ABBEY'S TALE - Katherine McDermott - One Free Book

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

I like family oriented books about characters dealing with real problems with faith and courage.

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

I have been blessed with many happy days that involved being outside in God’s nature with people I love.

How has being published changed your life?

I do a lot of typing!

What are you reading right now?

The best book I’ve read lately is The First Gardener by Denise Hildreth Jones.

What is your current work in progress?

A sequel to Hiding entitled Suspicion.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’d like to take a Viking River Cruise.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I use places I have visited.

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

Although I’m not Catholic, I’d like to meet Pope Francis.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

 Painting, singing, bridge, and ballroom dancing

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Finding time. I get up early!

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t give up!

Tell us about the featured book.

The heroine is blind and becomes a teacher at a school for the blind. The hero is an Irish immigrant escaping the Potato Famine. I’ve been to Ireland and seen the terrible conditions that they lived in. I found the Irish to be friendly, and they love a good story.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Maine 1869

Abigail ran her sensitive fingers over the driftwood figures from the sill of the bay window with sensuous delight. She caressed the leaping dolphin with its smooth side, angled dorsal fin and sloping tail. Her forefinger traced the harlequin-like smile beneath its bottlenose and a smile widened her own lips. She stroked the frolicking sea otter which lay positioned on its back holding a starfish playfully with its front paws. The driftwood gull soared in flight with outstretched wings.

What must the man be like who can carve such beautiful things? Through his work, she’d seen the world as never before. Who is he and why does he so rarely leave the island? Why the self-imposed exile?

She listened to the low hiss of the leaping flames and cheerful crackle of the burning logs from her seat in the gooseneck rocker near the fire.

The yeasty aroma of baking bread drew Abigail back to present. Dropping her wooden treasures into the roomy pockets of her apron, she moved to the cast iron stove where she adeptly withdrew the bread pan with a frayed pot holder. She transported it to the table to cool. Then opening the glass front of the pendulum clock, she felt the position of the brass hands. The smaller hand rested on the raised Roman numeral V. The larger pointed to X. Her father would soon be back from his mail delivery and his monthly trip to Lighthouse Island.

Acutely sensitive to sounds, she heard the clam chowder bubbling on the stove and stirred it. Its salty, fishy aroma was like the sea itself. The topaz-eyed cat brushed gently but insistently against her skirt.

“You’re hungry aren’t you, Charlie?” Abigail took scraps of cod from the pot in the sink and fed the indolent, striped tom.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.kmcdermottauthor.wordpress.com

www.Facebook.com/Katherinemcdermott.Author

Thank you, Katherine, for sharing this book with us. It sounds intriguing.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Abbey's Tale - paperback
Abbey's Tale - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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

KEARA'S ESCAPE - Anne Greene - One Free Book

Welcome back, Anne. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

This story is included in the Orphan Train Series. My Grandfather was on the orphan train years ago, so I became interested. He landed in Cincinnati where the train also ends in Keara’s Escape.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I’d invite the three people in my critique group because I have learned to love them, and we help each other make every book the very best we can. I would also invite my mentor, Lena Dooley because she has helped me so much along the way to publication and after as well. I would invite my helpful agent, Joyce Hart, and I’d also like to invite each one of my editors to express my thanks and appreciation for them.

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Since I write mostly historical fiction, I would invite the same people I invited to the contemporary fiction party. Most of the historical fiction authors I enjoy are long gone to be with their maker. I seldom get the opportunity to read my favorite living historical fiction authors these days, because most of my limited reading time I spend on research. However, I would make this party a “come as your favorite character” party and ask each to dress as their favorite historical character. I would dress as Scarlet O’Hara or Ann of Green Gables.

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

I’m having the most delightful time in my writing career these days. I have four publishers and each of them looks for a different book from me. So, I have no problem finding something to write. My biggest problem is balancing my time so I can fulfill contracts in a timely manner. I am usually working on a least two books at any one time. I’m so grateful to my publishers and my readers who make my days so special.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Spinster on the run from a trumped-up robbery charge finds a position as a Placer Agent on The Orphan Train leaving New York for Cincinnati.

The Pinkerton Agent assigned to protect the train falls in love with her, discovers her disguise, and must bring her to justice.

Will her skeptical, hurting heart accept his love? Will she truly escape her past? Will the orphans under her care find loving homes at the end of the line?      

Please give us the first page of the book.

