WINGS OF A DREAM - Anne Mateer - Free Book

I'm happy to introduce your readers to another debut author, my friend, Anne Mateer. Welcome, Anne. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

When I first started writing, my main characters were very like me. They seem to have become less so over the course of many books. (I wrote 4 unpublished novels before Wings of a Dream.) Now I think I often bleed into my characters without my realizing it. One of my friends noticed that Rebekah, the heroine of Wings of a Dream sometimes bites her fingernails, as I do. I hadn’t consciously paid attention to that!

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

That’s a hard one! I’m really a very predictable, boring person who rarely does anything out of the ordinary. Maybe the quirkiest thing I’ve ever done is stand up in front of the entire ACFW Conference in 2007 wearing a blonde wig on and acting like Deb Raney!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’d always been a reader, but the summer before 5^th grade I went to an enrichment course at my school. Half the time we did science. The other half we studied and wrote poetry. I discovered that I hated science and I loved writing words. I think my desire to be a writer was born that summer.

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

Like my taste in music, my taste in books runs over a wide range. I love, love, love the classics. I try to read at least one or two a year that I haven’t read before, although sometimes my favorites call me back. I read a lot of Christian fiction--women’s fiction and historical fiction. An occasional NYTimes bestseller (but usually years after everyone else has read them!). I enjoy mysteries (especially historical ones) and some fantasy (but not sci-fi). I still love YA and children’s literature, too! On occasion I will read suspense, but I can only handle the stress of those once or twice a year!

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

Not very well! I keep thinking my world will slow as each child leaves for college, but it never seems to happen. I guess my main sanity comes in the form of a weekly lunch with my best friend of 20 years. My world literally stops for three hours as we rehash our week, laugh and cry with each other, and encourage each other in the Lord.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

My characters’ names come from various sources. Some are names connected with my family history. Others are pulled from the names in my current circle of acquaintances. Sometimes a name will just pop in my head. Many times I find them in newspaper articles of the time period I’m writing about. But I always check to make sure the name is time period appropriate.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

 My marriage. My husband and I married at 20 and 21, each with a lot of growing up to do. But we persevered through some difficult years and I’m proud of the relationship we have today. It’s not perfect, but we’ve learned to love each other in spite of our imperfections.

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

I’m not particularly fond of animals, but if I had to be one, I think I’d be a cat. Cats seem to live life on their own terms, not caring what anyone else thinks. I don’t always do that very well. 

What is your favorite food?

Definitely chocolate. All kinds. I’m not picky in that respect!

I've never met a chocolate I didn't like, except fudge with peanut butter in it. Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

After learning I loved words in elementary school and writing, writing, writing through high school and college, I suddenly found myself married and having babies, with little time to concentrate on that dream. During those years I simply read--and dreamed of writing. When my youngest child went to kindergarten in 2000, I took some creative writing classes to get back in the groove. I found a local writers group. I entered contests and submitted articles and stories to magazines. I received tons of rejections and a few acceptances. I finished 4 novels. In 2009, I reached the final round of the historical fiction category of the ACFW Genesis contest. A Bethany House editor read my entry and asked for the manuscript. Eleven months and two rewrites later, I had a contract!

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

My greatest problem has been story--that is, plot and structure. I seemed to have a knack for dialogue and creating character from the beginning, but having something happen was an issue for me. Overcoming it took reading lots of books on plot and story and also lots of practice crafting story. I think it helped me learn this when I wasn’t trying to write in the genre of my heart--historical fiction. Of my 4 unpublished novels, 3 are contemporary women’s fiction.  Once I returned to historical fiction after those three experiments in contemporary, where I really wrestled with plot, I found that story flowed more easily, though it is the still the point on which I concentrate my efforts.

What advice would you give to others who are trying to get their first book published?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Realize that even innate talent requires discipline and learning. (I always compare it to an athlete. The physical abilities are born in them, but they must still work to shape their muscles and hone their skills for their particular sport.)

Tell us about the featured book.

Rebekah Hendricks dreams of a life far beyond her family's farm in Oklahoma, and when dashing aviator Arthur Samson promises adventure in the big city, she is quick to believe he's the man she's meant to marry. While she waits for the Great War to end and Arthur to return to her so they can pursue all their plans, her mother's sister falls ill. Rebekah seizes the opportunity to travel to Texas to care for Aunt Adabelle, seeing this chance to be closer to Arthur's training camp as God's approval of her plans. But the Spanish flu epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt's death, Arthur's indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebekah is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she's always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

October 1918

“Rebekah Grace, if you don’t hurry we’ll be late for the lecture.” Mama refrained from shouting, though her voice carried easily up the stairs and into my bedroom. Ladies didn’t raise their voices, after all.

