Welcome, Jenna. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
Little pieces of how they would react, how they would think
in a certain situation are from my own personal way, but if the character is
opposite of me, I often think of how I would oppositely react. I also have
certain scenarios happen which have happened to me in my own life.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I decided to take a year off from college and do a year of
mission work. I trained in a rural area of Hawaii
and then did overseas work in Thailand
and Malaysia .
That’s so cool. When
did you first discover that you were a writer?
As soon as I could put sentences together. I grew up
writing, I am a fourth-generation writer on my mom’s side.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, dystopian futures,
romance, apocalyptic. I love all types of books.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
I spend time with friends, I watch movies with my kids, and
I go to church. I also listen to worship music in my car to ground me.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
I pick names I like, names I think readers will like. Some
names are references to people I know, but most are just names I like and work
for the area and timeframe in which I am writing.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Having two books at the same time on the best-selling list
in my genre.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
I would be a dolphin. I love the water, and they are social.
What is your favorite
food?
I love Italian, specifically spaghetti.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I was a couple of months away from publishing my first book
when my infant son passed away from SIDS. It froze everything in place. That
was three years ago, and I decided this January that I wanted to start pursuing
releasing my books again. My first book came out in May, my second book in June,
and my third book in July.
Tell us about the
featured book.
The American Conquest is the third book in my 3-part
installment of the Window to the Heart Saga. It wraps up the main character
Margaret’s journey as she travels the Oregon Trail west to the Colorado Territory
Please give us the
first page of the book.
1865 Port of New York , America
Margaret Learingam held on to the ship’s rail with one hand and
her toddler son with the other. As her family approached the New
England shoreline, fear filled the pit of her stomach. Forced to
flee to America , Margaret
had no experience outside of Europe, where she had grown up in England and spent a year in France . She
left everything behind, including her last name and titles, to keep her son
from being taken away. And now, in just a few moments, she would be stepping
foot into a new world that held the potential to offer her and her family a way
to stay alive and together. It meant leaving behind her title, and the
privileges that went with it, but she would do anything to protect her son.
Still haunted by the painful memories of losing the two men
she loved, Margaret could not help but feel guilt over their deaths. Her late
husband and fiancé were both killed by the invidious hand of the Duke of
Witherton.
Her heart was broken when her husband, Henry, the Viscount
of Rolantry, was killed in a duel over her “ruined” honor. She had wanted to
die with him, but when she realized she was pregnant, she knew she had to force
herself to live for her child’s sake. Fearful either the duke or her vengeful
sister-in-law would take her son from her, Margaret fled from England to hide in France while she searched for her
long-lost twin brother, Randall, whom she eventually found.
She thought she would never be happy after the tremendous
loss of her husband, but she eventually found a way to live with the pain. When
she met Michel, the Marquis de Badour, he showed her she could love again. But Witherton
was not content to destroy her life only once; he had to do it again by killing
Michel. In a cruel twist of fate, both men she loved were killed by the monster
who had destroyed her life. After the second loss, Margaret shut her heart to
the idea of finding love again, knowing the pain would be too crushing to
warrant a third attempt. She had her son and brother, and they were the only
two men she would need in her life.
The duke was still under the misguided assumption that her
son, Henry, was his child, and he was determined to take him for himself.
Knowing he would not stop until he got what he wanted, Margaret chose to leave
behind her life in Europe and flee to America .
The trip across the Atlantic Ocean
had been long and grueling, as they had encountered several storms in the
process, lengthening their journey and causing sickness to run rampant on
board. In addition, due to Margaret’s appearance, she had been receiving
constant unsolicited attention from the single men on the ship, which made her
uncomfortable. Her dark violet eyes and long raven locks contrasted against her
smooth white skin, and her petite frame had adjusted admirably into shapely
proportions after childbirth. But she knew her attractiveness was not going to be
able to save her when they reached the new land. In fact, she had the type of
appearance that could get her into trouble.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Thank you, Jenna, for sharing this new book with me and my readers.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
The American Conquest: Christian Western Historical (Window to the Heart Saga Book 3
The American Conquest: Christian Western Historical (Window to the Heart Saga Book 3
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:
4 comments:
This sounds very intriguing. Thank you for sharing.
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Once again, Lena, you've found a new-to-me author. The "first page" already captured my attention. I'd love to read the rest!
Pam in OH
This series looks quite interesting. I love historicals. Thanks from Missouri.
This sounds interesting and like a great read,
Deanne from PA
Post a Comment