Best-selling and
award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several
coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble
"Author of the Month" for Houston
and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita
loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.
Tell us about your salvation experience.I became a Christian
when I was a little girl. I attended church all my years growing up, and then attended
a Christian college. My life’s goal is to serve Christ in my writing and in all
that I do. It’s not always easy to do that in this fallen world, but it’s the
only way to live.
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have
four other authors. Who would they be and why?
I’d love to invite
authors B.J. Hoff, Tosca Lee, Lynn Austin and Allison Pittman. I’d really enjoy
chatting with them about their wonderful writing.
Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
I speak occasionally
when I’m asked, but I don’t really have an ongoing speaking ministry.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you
and how did you handle it?
Honestly, I have so many
humiliating incidents in my life I don’t really know where to begin! I even
thought of writing a book entitled, The
Stupid Stuff I’ve Done. Perhaps there are enough stories for several volumes.
Okay, I’ll give you one example. Some months ago I was waving to a neighborhood
girl across the street, tripped, and fell. And then I just sort of flopped
around in pain on the driveway, looking, I’m sure, like a beached whale. Later
my face swelled up monster-huge (I had my husband take a photo, which I will
not include here) and my skin turned a rather unflattering assortment of
purplish hues. How did I handle it? I bawled like a baby when I entered the ER,
but now I’ve been telling the story as a humorous tale of woe.
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?
In the past, I used to tell
people how incredibly hard it is to write a book and get it published, but that
was so discouraging that I gave up on that brutally honest angle. Since then, I’ve
tried to find a balance between encouraging them to follow their dreams and
facing the realities of the business.
Winter in Full Bloom is about a woman who
travels to Australia
to find her sister, but in the end finds much more than she ever imagined or
hoped for.
But here’s the formal blurb:
Lily Winter’s wings are
folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels
she can no longer fly. But Lily’s lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat
when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her—a woman who also
happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark
family secret that she’d been hiding for decades—Lily has an identical twin
sister who was put up for adoption when they were babies. Without looking back,
Lily embarks on a quest to find her sister, which takes her all the way to Melbourne , Australia .
But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to reconciliation and
to the one dream she no longer imagined possible—the chance to fall in love
again.
I’ve read the book, and it’s a wonderful read. Please give
us the first page of the book for my readers.
I sat on a 747, trying
to talk myself out of a panic attack.
The jet still sat on the
tarmac, but already I could imagine—in electrifying detail—the fiery crash and
then the watery pull into the briny depths of the Pacific
Ocean . Lord, have mercy.
What had I been thinking?
Fool that I was, I’d
left the sanctuary of my own home, which was safe, and hygienically clean, I
might add, to board this death trap. Too
late now. I’d taken a leave of absence from work, stopped the mail, given
all my indoor plants to my neighbor, and said a dozen goodbyes to my daughter,
Julie. The trip was set in stone—the igneous kind that the geologists liked to
talk about at work.
While I sat there
sweating, my mind got out its magnifying glass to examine my inner motives. All
in all, the journey had a grab bag full of miseries attached to it. For me,
getting on the plane proved that the empty nest had driven me over the edge
like the biblical herd of pigs. Since my Julie had left the house, was I trying
to find a person to fill that void ... that vacant place at the table ... the
perpetual silence of the house and the clocks, ticking away the rest of my
tedious life? Probably. And yet finding my sister in Australia would be no less than
wonderful, whether Julie was at home or not.
I looked out the small
plane window at the heavens with my anxious puppy dog eyes and could almost
hear the Almighty chuckling. Yes, I know,
God. I must keep You entertained.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Please drop by for a
visit on my Facebook Reader Page. I’d be happy to hear from you!
Anita Higman's latest novel, Winter in Full Bloom, has just released. She's teamed up with her publisher, River North Fiction, for a fun giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party on August 29th.One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HD
- Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman
So grab your copy of Winter in Full Bloom and join Anita on the evening of August 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)
DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 29th!
Thank you, Anita, for sharing this new book with us as well as the giveaway.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Winter in Full Bloom - Christianbook.comWinter in Full Bloom - Amazon.com
Winter in Full Bloom - Kindle
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
26 comments:
WINTER IN FULL BLOOM sounds like a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing.
Britney Adams, TX
would love to win. Angela from Ky
It would be so neat to win a prize from you! I will be at the fb party.
I'm Australian and would like to read this book!
Monica , Ontario
What an adventurous story! Thanks for the interview!
Heidi, CA
Looking forward to reading this.
Donna, TX
Sounds like Lily has quite a journey ahead of her!
pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like such an intriguing story -love the family issues & mystery!
Enjoyed your interview & would love to win a copy of your book! Thanks!
bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kentucky
Very interesting! Sing me up!
Kandra in OK
Can't wait to read this. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Melanie Backus, Texas
Such a pretty cover. Looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the giveaway. : )
Cathy, B.C.
I think this sounds like an interesting read! Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
Wendy N from FL
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I would love to win a copy of this book.
California
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
This book has a beautiful cover and it sounds like it will be a beautiful story. Please enter my name, thank you. Judy Cooper in Louisiana
WINTER IN FULL BLOOM is already on my wish list. It looks & sounds fabulous.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
love to win Anita's book thanks for the chance
live in ND
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
I would love to win!
Rebekah TN
Enter me in this awesome giveaway!
Sarah
N.C.
Sounds very interesting! Thanks for the giveaway.
-Melissa M. from TX
Enter Me!!
Sharon Richmond Bryant
Conway,SC.
sharonruth126@gmail.com
I love the plot! It sounds fascinating. I'm in MN.
Like to find out what happens in Australia when she goes to find her sister. love to win. sharon, ca wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
Winter in Full Bloom is a book I really would like to read.
Beth from Iowa
I'm hearing beautiful things about Winter in Full Bloom, please add me to the drawing. Thanks!
Merry in MN
I love the cover of WINTER IN FULL BLOOM and would love to win a copy.
I live in Indiana.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
Please enter me. Winter in Bloom sounds like a great book.
Tonja S. (Virginia)
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