UNDER THE SILK HIBISCUS - Alice J Wisler - One Free Book

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

It is important for me to write books that entertain my readers. I hope my characters are realistic as they go through struggles and hardships, love, forgiveness, and hope. I suppose I write the books I do because I like to read books like I write, if that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense to me. That’s why I started writing novels. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I’ve had many happy days and really can’t name just one. I think I’m happiest when I’m writing!

How has being published changed your life?

Well, I get to sign books and answer questions in author interviews—like this one!

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading The Art of Mending by one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Berg.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on a memoir. Tough stuff as I strive to be authentic.

What would be your dream vacation?

 Alice Springs, Australia. I have always dreamed of going to Australia and making friends with a kangaroo.

Australia has been my dream vacation for a long time, too. How do you choose your settings for each book?

My first five novels all take place in North Carolina. Under the Silk Hibiscus is the first novel I have written not set in my home state. I chose Wyoming for this one because that is where an internment camp during WWII was located.

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

I’d admire Denzel Washington for his acting talent and would love to be on a movie set with him.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to bake bread! Most of my recipes that I have created have turned out well, but I have had some disasters.

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

I think it would have to be getting stuck on one word and overusing it. I don’t realize that I do this until the novel is completed and then I do a “search and find” and am appalled at my redundancy of certain words. I have to get rid of words and replace them. A Thesaurus comes in handy.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

The usual motivational speech all writers give to beginners—never give up! Keep striving. Practice your craft. There is always room for improvement.

Tell us about the featured book.

Under the Silk Hibiscus takes place in an internment camp in Wyoming where many Japanese-Americans were sent after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. There's upheaval, frustration, pain, and sorrow. Families are separated. Some members are accused of being spies, like Nathan Mori's father.

To balance the discrimination that evolved during this time period, I had to  rely on humor and romance.

One of the most fun relationships I enjoyed crafting was between the main character, Nathan, and his aunt Kazuko. Even though she's single and has no children of her own, Aunt Kazuko knows how to keep Nathan and his brothers in line. But even she knows a body can't live on hard work alone. Cookies are her friends! She keeps morsels in her sweater sleeves, taking them out when she needs “a pep.”

And of course, there's young romance. Nathan dreams of the lovely singer, Lucy, and wants her to notice him, but she seems more interested in his older brother, Ken.

There are two characters which are not people—one is Heart Mountain, the mountain viewed every day from those in the barracks at the camp. Then there is the Mori family's coveted gold watch, a family heirloom from Japan.

So the questions form: Will Nathan get the girl? What happens to the family heirloom during the war and after the war ends? Does Nathan's father return? How does war and discrimination change hearts? How does God's love prevail?

Please give us the first page of the book.

As an afternoon wind blew over the camp’s sagebrush terrain, I wiped dust from my face with a handkerchief that once belonged to Papa. Frustration, like the surrounding barbed wire fences, taunted me. At breakfast, something vile overcame me; I’d demanded to know if anyone knew about Papa’s whereabouts. I targeted my aunt because she was the easiest to bully. As I continued insisting that she tell me what she knew, the families at the nearby tables lifted their faces from bowls of dry rice. Shut up, I could read from the older men’s and women’s expressions. We’re at war; this is no time for you to become hostile. Besides, you are only a child.

Since there had been no communication from Papa after that fateful day in February when two FBI agents entered our home in San Jose, I was certain he was dead. They had taken him away in handcuffs. “Spy,” the tall one with a crew cut had called him. “We know you are working with Japan’s military.”

As the memory of that day burned in my mind, I trudged toward the camp’s latrines, bucket in hand. Yesterday afternoon Lucy had smiled at me; I’d nearly danced across the hard dirt road. Today, I felt almost as despairing as the day Mama, my aunt, my brothers, and I were told we had forty-eight hours to pack up for relocation.

“Relocation,” Mama had cried, the word obviously foreign to her. “We don’t need to go anywhere. We are happy here.” But happiness had not been the point. Fear seemed to be. Was it

the picture of Emperor Hirohito on our living room wall that made Caucasian men tremble? Did they think that Mama was sitting under her knitted grey shawl at the kitchen table, sending messages across the Pacific to the enemy?

