Wednesday, November 01, 2017

CHRISTMAS IN ABUNDANCE - Sally Bayless - One Free Print or Ebook (Winner's Choice)

Dear Readers, I love Sally’s writing. I featured her first full-length novel earlier on the blog, so I was eager to share this Christmas novella with you. I always look forward to reading a lot of Christmas novels and novellas each year.

Welcome back, Sally. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
I’m excited to be releasing my second full-length novel, Love and Roses, early in 2018 and eager to begin work on my next book. I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to write, and I pray that my books may not just entertain but also bring encouragement to readers.

Be sure to contact me about the new novel when you have a pub date. I’ll want to feature it on the blog, too. Tell us a little about your family.
I’ve been happily married for 24 years. My husband and I have a son and a daughter, both in college. This is our first year as empty nesters, but we seem to be adjusting all right as long as I remember when I buy groceries that a half gallon of milk will last a week.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Writing has made my reading more focused and intentional. In fiction, I make sure to read widely in my genre of contemporary Christian romance, as well as in historical Christian romance. I also read British chick lit and cozy mysteries, and I intentionally read some national bestsellers each year including a little literary fiction.

Also, since I began writing Christian fiction in 2009, I have made a point to begin every writing session by reading the Bible. It gets my writing off to a good start and puts my mind in the right place.

Yes, and I pray a lot while I’m writing. God often changes things in my books. What are you working on right now?
I am doing the final polish of Love and Roses and toying with ideas for a novella.

What outside interests do you have?
I enjoy kayaking, birdwatching, swimming, BBC television, and crossword puzzles. And, of course, reading!

How do you choose your settings for each book?
All my books are set in small towns in Missouri, where I was born. I can’t imagine writing a book set in a city. I love the interconnectedness of small towns!

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Hmmm, I bet everyone answers “Jesus.” If that answer is taken, I’ll say Agatha Christie. I love her books and I believe she helped her husband on archeological trips. I’d love to know more about her.

A new movie of Murder on the Orient Express is coming out very soon. James and I are eager to see it. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
I wish I had known that even big-time authors have books where the plot isn’t quite right at first. I had no idea how much a book could be revised.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
God is teaching me to try new things and not to limit myself. For example, I’m teaching adult Sunday School for the first time. Teaching children was no problem, but I always thought I’d be nervous teaching adults. I’m actually enjoying it!

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Find a critique group (online perhaps?), read extensively in the genre you want to write in, and participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

Yes. That starts today. Tell us about the featured book.
Christmas in Abundance is a contemporary Christian romance novella about a couple at odds over a holiday light display.

Fifty thousand bulbs can shed a lot of light … but will it be enough to help Kyle and Lanie see that they belong together?

Lanie Phillips has a quiet holiday planned. So quiet, in fact, that the only sounds in the house where she’s staying should be the clicks of her computer keyboard and the occasional bark from a chocolate Labrador retriever. No joyous choirs of angels, no jolly laughs from Santa, and no jingle bells—nothing to distract her from her master’s thesis or bring up painful Christmas memories.

But for the single dad who’s her closest neighbor, simple holiday decorations just won’t do. Kyle Mattox is determined to give his five-year-old daughter the best Christmas ever—one that includes an outdoor display lit with fifty thousand lights, activated in time to music shared through four giant loudspeakers.

When Lanie comes to complain that she can’t write with the lights flashing and carols blasting, Kyle realizes that—unknown to her—their circuits have crossed in the past. If he wants his daughter happy, he needs to keep that information to himself, keep the show running, and keep his distance from Lanie. 

Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.
The last thing Lanie Phillips needed to hear was Christmas music.

She jabbed the button of her car radio and cut off a chorus of elves singing “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Wonderful? Not likely, considering she’d be spending it alone.

The wail of the wind intensified, and her headlights reflected off pellets of snow that whipped across her line of sight. She pulled her wool scarf higher around her neck. Even with the car’s heat on high, the cold seeped in. She squinted through the squall of white, wishing for some indication that she was nearing the Mattox place. Finding her way down the county roads outside her hometown of Abundance, Missouri, was bad enough in the dark without adding a snowstorm into the mix.

