RELEASE THE NOVEL IN YOU - Gina Conroy - One Free Book

Welcome back, Gina. What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?

My life has been in transition for the last 5 years, and I’m finally feeling a peace and stability in my life I haven’t felt in decades. I’ve worked really hard to become the person I’ve always wanted to be and in addition to writing fiction and writing books, I’ll be sharing about my experiences in a few nonfiction books I’m working on.

Tell us about your family.
I’m almost an empty nester with one a 16-year-old daughter at home who is independent with her own car and busy with school, theatre, and a job. But I cherish the late-night conversations with her. My other 3 sons are in various stages of life: two in college, and one pursuing a career in film and editing in Los Angeles. He recently went on tour with Idina Menzel to film and edit her documentary. I’m very proud of all my children who are following their dreams and using the gift God has given them.

That’s wonderful. Have you written other nonfiction books?

I plan to do a second book in this series called Strengthen the Novel in You. It will focus on the editing process. I also have several ideas for a series of genre writing work books: Release the Mystery in You, Release the Memoir in You,etc.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?

It’s been several years since I published fiction, but I overcame a huge hurdle this month when I published a new Christmas Mystery called Golden Belles are Wringing. It’s part of the 12 Mysteries of Christmas collection. I had written other novels since my last published ones, but I never finished or published them. About a year ago, I decided to do something that was difficult and that scared me. Since there was something blocking me from finishing and publishing a novel, I joined a collection so I’d have some accountability. It started off slow, but the last six months I focused most of my free time on this novel. There were many weekends I put in 16-hour days saying “no” to family events and friends, but I felt it was something I needed to do to prove to myself that I could do write fiction again. And I did. Now that I’m unblocked I’m making plans for my next novel, after a much needed rest, of course.     

Great. I’d love to feature you with the 12 Mysteries of Christmas collection. What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

About 8 years ago I started swing dancing, and I haven’t stopped. In fact, I’ve learned most of the ballroom dances and now teach beginners how to dance. I find such satisfaction in showing someone who thinks they can’t dance, that they can.

Why did you write the featured book?

Release the Novel in You started as an email course I taught. In the summer, I’d offered the course to our community college, and it was a hit, but it was hard for teen to fit the class into their schedule. That’s when I decided to put my course material in a workbook to reach more people and so teens and adults can get the basic elements of novel writing in an easy-to-use format. I hope to get this course online so more people can take advantage of the fun and easy approach to writing a novel.

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

Release the Novel in You is the perfect prep for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month which is in November. You don’t have to read a big complicated book on the craft of writing to get your idea down on paper and write your first draft. Release the Novel in You takes you step by step through the brainstorming process and allows you work through exercises using examples from classic movies so you can follow the plots and see the elements that make up a story. In addition to plotting and characterization, I cover the basics of good writing. It’s marketed as a teen writing workbook, but many adults have enjoyed the simple process that helped get their novel idea out of their head and onto paper.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book?

If you’ve had a story idea burning inside for a while and have been afraid to tackle a complicated writing book, or you just don’t know where to start with your novel, Release the Novel in You will help you get your idea out of your head and on the page. It’s the perfect prewriting workbook for NaNoWriMo. Once you start to work through the story elements and prompts designed to further your story, you’ll see your story come to life. Then the rest is up to you! 

Official blurb

You have a novel inside of you - a dream to tell your story - but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you don’t even know what to write. Perfect! This book will release the novel in you! From idea to first draft, you will learn what every story needs to be successful. You’ll find your story and create three-dimensional characters people will want to read. You’ll learn to hook your reader and how to structure and craft a dynamic and powerful, page-turning plot that will have readers wanting more. In addition, you’ll review the mechanics of good writing and you’ll learn to write in a way that will have your words jumping off the page and painting a picture in the reader’s mind. Everything you need to get started on writing your novel is in this book. Don’t put your dream off another day.

Review

“How do you teach a young person how to write a novel?  It’s not enough to expose them to good books--although that is essential.  And they need more than simply a breakdown of plot.  All writers, regardless of their age or level, need to understand the nuances of story, the layers of a character, how to put a scene together as well as how to wordsmith their stories.  However, teaching a young person these elements can feel stale and overwhelming.  They’re driven by their passion--but they need a few rules and parameters to help them build a winning story.

