UNEXPECTED LOVE - Andrea Boeshaar - Free Book

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

Exciting stuff! I’m starting to write a brand new series about a Norwegian family that migrates to Wisconsin. The series is called Fabric of Time and each book covers a generation, beginning in 1848 and ending in 1898.

Sounds interesting. Tell us a little about your family.

I’m of Norwegian and German decent. My husband’s family is Dutch. Daniel and I have three grown sons. Ben, who is in the ministry. Rick, a flight paramedic and now an RN. Rick is also the regional manager for emergency medical services for Aurora Health Care. And Brian who works in banking and commercial real estate. Ben and his wife have 3 children. Rick has 1 son.

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

I’m afraid I don’t read as often as I’d like. With researching my novel and all the time spent writing it, I barely have time to clean my house and see the grandkids, let alone read. Still, I try to read a book every couple of months.

What are you working on right now?

Book One in my new series. It’s called Threads of Hope. I’m in the beginning stages and doing my research right now.

What outside interests do you have?

I love to take walks. I recently underwent a total knee replacement and I’m healing up just great. I can’t wait to take regular walks outside come springtime. My husband and I also enjoy seeing our grandchildren. We make that a regular practice.

One of my daughters is moving closer to us in a week and a half. We're so excited to have them and our great grandson nearby. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Somehow certain areas just grab me, like the Arizona Territory in 1867. You’ll read about it in book 4 in my Seasons of Redemption series. But I’m also interested in local history. Book 2 in my series takes place here in Milwaukee. Book 3 is set in Chicago and then in Milwaukee again. I love to research my hometown.

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

Jesus. I can’t wait to meet Him. I have so many questions to ask Him. :-)
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I wish I would have learned more about self-editing. Sometimes I’m embarrassed to read my older works, even if they’re published. I suppose that means I’m growing as a writer – and that’s good!

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

God has shown Himself faithful in so many ways. He takes good care of me. One of the lessons I’m learning is that because my Heavenly Father is the King of kings and I am His child, then that makes me…a princess! So I ought to act like royalty, not in a snooty manner, but a manner in which I treat myself with respect and take care of myself. The Bible says that we should love others as ourselves. But if we don’t love and respect ourselves, we cannot love our neighbors.

So all you princesses out there – listen up! Do something wonderful for yourselves today – and then show some kindness to someone else. :-)
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

1) Don’t give up.
2) Learn all you can about writing and hone your skills
3) Trust God to open the doors to your success. Then don’t be afraid to walk through them.

Tell us about the featured book.

Unexpected Love is the story of a post-Civil War nurse named Renna Fields. She’s working in a hospital in Chicago when a half-drowned man is brought in. He’s been pulled from Lake Michigan and is barely alive. If readers are finished with Uncertain Heart they may guess who this strange man is. :-) Renna takes pity on him and nurses him back to health – only to learn that “Mr. Blackeyes” has forgotten his past and his identity.

It’s an exciting read, if I do say so myself. My author’s copies just arrived from my publisher and I’m very pleased with the book’s end result.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1
Chicago, Illinois
September 4, 1866
“Do you think he’ll live, Dr. Hamilton?”

The gray-haired man with bushy whiskers pondered the question for several moments by chewing on his thick lips as he weighed his reply. “Yes, I think he will,” he finally said. “Of course he’s not out of the woods yet, but it seems he’s coming around.”

Lorenna Fields breathed a sigh of relief. It had been two whole days with nary a sign of life from this half-drowned man, but finally—finally he showed signs of improvement.

“You’ve done a good job with this patient, Nurse Fields.” The physician drew himself up to his full height, which barely met Renna’s five feet six inches. “I don’t think he’d be alive today if you hadn’t given him such extraordinary care.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hamilton, but it was the Lord who spared this man and the Lord who gave me the strength and skill to nurse him.”

The old physician snorted in disgust. “Yes, well, it might have had something to do with the fact that you’ve got a brain in your head, Nurse Fields, and the fact that you used it too, I might add!”

Renna smiled inwardly. Dr. Hamilton always disliked it when she gave God the credit for any medical advancement. Especially the miracles. Yet, Renna’s intelligence and experience weren’t typical of women her age, and she determined to use them to God’s glory.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to my website: http://www.andreaboeshaar.com/ Once there, readers can find my blog and a lot of other information. They can also find me on Facebook.

I've really enjoyed having you on my blog again, Andrea.

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.

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DESTINY'S DREAM - Delia Latham - Free Book

Welcome, Delia. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write inspirational romance and women’s fiction because that’s what God has laid upon my heart to do. I consider my writing a ministry. In every novel, I genuinely attempt to uplift and encourage, to slip in some element of trust and faith in addition to entertaining my reader.

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

Well, there are four of them…the days each of my children were born. I can’t imagine a happier moment than holding those newborn babies in my arms and knowing they were healthy and whole.

How has being published changed your life?

I still truck along pretty much as I did before being published. :-) I think what I notice more than anything is that I am no longer capable of reading a book solely for pleasure, because my inner editor never sleeps. Even when I try to just read, I can’t help noticing errors—typos, head hopping, grammatical quirks, etc. (((Sigh))) Sometimes it’s very annoying! LOL

What are you reading right now?

I’m very much enjoying A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller. It’s an Amish tale, and a really good one, I might add.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on Book 3 in my Solomon’s Gate Series. Gypsy’s Game is about a somewhat jaded young woman who gets married only to fulfill the dictates of her father’s will and claim her inheritance. Falling in love with her husband is not in the plan, but then, God’s ways are most often not ours, are they? :-)

What would be your dream vacation?

I would love to visit Ireland and see the land of my ancestors.

That's the same reason I'd like to go to Norway and Sweden. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I grew up in California and lived there all my life, until two years ago, when my husband and I moved to Oklahoma. So far, all of my books have been set somewhere in the Golden State…because I know it, and it’s easier to describe areas I’m at least somewhat familiar with. Gypsy’s Game actually has a couple off chapters set in Romania, so I’ve had to do some extensive research for that, since I’ve never been there. I chose Romania for their honeymoon trip because they are both of Romanian heritage.

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

I’d love to talk to Max Lucado about writing. I’ve never read any other Christian author with the ability to speak so directly to my heart. He paints such vivid pictures with words, it simply amazes me! I’d love to sit in on a Lucado class on writing and benefit from his knowledge.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to sing and play piano. Although I don’t have the breath to do quite as much of it as I used to, it still satisfies something within my heart, even if no one hears it but me and the Lord. I also enjoy designing marketing materials for other authors—bookmarks, flyers, posters, business cards, etc.

