RED SKY OVER AMERICA - Tamera Lynn Kraft - One Free Book

Bio: Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense, and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novels and novellas in print. She’s been married for 39 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and three grandchildren. 

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire for Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.

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

The themes that normally come out in my novels are redemption, courage in the face of adversity, and trusting God in any circumstance. Red Sky Over America is a great example of that. All three themes are in the book. America has to have courage to face her father when she challenges his views of slavery. When he doesn't react well, she has to trust God with the consequences even though she was doing what He called her to do. As far as the redemption theme, you'll have to read it to find out. If I told you about it, it would be a spoiler.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Lost in the Storm, Book 2 in the Ladies of Oberlin Series, is coming out in November. I'll also have a related novella coming out at the same time. Book 3 of the series, The Aftermath, will be released in August, 2019. Here's a blurb about the series.

Ladies of Oberlin

It's the middle of the 18th century, a troubled time in American history, when strong women find it difficult to find their place in society. Three women dare to fight against social injustices, but when they fall in love, things get complicated.

Three women roommates, graduates of Oberlin College, challenge society norms to do what is right even though it may cost them everything, including love. Oberlin College, considered radical at the time, was the only co-education, multi-racial college before the Civil War, and its graduates were involved in many progressive era issues including abolition, women’s suffrage, prohibition, and the missionary movement.

In Red Sky over America, in a nation on the brink of war, America confronts slavery and risks being alienated from her slave owning father. In Lost in the Storm, during the Civil War, Lavena challenges a profession ruled by men to become a war correspondent, but will she keep her job by destroying the man she loves? In The Aftermath, when Betsy's husband comes home from the war as an alcoholic, she uses unladylike tactics to fight against the evils of drink to save her marriage.

Meet the Ladies of Oberlin, the causes they're willing to fight for, and the men who capture their hearts. 

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

My answer will controversial, but I would choose President Donald Trump. No matter what the politics involved are, he would be a fascinating person to talk with.

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

I would love to meet Abraham Lincoln. He seemed like such an unassuming man, yet there were so many facets to him. The only success he had in life was being one of our greatest presidents. He hated slavery, yet he fought the Civil War to keep the Union together, not to end slavery. Then near the end of the war, he drew out the war to make sure amendments ending slavery and getting the right to vote for blacks were in place. He would have been such an interesting man to talk with.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

It's all part of the process. Almost every successful author has faced a lot of rejection. I have. While waiting for your big break, keep writing and keep learning your craft. The authors who succeed are usually the ones who persevere, not necessarily the most talented. As Winston Churchill would say, "Never give up, Never."

Tell us about the featured book.

Red Sky Over America

Ladies of Oberlin book 1

Here's the blurb about it.

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.

America's classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.

Please give us the first page of the book.

October, 1857, Oberlin, Ohio

America Leighton's hands trembled as she read the letter. It was worse than she thought. She stood frozen in place, staring at the words. hoping somehow they would change.

They didn't.

The grandfather clock chimed, and she glanced up. Five o'clock. She didn't want to be late. Placing the envelope in her book, she tucked it in the pocket of her hooded cloak, pushed open the post office door, and rushed outside. As she passed the historic elm on the edge of College Park, the wind burned her cheeks, just what she needed to get her thoughts off the mail she'd received.

Two riders on horseback galloped toward her, rustling the yellow autumn leaves and stirring up a cloud of dust and brown grass. Dirt clung to their long wool coats buttoned tight against their chins. They wore their wide brim planter’s hats low on their brows. If their attire wasn't enough, the revolvers holstered around their waists and the shotguns perched in their gear showed what they were.

Slave catchers.

America drew in a short breath. She diverted her attention and walked on to Ladies Hall a bit faster than usual, but the hope they would leave her alone trampled under horses' hooves as the men rode across the grassy lawn and stopped in front of her.

The older man tipped his hat. "Ma'am, we're deputies from Maysville."

Cold air turned her breath to steam. Remember to act natural. She forced her voice to keep an even tone. "You're a long way from home."

The younger man wrinkled his forehead. "Aren't you Miss Leighton?"

America pressed her tongue across the back of her teeth and nodded. She didn't recognize any of them.

He turned to the other man. "George, this is Colonel Leighton's daughter."

The older man smiled, and his front gold tooth glimmered. "Ma'am, the name's George Mills. This is my partner, Pete Fowler. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I've had the occasion to buy horses from the colonel in the past. He has a good eye for horse flesh."

