Author Colleen Coble - ANATHEMA - Free Book

Colleen, I'm glad to have you visit my blog. And I love your picture.

I've known Colleen professionally for many years. She received the first Mentor of the Year Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. I think for two or three years before I received the award. We share the same passion to help other authors.

Welcome, Colleen. why do you write the kind of books you do?

People ask that all the time. They say, “You’re so friendly and outgoing. Why do you write about murder and mayhem?” LOL It’s the way I’m wired. I grew up on Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I think it’s my way of dealing with injustice. I can’t do anything about the bad things in the world, but I can make sure justice prevails in my imaginary world.

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

It just happened! On Valentine’s Day my son and daughter-in-law brought me a newspaper article they thought I might be interested in. It read: Bestselling author Colleen Coble realizes lifelong dream of being a grandmother. LOL! It was their way of letting me know we have a little one on the way. We just found out our darling is going to be a GIRL! I’ve waited YEARS to be a grandma!

There's nothing like it. I have loved watching my grandchildren grow and develop into the people God wants them to be. How has being published changed your life?

Oh I love writing! It’s such a fulfilling career. I love all aspects of it—the writing, the promotion the editing (especially the editing!) and everything else. It’s given me more confidence and more purpose in my life. It’s brought wonderful friends into my life.

Our worlds really open up when we connect with other writers. What are you reading right now?

Blaze by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

What is your current work in progress?

I just turned in a new Rock Harbor book called Cry in the Night. Bree’s dead husband Rob just might not be dead after all. . .

What a way to whet our appetites to read it. What would be your dream vacation?

I’ve been lucky enough to actually live some dream vacations. The best ones are with the whole family together. We have gone to Hawaii several times to research the Aloha Reef books (I research while the kids play) and it has landed us a soon-to-be son! Our daughter fell for her divemaster, Captain Mark Davy. The last time we went to Kauai, love blossomed. He flew to see her in Phoenix two weeks later then moved there within a month and got a job at Honeywell. They’re getting married in November 2008. On Kauai!

How fun. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I pick a place that interests me and that has the atmosphere I’m looking to get in the book. The book I’m about to start is set near Charleston and it’s a psychological thriller. Where better to set it than near black water?

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

Stephen King. No one can write character like the King. I’d love to pick his brain. It might be scary but oh so fun!

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Hobbies? What are those? Who has time for hobbies? LOL I used to crochet and quilt. Now whatever free time I have is spent on promotion, research, or just thinking about the next book. I do love to read though and I always make time for that!

I know. I always have a book that I'm reading laying around. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

The hardest thing for me is actually relaxing and not thinking about a book or the next book. Or the next. LOL I love it so much that it can become an obsession. This time when I turned in my book, I told myself I absolutely am not writing for a month. I’m going to take a break. We’ll see if I can actually do that. LOL

Let me know if you did. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read extensively in the genre you want to write. Attend at least one good conference a year. And never, never give up.

Excellent advice.

Tell us about the featured book.

Oh Anathema was so fun to write! It’s an Amish romantic suspense (different, huh!) and came about after a conversation with my agent. Karen Solem said, “What would happen if an Amish woman couldn’t forgive something horrific like the school shooting?” The story evolved from that thought so it’s all about forgiveness.

The Amish sect in the book is a little different. They’re Swiss Amish (they yodel!) and it’s set in Parke County, Indiana, covered bridge capital of the world. A young Amish woman comes home from a tryst to find her family has been killed with strychnine. She escapes with her Englisch beau but it’s a very bad decision, and she flees after five years of abuse. When he tracks her down several years later, he tells her the daughter she thought had died is still alive. The only way she can find out the truth is to go home, back into the sights of the murderer who still hates her.

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

My website address is http://www.colleencoble.com and I share a blog with my “girls” at http://www.GirlsWriteOut.blogspot.com

Readers, check out Colleen's web sites. Before you go, be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a free copy of Anathema.

And check back to see if you won. I have a winner from several weeks back that has never checke, and the email address she left bounces.

One easy way to not forget is to sign up for Feedblitz under my profile. Then the posts come into your email inbox, alerting you that you need to get your mailing address to me.

Another benefit of FeedBlitz, it also alerts you to interviews where you probably will want to try to win the free book.

Author Tina Forkner - RUBY AMONG US - Free Book

There's a lot of buzz going around about the new book by Tina Forkner - Ruby Among Us. I'm glad to host her on this blog.

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

Probably quite a lot, but the final result is purely fictional. In the case of Ruby Among Us, several characters were inspired by experiences I have had or observed in others. For example, the mother-daughter concept was inspired by my own experiences.

It’s not that I have had every experience of the mothers and daughters in the book, but I can relate because of where I was at in my life when the book was first conceived. I was a single mom for awhile and so are Ruby and Kitty. How I got there was different than my characters, but I know what it’s like to be alone and feel solely responsible for another person’s life.

So, there are many aspects of my characters that are born out of reality, but once the big picture of the story opens up for me, everything is fictionalized. It has to be since my life just isn’t all that interesting.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Some of my friends think that my being a writer is quirky. I do like putting potato chips on my sandwich. Does that count?

Sounds interesting. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I have always known as far back as I can remember that I am a writer. I was a little kid when I told my parents I wanted to be a writer and they said, “Okay.” Much of that early writing was really bad, but my parents’ tendency to brag only encouraged me.

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

I love a variety of authors, including Elizabeth Berg, Sue Monk Kidd, Jane Kirkpatrick, Amy Tan, Lisa Samson, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Colleen Coble, and others, but I am more of a favorite book person than a favorite author person. Some of my books are The Mark of the Lion series, as well as Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, Open House by Elizabeth Berg, The Hundred Secret Senses and Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Watching the Tree Limbs by Mary DeMuth, The Trophy Wives Club by Kristin Billerbeck, and Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. On occasion I like to read a good fantasy. My recent favorite is Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet.

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

My next book, Rose House, is due from Waterbrook Press in 2009, and I am working on three other books right now.

I'd love to feature an interview with Rose House. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Pray desperately. Really! Sometimes it helps to just take a walk and get away from everything.

How do you choose your characters’ names?
Honestly, I just pick names I like. As the story unfolds, names change. I misnamed one of my characters in Ruby Among Us and my editor and I worked hard to rename her. I ended up consulting some Latino friends who helped me come up with a name (Maria Lucero DiCamillo) that reflected the character’s heritage and the feelings of her mother when she named her. She eventually became Lucy.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Besides being a mom? It would have to be finishing my first novel and having it published.

Yes, that is a special accomplishment. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

My daughter and step-sons play this game too and they are always things like monkeys, raccoons, and puppies. The last time they played it, my daughter told me I was a fawn deer. I don’t know why, but I hope it’s because I’m her mommy and I’m nice.

What is your favorite food?

I love Italian and Chinese, but I think my favorite has to be Mexican. My sister and I love to find the closest Mexican restaurant and have chips and queso any time when we are together. And when my sister-in-law and mom are there, it’s even better.

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

I have to admit that as far as the act of writing itself, I have not had any big roadblocks, but I think time is the biggest challenge for me when it comes to writing as a career. I am only in my thirties, but I have been writing my whole life, so it seemed like I would never be able to even finish a novel, let alone have it published. I’d already had so many other things rejected, that I just expected to continue to be rejected forevermore. Maybe that’s why when I wrote Ruby Among Us, I told myself I would just write it and not worry about publishing at all.