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

Procrastination. If I allow myself, I can while away hours doing writing related things, when I should be writing. I’ve discovered that writing is so much easier when I know the book I’m working on already has a home. LOL White Rose Publishing contracted the entire Solomon’s Gate Series when they accepted Destiny’s Dream (Book One). Writing those two additional books has been a breeze in comparison to the first one, simply because I knew it was already set for publication.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write, write, write. It’s what writers do. Find a place you can call your own, even if it’s nothing more than a closet you’ve confiscated for writing purposes, or a corner of the dining room table. Make it yours, and go there every day, preferably at the same time every day—and write. You’ll be surprised how quickly it becomes a routine you’ll be uncomfortable breaking. Also, get involved with a writer’s group, if possible. Find a mentor. Having a more experienced author to offer advice and encouragement is an unbelievable asset.

Tell us about the featured book.

Destiny’s Dream is Book One in the Solomon’s Gate Series, which is based around a Christian dating agency of the same name. Here’s a blurb:

Is a little respect too much to ask at a parent’s funeral?

Apparently it is for Destiny May. Clay Gallagher is built like a small mountain and far more vocal than is fitting when he shows up late to her mother’s “going away party.” When it turns out he’s not even at the right funeral, Destiny demands retribution in the form of an escape from the day’s dreary proceedings. Spending time with a handsome stranger who makes her laugh is more therapeutic than fighting with her overbearing family.

Clay finds Destiny beautiful, charming...and intelligent. So why is she stubbornly determined to open a Christian dating service? Clay has little respect for such a frivolous profession, and doesn’t think the small, conservative town of Castle Creek will welcome such a progressive business. But when Destiny is threatened by an anonymous caller who deeply resents her and what she does for a living, Clay makes it his business to keep the saucy redhead out of harm’s way.

Trouble is, spending time in her company weakens his defenses, and Destiny may be the one thing Clay can’t escape...if he even wants to.

I like it. Please give us the first page of the book.

The first page of the book is a prologue. I’ll give you the first page of Chapter One. Here ya go…

“If she plays that song one more time, I swear I’ll scream!”

Destiny had nothing against “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” but Miss Willard had played it through at least half a dozen times. Destiny was fairly certain the old lady had been born on that organ bench and would most likely die there. For pity’s sake, surely by now she knew a few other songs that would be appropriate for a funeral! She cast a weary glance toward the prim organist with her customary, tight white bun and the face of a thousand wrinkles. How old is she anyway? I’m pretty sure she was at least ninety when I was kid—and that was twenty years ago.

A grin danced at the corners of her lips, and she bit down hard on the offending body part even as she raised a hand to cover it. What on earth would people think if she burst out laughing at her mother’s funeral?

Her nerves felt like a rubber band at the crucial breaking point. With her emotions stretched to the limit, it would be so easy to lose control. Get it together, Destiny May.

Her gaze drifted from the rail-thin organist and bounced off the beautiful, flower-draped coffin. Thank God Mama had requested a closed casket. The private family viewing the night before had been hard. She couldn’t imagine trying to get through this service with her sweet mother displayed up front like a mortician’s trophy.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to visit my website: http://www.delialatham.net/, or my blog: http://my-book-bag.blogspot.com/. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter under the screen name DeliaLatham. I love to hear from my readers, so I truly hope you’ll stop by and say hello.

Thank you, Delia, for the fun 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.

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STARS COLLIDE - Janice Thompson - Free Book

I'm thrilled to have my good friend, Janice Thompson, back with a new series. Welcome, Janice. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I tend to write about people who like to “fix” things (and people). Lately, I find that I also write about people who handle their insecurities through humor.

Humor is good. What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Besides Stars Collide, I have quite a few other recent/upcoming releases: Jersey Sweets (Three love stories set in New Jersey – from Barbour Publishing), Love Finds You in Camelot Tennessee (A quirky, fun story about the town of Camelot putting on the musical Camelot – from Summerside/Guideposts), The Perfect Match (A cozy mystery – from Barbour Publishing). All of these books will release between now and March.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I would have to say Kathleen Y’Barbo. She and I have been the very best of friends for years, but she recently married and moved away from the Houston  to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I miss her terribly. She’s coming in town for my birthday (January 6th) and I can hardly wait!

I know how close the two of you are. I'm sure you're really missing her. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

I think I’d like to meet Ben Franklin. Maybe some of his wit would rub off on me! He was quite an inventor, too, so it would be fun to hang out with him for a day and watch his creativity at work!

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

There’s really only one way to view a rejection: God is sparing you from publishing a book at the wrong house. I had something rather traumatic happen a few years back. I’d submitted a book to a publishing house I’d worked with before. When the book was rejected, I was devastated. Less than a year later, that book was picked up by another publishing house and went on to become my best-selling novel (selling almost double the copies of any other book at the previous house). If I’d gotten my way, the sales would’ve been much lower, for sure. So, patience is a virtue!

I learned that lesson this year, too. I had a series rejected early in the year and was very disappointed. Later in the year a much larger publisher bought the series. I'm looking forward to working with this company for a while. Tell us about the featured book.

Here’s the info from the back cover of STARS COLLIDE:

Her future's so bright, she's gotta wear shades

Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don't just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom--they are actually head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat's grandmother, an eccentric star from Hollywood's golden age, mistakes their on-screen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of control. Will their secret be front-page news in the tabloids? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed family members?

From the soundstage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes you on a roller-coaster tour of Hollywood, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion.

ENDORSEMENTS:

"Stars Collide is a fun-filled romp into Tinseltown with all its quirks and characters. I hope you enjoy this romantic getaway as much as I did."--Kristin Billerbeck, bestselling author of Perfectly Dateless and What a Girl Wants

"A sweet, funny, fun look at Hollywood behind the scenes, from a talented author. Janice Thompson knows her characters inside and out."--Lisa Wingate, bestselling author of Larkspur Cove and Beyond Summer

Sounds like just the book I want to read. Please give us the first page.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

“You want me to kiss him . . . where?” I stared at my director, hoping I’d somehow misunderstood his last-minute change to the script.

A look of exasperation crossed his face. “On the lips, of course. This is a family show, Kat. Remember?”

“Of course.” I nodded and fought to keep my breathing even as I rephrased my question. “I mean, where in the scene? Beginning, middle, or end? What’s my cue?”

