Thursday, January 07, 2021

LOVE, AGAIN - Tamara G Cooper - One Free Book

Welcome back, Tamara. Tell us about your salvation experience. I was raised in church, so I knew the gospel message. When the church doors opened, our family was there. One night, when I was about 23, I was alone after having attended a church service. I prayed and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I stayed awake until 4:00 in the morning, confessing every sin I could remember, praying, singing, praising. I slept only a couple hours before I awoke again, but I felt so free! It was a totally life-changing experience for me!

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why? The why is a lot easier to say than the who! The why is: they are wonderful writers, and I really enjoy their work. The writers would be C.S. Lewis (I’m hoping I can bring a couple back from the dead!); Diana Gabaldon; James Patterson; and J.R.R.Tolkien.  

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that. I suspect when the kids are out of the house, I will speak again, but until then, no.  

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it? I was walking in a mall and, simultaneously, I saw someone from my high school days and hailed him as I hurried to him AND something got under my contact. I had reached him by the time I popped out my contact and put it in my mouth. As I opened my mouth to say, “Hey, how are you?”, the contact slipped to the back of my tongue and I started gagging. I held up a finger as if to say, “Just a minute” and then stuck it down my throat to catch the contact with a fingernail. The man’s wife grabbed his arm and dragged him away with a who-was-that-woman-and-what-was-she-doing way. I finally got my contact back on and laughed hysterically at myself. I must have looked absolutely demented to them! And, to top it off, the man wasn’t who I thought he was. Just added insult to injury!  

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 tell them: everyone has a story inside them, and if you’re compelled to tell yours, sit down at your computer, open a blank sheet of paper, and start typing. Then, I mention Sol Stein’s book, Stein on Writing as a good learning book.   

Tell us about Love, Again.  

Jake Barrett is devastated when he loses his wife and toddler son in a terrible, fiery accident. What made it even more painful is that an unidentified man was found in the car with them. The police suggest that his wife was having an affair. Since that horrible day two years ago, Jake has questioned everything about himself and his marriage and found no answers. He returns home to his family's Texas ranch to try to find healing there and learn to trust again.
 Twice, Honor McKee was engaged to be married, and twice, she was stood up just days before the wedding. Adding to her embarrassment is the fact that she is a marriage counselor, someone who gives advice to others about love and relationships. Ashamed and deeply hurt, she loses faith in herself and her ability to choose a man willing to commit.   
 Although they are both wounded and disappointed in love, Jake and Honor meet and manage to stumble their way toward friendship and, quite possibly, more. But their lives are turned upside down when trust in each other is needed the most, and neither has it to give. 
 Will they learn that there is more to life than living in past failures, that it really is possible to find love again?  

Please give us the first page of the book. 

For heaven’s sake, not again!

Honor inwardly groaned as she turned her back to her best friend who’d just started yet another rant about Honor’s—in Vicki’s words—‘appalling dating life’. She knew Vicki loved her and wanted her to be happy and settled, but Honor wasn’t in the mood for another lecture about her romantic shortcomings.

She knew them all very well.

Stepping around Vicki, she picked up two hot pads and opened the oven door to rushing heat bringing the scent of chocolate chip cookies into the room. While words kept spilling from Vicki’s mouth, Honor calmly took out the cookie sheet and set it on the counter.

In the mix of words bouncing around the room was the name Jake Barrett.

So, that’s where this was going.

Honor almost laughed out loud. Jake Barrett, of all people!

She’d fallen hard for him as a sophomore in high school, although she’d only met him once. He was the one man she had never stopped loving. Well, ‘loving’ might be a stretch since she’d never spoken a word to him. Maybe ‘the one man she’d never forgotten’ or ‘the one man she’d held up as a standard for all other men’.

All of which might explain why she was still single at twenty-eight.

Not that she hadn’t tried.

In the last three years, she’d been stood up twice, days before her wedding. A third chance with anyone, even the son of her dear friend, Wanda, wasn’t the tiniest of specks on her heart’s radar screen. Failure hurt, but failure in love crushed the spirit. At least, it had hers.

Just the thought of trying again made her stomach queasy. She didn’t think she could bear another failure.

How can readers find you on the Internet? Readers may reach me on my website: authortamaragcooper.com. They may also contact me by email at tamaragcooperauthor@gmail.com.

It was such a pleasure visiting with you again, Lena! Thank you for having me on your blog!

I share the pleasure with you. I’m eager to read this new book.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3s7DyHI - Paperback

https://amzn.to/3bfqSsd - 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, 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 

14 comments:

Linda Kish said...

I think I would really enjoy reading this book. It sounds really good. Linda in SoCal

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Tamara said...

Linda, I'm originally from Texas but lived in SoCal for 10 years. I loved walking on the beach! Then we moved to Kansas--worlds apart. I hope you get a chance to read Love, Again. Tamara

Wendy Newcomb said...

This sounds like a good story, thank you for the chance to win a copy.

wfnren at aol dot com

Lucy Reynolds said...

Laughing over the contact lens fiasco. Thank you for sharing. Blessings from WV.

Melanie Backus said...

This book sounds like one not to miss!
Melanie Backus, TX

Tamara said...

Lucy, it really happened! I was mortified, especially with the haughty way his wife grabbed his arm and marched off with him! I hope you enjoy Love, Again!
Tamara

Tamara said...

Wendy, thanks for stopping by! I hope you get to read Love, Again.
Blessings ~ Tamara

Tamara said...

Melanie, I enjoyed writing their stories. Honor and Jake were such hurting humans... I'll let you find out what happens with them! Blessings to you!
Tamara

Sharon Bryant said...

Enter me in your awesome giveaway!!
Conway SC

Sarah Taylor said...

Sounds like such a good book Thanks for sharing Sarah in Ohio

Tamara said...

Thank you for stopping by, Sharon Bryant and Sarah Taylor! I hope you get to read "Love, Again" and that you enjoy it!
Blessings~
Tamara G. Cooper

Dianna said...

I tried to follow Tamara Cooper on Twitter, but it said the account didn't exist.

Tamara said...

Hey, Dianna. I closed my Twitter account. You can find me on BookBub and Instagram, but I'm not "active" on either. I have three sons, five dogs, and I have little free time! So, I choose to write when I have a chunk of time! Thanks so much for your interest,
Tamara G. Cooper

rubynreba said...

I enjoyed the interview and review of the book. Thanks!
Beth from IA