"So why are you gentlemen clear up here in Northern Ohio?" She didn't need to ask.

"We've been hired to retrieve some property." Mr. Mills adjusted in his saddle. "What about you? You're a long way from Kentucky."

"I attend Oberlin College."

Mr. Mills raised his eyebrow. "I didn't know Oberlin was a ladies' school."

"It's not. I attend classes with men."

He leaned back in his saddle. "Didn't think the colonel would allow his girl to attend one of those schools."

Mr. Fowler cleared his throat. "Maybe you could help us, Miss Leighton, you being a Kentuckian and all. Have you seen any fugitive slaves around these parts? We're looking for an ebony skinned girl about sixteen with a scar across her right cheek, and a copper colored young buck, tall and thin."

Taking a couple of steady breaths to keep her tone even, she gazed straight at them without flinching. "No, can't say as I have." They couldn't have given a better description of Chance and Milly. If only they would ride off.

"Don't fret about it," Mr. Mills said. "We'll find them. Ma'am, if you do see any Negro runaways, you'll let us know? We're staying at the hotel."

Her heart skipped a beat. "I'll do that."

Mr. Fowler tipped his hat, and they rode off.

America leaned against the elm and watched them. Everything inside urged her to dash off to the boarding house where Milly and Chance stayed, but she waited until the men were out of sight. As soon as they disappeared from view, she hoisted her skirts up and ran to warn the couple to hide.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://tameralynnkraft.net

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cdybpb

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7334438.Tamera_Lynn_Kraft

Word Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamerakraft

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

Readers, here are links to the book.
Red Sky Over America (Ladies of Oberlin) (Volume 1) - Paperback
Red Sky Over America (Ladies of Oberlin 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

ATLANTIS - Carol Roberts - One Free Ebook

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

My debut novel Atlantis definitely has a lot of my younger years in it. I was searching for answers to various questions at the time, and I was using my interest in myth and mythology to try and answer them. Atlantis reflects that search.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I sent birthday wishes and flowers on the completely wrong date. The person was delighted anyway.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

When I was traveling at the age of 19. I took a lot of notes about different cultures, people, and their stories. When I first settled in New Zealand, I started to submit my articles to a travel magazine.

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

I enjoy reading other authors of the visionary/metaphysical genre, also romance and fantasy. If it has a historical element, even better.

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

I live in a very remote region of New Zealand where everything is very relaxed. I still have to keep my sanity, though, so I read and write, surf, and mountain bike.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Yes, that’s an interesting one. There wasn’t a lot to research for Atlantis, so I went with ancient Greek names. A lot of them started with ‘A’, so I might have favored the letter ‘A’ a bit, lol.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I am actually really proud that Atlantis was accepted and published by Clean Reads without an agent.

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

I would have to be an eagle. There is a lot of myth woven around the two main characters in Atlantis, all involving a wolf and an eagle.

What is your favorite food?

Homemade. I love food, but it has to be homemade.

That’s called “pure food” by many nutritionists in the US. I love pure food, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

The thought of my story being read. I didn’t have problems writing until I reflected upon potential readers. Then everything shut down. So I decided that I would not publish it anyway, and that helped. When it was finished, I told myself that sending it to publishers was also safe, because there was very little chance of it being picked up. It was quite a shock when it happened, but I am getting used to the idea of readers now, and it’s easier to write the second one.

Tell us about the featured book.

Atlantis is a speculative story, written like a mystery. It follows the High Priestess who is drawn to look into the past to understand her visions of the future. The story has a visionary/metaphysical element, investigating concepts like destiny and the choices within that.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

“And that is all I can tell you.”

The big, leather-bound book closed with an air of finality, as if to never again disturb the dust particles that resettled on the ancient, worn cover. Derwan’s voice, harsh and abrupt, carried all the weight of his rank and age, and, bending slightly forward, his whole position radiated an intense dislike of the situation.

The silence between the two dimly illuminated figures lengthened, permeating the ancient Hall of Priests and weaving intricate patterns of potential words and meanings through the thick stone columns and heavy torch holders. Not all the candles were still burning; some had melted into wax pools whilst others were about to extinguish, flickering wildly and releasing puffs of smoke into the blackness above. Then the stillness became heavy, and Derwan started to feel strained.