KEARA’S ESCAPE

THE ORPHAN TRAIN SERIES

by

ANNE GREENE

1868 – New York City                                           

Keara Keegan gathered the yards of deep blue velvet material from the shelf of the small manufacturing company where she worked as a seamstress. She held the soft folds of the plush fabric against her cheek. Could she use the skills she’d learned at Ma’s knee back in Ulster well enough to create a dress fit for the mayor’s wife?

Ma always said she could accomplish anything she set her mind and heart to. Her throat clogged. How she missed her family. Living in America was so different from what she’d expected. Different from what she’d been promised. So different from the emerald hills of Ireland.

           

New York still felt alien and crowded. In the six months since she’d stepped off the boat from her long voyage, she still understood little of the culture. The lost and alone feeling still plagued her. Except when she lost herself in the joy of sewing.

           

She lifted her plain, brown cotton skirt and trotted into the back room to the cutting boards. Working on this luxurious cloth would help make up for the overtime hours Harry Brockner expected from her. She shivered.

           

Mr. Brockner was a beast. She folded the blue velvet into a long double length and smoothed the shimmering fabric on the cutting board. Other than his letting her keep the remnants of material from all the gowns she’d sewn for Mr. Brockner, she’d found no other good in the hulking man. He took every opportunity to hover over her, to place his large, rough hands on her when he cornered her in the lunch room, even after she refused his demand to marry him.

As if she could! She detested Mr. Brockner’s merchant-fat belly, his tall beaver hat, and his fancy clothes. She so yearned to throw his elaborate cane down into the deepest well. She held in a scream each time he tapped her on the shoulder with that nasty walking stick when he stood so that his hot breath on her neck forced her to turn around.

She should search for a new place of employment, but with so many other seamstresses fresh off arriving boats seeking jobs, there was no other place available. Each day Mr. Brockner grew more difficult to evade. Even the drunkest Irishman back in Ulster had been easier to fend off.

She picked up the big shears.

Commotion in the front storeroom caused her to glance up. She tiptoed to the intervening closed door and pressed her ear against the wood.

Among the harsh tones and loud voices, she recognized Mr. Brockner’s.

“Yes, Sergeant, the girl’s name is Keara.”

“And she stole what exactly?”

Keara stuffed her hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp.

“At first she only pilfered small items. Scraps of material, thread, pins, and the like.”

“And?” The policeman’s gruff voice sounded impatient.

“Then I noticed small amounts of money missing.”

Keara’s heart plummeted. The wooden floor seemed to rise beneath her ankle-high buttoned boots. She braced herself against the door.

“But yesterday, Keara stole a large amount of money from the cash register. She took every dime and dollar. And I want her arrested and prosecuted.”

No mistaking Mr. Brockner’s window-rattling voice. No. No. She must think. Keara backed away from the door and her boots rooted to the wide plank floor. How could Mr. Brockner accuse her of such nonsense?

“Now, Harry, everyone knows you’ve been pestering the girl to marry you. Why don’t you just—.”

“I want her arrested and sent to prison. She stole over five hundred dollars. And I want her to pay for every dime she stole. I’m a respectable businessman and wield great influence in this part of New York. If you don’t arrest her, I’ll go over your head.”

Footsteps shuffled in the front room and then headed in her direction.

Not even stopping to think, Keara dropped the shears on the nearest surface, and running on tiptoes toward the rear door, stopped only long enough to grasp her reticule and shawl.

She burst out the back door, but closed the barred, wooden door with the smallest click and ran down the darkening street. Her boardinghouse was near, but Mr. Brockner knew where she lived. She gasped for breath, her corset cutting off her air, but pressed on darting up the two flights of steps and turning the knob to her room. She glanced around the tiny living/kitchen area, but saw nothing she owned. In her bedroom she pulled open drawers and stuffed her meager portion of clothes into her hand luggage. She couldn’t leave the precious scraps of cloth Mr. Brockner had given her, so stuffed them into her luggage bag as well.

Glancing around the tiny room with its single bed and bare floor she mentally inventoried her possessions. Had she packed them all? Were those heavy footsteps on the front stairs? She couldn’t linger. She rushed out her door, closing it gently, and tiptoed for the back stairs.

If she were arrested she would be at Mr. Brockner’s mercy. She had no way to prove her innocence. No person to turn to. She had no choice. She must flee.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from my readers. They can find me at:

Visit with Anne at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com, www.facebook.com/AnneWGreeneAuthor, @TheAnneGreene, on Pinterest at The Anne Greene, on Book Fun Magazine at www.bookfun.org/profileAnneGreene, and at www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com.

