SOMETHING BLUE - Dianne Christner - One Free Book

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

Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Arizona has some breathtaking horizons. But mostly, on the horizon, I see God’s grace working in my life.

I’m making some changes, dropping the routine information dump and getting real on my blog. All along, I’ve turned myself inside out trying to give readers a worthwhile (yet safe and impersonal) take away, such as the real scoop on Mennonite bonnets or my secret family recipe for Porcupine Meatballs. Embarrassing stuff, I know. That’s the point. They’d rather see a photo of me in a head covering or hear how I burned the meatballs because I was shopping for new clothes because I gained ten pounds on my book tour eating Whoopie pies because I was rewarding myself for doing my job even though I’d rather stay home where it’s safe because I’m an introvert. . . for example. That didn’t really happen. So I’m prying my fingers up one by one, releasing the grip I’ve kept on my privacy and letting go of my imaginary suave professional image. Getting real.  BLOG

Tell us a little about your family.

This October, hubby and I celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary. I just purchased $59 flights to San Diego and am planning our little romantic getaway. I’m open to suggestions here.

Our son and his family live in the valley, which is great, but my daughter married her college sweetheart and moved to Houston. Many of those white stripes you see across the sky are me jetting back and forth to Houston because I dreadfully miss my best friend.

We’re the type of g-parents who roll around on the floor with the g-kids, anything from hide ‘n seek to Don’t Wake Daddy (a fun board game for 5-10 year olds). We’ve three g-kids in Phoenix (ages 2-8) and two in Houston (ages 2-5). This year we’ll all be together at our home for Christmas. Doing the garbanzo dance. (inside joke for readers of my series)

James and I will celebrate our 48^th anniversary in November. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Yes. I don’t finish as many books and weep over great books, reading them again and again. All this in turn, makes me more critical of my own writing. Knowledge feeds knowledge, but it also reveals how little I know.

What are you working on right now?

I’m moving forward with a new series idea.  I placed a pink bike on my website banner as a hint, that’s all the bait I can jiggle.

                       

What outside interests do you have?

Besides making white streaks across the sky, I love home decorating—and in this economy, that’s like using a few loaves to feed the thousands. I’m a fan of HGTV.  We play couples Bunco with a group of old friends. I enjoy morning jogs and use this time to continue my morning conversation with God as well as jolt—and hopefully strengthen—my aging bones. I’m told that works.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

It’s a complicated but fun challenge to match the perfect locale with an idea. With atlas in one hand and mouse in the other, I search for a city that will layer a story. Plain City complimented my Mennonite series because it adds to the simplicity theme. It’s also where I met my husband and started our real-life romance, and a place where I had personal contacts. I believe a setting must have at least three things that compliment or layer the story idea.

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

Lately I’ve been thinking about Queen Esther. I’m sure she could teach me how to be more respectful to my spouse. She knew how to please the king. Maybe I’d get some beauty tips too.

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

Considering I knew zip, I could name several dozen, but I’d probably spend less personal money on advertising.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Every year the Lord gives me a theme. 2010 was healing. 2011, overcoming fear. 2012 seems to be endurance, settling in and pushing through no matter what, ignoring the pain and keeping eyes on the goal. That’s where I am today.

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

Keep improving your writing craft, get connected with other authors, find your individual niche.

Tell us about the featured book.

Megan’s attracted to her boss Chance, a charming missionary pilot. Then Micah Zimmerman moves into her parent's home as a pastoral candidate for their Conservative Mennonite church--and he doesn't look anything like the gawky young man who had a crush on her in college. It’s a love triangle, and she’s a lucky gal because both men are a catch. Her grandparent’s lost love letters play an important role in her decision.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter one

Brother Eli Troyer groaned and clutched a hand over his heart. The fast, strange sensations escalated as he weeded his wife’s vegetable patch. But it wasn’t the first time this had happened. Always before, the frightening condition went away on its own. If he told his wife, Barbara, she’d shoo him off to the doctor. He was long overdue for any kind of medical checkup.

            He groped for the blue handkerchief in his pocket and mopped his damp brow. He glanced up at the June sun, then replaced his straw hat. There were more important things to do than go see a doctor. He couldn’t let up when he needed to visit folks who were actually sick. It took time to plan his sermons. Preaching and presiding over his little Conservative Mennonite flock was a full time responsibility, almost becoming too much for him as his energy waned. Why, he would be seventy on his next birthday.

            He slowly bent for his red handled hoe and continued to work his way down a garden row of bushy green beans, fighting against his increasing exhaustion. But he’d promised Barbara he’d finish the weeding before she returned from her outing, with two other sisters from the congregation, to the discount fabric store in Columbus. Those sisters made up the core of the quilting group, and Barbara was going with them to show her support for their latest project.

