful husband who is so supportive of everything I’ve ever done, and is currently my business manager for my books. He’s had an extraordinary business career with IBM and is now retired. Sort of. He went into real estate for this phase of his life and he works hard at it. Our grown kids are all married with kids of their own, and are all within a day’s drive, so we’re lucky.

What other nonfiction books have you written?

Other nonfiction is Bread Upon the Water, a teen story of a Vietnamese priest who escaped his country as a boat person in order to be a priest. I’m just beginning a revision. The other nonfiction are short stories. "Marsha Blu"e and" Mayor of Ingles’ Parking Lot" can be read on DreamQuest.com and Scinti facebook. My little chapter book about Walker a walker hound, is based on a true story that happened here in our town.

What is coming up in your writing life?

I’m waiting to hear about Avery and Gunner. I’ve been working hard on the revision of Cracks in the Ice, and I just sent it off on the 4th of July. I’m revising Bread next.

What are your hobbies?

I like to garden and golf, but I don’t do either much. I read a lot and belong to a book club. In the summer, I belong to two. I write all the time. I have a community dog park that I manage. I also spend a lot of time making therapy dog visits with my dogs. I used to spend a lot of time training them in freestyle and agility, but we’re all getting old, so we take it easier now. We make weekly visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and other places, and one dog listens to children in the library, while the other lowers blood pressures at the free dental clinic.

Why did you write this book?

I wrote Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog for a few reasons. I saw the difference my dogs made in people’s lives, and I wanted to share that. I hope that it will open more doors for therapy dogs. I wanted to celebrate the wonderful job that all therapy dogs do and say thank you to their handlers. And, because the stories begged me to tell them, I had to write them. I think readers will enjoy the book.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your book?

I can tell by the questions people ask me when I’m out with a dog, that most people don’t really understand what therapy dogs are, what it is they do, how they got to be therapy dogs, and what makes a dog a good candidate. I address all these, but lightly. Most of the book is made up of stories about real moments. But, I hope that readers will laugh and cry and perhaps have an ahha moment or two. Dogs don’t worry about saying the wrong thing or filling quiet space. Dogs show us that the most important thing is to be there in the moment beside the bed or wheelchair. I hope that some administrators, who aren’t into the therapy dog program, might revisit the idea. Perhaps more doors will open for the therapy dogs as a result of these stories.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can find me at http://www.booksbydeanna.com/; http://www.therapydogstories.com/. I’m also on facebook and for personal correspondence, deannaklingel@yahoo.com .

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

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.


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/

THE TOPKAPI SECRET - Terry Kelhawk

PLEASE NOTE: This novel has some language (an abusive man uses abusive language early in the book) and an intimate scene (necessary to the plot development late in the novel).

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

One of the joys of writing is making characters say what you want them to. At times my characters express thoughts or sentiments I have had, but often they express totally opposite ones. In The Topkapi Secret, I went to great effort to ensure my characters were authentic to the country and class they were from. Some of the cultural dialogue is lifted from conversations I actually had or overheard.

There isn't much of me in a character like Mohammed Atareek. In him I tried to create a unique hero - one with a specific type of Middle Eastern personality almost unknown in the West - witty, overconfident, people-pleasing, and a bit boastful - someone apparently totally open but who may not be all he seems. I felt if I could get him right, have him leap from the page into the minds of Western readers in a realistic way, it would be a major accomplishment.

Angela shares only a few traits with me. I tried to make her consistent with the complex elements in her background.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

The craziest thing I have ever done, bar none, was to sing in Spanish loudly enough to drown out the sheik who was singing to me in Arabic. The sheik was shocked. He stopped and asked me what I was doing. I told him. He started singing again. So did I. There was no malice: it was simply a bizarre musical battle. This counterpoint might have gone on indefinitely but for my sense that we'd had quite enough drama for one afternoon. I turned and left the mosque, accompanied by the two speechless friends who had come there looking for me.

Perhaps you will say I was rude, and perhaps I will agree - but I couldn't handle it any more. I had been invited to meet with the sheik in the mosque to discuss Islam. I was modestly dressed. Since he was old and from a very conservative Arab country, I tried to be culturally sensitive and not look him in the eye. I was very polite and let him take the floor for monologue after monologue of what he assumed an ignorant American such as me did not know.

But he was rude, too. He would neither let me ask questions nor answer his. Then, when he tried singing the Koran, I snapped. I stood up and started singing as well. And here we complete the circuit of the story. What a day!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Now that’s a question both simple and profound. If boxes of scribblings confirm the status of "writer" then I knew I was a writer in my ancient past. But something between humility and insecurity wouldn't let me accept that I was a "Writer" until I actually heard people laughing loudly at a play I wrote just a few years ago.

Grandmother was a great storyteller. We grandchildren loved staying with her. Sitting on her bed, we heard the sounds of summer while she repeated her famous tale of "The Big Bad Bullfrog." Such a scandalous amphibian he was! Folks were still telling stories back in that time and place. My mother was good at it, too. And my friends and cousins sat together on blankets on the lawn and told each other stories. I also had a vivid imagination which helped me through some boring spots and created dreams that actually came true.

I started writing poems at age 12 and songs at age 14. In high school I wanted to be a professional poet, but soon fatigued with unfashionable epic verse, and learned from the example of starving Keats that writers needed a day job. So I wrote on the side: poems, songs, proverbs, stories, dramas, training materials, meditations and even two unpublished books.

I came to see writing as double-amazing: personally - how a few words can totally capture a memory or feeling and bring it back to life; and socially - writing transmits one's own thoughts through someone else's head. This must surely be one of the most profound things a human can do.

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

One blessing I have is a large and diverse library covering almost every subject, including Islamic collections with gleaming gold letters on green bindings. Mostly I read non-fiction, especially as it relates to what I am doing at the time. Although The Topkapi Secret is a novel, it required a huge amount of research and documentation. Taking on a major paradigm like the integrity of the Koran, I knew I would have to be accurate and document even minor statements.

I also like to read history, the arts and sciences. Biographies are great - not of the rich and famous, but of those who worked selflessly to make the world a better place or made great discoveries. These, along with inspirational writings, keep me going.

