SUMMER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Liz Johnson - One FREE Book

BIO: Liz Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including Beyond the Tides and The Last Way Home, as well as the Georgia Coast Romance and Prince Edward Island Dreams series. She works in marketing, makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, and daydreams of returning to PEI. 

With more than a dozen novels written, Liz Johnson has learned how to capture audiences with her charming romances in captivating settings. In Summer in the Spotlight, the third installment in the Prince Edward Island Shores series, Johnson invites readers to join her for a season of rebuilding, restoration, and romance.

About the story: Kelsey Ahern’s childhood was filled with performances at the Victoria Playhouse. She continued her stage presence as an adult until a hurricane destroyed the building. Now, not only is she an actress without a stage, but her job as the high school drama teacher is in jeopardy. However, there is someone who may be able to help. Levi Ross, the facilities director at the school, has a reputation for being able to fix anything—and there is more to him than meets the eye.  

Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’t seem to find the courage to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town and takes an interest in Kelsey, Levi realizes he needs to speak up—or lose his chance.

As Kelsey and Levi work on putting together a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater, they may just find that they have more in common than they thought and that romance can bloom in unexpected ways.

Join New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson as she closes out her Prince Edward Island Shores series with another satisfying romance.

Welcome to my blog. Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel, Summer in the Spotlight? When a hurricane strikes Prince Edward Island, Kelsey Ahern’s beloved community theater is nearly destroyed—putting her job as the high school drama teacher on the line too. She asks her shy coworker Levi Ross to help her put on a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. But interest in the show from the island’s most popular weatherman brings about unexpected changes, leaving the fate of the theater up in the air—and plenty of hearts at risk too.

Please provide some background information on your female protagonist, Kelsey Ahern. Since she was seven, Kelsey has been performing on the stage, an art form she loved sharing with her late grandmother. With her parents mostly absent during her childhood, Kelsey relied on Grandma Coletta for nearly everything. Although she left the island shortly after high school, Kelsey eventually returned to take the job as the high school drama teacher, and now she’s trying to honor her grandma’s legacy by training up the next generation of young actors.

What is special about Levi Ross, one of the main characters in Summer in the Spotlight? Levi is a great guy. He’s thoughtful and compassionate, smart and funny. He’s also terribly shy and rarely speaks. Since his father abandoned their family when he was fifteen, Levi has preferred to spend his time with a book rather than with anyone else. But he also reads people well and quickly takes a student under his wing, teaching him how to use tools and rebuild old hay wagons. His superpower is remembering just about everything he reads—including the script of the play they’re putting on.

How are Kelsey and Levi connected? Kelsey and Levi were in the same grade growing up, and he’s always admired her from afar—too shy to tell her how he feels. But when he rescues her from serious injury during the hurricane, their acquaintance blossoms into a true friendship. As they work on the benefit show together, Levi realizes he’ll have to learn to speak up if he doesn’t want to miss the chance to win her heart.

Summer in the Spotlight highlights the theme of rebuilding. How does this theme impact the characters’ lives? As Levi and Kelsey work together, he begins to see himself through her eyes, to see that he’s capable of anything he sets his mind to. Slowly, he begins to find the confidence that he’d lost as a child, rebuilding it with her encouragement.

After her grandmother’s death, Kelsey built a wall around her heart, finding it easier to keep people out than risk losing someone else she loved. While she’s always believed Levi can do anything, she doesn’t expect that he can tear down that wall. But with every interaction, he becomes more and more important to her. When the show begins to fall apart, she panics and tries to rebuild the safety wall that will keep her from a broken heart.

What other themes or lessons are found in Summer in the Spotlight? One of my favorite themes in the book is that we do hard things for the people we love. Society often suggests that love should be easy or without cost, but true love requires true sacrifice. I loved watching these characters come to terms with what that sacrifice truly means in their relationship.

This is the second series that you have set on Prince Edward Island. Why did you choose this location for both the Prince Edward Island Dreams series and the Prince Edward Island Shores series? I could keep writing stories set on PEI forever. I love it so much. The island is tiny—about 125,000 residents—and it’s cold and snowy during the winter. But I’m constantly learning new and interesting things about it that make me fall in love a little more. The first time I visited, I thought I could see the whole island in five days. I barely scratched the surface. And every time I try something new (lobster fishing) or discover a hidden gem (the island’s theater community), I’m inspired to write.