“Coming, Mama.” I pinned my wide-brimmed hat over my light brown hair before turning my head from side to side, trying to get the whole view in the small looking glass mounted on the wall. The hat wasn’t the latest style, but it would do. At least for Downington, Oklahoma.

Thankful that Mama had relented to skirts above my ankles, I raced down the stairs, hopping over the final step, then stopped to catch my breath before heading outside to meet Mama and Daddy. In spite of my excitement, I forced my feet to carry me with the slow dignity Mama expected of a young woman just turned nineteen.

My copy arrived this week. Can't wait to read it. How can the readers find you on the Internet?

You can read my blog and find out other things at www.annemateer.com, I have an author page on facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneMateer, and you can follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/AnneMateer. I’d love to connect with you through any of those venues!

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

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

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

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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

PRINCESS IN PERIL - Rachelle MacCalla - Free Book

I'm introducing an author I haven't been familiar with before. Welcome, Rachelle. Your series intrigues me. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

All of my characters have some basis in my experiences and emotions, but at the same time, I try to give each character their own personality based on different psychological profiles.  Each character’s behavior stays true to their personality, not mine.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I often spontaneously burst into song—to the delight of my children and horror of my husband.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I started reading voraciously in about the third grade. By fifth grade, I was putting my own spin on stories in my head.  If I didn’t like how things went, I “re-wrote” the story in my head.  Eventually I started coming up with stories all my own.

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

I love stories with action.  If nothing is happening, I get bored easily.  I also love stories that go where no story has gone before, either with exotic settings, untapped conflicts, or characters no one has done before.

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

With four children ages eight and under, I can never get too far ahead of myself. I’m boxed in by bedtimes and kissing boo-boos. Kids have a way of forcing a person into the present—sometimes by yarping it right down the front of your shirt.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I have an entire shelf of baby name books I use, as well as name websites I’ve bookmarked. In my Reclaiming the Crown series, many of my characters have Mediterranean backgrounds, so I’ve been selecting names that reflect Greek or Albanian ancestry. The names have to match the people. I’ve been known to change a character’s name several times until I get it just right.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My kids.

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

A dolphin—they are highly intelligent and social, mysterious, strong, and beautiful creatures.

What is your favorite food?

Dove dark chocolate almonds

I love anything dark chocolate. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest writing roadblock is finding time to write (see question 5 above!).  Fortunately, when I do get a chance to write, I tend to have enough of a backlog of ideas that writer’s block is never a problem!

Tell us about the featured book.

My October Love Inspired Suspense is the first book the Reclaiming the Crown Series, Princess in Peril.  The series follows the four royal siblings of the small Christian Kingdom of Lydia, as they try to survive the rebel coup that has toppled their father’s government.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The royal motorcade lurched to an unexpected stop. Her Royal Highness Princess Isabelle of Lydia glanced at Levi Grenaldo, her recently appointed bodyguard, expecting him to make some reassuring gesture that would indicate nothing was amiss.

He didn't look her way. In the silvery sheen of his mirrored sunglasses, Isabelle saw only the rear bumper of her brother's limousine sitting still on the road in front of them. The seconds ticked by and they sat, unmoving, in the narrow streets of Sardis, Lydia's capital city.

Something had to be wrong. The motorcade represented the power and pageantry of the royal family and therefore never stopped until it arrived at its destination.

“Why are we stopped?”

Levi didn't acknowledge her question, but instead pressed the button for the intercom and told the driver, “Get us off this street.”

When the driver hesitated, Levi pressed the button again. “Now.”

Much as she wanted to remain calm, Isabelle felt her fingers tighten as they gripped the edge of the leather seat. She didn't like anything about this situation. For one thing, she didn't trust Levi.

He'd been abruptly appointed as her personal bodyguard five days earlier with no explanation given, and on top of that, he didn't fit the profile for a bodyguard. Although he was plenty tall and his shoulders were broad with muscles, he was otherwise trim, and the dark angles of his beard gave his face a scholarly look. Unlike all the bodyguards she'd ever had before, his neck wasn't thicker than his head, and he looked unusually sharp in the tuxedo he wore for the state dinner they were about to attend.