Sometimes when I am really stressed or obsessed, I do read fiction to give my mind a vacation. I try to learn even from the fiction I read, or to study it for technique. I like mysteries, adventures and thrillers in exotic settings, but thrillers that have no character development or cultural aspect leave me flat. Likewise, I suspect stories that rely much on violence or sex are trying to make up for a weak plot.

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

I believe everything in our lives should fit into one of two categories: PEACE or PURPOSE. We get into trouble when these two essentials are out of balance.

Each of us is here for a reason. There is something special we can do on the planet because of our gifts and position. Our purpose includes everything we do that is productive or worthwhile - from employment or school to family and even menial tasks like sorting junk mail. One tool is to consider our lives and come up with a mental job description of our purpose. This helps define our priorities and empowers us to perform them. As Honey Jean says in The Topkapi Secret, "Make the world a better place or y'all just takin' up space!"

But if we only produce, we will feel dried up and flakey, like a used expresso cake. So we need peace in our lives. There are three kinds of peace: peace with whatever you call the force of the universe, peace within ourselves, and peace with each other. The third flows from the first two.

This doesn't mean we can't do things like watch TV or play a video game. If an activity adds to our peace it is good, but if it starts to unbalance our purpose we should cut back. E=E+E. Our Entertainment should Educate or Encourage. If it does, it adds to our peace and purpose. If it makes us grumpy, we should cut it out.

For me, peace mainly comes in: quiet corners, noticing nature, thinking thanks, and Western meditation (quietly thinking restful, positive thoughts, rather than merging with the void as in Eastern meditation). Exercise, nutrition, rest, reading and laughter are also great peacemakers.

Once you get the concept, it is remarkably simple. Cut out everything in life that neither brings you peace nor increases your purpose. If we are doing something that is neither purposeful nor encouraging, why are we doing it?

How do you choose your characters’ names?

In The Topkapi Secret, I tried to choose ethnic names that would be easy for Americans to remember. Recently I read a novel where most of the characters had two syllable names with the same first letter. I hate that. So I try to make the names distinct enough that readers won't mix characters up. Occasionally the names have a hidden meaning: Atareek means "the way". Angela and Peter have special reasons behind their names as well.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Getting my doctorate degree.

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

I would like to be an impressive and respectable animal, but would actually be a squirrel: always busy, a little bit cute, surrounded by nuts, and when it comes right down to it, just a rodent in a nice fur coat.

What is your favorite food?

Date nut bars - my own variation of grandma's classic. The intense sweetness of dates connects us with the Middle East, conjuring up images of caravans and starry skies. Dates, the food eaten first to break the fast of Ramadan, are nice tummy and brain food. When mixed with oatmeal and nuts they make a meal in a bar - breakfast, lunch, or midnight snack.

When it comes to eating I tend to be a grazer rather than a hunter. This trait fits well with a writer's lifestyle: every hour or two we need to rise, let the blood flow and the subconscious go, while we make fresh tea or coffee and find a healthy snack. (Look for the recipe on http://www.terrykelhawk.com/)

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

Being too busy and having to write late at night when I was exhausted from a full day. Most of the first draft of The Topkapi Secret, was written between 11 pm and 2 am. This means I wrote some real bloopers that had to be cleaned up later. For example, once while drifting to sleep I wrote, "The fatiha is a (family member's name)." I still have no idea what I was really trying to say. Perhaps when I remember it, I'll write another book.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Topkapi Secret is a high stakes adventure and romance novel that takes you from America, across Europe and into exotic settings of the Middle East.

There's an early Koran, called the Topkapi Codex on display in the Topkapi Palace museum in Istanbul. Researcher Mohammed Atareek believes that the Koran has been changed many times, and the Topkapi Codex could help prove it. But the risks of getting to it increase as other scholars turn up dead.

English professor Angela Hall’s life in America is in tatters. Seeking escape with a purpose, she travels to the Middle East to research women’s issues.

When Angela’s path crosses Mohammed’s, sparks fly from all directions. Her research trip has suddenly become more about escaping death for questioning long-held tradition than gathering information. Would someone really kill them for proving the Koran has been changed?

With references, research, and accomplished storytelling, Terry Kelhawk takes readers on a breathtaking journey through a beautiful—and dangerous—land.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
March 31, 2006

“Ican’t see!” Angela cried out.
Angela Hall had never been in a sandstorm. Like most people, she relegated such phenomena to the Sahara Desert. She could not even imagine a sandstorm inMarrakech. So she was caught by surprise when the bright blue Moroccan skies clouded with sand.

Angela’s contact lenses were grinding the sand into her eyes, and it hurt. Sand was everywhere. It was seeping into the folds of her clothing and chafing her skin. True dermabrasion. Her face had never felt anything like this before.

Breathing was difficult. Against her will, her eyelids kept pressing down against the onslaught of the sand. Angela reached for Fatima’s arm, feeling frustrated, dependent; however, she had no choice but to rely on another. At that moment Fatima stepped into the street to flag a taxi. Angela grabbed at air. Blinking, she stumbled and nearly fell.

Once the taxi came into view, Fatima could see that it was occupied. It sped by, heedless of their plight. Taxis disappear like mirages when a sandstorm hits Marrakech. The lucky and the experienced grab one quickly or get off the streets. Fatima was experienced. But neither woman was lucky that day. By the time the sand had come, they were poorly situated for taxi grabbing.

A few minutes earlier, before the storm hit, they had ambled peacefully along, discussing the gardens of Marrakech.

“Menara’s nice, but I prefer La Majorelle,” Angela had said. “It has a lush, secluded feeling, with its paths winding through palms and bougainvilleas.”

“But Menara’s grander,” replied Fatima. “It reminds me of a small Taj Mahal, the way the pavilion reflects in the water.”

“And the way the sultans tossed their concubines into it every morning?” Angela asked, referring to the notorious practice of the sultans of Marrakech. “Did you ever wonder if they could swim?”


Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Please visit my website at either http://www.terrykelhawk.com/ or http://www.thetopkapisecret.com/. We have lots of great extras there including not only info about the book, but a thrilling video trailer, links to my articles, and freebees like recipes and travel tips. You might also want to Google my name and see what imbroglio I am currently embroiled in!

