CHAIN OF MERCY - Brenda S Anderson - One Free Book

Bio: Brenda S. Anderson writes gritty, life-affirming fiction that offers hope and reminds the reader they’re not alone. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is currently President of the ACFW Minnesota chapter, MN-NICE. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, theater, roller coasters, and baseball (Go Twins!), and she loves watching movies with her family. She resides in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area with her husband of 26 years, their three children, and one sassy cat.

Her debut novel, Chain of Mercy, Book #1 in the Coming Home series, came out in April of 2014, and Pieces of Granite, the prequel to Chain of Mercy, is scheduled to release on September 16, 2014!

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

You may not recognize me from the outward appearance or personality or behaviors of my characters, but each character, be it hero/heroine to secondary, each carries a piece of my heart.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I don’t know how quirky this is, but it definitely registers on the geek meter. My entire family LOVES the Marvel Universe, and when a new movie comes out, we have to see it on opening day—or before opening day, if we can wrangle tickets. When The Avengers came out in theaters, we purchased Avenger Marathon tickets. That meant we were in the theater for Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America, and finally The Avengers, all in one day. We had a blast! And were very thankful for free pop and popcorn refills. J

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. I still have stories I wrote back in grade school. Also, back in grade school, I wrote plays that our class put on for the elementary grades. Unfortunately, I don’t have copies of those plays.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I’ll read any fiction. The classics, historical, romance, women’s fiction, mystery, speculative, etc. I don’t look at genre as much as I look for a well-crafted story. Give me a voice that has a lyrical quality to it, characters (protagonist and antagonist) who are multi-layered, descriptions that transport me to the setting, and a story that makes me want to know the ending, and it won’t matter what the genre is.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

By knowing my limits and learning to say “no.” I’ve discovered that when my plate gets overfull, it’s not healthy for me or my family. I’d rather do a few things well, than a bunch of things poorly. I also haven’t joined the modern world by having a smart phone, not that I’m afraid of it, but because I see too many people tethered to their phones. That life isn’t for me.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

First, I take care to choose names befitting the setting of the story and the ages and personality of the characters. From there, I don’t have any specific formula. In one novel, the characters all had names that symbolized who they were. In another novel, I chose names by looking at the authors’ names on my bookshelves. It’s whatever strikes me at that moment.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

That’s easy! My husband and I have raised three wonderful young adults (ages 22, 19, 18) who have a deep faith. Albeit, God gets more credit for that than we do.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I’d be a cat. Cats are very independent. They can be loving, and they can be playful. They’re social at times but also need their quiet time.

What is your favorite food?

Does chocolate count as a food? J

Honestly, I have a very bland palate, and I like simple meals. I could eat hamburgers all the time and be happy.

Chocolate is a food group in my house. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I tend to enjoy reading grittier stories than are currently popular within Christian fiction, and that’s what I write. I don’t curse in my books, nor do I go beyond the bedroom door, but my stories deal with the messy side of life. My main characters are usually very broken people, but it’s so much fun watching what God can do with that brokenness! Given that, finding a publisher willing to take a chance on my work was a challenge. But my persistence paid off. I kept praying, learning, networking, and querying, out of obedience—God wouldn’t let me stop. Finally, I found a publisher, Winslet Press, who was delighted to take on my mess-filled stories.

Tell us about the featured book.

Chain of Mercy is the first book in my 4-book Coming Home series. Writers talk about the story of their heart—that’s Chain of Mercy. Here’s the story description:

They forgave him for the accident that killed their son, but he will never forgive himself.

Manhattan businessman Richard Brooks was at the top of the world, drunk with success, wealth, and women. Until one disastrous evening, when his world came crashing down.

Richard flees to Minneapolis where he repairs ancient boilers instead of solving corporate problems, and he’s determined to live the solitary life he now deserves.

But Executive Sheila Peterson has other plans for the handsome custodian. Richard appears to be the perfect match for the no-strings-attached romance she’s after, but she soon discovers that he’s hiding more than the designer suits in his closet.

Please give us the first page of the book.

“The good news is that the company only lost a million this quarter.” Richard Brooks smirked at his assistant and slapped the quarterly report down on her desk.

“That’s the good news?” Verna stopped typing and turned to him, propping a hand on her hip, her Southern accent always a welcome sound in this sea of nasal New Yorkers. “Young man, in my day people didn’t make a million dollars, much less lose it. Now, tell me, if that’s the good news, what’s the bad?”

He stared at the Picasso print above Verna’s desk. Reminded him of his life. “It looks like we’re going to have no choice but to close the Phoenix plant.” How had he missed the unmistakable signs of its mismanagement? Now, because of his lack of foresight, hundreds of people would lose their jobs. In all his years in New York City, he’d never made such a costly blunder.

“Goodness. And you’re blaming yourself. I can see it in those beautiful blues of yours.”

“I should have seen it coming months ago. All the signs were there.”

“It just so happens you’ve had a few other things on your mind lately.”

The muscles in his cheeks tightened. “I’m not paid to think of other things.”

“You stop putting yourself down. It’s time I see that gorgeous smile again.”

He chuckled. “Happy?”

Only Verna could make him smile under these circumstances.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Like all writers, you can find me a number of places:

Website link: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/

Blog links:

http://brendaandersonbooks.com/blog/

http://inkspirationalmessages.com/

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaSAndersonAuthor

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/BrendaSAnders_n

Pinterest link: http://www.pinterest.com/brendabanderson

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+BrendaAndersonAuthor/posts

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144547.Brenda_S_Anderson

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Brenda-S.-Anderson/e/B00JHO3J3U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Thank you, Brenda, for sharing your new book with us today.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Chain of Mercy (Coming Home) (Volume 1) - Amazon
Chain of Mercy (Coming Home) - Kindle

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