PEI is called the Gentle Island, and it’s earned that name. It’s one of the quietest, most peaceful places I’ve ever been. On my first visit, I realized that it was a place to find healing. And what is a romance novel but two broken people searching for a way to be put back together? Where better than PEI?

What was the connecting element for all of the books in the Prince Edward Island Shores series? This series is about the Ross family—three brothers whose dad left them more than a decade ago. Each brother chose to deal with that loss in his own way—lashing out in anger, running away, and turning inward. Now, years later, they’re facing the consequences of those decisions. As they meet women who challenge and inspire them, they discover that God has plans for them beyond their father’s legacy.

What do you love most about writing romance novels? The kissing scenes. If I get stuck, my solution is usually to throw in a kiss. Okay, honestly? I love that romance novels are filled with hope for the could be. And I want each of my stories to be a reflection of the greatest love of all—the love of God.

Do you incorporate any parts of your own life into your writing? Of course. There are parts of me in every book I write. Not exact representations—every character is their own and not based on anyone I know. But I enjoy adding elements of my family history, stories from my childhood, and my loves to my stories. I also love to have my characters struggle with and find answers to spiritual lessons that I’m learning in life too.

Summer in the Spotlight features a hero who loves to read, much like I do. He just has a better memory than I do. Maybe the biggest piece of me in the book is my love of Prince Edward Island. I have found PEI to be the most peaceful, gentle place, and I love that my characters have found serenity and healing there too.

How can readers connect with you? I love connecting with readers via my newsletter at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com and on Instagram and Facebook @lizjohnsonbooks.

Thank you, Liz, for sharing this new book with my blog readers. Through reading your PEI books, I have a strong desire to visit there.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=summer+in+the+spotlight+liz+johnson&i=stripbooks&crid=1IZZ6Z8I332OD&sprefix=Summer+in+the+Spotlight+%2Cstripbooks%2C92&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_24

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 2 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 

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.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Elly  (IN) is the winner of Rescue in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd.

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 2 weeks to claim your book. 

THE RABBI AND MRS. GOLDSTEIN - MaryAnn Diorio - One Free Book

Welcome back, MaryAnn. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take? My goal in all of my stories has been to entertain, to inspire, and, possibly, to transform my readers’ lives through a gripping story from God’s heart to theirs. It is my hope that my novels will continue to do just that.
As for venues, I am planning, Lord willing, to do more personally narrated audiobooks of my stories.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them? I attended the ACFW At-Home Conference. I did not speak at this conference, although I have recently spoken for both ACFW and the San Gabriel Writers’ League. I will be appearing as a guest on an author panel to be held in November by Terri Gillespie’s YouTube program, “Author 2 Author.”

I would focus on a discussion of the importance of understanding genre and tropes in fiction. Genres are often the defining factor in the purchase of books. Readers read in their favorite genres. An author needs to understand her chosen genre and what is expected of her as she writes in that particular genre.
I would ask the following writers to be on the panel:
1. Susan May Warren

2. Lisa Jordan
3. Robin Lee Hatcher
4. Beth Vogt
5. Tina Radcliffe
6. Steven James
7. James Rubart
8. Deborah Raney

How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations? I think it is very important to participate in at least one writing organization for a number of reasons:
1) To learn from more experienced authors.
2) To learn about current developments in the writing and publishing industry.
3) To cultivate friendships with other authors for mutual support. This is especially important, I think, among Christian authors as we face the many attacks of the enemy.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer? I teach a Bible study in my cell group.   

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

1) Jesus without question is Number One. He transformed my life when I accepted Him as my Savior and Lord back in 1970. He has been my Guide, my Strength, my Encourager, and my Life.
2) My father. He gave me a love of words by reading poetry to me when I was a child, by taking me to the library, and by encouraging a love of learning in my life.
3) My mother. She was the most loving person I have known. She believed in me and told me that I could accomplish whatever dream God gave me.
4) My husband. He has been my greatest adult supporter. He greatly encourages me in my writing and helps me practically by doing chores so I can be free to write. He also takes care of much of the business side of my writing ministry. He makes me laugh continually and is my biggest cheerleader.
5) My two daughters, Lia and Gina. They have faithfully prayed for me and cheered me on in my writing ministry. They have supported me by reading and promoting my books.

