VALLEY OF DECISION - Lynne Gentry - One Free Book

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. She likes to write stories that launch modern women into ancient adventures, such as The Carthage Chronicles series (Healer of Carthage, Return to Exile, and Valley of Decision). Gentry is also an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.

Dear Readers, Lynne lives not very far from me, and she’s a dear friend. In addition to both being novelists, we share a background in live theater as directors and playwrights. Her time-travel novels have amazed me. I had thought that there couldn’t be a Christian time-travel novel that I could suspend disbelieve and accept. But I was wrong. I was privileged to read this book for endorsement. As with the first two novels, the historical authenticity blew me away, and her characters walked into my heart and took over. I’m eager for her next series to see the light of day.

Welcome back, Lynne. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

So good to be with you and your readers again, Lena. We’ve talked about spiritual themes before and you and I both love to write about regrets, injustice, and the victory over both that only the Lord provides.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Valley of Decision finishes up the three books in The Carthage Chronicles series. I’ve loved writing this tale which is loosely based on the life of the real third-century Christian martyr, Cyprianus Thascius. It will be hard to leave these characters I’ve grown to love behind, but I’m starting a new series. I can’t yet discuss it, but I can’t wait for my readers to meet my new cast and come along with them on another wild adventure.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I was blessed to be able to do some devotional writing for Stephen Arterburn, the founder of Women of Faith. I’ve always admired the original team of incredible women he put together: Shelia Walsh, Nicole Johnson, Luci Swindoll, Marilyn Meberg and the petite stick of dynamite Patsy Clairmont. Having coffee with any of these gals would be a tremendous treat. However, if I had to pick one, I’d have to say that Patsy Clairmont has been a special inspiration to me. Overcoming a lifetime of tremendous fear, Patsy has gone on to do powerful things for the Kingdom of God. I only hope I’m half as brave as this faithful little firecracker.

I love the Women of Faith ministry. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

After spending two years immersed in the life of the wealthy Roman lawyer Cyprianus Thascius, I’d have to say that I would LOVE to meet him in person. I have so many unanswered questions. I’d also love to thank him. It was because of his courage the good news of Christ was not extinguished. I’m always amazed at the people the Lord taps upon the shoulder. From poor fishermen to the wealthiest and most educated, all of us have the potential to make a difference.

That is so true. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

I hate rejection on any level. That I am still in the publishing business is proof of the Lord’s sense of humor. I’ve even kept a file of my rejections that’s almost an inch thick. An interesting thing happened along this publishing journey though. As the rejection file grew thicker, so did my skin. I knew I had been called by God to write. It is my talent. It is my gift. To stop writing would be to deny the power of God to use these gifts to His glory. To the discouraged I say boldly, if you feel called, keep writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Valley of Decision was the hardest book in the series to write and yet it was the most rewarding. I knew what the ending had to be and I dreaded it. I also wanted to give my readers a different taste of the third century. I wanted to keep the plague ever before them, but I also wanted to showcase more of the persecution. This last part of the story required me to go deep into the legal and political struggles of the day, which included a lot of injustice, which grates on me. I can’t stand it when things are unfair. So many decisions the characters faced in this last story were unfair: broken family relationships, conflicts between going and staying, or choosing between doing what was easy or what was right. In the end, I hope I managed to portray that none of us can make this journey on our own. We need each other. 

I didn’t think you could write a third book that I could accept, but your ending satisfied me on many levels. Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

“When unattended wounds succumb to infection”—Dr. Lisbeth Hastings advanced the slide in the Power-Point presentation, and the raw end of a severed leg appeared on the screen—“amputation of the gangrenous extremity may be the only way to stop a deadly pathogen from progressing to the body’s core.” She was not surprised by the hand that shot up.

The ambitious resident with thick glasses and freshly pressed scrubs was always looking for an opportunity to prove his brilliance. Debating whether to give him an excuse to derail her lecture, Lisbeth took a deep breath. “Your question, Dr. Gingrich?”

The surgical resident pressed his glasses to his nose. “What about IV Vancomycin or Zosyn?”

Lisbeth kept her expression neutral, but inside she was cringing. Looking at Dr. Gingrich was like looking at herself nearly twenty years ago. Self-serving. Terrified. And determined to control everyone and every outcome. What a waste of precious time and energy. Oh, the things she would tell that desperate girl if she ever got the chance to go back in time again.

She suppressed her desire to take the kid aside and shake some sense into him. Her job was not to coddle young doctors but to make them into quick-thinking surgeons able to face anything the operating room threw at them.

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/

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

Thank you, Lynne, for sharing this new book with us. I know that those of my readers who have read the first two are anxious to read this one. 

And for readers new to this series, I recommend that you read all of them in order. The good thing about that is that you won't have to wait a long time between reading them. You can go straight from one to the other.

Do you ever wonder where authors get their ideas for their novels? Here's where Lynne got the idea for this series.




Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Valley of Decision - Christianbook.com
Valley of Decision: A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles) - Amazon
Valley of Decision: A Novel (The Carthage Chronicles) - 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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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