Welcome, Christina. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
When I first started writing I knew I wrote a lot of myself
into my stories. I thought I had gotten away from that, but I still see traces
of me in them.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
Sometime last year I decided to demonstrate the Gangnam
Style dance to my writers’ group in a coffee shop. Yeah, not one of my best
moments. Thankfully, there were only two of them, we were in a corner and they
love me very much.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
I wrote all the time when I was a kid. I wrote songs and
tried to write poetry. When I was in high school all my electives were writing
classes. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-thirties that I absolutely knew I was
a writer. Funny thing is it took me about month to gather up the courage to
tell my mom. I’ll never forget her response. “It’s about time.”
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I like reading some classics but I am a huge historical
romance reader. I love being swept away to another era, another world and
discovering love in the midst of impossibilities. Recently, though, I
discovered Colleen Coble and Ronie Kendig. Oh, and one day I’ll finish Don Quixote.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
There is only one answer to that: Pray.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
Sometimes the character names come to me before I even know
their story, and then I hit the databases to see what the name means.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Staying married and raising four kids.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
Wow, this is a cool one. A dolphin. It seems like they are
very friendly and happy most of the time. Besides, I like the water. If I
couldn’t be a dolphin then maybe a sea turtle.
What is your favorite
food?
Grilled squash and zucchini. I can’t seem to have one
without the other. I could live off them, especially during the summer.
I love squash and
zucchini, separately or together. What is the problem with writing that was
your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Commas! I’m the comma queen, oh wait, maybe it’s the run-on
sentence queen. Seriously though, I’m not a technical writer, not by any means.
I could blame it on my inability to retain facts, but I remember all sorts of
weird stuff when it comes to history. I could also blame it on my dyslexic
tendencies, which includes thinking. But the truth is I don’t always get the rules. It took me almost a year
to discover head-hopping didn’t actually mean I was chopping off heads, but
that I was moving from one character’s point of view to another with the proper
notification. I drove a lot of people
batty. I know I did. And goodness if I get this telling vs. showing down it’ll
be a miracle. ;)
We all went through
that kind of thing when we started writing. Tell us about the featured book.
An evil queen and her royal guards will stop at nothing to
find—and kill—the rightful heir to the throne of Judah . When their pursuit leads them
to Mira’s village, only her father’s bond servant, Ari, a man shrouded in
secrets, can keep Mira safe.
Abandoning his life as a temple guard and becoming an
indentured servant was the only way Ari could protect young Joash, the true
King of Judah, from Queen Athaliah. But his sacred duty prevents him from
confessing his feelings for his master’s daughter. With the future of their
nation on the line, Ari and Mira will risk everything to save their people.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Near En Gedi , Judah
835 BC
Ari’s heart hammered in his chest as the horses thundered
toward the groves. Instinct had him reaching for where his sword should have
been, a sword he had discarded years ago when he’d traded his life of a warrior
for that of a bond servant. He’d been a fool to leave his weapons hidden away
when danger lurked close at hand, but he could not very well play the servant
dressed as a soldier.
It would do no good to dwell on this lack of foresight, even
if it had almost got him killed years ago. Instead, he picked up a curved lava
stone and prepared for battle.
He peered around the corner. The queen’s soldiers brought
their mounts to a halt on the dusty pathway, their eyes trained in the
distance. Ari followed their line of sight and inhaled a sharp breath.
I can’t wait to find
out what they saw. How can readers find you on the Internet?
I am all over the place:
www.twitter.com/ChristinaInspyThank you, Christina, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Guardian's Promise - Christianbook.com
The Guardian's Promise (Love Inspired Historical) - Amazon
The Guardian's Promise (Love Inspired Historical) - 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.
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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Lovely interview with Christina! I can't wait to read her debut. Congratulations, Christina!
ReplyDeleteAmy C
VA
Always enjoy reading new authors! Thank you for this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteJean K
West Palm Beach, FL
Thank you, Amy. Debuts are fun and I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteJean, thank you for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteThis book looks great!! Excited to read it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Paula!
ReplyDeleteMany happy returns, Christina. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteSybil in GA
Thanks Lena and thanks Christina!
ReplyDeleteI know this will be A good read. Thank you for sharing.
Melanie Backus, TX
I've always loved biblical fiction. This sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteJ.C. -Indiana-
I enjoyed learning more about Christina and look forward to reading THE GUARDIAN'S PROMISE! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy!
ReplyDeleteBritney Adams, TX
Such a wonderful story line. You had me at "evil queen".
ReplyDeleteMary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I love biblical fiction, and am so anxious to read Christina's book!! I am so thrilled for her being published, too.
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgia.
This looks like a great book.
ReplyDeleteSusan
Texas
Christina, I have not read your book but really enjoyed the interview and excerpt .
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this story unfold
Thank you
Ohio
mcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot)com
THE GUARDIAN'S PROMISE sounds wonderful.Please enter me in contest. Thank you for the opportunity to win.Have a wonderful weekend.PA.
ReplyDeleteNice to be introduced to a new author for me.
ReplyDeletesusanlulu@yahoo.com
Enter me!!
ReplyDeleteSharon Richmond Bryant
Conway,SC.
sharonruth126@gmail.com
I love debut novels and I would love to win a copy of Christina's. Thank you for the chance.
ReplyDeleteI live in Indiana.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52 AT yahoo DOT com
Nice blog! I so agree with you that prayer is needed in our hectic lives. Please put my name in for the draw.
ReplyDeleteBarbara