And readers can find my books by clicking on the links below:

Angel with Steel Wings

Holly Garden, PI: Red Is for Rookie

Masquerade Marriage

Marriage By Arrangement

A Texas Christmas Mystery

A Christmas Belle (Christmas Mail Order Angels)

April Fool's Love

Christmas Mail Order Angels: The complete 11 Volume Set

The California Gold Rush Romance Collection: 9 Stories of Finding Treasures Worth More than Gold

Warm Mulled Kisses: A Collection of 10 Christian Christmas Novellas

Anne Greene Author Home Page

Thank you so much, Lena, for this opportunity to talk with readers. As ever you are an inspiration.

Thank you, Anne, for sharing this book with us. I’m eager to read it. 

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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

WINNERS!!!!

Elaine (WI) is the winner of Penguin in the Pantry by Jamie Bryant.

Elly (IN) is the winner of A Cicilian Farewell by MaryAnn Diorio.

Apple Blossam (ND) is the winner of Spring Raine by Delia Latham.

Sylvia (NC) is the winner of Second Chance Love by Pamela S Meyers.

Beckie (KS) is the winner of Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. 

Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.

When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

SKUNK IN THE SHOWER - Jamie Bryant - One Free Book

Welcome back, Jamie. This is Book Three in this series? Can we expect more?

Yes, Book Four is on it’s way, Crocodile in the Closet, and ideas for six more are under way.

Do you get opinions of children when writing your books?

Yes, this one in particular, several of my grandchildren gave me feedback on the animals. They also shared their suggestions on any sentences or words that didn’t seem to be relevant to the story. Their input is priceless.

I’m sure it is. Do you try to write something every single day?

As of late, I do not. I spend a lot of time marketing my work currently but I’m excited for a new season of writing in 2017.

What was your best vacation in the last 5 years?

My husband and I had a getaway the summer of 2015 to Colorado. We rented a little cabin by the creek in the middle of nowhere. They brought breakfast to our door or patio each morning. I spent endless hours by the creek, listening to the water. The best part was there was No Cell Phone or Internet Service!

Do you have something that you snack on often?

I do. Peanuts! I’m a little quirky in that I measure them out in 1/4 cup and place them in Ziplock baggies. I keep them in my purse, my car, everywhere. I used to snack on everything that seemed to either be a carbohydrate or sugar. Now, I’m always prepared to choose something a little healthier. I do love my CARBS!

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

Skunk in the Shower is Book Three in the Denny’s Surprise Day Series. Denny has finished eating dinner and is dreading taking his shower. However, with all the surprises waiting for him in the shower, he finds it very challenging to even get in. Children will delight in all that’s taking place in the bathroom shower this particular evening.

How can readers find you on the internet?

www.jamiebryantbooks.com

Twitter@readjamiebryant

Facebook@jamiebryantbooks

Instagram@jamiebryantbooks

Email: authorjamiebryant@gmail.com

Thank you, Jamie, 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.

Skunk In The Shower (Denny's Surprise Day Series) (Volume 3) - hardback
Skunk In The Shower (Denny's Surprise Day Series Book 3) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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

COVERING LOVE - Caryl McAdoo - One Free Book

Welcome back, Caryl. Why did you become an author?

I’ve loved writing, expressing myself with words on paper, since I was a little girl. I became an author when the small, regional Republic of Texas Press determined I did that with some modicum of style and grace. I figure the favor of the Lord went ahead of that first manuscript to soften hearts and open doors. So why then? Because my Father in Heaven called me to it.

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Singing! I’ve said a thousand times in my life that I would LOVE to make a living singing. And that would be the most special if I could sing praise and worship songs. That’s by far my favorite thing to do in the world.

And I love that you share some of your songs with others. I’ve loved the ones I’ve seen. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Ha! I could say the mid-eighteen hundreds, the historical times of my Texas Romance family saga series, and I WOULD love so many things about those times, but living in Texas, I really enjoy air conditioning and all the modern conveniences, so I’d never “choose” another period over the one God placed me in. What I love about those days of yore is the simplicity of life, the modesty and femininity of women’s dress, and horses being an everyday part of transportation.

Before dresses were lengthened and called maxis, I made myself a few long dresses that I only wore at home. I love long dresses. Now I like them even more, because they cover the brace I wear below the knee on one foot and leg. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

I’ve never been to the New England states, and I’d love to get to drive around them all, visiting historical sites and its beauty.