Besides that, the bodyguard read books. Intelligent ones. She'd seen him with his nose buried in political tomes whenever he waited for her to finish an appointment.

Out of place as those attributes seemed, what really bothered her was the way he overrode her requests and limited her freedom. As the eldest daughter of King Philip and Queen Elaine, Isabelle was used to having to change her plans to protect her safety, but Levi's impediments went far beyond the usual. They'd butted heads several times. After three days she'd asked to have him removed, but her father had refused her request.

All her instincts told her something was amiss.

The driver had the car two points into what promised to be an eighteen-point turn on the narrow street when suddenly a deafening blast rent the air, rattling the official limo, and an orange ball of fire seared the sky in front of them.

Levi's hand mashed the intercom button.  “Back! Back! Now!”

I can hardly wait for my copy of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.rachellemccalla.com

Thank you, Rachelle, for this interesting interview.



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


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

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

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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DEEP COVER - Sandra Orchard - Free Book

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

I don’t think that I do, although it will be interesting to hear what my family think when they read the novel.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

You know what they say…I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. Let me just say, I was young and in love and had probably just seen a BBC version of some Jane Austin character swooning over the love of her life. And for the record, he’s now my hubby.

Now we’ll imagine all kinds of things. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I loved to write from the moment I put crayon to paper. (Okay, chalk board…How was I supposed to know it wouldn’t rub off?! I was only three!) In grade one, two of my stories were included in the school yearbook. One was a couple of paragraphs long whereas, the other first grade excerpts were a couple of sentences. That’s when I really knew.

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

For the better part of my adult life, I read non-fiction books of the how to be a better wife, mother, or home-educator variety. Now I prefer fast-paced novels that are engaging and don’t leave graphic images in my mind. I lean toward romantic suspense, contemporary and historical romances. I also enjoy the occasional light-hearted novel or mystery. Although I must confess that I do miss the days of reading novels such as The Trumpeter Swan and The Indian in the Cupboard to my young children.

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

I live in the country so I enjoy long walks with my dog and neighbor, or visit with my new grandbaby and just enjoy her—something that was hard to do the first time around, what with the sleep-deprivation and all.

Yes, grandchildren are a special blessing from God. I’ve enjoyed every one of mine. How do you choose your characters’ names?

I try to have each character’s name start with a different letter of the alphabet to avoid confusion. I use the telephone book for last names, and a baby book for ideas for first names. I try to choose heroic-sounding names for the hero and heroine, and villainous or character-suited names for the others.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Raising and educating three wonderful, hard-working children who love the Lord (and their mom ).

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

A beaver. I’m highly task oriented. I’m contest to build my home—literal construction, not cleaning! I prefer to have “working” visits with friends, whether helping to hang wallpaper or rearrange furniture or brainstorm a new novel, rather than just sitting around and chatting.

What is your favorite food?

Pizza—all the important food groups J

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

My biggest challenge has been grounding my scenes. As a reader, I didn’t have patience for paragraphs of description of characters and setting. But I swung too far the other way and wrote far too little. I had to learn to portray the setting from the point of view of the character the scene is written in and infuse the description with the emotions that character feels at that moment.

Tell us about the featured book.

Deep Cover is the first book in my Undercover Cop Series with Love Inspired Suspense. Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

Is it possible to be a man of honor and live a life of lies?

Rick Gray hopes so, because as an undercover cop, he’s had to make too many sacrifices, including a future with Ginny Bryson, the woman he loves.

Ginny Bryson never really knew Rick--he never gave her the chance. Not then, and not now, when he's back with a new alias to gather evidence against Ginny's uncle. The man's crimes led to Rick's partner's death, and Rick wants justice to be served. But his investigation is stirring up trouble, and Ginny is in the middle of it. But how can Rick protect her without blowing his cover, jeopardizing his assignment...and risking both their lives?

Sounds like a book I'd love to read. Please give us the first page of the book.

STOP NOW, OR ELSE.

Rick Gray strode toward the spray-painted warning inside the half-framed building. The sawdust-strewn floor groaned under his weight, then suddenly gave way, dropping him ten feet onto his back in basement mud. His hard hat cracked against a rock and the air rushed from his lungs. Pain streaked through his body. He tried to suck in a breath, but his chest seized.

He willed his muscles to relax and tried again. This time a gasp squeaked through.

He squinted past the flashes of color dancing in front of his eyes and focused on the floor joists that dangled over his head. He might be an undercover cop just posing as the foreman on this group-home project, but he didn’t have to be the real thing to spot the clean saw-lines bisecting three of the struts.