Here's the Facebook page about this book:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Topkapi-Secret/112870552068331

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.  Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/

Last November Winners!!!

Sorry to be so late announcing winners. Tody was a really, really busy day.

Angela (Houston, TX) is the winner of Divine Appointment by Anita Onarecker Wood.
Anna Lee Miller is the winner of The Blacksmith's Bravery by Susan Page Davis.

Regina is the winner of Love Is Grand by Annalisa Daughtey.

PamK is the winner of Christmas Bodyguard by Margaret Daley.
Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:

Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
You have 6 weeks to claim your book.
If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

Don't miss out on the Online Book Signing Bash. (See post below.) 75 authors signing their books. What a wonderful idea for Christmas gifts for the avid readers on your gift list. . .or for yourself.

ONLINE BOOK SIGNING BASH

We're taking a holiday break from my usual author interviews for this Online Book Signing.

75 Christian Authors * One Amazing Online Event

The Christian Review of Books in conjunction with CrossPurposes Bookstore is excited to announce the first annual Christmas Book Signing Bash.

Beginning on the day after Thanksgiving and lasting ten days (26 November - 7 December), this book signing will be an unprecedented online event. 75 of today’s favorite Christian Authors have come together to answer questions, chat with their readers, and offer signed copies of their books—all without leaving the comforts of home and hearth!

Readers can search by author, title, or genre at the Christian Review of Books (http://www.christianreviewofbooks.com/) and then follow the purchase links to CrossPurposes Bookstore (http://www.crosspurposesbooks.com/) and buy autographed copies of each book featured. The authors will sign the books and ship them to the customers.

For a full list of participating authors, visit the Christian Review of Books.
I look forward to signing some of my books for you.

TALES OF THE DIM KNIGHT - Adam and Andrea Graham - Free Book

Welcome, Adam aned Andrea. Andrea indicated she wanted Adam to answer the questions, because he did more of the writing. Now, Adam, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Adam: I tend to, when I’m writing a character like Dave, I take a part of myself and exaggerate and augment it for the appropriate effect, often comedic. Examples: I like baseball and have an appreciation for golden age comics, and can be a bit of a goofball.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Adam: When I was at a small, independent church in Kalispell, I got on a kick that we didn’t really know when Christmas was, and insisted on singing Christmas carols in July.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Adam: When I was almost nine and I started writing Batman meets Superman fan fiction in a spiral notebook, right before the San Francisco earthquake.

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

Adam: Mysteries, good adventure science fiction, satire and spoofs. I have a strong appreciation for the classics.

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

Adam: In terms of unpublished work, my wife, Andrea, and I have a series of futuristic dystopia/apocalyptic novels written. I’ve also penned men’s fiction reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie. I also drafted most of the second book of Andrea’s contemporary alternate earth series, which crosses over into the fantasy market since Earth’s twin has never progressed past monarchy and still is undergoing the industrial revolution.

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

Adam: Sanity? What is this sanity? Seriously, I listen to a lot of classic radio. "Lum and Abne"r are great medicine for what ails me, usually.

I used to listen to "Lum and Abner." How do you choose your characters’ names?

Adam: I go with the first name to come in my head and plan on Andrea changing it later.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Adam: Getting paid to write for Pajamas Media. I spent so many years putting my political columns out there for free, it feels great to be recognized and compensated for my work.

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

Adam: a whale. Then I could take a cruise and not have to pay through the nose for it.

What is your favorite food?

Adam: Sirloin steak with mashed potatoes.

Sounds just like a man--meat and potatoes. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Adam: When I run into writing problems, it usually is because I’ve taken a wrong turn in my narrative and need to make a U turn and change directions.

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

Adam: Focus on learning to write. A lot of well-meaning advice pushes people to do marketing stuff before they’ve even figured out what they’re doing with their writing. Unless you’re famous, no platform can replace good craft.

Tell us about the featured book.

Mild-mannered janitor and superhero fanboy Dave Johnson gets all his wishes at once when a symbiotic alien gives him supernatural powers. But what's he to do with them? Follow his zany adventures as he fights crime and corruption while trying to keep his family together and avoid being sued for copyright infringement.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

Origin

Superman fell from the sky, collided with a skyscraper, and bounced off as it toppled. The action figure crashed into a green stegosaurus grazing at the foot of the sky blue leather sofa.

Mild-mannered janitor Dave Johnson set the cardboard skyscraper upright again in the model city erected on his steel gray living room carpet.

He tugged down his Spider-Man pajama top and sent a scolding glance at his dimpled nine-year-old. “Derrick, you shouldn’t have dropped him like that.”

Derrick scratched his head. “But, Dad, you said Superman got hit with a missile.”

When would his son ever learn?

At least Derrick still cared, unlike Dave’s eldest. “A missile isn’t going to knock Superman out of the sky, son. He’s invulnerable. He might be fazed, but he’d pop right back up.”

Derrick nodded. “That makes sense.”

“All right, so get him back in the sky.”

Derrick lifted Superman back above the cardboard model of Metropolis.

Naomi called from the kitchen, “Dinner!”

Derrick wrinkled his nose. “Aw, Mom—”

“—now, son.” Dave wagged a finger. “We’ve talked about this. You need to eat.”

“But what’s going to happen to Lois Lane?”

Dave mussed Derrick’s bushy hair, black like his own. “We’ll find out tomorrow, Champ.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Visit me at http://www.dimknight.com/

Thank you, Adam and Andrea, for this fun time together.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/

THE CAMERA NEVER LIES - Elizabeth Goddard - Free Book

I'm so pleased to have one of my dear friends on the blog. Welcome, Beth. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Lena, thank you for having me! First, I write Christian books because God is the reason I’m writing. He called me to this endeavor, in fact, chased me for years. I write romance, mystery, and suspense because that’s what I love to read. I love the tension in a suspense that keeps you turning the pages, and I love to solve a puzzle. I can’t imagine a story that doesn’t include romance.

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

 That’s a toss up between the day I was married and the birth of every one of my four children! How can I decide. Personal life aside, the happiest day of my life was when I achieved a goal I’d been working on for years—I signed my first book contract.

