HOMEFRONT HERO - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?        

I’ll continue to write for Love Inspired Historical and Love Inspired contemporary series romances.  Even after 15 books, I feel like I’m just hitting my stride.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?      

Being the raging extrovert that I am, public speaking is a real draw for me.  I need the interaction to counteract the isolation writing brings.  I speak about once a month (often more), with audiences ranging from 16 to 6,000.  All my engagements are listed at http://alliepleiter.com/calendar.html

If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?      

I’ve been focusing a lot on writing through adversity, having come through a difficult year in 2010 when my son was seriously ill (he’s fine now).  I’ve come to know many other authors who have weathered deep personal storms while continuing to work, and I’d ask each of them to share their strategies, what they learned, and what they’d do differently now.  I couldn’t really name names without asking permission, but times are tough everywhere so it should come as no surprise that they’re tough in publishing.

How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

Oh, right up there with oxygen!  I need personal interaction, and I believe that those of us with established careers have an obligation to nurture writers coming up after us.  I’m involved with my local chapters of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?       

I am a sitting elder at Yorkfield Presbyterian Church, where I also write many of the church dramas and run the church’s prayer shawl knitting ministry.  I serve on the boards of the charitable foundations for both our town’s school districts, and for many years was active in Young Life.

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

My mother gave me my fiercely independent strength and the ability to disagree with grace.  My high school English teacher Leonard Krill was the first person to introduce me to a love of the written word.  My husband Jeff taught me to value relationships over accomplishments.  I’ll never have sufficient thanks for editor/agent Gail Fortune for the dare that got me into this business (that’s a very funny story for another day). The vibrant author Charlene Baumbich taught me the ropes of speaking and authorship, and has remained both a colleague and a dear friend for longer than either of us would probably care to admit.

If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?           

“She said a brave YES to every adventure God laid in front of her and encouraged others to do the same.”

Tell us about the featured book.     

I’m deeply proud of HOMEFRONT HERO.  It’s the story of John Gallows, a WWI hero who is admired on the outside but deeply wounded on the inside.  As a press stunt, he’s forced into the Red Cross campaign to encourage boys to knit socks for soldiers.  The campaign shoe-horns him into a partnership with nurse Leanne Sample who proves more his equal than he ever imagined.  When the Spanish Influenza epidemic strikes their Army base, each of them is tested far beyond their character, and they learn extraordinary things about themselves, God’s unconditional love, and each other.

Please share the first page with us. 

Camp Jackson Army Base Columbia, South Carolina, September 1918

I still can't believe it." Leanne Sample gazed around at the busy activity of Camp Jackson. Even with all she'd heard and seen while studying nursing at nearby University of South Carolina, the encampment stunned her. This immense property had only recently been mere sand, pine and brush. Now nearly a thousand buildings created a self-contained city. She was part of that city. Part of the monumental military machine poised to train and treat the boys going to and coming from "over there." She was a staff nurse at the base army hospital. "We're really here."

"Unless I'm seein' things, we most definitely are here." Ida Landway, Leanne's fellow nurse and roommate at the Red Cross House where they and other newer nurses were housed, elbowed her. "I've seen it with my own eyes, but I still can barely believe this place wasn't even here two years ago." Together they stared at the layout of the orderly, efficient streets and structures, rows upon rows of new buildings standing in formation like their soldier occupants. "It's a grand, impressive thing, Camp Jackson. Makes me proud."

Leanne had known Ida briefly during their study program at the university, but now that they were officially installed at the camp, Leanne already knew her prayers for a good friend in the nursing corps had been answered. Different as night and day, Leanne still had found Ida a fast and delightful companion. Ida's sense of humor was often the perfect antidote to the stresses of military base life. As such, their settling in at the Red Cross House and on the hospital staff had whooshed by her in a matter of days, and been much easier than she'd expected.

Still, "on-staff nursing life was tiring. "There was so much to do," Leanne said to Ida as she tilted her face to the early fall sunshine as they chatted with other nurses on the hillside out in front of the Red Cross House. "Too many things are far more complicated in real service then I ever found them in class."

"A free afternoon. I was wondering if we'd ever get one. Gracious, I remember thinking our class schedules were hard." Ida rolled her shoulders. "Hard has a whole new meaning to me now." This afternoon had been their first stretch of free time, and they'd decided to spend an hour doing absolutely nothing before taking the trolley into Columbia to attend a war rally on the USC campus that evening.

"However are you going to have time to do this?" Ida pointed to a notice of base hospital events pinned to a post outside the Red Cross House. "I feel like I've barely time to breathe, and you're already lined up to teach knitting classes."

"I've managed to find the time to teach you," Leanne reminded her newest student.

"Don't I know it. I tell you, my mama's jaw would drop if she saw I've already learned to knit. I guess you've found right where you fit in the scheme of things around here."

Ida was right; Leanne had found her place on base almost instantly. As if God had known just where to slot her in, placing an opening for a teacher in the Red Cross sock knitting campaign. If there was anything Leanne knew for certain she could do, it was to knit socks for soldiers. She'd run classes for her schoolmates at the university; it seemed easy as pie to do the same thing here. And it would help her make friends so quickly—hadn't she already? In only a matter of days the vastness of the base seemed just a wide-open ocean of possibilities.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.alliepleiter.com and my knitting blog is www.destiKNITions.blogspot.com


Thank you, Allie, for sharing your new book with us.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Homefront Hero (Love Inspired Historical) - paperback
Homefront Hero (Love Inspired Historical) - 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

FALLING FOR THE FIREMAN - Allie Pleiter, Free Book

Author Bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework.  Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois.  The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.  Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?