Around the next bend, a small sign barely stuck out over the snow. “You’re almost to the Mattox house!” it read.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
My website is www.sallybayless.com. Readers can find excerpts from all my books there, can email me, and can sign up for my newsletter and my street team. Newsletter subscribers are the first to learn when I release a new book.

I’m on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorsallybayless/. Facebook is my favorite social media, so I check it often.

I’m also on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/sally_bayless/ and Twitter at

Sally, thank you for sharing this Christmas novella with us. I know my blog readers are eager to read it.

Readers, here are links to the book.
Christmas in Abundance: A Novella (The Abundance Series)
Christmas in Abundance: A Novella

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:

22 comments:

Shelia64 said...

This sounds like a great christmas read! Shelia from Mississippi

Sally Bayless said...

Thanks, Sheila! Good luck in the drawing!

Melanie Backus said...

I love Christmas stories. This one sounds like a winner!

Melanie Backus, TX

Linda Kish said...

This sounds like a story I will enjoy reading.

Linda in CA

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Enjoyed the interview. I love Sally's books and this one was a good one. Don't include me in the drawing since I have already read it.

Vivian Furbay said...

Sounds like an interesting story and I like the first page. Driving in heavy snow is something we have here but not what I like to do. If I am blessed to win this book, I would like a paperback copy.

Cindy W. said...

I love novels set during Christmas and I love the cover of this book. Thank you for the chance to win.

Blessings,
Cindy W. from Indiana

Sally Bayless said...

Hi Everyone! Sorry I've been away. I had a church meeting last night and then dinner out and then went to bed!

Melanie, I love Christmas stories too! I just read two last week!

Linda, thanks for your kind words!

Ann, it's nice to see you here! I'm so glad you enjoyed this story. :)

Vivian, I agree with you about the snow. I lived in Illinois for three years when my husband was in grad school. I never knew until then how much I loved the hills because they block the wind!

Cindy, thanks for your kind comment about the cover. I love it too!

Best of luck to everyone in the drawing!

VanG said...

Hi Sally. You are a new author to me and I would be delighted to win a paperback copy of this book. I love the beautiful cover, and it sounds like a delightful read. My husband pastored in MD for five years, and we had lots of snow there. Since then we have been in the foothills of NC where we get some snow but not as much. Blessings!
VanG in NC

Sally Bayless said...

Hi VanG,

Thanks for your sweet comments! I love North Carolina! We vacation there almost every summer at Wrightsville Beach. Good luck in the drawing!

Becky said...

New author to me, but I have heard of her, just haven't read any of her books. Love this book cover and the blurb sounds interesting. Following her now on her websites, and look forward to trying her books.

Library Lady said...

Our church library readers will read Christmas books even when it is summertime and the temps are in the high 90's.
Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Florida

Sally Bayless said...

Becky--So nice to meet you! Thanks for your kind words and for the follow!

Janet--Sometimes a Christmas book is just the thing when it's hot! Reading about snow can be a good thing. :)

Best of luck to you both in the giveaway!

rubynreba said...

I love the Christmas season and this looks like a great book to bring in the season. Enjoyed the interview.
Beth from IA

Sally Bayless said...

Hi Beth,

Thanks for your kind comments! And your kitties in the photo are so cute!!

Good luck in the drawing!

Vera Godley said...

Love fun Christmas reads and yes, I read them in the summer, too. When I read a lot of books from the library, the Christmas books usually were all checked out and I'd read them in the summer when they were more readily available.

I'm in central North Carolina

Connie Porter Saunders said...

Sounds like a great Christmas story. Thank you for sharing!
Blessings!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

Sharon Richmond Bryant said...

Enter me for the print copy this book looks awesome!!
Conway SC.

Sally Bayless said...

Vera, I like your library plan! And I love NC!

Connie, thanks for your kind words!

Sharon, you are too sweet!

Good luck to you all in the drawing!

Lourdes said...

I love Christmas Novela's looking forward to reading this one would love to win.

Lourdes Long Island, NY

apple blossom said...

I love reading Christmas thanks for the chance to win
live in ND

Sally Bayless said...

Hi Lourdes and Apple Blossom!

Sorry I didn't see that you had posted earlier. Waving "hi" from Ohio!