I remember that feeling. What a blessing God brought into each of our lives. How has being published changed your life?

I’m working harder and longer hours and I feel like I have a reason to write, that I’m not just chasing a pipe dream.

What are you reading right now?

Several things at once. Lorena Mccourtney’s Here Comes the Ride (Kindle) and Dee Henderson’s, Kidnapped. I just finished The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead (one of my favorite authors), and Lynn Austin’s While We’re Far Apart.

What is your current work in progress?

I have double deadlines right now—two book deadlines that are within weeks of each other. I’m working on a romantic suspense for LIS called Freezing Point, and a contemporary romance for Heartsong Presents called Under the Redwood Tree—the first book in my Redwood Coast series. I’m very excited about both stories.

They sound interesting. What would be your dream vacation?

Right now, I’m dreaming about Italy!

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I don’t choose the settings they choose me! Seriously, something will catch my attention in a big way and I know I should consider setting a story there. Settings are very important to my stories—they are usually one of my plot elements.

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

Wow, this is a tough question. A myriad of names come to mind, but to get the most of that evening, perhaps I’d choose Queen Elizabeth. Just imagine—I could visit her at Buckingham Palace (or wherever she’s staying at the time) and experience things I have never experienced before and never would again. In fact, I think you’ve just given me a story idea. :-)

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Can there be hobbies outside of writing and reading? Who knew? Just kidding, of course. Taking care of a home, and home schooling three young boys in addition to writing and reading doesn’t leave a lot of extra time. I’m an artist and a musician (of sorts) so if I can grab a few minutes, I enjoy playing the piano or sketching. I also love running and nature walks. I’m onto something new now, as well—I’m taking interest in decorating my home. Ha! I mean learning how to re-upholster furniture and just over-all design.

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

I have so many ideas in my head and not enough brain or time to do them all. The biggest obstacle I have is trying to decide which idea to pursue and develop into a proposal, because there are an infinite number of ways the story can unfold. It might take me as long to write a proposal as it does to write the book.

I actually hate writing the proposals, but they're necessary to sales. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

We often hear that beginners should never give up and while that’s good advice, I’ve come to believe if someone has what it takes to keep going, that burning drive is already built into them. My advice would be to attend conferences and meet people. Of course, you must continually improve craft and content, but networking is equally important.

Tell us about the featured book.

In The Camera Never Lies, Polly Perkins is a photographer invited to photograph her friend’s wedding at a national park. But she ends up photographing a murder victim instead—a man from her past whom she’d wished dead. The story is filled with a quirky cast of characters. The Camera Never Lies is a romantic mystery/suspense.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Everyone I know except my mother maintains a personal space bubble.

“Polly. . .” Tears welled in Mom’s eyes as we lounged outside at the Terrace Café, which overlooked Caldera Lake. “I’ve lost a great deal of money.” Her features drooped.

Mom’s bubble is more like a space dome, where everyone is invited in and welcomed to her conversation. I studied her. Looking uncomfortable under my scrutiny, she sighed and shifted in her seat before slumping against the wicker chair back. Though she was no stranger to melodrama, she’d never seemed this distressed. Not even the innumerable other times someone had taken advantage of her.

I leaned in and kept my voice down, hoping to lead by example. “What do you mean exactly? What happened?” Though nothing made me angrier than scams targeted at seniors, I couldn’t help but wonder if Mom might be partly to blame.

She wiped her eyes. “I tell you, I’m so mad. I want to kill that man!”

The rage in her voice pulsated through me. I sat rigid, wishing the table umbrella would shade me from more than the sun as I glanced around.

Interesting! How can readers find you on the Internet?

Elizabethgoddard.com or bethgoddard.com or http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethGoddardAuthor

Thank you, Beth, for the interesting interview.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/

WOUNDED SPIRITS - April Gardner - Free Book

Special note: Tuesday, December 7, marks the official Amazon Launch of Wounded Spirits.Purchase the book that day and receive tons of free e-gifts including the first chapter of the sequel.



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

I try not to put any of my major personality traits into my characters, but in Wounded Spirits, I did include several Spanish characters. I grew up as a missionary kid in Spain, so those details of the book are near to my heart.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

While I lived in England, I customarily wore bright, knee-highs with Crocs. Besides being fun, it was a survival mechanism against the cold and the arthritis in my feet. Sadly, fuzzy knee-highs don’t go over so well in Georgia.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I first discovered the love of writing in my 11th grade English class. Mr. Hicks introduced me to expository writing. Most of the class hated it, but I couldn’t get enough. In 12th, Miss Davy opened to me the world of creative writing, and that’s where I found my passion. Ten years later, I finally got the nerve up to write the novel in my heart—Wounded Spirits.

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

I read few contemporary books. There’s just something about a foreign place and time that lures me in. Historical fiction is my all time fave, but through my awesome crit group, Christian Young Adult Writers, I’ve discovered that fantasy and speculative fiction are just as thrilling.

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

Keep it? I thought I’d lost it long ago!

Actually, I try not to add too much to my plate. My mom always says to pray about a new idea or venture for a week or two then if you’re still just as thrilled about it, consider taking the first steps toward it. Her wise council has saved me a time or two from jumping on impulse toward something shiny and new only to regret my decision.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I hate choosing character names!! It’s the one thing I loathe about writing. I’m known to switch them out several times while I write a manuscript. Maybe if I had a better method, I wouldn’t be so wishy-washy about it.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My kids. It’s not easy homeschooling, but we’ve survived four years and are better and closer for it.

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

Whenever I see a field of grass or wheat or wild flower, I’m accosted with the insane urge to roll in it, run through it, or glide over it and feel the blades brushing against my skin. If only I were a horse. Or better yet, a unicorn!

What is your favorite food?

Coffee. I know it’s not a “food”, but it’s the one thing I can put in my mouth that I absolutely must have every day. It must a sin to derive such pleasure from a drink.

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

My greatest roadblock was not joining a critique group. I didn’t think I had the time to work on other people’s writing, but now that I’m part of one (although for my children’s fiction), I sigh at all the wasted time. I could learned so much and saved myself so much hassle! And my work would have been better for it. Lesson learned. Roadblock overcome. Crit groups are essential!

