FROM ASHES TO HONOR - Loree Lough - Free Book

Loree is another dear friend of mine. Welcome, Loree. Why did you become an author?

Like so many other teenage girls, I earned my spending money by babysitting other people's kids. (Keeping an eye on my 4 younger siblings was considered earning my keep. Bet you never heard that before! ) I developed a talent for keeping even the most unruly kids in line by telling what one neighbor boy called "funny and weird stories."

Flash forward (quite a few ) years, to when my husband's job took us to Richmond, VA, requiring me to give up my job here in Baltimore. Once we'd settled in, I needed something to occupy my daytime hours, and answered an ad for "someone to write a neighbor column." It didn't pay, but what better way to introduce the kids to people their age and learn my way around town! Soon, the editor assigned other stories (and I got paid for those!), and once editors at area publications read them, they called with assignments, too. Within 6 months, I was a bona fide freelance writer.

And then my husband's job brought us back to Baltimore. I showed my 100+ article "clip book" to editors here, and picked up where I'd left off. Years later, I began to notice a disturbing trend: Editorial changes made to articles' facts to appease advertisers. I figured if I was going to write fiction, I might as well admit it…and pen a novel.

The result was my first book for Barbour's Heartsong Presents line, Pocketful of Promises, which won "Readers' Choice Best Contemporary" award in 1994. It didn't take long for me to figure out that the Lord didn't bless me with a talent for telling stories just to entertain rowdy young'uns!

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

I believe it'd be a hoot to tend the trees, plants, and flowers at area malls. Think of it: Getting paid to (literally) smell the roses, and walk around with dirt on the knees of my jeans!

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

When people ask what famous person, living or dead, I'd like to meet, I always say Thomas Jefferson. I think being an eyewitness of sorts to what the Founding Fathers intended for this great nation of ours would have been well worth the trade-off of modern conveniences. (But just between you and me? Of them all, I'd miss the Internet most!)

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

I'd like to spend a few nights in a tent at Yellowstone so that I could stare into the expansive inky sky, listening to the wolves howl as they did hundreds of years ago.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Wow. That's a real dilemma: I'm half Italian, and would love to return to "the land of my people," but I'd like to go back to Ireland, too….

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

The importance of “forgive and forget.”

Tell us about the featured book.

This story was inspired by 9/11, a date that will remain in Americans' minds and hearts forever. I kept praying for a way to thank those brave men and women who risked—and in some cases, gave—their lives to save others. And then one night, the Lord woke me at 3 a.m. with the idea for the First Responders series. (Each novel features a different type of first responder; in the first, the hero was a NY cop who, after much tragedy and trauma, leaves the City and becomes and EMT in Baltimore.) I've given my word to donate 25% of my proceeds from the books to several very worthy organizations (Soldiers' Angels, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Wounded Warriors, etc.), so I have more reason than ever before to hope this series will be a success. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

From Ashes to Honor

Prologue

New York City

8:40 a.m.

September 11, 2001

            Like every morning, the sweet scents of cinnamon and mocha mixed with drug store aftershave and pricey cologne. And, like every morning, Austin ordered a large black coffee with a shot of espresso.

A strange vibration rumbled above the whir of blenders that busily whipped milk into froth for cappuccinos and lattes. A New York City trash truck, or a collision in the street, he wondered as his cell phone chirped. It only took a quick glance at the caller i.d. block to inspire a low groan.

Eddy smirked. “Your brother?”

“Third time this week.”

“Sheesh. And it’s only Tuesday.”

Becky, the counter girl, held out one hand. “That’ll be a buck fifty, cutie pie.”

Austin handed her two singles and told her to keep the change.

“Let me guess,” Eddy said, “he wants you to get a safer job, one with a more predictable schedule, so you can spend more time with your mom.”

“Bingo. All I can say is, thank God for unlimited minutes. The two messages he left yesterday?” Austin pocketed the phone and cut loose with a two-note whistle. “To call ‘em long is an understatement.”

“You know what they say about paybacks ….”

“What ….”

“Well, all I can say is, rambling messages must be in the Finley DNA.”

“Bite me,” Austin said, grinning as Becky handed him his coffee.

“No, seriously, Finley.” He looked left and right and waved Austin closer, as if preparing to divulge a state secret. “Listen up, dude … there was a big story about birth order on the news this morning.” He shrugged. “This stuff with Avery? It’s all ‘cause he sees you as his baby brother.”

“Aw, gimme a break. He ‘s five stinkin’ minutes older than me.”

“Hmpf. Big difference, five minutes. Made him ju-u-ust older and wiser enough to become a hot shot Wall Street investment banker.” He gave Austin the once-over, from close-cropped blond hair to spit-polished black shoes. “And develop the opinion that he needs to watch over you. Y’know, since you’re only one of many tiny little cogs that make the City’s gears—“

Austin chuckled. “Yeah, well, you can both bite me.”

Becky wiggled a forefinger at Eddy. “Your turn, honey pot.”

He leaned a forearm on the counter and frowned. “Holey moley, Beckster, you gotta quit partyin’ all night, ‘cause shoo-eee and wowza, dudette, you are some kinda green around the gills this mornin’!”

