MAYBE IT'S YOU - Candace Calvert - One Free Book

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

Interestingly, God has me moving in an unexpected direction. For a while now, He has been whispering “be still” as far as my writing is concerned. It has felt as insistent as His initial call to write. After much prayer, I’m now taking time to fill the creative well through other outlets, and spending precious time with my husband and our growing gaggle of grandchildren. Though I’m officially on hiatus, it doesn’t mean stories won’t percolate. They have a way of doing that . . .

Tell us a little about your family.

We are a blended family. When I married my husband, I became Grandma to his three “littles.” In eighteen years (next month), we’ve seen that blessing grow to eight grandchildren and one great grandchild—an age span from first-steps to college graduation! We recently had one of the toddlers for a “sleepover” that, thanks to her playful grandpa, included Donald Duck voice lessons. Papa takes his job seriously.

We have three great grands, aged 2 to almost 10. They are so much fun. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Actually, I’d say writing has most changed my habits as a TV/movie viewer; writers are notorious for analyzing plots, characters, and scene structure. Sometimes much to my husband’s chagrin!

James doesn’t like me to tell him what’s coming in a TV show, but I’m almost always right. What are you working on right now?

Though not on deadline, I’m busy marketing my newest release, hosting giveaways, and being a blog guest—always such a delight. I also volunteer in our grand daughters’ elementary school classes as a “Sight Word Buster.” An author helping to grow new readers! How cool is that?

What outside interests do you have?

Folks who follow me on Facebook know I’m a passionate “foodie” and post dozens of dinner photos that often include my orange “Happy Face Spoon.” I’m also an avid gardener, a bird nerd, Fitbit aficionado, and world traveler. We just returned from an Australia and New Zealand cruise where I had the thrill of signing books in Tasmania and hanging out with some new Kiwi friends (readers, writers, editors, reviewers). Plus, I saw for-real Tasmanian Devils AND learned the best way to pet a kangaroo. Fabulous!

I would love a trip like that. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I like to welcome readers to places that have been home for me. The Mercy Hospital series is set in my native northern California, the Grace Medical series in Texas, and my newest series, Crisis Team, brings readers back to California again—beginning with my home town of Sacramento.

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

Anne Frank has been one of my heroes since childhood; her humor, her hope, her courage inspire me; her great need to express herself on the page is one we share. I had the privilege of visiting Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the hiding place where she penned her famous diary. The experience brought me to tears, and I came away even more touched by this brave young girl’s beautiful spirit.

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

Probably that it’s a challenge to find a balance between Fiction Land and real life, and that it’s very important to take time to fill the creative well.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

A refresher course in being “still” in this too-noisy world; making time to really savor the gifts I’ve been given. And to count my blessings—they are many.

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

Connect with other writers, especially those farther along the publishing path.

Study craft: via books (read! Fiction and nonfiction), workshops, and online courses.

Attend conferences like ACFW’s annual event. Invaluable.

I’ve missed three ACFW conferences in a row, but I’ll be there this year. I’m really looking forward to connecting with my friends there. Tell us about the featured book.

Maybe It’s You is the exciting third book in my Crisis Team series, a high-adrenaline and high-emotion medical drama with plenty of action, romance, and suspense.

I always love reading your books. Please give us the first page.

“Your relation to the inmate?”

Sloane Ferrell’s stomach tensed. “He’s my stepfather,” she confirmed, lips brushing her cell phone in a whisper. “It was . . . manslaughter.”

She glanced past a grouping of palm trees toward the peach stucco entrance to Los Angeles Hope hospital’s emergency department. Would she ever stop peering over her shoulder—watching her back? This past year it had felt as necessary as breathing and was the biggest part of why she’d left San Diego. New zip code, new living space, new job . . . a paper trail painstakingly shredded. She’d done all that, and thankfully, the last few months had been uneventful. Right now Sloane was simply concerned that a fellow ER nurse would join her at any moment. She’d said something about taking their break together. This return call from California State Prison couldn’t have come at a more awkward—

“We don’t have you listed,” the office assistant announced. Her tone was as friendly as the slam of a cell door. “It had to be arranged in advance and approved.”

“I did that—and I was,” Sloane insisted over the distant whine-hum of saws; preliminary work had begun on the new hospital wing. “I was promised a chance to speak at the parole hearing. My name has to be on the list. Could you check again?”

Here’s a link to the complete Chapter One of Maybe It’s You.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love connecting with readers! You can find me here:

CandaceCalvert.com

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

Thank you, Lena. It’s a joy to visit you here and have this chance to connect with your readers.

And it’s always a pleasure to host you on my blog.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Maybe It's You - Christianbook.com
Maybe It's You (Crisis Team) - Amazon
Maybe It's You (Crisis Team) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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

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

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DISASTER STATUS - Candace Calvert - Free Book

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

My background (three decades as an ER nurse) makes writing medical drama seem as natural as the feel of a stethoscope around my neck. And I’ve long been disappointed that while medical TV shows (like ER, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Mercy, etc.) depict plenty of action and interpersonal conflict, they sorely neglect the element of faith. As a nurse, I’ve seen countless prayers sent heavenward by patients, family, and staff. My books offer medical realism, heart-warming romance and an encouraging prescription for hope.

