BLESSED GIFTS - Jackie Castle - One Free Book

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

Trusting God through the hard times. Following your calling, despite the obstacles, and understanding God’s unconditional love.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I’ve just started a new series about a family of Billionaires who must meet the terms of their father’s trust or lose their inheritance. The first book: My Beastly Billionaire is a nod at the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. There will be five books in the Grimwood Legacy series. Book two, My Charming Billionaire (a Snow White retelling) will be releasing in March.

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

Debbie Macomber. I love her books, her life philosophy and I bet she’s a really neat person to sit and visit with.

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

John the Apostle. Why? Because he looked at life through the lens of love and you said I couldn’t choose Jesus. But John knew Jesus and that works for me. Ha!

John’s books are my favorite to read. I think it would be a very nice evening to sit and talk with him. I have so many questions and perhaps he’d do his best to answer with wisdom and kindness.

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

Get your manuscript edited and a cover made and publish it yourself. Today is open to opportunities and we no longer have to wait years for our stories to see the light of day. There is no longer anything stopping you from allowing your light to shine and using your talents to the best of your abilities.

Tell us about the featured book.

Blessed Gifts is the final story in the Lavender Vale Farm Series. The series is about three siblings who find love and life while visiting their sister’s Lavender farm.

Ben wasn't sure if he was father material. Then in a stopped heartbeat, he became a single parent.
Benjamin Brown wasn't proud of his mistakes, but he did intend to try to step up and do what was right, even if the baby's mother wanted nothing to do with him. When the delivery goes bad, Ben is left holding his son with no idea of how to take care of a baby's basic needs.

Lively Lilly has a plan.
Ben's mother, Lilly, takes him to his sister's farm in Thistle, Texas. There is nothing for miles around except fields of lavender, gardens of produce, and an ornery old goose.

However, his sisters Faye and Melanie promised to help Ben get back on his feet. Unfortunately, he fears that he's slowly sinking in the mud.

Olivia Canales wants out.
She has outgrown her family home and nagging/interfering mother. She wants her own place, but jobs in town are few and far between. Besides, she loves working on her best friend's Lavender Farm and Faye has promised her full-time work once they get everything going and open up to visitors.

When Faye's brother shows up with a baby he has no idea how to take care of, Olivia's heart goes out to his dilemma. The deceased mother's parents show up and give Ben an out his problem: They will raise the baby, but only if he gives up all his rights.

Ben doesn't want to lose his son but desperately needs help so he can finish his last semester of college.

Olivia agrees only to end up going in deeper than she ever anticipated.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Benjamin Brown buried his face in his hands and stared down at the polished pale blue linoleum beneath his feet. The hard vinyl sofa grew harder by the minute. How many minutes had passed so far, anyway? The nurses had promised to let him know how Kaci was doing.

Her face had gone sickly pale, brown eyes wide and frightened as she’d shouted at the doctors to save the baby.

Ben covered his ears, but the shouting still rang inside his head. He’d begged the doctors to save her. She was still young. She had plenty of time to have more babies.

The phone of the waiting room rang and the attendant answered, her voice too quiet for Ben to make out. The doctors wouldn’t call with news, would they? He sat back, his head hitting the wall as he rubbed his hands over his face. The callous on his index finger scratched at his nose. Not rough, hard-working hands, but designer hands. Creative hands. Drawing hands that sketched houses and buildings.

His gaze traveled upward, wondering what God was up to now, except he had no heart to ask. Nor was he sure how to pray. Both mother and baby needed to live, but Dr. Calloway offered no promises either way.

Would the doctor listen to Ben’s request?

It wasn’t like he had much say in any of this. Except his name was would be on the birth certificate. Kaci had made sure of that. She’d not wanted to marry him. He’d asked, but not because Mom insisted. He’d honestly wanted to take responsibility for his actions.

Kaci had laughed in his face and told him she didn’t need two children.

Ben genuinely hoped they could work out their differences and give the baby a solid family. Kaci had no faith in family. She’d always depended upon herself and said she didn’t need anyone else.

The swoosh of the door opening drew Ben’s attention to the waiting room entrance. Aside from one other family huddled in the opposite corner, he was the only other person waiting for news.
A slender woman with white hair that had been tinted a bright red on the ends entered tugging several balloons behind her. Red for Valentines coming in February? Lilly Brown loved standing out.

Her heels clomped over the linoleum floor as she headed in his direction. She wore navy pants and a gray silk shirt covered in shiny snowflakes.