If you go, do it in autumn. The colors of the trees are especially vibrant there. How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Oh Israel! Israel! A thousand times, Israel! My heart longs to visit the places I’ve read about in the Bible all my life. I’ve pictured stepping off the airplane in my mind’s eye and see myself falling to the ground of the Holy City and kissing it. God knows that desire of my heart, and so I wait!

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

He teaches me new Truths daily. Yesterday’s lesson came from my sweet niece known online around the world as The Bread Believer. She posted : Could our thoughts possibly prevent OR promote a healthy body weight? “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 MEV

For every thought we think, our body produces a physical, chemical reaction. That’s Biblical. I by no means buy into the world’s twisted interpretation and new-age persuasion that “what you think about, you bring about.” I don’t endorse Karma, and I don’t endorse mind-over-mattering your addictions to habit, thought or substance. Those ideas are perversions of the Truth.

There is only one Truth that enables us to conquer (NOT manage or co-exist with) our thought problems. And so, in our application of weight issues, there is only one Truth we can apply to overcome weight battles.

I’ve known the truth about how we think, but never put it in a perspective of battling with weight. Here’s the link for the whole article: http://www.thebreadbeliever.com/gods-spiritual-food-for-weight-loss/

I’ll have to check out that article. Tell us about the featured book.

Covering Love is the eighth book in the Texas Romance series. The family saga has covered five decades so far and this book completes the romances of the second generation, children of Henry Buckmeyer, Houston, Crockett, and Charlotte. It has scenes in Texas, of course, but also carries my readers to Alaska, Hawaii, and New York City!

I also introduce six-year-old Evelyn May Eversole, his favorite granddaughter (he tells them all that) who loves to write like her grandmother and is wise beyond her years. She will be the heroine of book nine Mighty To Save coming in May. She’s the most little girl like me in the series, loving horses and having a way with dogs. I was an only child for eight years, so know that independence and responsibility that goes with it.

As its name suggests, the theme is how Love covers a multitude of sins.

Please give us the first page of the book.

A sob sounded; something akin to a kitten crying for its mama. Evie cocked her head and closed one eye just like the captain, but she still couldn’t tell what made the noise. She returned to her story.

How she loved this part! It would always be her favorite adventure of Red Rooster, the Gentleman Pirate.

Someone rapped lightly on her door, then it creaked open. “Baby doll?”

“Up here, Daddy.” She closed her book then hurried to the slide and slid into his waiting arms. As always, he caught her, and twirled her around three times. She kissed his cheek. “I’m so glad that you’re home early. I missed you.”

“Well, I’ve got some sad news. Your grandfather got bucked off a new horse, so we’re going to Texas.”

“No! That couldn’t be!” She pushed out of his arms and wiggled to the floor. “Why, everyone says PawPaw is the best horseman ever. And Mama said there’s not a horse he can’t ride. You’ve heard her say it a million times. Are you teasing me? Because if you are, this isn’t very funny.”

“Not this time, baby. I wouldn’t tease about this. He did get thrown and hurt himself bad. I’ve come to assist you getting packed.” He bowed. “I’m at your service, young miss. We leave for the train in two hours.”

Wow, to Texas! And she’d get to ride the train! She’d not been to the Lone Star State in two years and could only remember bits and pieces of that trip.

In her prayers, she told God she couldn’t wait until next year to meet her new pony that PawPaw bought especially for her. But she never meant for him to get hurt.

That made her so sad.

“He’ll get better right, Daddy? Him and MayMee are still coming for Thanksgiving. Isn’t that right? Because in her letter, she promised she’d bring me her new Red Rooster book. And we’re still going back to Texas after the New Year, right? Just like we already planned?”

“We’ll have to see, Evie.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Author Pages:

http://www.amazon.com/Caryl-McAdoo/e/B00E963CFG  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caryl-mcadoo

http://tinyurl.com/S-SCarylsPage
http://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00E963CFG/caryl-mcadoo

Website:        

http://www.CarylMcAdoo.com    

(All First Chapters are offered here)

Newsletter:

http://carylmcadoo.com/sign-up-to-the-caryler/

(Get FREE books for subscribing!)

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_1hQx6UZbWi3OYwmKKxh6Q  

(Hear Caryl sing her New Songs!)