 She blew a baseball-sized purple bubble and popped it with her front teeth. “Y’know, Eddy, some days it’s hard to believe you found a woman willing to marry you.”

Eddy snickered, then ordered decaf with double cream, pretending not to hear as Austin and the rest of his cop pals agreed with Becky. The good-natured taunting came to a halt when a second rumble shook the windows and rattled the mugs, stacked pyramid fashion on glass shelves behind the counter. For a blink in time, the West Street Coffee Shop fell completely quiet. Then a chorus of buzzing cell phones, radio bleeps, and the sputtering of dispatchers summoning all available personnel to The World Trade Center ended the eerie silence.

Amid the clamor of cops and firefighters charging into the street, Austin disregarded a second call from his twin. Tossing Eddy the keys to their cruiser, he growled “You drive for a change. I’m afraid I’ll take my bad mood out on some ‘Got my license in a gumball machine’ sightseer at Battery Park.”

Siren blaring and lights flashing, they peeled away from the curb. “Smart decision,” he said, honking and shaking a fist at the slow-moving taxi that blocked him from the destination, just half a mile away.

Emergency vehicles, city busses, cabs and limos joined the rows of cars and delivery vans that rolled to a dead stop. “What’s the holdup?” Eddy demanded. “Can’t those clowns see that the light is green?”

“I hate these stupid tests. It’d make a lot more sense for the big shots at city hall do stuff like this when the roads aren’t clogged with traffic.” Austin shook his head. “But no-o-o, we’ve gotta put on a good show for the tourists, y’know.”

“Guess we can’t complain about getting paid to sit on our duffs.”

“Yeah? Well, I can complain … about these exhaust fumes, for starters.”

The radio buzzed and hummed with steady static, and Austin beat a fist on the dash. “Oh. Great. Now this piece of junk decides to die, leaving us clueless about what’s going on at WTC.”

“I hate to break it to ya, pard, but you were clueless before we—“ Eddy draped his upper body over the steering wheel and looked up. “What. Is. That?”

Squinting, Austin scrubbed the inside of the windshield with the heel of his hand. “Turn on the defogger, genius.”

But the murk was outside. Fierce, roiling white smoke stained the blue early-autumn sky. “I have a feeling this is no ordinary test,” he said grimly. “We’d better hot-foot it the rest of the way.”

“You’re right. Ain’t like we’re gonna block traffic ….”

Side by side, the partners jogged toward the Towers, and the closer they got, the harder it became to see through the smog.

“Must be one heckuva fire to make a mess like this.”

In his pocket, Austin’s cell phone buzzed, and he ignored it for the third time in five minutes. When he got hold of his twin later … man, was Avery gonna get a piece of his mind ....

Wow! I really want to read this book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Before I answer that, I'd like to take a moment to thank you, Lena, for yet again providing encouragement to your fellow authors through your well-loved blog! You are truly earning feathers for your angel wings, dear lady, every time you perform this generous and loving gesture!

Readers can find me in all the usual places (Facebook, Twitter, Shoutlife), and of course there's my blog (http://www.theloughdown.blogspot.com). I've written a monthly column for the popular Christian Fiction Online Magazine called "Loree's Lough Down." (Original, aren't I? LOL) I'm preparing to update and revamp my web site (http://www.loreelough.com) and would love to get some feedback from all of you! Feel free to visit, have a look around, then drop me a note while you're there to let me know what changes you'd like to see! (And if I take you up on your suggestion, I'll show my gratitude by sending you a free book!)


So wonderful to have you back on my blog, Loree. We'll have to do this again.



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 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

LIVVIE'S SONG - Sharlene MacLaren - Free Book

I just love featuring this author and friend on my blog. Welcome, Shar. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take? 

Since I am what you’d call a “seat-of-the-pants” writer, is it all right for me to answer with, ‘I have no idea!’?  Sorry for starting on a facetious note, but I seem to live my life in a constant state of anticipation, a “What’s next, God?” mode.  As for story ideas, they are forever swirling around in my head, begging to be set free on the computer screen.  Will I ever run out of them?  No time soon as far as I can tell. 

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them? I will be attending the ACFW conference in St. Louis in September.

 Presently, I am not scheduled to speak at any writers’ events, but I am speaking at some upcoming community events as well as a women’s retreat.

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 think I’d love a discussion on “How to Breathe Life Into Your Characters.”  My panel would consist of writers who I believe do an excellent job at writing stories with characters that engage.  Here’s my list: Julie Lessman, Loree Lough, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Tracie Peterson, and, hmm, I’d love to invite Lena Nelson Dooley! There are countless others, but these are the names that first jumped out at me. 

That would be a fun and interesting panel. Thanks for including me. How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

I think it’s essential to every author to stay active in organizations.  It is one way to stay current with writing trends.  We all reach that point of needing a battery charge, too, and retreats and conferences provide a wonderful opportunity for growth. 

