JOURNEY TO CHIYAH - Kimberly Russell - One Free Book (Print if winner is in USA, Ebook if winner is not)

Welcome, Kimberly. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. My debut, Journey to ChiYah, is a fictional account of my own travels to emotional healing, portrayed in an allegory. The main character, Jade, is pretty much me with some exceptions—needed to use a little writerly license to make her a bit more interesting. I’m currently editing my next project that is purely fiction, from a male point of view. That being said, I can still see some of me coming out in Frankie Taylor.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Hmm, quirky and me don’t usually go together—I’m pretty straight-laced and dull, living a quiet life of no stress and few risks, but while it might not be quirky, I love sharing this one as it is so amazing: Three years ago, I got on a plane with my two sisters, and we flew to Minnesota to meet our older brother Bill for the first time after finding him on Ancestry DNA. We knew there was another sibling, but never dreamed God would allow us to find him. He is ten years older than me, never knew he had a single blood relative on the planet, and now has all of us. (Yes, we can be a lot.) I always wanted a big brother, and now I have a Bill plus a bonus sister in his wife, Marsha. It took a few years, but I can finally buy him a birthday card without standing in the card aisle weeping.

That’s wonderful. I love stories like that. When did you first discover that you were a writer? English was always my favorite subject in school, and reading was my passion—I was never without a book nearby and was THAT kid that got caught in fifth grade reading for fun behind my math book. (I detested math, and it still makes me break out in hives.) Over the years, I dabbled in this and that as far as writing, but never seriously considered pursuing it until I came out the other side of a dark time in my life that left me saying, “Okay, God, what next?” to which He answered, “I want you to write.”

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. -Oswald Chambers

Finding my purpose was a lengthy endeavor, but out of dark times and my own quest for wholeness, God birthed His intentions for me: “The Grrrr of a Writer.”

What started out as a pitiful mewl grew to consume my soul and comes out roaring like a lion that cannot be silenced. Although it’s hard work, I can’t NOT write. It’s at my core and needs somewhere to go, which was confirmed when God told me that my words would go on assignment. My hashtag, #SharingHopeThroughWords, says it all: If I can help someone else through the talents He’s blessed me with, my assignment has been accomplished.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. Over the years, I explored contemporary, secular fiction in various genres. When Kindle came into the world, my reading life exploded—I am all about instant gratification, hence the 500 books in my account. Kindle enabled me to branch out into other genres and try new things, but eventually I discovered Christian fiction and have never looked back. I don’t care for smut or blood and gore, and don’t feel the need to feed garbage into my head. That being said, I’m also discovering the different genres within CF and exploring some of them as well… especially since Journey to ChiYah fell into Christian fantasy as it is an allegory about a gal that goes on an adventure. I had been researching where to fit this oddity and was actually horrified at the thought of fantasy—really stretched me out of my comfort zone. I started to read some in the genre, and while it isn’t for me, I found some wonderful authors. I might also add that I’m GREATLY relieved to be returning to good old contemporary, Christian fiction.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I checked out of the run, run, run world by retiring. Seriously. I worked in the Michigan prison system for 30 years as an executive secretary to the Warden. It was a super high stress position with an overwhelming workload and I’m surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown. Combine that with life in general, and my existence was one big ball of anxiety. When I reached my retirement attainment date, I knew I was done with it all. Now? Anytime I even get a whiff of hurry or pressure, I back away so fast it isn’t funny. More than a couple of things in one day are too much for me now. I’m only a shadow of the person I was then, and I adore my life.

How do you choose your characters’ names? It all depends. Often, I go with the first name that pops in my head and after I get to know them, can’t imagine trying to change their name. Funny how that works.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? My initial thought would be, of course, that I’m an Indie published author. I know that seems cliché, but it truly is something I’m incredibly proud of—it was a long road. I’m also very proud of the fact that I am a homeowner, financially independent, single woman. That, too, has been a long time coming, but I’ve been on my own for many years and hope it encourages other woman who may find themselves in a bad situation (like I was more than once) to believe that yes, they can make it on their own.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Most definitely a cat. They just kind of wander about without a care and give no thought to who is pleased (or displeased) with them. They’re a bit rebellious, no-nonsense, and consider themselves king of their world. Plus, they get to sleep a lot.

