BEHIND THE BADGE - Susan Sleeman - Free Book

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

First, I must praise the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed on my writing and I pray that the books will entertain readers and at the same time provide a spiritual message for their lives. I am blessed to have two romantic suspense books coming out this year, Behind the Badge and The Christmas Witness and have recently signed with Love Inspired for a romantic suspense series about a family of adopted siblings who fight injustice. The first two books in this series are scheduled for release in 2012.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have the most amazing family ever. My husband Mark is a church music director at the most incredible church. I am so thankful God has brought us into this loving fellowship of believers. My oldest daughter is married and a graphic designer by trade, but a stay at home mom by choice to an adorable son who is two and a half years old. My youngest daughter goes to college and is majoring in psychology with plans to become a school counselor.

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

Writing has changed my reading habit for sure. Reading used to be something I loved to do as a way to escape the routine of my everyday life. But now I often read to do reviews for publishers and or endorsements for fellow authors. So the line between enjoyment and work has blurred. Also, I find I cannot read today without looking at the mechanics of a book. I often stop to admire something a writer has done well and truth be told, take the time to learn from what is not done so well. This takes me out of the story and puts me back in a work mode. Still, I love to read and be swept into a world of imagination as only reading can do.

What are you working on right now?

 I’ve just started writing a new series for Love Inspired Suspense. This series is called The Justice Agency – When all else fails. It’s about five adopted siblings who work in various fields of law enforcement until their adoptive parents are murdered. When the police can’t figure out who killed their beloved parents the Justice siblings come together to solve the case. They discover in the process that they like working together and they form an investigative agency called The Justice Agency. They dedicate the agency to helping people who traditional law enforcement is either unable or unwilling to help. The first two books of this series will release in 2012.

Sounds like a really interesting series. What outside interests do you have?

Something I like to do, though it’s related to work, is web design. I designed SusanSleeman.com, HometownMysteries.com and TheSuspenseZone.com and am constantly working on these sites and learning the necessary skills to make them better. I also love to garden and anything plant related.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

All of my books are set in Oregon. We used to live in the Portland area and moved for my husband’s job. My oldest daughter and her family still live in that area and my youngest daughter goes to college there. I love that region of the country and we visit often. My visits motivate me to set books in Oregon and as I write, it helps me feel a bit closer to my family.

Book two of my McKenna's Daughteres Series, Mary's Blessing, which I'm writing right now is set in and near Portland in 1885. If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

The obvious person to me is Jesus. I know this may sound clichéd, but there is no one I would rather speak to than Jesus. To hear his teachings, to see his compassion, to know his love in person. What could be better?

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

How hard it is. LOL Actually, there is nothing I wish I had known before starting the journey. I believe God lets us know what we need to know when we need to know it. If I had known the hours of work, the pain of rejections, the challenges in finding publishers who will take a chance on an unpublished author, and on and on, I don’t know if I would have started down the path. Each step in the process is a learning step and each step I take continues to be a learning step. Some lessons are easy some are still very hard and painful. But when all is said and done, it’s amazing to have a job that I love to do and get up every morning looking forward to doing.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Patience. Always patience. In many areas. This is not a new thing for me to learn, but for a person whose motto used to be, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right and probably would have been worth more if it had been done yesterday, the need to learn patience will probably be in my life forever. Not that I don’t try to tame my drive for wanting things done now, but it creeps back in when I’m not looking.

I know what you mean, but it really does get better with age. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Only three, huh? LOL

Be teachable – It’s difficult to have your work critiqued but it’s part of the job and will never go away. Even when you’re published, others will analyze your work. Readers review, editors make revision suggestions, and so on. So get used to hearing the suggestions and be ready to implement the ones that are necessary.

Know why you’re writing – When times get tough, you have to know why you are writing. I write because I want to share my faith in an entertaining way. If I didn’t have this purpose behind my writing, there are times I may have given up. It’s what keeps me going.

Realize it takes time and practice to learn the craft of writing – There are people who write one book and it is published, but this is not the norm. Most writers can tell you about hours, days, weeks, months, years spent sitting at a keyboard before selling their first novel. It’s like any other job. You have to learn how to do it.