Ben groaned at the sight and slumped lower in his seat. He wasn’t sure if he should act like he didn’t know her, or go ahead and get up and greet her with a hug. There would be less of a scene if he got up.

“Is my grand-doll here yet?” Lilly Brown asked, dumping several bags on the coffee table and tying the balloons to the arm of the nearest chair. “I brought some goodies for Mama, too. I remember she loved Dr Pepper, so there’s a couple of bottles in there along with a couple of those celebrity magazines girls her age like. Oh, and I found a lovely scarf at the market last month. Along with a bag of bath bombs that smell like bubble gum.” She gave a toothy grin, rubbing her hands together. “And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten our new daddy, either. Architectural Digest for you and—”

“Mom.” Ben couldn’t stand this.

“I found the cutest matching Daddy and son shirts….” She started to dig into one of the bags.

“Mom. There’s a problem.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Here are some other places you can hang out with me:

FB- https://www.facebook.com/JackieCastleAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jackie_Castle

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jackie-castle

And of course, my Story World website: www.jackiecastle.com

Thank you for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it. And I’m eager to feature all the Billionaire/modern fairy tale stories as well.

Readers, here is a link to the book.

Blessed Gifts (The Lavender Vale Farm Series Book 3)

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

THE STRONGHOLD - Marianne Evans - One Free Ebook

Welcome, Marianne. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write Christian fiction and romance because that’s the genre I love most to read. Hope, faith, love, uplifting story arcs, strong heroes and heroines—to my mind, Christian fiction and romance has it all!

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

The happiest day of my life beyond my surrender to Christ is undoubtedly a three-way tie. My wedding day (my husband and I are heading into our 37th year together!), the birth of our son, and the birth of our daughter. They’re such a huge part of my heart! I could never pick a clear favorite between those three awesome milestones.

I think most wives and mothers feel that way. How has being published changed your life?

Publishing has changed my life because the art of storytelling has allowed me to connect with wonderful people across the globe I might never have met otherwise. We share stories, ministries, successes, and tears, and I treasure it all. I’ve always believed writing is a gift from God, but beyond crafting stories, He’s used that gift to nourish me in countless ways by allowing me to reach and touch other souls.

What are you reading right now?

I’m an avid watcher of the royal family. For Christmas my husband gifted me with a beautiful coffee table retrospective about Queen Elizabeth. I’m reading it now. As I take in the stories and snapshots of her life, I realize: I find it hard to imagine the world stage without her.

What is your current work in progress?

My recently completed WIP is A Long Way to Run. The story centers on an Olympic-caliber runner who loses his dream but finds love when he returns home to “the one who got away,” his high school sweetheart. For both the hero and heroine, redefining their lives and goals (and hearts!) form the backbone of this small-town romance. I loved writing it because my son and husband are marathoners (my son is about to run Boston for the third time! I’m so proud of him!). I loved exploring the running world, and the mentality/spirit behind such a commitment!

What would be your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be a month-long visit to the Holy Land. I’d want to be there long enough to absorb, and explore, not just dash from site to site without letting the history and culture wrap around me.

Sounds wonderful. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I can’t really say that I choose settings for my books. My characters speak to me and tend to put me in whatever time or place or season they wish. I’ve written several books set in and around Detroit, because it’s home, and I’m Detroit Proud. I love shining a spotlight on my hometown. I’ve also fallen in love with Tennessee and have set a few books in Nashville. My travel adventures have also colored my writing to a degree. After visiting London and Florence, I had to memorialize them with romantic stories—I love those cities!

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

Please see my answer to question number 4 – LOL! Spending a day in the company of Her Majesty the Queen would be my dream. Not just because of her title but because of the history she’s experienced, the people she’s met over her 60-year reign. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, donning a tiara and performing a curtsy in full-on royal dress wouldn’t be too shabby, either!

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love antiquing! I collect antique salt cellars. Salt cellars are small bowls, with spoons, that were used on dining tables to hold salt cubes before the time of pourable salt. You would use the spoon to chip off bits of salt, then sprinkle it on your food. The bowls are gorgeous—sometimes crystal, or metal, or colored glass. My two favorites are a metal bowl with an enamel mosaic design that came from Russia and a glass salt from Tiffany & Co. etched by Louis Comfort Tiffany with his initials!