Fury blazed through his veins. If the basement slab had been poured yesterday as planned, he’d be a dead man.

Holding his breath against the throbbing pain, Rick crawled up the ladder to the main floor. Last night’s rain had turned the Southern Ontario sandy loam into a soupy mess, and the late winter chill layering the air around Miller’s Bay bit through his damp jeans. Bit like the suspicion nipping at his thoughts that this wasn’t the handiwork of another disgruntled neighbor.

The warning to stop construction on the controversial home for the mentally challenged might be from an angry Not-In-My-Back-Yarder, but if his “boss” had figured out why Rick really took this job, staging an accident that looked like the work of local protestors was an inspired way to take him out.

Two shiny leather shoes, enveloped in thin rubber sole guards, met his nose at the top of the ladder. Rick shot out his hand and dug his fingers into the floorboards, bracing himself for the push that would send the ladder, and him, toppling back to the ground.

I know I have to read it now. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Blog: http://SandraOrchard.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

Goodreads:http://bit.ly/Goodreads_SandraO

Website: www.SandraOrchard.com


Thank you, Sandra, 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 4 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 ARISTOCRAT'S LADY - Mary Moore - Free Book

I'm always thrilled to introduce a debut author. Welcome to my blog, Mary. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

The characters become individuals of their own.  But I sometimes put one of my own life experiences into them.  For example, in The Aristocrat’s Lady, the heroine has a disability and there is a scene where she is meeting with a renowned London doctor.  She expresses her frustration at what seems to be the futility of seeing yet one more doctor who won’t be able to help her.  I faced a similar situation and was able to draw on that to make her a little more vulnerable.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Actually, it was about fifteen years ago.  I have always been a voracious reader especially of the Regency genre.  I guess all that reading put characters and plots in my head, but it was completely subconsciously!  I must have been in between books so I got out a spiral notebook and decided to start a story with a premise I had been thinking would make a great plot.  I also wanted to create an inspirational aspect in the story.  (There were no Regencies in the Christian bookstores in those days!)  I still did not know I was a writer, however!  It was strictly for my own pleasure, at the time, but is now my debut novel, The Aristocrat’s Lady.

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

I’m kind of a picky reader, I guess.  British fiction from the Ewardian to the Victorian eras would be my top choice.   (From Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer to Elizabeth Gaskell to the Bronte sisters, Dickens and so on…)  If I discover when seeing a movie that it is based on a book, I have to read the book.  That started back with Gone With The Wind in high school right through to P.S. I Love You currently.  I also really like biographies.

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

I haven’t…yet!  Since this is my first book, I have so much to learn.  It has added a considerable amount of juggling to keep up with the “information” loops I’m on, as well as the specific Love Inspired information I need to be aware of.  I only work part-time, but my husband and I are very active in our church.  Fortunately, I’m a night owl, but even that is catching up with me.  I’m hoping that getting through the process of this first book, from beginning to end, will prepare me for better time management should I be blessed with others.  Otherwise, I think my husband and dog might disown me!

How do you choose your characters’ names?

That’s a really good question!  And one I don’t have a good answer to!  I know with The Aristocrat’s Lady, I always thought if I had a son I would like to name him Jared.  So that was an easy choice there.  But with Nicole, I just knew I needed a name that could be shortened and when it was shortened would make it be a sort of tomboy’s nickname.  There are lots of websites you can go just to see a sampling of names, and I might do that just to see how a last name would fit with the first name I picked.  In other words, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to picking character names for me!

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

I would be a pet in my house!  My husband and I are dog lovers.  Right now we have a black lab we love, but she is the most spoiled animal on the planet.  I have to cover couches with pillows, or she’ll sleep there.   So she loves to sleep in our bed, and I have to cover our spread with a sheet or dog hair is everywhere.  She’s older now, and when she started losing some of the use of her back legs, my husband built a step so she could still get up in our bed when she wants to!

What is your favorite food?

Almost anything chocolate AND Arby’s roast beef sandwiches!  I’m a cheap date!

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

I think it would be what most writers would say…patience.  I wrote this book 15 years ago.  I dabbled with getting it published…you know… “Dear sir, here is your next #1 on the NY Times bestsellers list.  I’ll be waiting for your call.”  As you can imagine, I waited a long time!  Gave it a little time and sent in another manuscript with no response and I gave up the fantasy.   But when I found the manuscripts in an old box, I began to rewrite it with real experiences and emotions.  I queried a Christian Agency, and God blessed me with my agent, Jenny Burke, who has been behind me 100%.  Looking back, I can see God in the entire process.  It is being published in His time and in His way, that makes all of the waiting worth it.