Enter Gina Conroy’s terrifically fun and creative writing primer for teens-Release the Novel in You! Gina has a heart for teen writers and she’s put that heart into crafting a writing instruction book that doesn’t feel like a writing instruction book.  From its engaging and fun presentation, delightful acronyms, playful look at analyzing a story and application sections, it takes the rules out of writing and turns it back into what it should be—fun!  Practical and specific, it covers everything from story structure, to characterization, to the hero’s journey to writing fixes—everything an intermediate writer needs to take their story from an idea on the page to a novel.

I’ve known Gina for years—watching her learn these very techniques, put them into action in her novels, and help teenagers dive into the world of storycrafting.  Her techniques are guaranteed to put the fun back into learning how to write and to release the budding novelist in you!”

Susan May Warren
 RITA and Christy award-winning, best-selling novelist and nationally acclaimed writing coach 

Please give us the first page or two from the book.

Writing is P.L.A.Y! 

Elements of a Story

Writing is a form of P.L.A.Y. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s work, but it’s always worth it! Every story contains four elements. If one is missing, then your story is incomplete. Different writers and teachers may use different words for these elements, but in essence, they’re all the same. 

Playmate:        Who is your story about? What other people (or creatures) are in your story? (Character, protagonist, hero, heroine, villain) 

Location:        Where does your story happen? On earth or in a far away galaxy? (Setting) 

Action:              What happens in your story? (Plot) 

Your Game:      What is YOUR story about? Can you tell me in a few sentences? (Theme) If not, don’t worry. We’re going to explore several different story themes and by the end you should be able to know which game you want to play! 

Finding Your Theme

So are you ready to P.L.A.Y!!? Not yet!

Before you go out to play you have to decide on a game. And the game you play is only limited by YOUR imagination! Before you throw words on the page, you should think about your story’s theme, then decide which game is best to play with the theme you’ve chosen. Using YOUR imagination, the game play is endless!

What is a theme?

A theme is a universal truth, big idea, or a concept that touches all people no matter their age, status, race, or language.

A theme helps focus your emotions and conflict in the story.

The message is what you want to say about your theme, and the story question is the question your reader should ask throughout your novel. If done well, the message should be something your writer ponders after he puts the book down.

Themes and Story Questions

Explore these universal themes and questions, and write your thoughts next to the ones that spark a story idea.

Beauty

·             What is true beauty?

        Youth and beauty

        Fading beauty

        Vanity

        Beauty in nature

        Temporary nature of physical beauty

Dreams

·             Is there a price to pay for your dreams?

        Loss of dream

        Rekindled dream

        Disillusionment and dreams

        Emptiness of attaining false dream

        Fear of failure

          Fulfilled dream: Was it worth the cost?

Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

Email: gina@ginaconroy.com
http://ginaconroy.com
Facebook  Author Gina Conroy
Twitter @GinaConroy
Instagram @gina_conroy 

Here’s a link to the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Release-Novel-You-go-P-L/dp/1508555710

Thank you, Gina, for sharing this book with us. I was impressed with it the first time I picked it up.

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

A MUSKET IN MY HANDS - Sandra Merville Hart - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I was privileged to read this manuscript for an endorsement. I’m not usually fond of Civil War, or any war, stories that have battles in them. But this book grabbed my heart, because the characters were so real to me, and the scenes were told from the point of views of a few people who were the main characters in the book. It was from a different perspective from any other Civil War story I’d ever read. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

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

Thank you! That is a great question. I have novella, Trail’s End, that is part of Smitten Cowboy collection releasing August of 2019. This 1870 story, set in the wild town of Abilene, Kansas, was a lot of fun to write. It was a nice change of pace.

I have several ideas for what I’d like to write next. I really enjoy writing stories centered around historical events. There is a wealth of stories from the Civil War era that I’m considering for future novels. I’ve also written a contemporary romantic suspense novel—one with a Civil War thread—that I’d love to turn into a series.

I am praying now for guidance about what’s next.

I love it when I’m doing research for a book and find some historical event I hadn’t heard before. I always use that in the story. Tell us a little about your family.

My husband is a real trooper. He supports my writing. When I say, “I need to go to Franklin, Tennessee, to research a story,” he requests vacation time to explore with me. We are empty nesters. Our family is expanding—Christmas is a lively occasion with seven—soon to be eight!—small children and babies.