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

The birth of my children, a daughter and a son—who has now, to my great delight, given me a grand daughter.

How has being published changed your life?

By giving me the opportunity to connect with people (readers and other writers) all over the world—to touch lives, encourage, even more than in my years of practice as a nurse. It’s awesome. And a privilege I don’t take lightly.

What are you reading right now?

Once in a Blue Moon, a new novel by one of my favorite Christian authors: Leanna Ellis.

I love Leanna's books, too. What is your current work in progress?

I’m brainstorming a new medical drama series set in Texas. The Lonestar Mercy series.

Sounds good to me. What would be your dream vacation?

I’ve been fortunate to have had several “dream” vacations—still pinching myself at having been to places like the pyramids in Egypt, the Sistine Chapel, and skimming over a rainforest canopy in Costa Rica. I dream of taking a world cruise with my husband one day.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The Mercy Hospital series is set in northern California, some of my favorite places: Gold Country, the Pacific coast, and San Francisco. I love to personally research places—go there and “collect” sights, sounds, smells . . . food, music. People. I want my readers to feel that they are in the scenes.

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

Maybe Beth Moore. I’ve taken several of her Bible studies, and find her so amazing: passionate, laugh-out-loud funny, humble . . . real. I’d love to hang out with her.

I've been to one of her tapings at James Robison. Does that count? What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

(Smiling) As my Followers on Twitter will tell you, I’m a “foodie”—love everything about cooking, from reading labels and sniffing vegetables at the grocery store, to the sound of garlic sizzling in olive oil. And I’m a bird watcher, too. I can get pretty excited about Painted Bunting or Ladder Back Woodpecker. Have binoculars, will travel.

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

Most critically: balancing time spent writing with other important priorities—family, friends, exercise, relaxing “down time,” worship. Having God at the center helps keep those priorities in the right place.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read good books, network with other writers. Write and write and write, enjoying the journey without the immediate goal of publication in mind. “Stretch” your writing muscles much the same way an athlete stretches and tones his body. It takes time and discipline to become an Olympian . . . and a published author.

Tell us about the featured book?

My agent, Natasha Kern, and I worked together on this back cover blurb. I think it captures Disaster Status nicely:

Charge nurse Erin Quinn escaped personal turmoil to work on the peaceful California coast. But when a hazardous material spill places Pacific Mercy Hospital on disaster status and stresses staff, she's puts to the test. And thrown into conflict with the fire department's handsome incident commander who thinks her strategy is out of line.

Fire Captain Scott McKenna has felt the toxic effects of tragedy; he's learned to go strictly by the book to advance his career, heal his family, and protect his wounded heart. When he's forced to team with the passionately determined ER charge nurse, sparks fly. As they work to save lives, can they handle the attraction kindled between them . . . without getting burned?

Sounds wonderful. Please give us the first page of the book.

Fire captain Scott McKenna bolted through the doors of Pacific Mercy ER, his boots thudding and heart pounding as the unconscious child began to stiffen and jerk in his arms. He cradled her close as her small spine arched and her head thumped over and over against his chest. “Need help here. Seizure!”

“This way.” A staff person beckoned. “The code room. Someone page respiratory therapy stat!”

Scott jogged behind a trio of staff in green scrubs to a glassed-in room, laid the child on a gurney, and stepped back, his breath escaping in a rush of relief. He swiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead and tried to catch a glimpse of the girl’s face. He’d swept her up too fast to get a good look at her. Now, with merciful distance, Scott’s heart tugged. Six or seven years old with long black braids, frilly clusters of hair ribbons, little hoop earrings, she looked disturbingly pale despite her olive skin. Her dark eyes rolled upward, unfocused, as the ER team closed in to suction her airway, start oxygen, and cut away her flowered top and pants . . .

I can't wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to visit me at my website: http://www.candacecalvert.com/
My blog RX Hope: http://candacecalvert.blogspot.com/
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/CandaceCalvert
And at my Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Calvert-Books/164196907024

Thank you for hosting me, Lena. It’s been a pleasure.
Candace

And I love having you here, Candace.

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

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.