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Easy. A lack of time! I work full time, I’m a wife, mother, and grandmother to a three-year-old boy who keeps me energized and busy. My writing schedule is something I have to guard with care and be very disciplined about. Sometimes I have to say “No” to things I’d love to do, but just can’t. My husband helps me overcome that obstacle—he understands my crazy writer mind-set, and even cooks dinner so I can write for a bit after work. During the weekends I put the hammer down and really focus on writing/plotting/marketing.

My precious husband of over 54 years does the laundry, washes dishes, and cleans house to help me have more time to write. We are both truly blessed. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Do. Not. Ever. Give. Up. Writing is subjective. One editor’s rejection is another editor’s golden discovery. And believe me, you want an editor or agent who is as passionate about your work as you are. It’s mutual commitment. Keep pushing and trying and polishing and learning and submitting until you find the publishing house or agent of your dreams who shares an authentic drive to see you succeed.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Stronghold is book two of my Fisher Men of Antioch series from Pelican Book Group. We’ve all heard the story of the prodigal, right? (If you’re interested, I explore that theme in book one of this series: The Return!) The Stronghold explores the theme of the good son. The son who stayed behind. The son who followed expectation. The son who didn’t stray. Given the triumphant return of the black sheep, how would that make the good son feel? And, at the end of the day, are any of us truly The Prodigal? Are any of us truly The Good Son. In exploring this story arc, I’ve discovered we’re all a blend of both, and God’s message is clear: We’re all worthy of his love, grace, and mercy.

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

Aaron Fisher twisted the knob on the radio of his jeep, cranking the volume on the oldies station. The Byrd’s version of “Turn, Turn, Turn” played and his lips curved as the song lyrics sank in, as a poignant melody filled the air with nostalgia.

A time to every purpose under heaven…

Aaron and his older brother, Phillip, had always joked that the song resonated with so many people because the words came straight from The Great Author, God Himself, through the verses of Ecclesiastes.

A flood of gratitude covered his spirit. Tides had turned between him and Phillip. Resentment, anger, bitterness had been torn away in recent months, exposing a newfound closeness and affection between the two of them.

But the journey hadn’t been easy by any stretch.

Before Phillip’s return to Antioch, Indiana, Aaron would never have dreamed of resuming strong bonds with his oldest sibling. Aaron had stored too much pain after Phillip’s leaving to believe in new beginnings; that emotion had barreled straight to the surface of his soul, and their relationship, when Phillip came back and replanted roots in their hometown.

Antioch was rural, a farm community governed by a slow pace, deep faith, and the kind of small-town atmosphere folks craved without even realizing it—until they spent time within its borders, falling into its slow pace and vibrations of peace. Phillip had learned that lesson the hard way, and Aaron had learned to forgive and move forward with his brother all over again.

Praise God.

A time for peace…I swear it’s not too late…

Aaron smiled once more at the lyrics, then focused on the road ahead. To his right, just a block or so forward, members of the Antioch High School marching band high-stepped across the practice field. Aaron rolled down the driver’s side window of his vehicle, ignoring the chill of incoming air spiced by wood smoke. Preps for Friday night lights were in full swing this late autumn morning. Tonight, the Antioch Tigers would be taking on their arch rivals from Arcola. He tapped his fingertips in time to the peppy beat of the school anthem then lifted his hand in greeting to Scott Pepperfield who drove past in the opposite direction. Seeing Scott reminded him. He needed to stop by Pepperfield Farm Supply and pick up a gear case replacement kit for Ben. Now that harvest season neared its end, youngest sibling Ben would have time to work his mechanical magic on the family’s aged but still serviceable tractor.

First things first, though. Aaron checked the clock on the dash of his jeep and accelerated slightly. He had about ten minutes to spare. Before he started the day’s work at the farm, before a visit to Pepperfield, he had to attend Dad’s appointment at Briar Medical Center. The checkup wasn’t strictly routine, that’s why Aaron wanted to sit in on the consultation and be another set of eyes and ears as Dr. Skogee diagnosed some issues Dad continued to face following a heart attack he had endured six months earlier.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Here are my social addresses, and I love connecting with readers and writers!!

Website: www.marianneevans.com
Blog: www.marianneevans.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marianneevansauthor/

Twitter: MarEvansAuthor

Instagram: MarEvansAuthor

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

Readers, here are links to the ebook.

The Stronghold (Fisher Men of Antioch)

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.

Sharon (SC) is the winner of At the Heart of Friendship by Kathy Collard Miller. 