My thoughts sprang, one bouncing off another. An army truck sped past toward the mess hall, creating a blanket of dust around the row of bleak barracks. The roar of its engine brought me back to reality, and I increased my pace. If I weren’t careful, I’d wind up like my ten-year-old brother, Tom, who seemed to live in his own world of poetry books and fantasies.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Alice-J.-Wisler/e/B001J6GVNE/

Website: http://www.alicewisler.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alice-J-Wisler/333751835453

Alice’s Patchwork Quilt Blog: http://www.alicewisler.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Alice, for sharing this book with us. Many Americans aren't aware that these things happened.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Under the Silk Hibiscus

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

STILL LIFE IN SHADOWS - Alice J Wisler - One Free Book

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

I hope to write more novels and also to write another non-fiction book or two. Most of all, I want to be able to trust God for his provision in my life. I mean, for everything! I so want to live more by faith and not by my limited sight.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have four kids---three on earth and one in Heaven. The three here are Rachel, Ben and Liz. Daniel died at age four from cancer treatments in 1997. His short life has inspired me in my writing and speaking. I’m married to Carl. We’ve just started a business called Carved By Heart. We make engraved plaques and memorials from oak, pine and poplar. You can see some of our work here: http://www.carvedbyheart.com

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Oh, yes. Sometimes it’s hard to read for pleasure because my editor hat is always on. On the other hand, when I read something that speaks to me, I know the author worked hard to get that portion of the book to sound just right and that good writing is tedious to accomplish.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on many writing projects. One is another novel for River North that I’ve titled, Lessons in Blue, about adoption, grief and loss.

What outside interests do you have?

I’ve recently taking up leather crafting. I enjoy pounding tools into leather with my mallet and seeing the outcome. I also walk three miles each day. Walking and I get along so well, that I’ve incorporated it into my devotional (Getting Out of Bed in the Morning) that comes out in January. There are sections in my book that are especially for walkers as they commune with God on the trail.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

All five of my novels are set in North Carolina. I live in Durham, NC, and find writing about this state to work well.

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

I’d like to meet with Mary Lincoln. She lost two children to death and really lost herself, keeping her curtains closed and refusing to go out in public. If she’d allow me in, I’d like to have a cup of tea and ask her some questions, and more than that, I’d want to give her a hug.

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

I should have listened better in English Grammar class.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Patience. Patience as I wait upon God. I tell myself that God loves my kids and loved ones more than I do and has a plan for each of their lives.

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

Practice your craft each day.

Read what you like to write.

Accept criticism about your work; be willing to change your ideas in order to make your story shine.

Tell us about the featured book?

I call Still Life in Shadows an ex-Amish novel, because it follows the life of Gideon Miller who left his community due to an abusive father. About eighteen months ago, I watched a documentary on Amish youth who “escaped” the Old Order lifestyle to pursue “English” lives. As I watched, I took notes and from there read a lot online about what the Amish face when they choose to leave their homes. I was lucky enough to be interviewed in the Columbia Daily Tribune with my inspiration for my novel, ex-Amish, Mose Gingerich. My story is written from Gideon’s viewpoint as well as that of a thirteen-year-old autistic girl named Kiki. It’s a tale about wanting to belong and learning to forgive, especially yourself.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Kiki had to get out, get going, or she’d punch a hole in something. This two-bedroom house was as cramped as a coffin and nearlysmelled like one, as the aroma of fried food saturated the walls. Mari had told her to stay close, dinner was almost ready. But who wanted to wait around inside as her sister stir-fried green peppers, onions, and potatoes—again?

In her room, Kiki laced her neon green tennis shoes as quickly as her fingers could maneuver the frayed strings. She grabbed Yoneko, her cotton tabby-cat puppet, and scrambled to her feet. Too quickly. The blood all rushed from her head. She steadied herself against her closet door and waited for the sensation to pass. Slow down, slow down, for Pete’s sake. Then with tiny steps, she ventured into the hallway.

Her sister Mari—a lanky figure still wearing the tea shop’s frilly apron—stood in front of the stove. With her back to Kiki, she turned vegetables over with a spatula and hummed some song—probably from the last century. Mari liked those old romantic songs by the Beatles and

Bob Dylan because, as she put it, they had meaning for her heart.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Please find me on the Internet!

LIKE my author page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alice-J-Wisler/333751835453

Read my blog: http://www.alicewisler.com

Sign up for my newsletter: http://www.alicewisler.com/literary-lyrics-newsletter/

Thank you, Alice, for sharing this book with us. 

Readers, I've read this one and not only is it unique, it is also well-written. You'll want to read it.


Here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Still Life in Shadows - paperback
Still Life in Shadows - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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 Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

A WEDDING INVITATION - Alice J Wisler - Free Book

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

The kind of books I write (contemporary fiction) are the genre I like to read.

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

I’ve had many happy days----the birth of my four children, the day I married Carl, and the day I signed my first contract for two novels with Bethany House.

How has being published changed your life?

I’ve always written, even as a kid I was creating stories.  Being published makes me feel validated in my writing.  So, it has bridged me from a “wanna-be” author to a “real author”.

What are you reading right now?

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m revising Fragrance of Marigolds, a novel I completed a year ago about a bereaved mother who sells her home and buys a RV. 

What would be your dream vacation?

I’ve been on so many vacations that have been dreams come true.  I’d like to go on a cruise through the Mediterranean with my husband.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My five novels (the most recent, Still Life in Shadows, will be published by River North/Moody is August) are all set in North Carolina.  I placed my first novel, Rain Song, in Mount Olive, and since then decided to set all my novels in North Carolina.