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

Not to ever lose site of the act of writing. Blogs, conferences, writing loops, etc., etc. are great networking tools, but can take a great deal of time away from writing. Doing too much of it before you are published seems to me a little like putting the horse before the cart. Work on your craft first. The only way to get better at it is to write as much as possible.

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

Ruby Among Us is about grace and the redemptive power of faith and mother-daughter love.

I hope readers will enjoy this first novel of mine and I would love if Ruby Among Us challenges some and brings hope to others. It’s a story from my heart and while I keep saying I didn’t have an agenda when I wrote it, sometimes the heart of a writer is a funny thing and manages to say things we didn’t know would surface in the story. But mostly I just wanted to tell a good story.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.tinaannforkner.com or email me at atforkner@yahoo.com

Tina, thank you for spending this time with us. I just love your cover.

Readers, as always, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.

Tomorrow I'll choose winners of three other books, so come back or sign up for FeedBlitz under my profile so you won't miss a single post.

Winners!!! Winners!!! Winners!!!

I'm late getting to these today. My husband had outpatient surgery Thursday, and I've been a little off schedule. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be better.

Kathy at Sumballo is the winner of The Sovereign's Daughter by my friends Susan Downs and Susan May Warren.

Rebecca Yauger is the winner of Where the Truth Lies by Elizabeth Ludwig. I'm reading this one right now, and it's very good.

Carolyn W is the winner of One Holy Night by J. M Hochstetter.

All three of you need to email me your mailing address. There's a link in my profile.

Another interview will come tomorrow. If you don't want to miss any post to this blog, sign up for FeedBlitz under my profile.

Our First May Winners!!!

Dolls123 is the winner of Bayou Judgment by Robin Caroll.

Terri Tiffany is the winner of Reluctant Smuggler by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

Janet Spaeth is the winner of I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson.

Please email me your mailing addresses so we can get the books sent to you.

A new interview will be coming tomorrow.

My May newsletter is up on my web site: www.lenanelsondooley.com

This newsletter contains a lot of information about publishing--a list of the interviews scheduled for May, reviews of the books I read in April, and a list of May book releases in Christian fiction. I've even included a new recipe I came up with this week.

And if you don't want to miss any of the interviews on this blog, sign up for FeedBlitz under my name.

Happy reading!!!

Author Robin Carroll - Free Book

We're back with my friend, Robin Carroll, for the release of her second Love Inspired Suspense, Bayou Corruption.

This is Robin (on the right) and her agent Kelly Mortimer.

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

I love mysteries/suspense. Have since I could read. I grew up reading Trixie Beldon books, then Nancy Drew. I can’t imagine not writing a mystery/suspense.

And you do it so well. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

That’s a hard one…so many choices—the day I got married, the day each of my daughters were born, the day I got “the call”….. No, I’ll go with the day the Lord called my husband closer to him.

I know what you mean. That changes everything in your life, too. How has being published changed your life?

Deadlines! LOL Seriously, it’s pretty much the same, just now I have a deadline to turn something in to my editor, not just my crit partners or agent.

What are you reading right now?

Amazing stories by two of my crit partners—Dineen Miller & Ronie Kendig, a craft book on character traits, and Colleen Coble’s Anathema.

What is your current work in progress?

Since I’ve completed the Bayou series, I’m working on the proposal for a new series for Love Inspired Suspense, as well as my single title that placed in the Genesis back in 2006.

What would be your dream vacation?

Back to Jamaica with my hubby—but with my laptop this time.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

That’s easy—because I’m from the south, that’s just who I am…it’s part of me. So no matter what I write, for now, it’ll take place in the south! :D

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

Hmmm….this is a hard one, too! Probably Stephen King because he’s one of my all-time favorite authors and I’d love to see his mind working. A close second would be Robin Williams, because I love to laugh and he cracks me up.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Scrapbooking

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

Getting characters to shut up and let me work on the story I’m writing! LOL I laugh, but it’s true. I normally have to finally stop and open a new document and write a scene that’s flipping in my head so that character will let me finish my story. Then, later, I go back and look at the scene. If the character in that starts messing with me, then I know who to write about next.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Someone once told me that being an author is 25% talent, 25% hard work, and 52% perseverance. I’d have to agree. If you’re serious, you can’t give up. No matter the harsh scores, the rejections, the revisions….you have to keep at it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Bayou Corruption is the second book in the bayou series, and focuses on the middle LeBlanc sister, Alyssa. This book was especially interesting to write for me because some of the lessons the character learns are mine. And I couldn’t help falling a little bit in love with my hero, the dashing Jackson Devereaux. Rival newspaper reporters, an attack on a local lawman, and corruptions dating back for decades….it was fun to learn about these characters and plot.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.robincaroll.com

Robin, thank you for spending this time with us. I can hardly wait to read the new book.

Readers, want a free copy of the book? Leave a comment. Then check back to see if you won, otherwise we won't know where to mail it.

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Author Kim Vogel Sawyer - Free Book

I'm extremely pleased to once again welcome my good friend, Kim Sawyer. I hope you've already found her wonderful books. If not, you'll want to now. We're introducing her book Blessings, which just released.

Welcome, Kim, What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

The spiritual threads in my stories always tend to be a natural outgrowth of the character’s development rather than “planned.” However, each of my stories carries a similar theme of hope—there is HOPE when we trust God and lean not unto our own understanding.

And you show that so well in all your books. What other books of yours are coming out soon?

In March, My Heart Remembers, a historical novel from Bethany House will release. I am very excited about this story—it features three orphan train siblings attempting to reunite in adulthood. Since my beloved step-grandmother was an orphan train rider, this story is especially dear to me. And it is my tenth book, releasing on the third anniversary of my first contract signing! The past three years have been absolutely amazing…and my heart remembers every blessing.

How exciting! If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I would choose to spend some time with President Bush to offer him encouragement. His term has been one turmoil after another, yet he has maintained his integrity and values. I admire that. As a former educator, I would also like to talk education with him.

He and his wife Laura would be part of my dream evening, too. How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

Forever. I realize that sounds silly, but truthfully, I can’t ever remember a time I didn’t want to be a writer. I believe God planted that desire in my heart. Then, in His timing, He watered the seed and brought it to fruit. I am in the center of His will, and it’s a marvelous place to be.

I understand that. What can you tell authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

First I would ask this question: Do you believe writing for publication is something God desires for you? If the answer is yes, then consider this: There are no wasted steps on a God-designed journey. If you’re walking the pathway God planned for you, then every step has a purpose…even the rejections. So be disappointed—that’s a natural reaction—but don’t let disappointment become defeat or disaster. Trust that God has His timing, that He will use the rejections for your good and His glory, then continue to walk where He leads.

Kim, tell us about the featured book.

Blessings is Book 3 of the Sommerfeld Trilogy, a series of stories set in a fictional Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. This book features the niece of the first book’s hero. Trina Muller has dreams that exceed the boundaries established by her religious sect. Giving them up means certain heartbreak, but following them means separation from her family, her beau Graham, and her fellowship. Is her dream worth the pain that it will cause…even if it is God’s will for her life?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Please visit http://www.KimVogelSawyer.com –I welcome guests!

Thanks, Lena—I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you!

Thank you for spending this time with us, Kim.

Readers, you'll want to visit Kim's web site. There's lots of information available there, and you can see all of her books.

For a chance to win a free copy of Blessings, leave a comment. If you leave a comment, be sure to check back and see if you won. We are still waiting to hear from a couple of former winners.

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Author Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book

Today, we're welcoming back an old friend Wanda E. Brunstetter with her second book in this series.