            Less than ten minutes passed, when he heard the sweet gurgling whistle of a bluebird. He paused to gaze up into the nearby evergreen. Barbara had suggested he put up one of those nesting houses on a pole this spring, the kind that attracted bluebirds. She already had several birdhouses strewn around the yard. She had been a good helpmeet to him over the years, and he now wished he would have made that bird house for her this spring.

            The chest pain returned, harder than before.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.diannechristner.net

http://www.facebook.com/diannechristnerbooks

Thank you, Dianne, for visiting with us today. 

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Something Blue (The Plain City Bridesmaids) - paperback
Something Blue (The Plain City Bridesmaids) - 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

SOMETHING NEW - Dianne Christner - Free Book

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

My writing has slowly evolved into what my agent and I have coined dramatic romantic comedy. It’s dramatic because characters struggle with real life issues and grow in Christian faith. The comedy is recognition of the human condition—not laughing at others but at ourselves. Love never goes smoothly. I slowly build dramatic climatic scenes then douse them with comedy. I believe humor brings an additional layer of reality to a story and its characters. This style naturally and perfectly expresses my personality, my worldview, and even the way I decorate my home.

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

I’m a gal who thinks more about where I’m headed than where I’ve been. So I’d say tomorrow could be my happiest day. Generally speaking, I’m a content person.

How has being published changed your life?

It’s forced me to live outside my comfort zone. Ouch! Speaking engagements really stretch me. On the positive side, the stretch takes me all the way up to heaven’s throne. Bless the Lord for his help.

                 

More specifically, the Plain City Bridesmaids series helped me re-evaluate and come to terms with my Mennonite upbringing. It’s been a wonderful, learning and healing experience for me.

What are you reading right now?

In nonfiction, The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel by Christie Craig and Faye Hughes.  In fiction, Smitten by Kristen Billerbeck, Colleen Coble,  Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter. I’ve preordered and am looking forward to reading Keli Gwyn’s        upcoming release,  A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado Colorado.

What is your current work in progress?

My heroine works at a Mennonite Retirement Center. In real life, I’ve experienced pain,    joy, and even laughter ministering to my elderly in-laws. The retirement setting is rich        and teeming with comedy and drama. After spending a decade in and out of care centers and rehab facilities, the story practically writes itself. It has a playful premise, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

What would be your dream vacation?

An entire summer at a beach house. A writing vacation.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Setting is the first thing I settle when I’m developing a new story idea. I chose Plain City for two reasons. I liked the sound of the place, and I was familiar with it. Plain City was where I met my husband. My real life romance.

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

I’d love to spend the evening with you, Lena. Would be thrilled and honored to talk writing with you.

That would really be fun, wouldn’t it? What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

If I had unlimited funds, it would be decorating. I like antiquing with my husband. We’re going this weekend to look for a candy dish for an upcoming Bunco party I’m hosting. Did I mention entertaining groups? Not real great with intimate dinners, but love hosting large parties. I love everything about the holidays. Since the weather’s usually nice in Phoenix, Jim and I enjoy hiking nearby mountain trails and watching the sunset from our patio.

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

One obstacle is getting sidetracked. The best way for me to keep ON track is having a plan that includes daily writing goals.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Find an agent. Create a website even if you aren’t yet published. Write consistently.

                       

Tell us about the featured book.

Something New’s about a Mennonite gal who feels stuck in life. Lil Landis has an adventuresome spirit, but her plain Jane life is stifling her dreams. She sets out to put her potluck genes to better advantage by becoming a head chef. But when her dad requests her help, she feels guilt ridden and returns to the farm she detests.

Lil literally collides with her hero. At the restaurant where she works, she backs her clunker into his boss’s expensive car. Fletch is a veterinarian intern who comes to the Landis farm to care for the sick livestock. But because of his past involvements with activists against animal cruelty, he ends up working undercover at Lil’s farm. From there the conflict escalates.

This is book two of the Plain City Bridesmaids series.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue – Lil’s vow – Ten years earlier (unedited version)

Ten year old Lillian Mae Landis inched her toes to the edge of the tiny square platform fifty feet above the ground. She ran clammy hands down her glittery red costume and poised them.  Her heart rose to her throat as she watched the trapeze swing through the air toward her. She counted, one, two, three, and then leapt forward.

Lil’s stomach somersaulted, and she exulted when her hands clasped the swinging bar with perfect timing. The crowd gasped. Her body jerked, but she held fast and tightened her tummy and leg muscles as she brought her body into perfect form. The air rushed across her face. The music came to a crescendo. Every eye was riveted on her performance.