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

As a vocalist, I’ve always been passionate about music, so I stay active in choir and worship teams.  I love the privilege of leading people into a spirit of worship.  Such an honor!  My husband and I are also involved in small group Bible studies, and, of course, whenever I get the chance I love speaking at libraries and other community organizations about my writing journey.       

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

I don’t know if I can narrow it to five (grins), but I’ll try.  First, Mom and Dad were such stable forces in my life, very in love with each other and the Lord and encouraging me from a very young age to give my heart to Jesus and then to love His Word. They taught me so much by mere example.  Second, my wonderful, loving, understanding, and Godly husband, Cecil.  Over the course of our 36 years together, I have fallen more in love than I ever thought possible! Third, my darling daughters for unwittingly “teaching” me the meaning of depthless love.  Fourth, countless Sunday school teachers, pastors, and college professors.  (Oh, my goodness, I’ve broken the rule and gone way over five!  I think I’ll just stop there.)

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

“She lived her life with abundant joy in the Lord!”   

Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the back cover blurb for Livvie’s Song: Life is far from a breeze for Olivia Beckman, owner of Livvie's Kitchen, a favorite of locals in Wabash, Indiana. The widowed mother of two is struggling to make ends meet–no simple feat, especially when her cook turns in his resignation. Yet, she's determined to pull through on her own, just as she did when God failed to save her beloved Frank. Newly released from a ten–year prison sentence, Will Taylor is ready for a fresh start. With harmonica in hand–the only possession he values, aside from his Bible–he makes his way to Wabash, where a late–night meal at Livvie's Kitchen turns into a job opportunity when the outgoing cook learns about his restaurant experience. What he doesn't know is that the "restaurant" was a prison cafeteria. But Will became a new man behind bars, thanks to a Christian friend, and he credits God's providence with landing him a job he loves. Soon, he cooks and bakes his way into the stomachs of his customers–and the heart of his employer. Both are hesitant, though, still healing from past hurts. A recipe for love between them will require sharing secrets, braving dangers, and believing God for a bright future.

Please share the first page with us.

Here you go:

Smoke rings rose and circled the heads of Charley Arnold and Roy Scott as they sat in Livvie’s Kitchen, each partaking of steaming coffee, roast beef and gravy, and conversation, every so often guffawing at one or the other’s blather, neither caring much who heard them since the place buzzed with midday talk.  Folks liked coming to Livvie’s Kitchen to fill their stomachs, but getting their ears full could be just as satisfying.  Behind the counter, utensils banged against metal, and pots and pans sizzled and boiled with steam and smoke.  Joe Stewart, the cook, hollered, “Order’s up!” to which Olivia Beckman, the restaurant’s 31-year-old proprietress, slapped down two hamburger platters in front of Mr. and Mrs. Waters and delivered a hasty smile.  With a twist of her body, her knee-length, cotton floral skirt flared.  She mopped her brow and blew several strawberry blond strands of damp hair off her face then hustled to the counter.  “You boys put out those disgusting nicotine sticks,” she scolded on the run.  “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t allow smoking in my establishment?  I don’t even have ashtrays.”

 “Aw, Livvie, how you expect us to enjoy a proper cup of coffee without a cigarette? ‘Sides, ar’ saucers work fine for ashtrays,” Charlie whined to her back.

“Saucers are not ashtrays,” said old Mrs. Garner who sat in the booth behind the men, craning her long, skinny neck to train her owl eyes on them, her lips pinched in a tight frown.  Mr. Garner had nothing to say, of course.  He rarely did, just let her do the talking, as usual, and sipped wordlessly on his tomato soup.

Livvie snatched the order form from the counter and gave it a glance, lifted two more plates, one with macaroni and cheese and a roll and the other a chicken drumstick with mashed potatoes, then whirled back around, eyeing both men with firmness.  “I expect you to follow my rules, boys”—she traipsed past them—“or go find yourselves another eatery where the smoke’s as thick as cow dung.”

 Where can my readers find you on the Internet? 

Thanks so much for giving me this opportunity to share with your readers, Lena.  Here is my contact info:

www.sharlenemaclaren.com

www.sharlenemaclaren.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/sharmaclaren

www.shoutlife.com/sharlenemaclaren

email: smac@chartermi.net


What a pleasure, Sharlene. You'll have to come again.


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 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

LOVE FINDS YOU IN GROOM, TEXAS - Janice Hanna - Free Book

It's always a great pleasure for me to feature Janice Hanna (Thompson) on my blog. In addition to being one of my very special friends, she's also a lot of fun and an amazing author. Welcome, Janice.

Please tell us three random things we might not know about you.

My dad was the president of the University of Houston Cougar Cagers Club, so my birthdays, holidays, etc. were spent at basketball games. Our family traveled to Mexico with the U of H Cougars to watch them compete, which was great fun. When I was eleven, I got to play (for fun, of course) with the Harlem Globetrotters, who came to Houston for a visit. To this day, I love a good basketball game.

I once lied to a fellow camper at church camp, telling her that my dad (Billy Hanna) was William Hanna of Hanna/Barbara (Flintstones) fame. That lie still haunts me, though, to his credit, my dad did eventually work as a movie producer on our co-authored movie, Liar’s Moon. (Yes, it’s true. I got to meet and work with Matt Dillon. Eat your heart out, girls!)

