Author Robin Caroll - TORRENTS OF DESTRUCTION - Free Book

I'm really glad to have Robin with us today. She's the president of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the national conference will be next week. She's a very busy lady.

By the way, if you live anywhere near Minneapolis, be sure to come to the public booksigning at the Mall of America on Saturday, September 20, from 1 - 3 pm. 126 authors will be in the Best Buy rotunda, the courtyard by Bloomingdales, and in the corridor between. You'll get to meet a lot of special people.

Welcome, Robin. Why did you become an author?

I grew up being a reader and loving to get lost in a story. Writing has always been a vital part of who I am.

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

To be on the Publisher’s Clearing House Prize Patrol! :D

Then you could bring my millions to my house! ;-) If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Definitely back in the antebellum times. But I would’ve hated the corsets and hoop skirts.

I always told my husband I was born out of my time. I always loved wearing long dresses, even before the maxis came in. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

Hmmm…that’s a hard one. I think I’d like to visit New York, just to say I did. :D

I haven't been to New York, but I've been to Washington, DC. I think every American should go and see all the monuments and memorials to our counntry's history. How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Italy

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

What HASN’T He taught me recently? LOL Seriously, He deals with me daily on life lessons. But most recently? Forgiveness, even when it isn’t asked for.

That's a hard one.

Now, Robin, tell us about the featured book.

TORRENTS OF DESTRUCTION is a book that I got the idea of when my husband returned from a white water rafting trip on the Gauley River in West Virginia. As I watched the video, I kept thinking “what if” such and such happened. This book was the answer to my “what if” game. Raging rapids aren't the only thing causing turbulence in the lives of a river rafting guide and an undercover FBI agent ... catching criminals is as dangerous as the undercurrent of attraction they have for each other.

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

www.robincaroll.com but to order to order the book, visit www.underdogpress.com

All right, Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy, but check out both Robin's website and the Underdog Press site.

Author Leann Harris - HIDDEN DECEPTION - Free Book

I've known Leann Harris for several years, and I'm happy to feature her debut Love Inspired Suspense novel. I reviewed the book in the August newsletter on my website - www.lenanelsondooley.com .

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

I write characters that I admire and probably wish I could do some of the things
I have my characters do. I draw from people around me--their strengths and passions.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

When I started writing Scottish historicals, I saw an article about a young woman who taught Highland dancing in my town. I went and watched her. My daughter became interested and she started doing Highland dancing.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

When I was a kid, I was a storyteller. I’d see a movie or TV show then I’d put my spin on it. I loved making up stories with me as the heroine. Since I am dyslexic, I didn’t think I could write, but when my youngest child went to school, I started writing—and wrote what I knew. It was about a deaf woman in Colorado in 1886. And I am sure to have all my stuff proofed.

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

Mystery and romance hold my attention, and I read everything in that range from category to mainstream. I’ve also discovered cozies. They are great fun.

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

I’ve written 10 romantic suspense books and one futuristic book. Before I was published, I wrote 5 historical romances set in England (1066) and Scotland (1682). I know so many little facts about Scottish life that would amaze you.

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

The Lord. He is my strength and sanity. My first nine books were written while I was a full time mother. I sold this current book while working full time teaching high school deaf. I worried on how I would do it. I wrote everyday from 9-10 at night.

When I sit down to write, I consider worship. God gave me the talent and desire to write, and it would be wrong not to use it. I am also grateful for a husband who cooks and understands about take out.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I love Biblical names, and I look through the little baby book I got with the birth of my first child. I look at the meaning of the name. I had a book where the hero’s name was Matthew Hawkins. I kept typing his name and it just didn’t ring right, then when I started referring to him as “Hawk” I knew the man went by his nickname. The name was right.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Having two children who love the Lord.

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

Okay, I’ve put myself in my characters’ place, looked at the world through their eyes. I’ve written stories in another galaxy on another world. I’ve been in a killer’s head, but I’ve never thought about being an animal. Is that not strange? But most writers are a little weird. Weird and wonderful.

What is your favorite food?

I love refried beans made with lard. Lard. There are just some things that shouldn’t be messed with and refried beans falls into that category. I will eat low fat in other areas but not refried beans. And I will tell you the smell of refried beans made with lard is to die for and one of my favorite childhood memories.

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

Sometimes when I am writing and get to a place were I am stumped, I go outside and pull weeds in my garden. Or go to the gym and exercise. It helps get the old mind working. Now those are daily writing roadblocks. I guess my biggest problem was the first book I wrote for Silhouette. This heroine appeared in a book that Silhouette didn’t buy, but the minute I wrote her, I knew all about her and her family. It took me a month to find the hero to match that gutsy heroine. The hero came very slowly and finally revealed himself to me. But I thought about her everyday and tried to match her with many different heroes. It was a relief when he appeared.

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

Join a writing group. ACFW, RWA, Mystery Writers. It doesn’t matter. Get with other writers. They will educate you and encourage you. Your family loves you, but they do not understand how writers think. Be around other writers. You’ll enjoy that unique perspective on life.

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

As I was writing this book, God’s truth appeared on the page. It was wonderful to have those words of comfort and compassion appear. They surprised me. I felt that God was saying something to and through me, giving comfort to those who found themselves in the situation and Elena and Daniel found themselves.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Please visit my website www.leannharris.com or visit www.loveinspiredauthors.com
In the next few weeks, some of those characters from Hidden Deception will be blogging their views of the book and their opinions. Watch for it on my webpage.

That sounds like fun. Thanks for being with us, Leann.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Then go over and check out her website.

Author Donn Taylor - RHAPSODY IN RED - Free Book

Today I'm intruducing you to Donn Taylor, another Texas author. I loved his writing when I read The Lazarus File that was published several year ago. Now he has a new release, Rhapsody in Red. I'm in the middle of reading this book right now and enjoying it.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I haven't spent much time thinking about this. I suppose I write about characters I respond to, whether positively or negatively, and about situations that concern me. In The Lazarus File, my protagonists are people who keep their promises in spite of difficulties. The situation that concerned me for that novel, set in the 1970s, was the interface of Colombian drug cartels, native terrorist organizations, and Soviet expansionism. For Rhapsody in Red, the protagonists are professors devoted to truth with a capital T in a college that is sliding toward relativism. (It's a lighthearted mystery, though, so I don't want us to get too serious.) With poetry, it's a matter of finding interesting expression for small kernels of concentrated truth. I also don't want to get too serious about the poetry because my objective is to write good-quality poetry that a broad popular audience can enjoy. Many poetic truths can be expressed in humor and satire.

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

That's an easy question, Lena. It has to be the day I married Mildred, the most wonderful woman in the world. John Milton (unknowingly) described it perfectly when he wrote, "With thee conversing I forget all time," or better yet, our status on our marriage day:

The world was all before them where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.

How has being published changed your life?

Life has certainly gotten busier, but its qualities and objectives remain the same. There is a great satisfaction in having landed my first national contract, and that with a publisher like Moody. (Lazarus was a small-press book.) But it also raises the problem of making the next book as good as the one before it. As for busy-ness, I have to find time for edits of both the mystery and a poetry book, and publicizing both, as well as writing the next book. Fortunately, I have an encouraging wife who helps me find the necessary work time.

None of us could make it as authors without understanding and encouraging spouses. What are you reading right now?

The Bible, of course. To keep up with the world, I read two weekly and two daily newspapers, including the on-line NY Times. I also read the Baptist Standard and the Roman Catholic journal First Things, along with posts on an electronic bulletin board run by the National Association of Scholars. I've just finished Mark Moyar's Triumph Forsaken, the most thoroughly documented history book I've ever read. (It will undoubtedly become the definitive history of the early years of the Vietnam War.) In fiction, I've been reacquainting myself with the brilliant Western writer Ernest Haycox and the British aviation-and-espionage writer Gavin Lyall. In CBA, I've just finished Dodson Brandt's White Soul and begun Lisa McKay's My Hands Came Away Red.