We have 6 great grands, with another on the way, so our holidays are lively and fun. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

I still love to read—it’s my relaxation, my journey to new places through another author’s imagination—yet writing has changed me. Now I notice the words other authors use, how they build the story. Sometimes I’m captivated by a well-worded sentence or a paragraph as much as the story itself.

What are you working on right now?

What I’m doing right now is unusual for me. An idea for a story came to me one morning in that half-sleeping, half waking stage. Within fifteen minutes, I knew the story. I wrote this speculative contemporary book about four years ago—and it won’t let me go. I am revising this novella before sending it to my agent.

This summer, I dreamed a story, which I’m going to turn into a novel. It’s percolating in my mind. What outside interests do you have?

Readers may have noticed that I love history, focusing on our American history. Writing takes the majority of my time. Besides that, I enjoy traveling, walking, scrapbooking, reading, visiting museums, crossword puzzles, gathering with family and friends, and babysitting our grandchildren.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Usually something in my research for an earlier book plants an idea for a future book. Sometimes a random comment or even a newspaper article sparks an idea. The setting for historical stories is more than just a backdrop—it’s as important as the story itself. In fact, I do a bulk of my research before I know the story. I find out the history and then drop my characters into the midst of events.

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

I’m torn between Mark Twain and President Abraham Lincoln. I love Twain’s writing—his sense of humor reminds me of my dad.

I’ve spent so much time studying the Civil War as research for my novels that I’d love to talk with President Lincoln. Photos and paintings show his torment, his burden. What were his plans for rebuilding, reunifying the country? I’m pretty certain that his plans were different from what actually happened.

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

How much work is involved in the entire process of writing and publishing a novel—even when your books are published by a traditional publisher. I am glad I didn’t know how long it would take before that first book contract came. I’m afraid that I might have been too discouraged to start the journey. I’m so glad that God protects us from knowing too much—He only reveals one step ahead. Yet He’s the One holding the lamp lighting one step at a time, so He is right there beside us on the journey.

That is so true. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

To trust Him. To wait for His leading.

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

Three things I’d tell new writers:

Take writing classes—online, correspondence, or at a local college. Not only will you learn fundamentals, but also assignments given in class will force you to write. Those same assignments spark new ideas.

Attend writers’ conferences. A variety of workshops taught by experienced authors, agents, and editors will stretch you. Most conferences offer appointments with faculty. Take advantage of these to discuss your work and ask advice.

Write. Sit down in a chair and write. You will hone your own skills by writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

My third Civil War romance, A Musket in My Hands, follows two sisters as they disguise themselves as soldiers and join the men they love in Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee—just in time for the war to grow progressively difficult for Southern soldiers.

While the War Between the States rages, Callie Jennings reels from her pa’s ultimatum that she must marry his friend, a man older than him. Her heart belongs to her soldier hero, Zach Pearson, but Pa won’t change his mind. Callie has no place to go. Then her sister, Louisa, proposes a shocking alternative.

Zach still hears his pa’s scornful word—quitter. He’s determined to make something of himself as a soldier. He’ll serve the Confederacy until they win the war. If they win the war.

Times are tough and getting tougher for the South in the fall of 1864 when Callie and Louisa, disguised as soldiers, muster into the Confederate army. Louisa keeps an eye on her soldier fiancé, Nate. Callie is thrilled to be near Zach again though he seems more interested in being a soldier. Shooting anyone, especially former countrymen, is out of the question.

 

Tough marches lead them to the Battle of Franklin. How can anyone survive?

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

August 1864, just outside Cageville, Tennessee

Clopping in the yard drew Callie Jennings’ hand to her throat.

She rushed to the window and lifted the curtain. A moment of relief washed over her. It wasn’t Yankees looking for food again, thank the Lord. Pa had returned. He never said much about being a ranger, one of those irregulars who participated in guerrilla warfare for the Confederate States of America. The irregulars cut telegraph wire, pulled up railroad tracks, and worse—so some of the townsfolk said. His mood—and his drinking—depended on the success of their last mission. Would he be the even-tempered pa of her childhood today, or the drink-induced stranger she barely recognized?

Porter Jennings rode his horse into the barn and disappeared from sight. Callie dropped the curtain and hurried to the stove. Frying a batch of corn cakes didn’t take long, thank goodness. Pa would have a hot meal waiting when he got done brushing down Midnight. Must have been a hard night’s riding to take nigh onto noon to get back.