I occasionally bake wedding cakes. In 2009 I baked a lovely four-tiered white cake with strawberry filling and cream cheese frosting that toppled less than an hour before the wedding. I managed to piece together two very messy/ugly layers. Thankfully, the bride did not murder me. It made for a great scene in a later book. (Nothing ever gets wasted, not even a mashed piece of cake.)

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Love Finds You in Groom, Texas.

Always the groomsman, never the groom… It’s 1914, and Jake O’Farrell has gained an unusual reputation among the locals: He’s played the roles of groomsman and best man in all four of his older brothers’ weddings, but he’s never been able to find the woman to capture his heart. And now with the upcoming wedding of his best friend, Jake will become the last single man in the town of Groom.

Anne Denning has made the difficult decision to move with her sisters to Texas, but a train derailment forces them to seek shelter in Groom, near Amarillo. Mrs. O’Farrell, hopeful that Anne will catch her youngest son’s eye, invites the girls to stay at her home until the train is repaired and ready to pull out. Anne has no idea of the blissful chaos that lies ahead!

Why did you decide to write this story?

My editor at Summerside approached me with the name of the town because she knows I write a lot of wedding-themed stories. She wanted something lightweight/fun, and she knew me well enough to know I would enjoy a fun story. The only real question we had in the beginning stage was: “Should this be a historical or a contemporary?” We went with historical because I felt sure the story idea was better suited to the turn of the century.

Tell us something interesting about the town of Groom:

Groom boasts a nineteen-story high cross. More than 100 welders worked together to erect it in 1995. Now you can see why I toyed with the idea of writing a contemporary novel! I wanted to include the cross. Because I went with historical, I decided to give the heroine a small cross necklace to wear, one that symbolizes her faith (and alludes to the “bigger” cross to come).

What is your favorite memory of the Texas panhandle region?

Just one? I love, love, love Palo Duro Canyon, which is not terribly far from Groom. This breathtaking canyon always surprises visitors because you don’t see it coming! Look to your right and see nothing. Then, a few yards up the road, look to your right again and you see a crevice forming. That crevice deepens, then deepens some more until. . .lo and behold! You’re looking at one of God’s most magnificent “sweeps of a fingertip.” Truly glorious. One of my favorite memories was taking my daughters to see the play Texas in Palo Duro Canyon when they were little. We camped overnight in the state park, ate BBQ and saw the show. Amazing!

Groom is a wedding-themed book. Why do you write so many stories with a strong wedding theme?

I have four grown daughters—Randi, Megan, Courtney Rae and Courtney Elizabeth. Yes, I really have two daughters named Courtney. (Long story!) All four of my girls got married within four years of each other. We’re told to write what we know. I know weddings, trust me! I helped coordinate all four weddings and even worked as a wedding coordinator at my church for a season. I was also tickled to be the “Wedding Planner Examiner” for the city of Houston for a spell. What fun! You’ll see me writing about weddings for years to come, so hang on for the ride!

Why will readers enjoy your novel besides the hunky man on the cover?

In spite of the lead character’s tough situation, the story is filled with comedic elements. Anne’s two younger sisters are a hoot. So is Maggie (the hero’s mother). She’s an Irish spitfire! I think readers will appreciate the romance between Anne and Jake. It’s filled with all sorts of sweet and comic moments.

Why do you like writing comedies with strong take-aways?

Comedy is a great outlet. We comedians can get away with a lot more than authors who play it straight. Want the reader to walk away with a little nugget of truth? Couch it in something humorous. I’ve found that light-hearted writing not only suits my personality, it’s the perfect vehicle for sharing the gospel.

You’ve written other Love Finds You books in the past. Do you enjoy writing for this series? Why or why not?

I can’t say enough about this line of books. From the moment the first book released, I fell in love—with the authors, the covers, the stories, the settings. Most of all, I love the concept. Through these stories, the reader can travel all over the country, bouncing from town to town, city to city. Want a serious historical? You’ll find it in the Love Finds You series. Want a humorous contemporary? You’ll find that, too. Want a book set in a quirky, fun town? Yep. You’ll find it in the Love Finds You series. Want a story set in a remote, faraway place, filled with intrigue? You’ll find that, too.

And a side note to this answer, my Love  Finds You book, Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, just won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for excellence in western fiction. 

What are you working on now?

I just turned in Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma, a fun historical about a single woman in her late 30’s who moves from the Gulf Coast to the landlocked state of Oklahoma to become the director at an orphanage. It’s a love story, of course! She falls in love with the town sheriff, who has adopted two of the unruliest boys from the orphanage. I’m currently writing Wedding Belles, the first book in the Belles and Whistles series for Summerside/Guideposts.

What are your favorite things to do (besides writing)?

Honestly? I love hanging out with my grandbabies. They grow up so quickly and I don’t want to miss a thing! Maddy is four now. She’s the oldest. Avery is three. Peyton is three. Ethan is two. Boston is one and a half and baby Brooke turned one this week. I love them so very much. They keep me young (and give me plenty of fodder for books). 