I spoke with several Fire Departments and Fire Marshals in order to get the details correct.  I also had great fun getting to know the people and places of Galena, Illinois, which is the town that inspired Gordon Falls.

If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar?

I always list my full speaking schedule on alliepleiter.com, but I’m especially excited to be speaking at NOLA Written in the Stars conference in Shreveport LA in March.  It will be my first time at that event.  April is packed full with appearances at the RT Convention in Chicago, Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation luncheon in Wisconsin, The Southern Kentucky Book Fest in Bowling Green, and the Spring Fling Writers Conference in Chicago.

f you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

It’s January in Chicago...I’d go anyplace warm in a heartbeat right now!  Between my daughter going to college in Charleston and my next book being set in Columbia, South Carolina is high on my list at the moment.

If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

Write.  Craft classes are good, books can be useful, writers groups can be supportive, conferences are good investments, but NOTHING replaces sitting down to write.  Nothing.  Everything else stems from mastering that discipline.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])

Well, in my case it would definitely be a knitting cruise.  I’d invite all the knitting authors I’ll be interviewing on my knitting blog this year (a brand new feature at DestiKNITions I’m wildly excited about), some of my favorite pattern designers, and maybe a couple of knitting movie stars for excitement (does anyone know if Hugh Jackman wants to learn to knit?).  We’d cruise to Australia--because I’ve always wanted to go (for reasons other than just Hugh Jackman spotting)--and then to New Zealand, England, and Ireland for fabulous yarn purchases.  Oh, and yes, there would be an onboard barrista (or twelve) and an excellent chocolatier.  So, any cruise companies out there listening who’d like to take this on?

I would sign up for the cruise in a minute. I am a knitting author, you know. Tell us about the featured book?

Falling for the Fireman is the first book in what will be a series set around the Gordon Falls Volunteer Fire Department.  Just like my popular Bluegrass Series, I’ve created a small town with a cast of the quirky types of characters readers have come to expect in my books.  Falling for the Fireman brings together a sunny disposition Mom fighting for her son’s recovery from a fire with a grumpy fire marshal.  Like all good love stories, Jeannie and Chad dislike each other for all the reasons they’re perfect for each other.  Throw in a lot of chocolate and a lovable dog, and that about covers all the fun.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Jeannie Nelworth had the faucet handle in a death grip.  It wasn't that the women's bathroom of The Stew Pot restaurant was a tense place, she just hadn't expected her nerve to go out from under her quite so completely tonight.  Somewhere between picking up name tags and the Merchant Association's first agenda item, she'd had to bolt into the ladies room to pull herself together.  She found the bright red wallpaper amusing before, but now it felt loud and suffocating.

Abby Reed was predictably right behind her.  A best friend can usually see through faked calm, and Abby was as intuitive as they come.

  

“I’m okay,” Jeannie lied the moment Abby pushed into the tiny room.

"You are not okay.”  Abby reached behind and threw the door’s small deadbolt Jeannie had forgotten to latch. “I told Mary Hunnington not to ask you about postponing tonight's presentation, that you'd say 'go ahead' when you shouldn't have."

"I like being at these dinners," Jeanie forced a cheery tone, pulling her hand off the fixture to fuss with her long brown hair that didn't need fussing.  It was true; normally, she did enjoy the monthly gathering of businesspeople in town.  The many shopkeepers, hotel owners, and restauranteurs that made up Gordon Falls were her family.  Even the tourists were part of her life here.  That’s why her sweet shop was loved...before.

"Besides,” she continued, “Nicky'd never forgive me for ruining his monthly video-game sleepover.  Much as it kills me, that eighth-grade tornado loves a night away from his mom."

Abby sighed and gave her the look half the other merchants had.  She knew her colleagues cared for her, only now their warm but pitying looks made her feel simultaneously welcome and on display.  "Really, there isn't a soul here who would have blamed you if you missed this one.  You're the last person who needs to hear tips on holiday lighting and fire safety." 

Why bother waiting?  Another thirty days wouldn't change the fact that her candy store and home had burned down a few weeks ago.  "If I stayed home, what would that solve?"  To stay home was admitting defeat, and Jeannie liked to think of herself as the kind of woman who gave no quarter to tragedies like that.  “Okay, it’s hard” she admitted, but even those three words felt too big, “but God is bigger than a burned building.”

“It’s not just a building, it was your home.  And the home you had with Nicky.  The home you had with Henry, God rest his soul.  God is big, but that’s huge.” 

Where can we find you on the Internet?

You can visit my website at www.alliepleiter.com  or my knitting blog at www.destiKNITions.blogspot.com

Thank you, Allie, for dropping by today.

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

Falling for the Fireman (Love Inspired) - paperback
Falling for the Fireman (Love Inspired) - 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

YUKON WEDDING, - Allie Pleiter - Free book

Brief author bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/ or her knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/

Welcome back, Allie. Why did you become an author?


Unlike most writers, my career chose me rather than my pursuing it. A friend, who happened to be in publishing, essentially dared me to try my hand at romance novels. I sold the very first book I wrote (please, don’t hate me!). I tell people God set it up so that I couldn’t take any credit for it because He knew if I could, I would.

I just love those God Appointments. I've had a few myself. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Oh, that’s easy. I’d travel around the world telling funny stories to groups of knitters, visiting knitting shops, lecturing on luxury cruises, finding all the world’s best coffee bars. Any publishers out there want to partner up with me? I’d write the most fascinating travel memoir!

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

I’m a huge fan of epic English poetry, so medieval England would be my choice--but only if I could transport in a few modern conveniences like antibiotics and lattes.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

I’d really like to see Hawaii. It just sounds like heaven on earth to me.

One of my dreams, too. How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

My family and I will be traveling to Europe for the first time this year, going on a cruise to Italy and Spain. I’m absolutely thrilled.