A second trapeze carrying the teenager Rollo—a handsome boy with flowing blond hair—made its descent.  Rollo’s knees gripped his trapeze bar. Keeping silent count, Lil let loose of her bar at just the correct moment and Rollo’s sure, strong hands caught her arms. The crowd roared in delight. She basked in their admiration.

“Ouch! Stop it!”

Lil blinked, torn from her fantasy. She pulled her face from the open van’s window and looked sideways where her cousin Jake Byler was pulling Katy Yoder’s black pony tail. Lil tucked one foot under her home-made culottes and twisted so she could look him square in the eyes.

“What was your favorite part of the circus?” she asked.  Their families had attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus together when it had come to Columbus, Ohio, earlier that month.

“The tigers.” Jake growled in her friend Katy’s ear, then sank back in his seat and started tussling with his buddy Chad Penner.

Lil rolled her gaze heavenward. Then forgetting about Jake, she told Katy, “I liked the trapeze artists.” She had already described the circus to her two best friends—Katy Yoder and Megan Weaver—repeatedly, but she didn’t think they really understood how magical that experience had been for a girl whose normal day consisted of gathering brown eggs and snapping green beans. Lil lived on a farm.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://www.diannechristner.net

Blog: http://www.diannechristner.net/apps/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannechristnerbooks



Thank you, Dianne, for the fun interview.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Something New (The Plain City Bridesmaids) - paperback
Something New (Plain City) - 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

SOMETHING OLD - Dianne Christner - Free Book

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

I hope that the themes in my books reveal more of my soul than my individual characters. They do possess genuine traits and feelings of the Mennonite people. I was raised Mennonite, and that is one of my goals with this series, to give readers a glimpse of the Mennonite heart. But I work hard to keep my characters fictional. The way I do this is by indentifying a character’s personality and making a chart of what motivates their personality type and how they should react to situations and to each other. I believe the better I become at writing, the less my characters will resemble me. The personality charts I use are based on the Enneagram theory.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I just returned from a sister trip and asked them this question. They mentioned my perfectionist fixations…continually raking the footprints out of our desert landscape or offering not only birdseed, but oranges and hamburger to coax in the roadrunners and more unusual birds. I was rather shocked. I thought those things were normal. My husband claims it’s a little snort-sniffle thing I do during allergy season.

But I’d like to think it’s my creativity. When we built a new house, I came up with the idea to put my husband’s classic car inside the house. We used glass to make it visible from our office and entryway. We went antiquing for memorabilia to make the car room into something special. Everyone that entered our home was surprised to see the car in the middle of the house. (Something a Conservative Mennonite would never do—but we’ve been attending a nondenominational church for many years. At the time, we didn’t think we were prideful, but we probably did need an attitude adjustment. That came when the economy crashed.) We sold the house and the car. And with our recent move, I’ve been too busy to be quirky. Except for the snort-sniffle thing.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I always expressed myself through writing. As a child, I kept a diary. When dating, I kept a scrapbook of love poems.

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

I love nonfiction and learning about many topics. I read a lot of inspirational nonfiction and use nonfiction for my research. In fiction, I enjoy romantic comedies and adventure books. I force myself to read some classics. The perfectionism thing?

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

I meet with God first thing in the morning. It helps my perspective and attitude. At least for a few hours. As the day escalates, I grasp for the humorous or hopeful until I can snatch a moment alone to recharge.

I have a personal philosophy that keeps me afloat. Everything, except God, changes continually. Situations. Seasons. If things are good, enjoy to the fullest and embrace it as a wonderful gift. If things are bad, it will pass. Time will heal. I thank God for creating day and night and the blessing of new beginnings. When I miss the mark, the next day is an opportunity for a fresh start. 

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I use baby-naming books. Choosing names and titles is hard for me.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Definitely my books. Sometimes a writer can feel so alone in the journey. Thank God for agents and editors, writing groups, the internet and personal support, but there are still many long lonely hours at the computer, staring at blank pages. When the book is done, I feel a great deal of personal accomplishment.

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

A bird. I’d like to fly and soar and sing. Maybe a parrot—they live long. Or a wise owl. Or a bright red cardinal.

What is your favorite food?

Pizza and Italian subs. Creamy desserts. But my husband and I started a heart healthy diet six months ago. We allow ourselves to splurge on special occasions and at favorite restaurants. This helps us keep on track.