“Oh.” A look of relief passed over Mark Wilson’s face as he sank into his director’s chair. “At the very end of the scene. Right after Jack says, ‘This has been a long time coming, Angie.’ At that point I want the two of you to kiss. On the lips. In a passionate but family-friendly way. PG, not PG-13.”

“Ah.” My gaze darted across the crowded studio to Scott Murphy, my love interest in the sitcom Stars Collide. He raked his fingers through that gorgeous, dark, wavy hair of his and flashed an encouraging smile. Apparently the idea of kissing me on camera hadn’t startled him. Why should I let it make me nervous? We’d both known for months this moment would come. And now that it had arrived, there would be no turning back. Kissing him—whether it happened at the beginning, middle, or end of the scene—was something the viewers had anticipated for three seasons. Ironically, I’d spent almost as long waiting, hoping, and praying for it myself.

Over the past two seasons, my off-screen friendship with Scott had morphed into something more, and I knew he felt the same. Still, we’d danced around each other for months, neither of us willing to open up and share our hearts. And now that the opportunity had finally presented itself, I felt like slinking back to my dressing room and diving under the makeup table. Would anyone notice if the show’s leading lady skipped out on the scene?

“Kiss him, Kat! Kiss him!” The voices of the youngest cast members rang out, and my cheeks grew warm as I realized the sitcom’s children had a vested interest in this too. They’d worked for two full seasons to push the characters of Jack and Angie together, after all. A kiss seemed inevitable, even to them.

Only now, it just seemed impossible. How could I kiss Scott, passionately or otherwise, with my heart in my throat? And how—I gulped in air as I thought about it—how could I kiss him when my feelings offstage were as strong as those my character Angie faced when the cameras were rolling?

My heart did that crazy junior high flip-flop thing, and for a moment I thought I might faint. Squeezing my eyes shut, I invited the opportunity. If I hit the floor, we could probably avoid filming the scene altogether.

Nope. No such luck. After a few seconds of feigning dizziness, I realized I was as steady on my feet as ever. Opening my eyes, I contemplated my options. Now what?

From across the studio, Scott smiled again, offering me a glimmer of hope. Was that a “come hither” look in his eyes? Mm-hmm. A sense of peace flooded over me and I whispered a prayer of thanksgiving.

I can do this. I can do this. With the eyes of the masses watching, I took my place on the set, ready to begin filming.

Scott continued to tease me with a smile. Oh yes, this certainly made things easier. His baby blues stared deep down into my soul, giving me the courage I needed.

At this point, everything began to move in slow motion.

I heard the director yell, “Action!”

Managed to speak my opening lines, then listened for Scott’s impassioned response.

Watched as the cameras overhead swung near for the big moment.

Felt my heart race when Scott—as the character of Jack—took a step in my direction.

Heard him whisper those magic words: “This has been a long time coming, Angie.”

Sensed the studio audience members holding their breath.

Closed my eyes in anticipation.

Then, just as Scott swept me into his arms for that magical moment we’d all been waiting for . . . the power went out.

Studio B faded to black.

I love it, Janice. I can hardly wait for the book to get here. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have two websites – one to promote my writing, another to promote my online courses.
My writing site (with all information related to books): http://www.janicehannathompson.com/
My online courses (for those interested in writing): http://www.freelancewritingcourses.com/

And, dear readers, those writing courses are dynamite, too.
 
Thank you, Janice, for the fun 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.

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FAITH'S REWARD - Tammy Barley - Free Book

Author's Bio: I have lived in twenty-seven places in eight states (so far) and have visited nearly all. When I'm not writing? I judge a number of top writing contests and love my work as a manuscript editor and biographer. I am also Mom to two sons, one daughter, a rescued American Eskimo dog, thirteen parakeets, and an aquarium full of fish. The children I homeschool; the dog I taught to sit. She also barks at parked cars.

In my spare time, you're likely to find me baking, gardening, behind a camera, or hugging a horse.

Welcome, Tammy. I love your new picture. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

Wow—He certainly has! It’s difficult to see past next year—and God has a way of tilting Earth under me and sending me in unexpected directions—but I see three to four new books in the next year . . . and perhaps even something coming of the few whispers I’ve heard about The Sierra Chronicles being considered for film production. Truly, only God knows.

What are you working on right now?

Recently, I returned from an unforgettable trip out West, where I dove into research for my next trilogy, set in the gorgeous Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. Some amazing history there, and some almost-unbelievable true stories. I’m so excited to see how the new series is unfolding.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The setting has to be the American West, and the setting has to include mountains, which I dearly love—the vistas, forests, wildlife, and waterfalls. Each trilogy will be set in its own mountain range or valley at the mountains’ foot. The setting and its history must be conducive to a little mystery, even more suspense, and great romance.

Tell us about the featured book?

The Sierra Chronicles, book three—Faith’s Reward

The year 1865 starts out as a nightmare come true for Jessica Bennett. The cattle she and her husband, Jake, fought to save from drought the summer before now face the threat of freezing to death. Her fears worsen when Jake contracts pneumonia.

Springtime brings trials of a different kind—the snowmelt causes the ranch to thrive so much that Jake must sell off the last of their cattle to make room for their horses and the young foals to be born. In the meantime, Jess endeavors to recover her rightful inheritance, which mysteriously disappeared from the bank. When she discovers a link between the banker and a group of murderous Unionists, who continue to target Southerners even though the war is over, Jake launches an undercover investigation.

The conspiracy runs deeper and wider than either of them could have imagined. Jess must put her life—and the life of her unborn child—at risk to stop the ringleader and save the lives of many others. Yet, Jess refuses to give up hope in the God she serves—a God of love who often provides above and beyond our greatest dreams.

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

Honey Lake Valley, northern California
January 1865

“Jake?”

Jessica Bennett jolted upright in bed, her hand trembling as it searched the cold sheets in the darkness beside her. Her fingers brushed Jake’s equally cold pillow, then the soft fur of the cat that huddled on it, the only trace of warmth in the place where her husband had gone to sleep beside her. “Jake?”

Wind rattled the windowpane with nearly enough force to crack it. The terrible cold seeped through the glass and turned the bedroom to ice. Jess hugged her flannel nightgown firmly to her and sat still and alert, straining to hear over the storm for any indication of movement in the house, either upstairs or downstairs. She heard no thud of boot heels on the plank floor, no jingle of spurs to suggest any presence inside the house but hers.

