Dear Readers, I’m
thrilled to share the second book in Connie’s contemporary In Texas romance series. I’ve read both of the
books, and if you missed the first one, you’ll want to go back and read the
first one too. I loved both of them. The books are so authentic to the western
community in Texas and the Cowboy Churches .
I love the characters. They pulled me right into the story with them. And the Texas tornado was realistic.
You’ll want to read this one.
Welcome back, Connie.
God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the
horizon?
The past four years, God has opened the doors for my writing,
which is a dream come true. I have written 78 articles for 15 different
regional magazines with three different publishers. I love writing good news
stories about amazing people who make a positive difference in the world.
I believe writing articles with a strict word count and
deadline has helped develop my fiction writing. I have published three novels
and one interactive devotional Bible study during that time. I just started the
third novel in my In Texas contemporary inspirational romance series. I’m
excited about it and whatever God has planned after this book.
Tell us a little
about your family.
My husband and I have been married for forty-eight years. We
were just babies when we married! God called Gary into the ministry after we had two
children. We have enjoyed a great life with all the blessings and burdens of
ministry. He is now semi-retired, serving as associate pastor and minister to
senior adults at Triple
Cross Cowboy
Church .
We praise God for our two adult children and three wonderful
grandchildren. Our daughter is a licensed professional counselor in private
practice, and our son is a football coach and teacher.
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Being an English teacher for 25 years, I already noticed
grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. Now that I write, I notice plot
problems, shifts in POV, and character inconsistencies. I also notice
beautifully written descriptions, emotionally evocative passages, profound
prose, and characters that come alive.
What are you working
on right now?
I just started the next novel in the trilogy. This one is Play Me Back Home in Texas.
What outside
interests do you have?
I love spending time with my family. I enjoy cooking and
baking. I love our Cowboy
Church , I love our
seniors’ group and small group Bible studies, and I love working in Children’s
Church. Those things are in addition to reading and writing.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
My first novel doesn’t specifically name the setting.
Although it is fiction, parts of it are autobiographical about my breast cancer
diagnosis, so I set it in Wichita
Falls , Texas , where
we lived at the time.
The idea of Somebody
Somewhere in Texas popped into my head one Sunday morning during worship.
The Cowboy Church plays a significant role in the
book. I chose the West Texas setting because I
am familiar with the area, and it fit the storyline. The second and third books
have the same setting.
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Since he has passed on to glory, could I say Billy Graham? I
had the opportunity to attend two of his crusades, but I wish I could have met
him in person. I would love to hear him talk and share how God used him to
reach so many people.
I really loved him
from afar. He made such an impact on so many people worldwide. What is the one
thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
God gave me the dream to write when I was in the eighth
grade. It was a secret dream that I shared with very few people. I knew I would
write someday—someday when the kids were grown, someday when I retired. I
thought when the time was right, I would write and be published—after all, I
was an English teacher, with a master’s degree, who studied and taught great
literature and writing. I wish I had known how difficult it would be, how much
I had to learn. I have attended local, regional, and national writers’
conferences. I went through the Jerry Jenkins Christian Writers’ Guild
Craftsman Class. All that I have learned has shown me how much more I need to
learn. I want to continue learning and developing my craft, so I can bring
honor and glory to God.
We all need to
understand just how much we need to learn of our craft. I’ve read author’s
books that I loved the early ones, but the longer they were published, the
quality went down. I want to always continue learning our craft too. What new
lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
I stand amazed at how the Lord continues to pour out His
great grace and mercy on me even though I am so unworthy. He is still trying to
teach me to be still, to wait on Him, to trust Him completely, but sometimes
I’m a slow learner.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Keep learning. Keep praying and listening to the Lord. If He
gives you a story, it is worth telling. Don’t hide your talent under a bushel.
Let His light shine in and through you. I don’t measure success by the number
of books sold or the amount of money earned. Each time someone tells me how my
books have touched them, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be used
by Him.
I feel the same way. Tell
us about the featured book.
Here is the back cover copy:
She had a history
that kept her from trusting.
He had a history that
included a little girl.