And they're very cute, too. I notice you write under two names (Janice Hanna and Janice Thompson). Why? 

Those who’ve been reading my romances over the past several years know me as Janice A. Thompson. My joy is mixed with a smidgeon of sorrow as I explain the change in my last name for some of my current releases. In 2006 I lost my father to bone marrow cancer. His last name (Hanna) is my maiden name—and it’s a name that means even more to me now that he is gone. In memory of my father, I use the Hanna name in my historicals. My Revell books will still release under Janice Thompson. I hope you my readers will stick with me, no matter which name I use!

I understand you have a new VIP bookclub. Can you tell us about that?

Yes, I’m so excited about this, too! I came up with this idea several months ago: Why not create a “club” where members can get each new Janice Thompson/Janice Hanna book as it releases for a set price of $11, shipping included. Books are autographed and mailed out to club members before they ever hit the stores. I also encourage my VIP club members to leave reviews, as they are able, on amazon, christianbook.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. If people are interested in joining the club, all they have to do is shoot me an email at booksbyjanice@aol.com with the words “VIP bookclub” in the subject line and their address in the body of the email.

Anything else you want our readers to know?

Yes, I’m very passionate about my faith, which is why I write Christian books. I could no more leave out the faith elements than I could stop eating chocolate. They are integral…to my stories and my life. I’m a huge believer in stirring up the gifts that God has placed inside of us, which is what I hope to do through my teaching.  

Where else can readers find you online?

I love to connect with my readers at the following places:

www.janicehannathompson.com

www.freelancewritingcourses.com

www.facebook.com/jhannathompson 

Thanks for spending time with me! I had a blast!

And we loved having you stop by the 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. 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 

BROKEN WINGS - Carla Stewart - Free Book

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I’ve always been intrigued with relationships and the quirky twists in life, so I wanted to write stories that reflect the human condition – both the tragic and the victorious. Because the past influences the people we are today, I wanted to tell nostalgic stories from the eras of my parents and my own childhood. So far I’ve been fortunate to be able to do that.

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

My birthday a few years ago. We went out to eat with our neighbors to a restaurant that had a jazz band playing. The band leader asked for requests so I asked him to sing Louie Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” since it’s my husband’s favorite song. A little later in the evening, the singer came to our table and sang the song to us, complete with the trumpet part. It was like magic in the air, surrounded with people we loved and being perfectly contented. That night I realized it’s not the big events or turning points in our lives that bring happiness, but the small moments that take our breath away. It really is a wonderful world we live in.

How has being published changed your life?

Very interesting question. Before I was published I fretted over whether I would EVER get an agent or a contract. Now I fret over whether I will have time to cook dinner or clean the house. It’s become a very consuming thing with marketing, networking, and juggling the different phases of each book. I don’t think I realized how many technical things I would have to master as a published author. Yet, when I get a letter from a reader I’ve never met, and she tells me she heard her father’s voice in my writing or that it made me her smile to remember forgotten things from her youth, it’s so rewarding. And there’s always Arby’s for dinner or the Merry Maids if I have company coming and no time to clean.

What are you reading right now?

 I’m working on edits at the moment, but the last book I read was Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. I met this talented debut author last winter and loved her book. I’ve also just finished Patti Lacy’s upcoming novel, Reclaiming Lily, which I read for endorsement.

What is your current work in progress?

Stardust, a story set in East Texas in 1952 during the height of the polio epidemic. I just received the content edits for it and have a proposal in to my editor for a nostalgic “girlfriend” story tentatively titled Sweet Dreams.

What would be your dream vacation?

Spending three months in a cottage in England where I could walk my little dog on cobblestone streets and stop at the green grocers to pick up fresh produce for our evening meal.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

At the risk of sounding cliché, they actually find me. When I start thinking about a new book, I usually have a premise and a character or two. I put them in the setting that best fits their situation and the story they have to tell. In Broken Wings, I knew I wanted an aging jazz singer to tell her story to someone. I’d read an article in the Tulsa paper about the possible renovation of an old jazz hall. I did a little checking and found out Tulsa has a rich jazz history so it was only logical that this would be the setting. All my other contracted and published stories have been set in different parts of Texas. Someday I’d like to step away from “what I know” but we’ll see.

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

It would be a couple – George and Laura Bush. We have a Texas heritage in common as well as having twins. We wouldn’t discuss politics but favorite memories, children, places we’ve been, what matters most to us.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Traveling with my husband. Word Puzzle Books. Collecting antiques. Music. I used to quilt, paint folk art, and sew, but alas, those have gone by the wayside when I took up my proverbial pen.