I read White Soul, and now my husband is reading it. What is your current work in progress?

I'm working on a sequel to Rhapsody in Red. Same protagonists, same setting, very different problem, but the same lighthearted tone. I'd probably better leave it at that, for the characters and situation keep asserting themselves in unforeseen ways.

Be sure and let me know when you have a publication date. What would be your dream vacation?

Two weeks anywhere with my wife, Mildred. Better yet, the two of us for two weeks in Heidelberg during Fasching (German Mardi Gras). We'd alternate between the magnificent Mannheim Opera and those lively Fasching parties with their excellent popular music.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The overall Colombian/Caribbean setting for Lazarus was determined by the subject. Research recommended local settings, and a single photograph helped me build a specific fictitious setting in the Andean Cordillera Oriental. The process was quite different for Rhapsody. The problem there was to make the setting seem specific and authentic while making Overton University an any-college located anywhere. (It is definitely not modeled on any institution, but shares characteristics with many.) The setting is vaguely Midwestern and west of the Mississippi, but defined no further than that.

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

It would be the economist and Hoover scholar Thomas Sowell because he is the most brilliant mind writing syndicated columns and well-researched books today. A close second would be Father Richard John Neuhaus, editor in chief of First Things. He has wide-ranging interests and is a master of quiet irony.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Mildred and I enjoy walking the many woodland trails in our neighborhood. We also love classic movies—the ones made before Hollywood went sleazy in the mid-sixties.

I'm with you on the movies. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Choosing a subject and shaping it into an appropriate plot. I don't always overcome. They all fight back, and some of them defeat me. When I do succeed, it's by thrashing away at airy nothing until something concrete and acceptable finally falls out.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Be patient: it's going to take two or three times as long as you think when you start out. Read, read, read, and learn the craft. And don't be too proud to learn basic rules of grammar and punctuation.

Tell us about the featured book.

In the lighthearted mystery Rhapsody in Red, a history professor with musical hallucinations and a female Wiccan professor of comparative religion have to solve a campus murder before police can pin it on them. They are ostracized when they expose unsavory faculty relationships, and their lives are endangered when they find that organized crime operates a racket from the campus computer network. Before they're through, they both face life-changing spiritual decisions.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

The quick way is www.donntaylor.com, my Web site for Lazarus that will soon undergo major overhaul. Rhapsody in Red is listed by title only on Amazon for advance orders. If people type my name into Google, they'll turn up all kinds of things.

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Rhapsody in Red. I think you'll like it. The book has a unique flavor. And if you can, get a copy of The Lazarus File. You can probably find out how on Donn's web site.

Author Christine Lynxwiler - FOREVER CHRISTMAS - Free Book

Christine has been a friend of mine for many years. I love her writing. I've read this Christmas book, and I think you'll love it as I did.

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

On the horizon, I see myself fulfilling the six book contract I signed with Barbour. The first book will be released next spring (2009). It’s called Shoot for the Stars. This will be the beginning of a three book series – The McCord Sisters which will also include Outrun the Storm and Bridle the Flame, to be followed by another three book series, tentatively titled The McCord Brothers, which will include Catch the Wind, Lasso the Moon, and Tame the River. Straightforward series titles I know, but these series are about an unusual family. Six of the seven brothers and sisters were adopted by Jonathan and Lynda McCord when they were anywhere from 9 to 12. Now that they’re all in their twenties (and early thirties) their unique pasts bring a special difference to each one's story. But they’re all 100% McCord. That’s all I see on the horizon. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could see OVER the horizon? But only God knows what waits there and I trust Him to take care of that.

I know what you mean. Tell us a little about your family.

For 27 years, I’ve been married to a man who is my best friend but still makes my heartbeat accelerate when he walks into a room. I guess that’s why I always go for the “heroine falls for her best guy friend” stories. We have two precious beautiful daughters. At 15 and almost 12, they’re both essentially teenagers, but we actually enjoy our home life most of the time. Things are never perfect around our house, but they’re always interesting. I’m blessed to still have both my parents in good health, even though they’re in their late eighties. We get together frequently with my four sisters and one brother and their families at Mama and Daddy’s for food and fun. I’m also blessed to have wonderful in-laws that we’re very close to. Other than God, family is my top priority!

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

Unfortunately, I just plain don’t have time to read as much as I used to. So I have to be a much choosier reader. I used to read every book I came across. Now I’m more likely to only pick up those that are highly recommended by someone whose opinion I trust or those written by one of my must-read authors – Dean Koontz, Ted Dekker, Tracey Bateman, Susan May Warren, and Rachel Hauck.

What are you working on right now?

I’m finishing up Shoot for the Stars, the first McCord Sisters book. This book is a strong romance, but it also introduces the McCord clan and the ranch which is fun for me because I love writing family relationships.

What outside interests do you have?

My husband and I, along with our daughters kayak on nearby Spring River quite a bit with my sister and brother-in-law. I love to go to auctions and yard sales with friends. Softball takes over our lives in the spring and summer as both our girls are on teams and, in the case of our oldest, sometimes more than one team. But we really enjoy it. We have horses and I love to watch the rest of the bunch ride. (I ride some, but am still more of a spectator.) We’re also very involved with church, teaching classes, but also doing things with the youth.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I write books set in Arkansas. I love my home state and the beautiful Ozark mountains where we live and it’s easy for me to picture my characters here.

I was born in the Ozarks of Arkansas, and lived in the state for my first 20 years. I guess that's why I love your books so much. If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

If I could go back in time, it would be Jesus. Can you imagine sitting in person and hearing him deliver the sermon on the mount? Or being involved in his casual interaction with his followers? I can imagine it, but I’d love have heard his voice and seen his face.

And we will someday. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I wish I’d known the market better and understood that the delete button truly is my best friend. I wish I’d known that you never really arrive so that I could have stopped looking for that day sooner and just concentrated on the journey, which is what I’m doing now.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

No new lessons, just the same old ones that I keep not quite getting. To have patience and to remember that God is in control. To be myself and not worry about what people think of me as long as God is happy with me. And to love people unconditionally, but hate sin unwaveringly.

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

It’s like that old joke about what three things it takes for a real estate sale to succeed. (Location, location, location.) The three best things I can tell a new author (or an old one) are, “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.” Seriously, besides persevering, join American Christian Fiction Writers. It will be the best money you ever spent if you’re trying to get started. And if you’re actually blessed enough to sell a book, make a vow to yourself that you’ll be easy to work with and keep that vow. Choose your battles very very carefully because no editor wants to deal with someone who makes every little point a world war. Make it your personal goal to be on your editor’s short list of authors he/she loves to work with. And never quit learning and honing your craft.

All excellent advice.

Tell us about the featured book.

Forever Christmas was a joy to write. I’ve written 14 books and each of them has been a struggle in its own way. Except this one. God gave me a gift of this one story that flew from my fingers. I’d stop occasionally and snicker or even laugh out loud, then attack the keyboard again. I loved the twists and turns of this unique contemporary Christmas romance and I hope you will, too!

From the back cover: Since I was a little girl, Jingle Bells, Arkansas, has been my refuge—especially Gram Harrington’s gift shop, Forever Christmas. Jingle Bells also happens to be home to my best friends, Ami and Garrett, so when I inherited Gram’s shop, the decision to move here seemed obvious. So far, though, my business savvy is proving about as successful as my love life. (I’ve had two broken engagements. Enough said.)