Tell us about the featured book.

Wounded Spirits takes place during the little known Creek War of 1813. It’s based on the true story of a family torn apart during the massacre at Fort Mims. The romance is my invention. An assaulting Creek warrior is tasked with protecting his enemy. The task of caring for the White women brings more challenges than he bargained for, as well as a love he cannot resist.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Adela shifted her body to allow blood flow to her legs. The mossy ground had long grown hard against her tailbone, and the rough tree trunk dug into her back.

A refreshing breeze blew through the pines lining the northwestern border of her father’s land. It rustled the needles and created a comforting, familiar whistle.

A small meadow lay vacant before her. On the opposite side, the evening sun cast its last rays through the treetops. Squinting, she thought for an instant she saw the form of a man. No, it was just a bush moving with the current of the wind.

Surely, she had been waiting nigh on two hours. Her family would be worrying. Just north, civil war raged among the Creeks and threatened to involve the vulnerable Americans in the Tensaw and Bigby settlements. Her parents’ constant fear of danger was well placed.

Soon Mama would call Adela’s father in from the barn and send one of the servants looking for her. Worry was never good for Mama.

Mama’s attacks were rare these days, but Adela never knew what might set her to wheezing and coughing.

Adela’s stomach twittered and flipped. She stood then rubbed her lower back. “Please, hurry, Phillip. Please,” she murmured, not sure she could stay much longer.

Unheeding, the sun’s beams continued down the length of the trees then dissolved, leaving only their orange and purple reflection in the sky.

Not wanting to create undue stress on her parents, she gave up waiting and set out toward home. She lifted her skirt to avoid the prickly blackberry bushes and berated herself for not having thought to bring a lantern. How foolish of me!

“Adela…Adela…” Her name rode on the breeze.

Sounds intriguing. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’d love for you to visit me at my webpage: http://www.aprilgardner.com/  or on my blog http://www.aprilwgardner.blogspot.com/ .

Thank you, April, for visiting with us
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/

NIGHTINGALE - Susan May Warren - Free Book + Another Contest

In addition to this interview, Susan May Warren will also have a contest for a Flip HD camcorder. We're all eligible to win.



About Nightingale: Esther Lange doesn’t love her fiancé—she’s trapped in an engagement after a mistaken night of passion.

Still, she grieves him when he’s lost in battle, the letters sent to her by the medic at his side giving her a strange comfort, so much that she strikes up a correspondence with Peter Hess, an Iowa farmboy. Or is he? Peter Hess is not who he seems. Indeed, he’s hiding a secret, something that could cost them both their lives, especially when the past comes back to life. A bittersweet love song of the home front war between duty and the heart...a battle where only one will survive.

Don’t miss book 1 in this stand-alone collection, Sons of Thunder.

About Susan May Warren: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of http://www.mybooktherapy.com/, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/.

Link to buy the book: http://www.christianbook.com/nightingale-susan-warren/9781609360252/pd/360252?event=AFFp 

Welcome, Susie. I'm blessed to share a distinction with you--ACFW Mentor of the year. Congratulations for winning this year. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?

What a great question! Of course, there is my amazing acquisitions editor, Susan Downs, who teams with me on these projects. She had an amazing gift to know how to sculpt a story. I’m also super grateful to Ellen Tarver who is my personal editor – she sees everything first and helps me know if it works or not. And, I couldn’t write a book without Rachel Hauck who always answers my phone calls, and usually the question “what happens now?” too! For this book, I was privileged to talk to a number of people from the town of Reedsburg where I researched the prisoner of war camp. I am especially grateful to Jeannette Kelly, who let me tour her condo in the renovated hospital where my story was set, and local inn keepers Tom and Donna Hoffman were a researcher’s gift – they answered every question I had and more – including, what does pea silage smell like! If you’re every looking for a wonderful place to stay in a quaint small town, try: http://www.parkviewbb.com/

If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar?

Over the past two years, I’ve started working with local writer’s groups more and more – designing seminars to suit the needs of their writers. I’m exited to put on a one day Storycrafter’s Seminar intensive for ACFW Colorado November 12th. If you’re interested: http://www.acfwcolorado.com/events.html . The next big My Book Therapy retreat is Deep Thinkers – 5 days of wordsmithing teaching and mentoring on the shores of Florida, February 25-March 1st. Go to: http://deepthinkers.mybooktherapy.com/

If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

Oh, that’s tough because I love so many places. I love the ocean, so Florida or North Carolina would be lovely. And I love the Colorado mountains. And I really enjoyed living in Tennessee…

But more and more, as my children grow up and leave the house, I believe my answer would be…wherever they are!

I've been blessed to have most of my children and grandchildren living in the same area of Texas, all except my grandson who is serving in Afghanistan right now. If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

Getting published is not magic. You aren’t waiting to be “picked” like you would on school yard team. You don’t need to wait for fairy dust to be sprinkled upon you. Getting published is about learning your craft, developing a solid story that fits the market, networking to put your story in the right hands, and finally simply doing the hard work. If you are committed to stay the course, I believe you will eventually turn out a publishable story.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])

Okay, music is easy – Michael Buble. I’d just ask him to follow me around (or rather, I’d follow him around) and sing.

I’d get Gerard Butler to speak because I love his accent. He can speak about anything, I don’t care. Maybe just read Robert Burns poetry. He could do our late night talks. Maybe I’d have him switch off with Matthew Goode. And Hugh Laurie. In fact, anyone with a British, Irish, or Scottish accent can come for free as long as they’re willing to read Scottish poetry.

I’d really like to hang out with Bonnie Hunt, so I’d ask her too, just because I think she’s hilarious. She doesn’t have to do anything – just sit at my table. Be my friend.

I suppose we should have someone motivational, so probably Dave Ramsey should come along and remind us not to buy the trinkets on shore unless we have set aside the cash to pay for them. Or maybe Joyce Meyer, she always has good things to say. They could do some breakout workshops.

I’d probably ask Gretchen Carlson from Fox and Friends because if I didn’t get television on the ship I’d miss out on her early morning banter and that would just upset my day. Besides, she’s Minnesotan, ‘nuf said. She could be our MC.