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/CarylMcAdoo.author

Blogs:       

http://www.CarylMcAdoo.blogspot.com

http://www.HeartWingsBlog.com

http://www.StitchesThruTime.blogspot.com

http://www.SweetAmericanaSweethearts.blogspot.com

GoodReads:   

http://tinyurl.com/GoodReadsCaryl

Google+:    

http://tinyurl.com/CarylsGooglePlus

LinkedIn:       

https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryl-mcadoo-00562323

Twitter:   

http://www.twitter.com/CarylMcAdoo

Pinterest:   

http://www.pinterest.com/CarylMcAdoo

Puzzle:  

http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=18dc3eb10d5c

Thank you, Caryl, for sharing this new book with us. I'm eager to read it.

Readers, this book releases tomorrow, January 27, but it is available for pre-order today. Here’s a link to the book. Here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Covering Love (Texas Romance) (Volume 8) - Paperback
Covering Love (Texas Romance Book 8) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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

EDEN - Keith Korman - One Free book, Plus More

Welcome, Keith. What would you like for our readers to know about you personally? 

DH Lawrence had a great line, “Never trust the teller, trust the tale. The proper function of a critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.”

For me the line is, “Trust the tale not the teller.” Meaning if there’s any value to the work it’s because it exists inside the writing, not in the life-story of the author. Writer’s lives are a footnote to their writing, but people always want to see behind the curtain.

Invariably, you only find a little man pulling levers and shouting into a microphone, “I am the Great and Powerful Oz, pay no attention to that man—”

But for what it’s worth, I was a 1970s kid, did everything wrong at least twice, and three or four times for the crazy stuff I invented myself. Did this help me make Eden?  I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes.  First, Do No Harm . . . The strangest thing about growing up in the late ’60s and ’70s was that no one imagined adulthood. Duty, responsibility, mercy, and turning a frown upside down. Invisible when you’re young, and harder than it looks when you’re older. 

Tell us about your family. 

Dysfunctional family of the WWII generation: a cross between Everybody Loves Raymond, The Front Page, and the Thurber story, The Night the Bed Fell on my Father. If you’ve ever seen Albert Finney in Tom Jones—that was me, as a teenager . . . we are obliged to bring our Hero on the Stage in a much more disadvantageous Manner than we could wish; and to declare . . .  that it was the universal Opinion of all Mr. Allworthy's Family, that he was certainly born to be hanged.

Have you written other fiction books? 

Six novels.  Two spy thrillers, Swan Div and Banquo’s Ghosts (with Rich Lowry); a version of Midsummer Night’s Dream set in the dustbowl, Archangel; a romance based on the true story of Jung and his first important patient, Sabina Speilrein, Secret Dreams; a God-fearing sci-fi thriller based on the idea that the Pied Piper of Hamlin comes back to life in modern USA, End Times; and of course, Eden.

Do you have any other books in the works right now? 

A thriller out of Bosnia via France and Aspen.  A show biz novel based on my personal experience in the game.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

Practiced Shotokan for 30 years with a Japanese Sensei; a deep feature of character building.  When I have time, I hunt and ski, but mostly I like snuggling in the bed with my wife and the dogs.

Why did you write the featured book?

Well, they don’t call it the greatest story ever told, for nothing! I’ve always admired Animal Farm and Charlotte’s Web and of course, The Wind in the Willows – getting my animals to talk and think was more fun than I can possibly explain. You can say and see a lot of things through dogs and donkeys and lambs you can’t say or see using people.

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

The Almighty is good, and so are the animals, his creations who march with us through this world. Anyone can be redeemed.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book? 

Pick it up, start on the first page, read first line, if you get to the second line, go to the third . . .

Please give us the first page or two from the book.         

“There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish a single candle flame.”

Saint Francis of Assisi                                  

The Legion

The Roman Legionaries called the dog Old Gray. During the day his ashen fur made him look like a wolf, while at night the moon turned his coat silver from head to tail. Season after season Old Gray kept pace with the soldiers’ column, trotting beside their tramping feet. No one knew where he came from, but as long as anyone could recall the dog marched with the cohort, camp to camp. Out of companionship? Or for the scraps of Roman bread and soup at day’s end? 

Maybe both.

When winter came and the weather grew cold Old Gray took shelter in their tents. In the heat of summer he lay on a folded cloak under the starry sky. Like all dogs he slept lightly, his ears and nose alert to any strange movement near at hand. And so Old Gray earned his keep, guarding the soldiers of the Legion.