Nobody but the woman opposite him held the right or rank to ask for such a lengthy audience, nobody had ever dared to give him, the high priest, the position to wait patiently for a dismissal, and it was unheard of that anybody had ever dared to go back in time and request insight into the Book of Justice. And yet, to his old and watery eyes, the woman was only a child wasting his precious time. His anger flared suddenly, throbbing behind the grey skin of his temples and pulsating like a hissing snake through his withered veins.

Alanthea sat motionless, her eyes still tracing the faded image on the book cover: a wolf, standing upright and proud, looking back over his shoulder toward an eagle soaring just above.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Roberts/e/B077JX4SWD/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Twitter: @authorRobertsC ,

My newsletter that people can sign up to; sent on the 30th of each month: https://www.smore.com/nj9mg-atlantis-by-carol-roberts

Thank you, Carol, for sharing your debut book with me and my readers.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

Atlantis

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!!!

New instructions for winners in 2018 - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) 

Diana (SC) is the winner of His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray.

Sharon (SC)  is the winner of Rush by Jayme Mansfield.

Britney (TX) is the winner of Growing Kids With Character by Hettie Brittz.

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.

DECEPTION AT FAIRFIELD RANCH - Tamara G Cooper - One Free Book

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

I see pretty much what I’m doing now: home schooling my three boys, dealing with four dogs and an occasional stray or two, and writing. I have a very supportive husband, and the boys think it’s “cool” that their mother is a published author.

           

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I live in east Texas with our three sons and four dogs. Two of our older sons have left the nest. Life is never quiet, so I’ve learned to write around the chaos. Sometimes, late at night with the hum of the dryer and the rhythm of the washer as the only noises in the house, I write until I literally can’t keep my eyes open. I wouldn’t have my life any other way. Well, okay, maybe a spa would be nice once in a while with no barking or Nerf wars in the background.

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

I’m a scaredy-cat. I make no bones about it. I would never read a book that scares me, like a psycho thriller, so the obvious question is: why did I write a sometimes-scary trilogy—the Brothers of Texas series? I write them because I can control the bad guys. One time, late at night, several years ago, I’d written a terrifying scene (just stretching my wings as a mystery writer) and I scared myself! I had really dived deeply into the mind of a killer and every little sound made me think this killer was in my house! With my husband out of town, I couldn’t sleep at all that night. My writing hasn’t changed my basic reading habits. I still love a good romance. I love nonfiction. And I love mysteries, but I don’t like the scaring-me-out-of-my-skin thrillers. I sure do like writing them, though—sometimes.

What are you working on right now?

I’m having a great time writing about Mary Margaret, a quirky, funny, single 31-year-old woman who stumbles into a two-decades-old double murder and has to deal with the return of ‘the love of her life’ who dumped her when she was close to graduating from high school. Burke, her long-lost love, is a former Marine who is just—no other way to describe him—hunky. He’s now the deputy sheriff of Monroe County in east Texas. As Emmie—her friends’ nickname for her—sinks deeper into the mysteries disrupting her life, she encounters Burke at every turn. The book is a mystery with a touch of romance, and Book 1 of this new series will be out this spring. 

I want to feature that series on my blog when each book releases. What outside interests do you have?

My absolute favorite thing in the world is a picnic. I love the whole idea of spreading out a blanket, bringing a basket of food and drinks, lying in the sunshine, listening to the boys play ball with their daddy, and watching clouds. I also love to hike. I get the same feelings of contentment in nature hiking up a mountain in New Mexico, Arkansas, or Colorado. When I met my husband on an airplane headed to Colorado one Christmas, one of the first things we discovered that we had in common was a love of the outdoors. He was an avid hiker, as was I, and our first date was a hike up a steep mountain in the Colorado Rockies. We still like to get out on a long trail and lose ourselves in nature.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’m a Texan through and through. So I write about Texans in Texas, mostly. In the second book of the Brothers of Texas trilogy, the main character is Luke McKenzie, a rancher from Texas, but the setting is a vacation spot in the Colorado mountains; he hikes a favorite trail of mine and my husband. Since Texas has such a diverse geography (5 separate regions), it’s not difficult to find the perfect spot for characters to tell me their story.