Wanda, what are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

Forgiveness, anxiety, prayer, disappointments, contentment, and commitment.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Dear to Me, which is Book 3 in my Brides of Webster County series, will be out in March 2008.
Allison’s Journey, which is Book 4 in my Brides of Webster County series, will be out in June 2008.

A Sister’s Hope, which is Book 3 in my Sisters of Holmes County series, will be out in July 2008.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I would spend it with my dear Amish friends, Jake and Sara, because they are two of the most loving, spiritual people I know.

How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

Since I was in the second grade and wrote a poem about a moth.

What can you tell authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Don’t give up. Keep writing and honing your work. Read books on the craft of writing, attend writer’s conferences, and ask someone to critique your work before sending it out.

Very good advice. Now tell us about the featured book.

A Sister’s Test is Book 2 in my Sisters of Holmes County series, and it focuses on Ruth Hostettler. Ruth is the second oldest sister in the Hostettler family, and she has one burning desire—to marry and fill her Amish household with children. Life seems to be falling into place when Martin Gingerich starts to court Ruth and she befriends a motherless child. But Ruth’s dreams are suddenly shattered in one horrific moment, putting her faith to the test.

Wanda, how can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is: www.wandabrunstetter.com

Thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this book.

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We have quite a lineup of new interviews!

Author Carole W. Schutter - Free Book

Today, we're visiting with Carole Schutter. When I read her book September Dawn, I was intrigued with this slice of history in our country. One thing stood out to me--the fact that it happened on September 11, even if it was in the late 1800s.

Welcome, Carole, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

It depends on the character and the situation. I think a little bit of my feelings peek through most of my major characters. My experiences are seen through their experiences. When I first started writing, more of me showed up. My characters become so real to me that in my mind they are people I know intimately. I wonder what they would do or feel in certain situations and what brought them to that point. My friends and their experiences, the stories I’ve been told are found all through my screenplays and novels.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

That is a hard question, having grown up a conservative Asian girl. It took a while to become me. In college I went mud sliding after a downpour. My friends and I were covered in mud and we drove in trucks to the beach and dived in the water. The water was brown all around us and the people on the beach all ran away from us. I’ve done some other quirky things but that is the first thing that came to mind.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I “wrote” my first story at age 5 on the side of my house. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s although we didn’t know it at the time. The neighbors had brought me home from school and left me at the back door and my grandmother forgot about me. I was bored and decided to write a fairy tale which I decorated with stick figures. I was so proud of myself. I knew right then and there that I wanted to write stories when I grew up. No one scolded me because my mother was shocked that my grandmother forgot about me. They never depended on her again to watch me.

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

I try to read the Bible everyday. I read all kinds of inspirational and Christian books. I love historical fiction. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to read beyond the Bible and inspirational books for a while. Ken Follett’s World Without End and The Kite Runner are on my bookshelf. Actually, my taste is very eclectic, from Grisham to Michener.

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

The Ohana is a book I’m working on. I wrote it thirty years ago and shelved it. Ohana means family in Hawaiian, and it is a historical family saga about three immigrant families to Hawaii, Korean, Japanese, and Irish. The Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the flower child generation frame the story of how these three families lives intertwine until they find the meaning of family. It is honest look at Hawaii. I hope it exposes the heart and soul of Hawaii without hiding the flaws. One of the side stories is how the “syndicate” which was the Hawaiian mafia, came into being.

I wrote another book, Miracles Happen: A Prayer Guide for Desperate People, mostly for myself because I was desperate. I really felt in touch with the Holy Spirit while writing it. I’m rewriting it for publication now.

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

Prayer, prayer, and more prayer. Mix it with trusting in the Lord, add lots of faith, and it equals peace in every circumstance…eventually.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I pull names out of the air. Usually I pick names of people I know. Sometimes I make sure that the characters fit the definition of their names. Take Jonathan Samuelson, the hero of September Dawn, for instance. John and Jonathan mean “gift of God.” There were too many real Johns involved in the Mountain Meadow Massacre so I chose Jonathan because the definition of his name was important to the story. As for Samuelson; I happened to know someone with that last name and I was searching for an unusual last name. If I’m writing about someone of a particular race, I go to the Internet and look through names. Recently I went to the Internet to find Ethiopian men’s names. I pick ones that sound good or have a meaning that fits the nature or position of the character.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Seeing my words and characters come alive on the big screen was thrilling and satisfying.

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

A dog. Not only do I spoil and love my dog to death, all the people around me, like my sisters, are equally as nuts about their dogs. Not a bad animal to be.

What is your favorite food?

That is really hard. However, all my friends would say what I love best is dessert.

I'm with you on that. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I didn’t write for fifteen years or so because I was consumed with life. I didn’t overcome it, life overcame me and I turned to writing for solace.

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

Never give up the dream. Persist. Don’t get discouraged by the amount of rejections you get. Keep alive the dream. Keep writing, keep refining your craft. Read, read, read. Pray, pray, pray.

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

First of all, September Dawn is a love story. Secondly, it is about learning to forgive the way God wants us to forgive, absolutely, unconditionally, and with love. The rest of September Dawn is interesting history that devoured two years of my life doing intense research. It is not written to condemn, but to entertain and learn from.

I was in South America recently and was told a shocking story of genocide that had been covered up. I talked about it to another South American, and he said something really interesting. He said that in his country, they believed that horrible stories were not to be discussed or taught in school because some people would begin to do the same awful things. He claimed that there were skinheads in his country who existed only because these people had learned about the Nazis. I explained to him that many people in the United States believed that it was important to remember the horrors of the past in order to make sure that it never happened again. Not to accuse, but to learn from past mistakes. I hope that September Dawn helps to do that.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.cwschutter.com

Thank you for spending this time with us, Carole.

Readers, you might be interested to know that the book is based on the movie September Dawn that recently came out on DVD.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy.

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Author Gregory Spencer - Free Book

Today, I'm introducing you to Gregory Spencer, author of Guardian of the Veil.

Gregory, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

On one level, all writers must always do this: find in themselves the humanity they hope to create in their characters. Perhaps this is one reason writing can be so painful. On another level, some specific aspects of my life have made their way into Guardian. I grew up “short,” like Len. My parents were alcoholics, like Lizbeth’s mom. In fact, a scene in Guardian is something I always wanted to do in my own family, but never had the courage to pull off. For me, this fictional event was a kind of “healing of memories.” Len and Angie’s grandmother “Dear Abby,” is modeled after my own mother-in-law in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. I dedicated the book to her.

I've always been short, so I understand. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Answer this question? There are too many quirky things to rank them in some definitive order. At a big variety show all-dorm event at Westmont College, I was recently one of the emcees. We joked about loving Sonny and Cher all night. Then we came out dressed as the duo and sang “You Got Me, Babe.” Very cool stuff.

I would have loved to have seen that. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In fourth grade, I wrote a thirty page story. Then my brother threw it away when he “helpfully” cleaned out my desk. I wrote poems in high school, a play in college, and various parables before tackling The Welkening. The first chapter felt like moving a twenty pound lead pen across the page. So many worries about failure!

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

I’m usually reading fiction, non-fiction, and devotional literature at the same time. I like light fiction such as Andrew McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and heavier works such as Shusako Endo’s Silence. I love some classics, Les Miserables, and not others, Middlemarch. I recently finished McCullough’s John Adams and deZengotita’s Mediated. Both terrific. I enjoy Thomas Merton, Ann LaMott, Henri Nouwen, Dallas Willard, and many other devotional writers. Right now, I am finishing an old Puritan classic that is very rich: Jeremiah Burrough’s Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

Sound like most of us should read that last one. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

My first book was A Heart for Truth: Taking Your Faith to College (1992). The Welkening: A Three Dimensional Tale (2004) is the precursor to Guardian of the Veil. I am currently working on a book called Living the Quieter Virtues in a Noisy World.

