THE HEALER'S TOUCH - Amber Schamel - Two Free Kindle Ebooks, Plus More

Readers, we have another debut author today. Be sure to read all about the giveaways at the end of the interview and follow all the instructions. 

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

I think my main characters usually reflect me the most. When I'm writing, I'm thinking of how I would feel, how I would react in that situation, so probably there's a lot of me in my characters.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
Most people are embarrassed to go to the bookstore with me because I can't keep my nose out of books -- literally. I LOVE them smell of books! If you ever see a lady sniffing books in a book store, you'll know right off who it is!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?
I have always had an active imagination and even as a young girl I would make up stories and play them out in my make believe. I started writing those stories down when I was about fourteen. But the real calling came about the time I graduated from High School. I had been doing a lot of study on how media and books affect people's attitudes and worldview. It was astonishing how the subtle messages that have been worked into entertainment over the years has completely transformed our nation and our morals. I realized that someone needed to write stories that upheld morals, faith and godliness. The Lord then led me to Habakkuk 2:2 which says, “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” That became my commission.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read a wide variety of books, from non-fiction biographies, to reading Curious George to my little brother. But the books I enjoy most are Christian Historical Fiction.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
That's a tough one for me because I have a job, a volunteer ministry, church activities, a large family to help with, and then try to fit writing into all of that. Keeping my sanity is one of those things I just can't do—so Jesus does it for me. I have to give everything over to Him, spend time in prayer and His Word, and remember to breathe. I attend a lot of church services, and that really helps too.

How do you choose your characters’ names?
Most of the time the names just come to me. But other times I will look up names for that time period, or names of that culture, or just look in a baby name book. I often take the meaning of the name into consideration, because the name is such a large part of the character.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
I was thrilled that my first book released before I turned twenty-two years old. I have always read about people in history like Eliza Lucas Pinckney, George Washington, or William Wilberforce who did amazing things at such young ages and had a longing to be able to accomplish similar things, so when my book was accepted by Helping Hands Press, I was ecstatic. My favorite quote is, “We are too young to realize certain things are impossible, so we do them anyway.”

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
A lamb. I have a lamb skin that I use as a prayer rug because it reminds me of the sacrifice that Jesus made. My constant prayer is that the Lord would give me the humility, meekness, trust, and obedience of a lamb.

What is your favorite food?
I love Italian food! And of course chocolate. Chocolate and peanut butter make my favorite desserts.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I’m one of those people who has difficulty expressing my emotions well, and this has carried over into my writing. This is something I am constantly working on. My wonderful critique partners have helped me a lot with this. I have to stop, think about what my character is going through, how do they feel, and then how do I express that on the page. The Emotion Thesaurus has also been invaluable to me.

Tell us about the featured book.
Aaliyah's last chance at winning her husband's love is destroyed when she is banished from her home as an unclean sinner.  Struggling to survive amidst the fear, grief, and bitterness of living in a leper colony, she would give anything just to see her son again. When rumors of a Healer from Nazareth reach the colony, Aaliyah wonders if this man could really heal her, or if He would despise her like the rest of her people. It is now that Aaliyah must make the most difficult decision of her life: risk her life to appear in public, or die a leper.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Circa 20 A.D.

            The spring sun rose warm and clear over the Sea of Galilee. Aaliyah bustled about in the kitchen. She had already been up for several hours preparing for the Passover meal for that evening. Footsteps sounded as her husband shuffled sleepily into the kitchen. He lifted his hands above his head, stretching his tall frame.

            "Good morning, husband." She smiled at him, suppressing her urge of mischief. "Did the sun sneak up on you today?"

            "I didn't sleep well," he grumbled as he dipped his hands into the bucket and splashed water on his face.

            Aaliyah scraped some breakfast onto a plate for him. "You tossed and turned all night; I dodged several blows from you." She offered him his plate, but when he reached out, she held it back. "Tell me, Tyrus, have you taken to beating your good wife in your sleep?"

            "Perhaps if I did, she would behave during the day." Tyrus smiled softly and jerked the plate out of her grasp.

            Aaliyah laughed under her breath. "Perhaps."

            Picking up the bowl of dough she was mixing, she followed him into the dining room and sat across from Tyrus. As he ate, she studied him with a fond eye. He was still as handsome as the day she'd first seen him. His hair and full beard were dark as the midnight sky and his skin was tanned as evidence of his work ethic. His brown eyes were lively and ambitious; looking into them gave her the feeling that there were exciting new worlds he was waiting to conquer. His tall frame looked cramped sitting at the little table with his legs folded beneath him. Redness dabbed the nostrils of his distinct nose, the tell-tale sign, he was tired.

            "What disturbed your sleep, my husband?"

            Tyrus glanced up at her before replying. "Dreams."

            Aaliyah's brow furrowed. "Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

            He shoved his empty plate towards her and stood. "Never mind them now. Passover is tonight, and we've much work to do. The caravan I sent to Jerusalem is returning today, and I must inventory the merchandise before my patrons show up to buy them all. I'll bring our lamb in later."

           

            He turned and left the room before she could ask more. She heard the courtyard gate close behind him. Tyrus was gone for the day.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
We’re doing a Facebook Party on August 15th with lots of prizes including another one of the baskets we’re giving away today, and you’re all invited! Just hop on over to my facebook page for that event.

You can also find me on my HIStory Blog and website http://amberschamel.com/
or on any of the following social media sites.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberSchamel

Twitter - @AmberSchamel https://twitter.com/AmberSchamel

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/AmberDSchamel/

Linked In - www.linkedin.com/pub/amber-schamel/41/145/b37/

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Lena. It has been a blast!

My pleasure, Amber.

There will be three winners today. Two people will receive an ebook edition of The Healer's Touch and one other winner will receive this Holy Land Gift set:

The gift set contains authentic Olive wood carving of the three crosses handcrafted by Christian artisans in Bethlehem, the elements of Galilee (Water from the Jordan River, Olive Oil from Galilee, and Stones from the Jerusalem Street), Widow's Mite Coins, and Capernaum Magnets. ($20 Value)

Wow! I wish I could enter.

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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, 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