Sounds like a lot of fun. What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

Oh my goodness this could fill a book. We’ve come through a major medical crisis in the past year, and I am now learning how to rest and restore my spirit. I’m a jump-ahead kind of person, so this hold-still-and-heal is foreign to me. I’ve realized, however, that it’s the same trust muscle that got me through the tough parts, just a new use for it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Yukon Wedding is a marriage-of-obligation story set in the Alaskan Gold Rush. It’s a grand adventure wrapped around a very tender love story of two people who can’t seem to stop hurting each other. When they realize what God has done in their lives, how each is the perfect partner for the other, a whole new realm of love opens up between them. The deep emotions combined with a swashbuckling adventure made for a very satisfying story to write--and I hope a very compelling story to read.

Back cover copy:



A gold-rush town is no place for a single mother. But widow Lana Bristow won’t abandon the only home her son has ever known. She’ll fight to remain in Treasure Creek, Alaska—even if it means wedding Mack Tanner, the man she blames for her husband’s death. Mack sees marriage as his duty, the only way to protect his former business partner’s family. Yet what starts as an obligation changes as his spoiled socialite bride proves to be a woman of strength and grace. A woman who shows Mack the only treasure he needs is her heart.

I can hardly wait to read it. By the way, I love your cover. Please give us the first page of the book.

Mack Tanner looked up to see a raging storm coming toward him.

“Good morning,” said the storm, otherwise known as Lana Bristow. Each syllable of her greeting was sharp and steely. She stood in that particular way he called her “speechifying” stance, which heralded an oncoming verbal assault. Mack spread his own feet, not particularly eager to endure whatever was coming in front of the half-dozen gold rush stampeders he’d managed to hire off the Chilkoot Trail to build his new General Store.

Lana’s blond hair was a nest of frayed locks, strands sticking wildly out of the careful twist she usually wore. Her apron hung diagonally across that impossibly tiny waist of hers, with a wide smear of something dark that matched the smudge currently gracing her son Georgie’s chin. The brooch she always wore at her neck--that silly, frilly flower thing with all the golden swirls on it--was gone. It was held bent and misshapen, he noticed with a gulp, in her left hand while she clamped two-year-old Georgie to one hip with her right. One side of her hem was soaked and the boy sported only one shoe.

More was amiss than the argument he’d had with Lana last night, that was certain. They’d gone at it again over Lana’s accounts last night--her mounting debts had been a constant sore spot between them since her husband Jed--Mack’s best friend--had died in the Palm Sunday avalanche. She’d caught him monkeying with her store credit again, giving her more than what she paid for and “misplacing” numerous bills. And yes, Mack had taken it upon himself to slash her debt so that no one in Treasure Creek would guess the sorry state of her finances.

He owed her that much.

She didn’t see it that way.

Now I know I have to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.alliepleiter.com/ and if you enjoy knitting, my knitting blog is http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/
 
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. 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 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

MISSION OF HOPE - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

MISSION OF HOPE
by Allie Pleiter
Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical
August 2010
ISBN#: 978-0-373-82842-5

BACK COVER COPY:

No one knows who he is or where he’s from. But witnesses throughout San Francisco report a masked man in black is bringing supplies--and badly needed hope--to homeless earthquake survivors. Some believe that the city’s gallant rescuer is a gentleman of wealth. But others whisper that he is a working class man withcourage as great as his faith. And rumor has it that one of the city’s most spirited society belles is helping him against her family’s wishes. What can be confirmed is that the masked messenger will need more than a miracle to escape those on his trail--and win the woman risking everything to save him...

ONE SENTENCE BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The gallant sequel to Pleiter's San Francisco historical, "Masked by Moonlight," MISSION OF HOPE follows an unlikely hero and his surprising young love as the pair help the city heal from it's massive 1906 earthquake.

EXCERPT:

She looked right into his eyes, and Quinn felt his stomach drop out through what was left of the soles of his shoes. “You’ll probably think it’s silly, but you’ve been such an encouragement to me. Here I was thinking God had left me alone, and you do all those things—those little but very big things—that let me know He’s still minding my path. You’re an answer to my prayers, Quinn Freeman. How does that make you feel?”

He knew the exact moment his heart left his body. The exact instant it disobeyed all the good and solid reasons he had for not pining over Nora Longstreet and left to follow her of its own accord. He stared at her, knowing his affections had just overstepped all kinds of bounds and not caring. He no longer had any choice in the matter. “I’m thinking it might not be wise to answer that, Miss Longstreet.”

AUTHOR BIO:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, twelve novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/  or her knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/

Welcome, Allie. How did you come up with the idea for this story?


I was doing research on the 1906 earthquake and fires and came across a detail about the city’s postmaster deciding to keep the mail going. He pledged to deliver any kind of mail--most of the city’s paper had burned so anything became writing material--no matter the postage. People write messages of survival on shirt collars, scraps of fabric, etc. Arthur Fisk (I don’t use Fisk’s real name or personal details, I created a fictional postmaster) realized how desperately people needed communication. That stuck in my head--the power of a cry for help. And the power of meeting a need, even a small one. The story grew from there, and it wasn’t hard to blend in the mythology of the Black Bandit I’d created in MASKED BY MOONLIGHT, since it already had a bit of Robin Hood stirred in the mix.

I loved MASKED BY MOONLIGHT. If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Charlene Ann Baumbich, because she’s a dear friend and we could have fun anywhere, anytime; Camy Tang, because she’s also fun and I need someone to knit with; Debbie Macomber, because I’d want to pick her brains for all her wise advice (and she knits, too); Sharon Hinck because I just finished her Restorer book and I’d want to gush to her face, Maureen Lang because I love her work and her sweet personality, and then I’d invite Tosca Lee and make her take us all shopping because Tosca always looks so cool and I feel like I spend way too much time looking like a suburban mom (and I just finished Havah and loved it, too).

