HOME TO PARADISE - Barbara Cameron - One Free Book, Plus More

Welcome back, Barbara. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I’m excited to report that I’m writing another Amish series for a new publisher – it’s my fifth Amish series and it’s titled HARVEST OF HOPE. The series is set in Paradise, Pennsylvania—my favorite Amish community. I’m also working on a contemporary romance series around those books. There’s nothing better than being busy doing what you love. I am really grateful to God for leading me on this path.

How exciting. I’ll want to feature both of those series here on the blog. Tell us a little about your family.

My children are grown. I have a son and a daughter and altogether four grandchildren—two girls, two boys. It’s so interesting the way that worked out. My daughter says my children are now my three fur kids, all female Chihuahuas. Sometimes it’s like having a bunch of two year olds but they are great company and as I write this they are sleeping in little beds in my home office just a few feet from me.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

No, I have always been a voracious reader. I had a bunk bed when I was a kid sharing a bedroom with my brother. I used to love hiding from my family and reading in the top bunk. It felt like having my own treehouse.

What are you working on right now?

My new Amish series.  I admire the Amish because they truly live their faith on a daily basis—not just a couple hours in church each week. I’ve really enjoyed learning about them and knowing several special Amish women who have helped me understand them.  

What outside interests do you have?

I love spending time with my kids and grandkids. I recently took painting classes. I’d been wanting to do this for many years but never found the time. I have a lot more respect for artists now! It’s harder than I thought and I had a pretty good idea of the time and effort since my dad was a wonderful artist who won art shows and sold his work.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The setting for my Amish books kind of chose me … another reason I feel God led me down this path. I went to a writer’s conference in Pennsylvania and my cousin took me through Paradise and surrounding towns. I started getting ideas for stories while I was there and not long afterward sold them.

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

 I’d love to meet Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre. I fell in love with that book in my early teens and loved Jane for her independent spirit. This election year also made me think I’d like to meet the women who fought for the right for women to vote.

Jane Eyre is a longtime favorite of mine, too. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I worked for a newspaper right out of high school so I had a pretty good idea of what writing was like—especially on a deadline. The main thing I wish I’d known was how to more easily find an editor interested in my work. When I started going to conferences, I got the help I needed. Today there is so much help on the Internet for writers.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now? 

Patience. His timing and mine are often at odds. I tend to be a little impatient and want things to run on my time.

I so resemble that. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

First, writers need to read books in the genre they’re writing. If you don’t read, you will never be a successful writer. Second, get another writer to read your work and critique it. Better yet, get more than one person to read it. But be careful to trust your own instincts about what sounds right for your story. Third, be someone an editor wants to work with. It’s a partnership.

Tell us about the featured book.

Home to Paradise is book three of the Coming Home series (Abingdon Press). From the back blurb: Rose Anna Zook has watched her two older sisters marry two Stoltzfus men and has always thought she and John, the third Stoltzfus brother, would marry, make a home together, and have children. But John has other ideas. He’s enjoying his Rumschpringe in the Englisch world a little too much and isn’t interested in returning to the Amish community – especially to marry.

Rose Anna is determined to bring her man back into the Amish fold. John is equally determined to live his life free and unencumbered. Who will win this battle of wills? Will love prevail?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Snow fell quietly, cold and white. Inside the big old farmhouse where Rose Anna had lived all her life it was warm. A fire crackled in the hearth, the only sound in the room.

Rose Anna glanced around the sewing room. Usually she and her three schweschders sat chatting and sewing with their mudder, sometimes singing a hymn as they worked. Today it was just her and her mudder.

She sighed. “So here you sit with your old maedel dochder, Mamm.”

Linda laughed. “I hardly think you’re an old maedel at twenty-three, Rose Anna.”

She knotted a thread, clipped it with scissors, and squinted as she rethreaded her needle. “I feel like one,” she said, pouting a little. “Both of my schweschders are married and so are lots of my friends. I have been a newehocker at so many weddings!” She made a face as she began stitching on her quilt again.

“Guder mariye!”

Rose Anna glanced up. “Ach, here comes my newly married schweschder.”