If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?
She loved as Jesus loved.      

Tell us about the featured book. The Rabbi and Mrs. Goldstein is the story of a 19th-century Jewish rabbi’s wife who accepts Yeshua as the Messiah and faces divorce, destruction, and death.         

Please share the first page with us.

Cape May, New Jersey, Wednesday, April 6, 1870

At the sound of shouting, Miriam Goldstein tensed, fingered her gold wedding ring, and hurried from her office to the gift shop at the opposite side of the Cape May Jewish Culture Center. Rubbing her ring had a way of calming her whenever she faced a trying situation.

The center occupied the first floor of a small building adjacent to the Beth Israel Synagogue and was an outreach of it. In addition to Miriam’s office, it housed a museum of Jewish culture, three classrooms, and a gift shop to the right of the main entrance.

Her muscles tensing, she entered the gift shop.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet? Website: https://www.maryanndiorio.com

Thank you, Lena, for this wonderful opportunity!
Blessings,
MaryAnn

Thank you for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I love your stories.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+rabbi+and+mrs.+goldstein&i=stripbooks&crid=V83XZTIW9OI5&sprefix=The+Rabbi+and+Mrs.+Goldstein%2Cstripbooks%2C83&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_28  

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 2 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 

COUNTDOWN - Lynette Eason - One Free Book

Bio: Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight, Crossfire, and Critical Threat, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master’s degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband. They have two adult children.

In January 2022, bestselling author Lynette Eason introduced the Extreme Measure series. Each book in the series delivered intense, fast-paced action that focused on four friends who met in a juvenile delinquency center as teens and banded together in order to survive. Now Eason ramps up the adrenaline once again for the riveting finale in Countdown.

About the story: Raina Price is living life incognito. In order to protect herself from a dangerous stalker, she had to change her name, her identity, and her home. With the help of her friend from juvie, Raina is able to begin life anew. She has a new job as a flight paramedic that she loves. It feels great to put her energies into saving lives. But it is hard to put aside the fact that her own life may still be in danger.

US Marshal Vincent Corelli’s job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed in front of him, he is more determined than ever to save her and to find out who is behind the nefarious act.

Together they must work to solve the mystery of Raina’s past. But someone is determined to make sure that she doesn’t live long enough to uncover the truth. Can she trust Vincent with her past as well as her future?

Join Eason for a heart-stopping race against time in Countdown.  

Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel Countdown? Flight paramedic Raina Price’s past has marched back into her present—and it wants to kill her. A stalker who knows her well is determined to finish what he started, and US Marshal Vince Correlli vows to protect her at all costs—even if it ends his career.

Your female protagonist, Raina Price, has a secretive past. Can you please provide some insight about why she had to go into hiding? She made some lousy choices as a teenager. One of those choices led her to juvie, where she met the other heroines in the series, but one particular bad choice led her to get involved with a man who was a narcissistic sociopath. With this guy threatening those she loved, her only recourse, she felt, was to drop off the face of the planet and go into hiding.

Vincent Corelli vows to protect Raina at all costs. How has his job as a US Marshal provided him with the skill set to see this through? Well, that’s what a Marshal is trained for, right? Protecting those who need it? So, he simply transfers his training to Raina to keep her safe.

Countdown is the final book in the Extreme Measure series. What is the connecting element for all the books in this series? The connecting element for all the books is the four heroines who met in juvie as teens.

Will characters from previous books in the series make appearances in your new novel? They do. I always love bringing back previous characters and catching up with what’s going on in their lives. The readers enjoy it too.

Are there any threads that run through the whole series that will be wrapped up in this book? No, each book can be read as a stand-alone. All threads are wrapped up in each book.

What was the inspiration for this series? I have a lot of brainstorming buddies, but I have to give credit to my editor, Andrea Doering, for this idea. She threw out a little spark of an idea, and I managed to fan it into a flame that became the series.

Did you have a favorite character in Countdown? I really love Raina. She was terrified on so many levels but displayed such courage to fight back against her abuser and stalker. I respected her a lot and was thrilled to be able to give her a happy ending.