Amada (NM) is the winner of This Homeward Journey by Misty M Beller.

Loraine (TX) is the winner of Tailor Your Manuscript in 30 Days by Zoe M McCarthy. 

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.

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN IN THE RED DRESS - Zoe M McCarthy - One Free Ebook

Welcome back, Zoe. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I started out writing inspirational romantic suspense. My rejections always praised my ideas, but most invited me to send another project. I realized incorporating three elements, faith, suspense, and romance, always left one element wanting. I let the suspense aspect go and wrote inspirational romance. I contracted my next book. I learned from my characters that before opposites attract, opposites distract. I loved writing how extreme opposites learned to embrace each other’s differences.

But as an analytical person, I also enjoyed writing, contracting, and publishing a book on writing. I wanted to help aspiring writers and other writers to have an easier time getting a manuscript in shape for publishing. Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days is based on my experience and years of researched blog posts on writing.

And to the shock of my Word Weavers group, relatives, and myself, I have drafted a hero’s journey synopsis for speculative fiction.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

When I had a second chance at love and married my husband.

How has being published changed your life?

The rose-colored glasses came off. Writing is a lot of work. And much of the work is not writing stories. I write full time—a nine-to-six job. Even with my husband taking on many of the promotion and marketing tasks, I’m often overwhelmed fitting in deadlines. Weeks need an extra day inserted! No, that’s not the solution. I’ve learned to turn down some opportunities.

Also, writers must bear criticism or rejections from critique partners, acquisition professionals, editors, readers, and reviewers. My skin is like leather … almost.

This year, after so many people have helped me on my writing journey, I believed I should give back. So besides posting blogs on writing and offering Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days, I agreed to be the ACFW Virginia Chapter treasurer. I’m still dealing with the learning curve. Perhaps I’m spreading myself thin by taking the job, but I believe another harried author shouldn’t have to take the job so I can enjoy the benefits of the chapter.

I enjoy creating stories. So I march forward.

What are you reading right now?

The Final Race by Eric T. Eichinger and Eva Marie Everson. In my book, The Putting Green Whisperer, Shoo is a golf caddy aspiring to be a PGA pro golfer. Eric Liddell is Shoo’s role model. Eric Liddell is the 1924 Olympic runner featured in the movie, Chariots of Fire. At the North Georgia Christian Writers Conference, I saw The Final Race for sale. When Eva Marie said it was about Eric Liddell, I had to buy it. I’m reading it to husband John on our trips to our lake cabin.

I’ve always been fascinated by Eric Liddell, too. What is your current work in progress?

I have several books in progress at different stages. I had to put aside my edits for The Identical Woman In a Black Dress while I met two other deadlines. But I’m working that book back into my schedule. It’s the next book in the Twisty Creek Series and follows The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress.

What would be your dream vacation?

John and I have enjoyed many vacation spots from the ski slopes out West to the romantic cities of Italy to the breezy beaches of Punta Cana, Dominion Republic. My dream vacation would be to spend a month in a quaint town in a country like Ireland, taking day trips into the countryside.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’ve chosen cities I’ve lived in or been to. Recently, I prefer to create settings based on a real or a combination of real places. That way, I can include the charm of the actual town and what I need to create to make the story work well.

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

Anne Graham Lotz. We are only months apart in age. I’ve attended one of her “Just Give Me Jesus” presentations and have read several of her books. I would ask her questions participants and I bring up in the Bible study I lead.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

My husband John and I enjoy canoeing the New River and can’t wait to explore the lake we recently bought a cabin on. I enjoy knitting and crocheting for a prayer shawl ministry I host. I’ve learned to enjoy watching golf from our annual trip with my sister and brother-in-law to the Wells Fargo golf tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. (This is how The Putting Green Whisperer came about.) I’m working on growing a penchant for Wake Forest football.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

For me, it’s multiple small roadblocks combined that prevent me from moving forward. For example during one day, my book is released on time on several bookstore sites, except the important one. Suddenly, an application freezes on my laptop and I have to reboot. An important email I need has gone to my junk mail. I’m bombarded by messages to update operating systems, software, and my website. The electricity goes out, and I must drive forty-five minutes to the nearest library to work. These obstacles always come in fives or sixes. I build them into my schedule and have resigned to treat them combined like any other task.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

If writing your stories is important to you, don’t give up. It takes time to make it all happen. To hasten success, attend conference workshops, visit writing blogs, and read books about writing. Get connected with critique partners and local or online writing groups.