Let me know when it's going to be published. I'll have you back for an interview. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Who said I was sane? I try to spend some good time on my front porch at least every other day, reading and praying and not rushing anywhere. I don’t have a cell phone.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Very carefully. There’s just too much to say here. Each town in Welken has an earthian counterpart—and the names are drawn from that area. For example, the Prester Highlands come from a legend/reality about a nation in northern Africa that some thought would provide a southern flank during the Crusades. A Portuguese sailor discovered the Kingdom of Axum (near present day Ethiopia) in the 1500s. The kingdom was not a military power but all their kings were called Prester John, hence my character’s name.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

The “publications” that are my daughters: ages 20, 21, and 23. All wonderful! Besides this “accomplishment,” I am “proudest” when my students take ideas they’ve learned and carry them with them after graduation.

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

My daughters think I am already an animal. In this moment, I will say meerkat. These animals are alert, highly social, quick and downright silly.

What is your favorite food?

Depends on the time of day, etc. How could anyone answer this? I love fresh cinnamon rolls with good, strong coffee (with lots of cream and sugar!). I love food!

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

Every day when I write, I have to “send the demons away,” all those voices in my head that I am a loser, a fraud, a terrible writer, not worthy to be called a novelist. Then I can begin writing. Also, the raw emotion of “going where the writing takes me” sometimes leaves me feeling quite needy and depressed. I’m so glad my wife Janet is a stable force in my life.

I, too, have a spouse who is important to me on many levels, but also as a stable force. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

The best advice I heard comes from Francis Ford Coppola: GET TO THE END. The world is filled with would-be writers who don’t start or never finish. I follow the Rumplestilskin method: Write straw and later turn it into gold. Just write. Get to the end.

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

Buy it! Oh, you don’t mean that. I am excited about the way the characters have to face their “enemies,” how they negotiate their temptations toward revenge or their temptations to make themselves into fortresses. I also love the theme of “the thinness of veils.” There is the veil between Skinner, Oregon and Welken, but also what it means that the veil between mental health and mental illness is thin, as is regular health and sickness, or the natural and the supernatural, and good and evil. Don’t you want to know, now, what it means to be a Guardian of the Veil? Hmm?

Of course, I do. This book just jumped to the top of my to-be-read pile. How can readers find you on the Internet?

spencer@westmont.edu

www.threedimensionaltales.com

Gregory, thanks for spending this time with us.

Readers, as always, please leave a comment if you want a chance to win a copy of this book.

There's also time to leave a comment on these interviews:

Elizabeth Goddard - Seasons of Love
Cheryl Wyatt - A Soldier's Promise
Susan Page Davis - Frasier Island

I'll choose winners for Cheryl's book and Susan's book this weekend. Check back and see if you're a winner.

To be sure you don't miss a single author interview, sign up for FeedBlitz in the right column under my profile.

Author Elizabeth Goddard - Free Book

I feel like I'm having a banner year with my interviews. As with the first one, this interview is with an author I was privileged to help mentor. She's been a part of the critique group that meets in my home for years. Even after she moved halfway across the country, she participates through email. And I'm so happy to introduce her debut novel, Seasons of Love. This is the last book in the Massachusetts contemporary series written by Beth, Lisa Harris, and me.

Beth, I am so glad to have you here on my blog. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I think it would be hard not to write something of myself into my characters. It’s probably easiest to fall back on what you know, too, if some part of a character you’ve created eludes you. In my first novel, I put a lot of myself into the characters—my work experience and the challenges of raising a child.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

It really depends on what you mean by quirky because many memories come to mind. But probably the craziest or gutsiest thing I’ve ever done is to pack up everything I own and move my family from Texas to Oregon to a place I’ve never been and a house I’d never seen.

Wow, that was gutsy. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve written stories as long as I can remember. Throughout my school years, teachers encouraged me to enter creative writing contests. A few years ago I signed up for a Writer’s Digest course on writing articles and various other courses, never completing them because I had a young child at the time. I just couldn’t see wasting years and time if nothing would ever come of it. But the Lord would not let go of me about writing. It’s one thing to know that you can write, and it’s another to actually decide that you ARE a writer and all that it encompasses.

At one point I laughed at the thought that God had called me to write, believing it pure nonsense and that I had imagined the entire thing. But God got my attention again, so I decided to read Marlene Bagnull’s Write His Answer--a Bible Study for Christian Writers, which included information on discerning if you’d received the call to write. In 2001, I signed up for my first conference, a Christian writers’ conference-ACW and before I attended, I knew without a doubt that the Lord had asked me to write for him. And I believed that I was a writer.

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

I love reading everything! I began reading Christian fiction years ago with Brock and Bode Thoene’s WWI series. I got hooked on historicals then. But the CBA has much to offer. I love suspense, thriller, speculative fiction, fantasy and science fiction. My two all time favorites are Francine River’s Mark of the Lion series and Stephen Lawhead’s Song of Albion series. An historical and a fantasy.

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

I’ve written several historicals and a fantasy—all unpublished.

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

Who said I kept my sanity? I hate how busy I am. Fortunately, I’ve learned to put everything into perspective, realizing when I need to slow down and enjoy life. I try to focus on my family, cherishing every moment with my children.

I highly recommend that. The children will be grown up and gone before you know it. How do you choose your characters’ names?

That is the fun part! Sometimes my daughter, who also writes, (she’s fifteen) will come up with a great name that I like. I used to go through elaborate name searches on the internet, studying the meanings. But lately, I’ve started choosing names from people I know or meet who have interesting names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Four beautiful children who all love the Lord.

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

I’d love to be a bird. I’ve wondered what it must be like to soar high or float on the wind.

What is your favorite food?

Pizza!

My husband, one of my daughters, and I shared a pizza yesterday. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

The problem that I see in my writing as my greatest roadblock is where to begin the story. I can’t say that I’ve overcome it, but I’ve made it my goal to know everything about how to open a story. So, one day this won’t be my problem anymore.

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

One thing that I’ve noticed beginning authors struggle with is learning to accept critique of their work. Time and again, I see new authors who are unwilling to accept crits or they allow constructive criticism to stop them, and they go no further with their dream. My advice is to learn to develop a thick skin regarding critiques, learn to consider everything that is said and use what you can to improve your writing.

When I first joined a critique group one particular crit partner was tough on me. I always planned ahead and made sure to have Double Dutch Chocolate ice cream at the ready. After I finished reading her critique of my chapter, I’d have my ice cream—it helped sooth the pain. It would take me at least a week to get over, but I would take what I learned and apply it.

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

I love the cranberry farm setting of Seasons of Love (Heartsong Presents 2007)

When Grandpa Sanderford asks Riley O’Hare to give up her climb on the corporate ladder and take over the family cranberry farm in Massachusetts, she actually considers it. Her mind is made up when her brother dies and she becomes the guardian of his son. Riley hopes the move and her new roles will help her find the purpose and peace she desires.