Tell us about the featured book.

It’s inspirational Regency about a woman with a disability.  Her malady is not visible; that’s the hook-neither the reader nor the hero knows what it is until the right moment.  She goes to London and decides to keep it a secret to spare others any awkwardness they might feel, but in her heart there is the deeper fear of rejection.  She meets the Earl and they like each other immediately.  He does not wish to marry and she knows her disability makes her ineligible, so she keeps it a secret, even from him, and they become fast friends; a very unusual occurrence in that time period.  The heartbreak and conflict that erupts when he learns of her disability has us wondering how it could all work out.  But with God anything is possible!

I just love Love Inspired Historical books, and this one sounds like one I'll really enjoy. Please give us the first page of the book.

Lady Nicole Beaumont sighed as she walked along the terrace of the Elizabethan mansion.  The air was surprisingly cool and lightly blowing over the palatial gardens behind the house.  It was an immediate remedy to the stifling heat of the ballroom behind her.  Tracing her hand along the marble railing, she reached the landing that led down into the meticulously patterned walkways.  However, Nicole did not descend.  She only listened to the sounds coming from the lake, the focal point of the famed park.  She could hear the soft gliding of ducks as they floated across the smooth water.  She smiled when she perceived one quacking truant dip its head into the cool pool only to bring it up again in a flurry of feathers.

The smell of roses was strong where she stood and it took Nicole’s thoughts back to her own home in Gloucester.  Roses had always been her favorite.  In fact, she grew the most beautiful and unusual varieties.

     

She sighed again as she stood against the sculpted balustrade.  London had been so much worse than she had imagined.  Why had she allowed her mother to convince her it would be good for her to visit Town during the Season?  Everything was at a faster pace and her problems seemed magnified in the unending bustle of the city.  Her incapacities only reminded her of her endless limitations.

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

My website is www.marymooreauthor.com and I love for people to visit and leave me messages!  You can find my author page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marymooreauthor  and I love people to check it out and “Like” it (if they do! :0)  Finally, readers can feel free to email me at mmooreauthor@swva.net.

Lena, thanks so much for this opportunity!  I hope your fans will try The Aristocrat’s Lady and let me know what they think!

My pleasure, Mary. My readers will visit your sites.

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 4 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 

Last September, Ooops, Make that August Winners!!!

Some of the people who leave comments aren't in the drawing because they don't follow the instructions at the bottom of each interview post.

LoveMy2Dogs (OH) is the winner of Lone Star Trail by Darlene Franklin.
Barbjan10 (TX) is the winner of Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay.
Tammi (ME) is the winner of Something Old by Dianne Christner.
Sharon Richmond (NC) is the winner of Blue Skies Tomorrow by Sarah Sundin.
Megan (PA) is the winner of Forsaken, by Leanna Ellis.
Lorna Faith (Alberta) is the winner of A River to Cross by Yvonne Harris.

If you won a book, please give the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes & Noble, or other Internet sites.

Also, tell your friends about the book and this blog. Thank you.

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Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

Remember, you have 4 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.

ELECTRIC ANGEL - Sue Dent - Free Book

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

A horizon to me is simply a visual perception of how far I can see and that's how I apply it allegorically. I concentrate only on what's happening now. I can't afford to spend time speculating about what lies beyond what I can see. What do I see on the horizon—me writing stories that appeal to a lot of readers. And to that I must quote my favorite Captain, Capn' Jack Sparrow of course, "Now give me that horizon."

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

Not really. But many other things have changed my reading habits. For example, since so many talented authors have had to go the self-publishing route to escape an industry set on their demise, I now DEFINITELY look at those books as well as ones coming from small publishing houses like mine.

What are you working on right now?

Finally I can get back to the third book in my Thirsting for Blood Series, Cyn No More. My 2007 Bram-Stoker Short-listed, 2009 Pluto Award Finalist Never Ceese has been republished through my new publisher Black Bed Sheet Books. The second in the series, Forever Richard, is due out this September republished by the same publisher. Finally the series will be under one publisher. Black Bed Sheet will also publish Cyn No More. I'm also working on converting all my books into all the different e-book versions available and DRM free too. They will be available exclusively through my publisher.