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

Wow, this was so difficult. I’m an historian so my mind buzzed with all the possibilities from Homer to Plato, Alexander the Great to George Washington, King Tut to Ronald Reagan! I would choose Jesus, of course, but if we’re not talking about God, then I would choose Elvis. I would ask him about his spiritual journey through all the fame and chaos and depression. I’d ask him what was his favorite thing to do—maybe we’d have a picnic and he could relax and we would just talk. And then I would keep everything he told me under lock and key so that he would feel safe enough to talk to me again.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I would have liked to have known that I am not my writing, or my last book, or my next book. I think before I started writing novels 20 years ago that I thought I would arrive if I could only be published and live the life of a writer. Of course, I discovered that no such thing happened because of publication. Busier, yes, and an entirely new set of things to deal with, but I never arrived. I am definitely a work in progress.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

This is an on-going lesson but one the Lord has definitely honed in me lately:  the past had a hand in making me who I am, so I need to learn from it. I shouldn’t use it as a crutch not to live life to the fullest, and I shouldn’t dismiss its value.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Write every day, master marketing avenues, and stay focused on the goal. A fourth thing would be spiritual: bathe everything in prayer.

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Deception at Fairfield Ranch, Book 3 in the Brothers of Texas trilogy, is about an engineer, Kyle McKenzie, who is deceived in the cruelest way by his wife and an unknown scam artist adept at disguising himself. Kyle must protect his ill daughter and the woman caring for her from this evil man even though he has no idea what he looks like.

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

Her heart pounded so fast, she could hardly breathe. But she’d said it. She’d finally said it. And the devil take Kyle McKenzie for all the misery he’d put her through!

“Margot, did you mean—” Kyle looked as if he’d just been sucker-punched. “You’re saying you wanted them to kill her?”

Margot shivered and stepped deeper into the dark walk-in closet, wishing it would swallow her up and spit her out somewhere else. Anywhere else.

“Is that what you meant?”

Gritting her teeth, she covered her ears.

“Margot?”

Squeezed her eyes shut.

“Margot?”

Stop it! Stop it!

“You wanted them to kill April?”

Yes! Yes! That’s exactly what I meant!

His words hissed at her from where he stood like a sentry blocking her escape. She wanted to run from him, from the words, from the truth, from their life. She wanted to screech at him that it was all his fault, that he’d sacrificed everything when he’d let their daughter live. None of this was supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to be a mother. She wasn’t supposed to love her daughter.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who could.

“Margot?”

Her hands shook as she cupped her elbows and fought the need to rock herself. Like a living thing, his words slithered over the carpet toward her feet. Kill her? Kill her? They pricked at her heels on their way up her legs. She took a frenzied step away from them, tightened her jaw, and willed nothing to matter anymore.

“Margot.” A whisper this time, imploring. He took a soft carpeted step toward her.

She spun around, unable to bear his pity or his compassion or his need to comfort what couldn’t be comforted. “I hate you for letting her live.”

Kyle jerked as if she’d slapped him. His eyes widened. His jaw dropped.

She wanted to sneer at him, to yell, “You should have known. You should have known!”

“You hate me?”

This time, she smirked. The power of letting him go, of letting it all go, surged through her. It hadn’t been so very difficult after all. “Are you surprised, Kyle?” She brushed past him. “You really didn’t know?”

He followed her into the bedroom like a puppy. “But I thought—”

She pivoted as anger sliced through her. “You thought! You thought! It’s always been about you! Did you ask me what I wanted, what I thought? No! You just shoved and shoved—” She gasped, pressed her fingers against her mouth, and turned her back to him.

“But God blessed us with a—”

“Oh, that’s rich.” She threw up her arms. “By all means, bring God in on your side. Use him for leverage. You always have.” She slapped the closet door so hard, it slammed against the wall.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

All my books are on Amazon as well as other sites, and my website is www.AuthorTamaraGCooper.com . Thank you for having me as a guest today, Lena. I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you, Tamara, for sharing this series with me and my readers. I’ve loved all three books in this series. For a scaredy-cat, you write compelling suspense novels with so many unexpected twists and turns. You’re one of the best suspense writers I know.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Deception at Fairfield Ranch: A Romantic Suspense Novel (Brothers of Texas) (Volume 3) - Paperback
Deception at Fairfield Ranch: A Romantic Suspense Novel (Brothers of Texas 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

HIGH COTTON - Debby Mayne - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Debby is one of my long-time writer friends. She’s been on the blog several times, but it’s been a while. This book is the first in a new southern series. You’ll want to read the whole series.

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

It gives me an opportunity to play different parts—almost like acting. I also get to solve problems that are playing out in my head.

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

There are so many things I’d love to try, like hairdressing, carpentry, interior decorating, wedding gown designer, Disney character, or activities director at a dude ranch.