Countdown is set in Asheville, North Carolina. Why did you choose this setting? Asheville, North Carolina, is one of my favorite places on earth. I love the mountains, I love small towns on the outskirts of big cities, I just love it all. And I spend a lot of time there. So, I often set my books in the mountains of North Carolina.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Countdown? I hope they will be thoroughly entertained for several hours, and if something in the spiritual element connects with them, then that’s always a wonderful thing.

How can readers connect with you? I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and Twitter @lynetteeason and Instagram @lynetteeason. My website is www.lynetteeason.com.

Thank you, Lynette, for sharing Countdown With my blog readers. I love every book you’ve written that I’ve read, and there have been a lot of them.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=countdown+lynette+eason&i=stripbooks&crid=APADXXMDPHTY&sprefix=Countdown+lynett%2Cstripbooks%2C87&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_16

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 2 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 

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.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Sharon  (SC) is the winner of Tangled Lives by Carol McClain.

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 2 weeks to claim your book.   

RESCUE IN THE WILDERNESS - Andrea Byrd - One Free Book

Welcome to my blog, Andrea. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. In a way, I think it is almost impossible not to allow some of your own self to slip into your characters. But often times, my female characters are much more of who I wish I was or could be than who I am myself.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Oh, this one is downright embarrassing. I met one of my favorite authors at a writer’s conference/book festival. My husband had met her and spoken with her, telling her about my books while I was attending the writer’s conference. When I came out, he told me about it and that she was interested in my books. Well, I had brought copies of a couple with me… so without introduction or preamble… I walked right up and handed them to her! I think I said something along the lines of, “These are for you.” I was (and still am) so embarrassed and my husband will never let me live down that moment! Though, we have met the author again since then and she was still just as sweet as ever!

When did you first discover that you were a writer? In middle school. In 6th and 7th grade, I had a teacher who helped transform my absolute disdain of writing into a love of writing. I have been writing ever since.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I am a little boring because I mainly read historical Christian Fiction. I especially prefer those set in the 1800s and WWII, but there is some range outside of that and I read some nonfiction as well.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Sanity? Haha, I am not sure that I do!

How do you choose your characters’ names? I look for historically and regionally appropriate names, take names from my own ancestors, and also have the readers in my reader group help.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Outside of my marriage and my family, it would most definitely be becoming a traditionally published author. This has been a dream of mine for over half my life.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Probably a black bear. Generally quiet and reclusive with a love for nature and berries, but definitely protective of my family.

What is your favorite food? I have been going through some dietary changes, so it is difficult to say. But I do especially love berries, particularly blackberries (both wild and tame).

I love berries, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? Length and complexity. This is an area in which I am still growing and learning but reading Susan May Warren’s The Story Equation was really pivotal for me. That book contained some wonderful information on how to dive deeper with my stories and characters.

Tell us about the featured book. William Cole cannot forget the cruel burden he carries, not with the pock marks that serve as an outward reminder. Riddled with guilt, he assumed the solitary life of a long hunter, traveling into the wilds of Kentucky each year. But his quiet existence is changed in an instant when, sitting in a tavern, he overhears a man offering his daughter—and her virtue—to the winner of the next round of cards. William’s integrity and desire for redemption will not allow him to sit idly by while such an injustice occurs.  

Lucinda Gillespie has suffered from an inexplicable illness her entire life. Her father, embarrassed by her condition, has subjected her to a lonely existence of abuse and confinement. But faced with the ultimate betrayal on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Lucinda quickly realizes her trust is better placed in his hands of the mysterious man who appears at her door. Especially when he offers her the one thing she never thought would be within her grasp—freedom. 

In the blink of an eye, both lives change as they begin the difficult, danger-fraught journey westward on the Wilderness Trail. But can they overcome their own perceptions of themselves to find love and the life God created them for? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

November 11, 1779—ABINGDON, VA

Every fiber of William’s being fought his presence in the room. His wandering feet itched to feel the soft, uneven terrain of a narrow game trail. His body craved fresh, untainted air and endless expanses of land, free of the confines of human society. Instead, his moccasin-covered foot bounced nervously on a hard wooden floor as he willed himself to remain seated among the sweaty, unwashed men as they imbibed spirits.