Judging by the thick darkness, dawn was still hours away. Though she and Jake had worked until they were exhausted—sometime after midnight—he must have rested in bed until she fell asleep, but no longer than that. Once he was certain she and the baby within her were at rest, he’d gone back to work and joined the next shift of cattlemen who fought to keep their horses and cattle alive, digging them out of the snow and providing hay to stimulate their bodies’ heat.

The misty darkness abruptly grew darker, closing in around her.

Then, blackness.

An image flashed through her mind—She stood in boot-deep snow under a gray sky, a Henry rifle gripped in her hands. At her sides stood two of the cattlemen. More than a dozen Paiute Indian men stepped forward to stand alongside them. She recognized one Paiute who worked at the ranch. The others were strangers. Their faces revealed fear, and resolve. In front of her, perhaps five paces away, stood thirty or more renegade white men who, as one, reached their hands to their holsters, drew their guns, then took aim at Jess and the Indians. Jess cocked the Henry rifle, pressed the butt to her shoulder, and sighted down the barrel at the cold, glittering blue eyes of the man who aimed the bore of his revolver at her. Though fear burned like liquid fire beneath her skin, she firmed her grip, shifted her index finger from the rifle’s trigger guard to the curve of the metal trigger. And pulled….

Wow! That pulls us right into the action. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Here’s my Web site:
http://www.tammybarley.com/index.html

And one more nifty thing . . .

The Sierra Chronicles book two, Hope’s Promise (now available!), comes with a contest: Hope's Promise Vacation-for-a-Day Contest—Read Hope’s Promise for a chance to win a horseback riding adventure for your whole family!

ALSO, The Sierra Chronicles book three, Faith’s Reward, comes with a contest of its own: Faith’s Reward Day-of-Your-Dreams Contest! If you were given the chance to dream up your perfect day, what would it be? A day at the spa? A fabulous massage? A mani-pedi? Hours of free shopping at the stores of your choice? All of the above? How about anything you want, plus the ability to take your best buddy with you? You got it! =) Read Faith’s Reward for a chance to win the day of your dreams!

For details and to enter, visit http://www.tammybarley.com/Bookshelf.html .

Thank you so much, Lena! It’s such a joy to visit your blog.

And I'm always glad to host you, Tammy.

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/

Merry Christmas, Winners!!

Remember only the commenters who follow the instructions and also tell what area they live in are in the drawings.

Miriam (OH) is the winner of Letters in the Attic by DeAnne Julie Dotson.
Merry (TX) is the winner of Love Finds You in Hope, Kansas, by Pamela Griffin. I just finished reading this book today. I absolutely loved it.

Misskallie2000 (CA) is the winner of Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho, by Angela Ruth.

Appleblossom (ND) is the winner of either The Christmas Edition or Journey to Paradise by Robin Shope. My husband, our two granddaughters, and I watched the movie this evening. It's very good.

Wendy (MN) is the winner of The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello.

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.

BLISS - Tracey Bowen and Jenness Walker - Free Book

Welcome, Tracey and Jenness. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Tracy: I can find something to laugh about in just about any situation so the humorous element in the stories is definitely reflective of me.

Jenness: I seem to pop up here and there—with beverage selections, other preferences, incidents from my life, etc.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Jenness: Um, I kind of live the whole quirky thing, so I can’t think of one incident to share, and Tracy’s in the same boat. :-) But if we’re talking about things that happen to me, I did get stuck in my truck for an hour with firemen standing guard as they waited for the power guy to show and remove the live downed power line from my bumper. Yes, I took good notes and it will end up in a novel somewhere.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Tracy: My love for books is almost as old as I am. My secret desire to write started in my teenage years, but I did not act on it. When my youngest son, Isaiah, was born ten weeks premature in 2004 he had a very long hospitalization and multiple ongoing health issues. I started a Caringbridge blog to keep family and friends updated on his progress. Blogging was therapeutic and fun. I have been writing in some form or the other ever since then. It was actually a blog that caught the attention of Jenness, and she asked me if I would be interested in co-authoring with her.

Jenness: In first grade I believed I was a shoe-in to win a writing/illustrating contest. Apparently I thought I was a writer all the way back then, even if the contest judges didn’t agree.

I had become a published author before my second grandson was in first grade. When we went for grandparents' day, he proudly showed me the book he'd made and told me he was both the author and the illustrator. I got a kick out of that. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Tracy: I just love books! My personal library is very eclectic.

Jenness: Though I tend to read more contemporary romance or romantic suspense, I frequently branch out to, well, just about anything.

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

Tracy: I walk at least three miles with a group of my closest friends almost every day. The fresh air and great conversation, with no one demanding anything of me, gives me fresh perspective and energy.

Jenness: Music, and girls’ nights out.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Tracy: :-) Eeny, meany, miney, moe. This is actually one of my least favorite parts of the process.

Jenness: I look online and also through a list of some favorites I’ve selected over the years. In a romance, the guy and girl’s names have to sound right together (to me), and, even though they rarely get married in the book, her first name also has to go with his last name. :-) Of course, I usually end of changing things because I have too many “A” names or Irish surnames. Maybe I should switch to Tracy’s method.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Tracy: That my husband and I have managed to reach seventeen years of marriage, and I love him more than ever before.

Jenness: Although I’m pretty proud of some amazing Black Friday deals I managed to get, I’ll say managing (which so much help from so many people) to have a novel published. When it’s something you’ve told people you’re going to do ever since first grade or so, it’s quite the relief when you actually pull it off. :-)

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

Tracy: I would like to say something majestic and graceful, like an eagle. The reality is that I would most likely be a monkey, sitting around picking through my kids’ fur.

Jenness: A meerkat—they make me laugh, and they look cute with potbellies. (Which ties in wonderfully with your next question.)

What is your favorite food?

Tracy: I love a good steak...and a good salad…and the Blooming Onion from Outback…and…okay, I confess, I just love food. :-)
Jenness: Depending on the mood I’m in…Cincinnati Chili, Santa Fe salad, my mom’s apple pie, various forms of chocolate…(Excuse me while I go grab a snack.)

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

Tracy: My greatest roadblock is time, and I am not sure that I have overcome it. My current plan is to sleep when I’m dead.

Jenness: Time and focus. And…I’m still working on it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Tracy: Bliss is about a girl who is trying to find herself. Our main desire was to show that God is the ultimate source of happiness, and to have a little fun in the process.