What is your favorite food? I know it sounds odd, but I adore carrot chips, cherry tomatoes, and hummus. A year ago I embarked on a healthier lifestyle, lost forty pounds, and completely changed how I eat and these are now my go-to snack, along with fruits like grapes, apples, and all kinds of berries.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? It was all in my head. Literally. I grappled with my emotions and a performance-based mentality, mostly due to my insecurities. I’ve since discovered this was all ploys by the enemy to prevent me from the assignment God has given me, but occasionally still battle in some form or another. The struggle is real.

Tell us about the featured book. Journey has been… a journey, for sure. As I look back, I’m amazed at how God orchestrated this thing by using my own emotional healing, the teachings of my church, and personal experiences. He glued it together to become a story of hope and encouragement for others even while using it as a cathartic therapy module during my own travels toward emotional restoration. He is so amazing and it still bowls me over how He pulled this thing off. And now? He is my marketing CEO, and He is in charge of using the project as He wills. I just do what He says and let him take care of the rest. It makes me chuckle to see how few copies I sell and how I’ve given away (at His direction) about three times as many. The payoff? When I hear someone has been touched by Jade’s story, I know my work is done… yet never completed.

Back cover blurb:
Jade Pepperdine has a problem: Her life is crumbling beneath the weight of the past, events of the present, and fears for her future. Things need to change, but she doesn’t know where to start. Answers come in the form of an unexpected opportunity when Jade finds herself stuck in a mythical land. She meets Mayor Dudley, who insinuates she is emotionally broken and in need of repair ... a fact she’d just as soon ignore. He offers to help her get home if she is willing to face her issues through a process of restoration. Frightened and skeptical yet out of options, Jade grudgingly agrees. And soon figures out that change is a journey, not a destination. Come along on the adventure of a lifetime, and maybe you’ll find someone you never knew you lost: Yourself.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

The cave’s bone-chilling temperature matched the icy loathing that enveloped Mayor’s heart.

Stalactites tapered from the ceiling to where fat water droplets echoed a drip-drip-drip as they spattered to the ground. One landed on his cheek, and he swiped it away.

Fossils embedded in the granite walls looked like carved-out faces, frozen in silent screams. He sneezed from the damp, musty odor oozing from every crevice. Allergies? More like an aversion to this horrid place.

He drilled the tip of his cane impatiently into the crumbling limestone of the cave’s floor. Why had he ever agreed to meet in the enemy’s lair? They could have sat in one of the pleasant conference rooms at the home office where at least a mug of steaming tea would melt his frozen insides. Abaddon had probably insisted on holding the meeting in the wintry cavern just to annoy him—like having Mayor on his turf would give him the upper hand? He’d never learn.

Eons ago, Abaddon had been one of Mayor’s top agents… that is until his pride got the best of him. He challenged authority and attempted a coup that earned him permanent banishment from the kingdom.

Thunder boomed, and the cave vibrated until dirt from the ceiling tumbled down the walls. Mayor smirked. Was this little spectacle supposed to impress him? A howling wind forced him to hold his hat in place. With a burst of flame, his host arrived.

Tall and lanky, the man appeared gaunt, his face a pale shade of gray. Even his black hair was streaked with more silver than Mayor recalled. Perhaps the stress of perpetual defeat was beginning to weigh on him.

Mayor took in the oily black tux and tails that shimmered with red leather outlines. Orange buttons shaped like flames dotted the double breast and accented the vest underneath. An ebony tie circled his neck and set off the bright orange shirt to complete the outfit. He had to admit that his arch enemy did cut a rather dashing figure. Too bad there’s so much ugly on the inside.

“Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp-dressed man, eh?” Abaddon threw his head back and roared at his own humor.

Mayor pursed his lips. His adversary’s attempt to conceal emotions through animated jocularity fell flat, his eyes, cold and dead, betraying an inner turmoil of significant magnitude. Interesting.

“Surely you know one of the greatest party songs of all time.” He hummed a few bars of the old rock-and-roll tune. “ZZ Top?”

“Can we just get on with it?”

The evil one smirked, snapped his fingers, and a round table surrounded by rolling chairs appeared. They settled, and one of Abaddon’s hired hands rolled in a cart with an onyx coffee pot trimmed in gold with matching mugs. The man shot a fearful glance at his boss, received a dismissive grunt, then bowed and backed out of the room.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Sign up for Kim’s newsletter: https://rebrand.ly/i9urolq

Amazon Author Page:  author.to/KimsAuthorPage

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

Web Site:  https://www.kimberlykrussell.com/

GoodReads:  https://rebrand.ly/7w5hxhj

BookBub:  https://rebrand.ly/zq2je6a

Thank you, Kimberly, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I know it will help lots of the readers.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/gpuu50Gmimg

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