I say this humbly, Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days will help you write or get your manuscript in publishable shape. The book has nine endorsements by writing conference professionals, editors, bloggers on writing, agents, and those who will most likely use the book, aspiring writers.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress was first published in a 2018 Valentine’s Day collection of books by five authors. The collection is a finalist for the Book of the Year Award from Interviews and Reviews.

Candace Parks lives a passionless life in Richmond, Virginia. The computer programmer returns to the empty family home in the Blue Ridge Mountains solely to evaluate her job, faith, and boyfriend. Her high school crush, Trigg Alderman, who barely remembers her, visits his Gram next door. Things look up. When a local beauty vies for Trigg’s attention, his ex returns, and an unwanted mission to Papua New Guinea calls, sorting her life out becomes nothing of the sort!

Please give us the first page of the book.

PASSION, DON, OR PAPUA NEW Guinea. Once again, Candace mulled the choices. Don pulled his sedan into the no-parking space in front of her apartment building.

Always the same. All-you-can-eat pizza in noisy Luigi’s and talking work with this friends, until they moved on to other subjects and she became invisible.

Every Saturday night.

Richmond offered movies, plays, and a historical canal walk. Even the state motto promised, “Virginia is for lovers.”

Candace released her seatbelt and shifted to face Don. He cocked his ear toward a sports announcer’s rehash of a basketball game on the radio.

“Kiss me, Don.”

He glanced at her and held up a finger. “Just … one … minute.” He leaned closer to the dashboard. Don already knew his team had won, yet not a face muscle twitched. His brown eyes remained focused on the radio knob.

Candace swung her knees away from Don, opened the door, got out, and closed the door.

The car window whirred. Don bent over the passenger seat until he could see her. “Don’t you want that kiss?”

“That’s okay.” She turned away and plodded up the snow-dusted sidewalk.

“Are you sure?”

She waved and kept walking. “I’ll see you at work on Monday.” She skirted a pink Big Wheel in the stairwell and shuffled up the cement stairs.

I’m already eager to read this book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

https://zoemmccarthy.com  

https://www.amazon.com/Zoe-M.-McCarthy/e/B00ODC1ZNW/

Thank you, Zoe, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress (Twisty Creek) (Volume 1) - Paperback
The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress (Twisty Creek 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

HIDDEN MOTIVE - Hannah Aexander - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, I have loved medical suspense novels by this writing since I first discovered them years ago. I know you’ll love their books, too.

Welcome back, Cheryl and Mel. Tell us about your salvation experience.

My experience started out a lot like many of my friends’—raised in church, came to Christ as a child of six. But in my teens, I began to question everything in my life. I acted out. I never stopped believing in Christ, but I began to think He didn’t care about my behavior. At one point, I ran far away from home and was homeless for six weeks on the streets of a large and frightening city in Illinois. As a farm girl from the country, I learned a valuable lesson from that time in my life—home is a very good place to be. And Christ is my home.

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

I have held a few writing retreats and had a blast at every one of them. In one retreat, I met Jill Eileen Smith before she was published. That taught me that unpublished writers have a lot to teach me. In another retreat, I had three writing friends who are also editors—Lissa Halls Johnson, Miralee Ferrell (who is also a publisher), and Nancy Toback. I love engaging with writers who are also editors. I have learned so much from these wonderful women, and we are still good friends years later.

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

I did speak when we lived in Missouri, and it wasn’t hard to travel. I loved to teach about writing, or when I spoke in libraries I would talk about my writing and give away copies of books by fellow writers, hopefully introducing readers to new-to-them novelists. We now live in the wilds of Wyoming, where the pronghorn, deer, coyotes, wild horses, moose, and mountain lions outnumber people by a large margin. I’ve always been an avid hiker and explorer, and Mel has learned to love it as well. The move has cut off my speaking engagements, and I have to keep in touch with others via the internet.

The internet has been a very valuable tool for authors. I have writing friends spread across the world, including Mozambique and Australia. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you, and how did you handle it?

The most embarrassing thing happened to Mel soon after we married and began writing our first medical thriller together. His first writing conference was at Mount Hermon, where a lot of writers with well-known careers attend each year. We were at lunch soon after the conference began. I was ahead of him in line, and so I found a table where I saw a familiar face. That face just happened to belong to Francine Rivers. We were having a conversation by the time Mel arrived with his tray and sat beside me. He looked at her nametag, his eyes bugged out, he tapped me on the shoulder, and said, “Sweetheart, do you know who she IS?” And then he looked at Francine and said, “Do you KNOW who you ARE?” That has become one of our favorite inside jokes.