The three Zook schweschders were often confused for each other because they looked so much alike with oval faces, big blue eyes, and hair a honey blonde. They’d been born just a year apart

so they’d grown up close. Rose Anna was the youngest—something her two older schweschders never let her forget.

“Mary Elizabeth, it’s gut to see you. Kumm, sit by the fire and get warm. You look cold.”

She leaned down and kissed her mudder’s cheek. “Lavina’s on her way up.”

Linda brightened and turned to look in the direction of the door. When Lavina walked in a moment later, her face fell. “Where’s Mark?”

Lavina laughed and shook her head. “You’re not glad to see me?”

“Well, schur,” Linda said quickly. “But I thought you were bringing my grosssohn.”

“He was fussy and stayed up most of the night, so now he’s sleeping.” Lavina sank into a chair. “Waneta said she’d mind him so I could get out for a bit. She told me she wouldn’t let him sleep all day so he’d keep us up again.”

“You look like you need a nap,” Rose Anna told her.

“It’s tempting, but I need to stay to my goal of finishing this quilt,” she said as she threaded a needle.

“Could he be teething already?”

Lavina shuddered. “I hope not. He’s not three months old yet. I’ve heard about teething from my friends.”

Soon it was like it had been for so long, everyone chattering and sewing, the mood as bright and cheerful as the fire. But Rose Anna felt a growing restlessness. She put her quilt aside, went downstairs to make tea for their break, and found herself staring out the kitchen window. The trees were bare and black against the gray sky. Snow had stopped falling, coating everything with a white blanket that lay undisturbed. She found herself pacing the kitchen as she waited for the kettle to boil. Finally, she knew she had to get out and burn off her restless energy.

“I’m going for a walk,” she announced when her mudder and schweschders came downstairs.  She pulled on rubber boots and her bonnet, then shrugged on her coat. “I won’t be long.”

“But, kind, it’s cold out there,” her mudder protested.

“I need to walk. ’Bye.”

“She’ll be fine, Mamm,” she heard Lavina say behind her before she closed the back door.

Funny, her older schweschder reassuring their mudder.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m on Facebook. My website is  www.BarbaraCameron.com

Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this book with us.

Home to Paradise, the final book in author Barbara Cameron's The Coming Home series, is not to be missed! Rose Anna Zook always thought she and John, one of Stoltzfus brothers, would marry, make a home together, and have children. But John, enjoying his Rumschpringe in the Englisch world, has other ideas. Rose Anna is determined to bring her man back into the Amish fold. John is equally determined to live his life free and unencumbered. Who will win this battle of wills? Will love prevail?

Join Barbara on Thursday, March 9, for a live author chat party on her Facebook page with fun prizes to be won! Click the graphic below for more details and to RSVP. Hope to see you there—bring a friend or two who loves Amish fiction!

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

Home to Paradise: The Coming Home Series _ Book 3 - Paperback
Home to Paradise: The Coming Home 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

WINNERS!!!

Deana (TX) is the winner of Echo Canyon by Susan Page Davis.

Connie (KY) is the winner of Riverbend Reunion by Henry McLaughlin.

Ann (TX) is the winner of A Second Glance by Alexis Goring.

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.

DOOR TO FREEDOM - Jana Kelley - One Free Book

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

I’ve always heard “write the kind of books you like to read” and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I like realistic fiction as well as autobiographies and some memoirs. I like real stories and I like to feel like I’ve learned something in exchange for the time I have taken to read a book. When you finish the last page of Door to Freedom, I want you to know more about Sudan and more about Muslims and more about the people who love them.

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

The happiest day was the day Kris asked me to marry him, because then I knew he wouldn’t get away! And also because it was the beginning of a lot of years filled with a lot of adventures. Why wouldn’t that be the happiest day?

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has encouraged me to believe that I have a message others want to hear. It has developed in me the willingness to receive constructive criticism and grow better at storytelling for the sake of the message. Being published has helped me accept that writing can be more than a hobby.

What are you reading right now?

I am reading The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood. If the second half is as good as the first half, then I highly recommend it!

What is your current work in progress?

I am up to my eyeballs in editing the sequel to Door to Freedom. It is called Mercy Triumphs and it will finish the Side by Side trilogy. It should be ready for release in Fall 2017 and that is super exciting to me.

What would be your dream vacation?