My first book was published, but not my second. Tell us about the featured book.

 Behind the Badge is a romantic suspense title from Love Inspired Suspense. In this book, a killer is threatening the life of rookie cop Sydney Tucker and her sister-unless Sydney turns over evidence from a drug bust. But she doesn’t have the evidence. Not that the thug believes her. She and the sibling in her care are under the watchful eye of Logan Lake police chief Russ Morgan…but will his protection be enough to keep them alive? This book is special to me as the characters deal with some very difficult things in life. I have had some tough times in my own life. Times when I wondered if God knew what I was going through and if He did, why didn’t He rescue me from these hardships? But when I look back on my difficulties, I can see how God used those trials to make me a better person and to allow me to use what I’d learned in these trials to help others. And I hope the readers of Behind the Badge will see the same thing.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Gunshots split the inky darkness.

Deputy Sydney Tucker hit the cold ground, a jagged rock slashing into her forehead on the way down. She reached for her service weapon. Came up empty handed. She’d stopped after work to check on the construction of her townhouse and left her gun and cell phone in the car.

Dumb, Sydney. Really dumb. Now what’re you gonna do?

Inching her head above knee-high grass, she listened. The keening whistle of the wind died, leaving the air damp and heavy with tension but silence reigned.

Had she overreacted? Could be target practice. But at night? Maybe. Hunters did crazy things sometimes.

Footfalls pounded from below like someone charging through the brush. No. Two people. Maybe a chase. One person after another. A loud crash, branches snapping.

“What’re you doin’, man,” a panicked male voice traveled through the night. “No! Don’t shoot! We can work this out.”

Three more gunshots rang out. A moan drifted up the hill.

Not target practice. Someone had been shot.

Sydney lurched to her feet, dizziness swirling around her. Blood dripped into her eyes. She wiped it away, blinked hard and steadied herself on a large rock while peering into the wall of darkness for the best escape route.

Heavy footfalls crunched up the gravel path.

“I know you’re here, Deputy Tucker,” a male voice, disguised with a high nasally pitch, called out. “We need to talk about this. C’mon out.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?  Readers can learn more about me and my books at : http://www.susansleeman.com  Website

http://www.thesuspensezone.com  Book review website
http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman  Twitter
http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks Facebook fan page
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com   Love Inspired Authors

Thank you, Susan, for visiting 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE CURSE OF CAPTAIN LAFOOTE - Eddie Jones - Free Book

Grand Prize Giveaway (Drawing June 3)

All you need for a PIRATE PARY!

• 8 invitations
• 8 - 9" party plates
• 8 - 9-oz. cups
• 16 luncheon napkins
• 16 pc. blue cutlery set
• 1 red plastic table cover
• 2 rolls of streamers, 1 blue and 1 red
• 12 each of blue and red balloons
• 2 pkgs. of confetti, 1 blue and 1 orange
• 4 yds. deluxe creepy cloth
• 12 pirate swords with eye patch
• 72 pirate tattoos
• 8 dessert plates
• 16 beverage napkins
• 8 treasure chest-shaped filled treat boxes
• 1 10 ft. pennant
• 12 child-size pirate hats
• 1 photo door banner
• 1 piñata and toy & candy asst.

Author Bio

EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and  Living Aboard Magazine.  He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see: http://www.captainlafoote.com/.

Book Summary

RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he suffers a seizure, falling into the chilly waters. Suddenly Ricky finds himself thrust into a world where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him—if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Tell us about The Curse of Captain LaFoote.

EDDIE: When my boys were young, I'd tell pirate stores on the bow of our sailboat. The lead character was Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you've ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation. I've always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.

So The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men's bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. For Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his father, soul mate, and purpose in life.

What is your lead’s wound?

EDDIE: A friend suggested that I let my lead have epilepsy. She said when she has an episode she sort of zones out—like daydreaming except she can’t stop it. She also said she knows when it’s about to happen. That she smells something like burning wires. So I gave Ricky epilepsy and finished the story.