She didn’t like the Yankees all over Tennessee any better than Pa, but she’d heard rumblings about the irregulars catching one or two of the enemies alone and hanging them on a tree. That didn’t set well with her. It didn’t seem fair, though she kept those thoughts to herself. He wanted to protect his daughters and, being past the draft age of forty-four, this seemed his only choice.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Sandra’s Blog, Historical Nibbles:  https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com/

Contributing column writer for: http://www.almostanauthor.com/category/genre/history/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.m.hart.7

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sandra_M_Hart

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sandramhart7/

Sandra's Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8445068.Sandra_Merville_Hart

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100329215443000389705/posts

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Merville-Hart/e/B00OBSJ3PU/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Thank you, Sandra, for sharing this book with my blog readers. I know they’ll love it as much as I do.

Readers, here are links to the book.

A Musket in My Hands - Civil War Romance Series - paperback
A Musket in My Hands (Civil War Romance Series 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

WINNERS!!!

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

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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. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... 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 or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

SNOW ANGEL - Davalynn Spencer - One Free Ebook

Welcome back, Davalynn. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I don’t remember not knowing who Jesus was because my mother incorporated Him into our everyday life. But I came to a point of decision when I was nine years old, a point of choosing Him to be my savior. I was at a Billy Graham crusade in Fresno, California. The night sky glittered with stars, and I knew the God who made them was calling me to walk to the front of the stadium and choose Him. I never looked back.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

I would invite C.S. Lewis, Mark Twain, Laura Frantz, and Joanne Bischof. There are many more authors whose work I admire and enjoy, but these four have moved my heart and emotions on a deep level. (Yes, even Mark Twain.) As author Randy Ingermanson says, it’s that Powerful Emotional Experience that readers want. Since I’m also a reader, that’s what I want too.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I speak for luncheons, dinners, and weekend retreats, as well as teach writing workshops. One of my most popular retreat topics is “Sometimes Life’s a Rodeo.” It’s based on the idea that all of us know what it feels like to find ourselves face down in the dirt wondering what hit us and why we didn’t see it coming. (This topic segues nicely with my other calling: wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters.)

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

I have played the guitar and sung for years, sharing music in churches and elsewhere. One Sunday during my senior year in high school, I was invited to sing at the local Methodist church. I didn’t know there were two Methodist churches in town, and I went to the wrong one. Sat right down in the front row. With my guitar. The preacher preached his entire sermon at me. During the closing prayer I slipped out the side entrance and beat it over to the other Methodist church where the pastor was bidding his parishioners farewell. He laughed and invited me to come the following Sunday. I did.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Don’t wait for opportunity or for everything to fall into place or for time/money/inspiration enough to write. Just sit down and write. Everyday. If you’re not careful, “someday” will slip by without your notice.

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Lena Carver works as her physician brother’s medical assistant, housekeeper, and cook despite her disfigurement from a childhood accident. Each year, the Christmas holidays come with contradictions—cherished memories of a mysterious encounter and painful recollections of a great loss. She lives with the belief that she is beyond love’s reach until a dark-eyed cowboy arrives broken, bruised, and bent on changing her mind.

Wil Bergman wakes in a stranger’s home with a busted leg, a bullet-creased scalp, and no horse. Trail-weary, robbed, and penniless, his dreams and plans for a future are suddenly unattainable. Forced to recuperate in the home of a country doctor, he finds himself at the mercy of a surgeon whose sister’s healing touch has power to stitch up his lonely heart and open his eyes to the impossible.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

December 1864

Piney Hill, Colorado Territory

Lena pushed up the latch, slipped out the cabin door, and dashed down the front porch steps into the snow. Her brother thought he was so big because he was ten and had grown-up chores. Well, she didn’t need him. She was big enough to make snow angels alone. A whole field of them. Rows and rows, like all the people at church on Sunday.

Ahead of her, the pasture gate sagged open. She ran toward it, pushing through snow that inched above her high-topped shoes until one stuck and she fell to her hands and knees. Icy pin pricks stung all the way to her elbows, but she shook her arms and bent her fingers open and closed, open and closed, their pink tips like rosebuds against the white ground. She’d forgotten her mittens and coat.