I love to travel and I feel very blessed that I get to do a lot of overseas travel. My dream vacation is to visit Italy. I have been to Rome for one night because of a mix-up with an airline, but one day I’m going to Italy on purpose!

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I chose settings that I have been to personally for my books. I like to be able to close my eyes and remember myself right there, and then open my eyes and type what I see, hear, taste, and touch from my memories of actually being there.

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

 My first book, Side by Side, was dedicated to “the real Halimah.” I have not seen this beautiful young woman in many years and I would like to spend the evening with her. Her courage to follow Christ no matter what and to trust Him inspires me.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to make things and I mostly like trying projects that I have never done before and I like DIY kinds of things. So I’ve made a treehouse for my kids, a quilt for my son’s graduation, numerous 3D birthday cakes, I crocheted a rug out of ripped up bed sheets, and I cut my kids’ beds in half horizontally to convert them from platform beds to normal beds. My most recent fail, though, was trying to repair an external hard drive by myself. The silver lining was that I learned a lot about hard drives.

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

For Door to Freedom, my most difficult obstacle was trying to accurately portray life in a difficult place in a way that is also entertaining. This involved a lot of trying to explain things through story that are almost impossible to describe unless the reader has seen it for themselves. This was a challenge, but I think I mostly got it right.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Keep writing! And don’t give up. If you love it, do it and keep your eyes open for opportunities, but don’t ever stop writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Door to Freedom is about following Christ. That phrase carries infinitely different meanings depending on who you are and where you live. Mia is an American Christian and Rania is a Sudanese Muslim and both have chosen to follow Christ. What happens when opposition comes their way? That’s what Door to Freedom is all about.

Please give us the first page of the book.

“You’re a frog in a pot.” That’s what Mia Weston’s mother would say when she heard the news. “The water is boiling all around you, and you don’t even know it.” Maybe she was right.

Mia pondered the thought as she piled the breakfast dishes in the kitchen sink. For two years she and Michael lived and raised their family in North Sudan. The Islamic country often made news headlines because of human rights violations and strict adherence to Sharia law. She couldn’t blame her mother for being concerned. But the Sudanese people Mia and her family knew were kind and friendly. Mia and Michael planned to renew their contract with Kellar Hope Foundation and stay an additional two years.

Mia imagined the conversation she would have with her mother over video chat. Mia would explain, once again, how Kellar Hope Foundation was providing food and clothing and better health care and education for refugees in Sudan. She would sell the vision for humanitarian aid organizations like Kellar Hope. And remind her that by legally living and working in Sudan, they had a unique opportunity to also share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Then her mother would remind her that Sudan was not stable and that the risks outweighed the good they were doing. The conversation would end with an agreement to disagree, and a sincere but sad, “I love you, Mia.” Followed by her own frustrated, “I love you, too, Mom.”

That conversation would come later. First, she and Michael would go to dinner to celebrate their decision to stay. He had already dropped off nine-year-old Corey and six-year-old Annie at school and headed to the foundation’s office to sign the contract papers. Beth, Mia’s best friend, agreed to babysit Corey, Annie, and four-year-old Dylan. And to think that Michael had cleared his schedule and arranged it all himself. He could be so romantic sometimes.

For free sample chapters visit http://ow.ly/KjHs309eCXK

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can find me at www.JanaKelley.com where I also have links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Thank you, Jana, for sharing this new book with us. I have a dear friend who is a missionary in Africa. I’m eager to read your story.

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

Door to Freedom - Christianbook.com
Door to Freedom: A Contemporary Novel - Amazon
Door to Freedom: A Contemporary Novel - 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

SANTA FE SUNRISE - Tanya Stowe - One Free Book

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

I don’t know why I write the books I write. An idea comes. It intrigues me. I try to find the faith challenge in the concept and I write it. I don’t understand it but I appreciate how the Lord lets me work through things in my writing.

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

I was so stressed at my wedding I can’t say it was that day. I’ve had many, many wonderful days in my life but I’d have to say one of the highlights was the day I sold my first book.

Being published has changed my writing in several ways. Now I get to write full time instead of squeezing it in my spare time. I have many more friends but the most important change has been having a community of readers who have become friends as well. So now I have someone to talk to about my books!