It wasn’t until much later that I realized the book had a larger purpose. I met another woman at a writer’s conference whose son has epilepsy. During the conference, her son suffered a seizure — the first one he’d ever had without his mother present. The look on her face that morning convinced me that Ricky Bradshaw could be a champion for those suffering from epilepsy.

It’s not cancer or heart disease but over three million Americans live with epilepsy. If the sale of this book can raise awareness, then the book has done its job. For each book sold, the publisher and I will donate “a few pieces of eight” — half a sandy dollar — to the foundation’s Heroes Among Us program. Our goal is to raise ten thousand dollars in honor of Ricky Bradshaw.

What is the spiritual message in your book?

EDDIE: That courage cost. Near the end of the book Ricky has the chance to go back to his old life. We get to do the same thing, go back to our old way of doing things. But Christ says there is a cost for doing the right thing. Ricky faces that choice.

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading this novel?

EDDIE: There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones' locker, and why you shouldn't walk downwind of a pirate who's just eaten turtle soup.

Seriously, my goal in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially. I wanted to create within them a desire to read and set sail for a life of adventure, wherever that journey may take them. Even now I can see Ricky standing on the sugar-white sands of that island just south of Hispaniola. I am that boy. And so are a lot of other boys.

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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE ART OF ROMANCE - Kaye Dacus - Free Book

Welcome back, Kaye. Tell us about your salvation experience.

Having been raised attending church, I began wondering what it meant to “be saved” around eight years old. I received wonderful guidance from my parents as well as the pastor of our church. Then, when I was fourteen I knew I was ready to make that decision. Without having told anyone else about it, one Sunday morning during the invitation, I felt the Spirit’s prompting and I went forward and made my profession of faith. There have been many struggles since then, including a deep depression that led to my dropping out of college at age twenty-one, as well as times when I’ve clearly felt God leading me, as when I moved to Nashville at age twenty-five. But no matter what I was going through, ever since making that profession of faith, I’ve never doubted my salvation or God’s faithfulness.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

Ask me this question on another day and I’ll have a completely different answer. Right now, it’d have to be Liz Johnson, because we’re brainstorming a series idea together; Jodie Bailey,  an as-yet unpublished author who motivates me just by being who she is; Annalisa Daughety, because we always have a good time together and I love her writing; and Leslie Guccione, one of my grad-school mentors, because she can challenge me to be a better writer the way  no one else can.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I love speaking to groups. Most of the time when I’m scheduled for an event, I’m asked to talk about writing, which I thoroughly enjoy because I’ve always felt drawn to teach it. But I also like sharing about being a thirtysomething single in a church that emphasizes marriage and family as “the norm” and leaves singles out in the cold.

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

 Before I truly understood my own nature as an introvert—and why it wasn’t good for me to be around people twenty-four hours a day for a full week, I went on a spring break mission trip with the Campus Crusade group from LSU. By the end of the week, I was on people overload, and I ended up losing it, spectacularly, when a friend good naturedly teased me about something (I don’t even remember what). Fortunately only he and a couple of other people where there, so once I was able to stop crying enough to breathe and try to explain why I’d lost it (thank goodness one of them was a Psychology major and could help me figure it out), we all prayed together and then they suggested that instead of going into the chapel for the hour of worship time with the ninety other people on the trip, I take my Bible and go sit out in the garden and have some private time. And it was the best learning experience I ever had in figuring myself out.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

“There’s no time like the present. All you need is paper and a pencil. Go for it.”

Tell us about the featured book.

Sassy Evans and Perty Bradley are determined to get their older grandchildren married off, but when twenty-eight-year-old Dylan comes home after being fired from his teaching position because of the betrayal of his ex-girlfriend, Perty knows her grandson has more important issues to deal with first.

Sassy understands her friend’s reservations about timing, but she also sees so many ways in which Dylan would be the perfect match for her thirty-four-year-old granddaughter Caylor. With his record of acclaimed paintings and Caylor’s bestselling novels, they could complement each other’s talents and provide each other support and encouragement. And there’s no denying the spark of attraction between the English professor with the untamed red hair and the painter with the unusual tattoos.