Everyone knows Jingle Bells needs an economic miracle to survive. But let’s just say that my idea of a miracle differs from that of corporate bigwig lawyer, Shawn Webber. He plows into town campaigning to change the name to Summer Valley—to entice a big corporation to relocate here. A girl would think she could count on her best friends to support her fight to keep Jingle Bells on the map. Or not. Okay, so I understand how Ami is totally focused on her wedding plans. But Garrett can’t bother himself with local politics when there’s bowling to be done. Men!

When will I ever learn to let God guide me in matters of home. . . and heart?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.christinelynxwiler.com - Thanks for having me, Lena! It was fun!

For me, too, Christine. You'll have to come back with your McCord books.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Forever Christmas.

Author Brenda Coulter - AT HIS COMMAND - Free Book

Today, we're featuring another author in the Homecoming Heroes series by Love Inspired.

Welcome, Brenda. I just love reading these series by Love Inspired. What is the name of the series this book is in, and where in the series does it occur?

AT HIS COMMAND is Book 3 of the six-book (multi-author) "Homecoming Heroes" series by Love Inspired.

Who came up with the idea for the series?

The editorial department of Steeple Hill Books. The authors were given a "series bible" which included the names and very brief descriptions of all the major characters as well as the fictional Texas town and Army base in which the series is set.

I know that working on a series that weaves together takes a lot of work. How did your team schedule the work?

We authors (six in all) brainstormed and shared research via a private e-mail loop set up for that purpose.

Did you find it hard or easy to work within the series framework?

It was very difficult for me, a seat-of-the-pants writer, to work out a plot before actually writing the book. I was also a little uncomfortable using characters and situations created by others, and with leaving open story questions at the end of my book. But that's the nature of a multi-author series. It was definitely a learning experience!

What other books have you had published?

AT HIS COMMAND is my fourth novel. The others (all for Love Inspired) are FINDING HOPE, A FAMILY FOREVER, and A SEASON OF FORGIVENESS.

When you aren’t writing or spending time with your family, what is your favorite activity?

Prowling the local garden centers for new roses and perennial plants. I also like giving tea parties for my friends.

I love tea parties with friends, too. Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a cozy home office filled with flowering plants and china and other pretty things. I love writing here, but on nice days I take my laptop computer out to the garden.

Tell us about the featured book.

In one short month, cheerful army nurse Madeline Bright has become the darling of Prairie Springs, Texas. And if former helicopter pilot Jake Hopkins isn't careful, she just might conquer HIS heart.He can't take that risk. Maddie is chasing him all over town, but while Jake can't deny his insane attraction to her, neither can he confess the awful secrets he's keeping--especially the one about his having been partly responsible for her brother's death.You can read most of the first chapter of AT HIS COMMAND here:

http://brendacoulter.com/BrendaCoulterAtHisCommand.html

How can my readers find you on the Internet?

My website: http://brendacoulter.com - Includes information about my books, tips for aspiring authors, and several pages on the subject of afternoon tea.

My blog: http://brendacoulter.blogspot.com - Features musings on writing, life, and the writing life. ("No rules. Just write" appears on the Internet Writing Journal's list of Best Author Blogs.)

Thank you for spending this time with us, Brenda.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of At His Command. Then go check out her website and blog.

Julie Lessman - A PASSION REDEEMED - Free Book

I've really been looking forward to this interview. And my book came yesteday. We picked it up at the post office late, and I've started the first few pages.

Hi, Julie, welcome once again to my blog. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

For women like me who crave a great love story with LOTS of romantic tension, but without the gratuitous sex. According to the American Religious Identification Survey conducted by the Barna Group, “nine out of ten women nationwide consider themselves to be Christian.” The majority of these women fall into a category I would define as “Mainstream Christianity" -- women who proclaim God, but not always in their sexuality. Many of these women want compelling novels with strong romantic tension and often turn to the secular market to satisfy this need. But wouldn't it be wonderful if they were drawn to a novel of passion and encountered God's ideas on sexuality along the way?

For myself, I cannot thoroughly enjoy a novel unless the romantic element is threaded with God’s precepts. Yet it is rare to find a novel that merges romantic passion and spirituality with an intensity that appeals to me and this mainstream majority. One of the few novels that has successfully done so is Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, which, in my opinion, is why this novel topped the CBA Bestseller List four years in a row, remaining a CBA bestseller to this day.

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

Boy, Lena, ask a tough question, why don’t ya?? Holy cow, I’m an emotional type of gal, so I have a LOT of happiest days, but … if I have to pick just one … it would be the day I married my very own romance hero AND my best friend, my husband Keith. I had NO idea at the time just HOW good God was being to me, but I do now, which definitely qualifies it as the “happiest day” of my life.

I understand completely. I was a Christian walking a rebellion when God brought my wonderful husband to me. He was God's greatest gift to me, after Jesus. How has being published changed your life?

The biggest change is that I have more peace about my writing. Before I was published, I honestly had NO idea if I was any good or not. But now, I feel a little more secure with three books under my belt. That is, until I started writing the synopses for the next 3-book series! YIKES, the doubts are back, which is okay because it just means I have to trust in God that much more. And believe me, I do! :-)

What are you reading right now?

I am almost finished reading An Irishwoman’s Tale by Patti Lacy, and although I am not usually a women’s fiction fan, this book has mesmerized me with its vivid imagery and haunting story. It is wonderfully well written.

Good. I'm featuring it on my blog later. What is your current work in progress?

Currently I am putting together another 3-book proposal for my publisher that will finish off the saga of the O’Connors. Book 1 will be the story of the youngest daughter, Katie, which will be fun because she is a pistol who comes of age in the Roaring Twenties, right before The Great Depression. Books 2 and 3 will be about the O’Connor brothers, Sean and Steven, during the exciting era of speakeasies, dance marathons, gangsters, G-men and era criminals like Bonnie & Clyde and John Dillenger. Steven will be a tall, brooding G-man-type modeled after Elliot Ness … you know, a la Robert Stack from the Untouchables? Hubba hubba. I’m very excited because all three plots are very involved, include detailed sub-stories for ALL the character couples (can you say “complicated”???) and each plot has surprises that I hope will blow you away!

I'm sure they will. You do know I'll want to feature you with each book. What would be your dream vacation?

Mmmm … a beach bungalow on an unspoiled tropical island with my husband and lots of my favorite things—good friends, great books and old movies.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Well, Boston and Dublin are the only two settings I’ve used in all three novels of The Daughters of Boston series, which are the only books I’ve written, and I chose those cities when I was a little girl. As you may remember, I started writing A Passion Most Pure at the age of twelve after reading Gone With the Wind and immediately knew I wanted an Irish family coping with a war (like GWTW), but didn’t have the audacity to try another Civil War epic. :-) Ireland was always a given, and Dublin is one of its biggest cities, so that’s why I chose it.

As far as Boston, I have never been there, but I LOVED Boston Baked Beans candy when I was kid, as well as anything Colonial (I used to LOVE Disney’s Swamp Fox show), so I am guessing I just picked Boston because of those reasons. You can imagine my excitement when I wrote A Passion Most Pure 40 years later and learned that Boston was considered the heart of Irish America because of its large contingent of immigrants after the potato famine. Very cool!

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

President George Bush because I admire him greatly for his deep faith.

Yes. I've prayed for him all through his presidency. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Dinners out with friends, watching old movies (Gone With the Wind, That Touch of Mink, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Susan Slept Here are some of my favorites), gardening and hosting elaborate dinner parties a la Martha Stewart. I’m pretty driven in whatever I do (anal might be a better word). And, yes, I’ve been known to pipe guest’s initials into their twice-baked potatoes, cut napkin rings out of real lemons to hold lemon green beans, and sketch a layout for how the food would be placed on the plate. Which was fine when I was younger and had the energy to do it, but these days, sitting at my computer with a candle burning and a cup of Hazelnut Cinnamon coffee is my pastime of choice.