Never mind it. If she went back now, Tay would call her a baby. But she was no baby, she was four. She’d show him.

Crack! The chock of an ax chased over the snowy field, all the way from where Tay split firewood behind the cabin.

If only she could fly, there’d be no footprints following her. Wouldn’t that be lovely? To fly like a bird, or a real angel with white wings and a shiny robe?

Twisting her fingers into her skirt, she trudged on to the gate, then squeezed through its open mouth at the fence post.

Behind her now, far away, smoke curled from their cabin chimney, thin and silvery like ribbon on a Christmas gift.

Would Christmas ever come? Papa said it would be here soon, but soon took forever.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Quarterly Author Update and free ebook: http://eepurl.com/xa81D

Blog: https://davalynnspencer.com/subscribe/

Website: https://www.davalynnspencer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDavalynnSpencer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/davalynnspencer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5051432.Davalynn_Spencer

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/davalynnspencer/boards/

Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/Davalynn-Spencer/e/B002EZUEZK

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/davalynn-spencer

Thank you, Davalyn, for sharing this Christmas novella with my readers and me. I love reading Christmas stories.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

Snow Angel: a romantic Christmas novella

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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

DEAR MR. COMFORTS - Kit Morgan - One Free Book

Welcome back, Kit. God has really been moving in your writing life.

What do you see on the horizon? More books, of course, and branching into other genres. I’m itching to write some cozy mysteries and Young Adult books.

Tell us a little about your family.

Oh, my, but we’re a diverse lot! I’m the writer, my little sister is a retired race horse jockey and is now a full time hunter/jumper trainer. My big brother is a retired fireman and my big sister is also retired now. She can write but I just can’t get her to sit down long enough to get anything down! We go camping together every year, the whole lot of us. Toss in everyone’s kids (most are adults now) and you have about 16 of us. We are one of those families that all get along so spend all our holidays together too.

We are, too. Kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. It’s such a blessing. Has your writing changed your reading habits?

If so, how? The more I write, the more I improve. I’ve been writing a lot of novella’s over the last couple of years and want to get back to writing longer books. You can tell a much better story with a longer one. As to reading habits, I wish I hade more time to read, but I’m too busy writing!

That is a dilemma. What are you working on right now?

Currently I’m working on a novella for a multi-author series I got invited to write in. Cowboys and Angels.

That sounds like a fun one. What outside interests do you have?

I’m an old house lover and follow several old house blogs. I’m always on the lookout for that big old house everyone can vacation in!

How do you choose your settings for each book?

As I have several towns I’ve created, that’s easy. Most of my books take place in one of them. Though lately I’m branching into other locations. But those books are multi-author projects, so the settings are already made.

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

Good question. Probably Jane Austen as I love her books and I love the regency era.

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

Everything! Ha, ha, ha! Probably would be good to know more about story structure, but thankfully my books just naturally come out with one. Whew!

Mine are like that, too. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Time management!

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

Be consistent and persistent. This is a business, so you have to stay on top of things, that includes your writing. How much you put in is how much you get out.

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

How about I give you the blurb?

Three Brides. Three Grooms. What can go wrong?

How about everything!

The Callahan sisters have a problem. They’re getting married. Unfortunately, they’d rather peel turnips as spinsters the rest of their lives than marry the men their Aunt Henrietta has chosen for them. Worse, the woman doesn’t exactly have their best interests in mind. Forced to flee, they turn to the only source of help they can think of. The matchmaker Mrs. Pettigrew. But is it already too late?

Six brothers came to Clear Creek one day to rescue their sister. Who in turn, didn’t need rescuing at all. She’s happily married, and now the eldest brother. But the rest?  Marriage is the last thing on their minds. With hardly a penny to their names, three of the Comfort brothers are trying to build cabins, a piece at a time, while the two youngest still bunk with other men scrambling for work at the town’s men’s camp. Imagine everyone’s surprise when three mail-order brides show up ready to marry. Now! But the Comfort men will have nothing to do with them …

Sounds wonderful. Please give us the first page of the book.

Denver, Colorado, 1902

Fantine LeBlanc smiled at the young gentleman behind the meat counter. He was a few years older than her, with dark hair, blue eyes and a dazzling smile. Fantine sighed as he wrapped Mrs. Lewis’s pork chops, tied the bundle with string and handed it over the counter. “Thank you, Mrs. Lewis – come again,” he said in his dreamy voice. He glanced around the shop. “Next!”