But neither grandmother realizes the secrets both Caylor and Dylan are keeping from each other. Will pain and embarrassment from the past keep Caylor and Dylan apart, or will they develop the courage to be truthful with each other and discover the true art of romance?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

Celeste “Sassy” Evans might have had her driver’s license revoked for poor eyesight, but she could clearly see something was wrong. She added artificial sweetener and creamer to her coffee and studied the faces of the two women sitting across the large table from her.

So far, only she, Trina Breitinger, and Lindy Patterson were here—because the three of them had come together.

“So they’re really not getting married?” She hadn’t earned the nickname Sassy in college for keeping her nose out of other people’s business.

Trina’s dark brows furrowed. She exchanged a glance with Lindy before answering. “Oh, they’re getting married all right. Just not anytime soon.”

“Apparently, they think they need more time to get to know each other before they set a wedding date.” Lindy dunked her teabag in and out of her cup in a slow rhythm.

“Wait. We’re talking about Zarah and Bobby here, right? The ones who were practically engaged when they were younger. Correct?” Two weeks ago at Thanksgiving dinner, Trina’s granddaughter and Lindy’s grandson had announced their engagement—and told the story of how they had met and dated many years before.

Sassy figured since they’d known each other for so long, the engagement would be short and the wedding soon. “What about our pact? What about our agreement that we would work to get at least one of our grandchildren married so that we have a great-grandchild before. . .a certain other person in the senior-adult group?”

Trina arched an eyebrow. “Lindy and I aren’t the only ones with unmarried grandchildren.”

“No, but at least yours are engaged. Caylor doesn’t even go out on dates anymore. If it weren’t for me—and Zarah and Flannery—my granddaughter would have no social life whatsoever. How am I supposed to work with that, I ask?”

Trina and Lindy were saved from answering by the arrival of the other two-fifths of the group: Helen “Perty” Bradley and Maureen O’Connor. Sassy was about to catch them up on the conversation so far, then changed tacks when she caught sight of Perty’s expression.

“Why the long face, Perty? I swany, between you, Trina, and Lindy, people will think we just came from a funeral.”

Not even Sassy’s teasing put a smile on Perty Bradley’s face. “My oldest grandson has moved into our carriage house. I know, I know, that should make me happy. But from what little he’s told us, there was some big scandal when the art college learned he was romantically involved with one of the deans or something. I can’t get a straight answer out of him about exactly what happened. But whatever happened, he makes it sound like it’s going to be nearly impossible for him to get another professorship somewhere.”

The server arrived with their pitchers of pancake batter and ramekins of fruit and other toppings, the same thing they got every week when they descended upon the small, kitschy eatery in the Berry Hill neighborhood of Nashville. It had taken them a while to settle on a regular place for their Thursday morning get-together once the coffee shop they’d been going to down in Franklin had closed. But after their first visit to the Pfunky Griddle, they’d been hooked.

“He teaches art doesn’t he?” Sassy asked, lifting the jug of whole grain batter; Perty nodded. “Caylor said something the other day about Robertson having trouble filling their adjunct positions. Get a copy of his résumé, and I’ll have her pass it along to the appropriate people.”

Perty smirked. “Have Caylor pass it along? All I’d have to do is pick up the phone and make one call, and he’d be hired. I was the first woman president of our alma mater, if you recall.”

Lindy, Trina, and Maureen exchanged looks Sassy wasn’t sure she liked. More than sixty years ago, the three of them had come up with the nicknames Sassy and Perty for Celeste and Helen—nicknames that had stuck so hard even their grandchildren had picked them up and used them.

“What?” Sassy and Perty asked at the same time.

“Well, I know we’re not limiting the search for partners for our grandchildren to each other’s grandchildren.” Maureen leaned forward to sprinkle sliced strawberries on her pancake. “But, Sassy, Caylor is single. And Perty, your grandson—Dylan—is single. As is Dylan’s younger brother. Aren’t both of those boys college professors? Surely Caylor would like one of them.”

Sassy shook her head. “Caylor met Paxton at the family cookout in October. Said he was a nice guy, but far too young—at twenty-five, he’s almost ten years younger than her.”