And for the entertainment? Jim Gaffigan. (You tube him. Seriously).

Could I also bring all the professional dancers from "Dancing with the Stars?" We’ll need some exercise, after all.

And Chef Ramsey. I don’t to talk to him – he scares me, but I do think we’d eat pretty well.

And, I’d like the band, Casting Crowns. For when Michael is tired. Because I love everything they sing.

Finally, I’d bring all my buddies from ACFW and My Book Therapy. Because we may not be celebrities, but they’re the people I’d really like to hang out with.

For sure I'd want to be on that cruise. Now tell us about the featured book.

Did you know that, in 1945, Wisconsin and Minnesota hosted German POWs in over 140 POW camps throughout the state? In fact, America held over 200,000 German POWs from 1942-1946. What’s most interesting is that these POWs worked on farms and in canneries throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, (and other states), right next to first generation German immigrants who, ten years earlier, might have been their neighbors. Indeed, some of the German immigrants had family fighting for Germany, and relatives in the very POW camps nearby.

During my research, I read a newspaper account about a woman who was moved because she heard hymn, sung in German (her native language) coming from inside the camp which was housed just across the street from her home. It made me realize that beneath the stamp of enemy just might be a fellow Christian, pressed into serving their country.

I also wanted to write an epistolary novel that explored the power of correspondence. I’d never written such a novel, and the challenge inspired me. I also wanted to write a story about a Daniel…a Christian caught in enemy territory. I think many Christians find themselves in “enemy” territory in their own country, and I fear America isn’t too far away from that. How then shall we live? I’m anxious to hear what readers think of Nightingale.

I can hardly wait to read it. Please give us the first page of the book.

Part 1

Good night my dear,
You must never fear-
For your love is here,
And she’ll hide you from everything.
’cuz you, my dear,
You’re my everything,
You’re the song I sing
When my nights are starless.

Chapter 1

Given a different day, a different hour, she might have jumped with him. That thought, perhaps, shook Esther most of all.

Two hours before Charlie Fadden perched himself on the edge of the top floor of the Roosevelt Mercy Hospital, Esther Lange had fed him cookies and beat him soundly in a game of gin rummy.

He’d taken the cookies, smiled at her with eyes that appeared lucid, and declared that she couldn’t possibly beat him in poker, if she dared to play, and what book was she reading to the patient in bed number six, because he had a few questions himself.

Thornton Wilder. The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

She understood his question. Why did unexplainable events happen to the innocent?

Perhaps that particular piece of conversation accounted for why she found him on the roof with the biting wind pasting his flimsy army-issue pajamas to his skeleton, staring out over the blanketed town of Roosevelt. Still, she should have seen the desperation rising in his eyes, right?

Another moment she longed to snatch back, replay.

Somehow she had to learn how to stop living with one eye over her shoulder. Or she’d end up on the roof, like Charlie.

A full moon and the splatter of stars along the Milky Way illuminated the GI, his hands whitened on his crutches, staring into the clear midnight. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a wild-eyed fury. “Get away.”

Esther drew a breath from where she crouched near the chimney, her fingers digging into the brittle cement, the petroleum odor of the tar roof curdling her nose. Her bare legs prickled against the lick of the night air.

“I can’t do that, you know. I’m here to help you.”

“There ain’t no help for me.” He turned away, his shoulders rigid.

She glanced past him, measuring the distance to the ground below.


The blackout curtains washed the town into the milky darkness—the Queen Anne style homes, the bungalow “box houses,” purchased once upon a time from Sears and Roebuck, the stately colonials, the few Victorians with their steep-roofed towers and ornamented gables—like Caroline’s boarding house, all nested between the budding oaks, maples, and elms, the balsam firs, and occasional cottonwoods, the pedestrian sidewalks that cordoned off Locust, Park, and Walnut streets. A gentle town, filled with hardy German immigrants, the kind that sent their boys to war in the land of their ancestors.

Her gaze tripped over Judge and Mrs. Hahn’s three-story French Empire monstrosity, with the mansard roof that sat like a cap upon the house, the round windows’ eyes despising the peasantry along Pine Street. Above it all, the twin spires of the Lutheran church parted the night.

And as if it were a woman in repose, watching the doings of the Wisconsin hamlet, the dark shadow of the Baraboo range lounged along the horizon.

What it took for Charlie to drag his shattered body out of the fourth ward, down the hall to the roof access closet, up the ten-foot ladder, and out to the crisp, fluorescent night, well… Despair made a person lose themselves sometimes.

Charlie, for sure, had left too much of himself on the beaches of Normandy.

Her feet scuffled as she stood, but Charlie didn’t move, as if contemplating freedom.

Of course Esther should tell him not to jump.

Of course, she should scream that life was worth living. Really.

Of course she should remind him that he couldn’t fly, and a three-story plunge wouldn’t release him from his wounds.

But the words lodged in her throat.

Because, PFC Charlie Fadden was right. Up here on top of Roosevelt Mercy Hospital, flying seemed downright congenial.

Even triumphant.

Okay, this is going to the top of my to-be-read pile. Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
http://www.susanmaywarren.com/ , or http://www.mybooktherapy.com/ .
Facebook me at: http://www.facebook.com/SusanMayWarren
Or at my fan page: http://www.facebook.com/SusanMayWarrenFiction
Follow me at: http://twitter.com/susanmaywarren

Thank you for letting me share today!

It's always a pleasure for me to feature you on my blog.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book, and tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)


Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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!!

ReneeG is the winner of Mail Order Cowboy by Laurie Kingery.
Bakersdozen is the winner of Meander Scar by Lisa Lickel.

Cynthia is the winner of Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul.

Misskallie2000 is the winner of Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck.

AnnaW is the winner of The Duke's Handmaid by Caprice Hokstad.

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:

Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
You have 6 weeks to claim your book.
If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

CHRISTMAS BODYGUARD - Margaret Daley - Free Book

So good to have you back, Margaret, and with another Christmas book. Why did you become an author?

I became an author because I love to make up stories ever since I was a little girl. I used to have elaborate stories involving my dolls.

