RETURN TO EXILE - Lynne Gentry - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Lynne is a dear, dear friend of mine. She and Lisa Tawn Bergren taught me that there indeed can be time travel novels that are Christian. Lynne and I both have a strong drama background which helps us create novels with just the right amount of setting and living, breathing characters. I have waited anxiously for the release of Return to Exile, the second book in her The Carthage Chronicles series. It pulled me through the hidden portal with her heroine, and I walked beside her through the book. I believe you will, too. Now I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.

Bio: Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications and is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright with several full-length musicals and a Chicago children’s theater curriculum to her credit.

Her love for writing stories was born while growing up on a Kansas dairy farm as she longed for adventure and dreamt of traveling to exotic places. She likes to write stories that launch modern women into ancient adventures, such as Healer of Carthage (2014), which was the first in The Carthage Chronicles series. Return to Exile is the second, and Valley of Decision is expected September 22, 2015.

Gentry is also an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.

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

I grew up tethered to a Kansas dairy farm. 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?

I feel I’ve been blessed with many happy days. Most of them include family memories: marriage to a wonderful man, the birth of two beautiful children, their marriages to incredible people, and the blessed arrival of grandchildren. But one special day also sticks out in my mind. I was on the verge of giving up on writing when my agent called to say I’d sold not one, but SIX books to Howard Books. That day still makes me smile. It wasn’t because of anything I had done but because of the faithfulness of God.

How has being published changed your life?

Besides the constant pressure of meeting deadlines (writing deadlines, editing deadlines, marketing deadlines), I’ve had a profound realization of the responsibility that comes with writing. Knowing that people are actually reading my spin on the world fuels my desire to bring glory to God.

What are you reading right now?

Besides the CBA novels I’m reading for endorsements, I am reading Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, and Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer.

What is your current work in progress?

I just finished first round edits on the final book in The Carthage Chronicles series. Valley of Decision releases in September 2015, and I’m excited for readers to get a peek at the conclusion to this epic tale.

What would be your dream vacation?

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

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The settings choose me. This series 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 person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I would choose Meryl Streep. I believe she is one of the most versatile actors of our day. She creates unique characters every time she comes on stage. I would love to pick her brain and discover the secrets to her process.

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’ve spent several months training my dog, and he is finally a certified medical therapy dog. It gives me a great deal of pleasure to take him to the hospitals. He brings so much joy and relief from suffering for the people there.

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 the story and words around is the best way to tackle those fears.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

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

Tell us about the featured book.

Return to Exile is the second book in The Carthage Chronicles. In this story, Dr. Lisbeth Hastings has been home for six years. But when she learns the shocking truth of what her husband faces in the third century, she makes a bold choice and decides to return. But going back is never easy.

Please give us the first page of the book.

“Master, you’re in no shape for today’s senate session.” Pytros bustled into the council chambers laden with all of his writing supplies and a pitcher of water. “You should have canceled.”

“Your lack of forward thinking is why you will live and die a lowly scribe.” Aspasius limped to his place at the curule seat.

Pytros carefully spread his utensils. “I don’t know what you hope to achieve. The order has been issued.” With a peevish look upon his face, he poured a glass of water and held it out. “But has word of Valerian’s edict reached the ears of the senate? That is what I must know.” Ignoring Pytros’s pout, Aspasius took the glass and plopped onto the ivory chair with curved bronze legs. He wanted to be well-situated in the bowl-shaped stool before he allowed the chamber doors opened. These days his physical comfort was hard to come by. He was either in desperate need of a drink of water or access to a chamber pot. And most disturbing of all, the feeling had disappeared from his foot. A fact the power-hungry vultures waiting to take his place must never discover.

He downed the water, then gave his slave the empty glass. “Knowledge is power, and I intend to make certain I always possess the bulk of it.”

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 me and my readers. It's truly wonderful.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Return to Exile - Christianbook.com
Return to Exile (Carthage Chronicles) - Amazon
Return to Exile: A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles Book 2) - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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