Jenness: Bliss comes at things a bit differently. Indie, our heroine, is intent on following the stars, but she keeps winding up in some crazy disaster. It takes a quirky cast of trailer park neighbors, a hunky boat captain, a moody roommate, a baker, and more, to help her meet the Maker of the stars.

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

Perhaps if I had tripped over the heels of my chunky sandals the first day I came to Rabbit Hole, Kansas, I wouldn’t hate it here so much. Flat on your back, you at least get a break from the ever-present wind, and instead of never-ending plains of nothingness you can see…hmm, yes. That cloud looks just like an ice cream cone.

“Indie, babe, are you okay?”

My vision of calories is obstructed by masses of red curls and large, colored stones. Healing stones, to be exact. My mom thinks if one necklace can provide health for the body, then four should keep you in tip-top shape until the day you die—of old age, of course. They have yet to find a stone to cure that.

“I’m fine, Mom. Just couldn’t see over Miss Matilda.”

I’d rather blame the stuffed hippo sticking out of the box I carried than confess I tripped over my own shoes. Again. This is the fourth time they’ve landed me on my back. At least this time only two people—Mom and her main squeeze, Steve Gaines—witnessed my current disgrace. As opposed to an entire movie theater audience, like last year in Chicago.

I have a long list of similar humiliating events, and a corresponding list of the places I’ve lived. A few perks come with moving every year, like you don’t have to worry about running into someone who has watched you make an idiot out of yourself. New location, new audience.

“Maybe this is a sign.” Mom tucks a strand of that crazy hair—I can say that because she passed it down to me—behind her ear, and the strand of wooden beads on her arm becomes entangled in a dozen or so curls. While her hands flail as she attempts to extricate her hair from the beads, she says, “I think you still need me.”

Who needs who? With a deft twist of a curl, I set her free. “I have a sign, Mom. Pisces. And I am following it.”

“How do you know your horoscope meant for you to move to Florida? It’s so far away!”

“Everything is far away from Rabbit Hole.” But it’s a good question. It’s a shame I don’t have a good answer. I’m not going to tell her that the same day my horoscope told me to follow my sign, I learned Celine Dion had a home in South Florida.

Pisces is a water sign. Its symbol is fish. Water, fish. Together, those two practically scream South Florida. I’m not picky; if it’s good enough for Celine, it’s good enough for me.

I’m desperate to get out of Rabbit Hole, with its tornadoes, dusty roads, and, of course, my free spirit mother flitting from store to store—all three of them.

Horoscopes don’t come with specific instructions. Each reader must interpret the meaning. To give myself some credit, my reasoning has to be more sound than my mother’s—like the morning we picked up and left Dayton, Ohio, to move to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, because Mom’s daily horoscope stated, “Find the right path.” Right. Wright. Wright brothers. Why not? They ended up in Kitty Hawk, and so did we for ten whole months.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.tandjbooks.com/
http://www.jennesswalker.com/

Thank you, Tracey and Jenness, for the amusing 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.

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MIRRORED IMAGE - Alice K Arenz - Free Book

I'm really happy to be interviewing Alice. Her book Case of the Mystified M.D. won the prestigious Carol award at the American Christian Fiction Writers national conference this year. Welcome, Alice. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I’m hoping that He will continue to give me stories to write for publication. It’s been a great honor to bring these stories to life – and an even greater honor to know they come from Him.

Tell us a little about your family.

I’ve been blessed with two daughters and four grandchildren – two girls, two boys. They, along with my husband, are my biggest supporters.

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

I don’t read as much as I used to – at least not in the same way. Before it was more consistent, a couple of books a week. Now I’m more likely to read in spurts, in between writing jags.

What are you working on right now?

My next novel, An American Gothic, is a mystery/romantic suspense. The gothic is actually the manuscript the heroine is writing. A paragraph or two of that story begins each chapter, foreshadowing the events in the main story.

Sounds interesting. You must let me know when it's going to be released. What outside interests do you have?

I used to sew a lot and garden, but because of problems with my hands don’t do much of those anymore. I enjoy watching movies at home – and any time I get to spend with my family is a big plus.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

This may sound a little strange, but it would be more accurate to say that the settings choose me. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer who literally doesn’t know what’s going to happen in my stories in advance. While I was writing The Case of the Mystified M.D., I got a bit frustrated because I wasn’t sure where it was all going. I prayed about this A LOT and finally asked if God couldn’t at least show me the end. I guess I should have been more specific in what I was wanting, though, because what I got was the last sentence. But, you know, that turned out to be all I really needed because every time I sat down to write, that sentence put a song in my head that seemed to lead me from one scene to the next.

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

Jesus would definitely be my first choice, but since that seems so obvious, I’m going to have to say Benjamin Franklin – or one of our other founding fathers. I have always believed each of them were divinely led in the forming of our great nation, and I would like the opportunity to thank them for their faithfulness to God and to the freedoms we have today.

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

How hard it is to get up in front of people and talk about my writing – and that goes for book signings, too. I’m an introverted introvert and have had to learn to go outside my comfort zone. It’s not easy for me, and I pray constantly about each event to get through. But the rewards have been amazing.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

To lean more on Him and not try to go it alone. I’ve always known this, but, like most people, it’s easy to forget when too many things are going on at once. I think if I can remember that, I’ll be able to budget my time better and not waste so much of it worrying over stuff I can’t do anything about in the first place.

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

Um, that’s a tough one. Listen to what you feel the Lord is telling you to do, follow in the direction He is leading – and if writing is what you feel He wants you to do, keep the faith and don’t give up.

Tell us about the featured book.

Mirrored Image is a mystery/romantic suspense. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Eccentric newspaper columnist Cassandra Chase and by-the-book Detective Jeff McMichaels clash over the murder investigation of Lynette Sandler - a woman who looks eerily like the popular columnist.

The uncanny similarities of the two women's lives and a rash of attacks on Cassie, lead her to the conclusion that she, not Lynette Sandler, was the murderer's original mark.

For McMichaels, the Sandler case becomes more than just a test of his mental acumen. Despite departmental regulations and his own common sense, he finds himself drawn to a woman he was determined to dislike. But can he keep her alive long enough for their relationship to grow?

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

PROLOGUE
SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 1986, 6:45 P.M.

A dull ache near the center of her back accompanied the gradual return of consciousness. What began as a hot, searing pain was now a nondescript thudding, like an overactive pulse point.