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?

Yes, that’s happened to me a lot. I know that most people will never actually write their story, but some have, especially those who need to tell about hardships they’ve lived. I’ve seen their manuscripts, but when I put them in touch with editors or encourage them to complete their work, I think they realize that all they needed to do was get their thoughts down on paper. Many people need to write things down because it’s a helpful therapy for them. I always encourage people to write their stories.

Tell us about the featured book.

Sable Chamberlin and Paul Murphy are running for their lives on a bus during a Missouri ice storm. Because the other passengers in that bus would plunge to their deaths if they are allowed to continue along the treacherous road, Sable is forced to invite the passengers to take shelter in her sprawling family home. But the killer begins to stalk them before they even reach the house, and does not give up.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The jarring bleep of the cell phone jerked Sable Chamberlin’s eyes open to a dark room that had dropped at least ten degrees since she’d nodded off. Had to turn up the heat and change that ring tone. Not only did she hate the harsh sound but the ring often summoned her to the Boswell Community Hospital for an emergency. Being on call sixty hours a week had gotten old. She wasn’t on call this evening, however, she was in mourning.

She pulled the phone out of her pocket and answered, casting a glance through her kitchen window at the lightning over the company town of Freemont, Oklahoma. It seemed so much later than six o’clock.

“Sable, that you?” The voice of her elderly friend, Noah Erwin, held comfort.

“Hi Noah.”

           

“How’d the funeral go?”

She closed her eyes, tears still too close. Her grandfather, Josiah Kessinger, had been the only reason for her move here to Freemont from the Missouri Ozarks.

“It went.”

“Hard?”

“Funerals are always hard but at least in Missouri no one’s setting him up with false accusations.”

Good hook. How can readers find you on the Internet?

The best way to find our novels is our website, www.hannahalexander.com

Thank you so much for inviting me here, Lena! I love the innovative questions you present. You are always such a giving and caring encourager!

Thank you for sharing Hidden Motives with my blog readers.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

Hidden Motive: (formerly The Crystal Cavern) (The Healing Touch Book 4)

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

LOVE'S DELICATE BLOSSOM - Ada Brownell - One Free Book

Welcome back, Ada. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Since I completed Love’s Delicate Blossom, the third novel in the Peaches and Dreams series, I’m going to rewrite the courses I taught for mid-grade youth in an after-school program when I retired. They are God in American History, Love is Dynamite, and Dynamite Decisions for Youth. Each will be a short, non-fiction book.

In addition to working 17 years as a newspaper reporter so I’d have a real job, I’ve written inspirational non-fiction and fiction for years because I feel the Lord called me to a be a witness about Him, His love, and humankind’s need for Jesus. He shed his blood to forgive our sins, give us abundant life, and most of all, eternal life. My brand is Stick-to-Your-Soul Encouragement that covers both fiction and non-fiction.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I believe joy is an ongoing blessing when you live for Jesus. The Bible says, “In His presence is fullness of joy,” and I’ve experienced that. My husband makes me happy frequently. One time he gave me a new piano with big red bow around it. Our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends make me happy. Those joys are difficult to measure.

How has being published changed your life?

I’ve grown into a different person than I would be otherwise. I was 15 when I began writing ideas for youth services 65 years ago for a leadership magazine. I’d already had hunger to know the Word, and I became a Bible student, and spent a lot of time in prayer. Everywhere I’ve been, God opened doors for ministry, and all I expected to be was a secretary someday. I taught Sunday school. I became the youth leader. In a little town in Utah that had no church, I started a Sunday school and every kid in town enrolled. I was just beginning to write. I sold an article to David C Cook, so I enrolled in a writing course, advertised my accordion, and bought a typewriter. On the advice of my writing instructor, I became a newspaper correspondent and later moved to staff jobs, taking out nearly 20 years to be a stay-at-home mom, and then going back.

The rest is history.

What are you reading right now?

I’m going through the devotional Jesus Calling again. I’ve started Faith and Physics by Joseph Callender. A favorite recently is Living Like Lions and I’m leaving that in my Kindle for re-reading. I pick up a lot of free books and my fiction right now is Temporary Bride by Linda Ford. Recently I read The River Between by Jacquelyn Cook and The Shepherd’s Voice by Robin Lee Hatcher.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I try to choose places I’m familiar with and fit the story line.