From his place in the corner of the tavern, he watched the room from under the brim of the leather hat that never left his head. Just as on the trail, his hazel eyes were ever scanning for danger. The crowd was unusually raucous—undoubtedly due to the sudden arrival of crisp fall air. The muscle across the top of William’s shoulders rippled, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up, as

How can readers find you on the Internet? The best place to find me is on Facebook in my reader group, The Reader’s Nest.

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing this book with my blog readers. I know they will love it.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rescue+in+the+wilderness+andrea+byrd&i=stripbooks&crid=2XXJ48KC0LDO1&sprefix=Rescue+in+the%2Cstripbooks%2C106&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_13

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 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, X (formerly 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 

AN UPDATE

Dear Blog Readers,

I apologize for the break in posting. We were dealing with my husband's health problems. Later today, I will post a new interview, and we should get back to a regular schedule.

I love all of you,

Lena

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.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Beth  (IA) is the winner of A Not So Peaceful Journey by Sandra Merville Hart.

Leah  (TX) is the winner of Revenge by Tamara G Cooper.

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 2 weeks to claim your book.  

TANGLED LIVES - Carol McClain - One Free Book

Welcome back to my blog. Why did you become an author? I taught English for many years. My favorite subject was my AP English Language and Composition. Here we studied syntax and diction and elements that made writing memorable. Coupled with my regular classes with students who always wrote, I wondered—could I write a book?

Obviously, I did.

That said, you’ll never read my first writings—Praise God.

As I reflect, I always had been a dreamer and in the dreaming, a writer. I started in third grade, paused in my authorial skills until the horrible, angst-filled poetry stage in high school. I moved on to Sunday school plays until the day I asked myself that fateful question: Could I write a book?

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job? I already had my dream job and am still living it. Teaching.

I always joked I lacked imagination. As a child, my parents thought school was necessary. At play at home, I acted out classroom scenes with me as the teacher. After college, I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do, so I “did” school.

I’ve retired from the classroom, but I supervise student teachers and teach Bible studies.

I love school.

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

I’m not so sure I’d change. If I lived in the 1700 or 1800s, I’d be dead from a hemorage after childbirth, or from the cancer I had in my thirties or my ruptured appendix. Earlier in the 20^th century we had World War I and World War II. Any earlier epoch was probably worse: bubonic plague, serfdom, sweating sickness, slavery.

Our society is on the wrong path today and is mentioned daily in my prayers, but I’ve been fortunate to have been born when higher education didn’t mortgage your life and all our mores didn’t sell our souls.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to? Alaska! My husband and I have watched every show about Alaska. The state is gorgeous. To see glaciers and the Alaska Range and Denali and the tundra would be a dream come true.

My protagonist in Tangled Lives dreams of Alaska and mimics my longing (except for the cold, and my love for the Smokies).

The bugs, rain, darkness, and -50F temps would keep me from living there, but I’d love to see the state—the whole state.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit? I’ve been fortunate to see much of Europe. Spain and Italy are my favorites. I’d go to either of those countries again and again. I love art and architecture, and these two countries abound in both.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

“Hang on.”

“Pain produces beauty if you allow the Lord to work.”

Recently, I had a spate of hard situations. After a year of decline and suffering, my mother died. A couple of months later, I had a ruptured appendix which I think was worse than any doctor told me as I lay in the hospital on heavy pain medication for five days.

During that time, my dear brother died suddenly. My daughter had elective surgery. Then her father died.

I knew people prayed for me, but I couldn’t feel God. I dug into worship and my Bible. I believed without feeling Him, that God carried me.Andrew Ripp, a contemporary Christian singer, has a line in his song “Roses” that makes me cry every time I hear the lyrics because of its beauty and truth: “Love is the blood-red stain, the beauty that the pain exposes. Maybe that’s why God made roses.”

As I exit this stage of my life, I cherish this “Blood-red stain.”

Tell us about the featured book? Tangled Lives is a contemporary novel. Two sisters love the same man. They share a past one can’t remember and the other can’t forget.