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

Finding the balance between marketing and actual writing. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to manage that, but since I’m most creative in the afternoons, I try to keep those hours sacred for writing and tend to the marketing and editing chores in the morning. I rarely get on FaceBook until in the evening as I’ve found I spend too much time there.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Join a writing group and read books on craft. Don’t wait until you think you’re “set” to start writing. What you’re writing will become infused with the craft as you practice. Also, I think it’s a good idea to follow your gut and write that which is burning inside you. Agents and editors want fresh voices and yours might be the one they’ve been waiting on. That said, you have to follow some guidelines and know your genre and what is acceptable and what is not. It’s an ever-changing process and a noble calling. For a beginning writer, magazines and anthologies like the Chicken Soup books are also a good way to dip your toes in the water. And those publishing credits are like gold on your writing resume.

Tell us about the featured book.

Broken Wings is the story of an unlikely friendship between two women who end up being dependent on one another through some difficult situations. It’s a “framed” story so a good part of it is nostalgic and told as flashback which dovetails with the contemporary story. Here’s the back cover copy: 

Onstage, the singing duo of Gabe and Mitzi Steiner captured America's heart for more than two decades. Offstage, their own hearts have throbbed as one for sixty years. Only now, Gabe has retreated into the tangles of Alzheimer's, leaving Mitzi to ponder her future alone.

On the other side of Tulsa, everyone believes Brooke Woodson has found the perfect man--a handsome lawyer with sights on becoming Tulsa's next District Attorney. If only Brooke felt more sure. If only her fiancé could control his anger. If only love didn't come with so many scars.

When an accident lands Brooke in the hospital where Mitzi volunteers, the two women quickly develop an unlikely friendship birthed by providence and bathed in grace. And with Mitzi's help, kindness, and insight, Brooke learns how to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

Please give us the first page of the book. 

PROLOGUE

St. Louis, April 1935              

When you’re six years old and the only ocean you’ve seen is in a picture book at Public School No. 16, you don’t have a big view of the world. And the other kids running up and down your street in ragged knickers and hand-me-down dresses don’t know beans either. To all of us, a mountain was the pile of rocks along the banks of the Mississippi, one we clamored around, spouting truths about the universe as we knew it. And about our Huck Finn dreams of building a raft that would take us all the way to the ocean.

Sometimes when Mama sat with her arm around me on the wood steps of our two-room row house, I’d tell her my ocean dream. And how, if I couldn’t have that, I wanted to live in one of those houses on the other side of the green park. The ones that could hold a family our size six or seven times over. I’d fill it with children and get a pony for the backyard and two Great Danes for the front, I’d tell her. And it would ring with laughter and singing for everyone who passed by.

 “You’re a dreamer, Maggie,” Mama would say and twist my chestnut hair into two ropey braids. “But don’t you stop spinning those golden tales, ’cuz as sure as my name’s Lorna Beth Poole, I’m going to take you to the ocean, dumplin’. We’ll cross the mountains, dip our toes in the water, and collect sea shells by the dozen. And that’s a fact.”

Then Papa would be there, his moonshine jug hooked in the thumb of one hand, a black cigar puffing smoke like a locomotive in the other. And he didn’t allow such talk of the mountains or the ocean. Or much of anything.

How can readers find you on the Internet?  

Website: www.carlastewart.com

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ChasingLilacs

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/carlastewartauthor 

Amazon link to Broken Wings:

Thanks, Lena, for having me on your wonderful blog!

And thank you, Carla, for giving us another peek into your life. Come back anytime.

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 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 MOST UNSUITABLE MATCH - Stephanie Grace Whitson - Free Book

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

I don’t consciously write myself into my characters, but friends who read my books tell me they see me. Certainly my understanding of humanity and the things that are important to me as a believer filter into situations, but that happens naturally, not as part of any plan on my part.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

If I told you that I’d have to kill you. J

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I knew I loved to write by the time I was in junior high school. I loved getting writing assignments in school, loved writing letters home (in the days before e-mail), and wrote my first novel when I was in my early teens. However, I never expected writing to become a vocation. Feeling like a writer in the professional sense of that word didn’t happen for me until I got my second three-book contract. For some reason, when that happened, I began to think of myself as a “real” writer.

That should do it. I've now signed my second three-book contract, too. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My to-be-read pile right now includes a stack of non-fiction history books with a concentration on American women’s history and biography. When it comes to fiction, I love suspense, thrillers, mysteries, historical fiction, contemporary women’s fiction … honestly just about any genre except fantasy, science fiction, and horror.

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

You speak of insanity like it’s a bad thing J. Truly, I gave up trying a long time ago. That sounds flippant, but it isn’t. I wish I knew the secret of keeping up, but I’m on the search as much as anyone. Even though I have learned to say the word “no” without false guilt, even though I try to reassess my goals and “only do the A’s,” even though I try to “eliminate and simplify,” I still find myself over-committed. One thing maturity has given me, though, is the sense to only commit to things I love … things I think are really important “in light of eternity,” as Randy Alcorn says.   

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I collect names off tombstones in the area where my book is set.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

That’s a tough question because of the qualifier most. I’ve worked very hard to build two good marriages (my first husband died in 2001). Seeing my children grow into productive adults with good lives and strong faith is extremely gratifying, although I’m well aware that it’s a blessing from the Lord and not something I can claim to have accomplished. Knowing that God has used my writing to His glory is something that simultaneously amazes and humbles me.