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Eek, I’m stumped. Let me think. Okay, I’d invite the winners of the past six Christy Awards and ask ‘em how to bring home the shiny hardware. I suspect they don’t know, either, but we’d have a lot of fun speculating. Or just invite the entire Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical author list, (which is way more than six but I could never pick and choose) because I adore the line so much.

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?

It’s just plain hard for everyone right now. The industry doesn’t have a lot of room for optimism or grace to let a struggling or mid-list author build her career. Risks are very difficult to take, and good art needs lots of risk. For me, it’s the challenge of keeping so many balls in the air with the demands of my family. Emotionally/spiritually, it’s remembering that output is my responsibility (in other words, getting high quality words down on the page) but results (sales, reviews, etc.) are in God’s hands, not mine.

Tell us about the featured book.

I’ve had more fun writing MISSION OF HOPE than any other book. I love swashbuckling heroes, have always adored the historical genre, and Quinn Freemen is a wonderful character. The concept of rebuilding a life from scratch intrigues me so--watching Quinn and Nora learning which things they can change and what cannot be changed. The leverage of hope is a vital message for the world now, I think. So many people are looking for a toe-hold to fend back the loom of disaster. That’s what gives MISSION OF HOPE its power. The fact that it’s about a 1906 earthquake doesn’t change the timeless qualities of love and hope.

Please give us the first page of the book.

It’s not from the fist page, but this is one of my very favorite passages:

She looked right into his eyes, and Quinn felt his stomach drop out through what was left of the soles of his shoes. “You’ll probably think it’s silly, but you’ve been such an encouragement to me. Here I was thinking God had left me alone, and you do all those things—those little but very big things—that let me know He’s still minding my path. You’re an answer to my prayers, Quinn Freeman. How does that make you feel?”

He knew the exact moment his heart left his body. The exact instant it disobeyed all the good and solid reasons he had for not pining over Nora Longstreet and left to follow her of its own accord. He stared at her, knowing his affections had just overstepped all kinds of bounds and not caring. He no longer had any choice in the matter. “I’m thinking it might not be wise to answer that, Miss Longstreet.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is alliepleiter.com , my knitting blog (which doesn’t have much to do with my writing but is great fun anyway) is DestiKNITions.blogspot.com , and I blog monthly with the Craftie Ladies of Romance. I’m on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Thank you, Allie, for once more spending time on my blog.
 
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/

EASTER PROMISES - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

Here's the back cover copy:

A “veterinarian on sabbatical,” widowed Paul Sycamore is not interested in answering his new neighbor’s constant questions about her expectant sheep. But the comfort his child finds on Audrey Lupine’s Middleburg, Kentucky, farm just may open his heart.

Author's bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.

Welcome, Allie. Please tell us about your salvation experience.

I’m a product of Young Life, meeting Christ during camp as Young Life has done for so many young people over the years. I had an Aunt with a strong faith, and a vibrant youth group in high school, so I grew up with the foundations ready for when my faith really strengthened during my college years. I’m afraid I don’t have a dramatic story (even though I was a theater major!). My faith experienced more of a slow, steady growth than any great leaps forward.

How did you and your spouse meet?

We were both out with friends. At six feet tall, I was always scanning any room for someone with enough altitude to catch my eye. Jeff has the most astounding blue eyes, and I’m very much an drawn to a person’s eyes. On our first date, he put the top down on his convertible to see if I’d care about getting my hair ruined. I, in turn, ordered lobster to see if he’d pay for it. I didn’t care, he paid, and the rest is history.

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

Debbie Clopton because she drives a cool car and always eats desert first
Charlene Baumbich because we’re dear friends and could have fun just about anywhere
Camy Tang so we could knit until our fingers were numb
Debbie Macomber because I admire her spirit and I think she’s an outstanding businesswoman (and she knits, too)

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

The theater major in me loves to speak. For a raging extrovert like me, it’s the antidote to the isolation of solitary writing. Having written two parenting books, I do a lot of speaking to mothers and families. One of those books was about fear, and I was humbled when the US Army hired me to speak to families of deployed soldiers. The rest of us have no concept of the sacrifices made by our military families! I have been writing about knitting on my knitting/travel blog DestiKNITions, so I’ve been able to add some fiber-based engagements to my calendar, which pleases me immensely. Speaking really feeds me, so I’m always open to invitations.

With a grandson who has served one tour in Iraq and will soon deploy to Afghanistan, I understand the sacrifices. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

I’ve had migraines most of my adult life (now under control with medication), but between that and my two pregnancies I’m afraid I’ve gotten sick in public far more than anyone should. How did I handle it? Not particularly well. I try to be a good humored and gracious woman, but it’s tough to be either of those when you’re nauseous, very pregnant, and your head feels ready to explode. I’d like to think I’m a bit better at handling it now that it happens far less often.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Yes, it does happen often. I tell people you never know if you have a novel in you until you’ve banged out about 100 pages. You learn so much about the process and your ability to craft stories and characters when you stick it out to that first 100. So, I tell people to go write their 100 pages and come back to me then. Only a very small percentage do, by the way.

Tell us about the featured book?

My novella Bluegrass Easter is the final installment of my Kentucky Corners series and my first effort at a shorter piece. We met librarian Audrey Lupine in Bluegrass Hero, and readers will recognize many of Middleburg’s quirky cast of characters. The plot line actually was born from a real-life story. As a knitter, I’ve had a relationship with a local sheep farm for several years. The folks at Esther’s Place in Big Rock, IL wrote in a newsletter about their very...enthusiastic...ram who got every one of their ewes pregnant, resulting in a surprise population explosion of lambs. It’s the most endearing story, and I was delighted to take my control freak librarian and put her in the same boat (or is that pen?). It’s very funny, but it also deals with some very deep and touching issues.