Tangled Lives is the third, and final installment, of the Treasure Lives series. The story follows the life of Roxie and Crystal Snow, two of the sisters found by Meredith Jaynes in Book 1, Borrowed Lives. The past tangles their future as they learn forgiveness and decide to follow their dreams rather than their prescribed lives.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

Childhood behaves like the morning mist. Children dance and delight, then grow and vanish into the light of their days. So many nights, I wished my girls would mature, would give me grandchildren, would give me a moment to myself. First, of course, go to college.

When the time arrived, and they left me, they took their magic. Without magic, the scent of childhood wafted away in the morning fog. How could I have understood, all those years ago, the bedraggled waifs I fostered would steal my heart? In my reluctance to mother the abandoned children, I never fathomed the temporary fostering would turn into everlasting love when I adopted them.

Once more, I bit back tears as Crystal Joy, my youngest girl, climbed into her car. Last week, we outfitted the Honda with hand controls, so she could drive despite her spina bifida. Parker and I watched as she drove away to the University of Tennessee to join her sister.

I imagined I heard her singing. Never was Crystal without a song even as a child. Back then she hammered on pots and Tupperware to make music. Her alto, always on pitch. Her fingers twitched on guitar strings or dulcimers. In the end, my youngest daughter settled on the violin. Never did the spina bifida slow Crystal down or make her feel inferior. Could a mother call one child perfect?

The dust from the road settled, and I stood next to Parker like the day Lisa Simpson tried to adopt Crystal’s sister.

Roxie.

Always the most sensitive. Perhaps the proverbial middle child. Sweet, insecure Roxie. Too independent and too needy. Her biological parents died of drug overdoses. Roxie had been old enough to understand abandonment, too young to realize her parents’ issues had nothing to do with her worth. Her oldest sister’s grandfather adopted her when she was eight. The hole bored through my heart. It compounded sweet Roxie’s belief in her lack of worth. Roxie believed I loved everyone more than her.

Parker looped his arm around me.

His closeness soothed. Always.

“Meredith, the girls will be home before you realize they moved out. Now’s the time for them to heal, live their passions, and find themselves.” He kissed the top of my head. “They’ll be okay.”

In Parker’s eyes, I hoped to see the truth of his words. This time, I didn’t run away and hide. I let God take my fears and prayed the sins of my daughters’ parents would no longer descend on their innocent offspring. I prayed the love of adoptive parents and a heavenly Father would redeem.

Here are my buy links:

Tangled Lives print book: https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Lives-Carol-McClain/dp/1649499671/ref

Tangled Lives ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Lives-Treasured-Book-ebook/dp/B0CBLFJJC6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1689345211&sr=8-1

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website lists my appearances, my releases with buy links, and my blog. You can find me at:

http://www.carolmcclain.com

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. I’m on Facebook as Author Carol McClain

Thank you for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I love your unique writing voice.

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 2 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 

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.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Connie  (KY) is the winner of Murmur in the Mud Caves - Kathleen Denley.

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Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

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REVENGE - Tamara G Cooper - One Free Book

Welcome back to my blog, Tamara. How did you come up with the idea for this story? I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer, so I had a vague idea of what might happen in this book. I knew about Aaron, but I didn’t know much about him. An SOTP writer sits down and starts writing. As I do, the story unfolds, the characterizations come to life. That’s the best way I know how to explain it. I don’t have many ideas about the story before I start each day of writing. The story just tells itself. It’s like I jump into the book and watch what happens and write it down. Weird, huh? But…at the end of the book, I have my first draft or my “outline.” Then the editing starts! 

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why? All of these authors would be invited because of what they’ve written. Probably my favorite Christian author today is Eric Metaxas because of his phenomenal book, Amazing Grace. I didn’t want that book to end! It profoundly touched me. Alex Kendrick and Dallas Jenkins are both writers whose works have become favorite movies/films. C.S. Lewis makes both lists; his work is mesmerizing. He is no longer with us, but his Narnia series is still very much “contemporary” and loved by my kids. Frank Peretti, because of his thrillers. And Jan Karon. Well, just the name Jan Karon brings Mitford and its characters to mind. Love that series!  