Perty shook her head, too. “With Dylan just coming out of a relationship that cost him his job, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Sassy adopted her most serious expression. “We should work on getting the already-engaged couple to the altar. And Perty and I”—she looked to her best friend, who nodded in agreement—“will do what we can with our offspring. If we put our minds to it, we can accomplish anything. After all, we are the Matchmakers.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://kayedacus.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kayedacus

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kayedacus

Thank you, Kaye, 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

8 Winners This Week!! Woo!!! Hoo!!!

Michelle (KY) is the winner of How Huge the Night by Susan Heather and Lydia Munn.Charlotte Kay (OH) is the winner of Darkness Follows by Mike Dellosso.
Shirley T. (IL) is the winner of Rachel's Contrition by Michelle Buckman.
Michelle Stimpson (TC) is the winner of Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson.
Jo (AZ) is the winner of Threat of Exposure by Lynette Eason.
Annette (PA) is the winner of Point of No Return by Susan May Warren.
Marianne (Alberta) is the winner of Mission: Out of Control by Susan May Warren.
Patty Wysong is the winner of Undercover Pursuit by Susan May Warren.

If you won a book, please give the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, or other Internet sites. Also, tell your friends about the book. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
Remember, 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.

A LEGACY OF LOVE - Victoria Burks - Free Book

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

I don’t deliberately characterize myself in my stories. However, I don’t believe it’s possible for writers to portray their characters without some small part of his or her multi-faceted personality showing up in one or more of them—minute parts that are perhaps unrecognizable on a conscious level.  

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

It would have to be the spur-of-the-moment two-week trip I took with my friend, Sue, to Portland, Oregon, a few years ago. Being one who likes things planned out and organized, I learned that occasional spontaneous decisions can prove to be a lot of fun and rewarding. I will never forget those wonderful carefree days that tightened the bond of our friendship even more.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, even those pesky term papers in high school and college, but I never thought of myself as a possible writer until a few years ago when I felt the inspiration to write my first novel, A Legacy of Love. Looking back on years past when I was a children’s church director and Sunday School teacher, I often wrote puppet skits, stories, and even a Christmas play; anything I needed during those years to make the life of Christ come alive to my young students.

Later, when I taught adults, I wrote a number of Sunday School lessons, an in-depth study of the Twenty-third Psalm, and recently a nine-week Bible course relating to Biblical hospitality. After winning a writing contest for one of my fictional short stories, I begin to think that perhaps God had after all placed a talent in my heart for creative writing. When I received a volley of encouraging words from Francine Rivers who had read the first three chapters of my novel at a writer’s conference, I decided to “take a leap of faith” and pursue the budding passion within me to write romantic suspense novels which would encourage readers to allow Christ into their hearts and into their circumstances. My next novel, Bittersweet Justice, will be released this coming fall. 

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

I read for both self-help and entertainment. I like to read books that stimulate and develop my faith in God, books which help hone my craft in writing, and novels related to my genre. I also enjoy historical fiction and western drama.

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

Through prayer and meditation. I tell my Father, God, everything, just as I would my best friend, even those things I wouldn’t even tell her. Ha. Seriously, I talk to Him as though He is standing or seated right next to me. I find that his answers bring the peace that passes all understanding no matter the circumstance in my life at the moment.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Names just seem to come to my mind as the story unfolds, along with the physical image of the characters. It’s the fleshing out that is sometimes difficult for me. I see their image and think, Who is this person? What makes him tick? How will he forward the plot? It’s seldom I know the answers to the above questions immediately; they tend to unfurl as the plot develops. 

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

When the grandchildren begin to arrive in our family, I determined to be the best grandmother I could be. The following note written to me by my thirteen-year-old granddaughter, Lauren, tells me I may be attaining my goal. “Grandma, you are awesome. When I grow up, I want to be a grandma just like you.” And, this comment from my teenage grandson, Brian, “Grandma, you are a hip grandma.” The following conversation between my four-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, and her mother when she came to pick up Sarah after an afternoon with me gives me additional hope. My daughter Becki: “Sarah it’s time to go home now.” Sarah: “This is my home. You are going to bring me back home in a little while, right?” Also, not to discount the words from my eighteen-year-old grandson, Chris, who can’t stop by the house as often since he’s now employed after school, “Grandma, I miss you.” As far as I’m concerned, I couldn’t ask for a greater accomplishment than this, even that of a newly published author as exciting as that is for me.