What are you reading right now?

I’m getting ready to start How to Charm the Beekeepers Heart by Candice Patterson.

What is your current work in progress?

My current work in progress is doing revisions on a romantic suspense I just sold to Love Inspired Suspense.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’ve had some pretty awesome vacations. Europe. Egypt. Petra. Motorhoming across the U.S. Right now, given my current schedule, sitting on the beach in the Caribbean sounds pretty good. Lol.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

They choose me. As I said, my husband and I travel a lot. Sometimes when I go to a place, something just strikes a chord and won’t let go of me until I’ve built a story around it. My first visit to Santa Fe was like that. Something about the place just compelled me to find a story to fit. The same with Sedona Sunset. Never Ending Night came about when I read about a Civil War battle. So … they choose me and won’t leave me alone.

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

Mel Gibson and not for the reasons some people might imagine. He’s a master craftsman. His life has had the highest of highs and the lowest lows struggling with alcoholism. No matter how low he gets, he picks himself up, brushes himself off and moves forward without giving in to despair like so many others do. I honestly don’t think someone could do that without an intense, personal relationship with and love of Jesus. And on top of all that, he brings those highs and lows into his movies and shares those realistic struggles with us. I wish I had the courage to do that. Amazing.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Travel. Tennis. Hiking.

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

In writing I’m a storyteller not a word crafter. I have to work at it constantly. And in life, storytelling very often gets in the way of listening. I work on that too.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Take grammar seriously. You have to know the rules to break them. After that write constantly.

Tell us about Santa Fe Sunrise.

I love this book. I suppose because I love Santa Fe and the curious mélange of atmospheres there. History. Art. Culture. They all blend into a feel that is distinctly Santa Fe. I also the love the hero. He appeared in Sedona Sunset and grew so much in Santa Fe that I hardly recognized him. Also, I think I’m a little like the heroine, Rafaella. Devoted to family. Determined to honor her heritage but trying to be practical. So busy doing so many things she forgets to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen. I guess that’s enough without giving away too much of the story!

Please give us the first page of the book.

Brett Fraser couldn’t move his neck. He’d caught a few hours’ sleep hunkered into the crevice between his car seat and the door. His right hand throbbed with tiny needles as the circulation came back, and his knee, wrapped around the gearshift, wouldn’t unbend even after he sat up.

As soon as I get off this back road and locate Santa Fe, I’m going to find a nice hotel, a shower and a king-sized bed.

Sleeping in his car had definitely lost its charm. After six months of a self-imposed sabbatical touring the great Southwest, he was ready for some creature comforts.

One thing for sure, he’d seen some spectacular country. The Grand Canyon with its sheer drop-offs and hidden valleys. Lake Powell’s amazing mixture of colors—blue, green and a thousand variations of rust. Canyon de Chelly, the Navajo’s sacred place, with its smooth, sheer walls of swirling sandstone and cliff dwellings. Absolutely unbelievable.

He might not know where or how he fit into it, but one thing was clear, God had a plan. Anyone who’d witnessed these spectacular sights had to recognize the Master Artist at work.

Case in point: the sunrise in front of him.

In Arizona, fire burned the skies during sunrise and sunset. Bright golden light and fireballs of orange and gold lit the horizon. But here, in New Mexico, the colors were softer, more subtle. Above the dark ridge, the horizon was streaked as if by a paintbrush with bands of subtle gray blending into purple, then mauve, and finally pink.

Amazing.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tanya Stowe

Prepare for the Extraordinary

http://tanyastowe.com/tanyas-travel-topics.html

http://tanyastowe.com/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/TanyaStoweReadersPage/

Twitter: @TanyaStowe1

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

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

Santa Fe Sunrise - Christianbook.com
Santa Fe Sunrise - Amazon
Santa Fe Sunrise - 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

DESERT SECRETS - Lisa Harris - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Lisa Harris is a dear friend of mine, who attended the critique group in my home for a number of years before her family moved to Africa to be missionaries. I love the Internet, because it allows us to stay in contact. Her writing is wonderful, and I love following their ministry and sometimes share in something they are doing. Her suspense novels really keep me turning pages.

Welcome back, Lisa. Where do you write?