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

For 27 years I had my other dream job. I was a teacher for children with special needs. Loved that job!

It takes a special person to do that, and I'm sure you were very good at it. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

 I love researching different times in history and have been doing some right now for a book I am writing. With that said, I like the time period I live in right now. I have been reading about the early 19th century, especially the woman’s role, and realized how lucky we are to be alive today.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

I would love to see Montana and Yellowstone National Park. The scenery looks awesome.

I know. I love looking at pictures and videos from there. How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

I want to visit Australia or New Zealand.

I do, too. Maybe we could go together. What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

To give control over to Him.

Tell us about the featured book.

Blurb for Christmas Bodyguard:

Someone's after wealthy Texan Slade Caulder's daughter. Desperate to keep her safe while he determines the motive, the widowed father hires a bodyguard for Abbey. A female bodyguard, with the training to protect the girl--and an understanding of a willful teenager who keeps trying to outsmart her. Elizabeth Walker is the perfect combination of caring and toughness for her job. But as the holidays approach, the stalker's threats escalate. And Slade finds himself willing to risk everything to keep his Christmas bodyguard by his side...forever.

Guardians, Inc.: Born to protect, bound to fall in love

Sounds like a very good story. Please give us the first page of the book.

"Watch out!" Slade Caulder said through clenched teeth, gripping the door handle on his SUV. Why had he allowed a sixteen-year-old with a permit to drive? Only a few more miles to the ranch—thankfully.

"Dad, I saw him coming out. I've got everything under control."

When he noticed Abbey sliding a glance toward him, his heart rate shot up even further. "Keep your eyes on the road."

"I'm gonna ask Gram to take me driving next time."

"No." Although he wished he could let his mother-in-law take over teaching his daughter to drive around Dallas, he wouldn't. It was his job.

The car gained speed. "Don't go over sixty."

"I'm not. I have to practice going highway speed. Quit worrying about me."

Yeah, sure. She might as well ask him to quit breathing. It wasn't going to happen. Abbey was all he had. At least this was an almost-deserted stretch of road.

Thud! Bam!

A blowout?

Suddenly the car swerved to the right toward the ditch along the highway. He lurched around and glimpsed the color leaching from Abbey's face. Her knuckles whitened as she fought the shimmying steering wheel.

"Daddy!" she screamed above the thumping sound followed by a whomp. "I can't control…”

Wow! Way to leave us hanging. Bring on the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can find me at http://margaretdaley.com/ .

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. New information: Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. I’m trying to get a good idea of where the people live who leave comments on my blog. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/

LOVE IS GRAND - Annalisa Daughtey - Free Book

Welcome to my blog, Annalisa. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I began writing when I was very young and my biggest dream was to be a published author. I’ve always known that my faith and my relationship with God would be a part of my writing. I want to write books that entertain—but that I am comfortable recommending to my thirteen year old cousin or my ninety year old grandmother. My books aren’t preachy—but the characters definitely rely on their faith to get them through tough situations.

That's the kind of books I write, too. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Any day spent with my entire family. I am blessed to be a part of a large family—lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. We gather frequently—lots of food, board games, and laughter. Those are the best days—when we’re all together at my grandmother’s house.

How has being published changed your life?

I have a full time job outside of writing—and I’ve had 4 books release over the past year and a half. Since I got my first contract, my life has become busier than I ever expected. There are lots of days when I wonder how I’ll ever get everything done! But overall, it has been such a blessing. I love hearing from readers who enjoy my books—that is really what keeps me going.

What are you reading right now?

I’m re-reading the final Harry Potter book…in preparation for the upcoming movie opening. Next on my list is The Help because so many have recommended it to me.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on another Love Finds You book that is set to release next year—it takes place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I’m also working on a book for Barbour that is set in Charleston, South Carolina—it releases in 2012.

What would be your dream vacation?

I spent a semester in college living and studying in a villa just outside of Florence, Italy. My dream vacation would be to do that again—minus the school work! I’d love to rent a villa in Tuscany—eat lots of pasta and gelato, read a few good books, and just sit in the sun and soak up the beauty of the area. No deadlines, no phones ringing, no emails…just me and a couple of my best friends. That would be a dream vacation.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

For the Walk in the Park series, I used National Parks as settings. When I worked as a park ranger at Shiloh National Military Park, I fell in love with National Parks and have really enjoyed using them as book setting. For future books, I still plan to sneak parks in however I can. For example, in my upcoming book set in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my characters are going to visit Gettysburg. I think writing contemporary stories in historic locations is a fun way to blend the past and present.

Sounds like a plan to me. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Hmm. This is tricky. I’m going to break the rules and go with 3 people and say my 3 best friends from college: Vickie, Kelly, and Kristy. We don’t even all live in the same country anymore (one of them is a missionary in Paraguay) so to be able to spend an evening catching up and laughing in person would be so much fun!

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to garden—flowers or vegetables either one. Something about having my hands in the dirt relaxes me. And I’m trying to turn myself into a runner—I’ve completed three 5Ks over the past few months, and am trying to get up the courage to start training for a half marathon. We’ll see how that goes! I also love to cook, especially desserts.

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

Honestly, procrastinating is my most difficult obstacle. Some days it is too easy to think “oh, I’ll write that scene tomorrow” when I know I need to buckle down and get my word count in. So really just staying disciplined is my biggest challenge.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read! Especially books that are in the genre they are interested in writing in. My biggest piece of advice is always the same—join American Christian Fiction Writers. That is such a great resource. And since I’m one of those former Genesis contest winners who went on to be published, I always advise entering—the feedback is a fantastic way to gauge where you are with your writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Love is Grand is the third book in the Walk in the Park series. It’s set at the Grand Canyon. Ainsley Davis is a widowed park ranger, raising a toddler alone—and she sees danger around every corner. She’s become fearful of everything—including love. Here’s the back cover copy:

Ainsley Davis had it all. . .
. . .a job she loved
. . .a husband she adored
. . .a baby on the way

But after her husband’s unexpected death, she left her job and retreated to the safety of her parents’ home. Two years later, Ainsley is still there, raising the baby alone and envisioning danger around every corner. When her position as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon reopens, she realizes God may be trying to tell her to return—if she can face the fears that hold her captive.