With the death of his friend and business partner, Zane Baldwyn’s world is turned upside down, and his company is in trouble. As he looks to replace John, strange things begin to happen that make Zane wonder if John’s death was really accidental. Riley has a farm to save, and Zane has a mystery to solve. Somehow the two goals seem related. As Riley and Zane are drawn closer together, can they stay out of danger and discover a season of love together

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.elizabethgoddard.com
www.bethgoddard.blogspot.com
www.shoutlife.com/bethgoddard

Beth, thank you so much for spending this time with us. By the way, I love your picture.

Readers, leave a comment on the interview for a chance to win a copy of Seasons of Love. Don't forget to check back to see if you won. Winners are ususally chosen on Saturdays.

Of course, you can sign up for FeedBlitz (in the right hand column under my profile), and you'll know when each interview and announcement posts.

And the Winners Are. . .

Jana for Around the World in 80 Dates by Christa Ann Banister

Lovedandamazed for Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin

Both winners need to contact me with their mailing address. The link to my email address is under my profile.

There's still time to leave a comment on these interviews:

Cheryl Wyatt - A Soldier's Promise
Susan Page Davis - Frasier Island

Afraid you might miss one of the interviews or announcements? Just sign up for Feedblitz in the right hand column under my profile.

Debut Author Cheryl Wyatt - Free Book

I am really excited to introduce you to my friend Cheryl Wyatt. She's one of the authors who sold her first book after being in a critique group with me. I know I had just a small part in helping her become published, but I'm glad I was able to be that part. Her book is wonderful. You can read a review of the book on my website later today. www.LenaNelsonDooley.com

Hi, Cheryl, welcome to my blog. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Not very much. I like to write about people more interesting than myself. LOL! Although there are things that crop up in my stories resembling things in my life. For instance, Amber (heroine in book 1 USAF PJ series) HATES, and I mean HATES those “Forward this to ninety of your friends in the next five seconds or your computer monitor will explode” kind of emails. I definitely resemble that remark because I growl over those “bad luck” forwards.

And I have called God, “Dude!” on occasion early in my Christianity like Nolan (PJ from another book.) So okay, yeah, and I’m sure my dad will definitely recognize the scene in my first book when Amber crashes her sports car into a house because she backed it into a ditch, then left it in Drive then got out of the car…which idled out of the ditch and almost ran her over. Blush. I can’t believe I’m admitting this in public. LOL!

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Um, well, I’ll just tell you it had to do with a pinball machine and a bouncer at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis. Oh man. Okay nevermind. I’m kidding. Let’s tell something I’ve done AFTER I was a Christian.

Okay, quirkiest thing for real…it’s a toss up between these two things:

I accidentally crashed my motercycle into a newly dug septic tank hole. Eight feet down. The second quirkiest thing was I let my not-so-tame pony (yes, a real live horse) INTO the house one day. Well, it was hailing really hard, and I promise you that horse opened the chain link fence gate with his nose, came up the steps, stood on the landing and KNOCKED with his hoof to get in. (my mother has pictures) Okay well then after he was in he wanted back OUT of the house and NOW, only he couldn’t find the door. Very dangerous. Don’t try that at home.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

When I discovered that it wasn’t normal to have Webster’s Dictionary be your favorite book. About the same time I received my first rejection from Highlights Magazine in third grade.

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

Seriously ANYTHING WITH WORDS. I prefer romance and action-adventure type suspense. I read as much secular as I do Christian. I also love Max Lucado’s non-fiction. I will read just about anything I can get my hands on, even brochures for balding men if that’s the only thing close to me with words on it. I don’t read horror because I wake my house up screaming at two am with nightmares. For that same reason my husband has banned me from writing suspense scenes after midnight. I creep myself out. One night when he was working night shift, I abandoned my post at the kitchen table where I was plunged in the depths of a stalker scene. I heard someone on my roof and evacuated my children to the neighbor’s porch…only to find out after the cops showed up to investigate “the prowler” that it was only my sweetgum tree spitting those wretched balls at my house during a particularly windy night.

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

I’ve written an embarrassing fifteen or more books. Do you want titles? LOL! I have had six or seven of my as yet to be pubbed novels consistently place in ten or twelve contests though.

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

I used to NEED quiet, but now I think I thrive on chaos. There is chaos in every corner of my house. But for sanity’s sake, I do have the most wonderful mother’s helper (waving to Aimee) who comes in and keeps my munchkins entertained so I can recharge with a worship CD and “plug in” to God, Joel Montgomery (hero, book 1 USAF PJ series) would say. I need time to myself, and if I get that one day a week for an hour or two, I’m usually good to go.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I pray and ask God for them. I try to find names that do not resemble anyone I know or have ever known. I’m really picky about that for some reason. I like names with meaning.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Become a mother. My children are the best thing I ever did. :-)

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

A jaguar or cougar or some kind of lethal cat that can move at a high rate of speed. Why? Because claws come in handy ever so often.

What is your favorite food?

It’s a toss up between ribeye steak and grilled chicken Caesar salad. YUM! You’re making me hungry.

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

Okay now this is an easy one. The two things I struggle with is writing characters who have a background of a dysfunctional family, or parents who didn’t care for them or weren’t there for them. Mine were. I never ever doubted my parents love and support. So writing characters who aren’t as fortunate as me is HARD. The other thing is finding time to write because my children are little and require lots of attention. How I overcome it is making sure I put God first then my husband and children always, always before my writing. Matthew 6:33 it I guess. I left one profession (Registered Nurse in OB) to stay home with them, and I know I’ll never get this time back with them. Seems like when I set quality time aside for them, my writing flows better, faster.

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

It was a joy to write. It was a dream come true to sell a book. Something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl. Even before I knew God. He put that sense of destiny in me even when I took no thought of Him. The book has undertones of this sort of wonder, where you realize just how well He knows us and what we need. Even better than we know ourselves. It’s comforting, and I hope when people hold the book, they realize they’re holding a dream that God inspired more than thirty years ago. A dream that God brought to fruition. The book has a little boy with a wish, which I consider the same realm as dreams, things we want. So it was my way of saying to God that I understand this gift is from Him. If I can have even one reader look at my characters and think, “I wonder if God would respond to me the same way He did her character, with the same mercy, grave, love, etc.” Then all the hard work to reach this dream has been worth it.

THANKS SO MUCH LENA!!!!! I’m SURE I exceeded my word count with this, but what a FUN interview!!!!!

What word count? We don't go there in these interviews. You only have to do word count for editors.

Readers, you'll want to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A Soldier's Promise. You'll love reading it. And check out her web site:

www.cherylwyatt.com

And you'll want to check out the other interviews where the books haven't been given away. Leave a comment for a chance to win them.

IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT, BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TO SEE IF YOU WON. WE'LL NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO SEND THE BOOK. If you don't want to miss a single interview or announcement, sign up for FeedBlitz in the right hand column under my profile.

You should also check back in the archives. I've interviewed a lot of cool authors.

Author Susan Page Davis - Free Book

I'm happy to introduce you to my dear friend Susan Page Davis. I've loved reading her books. And the featured book Frasier Island is her first trade paperback. If you want to read a review of the book, check out either the recent newsletters on my web site ( http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/ ) or my blogs on my shoutlife site. ( www.shoutlife.com/lenanelsondooley )

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

None, but I put my sisters into them. No, just kidding. My characters’ temperaments, opinions and emotions are of course colored by my own. Most of the heroines are younger than I am. One exception is Janet Borden, heroine of Breaking News, a mystery I haven’t sold yet. She and her husband are in their early 50s, and she is a lot like me. I have actually put a few personal incidents into my books, but these are usually changed in some way. My husband is another story. All of my heroes have some of his qualities.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Uh, swallowed a battery? No joke. I had a Metformin pill in one pocket to take with breakfast (it evens out the blood sugar) and a button battery I was supposed to replace when I went to town in another. They were about the same size, and when I reached for that pill and popped it in my mouth and swallowed, it hit me that it tasted a little strange. So I reached in my other pocket to check on the battery, and pulled out the pill. We won’t go into the x-rays and other indignities that followed. It’s humbling when you hear your doctor offstage asking the nurse, “And WHY did she do this?”