There’s a spot in my dining room where I can sit at the table and feel the “air-conditioner.” Which is really just the breeze blowing through the house, but it’s also the coolest place in the house, and where I like to work in the summer.

When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took?

When I first started writing there was only one option. Mailing your manuscript to a publisher. There was no quick Google search back then, so to do this, you first you found out what publishers wanted by reading through Sally Stuart’s Market Guide or a resource from the library. Then you sent off your manuscript to the publisher—a hard copy. After that was done, you waited for weeks or months for a response in your SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope so the publisher could mail back your manuscript if they rejected it). Things have definitely changed!

What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?

I like cooking, reading, and photography, but mostly spending time with my family whenever I can because we’re currently spread out across three countries. I’ll be spending time with my oldest for spring break and I can’t wait!

What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?

Remember that it takes time to learn the craft. Don’t skip over that part. Read, write, go to conferences, and write some more. Find a mentor and a group of writers who encourage you to stretch and grow as a writer. Because no matter what route you decide to take, you want your work to be the best possible.

What is your favorite book? Favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?

I have so many, I wouldn’t know where to start. J As for inspiration ... when I find that book that pulls me in, makes me forget my inner editor, and makes me wish I’d written it ... now that’s inspiration to keep writing better and better!

Where did you get the idea for Desert Secrets?

In looking for settings for my international stories, I knew that the Sahara would be perfect for a fast-paced romantic suspense. And it was. With my heroine and hero isolated, there’s no phone service or resources, which makes for a very intense race across the desert.

From idea to final revision, how long did it take to write?

From start to finish about four months. 

Are you working on anything now?

Yes! Two projects, actually, with a couple more in the wings. I’m currently finishing up another Love Inspired Suspense that is set in Amsterdam and will be out next year, along with final edits for a brand new Indie novel set in Africa that will be coming out this summer. This one is co-written with Lynne Gentry. I’m grateful to be busy writing!

Please tell us about Desert Secrets. 

 When aid worker Lexi Shannon is abducted at gunpoint in Mali, she quickly learns her kidnappers are really after her brotherand the money he's stolen. Landing at the secluded desert compound, ex-military pilot Colton Landry has a clear mission: rescue his brother, who's being held for ransom. But after discovering the kidnappers also have Lexi, there's no way he's leaving her behind. Their daring escape soon turns into a deadly chase when their plane is shot down, stranding them in the desert. Making a desperate run for the Moroccan border, Lexi and Colton must trust each other and rely on their strength and ingenuity to survive. But it may not be enough to outrun and outsmart their relentless pursuers

Please give us a peek at the first page of the book.

Lexi Shannon winced at the sharp sting of her captor’s hand across the side of her face. She blinked back the tears, then reached up to wipe away the metallic taste of blood that had pooled in the corner of her mouth.

“I’m going to ask you one last time,” the man repeated. “Where is your brother?”

She looked up at his weathered face and forced herself to catch his gaze. “I don’t know.”

He stood over her in his khaki fatigues, anger flashing in his eyes at her response. “Then we have a problem, because my boss isn’t going to like your answer. We know he was in Timbuktu with you.”

She pressed her nails into the palms of her hands, determined not to cry. “He was with me, but like I’ve already told you, he left yesterday morning, and I have no idea where he is now.”

He squatted down in front of her, his dark eyes boring through her. “Then tell me again. Everything you know about your brother’s visit.”

Lexi glanced across the makeshift compound where they’d kept her the last few hours. Past the rustic tents made of animal skins toward the endless ripples of the orange Sahara shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. There was nothing but the sand in every direction and the raging sun above them.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from my readers! I have a website, www.lisaharriswrites.com, and a blog, http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com .

Thanks so much for letting me stop by, Lena!!

It’s always a pleasure to visit with you here on the blog.