 

That winter the Roman army marched south many miles through endless barren hills and Old Gray kept pace, trotting mile after mile. Oftentimes he scouted ahead, then doubling back, only to overhear the cavalry horses who grumbled at every turn of the road.

For weeks on end the war horses whinnied the same complaint:

“No grass. No grass.”

Then grimly to anyone within earshot:

 “Bare ground. Everywhere bare ground.”

The column’s surly mule, harnessed to the hay wagon laden with the Legions’ grub and the animals’ daily feed, grumbled along with the rest, “I have grass. Bales and bales of grass. They’ll feed you tonight, like they do every night. Be thankful you don’t have to pull it.”

It was a soldier’s right to gripe. Mules and horses no exception. Old Gray took it in stride. Mules and horses could only graze if there was grass, while smart old dogs combed the roadside for birds’ eggs and every creature of the field. But Old Gray didn’t feel too sorry for the mules or horses; the soldiers always fed the beasts of burden first as the cohort wouldn’t move without the draft animals lugging food and water and the officers never traveled on foot.

Every day, the barren road into the south stretched to oblivion. The column plodding on forever, a great serpent of men fading into the cloud of yellow dust that hovered over their line of march. The hills of this wilderness were mostly barren, but then they came upon flocks. Old Gray saw shepherds, their sheep straying for tufts and brambles in the rocky pastures above the road. At dusk Old Gray crept up the slope and found what he was looking for—a ewe and her lamb astray.

At first the shepherd tried to strike the thieving dog with his crook crying, “Get away!  Get away!” But Old Gray darted off, herding the ewe and her lamb down the slope as the man stumbled in pursuit. Back in camp Old Gray was praised by all who saw him and the clink of Roman coins quieted the shepherd’s protest. Anything to shut him up.

Old Gray had heard it all before.

Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

https://www.edentheanimalsparable.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EdenTheAnimalsParable/   -- https://www.facebook.com/keith.korman.9

Return to the story of Jesus and read it from a new perspective in Keith Korman's Eden: The Animals' Parable. In this beautifully inspired retelling of the Gospels, we see Jesus and his disciples in the Holy Land through the eyes of the animals-especially his intrepid and loyal dog, Eden. Simple, clear, and spiritually profound, Eden is for readers of all ages, this artful retelling is captivating, moving, and alive with the joy you felt the first time you opened the Bible.

Settle in for some winter reading and enter to win a copy of Keith's book and a Kindle Fire!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Eden
• A Kindle Fire

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on January 24. The winner will be announced January 25 on Keith's blog.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 

WINNERS!!!!!

Colletta (PA) is the winner of Tomance Grows in Arcadia Valley (Sow In Love) by Valerie Comer.

Kristen (OK) is the winner of The Joyful Jellyfish by Jamie Bryant.

Adriene and Adrianna (MO) is the winner of Through Eyes of Hope by Lacey Buchanan.

Abigail (VA) is the winner of Chasing Freedom by H L Wegley.

Vicki (SD) is the winner of The Amish Wanderer by Laura V Hilton.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. 

Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.

When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

MARK OF THE KING - Jocelyn Green - One Free Book, Plus More

BIO: Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013, and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Jocelyn lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.

Welcome back, Jocelyn, Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was only four years old but I remember it clearly. It was a simple, ordinary day. My mom was sorting laundry and my seven-year-old brother and I were hanging around, chatting as she did so. I made some comment about how I knew so many Bible stories, I thought I must know it all. Perfect segue for my mom to tell me it was more important to know God, than to know about Him. She and my brother tag-teamed in explaining that I needed to invite Jesus to be my Savior, and that knowing every story was not enough for me to have a relationship with Christ. It was my brother who led me in prayer as I received Christ as my Savior that day. As it happens, I was his first “convert”—he went on to become a missionary for many years, and is now a pastor. J