Please give us the first page of the book.

BLUEGRASS EASTER

CHAPTER ONE

Two o’clock in the afternoon was one of Audrey Lupine’s favorite times in the library. Adults only. The little children--staples of any weekday library crowd--had gone home for naps and the rambunctious teen after school crowd had yet to arrive. She could actually manage a cup of tea at her reference desk this time of day. Not exactly the English high tea, but close enough. She was just inhaling the luxurious aroma, browsing through a textbook, when a blonde head bobbed up to the desk.

“How old are you?” A round pink face framed in layers of wavy blond hair topped the desk edge. A set of elbows parked themselves just under the face.

“Pardon?”

“The lady at my old library--” she mispronounced the word in a way other people might find adorable, “--was really old.”

Audrey was pretty sure twenty-nine was not anywhere in the neighborhood of “old.” What parent had taught--or more precisely forgotten to teach--this little girl to mind her manners? “I guarantee you I am not ‘really old.’ But even if I were, that’s not a nice question to ask.”

The girl’s blond brows scrunched together over pale blue eyes. “Why not?” Her head disappeared below the desk only to bob up again, this time with a yellow backpack. “You can ask me how old I am.” She granted it like the greatest of favors. A magnanimous grade-school gesture. “Go ahead, ask.”

“I won’t.” I’m debating with a second-grader. Worse, I seem to be debating decorum with someone under four feet tall. Audrey closed the textbook with what she hoped was a “this conversation is now over” thump.

No such thing. “I’m seven and three-quarters. Dad says I’m seven and thirty, but I’m not sure what that means.” The head bobbed up and down now, alternating heights, as if standing on...

Oh no. “You’re not standing on your books, are you young lady?”

Blink. Pause. “Nope.” The head bobbed back down again, and Audrey heard suspicious scrambling. Audrey counted to ten and reminded herself that even precocious second-graders grew up to read books. As for the remark about “seven and thirty,” Audrey agreed with “Dad” one hundred percent.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.alliepleiter.com/ , and my knitting blog is destiKNITions.blogspot.com

Thank you, Allie, for this interesting conversation.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.


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/

BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

I'm pleased to feature Allie on the blog again. Here's her bio:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.

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

I’m in talks for a new series of linked historicals and contemporaries for Steeple Hill. I love both formats, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of pulling them together into one sweeping multi-generational series. I can’t say much more than that--and that I’m very excited!

Tell us a little about your family.

They put up with more than most families, that’s for sure. I’m afraid being a writer only exaggerates all my goofy tendencies. And we will not discuss how much yarn is all over my house--I’m an obsessive knitter. I’m in the midst of raising teenagers, so life is never, ever boring. My husband is a car guy, and has the patience of a saint.

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

I’m a very impressionable reader, so I have to be careful what I read. I don’t read historicals when I’m writing historicals, although I’ve learned that audiobooks can be useful because they put the musicality of the language into my head. I read very widely--non-fiction, fiction, historical, contemporary, all sorts. It’s much harder to read for pleasure when you write for work...I still love to read, but it’s not the “getaway” it is for me that it is for other people.

What are you working on right now?

I’m finishing up the novella, Bluegrass Easter, that will be in Easter Promises released from Steeple Hill in March 2010. Then I’ve got to polish up the historical/contemporary proposal and get right back into final re-writes for the sequel to Masked by Moonlight, called The Midnight Messenger, which comes out later next year.

What outside interests do you have?

Many people know me as much for my knitting as for my writing. That’s my passion off the page, definitely. Well, and cupcakes. And chocolate. And coffee.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I choose a city I want to get to know. It’s an important part of my process to spend time in the city where my books are set. It’s part of the fun for me. So I choose a location that calls to me somehow. Right now, it’s Charleston, South Carolina, that’s calling my name--the perfect escape from Chicago’s challenging winters, don’t you think?

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

Right now, it’d have to be the World War I dirigible pilot that I’m researching for my book. I’d have a ton of questions to ask him!

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

I’m glad I didn’t know much--I’d never have pushed forward if I’d known all that was waiting for me. I suppose, then, that I’d say I wished I’d known that many of the frustrating things about writing don’t go away with success or publication. You never, ever “arrive.”

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

I’m at a place where I can only see a small bit ahead. There’s a lot of unknowns in my future, and I’m the kind of person who wants a detailed plan (but I’m a “pantser”--I never plot!--go figure). So the lesson for me is trust. And faith.

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

Write. Nothing beats it. Nothing replaces it. Nothing happens if you try to get around it.
Gather friends who write. This business has the oddest of challenges and you need folks around you who understand the idiosyncrasies.

On the other hand, don’t live all your life on the page. Make sure your real life is as rich and compelling as the tales you tell. I always tell writers “your books will not come and visit you in the nursing home.”

Tell us about the featured book.

Bluegrass Christmas was great fun to write. Middleburg and its quirky inhabitants make funny material for a holiday episode. Mac MacCarthy isn’t expecting to find the love of his life living over his office. And Mary Thorpe isn’t getting anything close to the “perfect small town Christmas” she was seeking. Like all good love stories, they make each other miserable before they make each other happy, but there are lots of good laughs along the way.

Back Cover Copy:

BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS
#4 In the KENTUCKY CORNERS Series
ISBN 13# 978-0-373-87556-6

An Old Fashioned Christmas...