I'm also having all my books approved by Spring Arbor. Though it doesn't help get my work in to larger Christian bookstores that sell "targeted" Christian fiction (as Spring Arbor says it should) it does make it so my readers can at the very least order my work through these venues. No rest for the weary.

What outside interests do you have?

None. Writing is all I do when I have free time. I love it that much.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The stories choose the settings. I've no idea where my characters will end up but it's always fun finding out.

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

Robert Kirk, an Episcopalian minister in the Scottish Highland [1800's] who set out to collect many striking stories from his parishioners about elves, fairies, fauns, doppelgangers, wraiths, and other beings who, in Kirk's words, were "a middle nature betwixt man and angel." I would love for him to teach me Gaelic as well.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That Pharisaical tendencies still exist. And while being pleasant with folk that lean heavily on these tendencies is indeed tough, it is the Christ-like thing to do.

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

1. Respect your readers and hire a professional editor. Most small publishers can barely afford to exist much less provide a "free" edit to their authors. Though it's a pricy endeavor, it's an investment that will make the difference in sales.

2. General market publishers aren't inherently "secular" publishers and "Christian" publishers write for one very targeted demographic. Therefore if you're simply an author who is a Christian and choose to write for that one demographic, seek a "Christian" publisher. Otherwise general market publishers are the publishers you need to seek. 

3. You need approval by Ingram's Spring Arbor for customers to even order your books via a Christian bookstore. But since Spring Arbor doesn't check for "targetedness" (it's a word I just made up, ) large Christian bookstores still won't put it in their stores because they have to check to make sure their core market readers won't be offended by it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here's the description: Because of her cancer, Anna Chadwick wouldn't live long enough to carry her twin infants to term. Yet she wanted nothing more than for them to have a chance at living. Learning one would be stillborn didn't lessen her desire. It would take a miracle....so she prayed for one. When an electrical entity arrives to take the place of her stillborn, some would reflect that prayers aren't always answered the way we'd expect them to be.

This is one of the first stories I ever entertained writing when I thought I might like to write something for others to read. In some ways it "sort of" is like the movie Powder in that it's about an electrical entity. It's my usual fast paced style of writing and is currently at the British Fantasy Society for their take on it at their request. In fact, they more or less begged for it. You may get an e-book version in any format DRM free at my publisher’s site.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

The two-lane road wound its way around the foothills

of the lower Appalachians like a ribbon carelessly tossed on the

ground. Anna Chadwick gripped the steering wheel tighter and

eased her foot from the gas pedal. The long day’s drive bearing

down on her, she began to reconsider. Nothing about this

makes sense. No one just picks up and leaves everything

behind. I don’t even know where I’m headed.

Panic took root. Confused tears blurred her vision. She

wiped at them with the back of an uncertain hand, then gave her

head a determined shake.

"No! You can do this. You have to do this." She

placed a maternal hand on the small bulge of her stomach. "They

deserve a chance. Both of them."

With this thought, she pushed away her panic and drove

on. Yet when dusk threatened, the uneasy feeling returned. How

much farther would she have to go? Was she on the right road?

The landscape looked the same no matter which road she took,

rolling hills populated by thick pockets of pines. With no

directions, one could easily get lost in an area like this. She’d

taken this road because at the moment she had to make a

decision, it seemed the road to take. Now, she wasn’t sure.

Nothing really distinguished this road from the other five or six

she passed up already. That suffocating thought was enough to

make her consider turning around.

You may go to my publisher website and read the entire first chapter!

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.suedent.net

www.neverceese.com

www.facebook.com/authorsuedent

www.shoutlife.com

www.downwarden.com/blackbedsheet

www.blackbedsheet.goshopper.net/

Thank you, Sue. It's always a pleasure to host you on my blog.

Readers, 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 4 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

A HEART REVEALED - Julie Lessman - Free Book

I'm so happy to have my very good friend, Julie, on my blog again. Welcome, Julie. Tell us about your salvation experience.

Sure, but I guarantee you, you wouldn’t have liked me back then. I was a 23-year-old hardnosed agnostic from a devout but dysfunctional family of 13 kids. I was so angry at God that I actually used to say I wanted to burn Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms. As a wild child of the 60s and 70s, I tried everything to be happy—from astrology and tarot cards, to transcendental meditation and witchcraft—you name it. My vocabulary would have made a sailor blush. Suffice it to say that I was pretty angry at God. According to the world’s standards, I had everything going for me—a hunky boyfriend with a Corvette and a boat, a great job, my own apartment (at a time when other friends still lived at home), and I was acing an advanced writing course at Washington U., a prestigious college in St. Louis. But I wasn’t happy. I felt a lot like Peggy Lee singing, “Is that all there is?”