What a beautiful experience! You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?
What a tough question! I know so many, but I’ll go with: Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, J.M. Hochstetler, and Jody Hedlund, because they have all written stories set in the same century as the one I’m working on right now (eighteenth-century) and it would be so nice to just ask one of them some random detail question about clothing or culture or food or etymology, rather than poring over stacks of research books to find the needle in the haystack answer.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
I do speak to a variety of audiences, because I’ve written both nonfiction and fiction. I speak to military audiences, writers or aspiring writers, libraries, church or civic groups, women’s groups, and book clubs. For a list of popular topics, visit http://www.jocelyngreen.com/speaking.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
One of the very few times I worked out in the fitness center at college, I quickly became bored while speed-walking on the treadmill. It faced the stair-steppers, and looking straight ahead at them seemed awkward to me. So I closed my eyes to imagine I was actually walking through a beautiful forest. In short order, I stepped halfway off the treadmill, and totally wiped out, but in a sort of slow motion. I wasn’t even running. I was just walking, and I fell off, with all the stair-steppers watching. Everyone asked if I was OK, and I assured them I was. Then with beet red face I climbed back on and kept on walking. This time I kept my eyes open. I was laughing pretty hard because my roommate was three treadmills down from me, and she was laughing hysterically. It didn’t look like we had come together, it just looked like she was really mean. I got such a kick out of that.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?
If they are just telling me they’d like to write a book someday, I just say something like, “That’s great! Good for you.” But if they ask me for advice, I usually tell them to read voraciously, study the craft, and attend as many quality writers’ conferences as they can. If they seem like they want more advice, I tell them to visit my Web site and click the tab “On Writing” at the top of the page where I give my best advice for aspiring writers.

Tell us about the featured book.

After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, a soldier, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict.

New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes, and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit?

With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace--and love--can overcome the stigma of the king's mark upon her shoulder.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Paris, France

May 1719

“You shouldn’t be here.” With gentle authority, Julianne Chevalier ushered a man twice her age to the doorway of his young wife’s lying-in chamber.

“You have what you need?” Toulouse Mercier looked over Julianne’s head, toward Marguerite. “My first wife died in childbirth. I cannot lose Marguerite too. Or the baby.” He gripped Julianne’s arm, pulling her close enough to smell the pomade on his wig and to see the powder dusting the shoulders of his black robe. “Marguerite lost the last baby. The last midwife did not bleed Marguerite, and so we lost the baby before it was fully formed. Please.”

Gritting her teeth, Julianne peeled Toulouse’s fingers from her arm and gave them a reassuring squeeze before releasing them. “Oui, monsieur, we have bled her monthly as required, and today of all days will be no different. Now, am I to attend any further questions, or shall I attend your wife instead?”

His watery blue eyes snapped as if woken from a trance. “I am away. If you require the surgeon, I’ll fetch him posthaste.”

“I’ll notify you at once should such a measure become necessary.” With a firm nod, Julianne watched Toulouse bow out of the room and closed the door. As she unpinned her lace cap from the curls that crowned her head, she swept to Marguerite’s bed, where Adelaide Le Brun already stood watch. Julianne had completed her three-year apprenticeship under Adelaide months ago, but Toulouse insisted on having the seasoned midwife present for the birth.

“You will help me?” Marguerite’s voice quaked as she reached for Julianne’s hand.

“With all that I am.” Julianne smiled as she unpacked her supplies and tied her birthing apron over her skirt, pinning the bib to her bodice.

“I’m so afraid.” Marguerite’s lips trembled. At sixteen years, she was nine years Julianne’s junior, and dangerously slight of frame.

“We have taken every precaution.” Her fingernails trimmed short, round, and smooth, Julianne gently probed Marguerite’s belly through the thin sheet covering her. “Today will be no different.” Throughout the pregnancy, Julianne had gathered this sparrow of a girl under her wing, providing linseed oils to help her skin’s elasticity, wraps to support the weight of the child, and advice on what to expect.

Adelaide stood by Marguerite’s head, speaking encouragement to her in low, practiced tones. With greased fingers, Julianne reached under the linen, and with her eyes still on Marguerite’s face, skirted the neck of the womb. It was still small and unwilling.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Web site: www.JocelynGreen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jocelyngreenauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jocelyngreen77
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/jocelyngreen77
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/JocelynGreen 

Love HistoricalFiction? Enter to win one of FIVE copies of Jocelyn Green's new book! http://bit.ly/2ixOA8U

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

The Mark of the King - Christianbook.com
The Mark of the King - Amazon
The Mark of the King - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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

SECOND CHANCE LOVE - Pamela S Meyers - One Book Giveaway

Bio: A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love and her historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Her novella. What Lies Ahead, is part of a novella collection, The Bucket List Dare, which is now available at Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Second Chance Love from Bling!, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, releases in January 2017. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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