She tried to focus on her surroundings, to move, but her limbs remained frozen to the floor where she had fallen.

A sudden onslaught of memory brought back the shock and horror of the cold steel blade plunging into her flesh. She closed her eyes and fought the vomit rising in her throat. She would not be sick, could not allow such an indignity.

She knew she was dying, could feel her life force drain from her as the blood oozed from the wound in her back. There was no fear of death; it would be a welcome release into the arms of friends waiting on the other side—friends who had not betrayed her.

Betrayal, treachery, and deceit. Ugly words for an even uglier deed that conjured images of the man who accepted thirty pieces of silver to deliver his Lord into the hands of His enemies.

Tears of anger and resentment stung her eyes as rage over the actof disloyalty spurred a primal instinct geared toward survival.

The person who violated her must be punished.

Now I know I want to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Stop by at http://www.akawriter.com/ or http://www.sheafhouse.com/ for more information on my books – and me. You can also find my books at http://www.christianbook.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, and most other online bookstores.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Lena!

And thank you for taking the time to visit with me, Alice.
 
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.

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SUMMER SECRET - Rene Morris - Free Book

Rene Morris is the author of books for upper elementary grade girls. Welcome, Rene. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I have to admit that I write quite a bit of myself into my characters. Some bits are definitely me while others are the me I wish I could be. You know, that part of you that wishes they would have or could have handled a situation differently?

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Everything I do could be considered quirky. I love to laugh so, I guess I could be considered quirky. I’ve been known to dance with a chicken before baking, spend hours speaking with a British accent in many stores with my sister just for fun and I’ve even called McDonald’s to complain that, “By the time we got our ice cream home, it was cold!” Dead silence. They weren’t impressed…either that, or they were beyond shocked at the foolishness.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve written my own stories for my own entertainment since I was in third or fourth grade. My fifth grade teacher called my mother once to let her know that the class had been asked to write a paragraph, not five pages. But I would have to say that when I was in the ninth grade, I watched as a friend laughed out loud at a story I had written while bored in class. “You have to finish this, Rene!” I never did. My mother told me that the story sounded familiar and that it had been done before and so I abandoned it.

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

I love to read and keep a stack of books on my desk next to my bed. I’ve left behind most secular books in favor of Inspirational Fiction. I love true life fiction type books such as Karen Kingsbury and Neta Jackson. But I also love books such as By Darkness Hid and To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson. Give me a story and I’ll probably love it. I want to tackle all of the Eric Wilson books next. I’m also working my way through the Love Finds You books.

When you get to my Love Finds You book, let me know how you like it. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

What sanity? Well, you know how sometimes you have that feeling of dread? A feeling that takes you to a dark place and you just want to close your eyes and forget about your problems? I pray. God is there. I know His promises and most importantly, I believe Him. One night I was praying and I fell asleep, finally at peace. Something quietly shook me awake, just enough so that I was aware of one statement that had formed inside my head. “No one has the power to take you to a dark place.” Basically, accept the victory of the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross. God promised me a sound mind and I believe Him.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I don’t choose them, they do. Seriously, I write by the seat of my pants and characters show up already named. So, I let them in to help tell the story. I’ve caught myself many times thinking, “So and so wouldn’t do that!”

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

A lot of people are proud of me…that my book was published. I’m happy that I finally settled down long enough to listen to what God wanted to tell me. Then, He blessed me with that story and He continues to bless me. So I’m not as proud as I am thankful.

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

A good answer would be an eagle, probably a great answer even. But a truthful answer would be one of the squirrels at Candy Cane park, a park close to my home. Those squirrels are fed non-stop and chubby looks good on them.

What is your favorite food?

Burgers on the grill! Topped with grilled onions and avocado!

That sounds yummy right now. I love grilled onions and avocado on a burger. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Finding time and peace and quiet. With six kids, I have to schedule my writing. When I first got serious about writing the Sonshine Girls, I wrote in the early morning hours from midnight on. My first writer’s handle was, midnightwriter.

Tell us about the featured book.

Summer Secret started out to be something scary. But a small voice nudged me in the other direction. Before I knew it, my characters were standing up to bullies, learning lessons in forgiveness and finding the true value in friendship. To make it fun, there are many of those awkward tween moments as well as a mystery that is over 50-years-old.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Th e sun rose slowly above the treetops in the Georgia mountains. At 7a.m., the ‘97 Honda Civic climbed the steep hills of Lilburn and 13-year-old Kristin Baker watched as all that was familiar to her disappeared.

Kristin’s grandmother had decided it was time to go back home to Texas, so Kristin was trying desperately to commit everything to memory. She had hardly spoken since they’d left and felt guilty for unintentionally giving her grandmother the silent treatment. Her grandmother had given her few details as to why she had chosen to leave Georgia now. So many thoughts and questions ran through her mind that Kristin could do nothing more than stare out the window at the passing Kudzu.

“I’m gonna miss my friends ya know,” Kristin said to her grandmother. Her eyes stung and she felt the pain of a headache that comes from trying to hold back tears.

Kristin’s thoughts traveled to her church. She remembered how the building seemed to blend in with the red clay as it was being constructed. She also remembered how beautiful it looked once they put down the bright green sod. And, she loved the way it silently said, I’m fi nished now. Would she ever fi nd another church
like that?

She thought of the friends she was leaving behind and rested her head against the side of the window in defeat as her grandmother turned into the parking lot of Krystal Hamburgers for a bite to eat.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m very Googleable. :-) I have a website at http://renemorris.com/ and I have a Facebook page, http://facebook.com/authorrenemorris. I am a terrible Twitterer… http://twitter.com/renemorris .

Thank you for the interesting visit, Rene.

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

Leave a comment--including where you live, at least the state or territory--for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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/

DARLINGTON WOODS - Mike Dellosso - Free Book

Today I'm welcoming fellow Strang author, Mike Dellosso. So Mike, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Every character has a little bit of me in him or her. I draw on my own experiences, my own personality quirks, and my own emotional blueprint quite a bit. It's not so hard when I'm writing a male character with the struggles of most men, but when I write a female character I have to tap into that, ahem, feminine side of me (I say that very carefully) and it's a little more difficult. The most fun is writing the villains. I know that sounds awful and maybe even a little demented but that's when I can be mischievous and nutty. That's the side of me usually only my family sees. The scary part is when I have to write the dark side of a villain. I tread very carefully on that ice, it can be ever so thin in places.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I stutter and when I was child and teen my stuttering was very bad. Some sounds were harder to say than others and some situations just locked me up. Answering the phone was one of those situations. If I was home alone I'd let the phone ring until it drove me crazy (this was before answering machines) and then I'd answer it but nothing would come out. The caller would say "Hello? Hello?" then hang up and call again. And it would start all over again. If someone else was home I'd run for the bathroom when the phone rang. That way I could holler, "I'm in the bathroom" and someone else would have to answer it. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Weird. Quirky. And pretty sad when you think about it.