Then one day, this annoying gal at work approached me. She had a lesser job than me, was divorced with a kid and no boyfriend in sight. I hated her because she came in humming every day, happy as a lark while I was utterly miserable. And then it happened—one life-altering moment when she and I were alone—I looked up from my typewriter and said, “Just what in the heck (except my language was a bit saltier back then) makes you so happy all the time?” She said, “I’ve been praying you would ask.”

Oh, no, a Jesus freak, I thought to myself, but I found myself going to lunch with her, badgering her with questions and accusations. I don’t remember now if it was weeks or months, but either way, I met Jesus Christ through the remarkable patience of a God-sent angel by the name of Joy—pretty appropriate name, eh?

Since then, my life has been a journey of “joy,” because EVERYTHING with Jesus Christ at the center is pure joy—especially romance! A Passion Most Pure was my first love letter to a God whose love took me from the dark into His glorious light, and I hope and pray it and all of my books bring Him the glory He so richly deserves.

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

YIKES, I couldn’t do that, sorry! I have met WAY too many wonderful people in this business to limit it to just four, especially when I am part of a group blog called The Seekers (http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/) with 14 other incredible authors. But I will say that Liz Curtis Higgs and Francine Rivers have been icons to me in this business—two authors whose work I devour and who have inspired me more than I can say, so I sure wouldn’t mind sitting down with them. And, then, gosh, throw in Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee, two authors who captured me during childhood, and I’d say that’s quite a party!

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

I have done speaking engagements, but I don’t pursue them. When I started writing, I thought public speaking would be a big part of my ministry because I have never had problems talking to people one-on-one or in crowds and, of course, I tend to be a drama queen, so I get people’s attention. In fact, when I took a speech class in college, the professor took me aside and said, “Julie, I’ve been teaching speech for a long time now, and I work hard to get people to emote, but in all the time I’ve been teaching, I have never had to tone anybody down until now. J I am happy to report that I got an “A,” but even so, today, I prefer my writing ministry to one of public speaking.

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

Oh, honey, you’re talking to a woman with “hoof-in-mouth” disease, so the examples I could give would fill your blog for a week! Probably one of the most embarrassing things for me (and certainly my sister) was when I was about thirteen years old and my dear Aunt Julie’s husband died. I tend to babble on when I’m nervous and don’t know what to say, so when my sister and I went up to the front of the casket where my Aunt Julie was standing, I remember hugging my aunt and telling her how sorry I was.

Now, my Aunt Julie was a beautiful woman in her early 40s, and to me she looked like a movie star, and since I was enamored with romance from the age of twelve after reading Gone With the Wind, naturally romance was foremost on my mind. So after I hugged her, I pulled away to give her a tender smile. “Aunt Julie,” I said with all the wisdom of a romance-crazed thirteen-year-old, “I am so sorry about Uncle Alex, but you are such a beautiful woman, men will line up to marry you, I promise—and you’ll knock ’em dead.” I can still see the shock on my sister’s face as she quietly turned around and walked to the back of the room. This is only one of the many examples of why my daughter jokes about getting me a shock collar for Christmas since, regrettably, I’m not a whole lot better now at the age of 60 than I was then!

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?

Well, of course I tell them to do it, and then I tell them how I did it, giving them the following list of things I did to get published:

1.) Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers at http://www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com/), FHL (Faith, Hope & Love at http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/) and RWA (Romance Writers of America at http://www.rwanational.org/), both to get connected with other like-minded writers and to learn a lot about your craft.

2.) Take a fiction-writing class or attend a writing seminar or conference.

3.) Join a critique group (you can do that through ACFW).

4.) Purchase and study writing books such as Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King or Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas, AND invest in a great thesaurus such as The Synonym Finder by Rodale Press (my writer’s bible!!).

5.) Enter contests for invaluable feedback, growth, confidence, networking opportunities and to get your name out there.

6.) Frequent websites/blogs that deal with writing, such as The Seekers (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog that I belong to whose theme is “On the road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.”

7.) Go for an agent first, publisher second.