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I was an early reader. In fifth grade or so, I started writing long stories. I still have a few of those early efforts, and my kids find them hilarious.

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

I’m an eclectic reader. I just finished a fantasy and a legal thriller. I also read a lot of history, both true and fictional. I’ve always loved reading about the past, especially medieval times and colonial America. Captivity narratives are favorites (true stories of colonial and frontier people captured by Indians), and other escapist literature—castaways, survival stories, that sort of thing. I try to vary the genres I’m reading and go outside my comfort zone now and then.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?
Well, if you’re going to include non-published, it’s a long list!

I’ve published seven historical romances with Heartsong, and a cozy mystery (written with my daughter Megan) with HP Mysteries. My children’s fantasy, Feather, is published by JourneyForth.

Unpublished books at this point include more mysteries and suspense. The first books I every wrote were about a Maine police detective. That’s a series I’d still love to sell (I’ve rewritten it since the original). I also have a few contemporary and historical romances unpublished as yet.

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

It’s like pacing a novel. You have to schedule in some down time. Every day I ask God not just to help me get done what needs to be done, but to prioritize and know what’s really important. One thing I’m still struggling with is learning to space out the deadlines. At one point I had only one book contracted, so I put out a lot of proposals. Then several were bought at once, and I found myself in a frenzy to meet deadlines. Now I’m sending out fewer proposals at once, but taking on the projects I want to do most. I also gave up a part time contracted job with a newspaper. This allows me to save time for family and other commitments.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

One of my favorite ways is from the court news. For years I typed court news, honor rolls, and other tedious list-type data for a newspaper, and found many interesting names. I keep a computer file just for names I might want to use. Of course, I try not to use the first-last name combination of a real person if I can help it. But I also use baby name books and U.S. census lists of “most popular baby names” for different decades. For instance, if I have a 40-year-old character, I’ll check what names were most popular for babies in the 1960s. I also use first names of people I know and love a lot. I have to be careful about that, though. At one point I realized all my heroines were named Rebecca. When I finally sold a “Rebecca” story, I quit using it.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’d have to say my family. Jim and I have six children, ages 12 to 29, and four grandchildren so far. We’re proud of them all! That’s our masterwork.

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

Is this a trick question? I can interpret it two ways: what animal would I like to be, or what animal am I most like. I’ll take the first option and say a horse. Thanks to plantar fascitis and foot surgery, I haven’t been able to run for almost ten years, and I’d love to be able to do that again.

What is your favorite food?

There’s not much I don’t like. I have to pick? Okay, blackberries.

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

In Frasier Island, Ensign Rachel Whitney lands the assignment she’s dreamed of, working with legendary Navy lieutenant George Hudson on a remote island outpost. But when she arrives, George seems rather unhappy with his new subordinate. Before long, he has her furious. Her anger and George's grief keep them apart until crisis hits. Rachel struggles with her new faith, but George has turned away from God. When the island is attacked, Rachel learns that George kept crucial information about their mission from her. They must fight to survive and protect the precious secret they are guarding.
Writing Frasier Island was a lot of fun. My son Jim challenged me to write a science fiction book, and it came out romantic suspense. This is the closest I ever came, but no, it’s not sci-fi. It’s set a little bit in the future, maybe two or three years from now. When the enemy continues to harry the defenders on Frasier Island, it’s Rachel, George, and God against the world. Guess who wins.

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

Readers, you'll love this book, so leave a comment for a chance to win a copy. After you leave a comment, be sure to come back to see if you won. An easy way to keep from missing any of the announcements is to sign up for Feedblitz (in the right hand column under my profile).

You'll want to check out all Susan's books on her web page:

http://www.susanpagedavis.com/

There's still time to leave a comment on Gail Gaymer Martin's interview for a chance to win her book.

Author Christa Ann Banister - Free Book

I first heard about Christa when her publisher sent me a copy of this book. I loved the title and premise, so I contacted her for an interview.

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

Some of the best writing advice I ever received was back in high school when my English teacher told me that the best writers “write what they know.” So I’ve always been a big believer in the connection between authenticity and the writer’s own experiences, traits, etc. And in my novel, Around the World in 80 Dates, Sydney and I share a few common traits. But because it’s fiction and not a memoir, we have our share of differences, too.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

What can I say? I’m a quirky girl, it may be difficult to narrow it down to just one. But back in my college years, I always thought it was pretty funny to switch everyone’s welcome mats around. The alterna-punk girl on our floor had a mat in front of her door that said “Go Away” on it, so I thought it would be fun to switch hers with another girl’s fluffy pink one with kittens on it. My favorite part was seeing their faces when they’d realized what happened. I’d get to watch their confused looks while they had no idea that I was the one who’d switched everything around. This was also fun to do with Christmas wreaths and decorations, too.

I love quirky. It makes life more interesting. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

As long as I can remember, I’ve always had a vivid imagination. And for some reason, I always liked inventing new stories more than playing with Barbies or jump roping. I was always the kid with the pen and paper. But when I read Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, that sealed the deal. I figured if she could make up stories like that for a living, well, that’s what I wanted to do.

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

I love everything from Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast to chick lit like Sophie Kinsella’s “Shopaholic” series. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a biography; other times, it’s a book with a pop culture tie-in. Basically, I like just about anything.

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

When I was a kid, I wrote a 15-page book about a turtle going to a birthday party. Surprisingly, it didn’t hit the New York Times bestseller list. Aside from that, I had a devotional book published back in 2003 with Integrity called Hungry: An Ultra-Vertical Devotional Adventure and the sequel to Around the World in 80 Dates titled Blessed Be the Meddlers will hit store shelves in June 2008.

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

It may sound cliché, but I pray a lot! My husband and I start almost every day with a time of prayer, and that provides a lot of peace in our crazy, run-run-run world. I also watch The Food Network when I need a break…it’s my new guilty pleasure.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

What a fun question. I wish there was a method to my madness, but there’s usually not. I just try and pick names I think fit the character. My protagonist’s name, however, was the first and only pen name I’ve ever used: Sydney Alexander. That name just seemed to fit her.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Being a girl from a small town in Wisconsin, it still blows my mind that I get to write novels and magazine articles for a living! That’s an accomplishment that continues to make me proud.

As well it should. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A penguin because they’re cool.

What is your favorite food?

I could write you an exhaustive list of just desserts alone. But if I had to pick one, I’d say the kung pao shrimp from P.F. Chang’s. Yummy.

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

When I first moved to Nashville after college to pursue my dream of writing for CCM Magazine, my greatest roadblock was just waiting, waiting and waiting. After working a series of odd jobs and taking free internships to gain writing experience, I finally was hired for my dream job. But it wasn’t always easy being persistent when things were difficult financially, etc.

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

Write a little bit every day and make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. And if your manuscript is rejected the first time, the third time or for the fortieth and you think it’s a story worth telling, tweak and try, try again.

Very good advice.