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

E-MAILS. I like to handle the urgent ones first thing in the morning while I drink my hazelnut coffee and eat my peach oatmeal, then pray and read the Bible. BUT, what’s been happening lately, is I seem to spend more and more time on e-mails, which is NOT good. So, what I have taken to doing is turning Outlook off throughout the day and only checking here and there AND trying to stay brief … which as you know from my almost 500-page novels, is not easy.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Basically the same advice that published authors gave to me:
1.) Join ACFW, FHL and RWA, both to get connected with other like-minded writers and to learn a lot about your craft.
2.) Take a fiction-writing class or attend a writing seminar or conference.
3.) Join a critique group.
4.) Purchase and study writing books such as Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King or Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas, AND invest in a great thesaurus such as The Synonym Finder by Rodale Press (my writer’s bible!!).
5.) Go for an agent first, publisher second.
6.) Then pray your heart out and put it in God’s hands.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here’s the jacket blurb:

No man can resist her charms. Or so she thought.
Depth of beauty … shallow of heart, Charity O’Connor is a woman who gets what she wants. She sets her sights on a man who wants nothing to do with her, and although the sparks are there, he refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with a woman who ruined his life. Charity burned him once, destroying his engagement to the only woman he ever truly loved. He won’t play with matches again. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat, hoping to ignite the heart of the man she loves. And she always gets what she wants—one way or another.

A Passion Redeemed will captivate your heart and stir your soul with a story of faith and redemption rising from the ashes of temptation, desire, and shame.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Thanks, Lena, for allowing me this time to connect with you and your readership.
Anyone who would like to contact me can do so through my Web site at www.julielessman.com, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter, in which I feature book giveaways. Finally, I invite your readers to visit The Seekers, a group blog of which I am a part that talks about “The road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.” You can find it at http://seekerville.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for spending this time with us, Julie.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A Passion Redeemed. If you don't win, be sure to get a copy.

Then check out Julie's web sites.

Author Linda P. Kozar - MISFORTUNE COOKIES - Free Book

Today, we're featuring the debut novel of one of the women who's in the online loop connected with the critique group that meets in my home. I'm really proud of Linda.

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

I probably write some of myself and my own POV in my characters—but honestly, I write a lot about the people I know or meet. Observations, snippets of conversation in the coffee line at Starbucks and funny incidents right out of everyday life form the basis of much of what I do.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

At a friend’s bachelorette party, I hired a stripper! Actually, it was a guy who kept his clothes on, but stripped a piece of wood. Not what anyone initially expected and not very exciting in some ways, but funny!

Readers, I have to tell you that Linda is a lot of fun. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In first or second grade I decided that when I grew up I was going to be an author. I loved to read and often didn’t like the endings, so I decided I would write books with the kind of endings I wanted.

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

I enjoy an eclectic range. Of course I read a lot of the classics as a base to start with. But I favor mysteries, suspense, historicals, and even some sci-fi though I haven’t read much of it in the past few years.

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

I read a devotion every morning—usually something from my favorite, Streams in the Desert and then I read a chapter from the Bible. I’m in Mark right now and work my way through the Bible time and again, a chapter at a time.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Whenever we travel I bring a small notebook and pen with me and jot down any places or names, even situations I find interesting. Names in different locales are surprisingly different. Sometimes, they’re pretty amusing too. My character, “Lovita” was named from a restaurant called “Lovita’s Fish and Chick” in Washington State.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Helping other writers to reach their fullest potential. Really that is the greatest feeling—to partner with writers who are trying their best to answer the call God has on their life to write, but don’t know how to go about it. I love it when I see the light go on in their eyes, when they realize that their dream really is possible and attainable.

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

Probably a Chuppacabra! Cause I’m menopausal. Rrrrrrr!

Wow, the last two animals are sending me to the Internet to find out what they are. What is your favorite food?

Spinach and corn tamales—or really any kind of tamale. I’ve even tried a cactus tamale and it was delish!

Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

I write fiction and nonfiction. The first book I worked on was nonfiction—a great idea and finished too, but because I had no name or sales to back me up, it didn’t sell. It will one day. I believe it. Then an idea came to me one day to write a book about two overweight single friends who are growing in size and age and still looking for Mr. Right in all the wrong ways. Funny, the story just sort of wrote itself. Thoughts came pouring out of me like a bust in the Hoover Dam! The characters are so much fun—like old friends. I love writing about their lives. So far I have the first two books in the When The Fat Ladies Sing series done. I’ve only just started the third.

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

I have two roadblocks—email and boredom! Checking email can really become an obsession, so I have to watch that. As for boredom, when I get bored with whatever I’m writing, I erase it! If I’m bored, I know I’ve gone in the wrong direction and the reader is going to be bored too. As long as I’m engaged and excited about what I’m writing, I assume the reader will feel the same way.

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

Trust in the Lord. Don’t try to make it happen. And don’t give up!

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

Misfortune Cookies comes out on November 4th through the Heartsong Presents—Mysteries Bookclub. If you’re curious about them, I’ve blogged as my characters on the Splyglass website http://spyglasslane.blogspot.com several times (just look for my posts).

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Bodaciously big beautiful women, Sue Jan Pritchard and Lovita Mae Horton are best friends who run a beauty shop/boutique in Wachita, a little town in West Texas. They share a passion for food—especially Chinese. One day, over lunch Lovita opens a fortune cookie to a sinister message: “Your father was murdered,” a clue which leads them to God, an international spy ring, and devastatingly handsome strangers. A most unlikely pair of detectives, these girlfriends crack the case wide open with style, sarcasm, and Szechuan.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.coffeeteaandthee.org Hope you stop by and say hi!—Linda

Linda, thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy, but it will take a little while to come.

And check out Linda's web site.

Author Janet Dean - COURTING MISS ADELAIDE - Free Book

I have really enjoyed the new Love Inspired Historicals. And here's another one. It's on the top of my to-be-read pile.

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

I suspect I could find some of me in all of my heroes and heroines, especially my faith and values. But my heroes and heroines are stronger and more confrontational than I am. And, they live far more exciting lives than I do. My wacky secondary characters remind me of other people. LOL Undoubtedly parts of me are in these characters, too. I may not have experienced all the difficulties I put my characters through, but I’ve had enough ups and downs in life to write about their struggles in a way that I hope feels real to the reader.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Writing books. :-) To sit down and make up people who then carry on conversations in my head is quirky. Just ask my husband.

Oh, yes, my husband has told me that writers, "think weird." When did you first discover that you were a writer?

At twelve I wrote and illustrated little romances. My friends noticed and wanted to read my stories. They must’ve given me positive feedback because from that point on I knew I’d write books one day.

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

I enjoy biographies. I also like to read books that motivate and challenge me to be a better person. I love happy endings so romance novels are at the top of my fiction list. I read contemporaries and suspense, but my favorites are historical romances. I’m not a fan of thrillers and fantasy.

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

My first book was set on a ranch in Texas. I spent a year revising that manuscript, but it will never get into print without another major overhaul. The second book I wrote morphed into Courting Miss Adelaide. The sequel, Courting the Doctor’s Daughter, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical, will release in May 2009. I’d also written two other historical novels and a partial of a lady lit, bringing the total of books I wrote before I sold to four books.

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

Prayer. When I start my day with prayer, I’m strengthened for the challenges ahead. Plus prayer helps me remember God is in control of my life and this world. I keep a journal of the needs of friends and family and use that for intercessory prayer. I tend to think negatively so I find a gratitude journal helps me focus on the many blessings and positives in my life.

My husband’s support. My husband puts skin on his emotional support by doing chores, running errands and giving me a listening ear. For the nine years it took me to sell, he never once complained about the expense of conferences, contest entry fees or writing supplies.

Family. Our children and grandchildren give us great joy and remind me of what’s important in this life.