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

Desert Secrets - Christianbook.com
Desert Secrets (Love Inspired Suspense) - Amazon
Desert Secrets (Love Inspired Suspense) - 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

CAROLINE - Sue Barr - One Free Print or Ebook

Welcome to my blog, Sue. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Not too much, you can only have so much snark in your life … The biggest by-product of my psyche that crowds into my books is found in the dialogue. I have a fast repartee with those who know me well.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hubby and I were having coffee with a friend in the local Tim Horton’s (all Canadians just cheered at that name), and we’d been there for over two hours. I was ready to leave – they were not. I told DH if we didn’t go, as in now, I would stand up and sing. He didn’t and I did. I sang “When I’m Calling You” as it was sung by Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald. Google and listen, wait for the chorus. You’ll know why we left immediately after that.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I haven’t. I’ve written all my life, just not with purpose. I sold my first book in 2010 and still don’t feel like a writer. Any day now someone is going to cry “Fraud” and point at me.

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

Do you have all day? The list is long and varied. I read contemporary romance, women’s fiction, young adult, science fiction, historical romance, Christian fiction, Christian historical romance, biographies, devotionals, Christian non-fiction, bubble-gum wrappers, and cereal boxes. The last bit was to see if you actually read all the answer. The most important book I read is comprised of 66 books in total, and that is God’s word. I read exceptionally fast and can read five books or more a day, if life doesn’t intrude. Pesky life.

I’m a fast reader naturally, too. I’ve had to train myself to take it slow with the Bible. I don’t want to miss even one morsel of what God wants to tell me through His word that day. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

We place too much value on things and being busy. My priorities are this: God, husband, family, friends, and then the other “stuff,” which includes writing.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I’ve never thought about that. Usually when I start to write their names just come to me. I’ve changed some names, especially as I get into the story and the name doesn’t seem right. My first book’s heroine was called Rowena. I desperately wanted someone to call her “Ro” and have her think of salmon swimming upstream, but the name didn’t fit. She became Shelby. Much better.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My family. My sons and their spouses are content and happy. We have great grandkids who love us to pieces, and I really, really, really like my hubby. We’ll be celebrating out 34th anniversary next year, and he still makes my heart go pit-a-pat.

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

I would be one of our cats. Seriously, they’ve got it made!

What is your favorite food?

Lasagna

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Procrastination. I’d love to stop, but I keep putting it off….

Okay, okay, let’s get serious here. I work to create action around all my witty dialogue. Once my book is written I go back and add much needed dialogue beats. Things that will anchor the reader in the story and not be so much of a tennis match of he said, she said.

That sounds like part of my teaching on “Layering Pizzazz.” Tell us about the featured book.

Whatever happened to Caroline Bingley after her brother and unrequited love interest married a Bennet sister? Join me in this story of redemptive love and the healing of broken dreams.

Caroline Bingley, beyond frustrated with her brother, Charles, and Mr. Darcy both proposing to the Bennet sisters, dreads their upcoming nuptials. For three years, her sole focus has been on attaining a marriage proposal from one Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, only to be foiled by a country miss with “fine eyes.”  Adrift and not sure of her place in life, she meets the mysterious and devastatingly handsome Lord Nathan, who equally vexes and intrigues her.

Lord Nathan Kerr, third in line to a Dukedom, had a well-earned reputation as a Rake. He cast all that and his noble title aside to become Mr. Darcy’s vicar in Kympton, finding contentment in leading his small flock and doing the Lord’s work. His plan for a quiet country life is thrown into upheaval when he meets the fiery Miss Bingley. Can he reconcile his rising desire for the spoiled miss with how a vicar’s wife “should” behave?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Caroline Bingley descended the grand staircase and proceeded toward the breakfast room, barely acknowledging the footman who efficiently pulled a chair away from the table. With a soft swish of silk, she settled on the seat. When the second footman poured her tea, she deigned to give him a slight nod of approval, but that was because she was in a fine mood.

She noted through the window overlooking her sister’s favorite garden that it was a beautiful fall morning, the leaves of the oak trees a riotous flame of red and orange. October was just around the corner and her good mood, which had been in evidence since late August, showed no sign of wavering. She’d even gone to church the day prior for mass and enjoyed the hymns, although the bishop nearly bored her to tears.

