DENALI DREAMS - Kimberley Woodhouse, Ronie Kendig - One Free Book

Readers, this novella collection was written by two of my dear writing friends. One of the high points of my writing life has been spending five days at a Tracie Peterson Fiction Writers Retreat in South Texas with these two and several other authors. First we'll talk to Kimberley Woodhouse.

Welcome, Kim. How did your story for the collection come about?
I called Ronie and asked her if she wanted to do a suspense collection in Alaska. I love Ronie to pieces and thought it would be so fun for two friends to write together. J

After that, we brainstormed and put it together pretty quick. We had a blast.

What are you reading right now?
Shadow In Serenity by Terri Blackstock

What other books have you had published?

Non-fiction – Welcome Home, A Life That Matters
Fiction – No Safe Haven, Race Against Time

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?
Making sure everything that needed to be in the story could be there in the very short word count. J

How did collaborating with this team impact you?
Ronie Kendig is a precious friend of mine – writing with her was awesome. It’s an honor and a privilege to have my name with hers on the cover.

How do you choose your characters’ names?
In Mountain Wishes – the heroine is named after a friend of mine who passed away from cancer.

In Denali Guardians – the heroine’s first name is my best friend’s name, and the hero’s first name is in honor of my son. Every book is different, so I tend to pick and choose name’s differently, depending on the story, the setting, time period, etc.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?
That God’s hope and joy are always there.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?
Yes, I am.

One of the founders, Tracie Peterson, has mentored me for umpteen years. When we were on the mission field in Alaska, she encouraged me to join (there were only forty members then!) but I didn’t join until several years later when I could get involved with the group via the internet since internet was spotty on the island we lived on.

I’m so thankful to be a part of ACFW – and wish I had joined sooner.

Wow, Kim. I was member #42. I joined within three months of the organization’s existence. We might have met earlier. What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?
Write, write, write. And keep on writing.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
http://kimberleywoodhouse.com

http://facebook.com/kimberleywoodhouseauthor

http://twitter.com/kimwoodhouse

Thank you, Kim. Now we're going to talk to Ronie.

Welcome, Ronie. How did your story for the collection come about?

Kim asked if I’d be interested, and I said it’d be an honor to work with such a dear friend.

What are you reading right now?

I’m “reading” Robert Jordan’s The Great Hunt via Audible, and I’m also reading Tosca Lee’s Iscariot.

I’m anxious to read Tosca’s new book. What other books have you had published?

I have four books in the Discarded Heroes series (Nightshade, Digitalis, Wolfsbane, and Firethorn) and three books in the A Breed Apart Series (Trinity: Military War Dog, Talon: Combat Tracking Team (May 2013) and Beowulf: Explosives Detection Dog (January 2014)). I also have Dead Reckoning,my debut spy thriller, Whole Pieces, a 7 Hours novella, and Dream A Little Dream in the Central Park Rendezvous collection.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

I think cohesion is the most challenging aspect. As an author, you’re used to keeping up with all your characters and their idiosyncrasies, but then you add someone else with their characters and their idiosyncrasies ... sometimes, it can be a lot to keep up with and it might cause ripples.

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

It blessed me. Working with Kim in any capacity is a blessing, and it truly was an honor to add this layer to our friendship.

Novella teams do become closer friends. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Most times—including in this story—the names are there before the fleshed-out character reveals himself or herself to me. I tried to make the names a bit native, but also wanted some flare to add to the unusual nature of the story and its setting.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?

I’ve been a part of ACFW since October 2004, and I have savored that connection. I honestly believe I would not be where I am today without the help, encouragement, and advocacy of other, more experienced writers. Because of that, I want to give back the way others gave to me.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

I think I would have to say the best piece of advice was to trust myself. In February 2007, I had signed with my dream agent, Steve Laube, and by September and the annual conference, I was adrift with depression and discouragement over the whole writing gig. In a meeting with my agent that year, I expressed discouragement over some of the scathing critiques I had been getting. He leaned across the table, pointed a finger at me, and said, “Ronie, you know when a story works. You know when it doesn’t. You’re a good writer. Trust yourself.” There will always be doubts. There will always be critics. We must push on, trust ourselves, our instincts, and write the best story we can possibly write.

Very good advice. I’m glad you took it to heart. Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

I love connecting with readers  and writers online. I can be found at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction) , Twitter (@roniekendig), and GoodReads. 

Thank you, Ronie.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Denali Dreams (Romancing America) - paperback
Denali Dreams (Romancing America) - Kindle


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