Friends. Some writers say they’re hermits, but I’m a people person. I need to interact with friends. Often that’s by e-mail. Occasionally, I go out to lunch or share a hobby. I attend a weekly Bible study. Meeting with my critique partner, Shirley Jump, www.shirleyjump.com each week is pure joy. Having writer friends like Shirley and the Seekers (www.seekerville.blogspot.com) who understand the highs and lows of being a writer are a wonderful support.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I used a few names of my ancestors in Courting Miss Adelaide, which has been fun for my family. My brothers agreed to let me name two young boys in Courting the Doctor’s Daughter after them. Usually a name comes to me and feels right for the character. I use names to give insight into the character. If I’m stymied, I grab my baby name book or lists of the most popular names in the year my story is set.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Without question that would be rearing our daughters. They are wonderful young women of faith. I’m very proud of them and their families. Not that I’m taking credit for who they turned out to be. But I’m grateful for the privilege of being their mom.

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

I’d be a Bichon with an owner who puts bows in my hair to keep it out of my eyes. :-) Dogs aren’t loners and neither am I.

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate. :-)

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

In the beginning, I made every mistake possible—POV errors, head hopping, pointless scenes, purple prose, long passages of back story and a manuscript dotted with exclamation points. Probably my biggest roadblock was not having strong external conflict. I find it easy to give my hero and heroine compelling internal conflicts, but devising book-length external conflict between them is hard for me. I wouldn’t say I’ve totally overcome it. But I’m very aware that’s a weakness of mine. I focus on developing a plot that puts the hero and heroine in conflict over tangible things. How to do that varies with each book.

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

Join a writers’ group. I joined American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America and RWA’s special interest chapter Faith, Hope and Love. Their conferences, online workshops, loops, and contest feedback will bring writers to their goal faster than writing in a vacuum. The friends you’ll make are a wonderful plus.

Get a savvy critique partner or join a critique group. Writers can lose our objectivity when it comes to our work. We need fresh eyes and someone who isn’t afraid to use red ink. Look at critiques with an open mind and a teachable spirit. Then if you still feel the point is wrong, don’t change it.

Develop a strong hide. If you can’t handle criticism and rejection, you’ll be miserable and may give up. Even when you sell, critiques don’t end. Editors will want revisions and will reject proposals. Reviews can hurt. Books may not win awards. We have to be tough to survive in this business.

Write. Write. Write. I wish I’d had a larger body of work when I sold. Instead of writing more books, I polished and revised and polished some more. Not that I’m against doing your best. That polished book enabled me to sell when the door opened, but if I’d had a larger inventory, I might have more books in print by now.

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

The orphan train seemed like small-town spinster Adelaide Crum’s last chance to know the simple joys of family life. So many lost children, every one of them dreaming only of a caring home—the home she longed to offer. And yet the narrow-minded town elders refused to entrust even the most desperate child to a woman alone….

Newspaperman Charles Graves believed his heart was closed forever, but he swore to stand by this lovely, lonely woman who was fighting for the right to take some motherless child into her heart. And her gentle soul and unwavering faith made him wonder if even he could overcome the bitter lessons of the past, and somehow find the courage to love….

Romantic Times gave Courting Miss Adelaide 4 ½ stars. They called it … “a wonderfully sweet love story that includes facts about orphan trains of the 1800s.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My Web site: www.janetdean.net

Thank you, Janet for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Courting Adelaide.

Author Jeanne Marie Leach - SHADOW OF DANGER - Free Book

I've visited Jeanne in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I love the area, and Jeanie is a very hospitable person.

Hey, Jeanne, glad to have you back on my blog. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

It’s simple; I write the kinds of books I love to read. I’ve always enjoyed history, particularly of the old west. I have friends who think I was born 100 years too late, but I do love technology too.

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

My happiest day is today. When I wake up and discover that God’s mercies are new every morning, and that each new day brings a myriad of opportunities, my heart is glad. Today, I get a chance to present the gospel to someone who’s never heard the good news. Today, I can mentor someone by using what I’ve learned in the past to show them how to make their future bright and filled with hope. Today can be any kind of day I purpose in my heart to make out of it. I’m filled with the simple truth that today is the day God has made for me to rejoice and be glad in it.

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has given me more confidence in myself and in the abilities God has given to me. I fell in love with the editing process, and found myself enjoying several other aspects of the writing world such as critiquing and mentoring. Two years ago I began studying editing under Kathy Ide, founder of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. Then one year later, I hung up my proverbial shingle and began freelance editing. My business grew so quickly that within six months, I was able to quit my day job and work from home at my editing and everything else related to the world of writing. Now that’s a change I never expected, but am having the time of my life.

What are you reading right now?

I’m in the middle of Captivating, a non-fiction by John and Staci Eldridge and Remembered, a historical romance by Tamara Alexander.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m currently working on a new short historical romance about a mail-order bride who gets to her desitnation only to find her fiancé had died a few days before, and the tiny townsfolk link her to some shady mine dealings her intended had allegedly been involved in.

Also, I recently got my rights back for my first historical romance, Angel in the Saloon, and I have one month to spruce it up, package it together with the other books in the Brides of Glory Gulch series, and get it ready to send to Glass Roads Productions.

What would be your dream vacation?

I have two dream vacations. First would be my hubby, two dogs and me in an RV, going all around the USA and Canada to visit God’s wonders. It would take us about 3 months to get to all the places I want to see.

The next would be a long cruise to Alaska.

I'd be glad to join you on the cruise to Alaska. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Often the settings come first. Whenever I visit a place for the first time, I never buy T-shirts, but always pick up a book about the history of the area. This will often spawn an idea for a story. Sometimes I make up a town, such as Glory Gulch, but it came from a mixture of Deadwood, South Dakota, and Morrison, Colorado.

My newest book about the mail-order bride came from a jeeping expedition to the top of the mountains one summer, where we discovered many long-forgotten gold mines, and ghost towns. After looking into the actual history of these towns, I knew I had to write a book set in that area.

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

I would like to spend an evening with Jeanette Oke because she’s my all-time favorite author. Her books were the first Christian novels I ever read, and I own all of her books (all first editions) except for one. I’d be interested in picking her brain for ideas on characterization, setting, plotting and plotting.

Also, I read that A Gown of Spanish Lace, one of my top favorite books, was actually the first book she wrote, but it was something like the fifteenth book she published. I’d love to talk to her about that too. I, like many of my writing buddies, have our first books still sitting in our computer, and it would be great to know if there’s hope for them to come to life some day.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love scrapbooking, snow shoeing, jeeping, exploring historical places, getting away from the things of man and going for a hike in the woods, or staying in a tiny log cabin that nobody can find. I also love going to the Denver Broncos games with my husband. We have season tickets in the club level, and we have such great times together. I also enjoy watching movies, walking the dogs, flea markets, farmer’s markets, and home decorating.

Most of all, I love sharing Jesus Christ with other ladies. I love using my talents to minister hope to women and to show them their true value to God.

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

Time. My life is so full, and there’s always something exciting to do, so finding a nice chunk of time in which to write is my biggest challenge. I often hear people say, “Life gets in the way of my writing.” I think it’s because of that life that we write. It’s simply best to not fret about what I can’t do today, and rejoice in all the great things I get to do today. If I find time to write, then that’s going to be fun too. If not, then what I’m doing, I’ll do as if I’m doing it for God. Nothing is too insignificant for God. He can use a sneeze for his glory if we let Him have total reign in our lives.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

· Give your writing to God. Let Him be in control. Realize that if you believe He is omnipotent, then also realize that He will never let you down, and you will accomplish His will in His timing.
· Never give up!
· Don’t compare your writing journey with anyone else’s. Your story is as unique as you are. It might take one person only a year to write a book and get published, while the next person may take 12 years to accomplish the same.
· Learn! Just as with any ministry or job, there’s a training period and a learning curve. You can’t expect to just jump right in and everything will go smoothly.
· Be flexible. Don’t get exasperated because something else in your life takes away a bit of your writing time. God’s ways are not our ways.
· Never give up!
· Invest in some good writing helps books. For a list of those that I recommend, e-mail me at jlmtnlady@colorado.net, and I’ll send it to you. Join a writer’s group. Join a critique group. I wrote alone for the first three years, and I had no clue what I was doing. Once I joined a couple groups, my path to publication became clearer.
· Get a copy of my book, Writing Basics for Beginners, released in January by Booklocker.com. Never give up!