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

I would like to see my friend that helped me start that Sunday school in Utah, Doris Louton. I lost track of her and she was a miracle God sent to me. I told God if he’d sent me a helper to that town with four bars and no church, I’d start a Sunday school. Within a week God sent Doris, a born-again Baptist gal with two little boys and all sort of talent.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I used to like to swim and play tennis. I love to sing in groups, play the organ and piano, and board games such as Rook.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Marketing, and I overcome it by just doing it and learning, learning, learning.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Study, pray, practice and do it.

Please give us the first page of the book.

September 1917, Woodburn, Iowa

A horse and buggy clattered toward Ritah O’Casey, rocking. The elaborate fringed buggy swayed, and the woman sitting beside a man nearly tumbled into the street.

Ritah jumped aside, her packages scattering on the boardwalk. Clutching her pocketbook to her chest, she gasped, as Tulip Quinlan, almost fell into her path. The driver grabbed the girl’s arm and yanked her back into the buggy.

Her friend looked mighty strange. Her eyes nearly shut as a frown twisted her lipstick-smeared face into a ghastly masque.

The buggy turned the corner, the left wheels lifting off the road and Ritah shivered at the driver’s scraggly beard, bushy brows and the crooked scar puckering one eye. His vision caught hers as she stared. His dark beady eyes pulsed a warning.

Her chest heaved, while her body shaking and her throat dry, she reached for the strings binding her three packages. How she wished her young friend had responded to the gospel when she went to church with her. The girl, two years younger than Ritah, matured early and looked much older than fourteen.

Only a few weeks ago, Ritah had tried to leave a Christian witness with the girl when her parents died of diphtheria.

“Move into town,” she told her. You might be able to stay with my parents. I’m leaving for college and maybe you could use my room.”

Her lovely chin set firmly Tulip had said, “I’m not moving. I am young, but I want to stay home and try to make it on the farm. I know how to do farm work. My parents are buried on this land. What I need is a good older man who needs a job and knows how to farm to help me.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Connect with Ada:

Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

Book Fun Network: http://www.bookfun.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries

Twitter: @adabrownell

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

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1654534.Ada_Brownell

Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com Stick-to-Your-Soul Encouragement

Thank you, Ada, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Love's Delicate Blossom (Peaches and Dreams) - Paperback
Love's Delicate Blossom (Peaches and Dreams 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.

Susanne (IN) is the winner of Of Walls by Sara L Foust. 

Anne (VA) is the winner of Escape to the Biltmore by Patricia Riddle Gaddis.

Janet (FL) is the winner of Promises to Keep by Judythe Morgan. 

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.

TAILOR YOUR FICTION MANUSCRIPT IN 30 DAYS - Zoe M McCarthy - One Free Book

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

In 2011, my husband John and I moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and built a house on a hill overlooking a valley and the mountains. I became a full-time author working weekdays from nine to six in the office John allowed me to design in the house blueprint. In 2012, I concentrated my blog posts on writing, including what I learned from conference workshops, books on writing, Writer’s Digest, and online articles.

Tell us about your family.

John and I are both retired actuaries. We have two sons, two daughters-in-love, and six grandchildren.

Have you written other nonfiction books?

Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days is my first.

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

My novella Good Breaks released January 11 in the Love, Sweet Love collection. I’m working on The Identical Woman in a Black Dress, the book that follows The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress in my Twisty Creek Series,.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

John and I canoe the New River, spotting bald eagles occasionally, and spend time at our lake cabin. Once we finish remodeling the cabin, I hope to host writing and spiritual retreats there. I enjoy developing the Bible studies I teach in a community Bible study and teaching writing workshops. For a prayer shawl ministry, I knit and crochet men’s and women’s shawls.

Why did you write the featured book?

After I had published over one hundred fifty blog posts on writing, an agent and a publishing house editor suggested I write a book based on my blog. The idea interested me, and I attended a workshop on the dos and don’ts for turning blog posts into a book. I wanted to share more than the information I’d accumulated. I desired to organize the material into a guidebook to help writers who had manuscripts but didn’t know how to get them ready for publication, writers whose manuscripts received rejections, writers whose self-published novels received poor reviews, and writers who wanted to write the stories on their hearts but needed help to put them to paper. Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days was born.