As she fussed with her morning meal, she mentally ticked off plans she and Charles had for the upcoming week. There were papers to sign, by Charles, with their lawyer to quit the lease at Netherfield Park, and she had a fitting with Madam Beaufort before the much anticipated Annual Michaelmas Ball at Lady Addleworth’s mansion.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was sure to attend the ball. He and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, arrived in Town the other day and spent an inordinate amount of time with Charles. She only hoped it was because Charles finally decided to pursue an arrangement with Georgiana and as her guardians, Darcy and the good Colonel would finalize the articles of marriage as well as details of the dowry. With luck they would announce the engagement before the ball and with his shy little sister taken care of, Mr. Darcy could concentrate on his own happiness.

At last Charles was safe from Miss Jane Bennet, although he’d been reminded of her when they had the misfortune of running into her sister Elizabeth while at Pemberley in early August. For a few days she’d worried Darcy might continue to grow in affection for the well-tanned miss with muddy hems and ‘fine eyes’, but fortunately she exited Derbyshire rather abruptly the very next day. Caroline didn’t need the ever present Miss Bennet to ruin her plans for Charles and Georgiana as well as those for herself. After three long years of careful planning, she would not be denied her future by a girl of little consequence.

She longed to be Mistress of Pemberley. To have others look to her for guidance, to run the household the way it should. First order of business would be to dismiss Mrs. Reynolds. The housekeeper was by far too smug and too familiar with Mr. Darcy. Why, she let anyone who knocked on the door run amok within the house and on the grounds. Such behavior would be stopped the minute she and Mr. Darcy exchanged their vows. Pemberley needed a strong hand to run efficiently and she had the fortitude to make it happen.

She bit into a light-as-air croissant and sighed. This was her only indulgence, otherwise the dress Madame Beaufort designed would never fit and she needed to look spectacular the night of the ball. Darcy would propose before night’s end or her name wasn’t Caroline Anastasia Bingley.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website:         www.suebarrauthor.com

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/AuthorSueBarr

Twitter:           www.twitter.com/SBarrAuthor

Blog:               http://suebarrauthor.blogspot.com

Amazon:         www.amazon.com/author/suebarr

Thank you, Sue, for sharing this book with us. It looks like a fun read.

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

Caroline (Pride & Prejudice continued...) (Volume 1) - Paperback
CAROLINE (Pride & Prejudice continued... Book 1) - 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

WINNERS!!!!

Melanie (TX) is the winner of The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco.

Jeanie (AZ) is the winner of Baby Bunco by Julie B Cosgrove.

Lourdes (NY) is the winner of Hiding by Katherine McDermott.

Patty (MI) is the winner of a print or e copy of Rumors and Promises by Kathleen Rouser.

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.

A SECOND CHANCE - Alexis Goring - One Free Ebook

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

There’s about maybe 50 percent of myself in each of the heroines for my stories. They have similarities to my personality and outlook on life. Sometimes, they even share the same career. It’s easier to follow the number one rule of writing fiction, “Write what you know” in that respect, but it’s also fun to create and write characters who are nothing like me.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Not talking while I eat. I tend to prefer to focus on and savor the food, rather than to carry on a conversation.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

At age 9 during an impromptu storytelling game with my brother and grandpa while my grandma fixed lunch (we were at their house while our parents were working).

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

I enjoy reading contemporary and inspirational romance. My favorite authors are Becky Wade, Betsy St. Amant, JoAnn Durgin, Sarah Monzon, Sarah Jio, Kimberly Stuart, Kristin Billerbeck, and Melissa Tagg.

I also enjoy non-fiction books by my favorite journalists like Sophia A. Nelson and Soledad O’Brien. Christian Living books by the likes of Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Lysa TerKeurst and Joyce Meyer are also enjoyable.

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

I make time for God. My pastor says, “Mornings are better when you talk to God first,” and I’ve found that to be true.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I visit baby name sites online. Sometimes I go with whatever name comes to mind. But it helps to visit those sites that list baby names and their meanings. It helps me to choose the perfect names for my characters.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of an accomplishment that God orchestrated and that was getting my first writing contract with a traditional publishing company. Cynthia Hickey of Forget Me Not Romances offered me a contract at the perfect time. I was about to commit to a writing career as an indie author and hope that eventually, I’d get an agent and become a traditionally published author. But God sent Cynthia at just the right moment to get me to reconsider, and I am so glad that I accepted her offer.

