SEEDS OF SUMMER - Deborah Vogts - Free Book

Author Bio: Deborah Vogts and her husband have three daughters and make their home in Southeast Kansas where they raise and train American Quarter Horses. As a student at Emporia State University studying English and journalism, Deborah developed a love for the Flint Hills that has never faded. In writing this series, she hopes to share her passion for one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world, showing that God’s great beauty rests on the prairie and in the hearts of those who live there.

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

My tag line (and the name of my blog) is Country at Heart. I’ve always enjoyed reading contemporary or historical books with a western, country or small town setting. It’s the life I know and it’s what I enjoy reading. I guess writing about that life is what comes natural to me. I believe my core readers are those who love country life, were raised in the country or who dream of the simple life it offers.

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

The day I married my husband. We were actually high school classmates, but it wasn’t until after our 5th year class reunion that we started dating. We married on Valentine’s Day 1990, and he’ll always be my valentine!

How has being published changed your life?

Writing on deadline. LOL. I’ve also been surprised at how much time marketing takes. As aspiring authors, we’re told that you have to market, and yes, that it takes a lot of your time, but oh my goodness . . . I never quite expected it to take so much time from my writing schedule. I had always thought that I was good at multi-tasking, but when it comes to marketing and writing, I have to do one or the other—I haven’t figured out a good way to do them both. Maybe the best idea is to set aside one or two days a week to do “only marketing.” I’m not sure…I’m still working on that one. LOL

Another thing that has surprised me is how incredibly honored I feel to receive “fan mail.” That is something I never equated into the “author picture.” I LOVE getting letters or emails from my readers. That has been such a huge blessing to me.

What are you reading right now?

This past weekend, I began reading Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes, and I am loving it.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m currently finishing up the third book in the series, Blades of Autumn, which is the story about Clara, the owner of Clara’s Café.

(Blurb for Book #3) With a café to run and three children to raise, Clara Lambert doesn’t have time for men or loneliness, despite what her heart might tell her. When two handsome cowboys vie for her attention, one of the brothers proves to be her soul mate, but at what cost? Will it tear the brothers’ relationship apart or is blood really thicker than water?

What would be your dream vacation?

Like most people, I think it would be fun to go to Europe and travel the countryside for a month, but I don’t suppose that will ever happen. Did I mention I have an aversion to flying? LOL. That said, I think it would be a hoot to travel across the United States in an RV with my husband. I love the mountains, so I’m sure that would be in our travel itinerary.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My book series, Seasons of the Tallgrass, is set in the Flint Hills of Kansas—a strip of land stretching from Nebraska to Oklahoma, about 100 miles wide and 300 miles long that refuses to be tamed because of the flint rock embedded in the hills. Although farmers once tried to run plows through it, they abandoned their efforts, leaving it to its original native grass. That is why it remains as one of the largest tallgrass prairies in the world.

Years ago, I took a Flint Hills Folklife summer course at Emporia State University that was taught by Dr. Jim Hoy. Along with classroom study, we took field trips into the heart of the Flint Hills and visited with old-time ranchers, schoolmarms and post-mistresses. It was such a delightful experience, especially our drives into the pastures. We would get on these back roads and drive over pasture guards into the open range. We would travel for miles without seeing another car or even an electric line—just pure, native prairie. That summer, I fell in love with the Flint Hills, and it has stayed with me all this time.

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

I’d like to visit with a movie producer, maybe Larry Levinson, and try to convince him to make a movie out of my books! LOL. For my newest release, we could get Megan Fox to play Natalie and Keanu Reeves to play Jared Logan. :-)

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to take walks with our two golden retrievers or dig in the dirt in my flower beds or garden. Or even mow! I am weird in that I LIKE to mow. We have a large yard, so it takes me about two hours on an industrial-sized mower, but I enjoy this time to just think or sing. LOL. Yes, I sometimes sing when I mow. It’s also a good time for me to pray or to plot out scenes in my current writing project. Other than that, I enjoy playing the piano, baking something, sewing or scrapbooking! Oh the joys. :-)

I love the smell of fresh-mowed grass. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

I’ve had to learn to be disciplined with my writing time—and I’m still trying to learn how to do better—and how to convince my family that my writing is a real job. I’ve been fortunate that my books have been slated a year apart, but with everything that goes into the writing process and then the marketing, the months go by so fast!

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Never give up. Right before I landed my second agent, I almost gave up on my dreams, and I am so thankful I didn’t. Not that God would have let me. I searched and asked that he give me scripture answers that would lead me in the right direction. Some of those he gave were: Isaiah 41:13, Deuteronomy 31:8, Proverbs 3:5-6, and my favorite one that ministered to me and still does today, “Be Still and Know that I am God.”

Tell us about the featured book?

Seeds of Summer will be released in late May. It is the second book in the Seasons of the Tallgrass series. A heart-warming contemporary romance set in the Flint Hills of Kansas where a former rodeo queen abandons her dreams in order to care for her deceased father’s ranch and her two half-siblings, only to realize with the help of a young new pastor that God can turn even the most dire circumstances into seeds of hope.

For each of the seasonal books, I wanted to portray one aspect found in the Flint Hills—and I knew I had to include a story about a female rancher. Also because I have three daughters who are spread out in age, I started wondering what it would be like if something happened to my husband and I, and our oldest daughter was left to care for her sisters. That’s how Seeds of Summer first came to my mind.