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

Around the World in 80 Dates is one travel writer’s hilarious but very bumpy journey on the road to Mr. Right. I was really intentional about wanting to tell a story that singles, married people, grandmothers, etc. could relate to, while offering a surprise element to prevent it from being the same ol’, predictable chick-lit story.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can check out my personal Website (where there is a sample chapter) at www.christabanister.com. I also have a MySpace page at www.myspace.com/christaannbanister. And if you want a recommendation of a good movie to see or the ones to avoid, check out my reviews at www.crosswalk.com/fun/movies.

Christa, thank you for spending this time with us. I'll be reading and reviewing your book soon. And when the new one comes out, we'll want another interview.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Around the World in 80 Dates.

There's still time to leave comments on these interviews:

Jane Kirkpatrick - A Tendering in the Storm
Sharon Hinck - The Restorer's Son

Be sure to sign up for FeedBlitz, under my profile in the right hand column, so you won't miss a single interview or announcement.

And a Very Merry Christmas to all my readers!!!!!

Author Jane Kirkpatrick - Free Book

I'm pleased to feature Jane Kirkpatrick on the blog today. I was in a book club with several friends. We shared other books besides the ones we were reading. One friend introduced me to the works of one of her favorite authors--Jane Kirkpatrick. Several months later, I went to my agent's web site looking for some information and found that Jane and I share the same agent.

Jane, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Like most writers, there’s a bit of me in all my characters. I have some of their quirks and foibles but I hope I have some of their strengths as well. Even the antagonists have a bit of me in them…it’s a great place to put my dark side and hope it never shows up anywhere but in the manuscript. But because many of my characters are based on real, ordinary people, I also try to get into their heads and make them real given the historical record and what their descendants say about them through their stories.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

When I was 16 at a music camp I pretended to be someone I wasn’t for an entire week. It was a practical joke but I was surprised how easy the lies came and I did tell people in the end my “real” story. A little scary, too; but it taught me how close to the edge one can be with the truth and how important integrity really is. I also spent a day with a bee handler wearing bee handling clothes, gathering honey, talking to the bees. That was a delight! He said I was good with them and that the bees can tell a person who is authentic. I was pleased given my first example of quirky!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I always loved words and wrote little poems when I was young. But I didn’t call myself a writer until well after my first book (nonfiction) was published and I’d had several articles published. It was when I chose to listen to the story that had been calling my name and to write it even though I’d never written fiction and wasn’t sure I could. That’s the day that when someone asked what I did I answered, “I’m a writer.” I was nearly 50 years old at the time :-) A late bloomer indeed.

Actually, my first book was published when I was 50 years old. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I read everything! I love creative nonfiction such as The Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen and Barbara Kingsolver’s nonfiction. I love her fiction as well. Molly Gloss, a National Book Award finalist some years back, is a superb writer. She has a book coming out set in WWI in the west that is fabulous. (I’ve had a peek preview). I like Laurie R. King’s and P.D. James’s mysteries along with Sue Grafton. Marilyn Robinson’s Gilead was stunning. Historical novels are a favorite especially during the mid-1800s. I like Irene Bennet Brown, B.J. Hoff. I just finished reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter and Water for Elephants. Both were fabulous but I have to say the writing in Memory Keeper’s was outstanding. It reminded me of Three Junes another book I really loved. There are about fourteen books stacked up next to my bed. But I can only read about three paragraphs before I’m sound asleep!

My to-be-read pile is really tall, even though I read a lot. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I’ve written thirteen published novels and two non-fiction books. A fourteenth novel will be out in the spring. And I have a novel in my drawer called Oprah Doesn’t Know My Name. It’s my whining book I call it. It’s a story of a woman trying to get Oprah to look at her manuscript --because people are always saying to me, “You should get Oprah to choose your books” as though I had any control over that :-) So I thought I’d write a book about the antics of someone hoping to be discovered and the lengths she goes to be noticed. Bad book. But it was fun to write.

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

T. S. Elliot said we must all find “a still place in a turning world.” For me that’s prayer. It’s exercise. It’s finding reasons to laugh every day. It’s breathing deeply and reminding myself that what I do is a gift I’ve been given and gifts are best if received, witnessed to, honored and then passed on. I have a supportive family, wonderful friends. I honor the Sabbath even with a deadline looming.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Most of my books are based on the lives of real people so I use their actual names. Because people had large families in the 19th century, and often named their daughters and sons for their parents, I often have lots of characters with the same names! So I have a character list in the front of each book for readers. And I’ll use nicknames. For my fictional characters I use names from old diaries, from journals, from historical accounts I’ve read so I have authentic names. And sometimes I just use my friends' names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’ve really been trying to figure this out since I first read the question. I think it is being flexible enough and willing to live with ambivalence enough to quit my job as a mental health director 22 years ago and move with my husband to rattlesnake and rock ranch (actually it’s called Chukar Ridge Ranch, named for a small partridge-like bird that roams the rimrocks and breaks of the John Day River that we live on) because we believed it was something we were called to do. Because of that I began writing. And because we’re here, we had a place to bring our grandchild on two occasions to help raise her while her parents were impaired. They are in recovery and she is in college and I think being able to use resources to make that happen for her life and for theirs is an accomplishment I’m most proud of.

I agree. My husband and I often help our kids or grandkids. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

This is easy. A porpoise. Because they’re graceful (I’m not! I still can’t wear white without getting dirty and I stumble on rocks and am just plain awkward!) and because they’re really curious and they’re friendly and compassionate and they enjoy playing for playing’s sake and they are helpers without being asked. And they’re beautiful.

What is your favorite food?

Oh so hard. I’d say dark chocolate.

There's a basket of dark chocolate on my coffee table for the people who attend the critique group that meets in my home. Of course, now we have someone who likes milk chocolate, so we have a bowl of that, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

It was telling myself that I could not write a story I wanted to write because it was a story about someone else’s family; it would have to be fictionalized and I hadn’t ever written fiction; and it needed historical research and I wasn’t a historian. So the story languished for several years living in my head but going nowhere. Then one day as I lamented that SOMEONE should tell that story, my husband said if I thought it was a great story I should just write it down and see what happened. I was working and commuting two hours one way and away from home three days a week so committed to God that I would show up at the computer by 5:00 AM each day and write for three hours then go to “work” until the story was written and that whatever happened when I arrived at 5:00 AM, I’d leave to him. The amazing thing is that even though at 4 AM when the alarm went off I thought I could never get up (I wasn’t a morning person), but having made that commitment got me to show up. I discovered that showing up is really what it means to be a writer. That novel, my first, won a national award and two years ago won a statewide award after 10 years in print. It wasn’t me; it was the story that touched people. I just showed up to tell it.

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

Sometimes we have to live the story and write about it later. So don’t be hard on yourself if you aren’t able to write every day or if you keep getting rejecting letters. A wise person suggested to me that when I finished a piece to make a list of ten markets I thought would be good and to send it out to number one and date it. When the rejection letter comes back, read it ONCE and within 24 hours, send it the second market on the list. I did this and I rarely got to #10 before the story sold. I think because when I was feeling good about the work I found the markets and keeping the work out there is the only way to find a publisher. So I’d recommend something like that to trick ourselves into not listening to the harpies that tell us what we wrote is trash.