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

I’d be a deer because they’re my favorite adopted pets! Deer play in our backyard and eat the flowers in our front yard where I live, that’s why I’ve “adopted” them as my unofficial pets. I’ve always loved deer for their beauty and elegance. 

My parents retired to Fort Clark Springs in Southwest Texas. It’s a former frontier fort, which is now a resort community, and a certain percentage of the property can’t be developed. It’s a preserve where deer, wild boars, and other wildlife are in natural habitat. My dad fed the deer that came into their back yard from the woods. What is your favorite food?

Now that’s a tough choice to make because I have a long list of favorite food! But if I had to choose just one main dish, I’d say that I love “curry chicken” the way that they fix it in Jamaica.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My greatest roadblock in my writing journey was creating deeply layered characters. Working with my God-sent editor, Liz Tolsma, helped me to overcome that obstacle because she taught me about things like GMC charts and character layering techniques. After applying the techniques that she taught me, my skills as a fiction writer grew and I am now able to create characters that are deeply layered and more captivating than before in my previous stories.

Tell us about the featured book.

My featured book, A Second Chance, is a Contemporary Romance about characters that are in need of a second chance in life and love. There’s Traci, a journalist who is struggling to “pay dues” and her bills from the wedding that never happened (her fiancé left her at the altar and ran off with her Maid of Honor). There’s Marc, also a journalist who is struggling to pay his dues. He’s known as Mr. Nice Guy and while his kindness leads to his broken heart (because his girlfriends “just want to be friends”), it brings joy to his newly widowed sister Gina. She’s a bestselling romance novelist who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter’s husband’s death. Marc steps in and helps out by babysitting when she’s working on a deadline or needs a break. Readers will find that with God’s guidance and Gina’s natural matchmaking skills, there is hope of a happily ever after for Traci and Marc.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Knee-deep in debt from wedding expenses, Traci Hightower sighed as she filed through the credit card statements. She should be married now, back from her honeymoon in Bali, and settled into her new home with her husband.

Happy.

Not single and broke.

She slapped an envelope against the desk. Five months of struggling to survive and pay off the debt. Her meager, entry-level journalist salary didn’t stretch far enough. She’d been paying her dues for seven years. She rubbed her temples. The numbers on the credit card statement blurred in front of her eyes.

The doorbell rang. A little thrill rushed through her. She stood from her cross-legged position on the floor and hopped over the mess of papers and laundry that decorated her living room.

“Who is it?”

“The woman who gave you birth.”

For the first time today, Traci smiled. She opened the door and reached for a hug from the one person who never left her hanging. “Hi, Mom.”

Her mom returned her daughter’s embrace, then dragged her suitcase inside. She glanced around. “Oh, my.”

Traci locked her door, then turned and shrugged. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been looking forward to this. Can’t you stay for more than two days though?”

Mom stopped picking up the bills from the floor and faced her daughter. “No, honey. I’m sorry, but I need to return home by Wednesday morning. Dad and I have an important meeting later that day.”

Traci’s heart dipped. Mom paused and placed the bills and the stack of paper she’d picked off the floor on Traci’s kitchen counter. “Oh, sweetie.” She cocooned her daughter in another embrace.

Traci snuggled close. She inhaled the familiar scent of her mother’s favorite perfume. It smelt like coconut and lime.

“You always were a cuddler.” Mom stroked her hair. “Still up to your eyeballs in debt?”

Traci nodded.

“Why don’t you let me and your father help?”

Traci took a step back and made eye contact with her mom. “We’ve been through this. I got myself into this mess. I’ll get myself out.”

Mom smiled. “Your father and I were talking. We hate to see you struggling.”

“You don’t exactly live in a palace either. I know you want to retire soon, and I won’t have you dipping into that money.”

Mom reached into her purse. “Living in the nation’s capital area is expensive.” She rummaged through her handbag’s contents. “Have you considered moving home?”

“I can’t do that. I don’t ever want to live anywhere else. My life and career are here.”

“How’s that going for you?”

Traci picked at her fingernails. “It could be better.” Better boss, better pay, better office space. The works.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers may connect with me online via the following sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex

Website: http://www.screenwriteralexis.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260528.Alexis_A_Goring

“God is Love” blog: http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com

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

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

A Second Chance - Paperback
A Second Chance - 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