Fantine hurried forward. “Good morning, Monsieur Lundstrom.”

Tobias Lundstrom looked her over and smiled, though not as bright a smile as it was for some of his other customers. “Oh, you’re here for Mrs. Pettigrew’s order,” he said flatly.

“Oui, Monsieur.” Her face bright, she nervously brushed at her skirt. He was so handsome, so wonderful … and so not interested in her.

He turned without a word and disappeared into the back of the butcher’s shop. A few moments later he re-emerged and dropped a heavy bundle on the counter. “That will be two dollars.”

She nodded and pulled the money from her reticule, but didn’t set it on the counter. She let her hand hover and, as anticipated, he put his open palm beneath hers. She let the money fall into it, her fingers touching his. She enjoyed the thrill that raced up her spine at the contact, then cleared her throat. She didn’t want him to suspect anything.

“Are you catching cold?”

“Oh no, Monsieur,” she stated emphatically.

His eyes roamed over her. “Good. I wouldn’t want you to sneeze on the liverwurst.” He went to the cash register, put her money in the till, then called, “Next!”

Fantine sighed, picked up her package and left. Tobias Lundstrom had scores of women vying for his attention every Tuesday and Thursday, when he manned the counter for his father Bernard. The father-and-son duo bought the shop six months ago and business was good, especially on the aforementioned days.

Fantine looked for excuses to visit the shop on those days, and stood in line waiting to get as close as possible to the Adonis on the other side of the counter. It was a good thing Mrs. Pettigrew liked giving soup bones to the many dogs that visited the manse every week. Otherwise Fantine would never get to lay eyes on him.

“You look sleepy, ma petite,” Mrs. Pettigrew commented as Fantine entered the kitchen, package in hand.

“No, not at all, Madame.” She set the soup bones on the counter near the sink. “Are you having visitors today?”

Mrs. Pettigrew blew her nose. “Not today, Fantine. I seem to have caught a chill.”

“Oh no, but that is terrible!” Fantine put a hand on the woman’s forehead. “You are warm, Madame. You should be in bed.”

Mrs. Pettigrew smiled. “You are like an old mother hen, ma cherie. One of the things I like about you.”

Fantine smiled. She wished others noticed her gifts the way her employer did. Tobias probably didn’t even notice that she was French, something every other man she encountered did. She wasn’t like Mrs. Pettigrew, who enjoyed “being French” when it suited her. Fantine, born in a village near Orleans, was French all the time.

Mrs. Pettigrew went to the counter and examined the package. “Put these away, Fantine, then meet me in my office.”

I want to know why. How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can check out my website at www.authorkitmorgan.com  And also my amazon page www.amazon.com/author/kitmorgan

Thank you, Kit, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

Mail-Order Bride Ink: Dear Mr. Comforts

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.

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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WINNERS!!!

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

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MELANIE'S GHOSTS - Bonnie Engstrom - One Free Book

Welcome back, Bonnie. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was raised in the church, so always a believer, but not a practicer. I was the president of my church’s youth group, and I attended women’s Bible studies when my children were young. When one of my dear friends’ three-year-old little boy died, everything changed. Actually, before he died and while he was hovering near death with a heart ailment, I got an inspiration. I lived in a close-knit community of eleven hundred homes where all the streets were connected. I had an idea, one that God surely put on my heart, to make big red hearts with an explanation on the back of each asking people to tape them on their garage doors as a sign they were praying for little Michael. A friend and I drove around and delivered them. (One slightly humorous thing was we would stop kids who were playing on each block and offer them a quarter to deliver the hearts. Guess that tells you how long ago that was.) Almost half of the community displayed them. It was very encouraging to the parents. I think it was at his funeral that I reaffirmed my faith.

Recently, I got water baptized – something I’d never done. Besides feeling Jesus’ touch, the most special part was my little eight-year-old grandson got baptized, too.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

Simple. I would invite Deb Raney whose novel I first read that inspired me to start writing; Cynthia Hickey, my wonderful friend and publisher who has faith in my writing and never gives up on me; Alice Arenz whose friendship and prayer support sustain me; Roger Bruner (yeh, gotta throw a guy in there) also whose prayer support for my grandchildren and his honesty keeps me encouraged.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

No, but I have a prayer chain ministry. I moderate two online prayer chains. Neither are large, just under 20 prayer warriors. The Moms Prayer Chain started about twenty years ago with women all over the country. We are very close and very faithful. The Writers Prayer Chain is small and consists of other Forget Me Not Romance authors. Only about three are faithful, but when two or three are gathered together . . .