I'm glad you outgrew that, or that technology helped you. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I didn't always want to be a writer. In fact, all through school and college I loathed writing, hated anything that had to do with English or composition. September, 1998 changed everything. My brother-in-law was in a very bad motorcycle accident and found himself in shock trauma in a deep coma. Prognosis was not good. My wife and I visited my sister in the hospital and were just blown away. The shock, the pain, sadness. When we got back home I was so overwhelmed with emotions, questions, tears, that I did the only thing I could think to do . . . I wrote it all down. And that's when I fell in love with writing. It was like a switch was flipped in me. My entire life had been spent running from words because of my stuttering and here I'd found a way I could speak my mind and heart with perfect fluency. I'd found my voice. I haven't stopped writing since.

That's wonderful. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I mostly read in the same genres I write--suspense, thriller, supernatural, horror--but do occasionally wander outside that. I've read westerns, historical fiction (almost the entire House of Winslow series by Gilbert Morris), YA fantasy, southern fiction (Charles Martin). I've read Nicholas Sparks (and enjoyed it) and Dale Cramer, one of my favorite authors. I also enjoy Angela Hunt's work.

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

I stay grounded in my family. Besides my desire to honor God with everything I write, my family is the reason I do what I do. They are the reason I work so hard at this writing thing. At times it's hard to stay focused. So much is happening around us all the time. I wish so badly that we could drop everything, move to some secluded location, and start over. Slow down. Disengage. Maybe someday. It's been done before . . . or so I've heard. I keep myself focused by remembering who it is who gave me the ability and opportunity to write and why I write. When I'm tempted to give in or give up, when I want to quit on the next book, I remind myself what and who all this is about, and it's not me.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I choose names very carefully. For me, and in my mind, the name has to match the character. You know how you look at someone and think "she looks like a Jane," or "he looks like a Mark." I do that with my characters. I try to use common names so the stories don't get dated by names. Names are like trends, they come and go, but there are those that stay familiar throughout. Those are the names I go for. Last names are the toughies. Fortunately, my day job is with people so I have a wealth of surnames at my disposal. Again, I try to choose something that matches the character and isn't too "out there."

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Surviving colon cancer. It's not an accomplishment I can take credit for, so many were by my side, primarily my wife. So many prayed and encouraged and helped where they could. They knew our needs before we even realized we had needs. And of course I couldn't have survived anything without my God and Savior holding me, lifting me up, wrapping his arms around me, and whispering love in my ear throughout the entire journey. I learned so much about myself and God during that time. Things I'll never forget.

We never really understand how much we need Him, until we really NEED Him. James and I learned that, too. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Boy, I'd like to say something cool like a lion or eagle or horse, but I think I'm most like a beaver. Don't laugh. I'm a hard worker, organized, scheduled, and am happiest when I'm home. I'm never "finished," always adding on or making adjustments, always doing something.

What is your favorite food?

Well, it used to be hot dogs but then I went and got colon cancer and the oncologist told me no more red meat and no more processed meat. So now I eat poultry and lots of vegetarian stuff. I think if I had to choose one thing I'd go with a Subway veggie sub. Man, it's like the best salad on a roll. Just a note: I also love anything Italian or Mexican. Chimichangas rule. Oh, and fettuccini Alfredo. Okay, I better stop. I'm getting hungry!

So am I, and I just got up from eating lunch. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Oh, easily finding the time. I used to write in the evenings and it drove my wife crazy. I was writing when I should have been spending time with the family. I didn't see it until she called the computer "the other woman." Ouch. Message received. Loud and clear. That's when I started writing in the mornings. It's the perfect time. Everyone else is sleeping and it never interferes with something else and never gets bumped on the family schedule. Holidays, weekends, even vacation, it doesn't matter. Who wants to do anything at 5 a.m.? That's my time. And when you love what you're doing you don't need a day off. Granted, I do take some days off and there are times when I go to breakfast with a friend at 6 a.m. but those days are very rare.

Tell us about the featured book.

Darlington Woods the first book I wrote following my battle with colon cancer. It's about a man who loses his wife and son but refuses to believe his son is really dead. He's convinced he's still alive and to be found in a town called Darlington. With the help of a local waitress, he finds his way to Darlington totally unaware of the horror that awaits him. There he must face his own fears like never before if he's ever going to find the truth. The story is so personal to me because it has so much symbolism in it. It's an allegory of my battle with cancer and fleshes out the fears and I had, the questions, the struggles, and ultimately the triumph. Darlington Woods is every person's soul, where light and darkness meet.

Please give us the first page of the book.

1987
Darlington Woods, northern Maryland

The screams were everywhere, piercing the darkness like spears. Surrounding him. Closing in. Mixing with the wails and torturous moans of the other men.

Asher Wiggins ran pell-mell through the woods, blindly rolling over saplings and crashing through clumps of honeysuckle. Thickets pulled at his clothes, left jagged trails of blood on his skin. His bandaged face throbbed in time with his quickened pulse.

And still the screams grew closer.

To his right, Jerry hollered then went down in a complicated crash of crunching leaves and breaking sticks. The sound that followed reminded him of a pack of rabid dogs in a feeding frenzy.

Only it wasn’t dogs. Far from it.

He came to a ridge where the ground sloped downward at a sharp angle for thirty yards or so, bottomed out, then rose on the other side. Lungs working furiously to keep the oxygen coming, heart in his throat, Asher stole a quick look around. To his left, in the distance, he heard Abe trip on a fallen limb and hit the ground hard. He knew it was Norm by the sound of his wheezing. Within moments he heard them attack—he didn’t even know what they were. The sound of Abe’s piteous screams for help sent chills racing along his nerves.

Asher turned and pushed himself down the slope. He stumbled mostly out of control but somehow was able to keep his feet under him. At the bottom he looked up and saw a dark pulsating shadow at the top of the ridge. It was them.

“God help me.”

One of them let out a terrible scream, like a woman in great pain, and they all responded similarly.