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CRITICAL CARE - Candace Calvert - Free Book

I'm thrilled to be featuring so many debut authors this year. Welcome, Candace. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

You’ll probably find a bit of my DNA there. I was an ER nurse for three decades, so writing CRITICAL CARE was like re-entering a world of sirens, stat pages, coffee and adrenalin highs, pressure-relieving humor, baggy scrubs . . . and heart-wrenching tragedy. Only this time I sent heroine Claire Avery in my place. But I also let her drink my favorite coffee, dance the country western Two Step, and fall in love with a great guy. So that’s fair, right?
　
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hmm, my middle name is Quirky. It may be a three-way tie between skydiving, swimming with stingrays, and dancing the limbo aboard a jet-powered catamaran. Or maybe climbing onto that camel at the pyramids, singing with the Newfoundland country band . . .
　
You sound like a very fun person to be around. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote plays for kids in the neighborhood, then discovered diaries and fell in love with journaling. I have scrawled versions of everything from JFK’s assassination to the 1969 moonwalk, to dozens of broken hearts . . . and happy endings. In school I was that kid who thought essay assignments were a reward.
　
I always loved essay questions on tests. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

In fiction, I enjoy mystery, suspense, humor, women’s fiction--a wide range, from authors like John Grisham to Anne Rivers Siddons and so many in between. Sara Gruen completely draws me in. I want highly textured prose, well-developed characters, and terrific dialogue, fast-pacing . . . an overall story of hope. In non-fiction, I love Beth Moore’s humor, warmth and honesty. Her energy floors me.

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

Falling Forward was the book-of-my-heart first novel--valuable in many ways, but gathering dust; probably the best place for it. A romantic comedy, Cruise Control, garnered awards and editorial interest but has not been published. My three ABA quirky cruise mysteries, the Darcy Cavanaugh series, are still available. Those titles are Dressed to Keel, Aye Do or Die, and Mai Tai to Murder. Yes, I had fun with nautical terms.
　
Yes, you did. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I start each day with a centering quiet time that includes Bible study and other devotional reading. I also believe in the health (and sanity) benefits of exercise and deep belly laughs. And after all those hectic years in ER, I seek childish delight in small blessings.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I choose names by sound and how they "fit" with a certain character. Occasionally I’ll honor a friend by using a derivative of his/her name. I once auctioned off a "cameo appearance" in one of my cruise mysteries for local charities, welcoming generous neighbors "onboard" as passengers. But I didn’t kill them of course.
　
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of my children, who’ve grown in character, compassion, and faith despite some daunting struggles; and of my long career as an ER nurse. Touching the lives of so many people was an incredible honor, and it’s my dream to continue that service through my CBA writing career.
　
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A horse, absolutely. My big bay mare, Winter Winds. No creature had a bigger heart, a softer eye . . . or was more thoroughly spoiled. I wallpapered her barn. Seriously. Ralph Lauren, the polo print.
　
What is your favorite food?

Appetizers. I love little bites of gorgeous food: bleu cheese, crab, smoked salmon, fresh pears, strawberries. But popcorn’s good too--movie theatre stale and dripping with butter.

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

Haven’t overcome it, but would be living a well-rounded life despite writing demands: time for exercise, play, my marriage, family, and spiritual journey. It’s tough because I’m a bit obsessive and goal oriented. Think: "Monk."
　
What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Read a few good motivational and writing structure books (I love Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Bill Johnson’s A Story is a Promise); join groups like Faith Hope & Love (RWA) and ACFW for support, networking, instruction. Read the kinds of books you want to write. Then make writing a daily discipline. Most of all: enjoy the journey; that’s the biggest reward.
　
What would you like to tell us about the featured book?
　
My Tyndale publicist tags CRITICAL CARE "medical hope opera," and I think it fits perfectly with this generous quote from bestselling author Harry Kraus, MD: "Finally, a reason to turn off ER and Grey's Anatomy. Here is a realistic medical drama with heart. Candace Calvert gets it right with page-turning prose, a heart-warming love story, and hope."

Based in part upon my own experience as a peer counselor for Critical Incident Stress, CRITICAL CARE offers readers a chance to "scrub in" on the exciting world of emergency medicine, along with charismatic characters, pulse-pounding action, tender romance, humor, suspense--and a soul soothing prescription for hope.

From the back cover:
　
"Lord . . . heal my heart, move me forward."

After her brother dies in a trauma room, nurse Claire Avery can no longer face the ER. She’s determined to make a fresh start--new hospital, new career in nursing education--move forward, no turning back. But her plans fall apart when she’s called to offer stress counseling for medical staff after a heartbreaking day care center explosion. Worse, she’s forced back to the ER, where she clashes with Logan Caldwell, a doctor who believes touchy-feely counseling is a waste of time. He demands his staff be as tough as he is. Yet he finds himself drawn to this nurse educator . . . who just might teach him the true meaning of healing.
　
How can readers find you on the Internet?

Please visit my website @ http://www.candacecalvert.com/. I’m determined to give it the welcoming feel of a nurses’ lounge after a tough shift: cyber coffee, laughter, and heart-warming conversation. I’ll offer blog posts, medical tidbits, recipes, book excerpts and updates, research photos, contests, and more. Push aside that copy of Gray’s Anatomy and the discarded stethoscope, grab a cup of coffee, prop feet up your weary feet, and join me, please. We’re taking a break.

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

Readers, here's a link where you can order Critical Care:

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