Tell us about the featured book.

My fourth book, Shadow of Danger, a short historical romance, was released by Mountain View Publishing in April, 2008.

Blurb: Rachel Ringhold is roused from her bed in the middle of the night and sent away from the orphanage, where she’d grown up and now works. Dazed and confused, she flees from an undisclosed danger. With a prayer in her heart, and little money in her satchel, she sets out to find Seb Jameson, the man who used to work for the orphanage as blacksmith and handyman, and who’d captured her heart as a youth.

Tired, dirty, and malnourished, Rachel finally reaches Leadville, Colorado, and discovers Seb engaged to be married. Unaware of the turbulence in Seb and Myra’s relationship, Rachel enjoys her new life and grows to a fresh awareness of what Jesus Christ accomplished for her on the cross.

The danger suddenly catches up to her. Her renewed faith is shattered. All she’d ever wanted was for someone to love her and a home of her own, but now her dreams have been stripped from her. Who can save her? Is there anyone who would want to?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.jeannemarieleach.com
http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=16336#blog

Thank you, Jeanne Marie, for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Shadow of Danger. Don't forget to check back to see if you won. I still have some winners from July who haven't contacted me.

Then check out Jeanne Marie's web site and Shoutlife page.

Author Lisa Harris - FINAL DEPOSIT - Free Book

My good friend, Lisa Harris, has been very buse this year--homeschooling her children, serving as a foreign missionary with her husband, and writing novels.

Welcome back, Lisa. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

One of my favorites lately has been the cross and how Christ ransomed us with his blood. Everything seems to go back to what He did for us at the moment, bridging the gap to the Father, so we can spend eternity with Him. What an incredible gift!

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Baker’s Fatal Dozen was just released. (We featured it on this blog.) It’s book two in my Pricilla Crumb Cozy mystery series with Heartsong Presents: Mysteries. Next March, the third cozy in the series, Chef’s Deadly Dish, will be released, as well as a special three-in-one compilation of the series later in the spring. Check my website for updates on other books coming out in 2009.

Actually, I'm in the three-in-one with Lisa and Beth Goddard. Now, Lisa, if you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I’m going to name my dear friend Elizabeth Smith, because I’ve been thinking about her lately and missing her. She’s in her eighties, and sadly I haven’t seen her for almost three years. When I lived in Dallas we became close friends, and she was always a bit of sunshine and encouragement in my life, especially in my writing and ministry. She’s an incredible example to me of a godly woman.

We all need someone like Elizabeth Smith in our lives. How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

I came across some of my first writings during our last move and had to smile at my Nancy Drew type attempts. I’ve simply always wanted to write. I put it off for years, believing it wasn’t important until one day, I decided to follow God’s prompting and write that first word. Over eleven years later, I’m so glad I did.

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

The publishing business isn’t easy and rejections are simply part of it. Think of a pianist or a dancer who studies and practices for years. The same is true of a writer. Write, learn the craft, send out those proposal, learn from the rejections, and rejoice in the triumphs.

I love the cover. Tell us about the featured book.

I loved writing Final Deposit. It’s a fast-paced romantic suspense that deals with the very real threat of Internet scams. In 2006, the Internet Crime Report showed growing criminal activities that resulted in an estimated loss of almost two hundred million dollars. Thousands of people were scammed in such infamous con games like the Nigerian scam, fund transfer scams, and mail-order-brides.

Imagine finding out that your father has fallen victim to one of these long cons. After disposing of all his stocks, mortgaging his house, and maxing out his credit cards, George Taylor flies to Europe to meet with the man who promised him millions for his help in expediting funds out of West Africa. It’s a fortune he will never see.

When his daughter, Lindsey Taylor, tries to save her father from losing his life savings to the Internet scam, she discovers that losing everything you have isn’t the worst thing that can happen.

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

Come visit me at www.lisaharriswrites.com or http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com

Thank you for stopping by today. It's always a pleasure to have you.

Readers, check out her blog. I just love reading it. It makes me feel that I am in Africa with her.

And don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Final Deposit.

Author Beth Loughner - OHIO WEDDINGS- Free Book

Beth, welcome to my blog. I'm happy to have you here.

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

There is always a part of me evident in the hero or heroine, and some of the supporting characters, too. I like to make my characters as human, vulnerable and funny as real people.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Funny you should ask. Last year our family drove 900 miles one way to camp in Arkansas…and to dig for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. We had a blast digging in the dirt and finding everything except diamonds. There were three or four diamonds found a day and we were extremely happy for those lucky hunters. The family adventure, however, was worth more to us than the diamonds.

I lived in Arkansas my first 20 years and never went to that park. I wish I had. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Since junior high school there had been some inkling in my mind that I might be a writer, but my spelling was so dreadful that I never considered it possible. After nursing college, I went back to writing and used the dictionary like it was my best friend. Soon after, I sold a short story and was doing news articles for a local paper. By then the computer spelling program had become my next best friend. When I sold my first novel in 2000, I figured there must be actual talent somewhere within.

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

I’m sorry to say that I’m not a well-rounded reader. I love fiction, especially mystery novels and romance. Christian living books would be next on my list. Writing book reviews and being church librarian has forced me to read outside of my interests, usually with pleasant results. Still, I know I should read more beyond my comfort zone.

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

My first published novel was an e-book by MountainView Publishing called Lessons of the Heart. There are three Heartsong Presents books in the Bay Island series: Bay Island, Thunder Bay, and Bay Hideaway that have been joined together in the 3-in-1 book, Ohio Weddings. There are three unpublished, cozy mystery books that I plan to dust off and polish sometime in the near future, and one current romance project that is a work in progress.

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

Prayer! And more prayer! Sometimes my life is insane and I’m involved with so many church and homeschool projects. Keeping a level head requires some down time by watching my favorite DVDs (Murder She Wrote, "Hogan’s Heroes" and Diagnosis Murder), exercising, reading and taking time to camp in the great outdoors.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

There are times when a particular character’s name is known to me before the character is barely developed. Then there are the other times. Once I even perused the white pages before settling on the perfect name. How pathetic is that? Baby books are great resources, too.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Besides actually writing and completing four books, I’m most proud of being a wife and mother. It’s an extremely hard, but rewarding job to keep our family going though the busy, and often, difficult times. We are a homeschooling family and our oldest is graduating this year, ready to take on college and dorm life. It’s very satisfying to know your child loves God and is prepared to let His light shine when they set out on their own.

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

Okay, this is a really weird question. What’s worse; I have an answer. It would have to be a cat. Think about it! Cats sleep twenty hours out of the day, can successfully hide for hours at a time when they don’t want to be bothered and then waltz in the room when they do want attention, and pretend to be dumb when they’ve really got you wrapped around their paws by doing everything for them like food, water and (yuck) cleaning out their litter box in a timely manner. Tell me that this isn’t life.

What is your favorite food?

No doubt about it…pepperoni pizza. Pizza has all the food groups neatly wrapped into one. Efficient and delicious.

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

It seems as if most of my writing battles involve time…or the lack thereof. I try very hard to carve out at least a half hour each day to write. It’s important for me to meet deadlines, so I’m very careful to make sure that I have ample time (and a bit of wiggle room if something happens) to complete a writing project.