Without thinking, Asher turned and started climbing the opposite slope. His legs burned, and his lungs were on fire, but adrenaline kept him moving.

“God help me, God help me, God help me . . .,” he said over and over as he climbed, finding purchase with both hands and feet, grabbing onto saplings and branches where he could.

The gauze covering half his face—a hastily assembled bandage—was soaked with blood and working loose. It dangled like a lame wing.

Behind him he heard the crash of the horde as it charged down the slope, screaming and hissing.

Faster he climbed, clawing at the ground, pulling himself forward and upward. Finally at the top, he ran a few feet and stopped. He could go no further. His legs felt boneless and every blood vessel in his body beat in sync with his rapid breathing. His vision blurred, and his chest tightened.

Asher tried to breathe deep but his diaphragm spasmed and refused to cooperate. The woods started to spin around him, and he collapsed onto his back. The bandage peeled away like an old scab and left his wounds open to the air.

He could hear the horde coming up the slope now. But there was nothing he could do. He looked up with his one working eye, past the limbs, past the leaves, and found the early morning sky. It was just beginning to lighten with the dawn of day. He’d been in the woods all night.

His last thought before closing his eyes and accepting what may come was a passage from Scripture he’d used in a sermon recently,

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

Wow! I can hardly wait until my copy gets here. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My blog/website is http://www.mikedellosso.com/. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter. Also, just Google Mike Dellosso and you can't miss me.

Mike, thanks for sharing with us today.
 
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/

Winners!!!

Edwina is the winner of Michigan Brides by Amber Stockton.
Grannyvon is the winner of Remember Why You Play by David Thomas.

Robyn is the winner of Alpha Redemption by P A Barnes.
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.

THE CLOUDS ROLL AWAY - Sibella Giorello - Free Book

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


I'd like to say, Not that much. But some characters seem very much like best friends, which tells me there's a big piece of me in there.
As a Christian, however, I'd have to admit that the characters I dislike have even more of me. I'm writing around that plank poking out of my face.
Either way, I love them all. When I hate them they get revenge by spitting out dialogue so wooden I can hear termites approaching.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

How much time do we have?
In college, I majored in geology because I was such a rotten scientist and mathmetician. In some ways it was perverse, except that I genuinely wanted to understand the earth's processes. I wasn't thinking, "Job. Career. How do you feed a dog on this paycheck?" Somehow I managed to scraped up credits by writing long research papers on the very science I couldn't perform. My professors exploited that, God bless them.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

The enjoyment of writing was always there, from the time I was a young kid. But during that time in college, I realized that most people saw writing as some horrid chore. I never did. In fact, I felt more alive when writing. That later led me into journalism -- it seemed too wonderful to get paid to write about people.

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

Right now I'm really into dead Russian guys. Tolstoy and Chekhov sit like bookends on an eclectic pile of bedside books. Between them are some mysteries, a few archaic nature journals picked up in thrift stores, some C.S. Lewis, and two Eugene Peterson books on growing spiritually. Plus my son just gave me Inkheart -- it's so fantastic that it jumped to the top of the pile.

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

I run.
That's not a flip answer; it's the simple truth. Running not only puts the frantic pace of the world in perspective, it usually gives me answers to the questions that are bothering about certain characters or plot. Somebody told me there's such a thing as a treadmill desk. It was made for me.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Most character's names come from their personalities and professions. But another part comes from people I meet. Usually I'm drawn to the sound of the name. And sometimes I use somebody's name to honor them in some way. At least, I hope they're honored.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Being happily married. It would be an accomplishment no matter what, but with a writer's schedule and the demands that come with living a creative life, I feel blessed that my husband and I are still very much in love.

I believe God has a special reward in heaven for spouses married to writers. James and I just celebrated 46 years of wedded bliss last month. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Somebody once asked this question in college, and the answer has never changed: Lion.
Lions remain calm until provoked. They're protective of their tribe. And I seriously love their manes.

What is your favorite food?

It's not one food. It's food, period.
My protagonist Raleigh Harmon craves junk food, but I'm a really healthy eater. I crave good vegetables and fruits and homemade meals. I never eat fast food. But when I'm on deadline, my sons slip chocolate under the office door.

Yes. Dark chocolate has carried me through deadlines. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I ask for too much too soon. The first draft needs to be messy and wild and without strict boundaries. But I'm uncomfortable with apparent chaos.
I've overcome that roadblock by repeatedly telling myself the first draft is one stage in a book's life. Eventually it will grow up and appear in public without humiliation. I hope.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Clouds Roll Away is my Valentine to the city of Richmond, a place of amazing contrasts. Confederate history versus new South. Old money versus new wealth. White and black, living side-by-side.
At the center of this Valentine is Raleigh Harmon, forensic geologist and Special Agent with the FBI. A Richmond native, she's assigned a case involving a cross burning at a black rapper's estate. As the case unfolds, Raleigh digs deeper into the evidence and starts to realize nothing is what it appears to be.

There's a Dooley mansion in Richmond, so I'm intrigued by that city. Please give us the first page of the book.

Winter rode into Richmond on the chattering breath of the Atlantic. Each year the season blew itself into existence. The ancient elms crystallized and frost crocheted the birches into lace doilies. On this particular December morning, with a bright sun overhead, I drove out New Market Road past fields that glistened like crushed diamonds. For this moment, my hometown looked cryogenically frozen, preserved for future generations to discover Richmond's wide river, verdant soils, and the plantation lifestyle forged through generations -- gone tragically, humanly awry.
But the reverie was shattered by two elephants. Carved from white granite, they stood on either side of a black asphalt driveway with a steel sign naming the property: Rapland.
The scene of the crime.
I turned down the asphalt driveway. It was a long drive, rolling over fenced fields where satiny horses were grazing, their breath quick clouds that evaporated in the sun. At the other end, an old plantation house faced the James River. The historic clapboards were painted polo white, the copper cupola green from exposure. But pink stucco additions rose starkly on either side, modern additions with plate-glass windows that stared down on the historic middle and made it look priggish and stuffy, like a dusty repository for outdated books.
A muscular man stepped from the guardhouse as my car . . .

Way to just leave us hanging. I want more. Now where did I put that book? To the top of the to-be-read- pile, it must go. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Surf over to http://www.sibellagiorello.com/. I blog on reading, running, and real science -- the three Rs that matter. To me.

Thank you, Sibella, for the wonderful entry into your life.

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/