I can see you in each of these endeavors. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

I wouldn’t want to go back to any other time. I like right now.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

My grandparents traveled to every state, and they said Vermont was one of the prettiest places they visited. I’d love to go there and see it for myself.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

I lived in Japan when I was in elementary school, but I haven’t been back since then. I’d love to go back and see it from an adult’s perspective.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

No matter how pulled-together someone appears, there’s a mess in there somewhere. All humans are imperfect, but some folks are better at hiding it than others.

That is so true. Tell us about the featured book.

Shay Henke has mixed feelings about going to her family’s next reunion. On the one hand, she’ll get to see everyone in her mama's family—folks she loves unconditionally. On the other hand, she knows there’ll be more drama than you can shake a stick at. 



The days leading up to the event bring one surprise after another. First Shay must deal with her sister-in-law’s deep, dark secret. Then she has to contend with the childish ways of her business-mogul twin cousins. And when her high school crush wants to be her date to the reunion . . . well, it may have been a dream come true for Shay’s teen self, but the woman she’s become doesn’t know what to make of this. 



Shay’s contentment is challenged, and she’s determined to shake things up a bit. But will she find the excitement she’s looking for, or will Shay realize she prefers her quiet and predictable life? One thing is certain: Life in the Bucklin family is never boring. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Shay Henke

When someone mentions family, I think of unconditional love, hearth, home, and all things safe and wonderful. That is, until the word “reunion” is added to it.

Family reunions serve one purpose as far as I can tell—to remind us that we’re only one step away from Crazy Town, no matter how hard we’ve worked to stay sane and make something of ourselves. And I’ve worked mighty hard to get where I am, regardless of what Aunt Faye says about my being an old maid.

So when I get the message on the family email loop that the next family reunion is coming up in two months, I stare at it and try to figure out a way to unsee it. Unfortunately, as soon as I open the email, the person who sent it knows, making me long for the days when technology wasn’t so smart.

I stare out the window and try to come up with a reason I shouldn’t go. It’s on a Saturday, and I hardly ever have to work on weekends. I’m not dating anyone, and I have very few friends outside my family, so I can’t claim to have other plans. I can’t think of a thing to keep me away, unless I lie, and I’ve never been very good at that, so I quit trying when I was a teenager. Mama used to tell me she got into so much trouble as a kid that she knows all the excuses. And she’s not kidding. I’ve never been able to pull anything over on her.

I turn back to the announcement on the computer screen. We used to get a couple weeks notice about these events, but that changed when people started overusing the excuse that they had plans. Now there are no excuses—not even when someone has moved away from Pinewood, the small town near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where my grandparents have lived all their lives. If the people who have to travel don’t want to stay with someone who still lives here, there’s always the Hilltop Family Inn, or they can stay in one of the chain hotels in Hattiesburg.

I’m about to get up to get a drink of water when my phone rings. It’s my brother, Digger, who feels the same way I do about these reunion things.

“I'm not sure we’ll be able to attend,” Digger says. “It’s Jeremy’s third birthday and Puddin’ wants to do it up big for him, seein’ as it’s our last child and all.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.debbymayne.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DebbyMayneAuthor/

Twitter: @DebbyMayne

Thank you, Debby, for sharing your new book with me and my blog readers. I really miss being with you.

Readers, here are links to the book.

High Cotton - Christianbook.com
High Cotton (Bucklin Family Reunion) - Amazon aperback
High Cotton (Bucklin Family Reunion 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.)

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LOVE AND ROSES - Sally Bayless - One Free Book

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

I most enjoy writing about the themes of forgiveness, grace, and the immensity of God’s love.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Next up for me is a prequel to the Abundance series, a novella that will be available only to subscribers to my newsletter. This story is about the parents of Abby, the main character of Love and Roses and is set in 1980. I’m having a grand time doing research to fill in the blanks of what I remember of the time period, way back when I was in high school. After that, I’ll be starting the next book in the modern-day Abundance series, which will be about Kristin, Abby’s younger sister.

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

I would love to meet Beth Moore. I have learned so much from her Bible studies, and she seems like such a delightful person.

I love Beth Moore, too. Did you know she’s written a novel? I featured it on my blog when it came out. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Please sign me up for tea with Jane Austen! I want to hear all about how she wrote her books.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

My advice would be that you should listen to any suggestions, address them as best you can, and keep trying. Even though receiving a rejection is painful, many times an editor is giving you solid gold in his or her comments. Keep in mind, though, that editors are only people, and that they may be focused on what will work best for their line. I wouldn’t rip a story completely apart without seeking another opinion. 