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

The hardest thing for all new writers is to endure the dreaded critique. Believe me, I know how difficult this can be, but it’s also imperative that a writer be able to step back from their writing project and listen to constructive advice. Editors are especially worthy of your attention, and writers should take their suggestions seriously. Once I had a friend ask me to comment on a short, book-length manuscript she wanted to publish about her life experiences. Unfortunately, the writing was excruciatingly slow, riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, repetitive and without natural flow. There were some very positive aspects that I encouraged her to capitalize on. In the end, she decided to keep the manuscript “just the way it is” since it reflected what she felt, and not how an editor should feel even if they refused to publish her book. How sad! The book may be your “baby”, but all babies must grow in their abilities and intellectual function. If someone is willing to give of their time to read your writing, listen to their constructive advice and work to make your manuscript the best it can be.

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

Ohio Weddings is the compilation of the three Bay Island series books, and the result of my love for the Lake Erie, Ohio islands: Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island. They were so fun to write and all the characters are like family to me. When I finished the last book, it felt like I was packing my bags and leaving the island. It was difficult. I enjoy receiving mail from readers who like the island setting and feel like they are a part of the story. The characters are like real people who encounter love, laughter and……of course, problems. There are spiritual truths related to how we live and interact with one another, and the characters of Bay Island are no different. It’s also a fantastic place to fall in love.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m easy to find on the Internet. Just visit my website at www.bethloughner.com. I love to hear from readers and other writers.

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Ohio Weddings. I just love that cover, don't you?

Author Lisa Harris - BAKER'S FATAL DOZEN - Free Book

Oh boy, another Cozy Crumb Mystery by my friend Lisa Harris.

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

Honestly, I have my own writing goals, but I’m trying to simply give it all to Him. Something that’s not always easy to do for me. But He’s opened doors in the past couple years that I never would have even knocked on if it were up to me. Right now, I’m enjoying writing mystery and suspense for Barbour and Love Inspired Suspense, and am also working on a suspense series set in Africa.

Goody, I can hardly wait for the series set in Africa to come out. Tell us a little about your family.

I have a wonderful husband, Scott. He took me to Rio earlier this year while we were living in Brazil to celebrate our 18th anniversary which was a lot of fun. We have three great kids, two boys and a girl, ages 7, 9, and 11, as well as two new additions to our family, a Golden Retriever and a Jack Russell. Life is definitely full.

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

I’d say that biggest challenge I have now is finding enough time to read. I’ve always been an avid reader, but writing and critique take a lot of time. I suppose I’m also a lot pickier about what I read. If something doesn’t grab me right off, then I won’t take the time to read it. There’s enough good stuff out there that I don’t have to read them all.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve just started a historical for Summerside Press which I’m looking forward to writing. It will be released next summer and has a strong mystery thread in it as well as a bit of comedy thrown in to lighten things up.

What outside interests do you have?

I love to read, of course, travel, cook exotic foods from around the world, and hang out with my family.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I prefer using a fictional setting, though I won’t be doing that in my current historical. I’ve chosen settings in places I’ve never been to, like in my Heartsong Presents series set in Massachusetts, but it’s always easier for me to use a setting I’m familiar with. I love foreign settings, but have found them a bit of a harder sell with publishers. Hopefully that will change soon.

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

Right now I’m reading One Night with the King, (again) so I think I have to choose Esther. Her story has always fascinated me. It says in Acts that God has determined the exact times and places for each one of us to live. He did this so we would seek and find him. Like Esther, we also have a choice. We can remain silent, or do what He’s called us to do.

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

Tough question. I’ve had many people come to me ready to write a novel, certain that it will be a piece of cake. Right. My first words of wisdom are for them to realize that this isn’t an easy journey. Not to be discouraging, but you have to pour everything you have into the process and more. There are rejections, dry periods, loneliness, and times you will question what you are doing. But there are also new friends, a place to express your creativity, and that moment when you’ve reached your goal and finished a manuscript, and maybe even received that contract. But publishing shouldn’t always the end goal. Let God teach you along the journey.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

He’s teaching me how to be content no matter what the circumstances around me. Believe it or not, I’m the kind of person who would love to settle down, grow some roots, and stay put, but that’s not the life God has called me to. In the past five years, we’ve lived in four countries, and five houses. This was never a part of my plan, but I know without a doubt that it’s His plan. And if it is His plan, then I have to let Him worry about all the details.

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

1. Write, write, and write some more. Everyday if you can.
2. Join a critique group that both challenges and encourages you.
3. Go to conferences to learn the business and make connections with other writers, editors, and agents.

Tell us about the featured book. By the way, I love the cover.

I just finished writing the third book in my Pricilla Crumb series, and it’s been so much fun. Book one, Recipe for Murder, introduced Pricilla Crumb as she jumped headfirst into the roll of an amateur detective. In Baker’s Fatal Dozen, book two, get ready for a second helping of Pricilla Crumb and her hilarious schemes to serve up justice. When Reggie Pierce, who runs Pricilla Crumb’s favorite bakery, is found dead, Pricilla finds herself hot on the trail of another sticky scandal that begins with murder. If you love reading cozy mysteries, you’ll be sure to love Pricilla!

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have a website at www.lisaharriswrites.com and a blog at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com I love to hear from my readers. Drop me a line.

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Baker's Fatal Dozen.

And check out Lisa's web site and blog. I just love her blog. It's one of the ones I signed up on FeedBlitz to have it come to my Inbox.

Author James E. Robinson - THE FLOWER OF GRASS - Free Book

Today, we're featuring James E. Robinson and his debut novel. I interviewed him earlier in the year with his non-fiction title, Prodigal Song.

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

In this, my first novel, there’s a lot of autobiographical content woven into the story. I wrote about the places, people, and emotional issues that I understood most intimately. However, even though I used real people and places as early templates, eventually the characters took on personalities of their own. The same is true of the small town where the story takes place. I drew visually from my own hometown, surrounding countryside, and real people there to paint the locations and characters in the book, but ultimately the place and people took on their own identities. So, hopefully I blended things to achieve realism and originality; though what I ended up with in the story wasn’t really my hometown at all, it will nonetheless resonate as a real place, if that makes sense. I’ve started my next novel, and this time I’m going to try to lean a little less into my own life experience, and rely instead on research about characters and places that might initially be less familiar to me.

If you're coming to the ACFW conference, you might want to take the workshop I'm teaching on how to find all kinds of information to make a book real and authentic. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hmm. Well, as a recovering alcoholic, sober 19 years, I’m afraid I might have to respectfully take a pass on that question. “Quirky” is too nice a term for some of my behavior prior to 1989!

Good for you!!. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’m not sure I’ve discovered that quite yet! However…I know that I dreamed of being a writer for as long as I can remember, so I know I’ve at least had the heart of a writer for most of my life. But I was far too undisciplined to work on the craft until fairly recently. I used to recite “poetry” to my grandmother before I was old enough to write. Books were—and are—magical things to me. Writers have always been my heroes. In school, I was a bored, mostly average student. But in middle school one day a teacher handed out our textbook for the year, some sort of anthology of American and English literature, short stories, poems, and some longer pieces by a wide assortment of authors. And above each piece was a thumbnail sketch of the author. That book riveted me. I stuck my head into it, and in many ways have not extracted it since.

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

In high school I was a bit of a science fiction nut, but eventually I began exploring a wide range of fiction. I have always loved the classics. I have been influenced a great deal by older stuff, especially southern women writers of long ago—Welty, Glasgow, Cather. In many ways, The Flower of Grass is a sort of throwback tribute to that kind of work. Frederick Buechner was important to me once I got sober; my father-in-law, Bryan Haislip, who has played an important role in introducing me to some of the “good stuff” mentioned above, gave me a copy of Buechner’s memoir The Sacred Journey back in the late ‘90’s. I finished it and said, Whoa! Buechner made me realize that writing about faith could be literarily satisfying. I have pretty eclectic tastes, I suppose. I like British stuff. I’m one of those oddballs who really like Dickens, for instance. My agent, Ang DePriest, is always on me about reading more modern fiction, and she’s right, of course. I’m terribly out of touch with what’s selling these days. But she has introduced me to some wonderful new authors working out there now.