That’s what led new believer Mary Thorpe to start over in quaint Middleburg, Kentucky. As director of the church’s Christmas pageant, Mary’s job is to bring the townspeople together, to remind them what the season is really about. But everyone is all riled up over one very handsome man: the man daring to run against Middleburg’s popular long-standing mayor. Mac MacCarthy wants change. Mary wants things to stay as they are. Is there a happy medium? Both Mac and Mary are in for one very big Christmas surprise.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.alliepleiter.com/, and if you are a knitter, my knitting blog is http://destiknitions.blogspot.com/. Come visit!

Thank you, Allie, for spending this time with us. I love to knit, too. I talked to Camy and another author at conference about knitting Victorian lace. I'm just going to have to get started on that. I've ordered the book.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Bluegrass Christmas:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.

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

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

I'm welcoming Allie Pleiter back to the blog. I just loved her last book. I'm sure I'll be as pleased with this one, too.

Bio: An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, six novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.

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

Actually, despite being a huge plan-maker, I try never to look at the horizon book-wise. I’m always in awe of those authors who can see dozens of books into their future--I only seem to get mine one at a time. I crafted one trilogy by forcing myself, what became the Kentucky Corners series, but that felt like pulling my creative teeth. I’m hoping to begin a series in Charleston, SC because I’ve loved my past visit there, but that’s still way off.

Tell us a little about your family.

They deserve Olympic medals in the perseverance and put-up-with-the-crazy-lady-behind-the-laptop events. I have two teenagers (13 and 17), the world’s best husband, and the world’s most beloved dog.

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

We’re a very book-oriented family, and always have been avid readers. I’m always reading three books--one fiction, one non-fiction, and one audiobook. For fiction, I’ve been reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (very funny), I’ve been pouring over San Francisco 1906 earthquake books (very instructional) for my non-fiction as I work on HIDDEN BY DAWN, the sequel to MASKED BY MOONLIGHT that will come out sometime next year; and my audiobook is THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA (very thought-provoking). Eclectic, don’t you think?

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on BLUEGRASS EASTER, a novella due out next February. It’s one more story based in Middleburg, the fictional town of all my "Kentucky Corners" series. After that, I’ll dig into figuring out what those Charleston books might be about. The next book I’ll have out is BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS for the holiday season.

What outside interests do you have?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to knit. I even have a knitting blog where I can gab about my passions for the hobby, DestiKNITions. I run my church’s prayer shawl ministry, where we knit and pray over beautiful shawls to be given to those in need of comfort and healing. I knit all the time, and I do mean all the time.

I love to knit, too, but mostly not in the summer. Only if they are small things. It's too hot in Texas to have a large knitted thing in your lap How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’d love to say there’s some great formula to it, but it’s mostly "where do I want to go next?" It’s important for me to visit the cities my books are set in, because the location research is great fun for me and one of my favorite parts of the process.

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

I’d spend it with Eleanor Roosevelt. She seems to incredibly wise and strong.

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

How to write them (ha!)? Actually, I wish I’d known it would never get easier, but then I might never have started. I keep waiting for the point where I’ll feel sure of my skills and career, and even after a dozen books it hasn’t appeared. I don’t think it’s showing up any time soon.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That I am right where I’m supposed to be. Just this morning I was reading the passages in Daniel where it talks about how God does as He pleases and no one can hold back His hand. That’s a sovereignty I can trust, even when it doesn’t look like it.

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

1) Write.

2) Learn your craft but don’t let yourself get tangled up in it.

3) Craft is good but storytelling is what matters most. We must be tellers of compelling stories above all else. I can forgive mediocre writing from a fabulous storyteller, but even sumptuous prose won’t hold me if the story doesn’t catch my heart. And, as far as I can tell, writing is the only way to learn to write. There are no shortcuts.

Tell us about the featured book.

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS is one of the deepest stories I’ve told in the Kentucky Corners series. Stakes are really high for both characters, and the emotional level is life-changing for these two people God has really taken to the edge. Dinah, Middleburg’s baker, is a wild, artistic woman after my own heart--so of course I needed to give her a tightly wound New York City broker to fall for....I just love "opposites attract" stories!

Back cover copy:

Everyone in Middleburg, Kentucky lines up for baker Dinah Hopkins’s cinnamon rolls. Everyone except her handsome new landlord, Cameron Rollings. The jaded city man doesn’t like anything about small-town life--from the fresh air to her fresh-baked snickerdoodles. And he clearly considers Dinah as quirky as her eccentric oven. The way to Cameron’s heart is not through his toned stomach. But the Lord led him to Kentucky Corners for a reason. And Dinah plans to help him count his bluegrass blessings.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can visit my website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/, and my knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/.

Thank you, Allie, for coming back to talk with us.

Readers, you won't want to miss any of the books in this series. Here's a link where you can order Bluegrass Blessings:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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

Author Allie Pleiter - BLUEGRASS COURTSHIP - Free Book

Allie Pleiter is back with us talking about her first book in her Kentucky Corners series. Allie, why do you write the kind of books you do?

I’m not sure I could write any other kind. Humor is so much a part of how I see the world, it simply has to be in what I write. I write romance and women’s fiction because it’s my world, and because I’d much rather spend my time and energy on love and happiness than death, murder, angst, and other fiction topics. I do love spy and heist movies, but I don’t think I could ever write those stories. It’s a daily delight to craft happy endings—and the world sure needs them.

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

I’m having trouble coming up with one. The natural choices—my wedding and the births of each of my two children—were actually very high stress situations, and while they reflect happy choices, I don’t boil them down to specific days. I was delighted when I sold my first book, because it represented such a huge provision on God’s part (looooong story) and opened up so many doors for me. So, I suppose the short answer is that I’ve had lots of happy days and none strikes me as “happiest.” Sounds corny, but that’s how I truly feel.