I so agree with you. Fairly early in my writing career, I received what I considered a rejection. I cried, then put that story away. Two or three years later, I came across that letter and reread it. I realized I’d missed a good opportunity by not reading it more carefully and following the suggestions. Tell us about the featured book.

Love and Roses is a contemporary Christian romance novel. Here’s the description from the back cover:

Can new love bloom amid the roots of pain and loss?

Young widow Abby Kincaid treasures the past, both the antiques she sells in her shop and the tender memories of her late husband. When she learns that her hometown plans to sell historic Rose Park, a place central to her marriage, she vows to stop the sale.

Nate Redmond, a former Manhattan lawyer, is eager for a fresh start in small-town Missouri. With his extensive background, arranging the sale of outdated Rose Park for retail development looks easy, the perfect way to help the town fund the larger recreational space it needs. His role in the deal might even impress Abby, the pretty new neighbor he feels so drawn to.

But as Nate and Abby clash over the park, more serious obstacles threaten their relationship. Mistakes that Nate had hoped to forget continue to haunt him. Abby comes face to face with her failure to forgive. And how can Nate compete with the memory of a decorated war hero?

When the park battle brings on a crisis, can they each find the courage to believe in a God of second chances and a future where their love can grow?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Nate Redmond edged the big black mutt out of the way, set the bag from the veterinarian on the landing at the top of the stairs, and dug into his pocket for the key to his new apartment.

The landlady had said the place over the florist shop was adequate, but nothing top of the line. Not a problem. He didn’t need top of the line.

What he needed was a fresh start.

Hopefully he could find it here in the little town of Abundance, Missouri, while working for Uncle Al at his law firm, Redmond and Associates.

Nate turned the key in the lock, and the dog nosed the door open and trotted inside.

“Making yourself right at home, aren’t you?” Nate brought in the bag from the vet.

A wall of hot air heavy with humidity and ripe with the smell of fresh paint and unwashed dog surrounded him.

The first step of moving in had to be to turn on the air conditioning.

Only there wasn’t air conditioning, not even a window unit, which the landlady had neglected to mention. All she’d talked about was how the place had just been painted.

Granted, the paint was new, the walls a creamy white. Everything else—from the ugly brown carpeting to the outdated plumbing—looked as if it had been around since the 1940s. Back when HVAC meant a radiator and an oscillating fan.

On the plus side, though, the lease had been fine with pets.

Nate took the bowls he’d bought at the vet out of the plastic bag and gave the dog some water and a small amount of food. “Don’t give him too much too fast,” the vet had said.

Nate tried to open one of the living room windows. Stuck. He tried the other one. Also stuck. He made sure the latch was completely open and tried again.

The window didn’t budge. The less-than-fragrant air in the apartment had to be a hundred and five degrees.

He ran a hand through his hair and studied the windows. Were both frames warped?

No. They were painted shut.

He strode toward the bedroom. If those two windows were sealed shut as well—

They slid up easily.

All right, this was manageable. He shoved the bedroom windows open as far as possible and headed back to the moving van for his laptop.

Halfway down the exterior metal stairs, he paused and looked up and down the street. A bird sang in a tree that grew in a circular opening in the sidewalk. A small cluster of men in ball caps stood near a diner, apparently the place to be on the first Saturday morning in June. Here and there, a shopper strolled down the sidewalk, and outside the antique shop past the tiny alley, a woman watered two large planters of pink flowers. There were no honking cabs, no diesel fumes from buses, and—although most of the street parking was full—no throngs of people on the sidewalk. Probably normal for here. But to him it was weird. Just weird.

Nate checked his parking from all sides to make sure he was within the lines and got his laptop from the front of the moving van.

The woman at the antique shop flashed a wide, pretty smile. Her light-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her eyes were kind and unguarded. She gave him a little wave and returned her attention to her flowers. In her pale green T-shirt, jean shorts, and those little white tennis shoes like women wore fifty years ago, she looked, in all the best sense of the phrase, like the girl next door.

But not the next door he was used to.

I’m liking the opening. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website (where readers can sign up for my newsletter): www.sallybayless.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorsallybayless/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sally_bayless

And the links for the book are:

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079RMSC5X/

Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946034053/

Thank you, Sally, for sharing this book with us. I’m eager to read it, and I’m sure my readers are, too.

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