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

Facing rejection and self doubt. Attending writer workshops provided inspiration and encouragement. I clung to the knowledge that all writers experience rejections, and I made relationships with other writers. My biggest breakthrough was finding an agent who believed in my writing. When I saw that he wasn’t giving up on me, I determined not to give up on myself. Since I like to learn, I kept reading about writing technique and practicing. One editor urged me to write daily, and that has improved my skills and confidence.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Plain City Bridesmaids series takes place in the close-knit Ohio community where my husband grew up—where we met. It is about three little Mennonite girls who make a pact to room together and become each other’s bridesmaids. Katy strictly follows the rules, Lil bends all the rules, and Megan is their peacemaker. In Something Old, the three girls renovate an Amish doddy house and move in together. Lil tries to match make, hiring her cousin to do the renovations. Jake is Katy’s old flame, who broke her heart by leaving the church to sow his wild oats. At the same time, when Katy’s dad finds out that Jake is back, he makes a stipulation. Before he gives her his blessing to leave home and move into the doddy house, Katy must promise to give David Miller a try. Katy finds herself fending off two pursuers as well as the unwelcome desires of her traitorous heart.

Personalities clash when Katy and Lil move into the doddy house without their peacemaker, Megan, who first needs to finish Bible College. Besides that, Katy feels like a fish out of water when she takes a temporary nanny job for a manipulative outsider. Always the black and white thinker, Katy’s job forces her to make gray area decisions. Should she take her little charge to dance lessons when Katy doesn’t believe in dancing? Can she really help with a homework assignment that involves television? And if the church doesn’t allow television, why is the congregation voting on the prayer covering issue—an old tradition that Katy holds dear to heart? And the biggest question, will Lil and Megan ever get the chance to become Katy’s bridesmaids? Something Old is Katy’s unique journey to love and faith.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Katy Yoder skimmed a white-gloved finger across the edge of the fireplace mantel. The holiday decorations, such extravagance forbidden at her own home, slowed her task. It wasn’t just the matter of working around them, it was the assessing of them. Feeling a bit like Cinderella at the ball, she swiped her feather duster, easing it around the angel figurines and Christmas garland. A red plastic berry bounced to the floor and she stooped to retrieve it, poking it back into place with care.

Her mother, like most members of her Mennonite congregation, shunned such frivolity. Gabriel of the Bible, the angel who visited the Virgin Mary, probably looked nothing like these gilded collectibles.  Nevertheless, the manger scene caused warm puddles to pool deep inside her heart, a secret place of confusing desires, which she kept properly disguised, covered with her crisp white blouse and ever busy hands.

The pine-scented tree occupying the corner of the room moved her with wonder. Not the ornaments, but the twinkling white lights, little dots of hope. The cheery music jingling in the background was not forbidden. She mouthed the words to Silent Night. They often sang the hymn at her meetinghouse in December. But her singing was interrupted mid-stanza, as her employer’s gravelly voice brought her out of her reverie.  Instinctively, she lowered her arm and whirled.

Mr. Beverly’s lips thinned and his white mustache twitched. “Katy. We need to talk.” Bands of deep wrinkles creased his forehead. “I have bad news,” he said. His petite wife stood at his side, twisting her diamond ring.

Apprehension marched up Katy’s neck. Could it be a terminal illness?  The couple in their late sixties, kept active for their age, always off on golfing vacations. Katy had grown fond of them. Smiles softened their conversation, and their hands were quick to hand her trusted keys and gifts. They even bought her a sweater for her birthday, made from some heavenly soft fabric. Katy gripped the duster’s handle with both hands. “Oh?”

“We’re going to have to let you go.”

Her jaw gaped. Never had she expected such news. “But . . . but I thought you were pleased”—her mind scrambled for some slip up, some blunder.

Mrs. Beverly rushed forward and touched Katy’s white sleeve. “No. No. It’s nothing like that. Our son wants us to move to Florida.” She glanced at her husband. “At our age, it’s overdue.”

Katy propped the duster against an arm chair and smoothed the apron that covered her dark, A-line skirt. “But is this what you want? Is there a problem with your health?”

Mrs. Beverly glanced at the beige shag carpet and back to Katy’s face. “Just the usual, but we’re not getting any younger.” Mr. Beverly squeezed his wife’s shoulder. “We’ll give you a good reference.”

Katy didn’t need a reference. She needed a job. This particular job. Her best paying, two-day-a-week job. To Katy, the tidy, easy to clean house classified as a dream job. Fast becoming a nightmare, losing it just when the doddy house came up for rent. Forcing a smile, Katy nodded. “I appreciate that. When will you leave?”

“Right away. We’re turning the house over to a realtor. Our son is coming to help us sell some things. There’s really no need for you to come again. I’m sorry we couldn’t give you more notice. But we are giving you a Christmas bonus.”

Katy patted Mrs. Beverly’s manicured hand. “Thank you. You have enough to worry about, don’t concern yourself with me.” She bit her lip, thinking, I do that well enough for the both of us.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.diannechristner.net  I have a blog on my website where readers can connect with me.

Thank you, Dianne, for sharing some of your life with us.

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