Andrea Travis wants to establish her veterinary clinic and
be independent. She doesn’t want or need a man. Who can trust them anyway? But
then the winds of a tornado blow Winn Timberman into her life. Is this ordinary
guy an unsung hero, the chivalrous knight of her dreams?
Winn Timberman is trying to put the pieces of his heart and
life back together again. As a lineman, he lights up the lives of county
electric co-op customers. But his main responsibility is to protect his little
girl. He’s all she has. She’s all he wants—until he meets the beautiful,
blue-eyed vet.
Can they overcome their haunted pasts to build a future?
Will their swirling emotions blow them into a whirlwind romance, or will their
hopes and dreams be washed away by a hurricane of historic proportions?
Hang on to your hats for a wild ride in this contemporary
Christian romance filled with faith, forgiveness, and love.
Please give us the first page of the book for my blog
readers.
Andrea looked out the window of her veterinarian clinic and
watched hail pummel the lineman hanging on the utility pole. Ominous, black
clouds obscured the sunlight. She wondered how the man could see what he was
doing with the dim light on his helmet. She wondered how long the batteries in
her flashlight would hold out. How long would this storm last?
The weather alert bleeped on her phone. The tornado watch
had just been upgraded to a tornado warning headed in her direction. With 90
mile an hour winds, it could strike within twenty minutes. She opened the door
and clutched onto the porch pillar. Shining her light at the lineman, she
yelled at him to come down. He made no move. She brandished the flashlight,
motioning for him to come inside. While fighting against the wind to keep her
balance, she shuffled one foot at a time until she reached the pole.
Cupping her hands she yelled, “Come down! A tornado is
coming!” He stared down at her. “Tor-na-do!” She made a swirling motion with
one arm with her other arm wrapped around the pole. “Tor-na-do! Come down, now!” She gestured
again for him to climb down. She started to make her way back to the building.
Blown forward, she hit the pillar with a thud. Holding tight she beckoned to
the crazy man on the pole. Once she reached the door, she turned to see him
making his descent. Even with the ropes tied around his waist, the wind whipped
him back and forth.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Connie Lewis Leonard, Author Facebook page
Light up My Life in Texas Book Club Facebook page
Thank you, Connie,
for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.
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
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14 comments:
I love the title, I love the cover, and the book sounds great! I would love to read it and I thank you for the opportunity. Melanie Backus, TX
Connie, your book sounds like a fun read. Love that it's set in TX. ;) I appreciate your advice that if God gives you a story, it is worth telling. That thought will inspire me to keep writing when I feel like quitting. Thanks.
Sandy Q TX
Melanie Backus, I love the cover also, and I thank Jackie Castle of Castle designs for merging my photos together in such an aesthetically pleasing way. I wrote a magazine article about linemen, and I just knew I had to write a book with a lineman, an unsung hero.
The heroine is the sister of the hero in the first book in the trilogy, Somebody Somewhere in Texas. I hope you'll check it out.
Connie Lewis Leonard
Sandy Quandt, Please do continue writing the story God placed in your heart. Don't hide your talent under a bushel. May God bless your faithfulness.
Connie Lewis Leonard
This sounds so good! Love title and cover! Shelia from MS
Shelia64, I'm glad you love the cover. I do, too! I hope you will check out the book and fall in love with the characters I have grown to know and love.
Connie Lewis Leonard
The book cover caught my eye first, but then I enjoyed the entire interview! I have not yet read any of Connie's books, but put them on my list after reading this. Becky from Missouri
Enjoyed reading the interview with Connie Lewis Leonard. She is a new to me author but one that I'd love to get to know better through her books. "LIGHT UP MY LIFE IN TEXAS" definitely sounds like a book that I'd very much love the opportunity to read. Really do like the cover. What a neat picture for the title of the book.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Kay Garrett from Mountain View, AR
2clowns at arkansas dot net
"LIGHT UP MY LIFE IN TEXAS by Connie Lewis Leonard sounds wonderful.Thank you for the opportunity to win.Have a good week. PA.
Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Conway SC.
This sounds like an interesting story. Vivian Furbay of CO
Thank you for the interview! Blessings, Natalya from CA
Thanks for sharing this interview and giveaway.
Connie from Kentucky
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
I'd enjoy this book very muvh.
Beth from IA
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