Welcome, Davalynn. What
are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
I like to write about second chances at love and life. God
offers us second chances, and I want my stories to encourage readers to believe
that it’s never too late to start again. Forgiveness is another theme that pops
up in my novels. It’s a close cousin of second chances.
What other books of
yours are coming out soon?
A Christmas novella is slated for release November 15, Snow Angel.
If you could spend an
evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would
it be and why?
I wouldn’t mind spending a quiet evening with Kevin Costner.
We went to different high schools together. (See what I did there?) He lived
not far from where I grew up in California, and I’d be interested in hearing
about his journey from the San Joaquin Valley to the movie industry. I’m also
curious about which of his movies are his favorites and why. Which stories
touched him, and what it was about those stories that drew him in.
What historical
person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
I am intrigued by Will Rogers. He was a multi-talented
fellow, and I’d love to hang out with him, laugh at his witty humor, hear what
he thinks of today’s politicians, and watch him spin a rope. Mark Twain is in
the running too.
How can you encourage
authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
Our dreams are worth pursuing, regardless of what other
people say. My advice is succinct: Never quit; keep writing.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Laura Bell and Eli Hawthorne grew up together in the
California foothills. Life took them down separate paths filled with trauma and
tragedy similar to that endured by the “miracle tree” where they meet again
after twelve years. For Laura and Eli, it’s all about second chances in the
face of their formidable opponents, fear and distrust. The Miracle Tree is a
book of my heart, and at the end of the story readers find out why.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Laura Bell took a fast left onto faded asphalt. The county
road stretched long and lean into the foothills, threading a tight S-curve at
the top of a small rise. Her steel-blue Z4 convertible hugged the road the same
way her black pencil skirt hugged her.
Across from a tight row of mailboxes, she hooked a sharp
right onto a private lane, slid to a stop, and waited for the dust to settle.
That’s when she saw him—reined in near a scrub oak about twenty feet from the
boxes.
Wonderful. A Monday morning audience.
Defensive about her stirring arrival, she set the emergency
brake, opened the door, and swiveled her legs around. Planting her stilettos
firmly, she stood and tugged her skirt down.
The cowboy’s forearms crossed on his saddle horn, reins
hanging loosely from his fingers. With his head tipped slightly forward, a
wide-brimmed hat hid his eyes but not the edge of a black eye patch or his
scruffy jaw.
His shoulders bounced once as if he’d laughed and held it
inside.
She pushed her sunglasses tight against her face and raised
her chin. He may not know it yet, but he did not want to laugh at her.
She spiked her way through the weeds toward a realtor’s “For
Sale” sign, ignoring him. With one perfectly manicured hand around each side,
she yanked.
It wouldn’t give.
She pushed against it with her hip and tried again. Didn’t
move.
Frustrated, and feeling as graceful as an elephant on ice,
she bent the sign back and forth to loosen the stakes and pulled. Nada.
A leathery squeak, and she glanced at the cowboy stepping
from his saddle. Long strides brought him to the sign, and with a hand firmly
gripped around each stake, he tugged.
Nothing.
She folded her arms across her pink silk blouse and angled
one pointy-toed heel in front of the other, privately pleased that the Lone
Ranger couldn’t get the sign out either.
He continued to pull. No lunging or pushing, just a steady
upward tug that flexed the muscles in his tanned forearms. She could imagine
what his biceps looked like under that rolled-up-sleeve work shirt.
The sign surrendered with a dry wheeze as he pulled it free
of the earth. He handed it to her with a sober blue-eyed look. The black patch
glared.
Annoyed at her ineptitude, she took the sign and looked
away. “Thank you.”
In her hurry to leave, she spun on one foot, snapped a heel,
and nearly fell.
He caught her by the arm.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
“No problem.”
At the humorous note in his voice, her grip on the sign
tightened.
She limped to her car, leaned over the driver’s door, and
hit the trunk release. The sign fit in the back, and she took off her ruined
shoes and tossed them in with it.
Roadside grit gathered between her toes as she walked on the
balls of her feet to the door.
The cowboy stood next to his horse, thumbs hooked in his
jeans. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it.
Well, you grabbed my
attention. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website: https://davalynnspencer.com/
Newsletter sign-up (free novella e-book): http://eepurl.com/xa81D
Twitter: https://twitter.com/davalynnspencer
Amazon
author page: https://www.amazon.com/Davalynn-Spencer/e/B002EZUEZK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5051432.Davalynn_Spencer
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/davalynnspencer/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5051432.Davalynn_Spencer
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/davalynnspencer/boards/
Thank you,
Davalynn, for sharing this ebook with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to to
read it, and I’m sure they are, too.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
The Miracle Tree: A Novel - Kindle
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10 comments:
"THE MIRACLE TREE by Davalynn Spencer sounds wonderful.Have a good week. Thank you for the opportunity to win.PA.
Thanks for stopping by, Emma.
That was a great start. I'd love to read more. I love the cover, too. Linda in CA
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Thanks so much, Linda.
sounds like a wonderful book! Shelia from MS
Thank you, Shelia.
Love the cover, and love the thought of second chances!!!
Lourdes Long Island, NY
Yes, Lourdes, second chances are a favorite topic of mine.
Thanks for sharing your first page.
Connie from Kentucky
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Connie and Deepak, for stopping by.
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