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

Confidence and a marketable manuscript. Writers’ works are continually under spotlights—book acquisition professionals, editors, and public and professional reviewers. My hope is to give writers the help they need to produce a worthy product and fare well under the spotlights.

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

I’d like to share the back-cover blurb, which is a few of the endorsements for Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days.

Zoe McCarthy’s book, Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days, is a fresh and innovative refocusing of your novel or novella. Through a few simple—and fun—steps, Zoe helps writers take their not-ready-for-publication and/or rejected manuscripts to a spit-polish finish. Writing is hard work, yes, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

—Eva Marie Everson, best-selling and multiple award-winning author, conference director, president of Word Weavers International, Inc.

If you want to increase your chance of hearing yes instead of sorry or not a fit for our list at this time, this book is for you. If you want to develop stronger story plots with characters that are hard to put down, this book is for you. Through McCarthy’s checklists and helpful exercises and corresponding examples, you will learn how to raise the tension, hone your voice, and polish your manuscript. I need this book for my clients and the many conferees I meet at writer’s conferences around the country. Thank you, Zoe. A huge, #thumbsup, for Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days.  

—Diana L. Flegal, literary agent, and freelance editor

Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript is a self-editing encyclopedia! Each chapter sets up the targeted technique, examples show what to look for in your manuscript, then proven actions are provided to take your writing to the next level. Whether you are a seasoned writer or a newbie, you need this book! 

—Sally Shupe, freelance editor, aspiring author

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

Send Your Characters on a Journey

A story is not a series of unconnected events, interesting or not. Your story must have a theme, a plot, and interesting characters.

Day 1

Welcome to Day 1. Today, we’ll look at the high-level elements of your story. I suggest you create a word-processing document or purchase a notebook to record your answers to ACTION exercises. Examples for this chapter come from the movie, Love Comes Softly, based on Janette Oke’s novel by the same name. Often, even in a romance, one character’s journey dominates the story. This is true for Love Comes Softly; therefore, we’ll follow Marty’s story in the examples.

You’ll spend three days addressing problems you identify in your story’s theme and plot. So, let’s get started.

Theme

Why do we begin with your theme? You’ll want to be ready to state your theme when you write a proposal, pitch to an editor, write a back-cover blurb, and have conversations with readers. Identifying and becoming comfortable with your theme will help you improve your story.

ACTION

State your theme. (Don’t worry if you can’t. I’ll give you ways to uncover your theme.)

Whether or not you had difficulty expressing your theme, let’s test what you wrote.

ACTION

First, jot down the main values your protagonist struggles with throughout your story.

Example:

Marty has traveled in a covered wagon from the East with her husband to find the perfect spread to raise a family on. Immediately after they stake their claim, her husband, Aaron, dies. A settler, Clark Davis, has lost his wife and proposes marriage in name only so he can provide a mother for his daughter, Missie. Marty wants only to go back East. Throughout the story, Marty struggles with grief, fear of the unknown, anything she can’t control, and having a place to belong.

ACTION

Next, recalling your protagonist’s main struggles, peruse the list of short themes in the table at the end of this section. Which best describes what your protagonist grapples with in your story?

Example:

For Marty’s story, I marked Abandonment, Loss/Grief, Uncertainty, and Place to Belong. These all apply, but Marty’s main struggle is with a Place to Belong. Arriving in the unknown West, she thinks she’ll be fine as long as she’s with her husband. When he dies, she wants to go back to familiar territory, refusing to accept there’s no one to go back to in the East. She’s sure she doesn’t belong with strangers—a man who wants her to mother his child and his daughter who wants her to leave.

ACTION

Now, expand on that theme. What does your story say about this short theme? Write it in the form of a general question, one that’s universal for people

Example:

What happens when circumstances leave a person with no place to call home?

ACTION

Finally, turn your question into a statement that is specific to your protagonist.

Example:

A widow finds security and love in a place she can call home.

Congratulations. You have a theme to work from as you improve your story.

When you include your theme in your proposal you may want to accompany it with a guiding quote or Scripture from the Bible. For Marty’s journey to a place to call home, the Scripture might be Haggai 2:9. “’And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

If your theme is different than what you first wrote down, keep the revised theme in mind as we move forward, and you evaluate your plot.

Interesting. Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

https://zoemmccarthy.com  

https://www.amazon.com/Zoe-M.-McCarthy/e/B00ODC1ZNW/

Thank you, Zoe, for sharing this book with me and my blog readers. I look forward to reading the whole book and trying your system.

Readers, here's a link to the book.

Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days

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