My characters often struggle with the lie that they are not good enough—not good enough for God or people they care about. Their spiritual arc involves them coming to that moment when they realize that God loves them unconditionally and because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross they are seen as righteous if they surrender to Him. Another theme I sometimes write about is trust and being able to entrust everything to the Lord. That is the issue my heroine, Sydney, in Second Chance Love grapples with. She has been a believer for a long time, but after suffering several abandonments she begins to think she can’t trust God to keep her from getting hurt again.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

A Indie novella collection I am in came out last October. The Bucket List Dare involves four women who wrote bucket lists their senior year at Texas A and M. Now when they are all about to turn 30, one of them challenges the others to pick the most daring item on their list and do it by their 30th birthday. I’m in another Indie novella collection set to come out this coming spring. It’s theme is tiny houses, but I don’t have the details on that as yet. And, last but not least, I’m working on a sequel to Second Chance Love.

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

I think spending an evening with President-Elect Donald Trump would be very interesting. We all think we know him (maybe), but do we? What is he really like when he’s behind closed doors with his family. There have been conflicting reports about his spiritual beliefs, and I’d like to find out for myself exactly where he is with that.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

My pastor often quotes for spiritual giants of the past like Charles Spurgeon, and I would love to meet him and pick his brain about all there is about the Bible.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? Remember that the publishing industry today looks nothing like it looks five years ago or ten years ago. The down side is that traditional publishers have cut back on their Christian fiction lines or stopped them altogether, leaving less available slots for new writers. With so few slots, publishers tend to contract multi-published authors more than going with an unknown. But, at the same time, opportunities are out there at the smaller presses, and if a writer has the ability to write good solid fiction and break in that way, they can gain the attention of the larger houses. Just be sure to research the small houses thoroughly. Most are on the up and up, but there are some that are not.

Another way to break in is to self-publish (Indie publishing). It costs you up front as you have to pay for a good edit, cover design, formatting and the like. However, there is no other middle man involved and the royalties can be quite good if you are successful. Just don’t try to trim corners. You want to put out a quality product that equals that of the traditional publishers.

Tell us about the featured book.

Chicago lawyer Sydney Knight and Texas bull rider Jace McGowan have nothing in common but everything to lose when they are thrust together during a weekend rodeo in rural Illinois. Neither one of them would have imagined two years ago that the deep attraction they sensed during a day-long outing would resurface when Sydney’s boss assigns her to Jace’s legal case.

Sydney has been through a world of hurt since losing her dad when she was sixteen, then being dumped the morning of her wedding. She’s sworn off romance and instead devotes her time toward a partnership in her father’s law office.

Jace has found faith in God and wants out of his sponsor contract with a risqué restaurant chain that requires him to pose with scantily-clad women. He’s about to bail on the contract and pay steep penalties—something he can ill afford, given that his deceased father left the family with unpaid taxes.

Sydney is determined she’ll get Jace out of his contract and return to Chicago with her heart intact, but Jace is just as determined to help her see they are meant to be together. Can a city girl with roots deep in Chicago and a bull-riding rancher with roots deep in Texas give themselves a second-chance love?

I am eager to read this one. Please give us the first page of the book.

“I need you to knock some sense into my nephew’s head.”

Sydney Knight stared across the wide oak desk at Harry Brownlee’s intense gaze. The same gaze he used quite effectively in the courtroom. As far as she knew, Harry had but one nephew. One charismatic, deep-dimpled cowboy who’d sent her heart racing two years ago. She’d finally gotten Jace McGowan out of her system, and she intended to keep him there. Maybe Harry only meant it figuratively. She swallowed and smoothed her clammy palms over her pencil skirt. “I don’t understand.”

Harry leaned back in his leather chair and stroked his impeccably trimmed beard. “You met Jace, the bull rider, a couple years ago when you did me a favor by showing him the town when I needed to be in court.” He shook his head. “The guy has a college degree and does a great job riding rank bulls, but he lacks common sense.”

How had Jace become the main topic of their Monday morning meeting? What about the discovery she’d been working on for the Landers case? She focused through the large window wall behind Harry. Lake Michigan, blue and serene, sparkled in the late summer sun.

Okay … okay. Give me more. How can readers find you on the Internet? 

Second Chance Love is Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle editions at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946016047

My other links are:

Website: www.pammeyerswrites.com

Blog: www.pamelasuemeyers.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pamela.meyers

             www.facebook.com/PamelaSMeyersAuthor/

Twitter: pamelameyers

Thank you, Pamela, for sharing this book with us. I know my blog readers will be as eager as I am to read it. By the way, I love your cover.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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