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I always encourage them with “You should!” because that’s the first step. I offer to edit or beta read when they do. The response is usually, “You’d do that for me?” Of course, I would because there is little else as self-fulfilling than writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Melanie’s Ghosts is the seventh book in The Candy Cane Girls Series.

Ghosts

One is laughing down from heaven.
One wears rags.
One is falling in love with her.

Melanie’s faith is shaken.
Her husband Larry is dead. They had only been married a few hours before he was arrested. Will her best friend Natalie be enough? Who will understand about Larry’s crime, his deception, and how he died? Surely not her new friend Robert who lost his wife to cancer; no deception there.

Just sadness.

Should she believe the homeless old woman who claims to be Larry’s estranged mother, calling herself Melanie’s mother-in-law? Especially when the raggedy old lady stalks her and camps on her doorstep. Why did the woman abandon her son and husband over thirty years ago? Robert gives her empathy and support . . . until his own secret is revealed.

All Melanie has left of Larry is the gorgeous blue diamond ring!

Her special group of friends, the Candy Canes, promise to pray for her. But, is prayer enough? She counts on all of them for support and answers! The love of a dog with her shaggy fur, big eyes and her kisses may have to be enough.

Larry, his homeless mother, and even Robert, all haunt her. Her only normalcy is teaching the adorable three-year-olds in her preschool class. Maybe little Jackson will help put the ghosts to rest.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Prologue

“This is wrong. No sense. Makes no sense.”

Melanie embraced his big, strong brown hand between her small white ones.  Larry didn’t move. He was dead.

~

Melanie sat across the table from attorney Randi. Her fingers were paste white and knuckles blue. Is that what death does? She examined her glittering fingernails; the fancy ones Kay had gifted her with for her marriage to Larry and now insisted she needed again as a boost for the burial. But, their luster was useless. Her life was, too. Her future held no meaning. She was a widow, not a newlywed.

Natalie, her best friend, shifted in her chair. “What is the next step, Randi? Melanie needs somewhere to go in her heart and in her head. She needs to find understanding and peace. What do you suggest?” She looked over at Mel and squeezed her hand, the hand that rested on her special blue skirt, the one she clung to and claimed as her God skirt, the one she wore when she met Larry. What would happen to the skirt now? Would it be folded away in a memory trunk, or maybe destroyed?

Randi, professional attorney as she was, blinked rapidly. Moisture coated her lashes. “I have been trying to decide how to tell you. Not easy.”

“Just tell, please. I need to know what to do.” Melanie squeezed Natalie’s hand tighter.

Randi sighed and pushed a paper toward the two women.

“A list? You are giving me a list?”

“No, I am giving you a suggestion. Hopefully a healing option.” She lowered her chin. “Sorry. But I believe this is the one thing that will give you comfort and clarity.”

Melanie picked up the typewritten paper, the paper with the single suggestion, and held it in trembling hands. Natalie leaned closer to look. “Oh!” The expletive blew out of her mouth like a gust of dry wind.  

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m not very good at Facebook, although my publisher keeps encouraging me. I’ve just learned how to tweet and have only done it a few times. Here are a few suggestions:

I love to connect with readers, even non-readers. Email me at bengstrom@hotmail.com and put BOOK in the subject line so you don’t fly off to cyberspace. The first person who puts BOOK in the subject line and mentions Lena’s blog will receive an autographed print copy. Be sure to include your snail mail address. U.S.A. only, please.

You can check out, even order, Melanie’s Ghosts at https://amzn.to/2N65P05 and my other books at https://amzn.to/2x791Os. Sadly, Amazon has included other author’s books, but mine are there.

I just learned Twitter and can be found @BonnieEngstrom1. Please follow me and help me learn how to tweet.

My website is www.bonnieengstrom.com where you can see all the grandchildren, even the little redhead who got baptized with me!

My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pg/bonnieengstromauthor/about/

Please connect with me. I would love to connect with you.

Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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