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why? I don’t read historical fiction very much, but I have read some. I’ve read the complete series of Gilbert Morris’s “The House of Winslow” about the founding of our country. Brilliant series, very engaging. Janette Oke, too many books to name. C.S. Lewis makes this list as well, even though he is not with us any longer. He was close friends with Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) and created The Screwtape Letters as well as the Narnia series. Mary Connealy’s feisty lead characters are fun. Angela Ewell Hunt’s Biblical stories are well written. Too many to mention, really, but here are some favorites. 

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career? My most difficult problem with writing is not so much finding the time to write, but staying with the writing with all the other distractions that pop up with the writing. Newsletters, communication, events, etc. A writer’s life is full, but I love it! 

Tell us about the featured book. Revenge is a romantic suspense, heavy on the suspense. Here is the synopsis of the book on my author’s page on Amazon: 

The authorities were wrong about Claire's death. She was hunted down and murdered in such a creative way - brilliant, actually - that it only looked like an accident. 

Aaron's life shatters after Claire's sudden and bizarre death. Why didn't he act on his suspicions that she was being stalked, even though she dismissed the idea? The media monitors every step Aaron takes, obsessed with digging up or making up the inside scoop on Claire's last moments. Blaming Aaron for her death is their most frequent story angle. Driven to the brink of despair, he needs a place to hide, a shelter to withdraw from eyes constantly scrutinizing his life. 

Deliverance arrives in an unexpected inheritance: the sprawling wilderness of his great aunt's East Texas estate. No one would expect him - a billionaire New Yorker - to live in East Texas. He is pleasantly surprised to discover that his long-lost first love recently moved back to the area. She intrigued him at fourteen; she completely captivates him at twenty-six. Settling into his new home seems easy enough until the sense that someone is watching him overshadows the pleasure of his long, solitary walks. When he finds the body of a young woman, a stranger, near his walking path on the anniversary of Claire's death, it shakes him to the core. First Claire. Now, this woman. Is someone targeting him? Is he next? Is someone he loves next? 

Suddenly, his secluded sanctuary is no longer a refuge. He fortifies his estate, transforming it into a fortress against the coming attack. Despite his efforts, the killer's tightening noose threatens to ensnare him. Outsmarting this relentless predator has become a deadly game of chess, where every move could be his last. 

Please give us the first page of the book. 

Aaron stood at the tall windows of the Travel Room overlooking the magnificent grounds of Winslow Manor.  

Trees as far as he could see in every direction.  

Green grass thriving under an achingly blue sky.  

A stillness across the land that spoke of contentment and harmony. 

“It is beautiful, Aunt,” he muttered to himself, “but Texas, of all places. More specifically, East Texas. You actually thought I could live here?” 

His great-aunt Dottie Winslow was a native New Yorker, as was he. Some forty-five years ago, she’d given up her East Coast creds to live outside Wild Stallion, Texas, on six thousand acres of trees, pastureland, and one very large lake. None of the New York Winslows could understand why she’d made such an outrageous move to a culture she knew little about. 

“I’m surrounded by good ol’ boys, rednecks, and cowboys,” she’d told Aaron on one of his family’s rare visits.  

“How can you bear it, Aunt?” 

She’d sent him a quick but sharp look of disappointment. “Oh, Aaron, honey. I also live among ladies in lace, beauty queens, and great cooks. I love them all, every last one of them. Texans are special people. They’re worth getting to know.” 

Getting to know? 

Was she kidding? 

He remembered laughing at such an absurd notion, and he was right. 

Their worlds were complete opposites. He came from wealth, as did she, from an impatience to build something on the land, not live off it. Maybe he was cynical, as all New Yorkers were somewhat, but living among people who worked outside in the dirt with animals wasn’t for him. He'd stay in his own universe and leave her to Texas. 

And yet, here he was, in Texas again.  

The last time he’d seen Aunt Dottie was a short overnight trip with Claire almost six months ago, on their way to Colorado.  

Beautiful, sweet Claire. 

The pain came swiftly.  

It always did when he thought of her.  

It never completely left him, lurking, unforgiving, ready to strike. 

How can readers find you on the Internet? 

My books are on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4M9CHSG/ 

On Goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Tamara+G.+Cooper&qid= 

Thank you for having me on your blog again, Lena. I enjoyed it so much! 

It’s my pleasure to feature you. Thank you for sharing Revenge with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://amzn.to/45spqLF

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 2 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