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

My family keeps me grounded…at least as grounded as I’m ever going to get! I’m a bit of a “head in the clouds” kind of guy, I’m afraid. But Teresa and my two kids don’t allow me to ever float too far away. My faith, sobriety, quality relationships, creativity…these are the anchoring elements in my life.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

In The Flower of Grass, I had fun using names that held some personal meaning for me. Family names, names of friends, stuff like that. For some of the names, though, I had little to say about it; the characters insisted on their own names, once I’d stared writing. Jessie was Jessie from the moment I envisioned her. She was quite adamant about it. And I don’t know anyone named Jessie in real life.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

That’s a three-way tie: Getting sober in ’89, marrying Teresa in ’92, and the birth of my daughter and son twelve and eight years ago, respectively.

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

A hawk. I love birds, and the big birds of prey are absolutely stunning creatures. Every time I see a hawk in the wild, I instantly become about ten years old. I even put a hawk in my novel!

What is your favorite food?

That’s a tough one. I love ALL food. I mean ALL. (This made me a very popular child with adults, by the way.) But if I have to choose one….very fresh seafood.

Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

Well, I owe the whole unlikely chain of events entirely to my agents, Ang and Dan DePriest. God led me to them through a friend and writer, Brian Schrauger. We all live in the same town. After a couple of meetings, we’d become friends. Now, only months later, we’re like family. I wrote the rough draft of the novel in a couple of months, February and March of last year, and they had a contract in my hands by Christmas. I had self published a memoir a few years earlier, for use in our ministry (www.ProdigalSong.com). But this was my first ever completed manuscript for a novel. I know how blessed I’ve been in all this. Still, it hardly feels like sudden success. I’ve been “writing” in my head for decades, and dreaming of being published for as long as I can remember. I’m a slow starter…but it feels good. I’m humbled, and very thankful to God. I know it often doesn’t happen this “easily.”

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

Time. Or lack if it, to be precise. I can tell from reading all the comments on the ACFW Loop that my struggle is not unique. I love the writing process SO much…I can’t imagine there ever being enough time to write.

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

It’s almost a cliché…but the key is perseverance. I had to learn this lesson as a professional songwriter in Nashville for many years. All artists must learn to accept “no” and keep going, keep believing. Even if the “no” comes a million times. If you love writing, though, write. I’ll always write, published or not. Being published does not make a writer great, and not being published does not mean the writer has no gift. Read a lot, and write a lot. Learn the craft, but nurture your own unique voice. And never, ever stop praying.

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

The Flower of Grass is, as I mentioned before, a bit of an old fashioned piece. It’s driven more by the characters than by action. Much of what transpires is very internalized, in some ways. I wanted to write something that spoke to what I consider to be basic human longings: Love, family, a sense of connection and purpose, faith. It’s also a story about the precious brevity of life, and about the intense duality of flesh/spirit that challenges us all in one way or another. One of the themes I tried to induce was the supernatural elements of time…how man’s time and God’s time are two very different things, and how the passing of time does not limit God’s ability to heal and restore relationships. Though in some ways it’s a story of unfulfilled romance, ultimately the key characters come to learn unexpected truths about themselves, and discover what they need and believe on a deeply spiritual level.

The publisher is Lion Hudson of the UK, under their Monarch imprint. US distribution will be through Kregel. They are planning a simultaneous release in both markets in August ’08.

How can our readers find you on the Internet?

My author site is www.jameserobinson.com

James, thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, check out his web site, but first leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.

Author Valerie Hansen - WILDERNESS COURTSHIP - Free Book

I've really been looking forward to having Valerie back to feature this book.

Welcome back, Valerie. Now tell us, why do you write the kind of books you do?

My faith is crucial to my life and therefore putting it to use in my writing is second nature. As for the romantic element, I always liked happy endings, even as a child, and was grown before I found out that everyone doesn’t dream up a better ending for sad books and movies.

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

That’s a tough question. I need at least 3 to cover it all. When I married my high school sweetheart and when each of my 2 children was born.

How has being published changed your life?

I sincerely hope being published has NOT changed my life. One of the nicest things a bookseller ever said to me was that even after publication I was still just the same as before. She couldn’t have said anything that delighted me more. As for lifestyle changes, since I started selling historical novels I have treated myself to more research books – without guilt!

Yes, I could spend a fortune on historical reference books. What are you reading right now?

As I think I said before, I seldom read in my own genre when I’m writing. I don’t want to accidentally pick up anyone else’s ideas so I stick to history research and short mystery stories, plus the daily newspaper. Have to have my crossword puzzles.

What is your current work in progress?

By the time you read this, I will be deep into my next historical, set mostly in the San Francisco of the 1850s. It involves recently orphaned children and their older sister, Sara Beth, who must not only survive an unseen nemesis who killed their parents but also clear their father’s name. Sara Beth teams up with doctor Taylor Howard at the Ladies’ Protection and Relief Society Orphanage and together they face her demons.

Sounds wonderful. What would be your dream vacation?

My husband loves to travel so we’ve seen most of the Unites States, including Alaska. I think I’d still like to see Norway, the country of my father’s birth.

One set of my grandparents came from Norway. One from Sweden. Maybe someday I'll get to go to that part of Europe. How do you choose your settings for each book?

After the first one, FRONTIER COURTSHIP, one has sort of led to another. They’re not a series but the era and area are similar. I feel as if I’m so attuned to this time period it’s the natural way to go. And, having lived and/or spent lots of time in the parts of the country that I write about, I’m able to put myself into the scenes fairly easily.

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

I know I’d like to meet Billy Graham. When I started to try to come up with someone else, I drew a blank so I guess this is it. Even at his advanced age, I’m sure he’d be a blessing.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to fish and hike in the woods behind our farmhouse. I’m also a pretty fair artist but since I’ve started writing I haven’t done much of that. And I absolutely love gardening in the warmer months. I really miss the sunshine in the winter and getting my hands dirty is good for my thought processes if I get worn out writing.

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

My most difficult obstacle is ME. When I’m between books I’m a total basket-case. I need to work. I love to work.. I’m so obsessive sometimes that my husband has to remind me to take breaks. He’s right, of course. I just hate to stop when the words are coming so fast and my ideas are fully formed. Those are my favorite times.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read. Lots. And then write, even if you’re not sure what you’re doing. If you’re a true story teller, the other skills can be learned.

That is so true. I'm a natural-born storyteller, but I've had to learn a lot of skills to make my stories publishable.

Valerie, tell us about the featured book.

WILDERNESS COURTSHIP is set in the 1850s. It begins in San Francisco with Charity Beal, the ditzy sister from FRONTIER COURTSHIP. Charity has matured and is helping her father by working at a hotel where they are lodging. When handsome hotel guest, Thorne Blackwell, is forced to hire her to look after his nephew, her adventures begin and eventually take her all the way north to the Oregon territory. After the Whitman massacre, the local Indians have not caused much trouble but times are changing for both the Nisqually tribe and the settlers. As Charity travels with Thorne, the child and the child’s mentally unbalanced mother, she falls in love with both the little boy and his stern but loving uncle. All she has to do is survive long enough to find her own happiness in the midst of turmoil and danger.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

This is easy. www.ValerieHansen.com

And thanks for giving me this forum!
Val

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy.

And don't forget to come back and see if you win. We still have some people who haven't contacted us about their book. Just click on the Winners label and check out the last few winner posts.