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

An Arabian horse. I’d like to know what it’s like to be that graceful.

What is your favorite food?

Dessert.

I’ll second that, preferably chocolate, but my husband brought home some Italian Cream Cake last night. Yum! What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I hate writing the first draft. I love gleaning ideas, I love developing them into proposals, I love editing and re-writing umpteen times and talking to readers and interacting with other writers. I hate writing the first draft. I haven’t overcome it yet.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Most Unsuitable Match introduces two very different people headed up the Missouri River on a steamboat in 1869. Fannie Rousseau has led a privileged life, but things aren’t going well in the aftermath of her mother’s death and she sets out to locate her only living relative, completely ignorant of the conditions on the river and the realities of Fort Benton, Montana, her destination. Samuel Beck has led a hard life. He, too, is on the river seeking someone, and when he and Fannie are thrown together to face tragedy, sparks fly—and they aren’t necessarily the romantic kind.

Please give us the first page of the book.

            Kneeling before the tombstone, eighteen-year-old Fannie Rousseau retrieved the scrub brush from the water bucket she’d just settled in the grass. First, she attacked the dried bird droppings on the back side of the stone, then moved on to the deep grooves carving the name Rousseau into the cool gray surface. She’d just finished cleaning out the second s when a familiar voice sounded from across the cemetery.

            “Land sakes, child, what on earth are you doin’? You’ll ruin your hands. And put that bonnet back on. What will your Mother s-s—”

            When Fannie laid her hand atop the gravestone to steady herself and lifted her tear-stained face towards Hannah, the old woman stopped mid-word. Tucking an errant hank of wiry gray hair back under the kerchief tied about her head, she hurried to where Fannie knelt. Her voice more gentle than scolding, she said, “You know your mother would have my hide for letting you be seen in public doing such a thing.” She nodded towards the red brick church just outside the cemetery fence. “And it’s the Sabbath, little miss. What were you thinking?”

            Fannie didn’t have an answer. At least not one she wanted to say aloud. She cleaned the rest of the letters out before dropping the brush into the scrub bucket and, bracing her hand atop the stone, standing back up. The soil atop Mother’s grave had finally sunk enough to be level with Papa’s side, but the grass hadn’t filled in yet. For now, the tombstone only told half a story. Louis Rousseau, 1803-1866, Beloved Husband. Eleanor Rousseau, 1803-_____.  The stone mason had yet to add the year 1869 to Mother’s side. Fannie contemplated the words Beloved Husband. She supposed it was only right to add Beloved Wife to Mother’s side. Even if she would always wonder if it were true.

I can hardly wait to read this story. How can readers find you on the Internet?

 www.stephaniewhitson.com

www.footnotesfromhistory.blogspot.com

Thank you for once again giving us a peek into your life. I have to tell you that I loved, loved, loved Sixteen Brides.



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 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

LARKSPUR COVE - Lisa Wingate - Free Book

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

Well, to being with, I’ve just finished writing the second book in the Moses Lake Series, to follow Larkspur Cove.  Other than “I love you” I think “The End” must be some of the most beautiful words in the English language—at least they are beautiful to writers.  I’m also looking forward to a “sweet sixteen” this summer, with the release of my sixteenth novel, Dandelion Summer!  The book is very special to me, as it is the culmination of a friendship with an amazing reader-friend, Ed Stevens, whom I met after he read one of my books and emailed me.  I’m always amazed at the ways God connects people.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have two sons (ordered daughters, but found out how much fun boys can be and how much they love their mother).  Our oldest has always loved all things with wheels, working outside, and is now studying Industrial Engineering in college. We still have one in high school, who is a fun, funny, mile-a-minute kid. We live in the country, which works out well for all of my fellas, and we’re fortunate to have my mother and my husband’s parents nearby.  I get some of my best material from family gatherings with various members of the Wingate clan.  

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

One great thing about being a writer is that I have the chance to read many books before they are published.  I’ve discovered some new favorite authors that way, which is nice.  Some of these have become fast friends.  I always have a whole stack on my night table of to-be-reads, and I love my “Mt. Toobie.”  I admire and enjoy the work of so many other writers, and when I’m not reading fiction, I’m usually reading research material for some story or other.

What are you working on right now?

I just finished the next book in the Moses Lake series, Blue Moon Bay, which will follow Larkspur Cove.  I was thrilled that Larkspur Cove made it into all the Wal-Marts and Sam’s stores, and started the series off with a bang.  It was fun to go back to the lake while writing the second book!

What outside interests do you have?

My faith and church is a big part of my life. My husband and I teach Sunday School to the high school seniors and have for years.  Every year, we go through that transition from high school to spreading their wings and heading off into the world, which is always bittersweet.  Some of our best moments are when the holidays roll around and “our kids” come back to visit.  At this point, we’ve been teaching long enough that they’re coming back with kids of their own.  Being only a few years out of college myself, I’m not sure how this could possibly be happening ;o)

I love all of the activities that go with being a mom-- games, band appearances, honor society, open house at school, you name it.  I am expert at rounding up bits of forgotten sports equipment and lost marching band shoes and rushing them to town just in time.