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

I’d like to talk with John Walsh of “America’s Most Wanted.”  His son died and we have a lot in common since my son died in 1997 from cancer treatments. I’d like to ask him about his son Adam as well as about all he’s done to help others in the aftermath of Adam’s abduction and murder.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Cooking Asian food, walking three miles each day, and spending time on our runabout boat, Rain Song, are some of the things I like to do.

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

Facebook!  Facebook can snatch all your writing time if you aren’t careful.  Once I set out to write, I’m pretty good at sticking with it but those little visits over from my manuscript file to Facebook do cause some delays.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t give up.  Revise, revise, edit and edit.  You can always improve. Write often----that is how you get better at it.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Wedding Invitation is about two teachers helping a young refugee woman find her birth mom. It is loosely based on my time of working as a teacher in a refugee camp in the Philippines in the mid 1980s.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

February 1993

When a pet goes missing, it’s hard to concentrate on anything but where he might be. Missing a cat can cause his owner to lose focus, forget, and do silly things---even hang clothing in wrong places. Today this is happening to my mother.

 

As though she’s walking through a fog, Mom stares into the distance and hangs the newest order of black dresses all together in a clump.  The metal hangers clink against each other, and I wince, realizing what she’s done. The size twos are next to the size fourteens, yet the entire point of  Mom’s store are that the small and large sizes are displayed conveniently on different racks, not all meshed together, tangled in a confused web.

Following behind her, I sort the designer dresses in their proper sections, wondering if I should remind Mom that she can’t compromise her organizational skills—they are her strength in running her boutique, Have a Fit.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.alicewisler.com is my website.  Friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.  My author page on Facebook is:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alice-J-Wisler/333751835453

I love hearing from readers!


Thank you, Alice, for dropping by today.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Wedding Invitation, A - paperback
Wedding Invitation, A - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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 Feedblitz, Facebook, 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

HATTERAS GIRL - Alice J Wisler - Free Book

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Generally, I like to make my characters different from me. In Rain Song, Nicole fears flying while I love it! Having said that, I suppose I can’t help but create some attributes that resemble me. In How Sweet It Is, Deena decorates cakes (I had a cake-decorating business years ago) and works at an organization for disadvantaged kids (I did that after graduating from college). In Hatteras Girl, Jackie loves the North Carolina Outer Banks (yep, that’s me).

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Probably sneaking out of the dormitory in high school in Kobe, Japan, with friends. We’d walk down to the local train station and just sit in the quiet to talk. Yes, it was breaking the rules, but we were only 14 and 15, and our sneaky sides prevailed. Once caught, we gave it up.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

My first and second grade teacher, Miss Terwilliger, had me read my stories to the class and even marched me into the third and fourth grade classroom of our tiny Kyoto International School to read to them. I knew then that I wanted to write a book one day.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love women’s fiction. I also enjoy well-written memoirs by anyone.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

After my son Daniel died in 1997, I self-published two cookbooks in memory of kids who have died. Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle are still ordered by many. I also wrote two not-at-all-worthy novels before Rain Song. Actually, I did place one of the characters in Rain Song from one of those manuscripts. I liked Grandma Ducee so much that I couldn’t let her go.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I don’t run. I walk twice a week. :-) All kidding aside, I don’t feel overwhelmed with the pressures of society. I like to keep busy.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Some of the names are derived from my own Southern relatives. I held a contest for my fourth novel, A Wedding Invitation, due out next fall. I asked for three names and the suppliers of the names I chose got copies of my previous novels. They will be acknowledged in A Wedding Invitation when it comes out.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Actually, I have two, one a little trivial, and the other, more defining. My first would be birthing four kids without any epidurals. But what is most amazing is what I do every day—surviving the death of my four-year-old son, Daniel. He died from cancer treatments in 1997, and I created an organization in his name. Through Daniel’s House Publications, I conduct online grief-writing workshops and all-day workshops. I also have empathy cards I’ve designed that I sell.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I’d be an elephant because they are supposed to have good memories and never forget. Lately, I am much too forgetful.

What is your favorite food?

Sushi! No cream cheese or avocados, just the real stuff I grew up with in Japan.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My greatest roadblock continues to be making myself write. I keep disciplined by creating a word count and sticking to it each day. Otherwise, I can get bogged down with spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter, or on the Internet.

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Write often, edit often. Be real in your storytelling. Keep your chin up and believe in yourself. Read, especially the genre you want to write in. Try to avoid clichés. Remember: The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.

Tell us about the featured book.

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives. There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag. When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Lena, I don’t have access to this unless I were to open the book and type by hand the whole page. I’ve even deleted the file for Hatteras Girl from my computer. People can access the first pages by going to Amazon.com.

I can give you the first line:

Seated at the mahogany counter on a wobbly barstool, I wait for Mr. Wealthy and Available.

 How can readers find you on the Internet?

Go to my website: http://www.alicewisler.com/ Also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Alice, thanks for this peek into your life.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/