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

I would want to be a soft furry cat with personality plus; a loveable cat whose antics bring smiles to the lips of its master. I like to make people laugh because laughter is great medicine and health to one’s life according to Proverbs.

What is your favorite food?

Italian. I think I could eat some form of pasta every day. I don’t, of course, too many carbs.

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

The skill to “show, not tell” has been difficult for me. It is an ongoing challenge to get the scene in my head onto the printed page with colorful and exciting words. I’ve always been good at telling a story, even from childhood, but I’m still working on the art of showing.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Legacy of Love is the story of Danielle (Dani) McKinnon whose life is in shambles. She is ready for a change…a big change. When a letter arrives from an attorney in Georgia, stating that she’s the beneficiary of a distant relative’s estate, Dani can’t pass up investigating the opportunity. A trip to Atlanta reveals her inheritance includes ownership of Stratford Hall, a historic, secret-laden, 200-year-old, antebellum manor in the midst of the Appalachian Hills. While ownership possession of this estate seems like a dream come true, there are others determined to claim her inheritance for themselves. They’ll stop at nothing, even threatening Dani’s life in their effort to steal the legacy from her. Add to the mix her dashing new love interest, Justin Harcourt; the delightful Irish caretaker of the hall, Mrs. O’Brien; and a mysterious cowboy, who always seems to show up when she needs him most, and things couldn’t get more complicated.

Drama unfolds as Dani struggles over tough choices. Is her desire for a new beginning and the obligation of her birthright enough to risk all? Is her infatuation with Justin jeopardizing her new-found faith in God and the possibility for true love? A Legacy of Love is an exciting tale of faith, romance, and danger leaving readers guessing until the very end. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Dani blinked back the tears that threatened to mingle with the cold, autumn drizzle stinging her face. Her hands shaking, she retrieved her mail from the mailbox near the door of her condominium. She rushed inside to escape the deluge from a sudden cloudburst. She wished she could just as quickly flee the memory of Lance Carter’s vicious remarks, his words the hour before whirling in her thoughts like a tornado.

The amiable greeting from her snowy, blue-eyed kitten, usually a delight, failed to lift her spirits. His back bowed in a sleepy arch against her leg; she scooped the mewling pet from the floor with her free hand and buried her cheek into the long, soft fur. “Oh, Percy, what am I to do about Lance?” Releasing the kitten a moment later, Dani slipped the straps of her briefcase from her shoulder, tossing it onto the sofa. She ignored the clutter as contents from the leather tote spilled onto the floor.

Dani cringed, the reaction from her co-workers a vivid memory. The pace to their respective vehicles outside Pendergraff Accounting had slowed at the sound of Lance’s raised voice. Mortified by their curiosity, she had tried to sidestep the confrontation in the parking lot, but he’d blocked the way. Dani stiffened at the memory. Lance had gone too far with that last retort, something about “the high and mighty Miss McKinnon no longer finding it feasible to associate with the lower staff.”

A tear slid from her eye and dripped onto the unopened correspondence in her hand. How could he have been so thoughtless? Dani sighed as a smidgeon of compassion blended with her indignation. She knew his anger had erupted from more than just a broken date. He’d smoldered like embers all week, his obnoxious attitude beginning the moment their employer had announced his choice for the vacant manager’s position. With Lance’s desire to wear the prestigious title a known fact, she’d expected a reaction from him.

But public degradation? Had their friendship over the years mattered so little to him?

I can hardly wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can find me on Facebook and Twitter, on my website, http://victoriaburks.tateauthor.com, on Author Central at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Author’s Den.com. Thank you, Lena for the interview on your blogspot today. It’s been a pleasure to share a bit of myself and my novel, A Legacy of Love, with you and your readers. 

And thank you, Victoria, for this fun interview. We have so much in common.

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