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

This is the second book in a trilogy A Tendering in the Storm is based on the life of a real family, an actual historical woman and the Christian communal society she lived in during the 1850s-1870s. It’s a story about grief to some extent and how grief has many siblings: guilt, rejection, isolation, anger, putting ourselves into exile. The main character is Emma Wager Giesy, a German-American who wanted what each of us wants, to be heard, to have her voice honored; and to do the best she could for her family without losing herself in the process. What she learns about receiving help I think speaks to many of us who are strong-willed and think we must do all things ourselves without help. I just learned that the first book in the series, A Clearing in the Wild, earned the Finalist award as part of theWILLA Literary Awards for Historical fiction so that’s cool. The WILLAs are in honor of Willa Cather, a 19th century editor, essayist, children’s writer, poet and novelist.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.jkbooks.com. My blog is www.janekirkpatrick.blogspot.com. I also contributed to the Chi Libris blog for a number of years with contributions about writing. www.chilibris.blogspot.com and contribute to the Women Writing the West blog at www.womenwritingthewest.org. I have a Shoutlife! Page, www.shoutlife.com. My books are available in lots of places on the internet and hopefully at your nearest local bookstore (but I am realistic about that so hopefully you’ll find me somewhere, maybe even in the library). Thanks for letting me spend time with you.

And thank you, Jane, for spending this time with us.

Readers, be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A Tendering in the Storm.

There's still time to leave a comment on these interviews:

Sharon Hinck - The Restorer's Son
Lonnie D. Story - The Meeting of Anni Adams
Tom McCann - The Tree Nobody Wanted
Tosca Lee - Demon

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Author Angela Benson - Free Book

I'm happy to introduce you to Christy Award Finalist, Angela Benson. This interview is part of a blog tour. You'll find a schedule of the other stops on the tour at the bottom of the interview. Feel free to visit all of them to get a larger perspective of Angela and her talent.

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

My life experience shows up in every book I write. It’s there in the characters’ emotions, not necessarily their actions. I make an effort though to make sure that my characters aren’t me. They have their own identity. While I understand their motivation for doing and saying the things they do, those actions and thoughts are theirs, not mine. As a new author, I often asked the question: What would I do or say in this situation? Now I ask the question: What would this character do or say?

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

My mom called it crazy, but I guess it’ll fit as quirky. I’d say the quirkiest decision I ever made was deciding to quit my day job after seeing my first book in bookstores. I waited until three years later after I had five book on the shelves and contracts with two publishers before I did it, but I did quit my day job and much too early. I say it was too early because as soon I quit, I changed genres, to writing Christian fiction. My last romance was published in 1997. My first Christian romance was published in 2000. That’s a long-time for a self-supporting writing to be without a book and a new advance. The good news is that now I have a day job I love and a fulfilling writing career.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Ms. Milazo’s sixth grade writing class. We wrote short stories each week and read them aloud to the class. My classmates loved my stories and always clapped after I finished reading them, which made me feel really good about myself and what I’d written. The story that made me the all-time class favorite was, “My Interview with the Jackson Five.” This was a pretty special story for me, since I had a very strong crush on Jermaine Jackson at the time. That was more than 30 years ago.

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

I read widely, but if you’ll look across my bookshelf what you’ll see most is women’s fiction, stories centered around women living life to the fullest, or trying to. I make an effort to read new authors. My last read was Guilty of Love, Pat Simmons’ debut Christian romance. It was a great read and I look forward to more work from her.

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

I’ve written five romances, two Christian romances, one romance novella, and a nonfiction writing book. The Amen Sisters is my first mainstream Christian novel. My first Christian romance, Awakening Mercy (Tyndale House Publishers, 2000) was a finalist for both the RITA Award for Excellence in Romance Fiction and the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction. The second, Abiding Hope (Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), won the EMMA Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction.

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

I think sanity is over-rated. Honestly, I don’t have an answer for this question. I do think the key to living a happy and contented life is having the ability to recognize what’s most important at any given time. When I was younger, everything seemed equally important so I felt the tug to do more, be more, get more. As I’ve grown older, it’s become easier for me to sort through the noise to get to what’s important.

Very wise counsel. How do you choose your characters’ names?

There is no method to my madness when it comes to character names. For example, the twin sisters in The Amen Sisters initially had the surname Thompson. Their surname changed to Amen after my publisher came up with the great title.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Staying published for more than a decade. Building a readership takes time and planning. While some writers "pop" with their first or second book, most writers build their readership slowly one book at a time. I’m in the later category, still building a readership.

I know what you mean. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Turtle. Slow but sure.

What is your favorite food?

My mom’s macaroni and cheese.

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

Writing romance fiction with African-American characters before those stories gained the interest of mainstream publishers. Fortunately, I finished my first book around the time that Kensington Books began Pinnacle Arabesque, their line of romances featuring African-American characters. My first five books found a home there. Since then, African-American romance has joined the mainstream. In 1997, I published two romances with Silhouette Special Education, followed by two Christian romances with Tyndale House in 2000 and 2001. The Amen Sisters (2005/2007) was published through a joint publishing venture between Walk Worthy Press and Warner Books (now Grand Central Publishing). My next book, Up Pops the Devil, will be published by HarperCollins in September 2008.

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

Keep writing. I have a stack of revision letters from publishing houses and agents. Every time I’d get a rejection, I’d sent out another proposal or query letter. Remember, “the race doesn’t go to the swiftest, but to him who endures to the end.”

Angela, what would you like to tell us about the featured book?

The Amen Sisters is a story of recovery from an abusive church situation. The main character, Francine Amen, left her home and her family to follow a ministry that she believed was doing the work of God, only to find that the pastor and the church had secrets that would lead to the death of one of her closest friends. In her recovery, Francine has to return home and mend fences with her sister, Dawn (who’s now married to Francine’s ex-fiancé), the church family she left behind, and the family of her dead friend. Francine finds the world she left behind in a bit of turmoil and she can’t help but blame herself for some of the problems. As she tries to make things right in the present, she finds she must first make peace with what happened in the past.

While the story deals with the sensational topic of sexual predators in the church, I didn't want to write a story that focused on the bad acts of some preacher. I wanted to write a story that honored those who were, and are, preyed upon. So The Amen Sisters does not take the reader into the bad acts of pastors and ministry leaders; it shows the far-reaching impact of those acts on the parishioners who sit in the pews and the struggle those parishioners face as to recover from the blow.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can reach my blog and website on the web at www.angelabenson.com and www.theamensisters.com

I also have pages at MySpace (www.myspace.com/angelabenson), Shelfari (www.shelfari.com/angelabenson) and Shoutlife (www.shoutlife.com/angelabenson)

Angela, thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, you'll want to visit all the sites on the blog tour.

Dec 3 http://www.j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com
Dec 4 http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com
Dec 5 http://www.rebecca2007.wordpress.com
Dec 6 http://www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
Dec 7 http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com/
Dec 10 http://leicesterreviewofbooks.wordpress.com/
Dec 11 http://www.edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com
Dec 12 http://storycrafters.blogspot.com/
Dec 13 http://buzzthebook.blogspot.com
Dec 14 http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/August2005/Michelle-TheAmenSisters.htm
Dec 17 http://www.apooo.org/AuthorsLounge/limelight.cfm and http://www.myspace.com/apoooconnections
Dec 18 http://www.inspiredauthor.com
Dec 19 http://youdontknowjack.blogsavy.com/
Dec 20 http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Dec 21 http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/current-events-and-your-book-promotion-0
Dec 26 http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com
Dec 28 http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
Dec 31 Giveaway Day
Jan 8 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sydneymolare
Jan 9 http://www.ambermiller.com/index.html

You can see that there is a Giveaway day on the blog tour. In addition to whatever they're giving away at that time, we'll also give away a free copy of Angela's book on this blog. Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win that book.

If you don't want to miss any of the interviews or giveaways on this blog, sign up for FeedBlitz in the right hand column under my profile.