8.) Then pray your heart out and put it in God’s hands.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Heart Revealed is book 2 in “The Winds of Change” series, and it’s the love story of the oldest O’Connor brother, Sean O’Connor, a confirmed bachelor, and his sister’s best friend, Emma Malloy, a battered married woman. Here’s my own personal blurb:

The ring on her hand belongs to one man …

but her heart belongs to another.

As a battered woman, Emma Malloy fled Dublin for Boston ten years ago, seeking shelter for a heart badly bruised by both her husband and guilt. But when she falls in love with Sean O’Connor, a confirmed bachelor who wrestles with demons of his own, fear and shame almost destroy her … until she is finally set free by a heart revealed.

Since I love all your books, I know I'll love this one as well. Please give us the first page of the book.

I would like to post the prologue, but before I do, I want to point out that it’s pretty heavy and violent and not really indicative of the rest of the book. In fact in contrast, the first chapter starts very light, with an O’Connor wedding some ten years after the prologue. So that said, here is Emma Malloy’s past:

A HEART REVEALED

Prologue

Dublin, Ireland, 1916

She heard it before she felt it. Harsh air sucking through clenched teeth, the grunt of an arm raised, the soft swish of a hand slicing the air.

“I want the truth—”

And then she felt it. The crack of his knuckles when her jaw met the back of his hand, the thud of her head against the wall, the putrid rise of nausea as it climbed in her throat.

“Did you sleep with him?”

“No, I swear—”

“Liar!”

Cruel hands rattled her shoulders while the vile stench of whiskey smothered her air. The taste of blood and vomit soured her tongue, forcing the words to heave from her throat. “It was an innocent comment, I swear, from a friend and nothing more …”

He wrenched her arm and her scream pierced the night before he jerked her close, his foul breath hot against her skin. “You think I’m stupid, do ya? I see the way he looks at you, the way they all look at you …”

“It doesn’t matter, Rory—you’re the one I love—only you!” The air seized in her lungs as she waited for her words to take effect. Blood pulsing in her brain, she licked her lips and forced her gaze to his, watching as his rage slowed and simmered into lust. Her body quivered as she pressed in close, tracing his mouth with a shaky finger. The violent throb of her pulse betrayed the casual huskiness of her whisper. “You … I only want you … forever and ever.”

He stared, the crazed look in his eye finally fading into the smoldering obsession she had mistaken for love. Jerking her close, he devoured her with his mouth, his lips hard and cruel as they plumbed the depths of his desire. He shoved her to the wall, pinning her there with a possessive gaze while his hands took the liberties allowed to a husband. “Mine … you’re all mine, Emma, and no other man can ever have you—do you hear?”

His breathing quickened as taut arms swallowed her up. “Don’t you know how much I love you?” he whispered, his voice pleading as the dark bristle of his late-day beard ground against her cheek. He jerked away to cup her face in his hands, all of his fury suddenly chased away by the lovesick look in his eyes. A gentle smile lifted the corners of his mouth, transforming his handsome face into the lost, little boy she’d fallen in love with. “Emma, my beautiful, beautiful Emma, I’m sorry for hitting you, love, and I swear from now on, I’ll give you all the love you deserve.”

His kiss was gentler this time, and her eyes fluttered closed. Mrs. Rory Malloy—the envy of every girl on O’Connell Street. Her sweat-soaked blouse shivered against her skin. Every lass’s dream … and one woman’s nightmare. Rory’s whispers of love tickled her ear, but all she could hear was her father’s curse, ricocheting off the battered walls of her mind.

I pray to God you get what you deserve …

With a gentle stroke of her cheek, Rory carried her into their bedroom. He closed the door with the tip of his shoe, severing the light as surely as he’d severed the hope from her soul.

Not to worry, Da … I did.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Thank you, Lena, for the opportunity to connect with your readers! I LOVE to hear from reader friends, so they can contact me through my Web site at www.julielessman.com, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter at http://www.julielessman.com/sign-up-for-newsletter/. My newsletter is chock-full of fun info on my books and there’s always a contest featuring signed book giveaways including one right now to have a character named after you or a loved one in my next book. Also, I have a cool feature on my website called “Journal Jots” (http://www.julielessman.com/journal-jots/), which is a very laid-back, Friday journal to my reader friends that would give your readers an idea as to my relaxed style of writing. Then finally, I can be found daily at The Seekers blog (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog devoted to encouraging and helping aspiring writers on the road to publication.


Thank you so much, Julie, for the intimate look into your life both BC (Before Christ) and after.



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 4 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