That's what we want. How you truly feel. How has being published changed your life?

People think I’m less crazy now. Really. Being a published author gives you this license to be “one of those creative types” so no one looks at you funny (ok to your face maybe) when you do something odd-ball. I adore the flexibility of my job, especially with kids still in the house. I can still pick you up from the school nurse and get chapter 13 done while you’re home watching TV with chicken soup on the couch. I get to travel to do research and ask people to teach me crazy things like how to make soap or how to crack a whip. I get nice letters from total strangers. People operate under the illusion that I’m clever and talented (I try not to dispel the myth)—what’s not to like?

What are you reading right now?

I’m always reading three books—one fiction, one non-fiction, and one audiobook. I’m currently reading Getting Things Done by David Allen, which is a personal productivity book. I’m a big fan of time management and that sort of thing, and as a fanatical list-maker, I’m devouring this man’s method. The novel on my shelves is the epic Dracula tale The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova—this kind of wide-spectrum suspense isn’t my usual fare, but I’d heard so many good things about the writing, and they’re all true; it’s a well-crafted tale with fabulous chapter-ending hooks. My audiobook of the moment is Patrick O’Brian’s Post Captain from the Master and Commander series. I needed to reinforce the historical language in my ear as I begin work on the sequel to Masked by Moonlight, and I’d heard great things about the reading by Simon Vance—outstanding!

What is your current work in progress?

These days I’m all over the place. I’m putting the final touches on the third Kentucky Corners book, Bluegrass Blessings, which is Dinah the Baker’s story and comes out in July. I’m finishing the first draft of the final Kentucky Corners book, Bluegrass Christmas, which will be out the end of this year. Right on the heels of that I return to work on the sequel to my historical Masked by Moonlight, which will release in 2010. After that I hope to start a series of three contemporaries set in Charleston. Also this month I’ve be launching my new diversion, a travel-knitting blog called “DestiKNITions.”

What would be your dream vacation?

Well, DestiKNITions is actually quite a bit about that. I’m passionate about knitting, so I’ve started writing about my travels to discover knit shops and communities in American cities. Location research is my very favorite part of writing—I love to interview people, go to their favorite restaurants, etc—and DestiKNITions is just an extension of that process from book research into all the beauty of fiber arts. The blog launches this month with a segment of Charleston. I don’t need to travel far—it’s the people and places that most delight me—but if someone handed me a cruise around the world with a credit card and a crate to ship back all the yarn I didn’t knit in transit, well I’d grab at it with both hands!

Actually, right now I'm knitting lap robes for the prayer ministry at church. How do you choose your settings for each book?

It’s nothing more scientific that “where do I want to go next?” Charleston and Baltimore are my next planned locales. Charleston has always been recommended as a beautiful city, and I’d not seen much of the Southeastern coast. Baltimore intrigues me because I think it has undiscovered charms and tenacity. It’s important to me to be able to visit the city where the book is set, so I doubt I’ll be doing any exotic or foreign locales in the near future (although you never know!).

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

The answer might surprise you. Believe it or not, I’d like most to meet Discovery Channel’s “The Mythbusters,” because my son and I so enjoy the show. I value meeting people who absolutely love what they do (I believe it’s highly contagious), and that gang looks like they have loads of fun. We’re huge fans. Anyone out there want to set this up for me?

Take me along, too. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Knitting, knitting, and knitting. Oh, and coffee. My husband is a very serious sportscar enthusiast, so I get a bit of that by association. Nissan Z Cars are a big deal to this household, and one finally gets in one of my books this year (watch for Mac’s roadster in Bluegrass Christmas).

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

I think too much. I don’t trust the story enough to let itself unwind on its own, and I push and pull things that don’t need pushing or pulling. I end up trying too hard to be funny or clever or emotional, which never works. If I’d just relax, stay true to the story and characters, and remember that I always meet my deadlines, things would be so much easier. On everyone. Even the dog.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

There are no two ways about it: the only way to write is to apply fingers to keyboard. There’s no secret handshake, no shortcut, no special DNA, just the simple/complex truth of putting words down on the page. I tell aspiring writers to get to the first 100 pages—it will tell you loads about yourself and your story, and I don’t think you ever really know what you’ve got until you’re about 100 pages into it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Gladly! Bluegrass Courtship is the second Kentucky Corners book and is a fascinating collision of small town America and bit city media. Janet Bishop has run her family’s hardware store for years when renovation-reality television host Drew Dawson comes into town. I wanted to take the home-makeover craze and twist it to renovate churches. I also wanted to take someone who’d made his life in the high drama of that genre and dunk him in small town values. It made for a very fun story, and a cast of secondary characters that I simply adore.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

All kinds of Allie-related goodies—everything from the recipe for Snicker Bar Salad to audio files of me reading the first chapter of my most recent books to you--can be found at http://www.alliepleiter.com/.

Beginning this month, you’ll also find me at http://destiknitions.blogspot.com/ as well. Please visit!

Thank you, Allie, for spending this time with us.

Readers, you can order Bluegrass Courtship using this link:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Then check out Allie's web sites. Both sound intriguing.

I have a new blog this month. I've moved my monthly newsletter from my web page to this blog: http://lenanelsondooleynewsletter.blogspot.com

I did this because people wanted to sign up for my newsletter. Now they can using FeedBlitz. Check it out. My newsletter contains Announcements, my Calendar of Events, Book Reviews, and lists the upcoming interviews.