I love quiet family times.  Our movie nights, watching the Rangers and the Superbowl together, gathering for Christmas Eve goodies and birthday celebrations. With two boys, of course, quiet is a relative term.  We also love to snow ski and spend time on the water in the summer.  I love traveling for appearances and conferences. Typically, my mother travels with me as my assistant.  We meet the nicest people and of course have occasionally been caught hitting the local shops.

I just watched the Rangers win the seventh consecutive time. Really happy for them, especially Josh Hamilton after what happened earlier in this series. He's a member of our church, and I'm really praying for him right now. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Typically, I choose settings I know.  It’s so much easier to make things real and tactile when you know how a place feels, and smells.  How the seasons change, and what sounds usher in the mornings and transition day into night.  In the case of Larkspur Cove, few years ago, we stayed for a few months at a relative’s house at Lake Whitney, Texas. I was fascinated with the mix of people in the neighborhood and the way the lake plays into the lives of the people.  I thought this would be a perfect setting for a story, and it became the inspiration for Moses Lake, the setting of Larkspur Cove. 

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

Mark Twain or Will Rogers.  Either one.  I love the writings of both.  The wisdom is timeless. 

I'd love to meet Will Rogers, since I just won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for western fiction. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I think I’m glad that I knew almost nothing about the business.  Sometimes, I think we talk about how difficult the business is so much that we discourage those who dream of publishing.  I do believe that God puts those stories inside us for a reason!

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

It’s difficult to narrow it down to three. For sure one would be write right through it. Occasionally I’m unsure how to handle a scene or just what a character would do or say or think.  It’s so much easier to revise and improve a story once it’s all on paper. 

Secondly, do set hours or set a goal.  It’s too easy to let day after day go by without progress.  A goal helps in keeping the motivation up and achieving small goals provides little victories along the way.

Third, look for your stories anywhere, treasure the ideas you have for settings, characters, storylines, little vignettes you want to include in a book sometimes, favorite quotes or quirky sayings your characters could utter, titles you want to write a story for and so forth. Record all these in a computer file or a little notebook.  When you need inspiration, look there. 

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

The blurb:  Moses Lake was a constant place, on the surface. But you can’t always tell by looking, what might be brewing underneath…

After surviving the worst year of her life, Andrea Henderson moves home to sleepy little Moses Lake, Texas, to recover her shattered faith and build a new life for herself and her son. Game Warden Mart McClendon finds himself in Moses Lake for a different reason: to forget a tragedy for which he can’t forgive himself. 

But when a mysterious little girl is suddenly seen with the town recluse, these two unlikely allies are drawn together in a search for her identity. As wounded pasts collide, will their quest bring the redemption and hope they need – or consequences neither of them expected? 

I hope readers take away the message that God’s plans are so much larger than we can imagine, and because of this, it’s important to be open minded and open hearted about the people who surround us.  God does some of His most important work though the people He brings into our lives and into our communities.  As community members, we are our brother’s keepers.  We are all meant to be intertwined and bear responsibility for one another, and we are strongest when we accept that responsibility.  When we shirk that responsibility, evil is allowed to prevail. 

I so agree. Please give us the first page of the book.

"Larkspur Cove"

Chapter 1

Andrea Henderson

If you’re lucky enough to be at the lake, you’re lucky enough.  

That motto is boldly emblazoned on signs at either end of the sleepy little shoreside berg of Moses Lake, Texas. The letters, carefully tinted with gold paint, shine in the sunlight like a heavenly promise.

Or a divine farce, depending on who you are.

If you’re on your way to an appointment you can’t afford to miss, and you find yourself lost on some back road, listening to the hiss of a tire going undeniably flat . . . well, then . . . proximity to water does not in any way alter your sense of misfortune. The only overriding feeling at a time like that, other than sheer terror, is an unhappy kinship with the road. A sense of being just like it—rutted, pitted, cracked, and scarred, wandering through the wilderness, headed in completely the wrong direction.

I’d always imagined, as I counted down the latter half of my thirties, that I’d be rolling through life like a family sedan on a superhighway—not in Moses Lake, certainly, but somewhere. It was a comfortable expectation, the problem being that building a life is a little like planning a road trip. You travel mile by mile, each depending on the last. It’s hard to end up where you planned when there are flaws in the map, and the more you look, the more you realize there have been gaps all along, and at this point you’re hopelessly off course.

Sounds like a wonderful read. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can always find me at www.lisawingate.com. I also enjoy keeping up with readers and friends on Facebook. We have a Youtube channel with inspirational videos, and this year I’ve started blogging with inspirational southern authors, Beth Webb Hart, Marybeth Whalen, Rachel Hauck, and Jenny B. Jones on our new cyber porch at www.SouthernBelleView.com.  This crew is a hoot, I have to tell you, and we’ve been having a blast with readers and friends on the blog, talking about southern food, faith, fiction, and fun.

Thank you for dropping by again, Lisa. Your Southern Belle View crew must be a lot of fun. I know all of them except Beth.



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 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