Fellow ranger Dustin Cooper is thrilled to have his old friend back. But Ainsley isn’t the fearless girl he remembers. Even so, Dustin pushes her to put her trust in God and jump back into her life.

Policeman Jake McGuire fled to the Grand Canyon after an on-the-job mistake. He’s determined to live a stress-free, anonymous life. Until he meets Ainsley. Suddenly he realizes he’d like to be a hero again—if only in her eyes.

Can Ainsley regain her zest for life—despite the risks—and find the right man to walk alongside her? If so, she may be surprised to find that even the second time around, Love is Grand.

Sounds interesting. Please give us the first page of the book.

At least a full minute had passed since either of them had said a word. Ever since her husband’s untimely death, Ainsley Davis’s life had been filled with uncomfortable silences. It was like people didn’t know what to say to her. But today, she was the one without words. Ainsley shifted uncomfortably in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Dr. Sinclair. Not that she was counting or anything, but the ticking of the wall clock was hard to ignore.

“It’s okay. Take your time.” He finally broke through the silence and peered at her through wire-rimmed glasses. “I know it’s difficult.”

She wondered if his cardigan sweater was supposed to make her have a warm and fuzzy Mr. Rogers flashback. Even Fred Rogers and his theatre of puppets couldn’t make discussing her husband’s death any easier. “I’m not sure what ‘moving on’ means to me.” She used her fingers to make quotation marks in the air. “Besides, how do I know if I’m even ready?”

Dr. Sinclair rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The first step was realizing that you needed help. I know coming in to speak to me hasn’t been easy. But you’ve made lots of progress here.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://www.annalisadaughety.com/
My blog: http://www.princessofpatience.blogspot.com/
I have an author page on Facebook and am also on Twitter.

Thanks so much for having me on here, Lena!

My pleasure, Annalisa.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. New information: Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. I’m trying to get a good idea of where the people live who leave comments on my blog. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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THE BLACKSMITH'S BRAVERY - Susan Page Davis - Free Book

So good to have you back, Susan. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?

I love writing both historical novels and suspense, so I think my favorite is historical suspense. The Blacksmith’s Bravery and other books in the Ladies’ Shooting Club series have some mystery or suspense in them. Another example of this genre is my recent book The Crimson Cipher, set in 1915. They let me bring together romance, history, and suspense in a blend that’s fun to write and exciting to read.

If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?

Probably back in Maine, my home state. I lived there most of my life. I recently moved to Kentucky, and I love it here, but if I hadn’t made the move, no doubt I’d still be back in the frozen north.

What foreign country would you like to visit and why?

I love traveling, but right now I’d most like to revisit England. I was privileged to go there when I was in college. It was a wonderful experience, and now it would be even more special, because my daughter Megan (who authored the Mainely Mysteries series with me) now lives there.

Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.

A trip with someone I love to an exotic setting and no glitches in travel.

Yeah, those glitches can really kill the romance. Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

I’m thinking about setting one here in Kentucky.

What is the main theme of this novel?

Acceptance and forgiveness play a big part in The Blacksmith’s Bravery. Griffin must accept Vashti as she is, as well as his nephew and himself. Vashti needs to forgive Griffin’s blunders and her own past.

Tell us about the story.

Vashti Edwards works at the Spur & Saddle in Fergus, Idaho. By age twelve, Vashti was orphaned and working her way west in saloons. In Fergus, she’s found new hope in Christian friends from The Ladies Shooting Club and an employer who turned her saloon into a restaurant. But money’s tight, and Vashti tries to get the job she’s dreamed of—as a stagecoach driver. Griffin Bane, local blacksmith, is overseeing the stagecoach line and admits he needs more help. But can a woman—even one known to be a good markswoman—handle the challenges and dangers on the trail? And can he brave the beautiful distraction she makes riding alongside him?

Please give us the first page of the book. (Lena, this is not page one, but it’s an excerpt from chapter one.) Works for me.

Vashti scurried behind the serving counter that had been made out of the old bar. She poured two glasses of water. Bitsy paused beside her on her way into the kitchen to give Augie the Nashes’ order.

“Before it gets busy, could you run across and see if Griffin’s got the ticket office open yet? I don’t want to get there at the last minute and not have my ticket.”

“Yes’m.” Vashti delivered the water glasses with a smile to the Nashes and ducked out the door and across the street.

She hiked up her skirt and ran past the emporium and across the alley to the stagecoach office. The big blacksmith had shed his apron and was tacking a notice to the wall beside the door.

“Mr. Bane, Miss Bitsy sent me for her ticket to Boise again.” Vashti halted beside him, panting.

He looked up. “Oh, sure. Just a second.” He hammered a final tack into the poster and went inside. “You got the money?”

“Yes.” Vashti stared at the notice he’d posted.

Help wanted—stage coach drivers, blacksmith, livery stable hands. Inquire within.

She pulled in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped inside. Griffin sat at the desk, fumbling at the ticket book with his big hands.

“You said she’s going through to Boise?”

“That’s right. On business. Taking the two o’clock.”

Griffin wrote in the book and tore out the ticket. “Three dollars and six bits.”

Vashti handed over the money Bitsy had given her that morning. “I noticed that poster you put up.”

“Uh huh.” Griffin gave her the ticket. He put the ticket book in a drawer and in the process knocked his pen off the desk. He bent to retrieve it.

“It says you’re hiring.”

He sat up and squinted at her. “That’s right. I need some more manpower.”

She ignored the “man” part and plunged on. “Mr. Bane, I’d love the chance to drive. I learned how when I was kid, and I’ve always been good with horses. I know I could do the job.”

His jaw dropped.

“If you’ll give me a chance, I can take the stage through. I know I can, easy as pie.”

Griffin stood and stared down at her with such a thunderous expression that Vashti faltered to a stop and waited.

“You want to drive?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stagecoaches?”

“Yes, sir.”

He threw back his head and laughed.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is: http://www.susanpagedavis.com/

And my FaceBook page is:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Page-Davis/139580589399172?v=wall

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

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. New information: Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. I’m trying to get a good idea of where the people live who leave comments on my blog. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

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. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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/