I really enjoyed writing Natalie’s story and trying to get her through the difficult family problems she had to face. She is a very strong character with an interesting twist in her story—she’s a former Miss Rodeo Kansas AND the first runner up Miss Rodeo America. I don’t want to give away any of the plot line, but I can say that much of my research involved studying the rodeo queen pageants.

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

I can do better than that! Country magazine (Reiman Publications) interviewed me for their April/May issue, which was an incredible blessing and honor, as I’ve been a huge fan of their publications for years. If you go to their site, you can read a sample from the first chapter of Seeds of Summer as well as enter your chance to win one of my books. This drawing ends May 31. http://www.country-magazine.com/

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers may visit my author web site at http://www.deborahvogts.com/  or at my blog: http://www.deborahvogts.blogspot.com/

Readers can also find me on Twitter: DeborahVogts
or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/DeborahVogts?ref=profile

Thank you, Deborah, for visiting with us again.

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SNOW MELTS IN SPRING - Deborah Vogts - Free Book

I've really been looking forward to this interview with debut author Deborah Vogts. I've known her a long time and rejoiced with her when she signed her first contract. Deborah, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Actually, I think it’s the people around me who are written into my characters more than myself, or at least pieces of them—like a jigsaw puzzle.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I’m not a very quirky person . . . um, I like to put catsup on my eggs. Not sure if that’s quirky or not, but it’s all I can think of. LOL.

I love catsup on fried egg sandwiches, but then I know I'm quirky. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I began writing my first Great American Novel when I was a sophomore in High School on an old electronic typewriter. From that moment on, I was hooked.

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

I enjoy historical Christian romance, and contemporary novels with a literary twist. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger comes to mind.

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

I am a stay-at-home mom with two girls at home (ages 12 & 17), so I’m fully aware of what a busy life is. However, we say no to a LOT of things—such as sports, or extracurricular activities (not a popular answer in today’s world, and it is frowned on a great deal, but it’s how we manage our household and keep our sanity.)

When my daughters were late elementary and junior high age, we did something similar. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes I have a name already in mind, but I’ve also used a baby naming book. I’ll thumb through it until I find the perfect name for each character, keeping in mind specific aspects already determined.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I cringe at the "P" word, but I am most thankful to have raised three lovely daughters and married a God-fearing Christian man, and these are not my accomplishments, but things God has allowed and blessed me with.

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

Wow, I’ve lived on a farm (or in the country) all my life and most of those animals end up on a plate somewhere. Not a good place to be unless you’re human—so I guess I’ll leave it at that. :-)

What is your favorite food?

Now THAT I can answer. I actually have three favorites—grilled Kansas City Strip steak, pizza and boiled shrimp. Chocolate is NOT a food—it’s more like a dietary supplement that you eat on a have-to basis.

Yes, my husband read yesterday that dark chocolate helps lower cholesterol. Another reason to take a dose or two a day. Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

As stated earlier, my love for writing began back in High School, but the real journey began in 2002 when I joined ACFW (then ACRW). I joined a critique group, attended conferences and began honing my craft and learning about the publishing business. In 2006, I acquired my first agent, who tried selling a contemporary series for me. This proved unsuccessful, and then I landed a second agent, Rachelle Gardner at WordServe Literary, who managed to sell the series to Zondervan, which brings me to where I am today. :-)

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

I think the devil throws roadblocks at us from all angles, depending on where we are in our life. For me, I’ve had to deal with time management and trusting that God has given me a talent he wants me to use. I’ve been able to overcome these arrows by staying in God’s word (throwing it at the devil at times) and getting down on my knees in prayer.

What advice would you give to others who are trying to get their first book published?

Never give up. Right before I landed my second agent, I almost gave up on my dreams, and I am so thankful I didn’t. Not that God would have let me. I searched and asked that he give me scripture answers that would lead me in the right direction. Some of those he gave were: Isaiah 41:13, Deuteronomy 31:8, Proverbs 3:5-6, and my favorite one that ministered to me and still does today, "Be Still and Know that I am God."

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

Snow Melts in Spring is a heart-warming contemporary romance set in the Flint Hills of Kansas where a female country veterinarian is called on to heal an injured horse but winds up nurturing the wounded relationship between a prodigal son and his ailing father, and is forced to choose between the man of her dreams or the land of her heart. Spanning the Seasons of the Tallgrass, each story in this series reveals the struggle of the people who live there and the dreams they have for the land until they come full-circle in a never-ending cycle, just as man comes full-circle in his understanding of God.

When an aged horse is severely injured on a gravel road in the Flint Hills of Kansas, country veterinarian Mattie Evans accepts the challenge to save him. But she finds herself in the middle of a longstanding feud between the horse’s owner, pro quarterback Gil McCray, and his ailing father—who is also her dear friend.
　
As the snow melts in spring, Gil’s return to his estranged father’s ranch brings a chance for new beginnings and reconciliation, but when he falls in love with Mattie, he must face the truths that haunt him or run from his past. Meanwhile, Mattie encourages Gil to return permanently to Kansas rather than retire in California. Their love collides when Mattie’s sister arrives on Gil’s doorstep, causing Gil to come to terms with the jealous acts leading up to his brother’s death and seek forgiveness from those he loves most. Can he accept God’s forgiveness, and will that be enough to make him stop running from his memories of home? In turn, if Mattie forgives, she’ll be forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the land she dearly loves.
　
Thanks for this opportunity to share with you and your readers. :-)

Thank you, Deborah, for sharing with us today.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Snow Melts in Spring:

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