Author Allie Pleiter - MASKED BY MOONLIGHT - Free Book

I'm really glad to welcome another Love Inspired Historical to our blog. Allie, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I’m actually not sure how much of myself gets into my characters (perhaps my husband should answer this). Certainly, I would say my sense of humor comes through, and I don’t write too many shrinking violets (being a rather boisterous gal), but I suppose there’s a bit of me in every hero and heroine. That’s probably why they appeal to me—and why some characters are universal—our favorite characters are the ones we either feel inside us or we know someone just like them.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Oh, quirky is my specialty! For this book, it was to learn to use a bull whip. I love research, and I’ve done some pretty quirky things in the name of research: walked a tightrope, worked a $14,000 espresso machine, learned to fence, interviewed the Seattle Rugby Men’s Football team, shot-put grapefruit into the San Francisco Bay--all kinds of fun things. It’s part of the fun of stepping into another character for me. I do the academic research, too—especially for the historicals, but it’s the experiential stuff that really appeals to me. That may explain why my husband’s been begging me to write a book with a Lamborghini in it…

I'm sure. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

The answer may annoy you: at 33 when my friend (who, okay, just happened to be an editor for a major publishing house) dared me to write a book. I never saw myself as a writer. I have, however, always been a storyteller. And a total ham. The technical side of writing had always been a part of my fundraising profession, and I’ve always kept a journal—so I suppose the pieces have always been in place and it just took my friend to recognize them. I tell people God set up such a fantastic story so I wouldn’t give in to my urge to take all the credit for it. The moral: some dares are definitely worth taking!

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

I read both fiction and non-fiction, but most of my pleasure reading is fiction. Stephanie Purl McPhee (aka the Yarn Harlot) is a favorite of mine because of my passion for knitting. I love Alexander McCall Smith’s dry British wit (I watch loads of BBC television—Dr. Who, Robin Hood, Top Gear) and I love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. I just finished Mauren Lang’s The Oak Leaves and loved it. My entire family are voracious readers and I indulge them shamelessly—books get their own line item in our family budget!

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

My very first books were published as mass market romances, then I moved to Zondervan and did two parenting non-fiction books: Becoming a Chief Home Officer and Facing Every Mom’s Fears. My last six books have been novels for Steeple Hill: Bad Heiress Day, Queen Esther and the Second Graders of Doom, My So-Called Love Life, The Perfect Blend, and this year Masked by Moonlight and the upcoming Bluegrass Hero.

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

One ounce of dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher, non-negotiable) with a cup of coffee every morning. Seriously. I’m an obsessive list-maker, so every day I know just what has to get done. Other than that, prayer and laughter are my two weapons of choice. I’ve got two teenagers so I use those on a daily basis. I also designate one day a month as a retreat day, where I turn off the phones, do no work, but plan, pray, and recharge. Oh, and the Jacuzzi probably helps, too.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I think character’s names choose me, actually. There have been a couple that have needed to be altered for logistical reasons (I’ve got a character in an upcoming book who was named Alice and was falling for a guy named Craig Cooper—we had to change her or she’d end up as Alice Cooper!). Mostly they just come to me. I knew instantly that Lindy from My So-Called Love Life was Melinda Edwards and she was the voice of Maggie Hoot on Arborville. Georgia and Matthew from Masked by Moonlight came to me with their names from the get-go, too. Such discoveries are part of the wonder of it for me (and why I rank the synopsis up there with a root canal…).

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Surviving. Seriously, this business is such a roller-coaster that I’m most proud of making it through my ten-year career with most of my humor still intact. That’s taken some deliberate work on my part. Being on speaking terms with my teenage daughter comes in a close second (if you don’t have a 16-year-old daughter learning to drive, that probably won’t make much sense to you…).

I've been through two 16-year-old daughters learning to drive, and just survived a granddaughter. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Well, at six feet tall I’ve already been called a giraffe many times . If I believed in reincarnation (which I don’t), I’d want to come back as my dog. People buy you cute sweaters and take you to get your hair done once a month, you get to sleep all day, yap and whine whenever you want to and people find it entertaining, and you can get complete strangers to feed you goodies just by gazing at them –what’s not to like?

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate. Chocolate. Coffee. Chocolate. Oh, and mocha.

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

My greatest roadblock was—and still is—getting out of my own way. I tangle myself up in craft and worries about skill instead of just letting the story come out. Often, I’ll expend a lot of energy trying to be “clever” early in a story, because I don’t trust the characters enough yet to let them be clever on their own. Of course, it never works. Readers can always tell when a writer is trying too hard (so can agents and editors, by the way). I’m always cutting out my first chapters or taking them down a notch because I’ve fallen into that trap. As for coping mechanisms, the only way through it is…through it—keep writing until I calm down enough to begin trusting the story to stand on its own merits. I’ve learned that takes about 100 pages, for me, so sheer experience helps.

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

The advice given to me: “hush up and just write!” Read books, attend seminars, put the craft in your head but don’t tangle yourself up in it. Take the advice that works for you, ditch what doesn’t. Your process is just that—your process. You can tinker with it as you learn things, but always trust the way you write because that’s how your voice comes through.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

Masked by Moonlight is GREAT FUN. A swashbuckling story with a sense of humor I don’t think we often see in historicals. I love the dynamic of ordinary people who find themselves in larger than life situations—it’s true of all my books, I think. I love to make a good point, I like there to be a deeper message, there HAS to be fun. I had loads of fun writing it, and I think that comes through for the reader.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website http://www.alliepleiter.com/ has all kinds of goodies on it, including a link where you can hear me read Chapter One of Masked by Moonlight to you—(excellent for knitters!). Every November 1st I host Snicker Bar Salad Day—in 2007 I even had a candy recipe bake-off--so how can you pass up the chance to be part of a community like that?

Allie, thank you for spending this time with us. We loved it, and I can hardly wait to read your book.

Readers, you can order a copy by clicking this link:

Or leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy. If you don't win, than you can follow this link.