HEALER OF CARTHAGE - Lynne Gentry - One Free Book

Readers, I was so blessed when God brought Lynne Gentry into my life as part of the critique group that meets in my home. We quickly became close friends. I’m so glad God allowed me to be a part of what God has been doing in her writing life. And He often used her to help me see deeper into my own characters. Part of the group that met in my home came from the southern part of another county, and as we grew, they were able to establish another critique group closer to home. When Lynne asked me to read this book to maybe write an endorsement, I jumped at the chance. We were both surprised to see my endorsement on the cover of the book

Welcome, Lynne. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I grew up on a Kansas dairy farm. Our cows didn’t travel. So neither did we. I longed for adventure. I wanted to visit exotic places and meet famous people. Imaginary trips became my escape from rural isolation. In an instant, my mind could magically transform a tree house into a medieval castle, hay bales into a pioneer fort, or a dank root cellar into a time portal that could transport me into the ancient civilizations of the Bible. In my make-believe world, I was bold, brave, and beautiful. The heroes were handsome and romantic. Humanity’s fate hung in the balance. Good always triumphed over evil. And in the end, I left the past in far better shape than I found it.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Joy refuses to be pinned down to one day. My life has been blessed with many happy days, most of them include family: Marriage to wonderful man, birth of two beautiful children, their marriages to incredible people, and the birth of a grandchild. But a day that sticks out in my mind is the day I was on the verge of giving up on writing and my agent called to say I’d sold not one, but SIX books to Howard Books. That day still makes me smile. Not because of anything I had done but because of the faithfulness of God.

How has being published changed your life?

Deadlines. Writing deadlines. Editing deadlines. Marketing deadlines. Always deadlines. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer who has always had the luxury of waiting for the story to come to me. Not anymore.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished reading the Hunger Games series for the second time and then I’ve been reading some novels for endorsement for my CBA friends.

What is your current work in progress?

Just finished the edits for Book #2 in The Carthage Chronicles series. Return to Exile will release in the fall.

What would be your dream vacation?

I am dying to go to the Mediterranean, especially Carthage. That part of the world is a bit too dangerous, even for me, so I would be happy in Rome.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The settings often choose me. This book had to be set in Carthage, Tunisia, because that’s where the actual third-century plague took place.

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

I would choose the Apostle Peter. He had an opportunity to step upon the world stage and declare his love of the Lord and he failed. I love how God redeemed Peter’s failure, restored his bold and courageous spirit, and used this ordinary man to change the world. Peter’s story gives me hope. The Lord is in the process of mending my broken life. I can’t wait to see how he uses me to His glory.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love socializing. Writing is such a solitary sport. I leap at every chance to leave my imaginary friends and meet real people for lunch or a cup of coffee. I’m also a walker. Love to take my Great Pyrenees for a spin around the block.

I’m with you. We’re both extroverts, and I love getting together with people. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Writing a saga that continues over the course of six books requires serious plotting. I’m NOT a plotter. I’ve written myself into some sticky corners. To get out of the mess is like a chess game. One wrong move and the whole thing comes undone. Getting in there and moving story and words around is the best answer to those fears.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write. Read. Write. Read. Then read some more.

Tell us about the featured book.

Healer of Carthage is about a 21st century doctor dropped into a 3rd century plague. The interesting thing about this story: it is loosely based on history. The hero, Cyprianus Thascius actually existed. He sold his massive estates to fund Christianity and the first organized medical care. And the Plague of Cyprian nearly wiped out the Roman Empire in the third century. The time travel part is all fiction. J

Since I read the book before it went to press, please give us the first page for my readers.

“Time is a commodity first-year residents can’t afford to waste, Dr. Hastings.” Nelda, the chunky ER charge nurse, held out two charts. “Which one do you want? The diabetic with a necrotic foot ulcer? Or the questionable TB hacking his lungs out?”

What Lisbeth wanted was a bite of the tuna sandwich she’d just purchased from a vending machine, ten minutes off her feet, and a chance to read the letter burning a hole in the pocket of her white coat. But if she had any hope of catching a break in the next fifteen hours, tonight was not the time to spout off to the snarling brick house who had the power to make a thirty-hour call seem like sixty.

Frigid temperatures, combined with the loneliness of the holidays, had driven the uninsured of every age, sex, nationality, and state of mental duress into the county hospital. Regurgitated Jack Daniels, exhaust fumes, and too many nights on the streets fouled the emergency room air. Vagrants slumped in the upholstered chairs or lay sprawled across every inch of shiny floor tiles. Bearded men and frazzled women scrapped for an inch of real estate and clamored for the attention of a doctor.

The desperate begged for someone like her.

Lisbeth’s eyes flitted from the stale sandwich she clutched to the occupied gurneys lining both sides of the hall. A grizzled man wearing a filthy, oversized army jacket, and combat boots without laces sat up, flashed a toothless grin, then coughed blood into a tissue.

So much for her appetite. Lisbeth slid her sandwich on top of the letter in her pocket.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://lynnegentry.com/

Facebook: Author Lynne Gentry https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Lynne-Gentry/215337565176144

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lynne_Gentry

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lynnegentry7/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imh1AwR698Y

Simon & Schuster: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lynne-Gentry/412732530

Thank you, Lynne, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers will love it as much as I do.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Healer of Carthage - Christianbook.com
Healer of Carthage: A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles) - Amazon
Healer of Carthage: A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles) - Kindle

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