A DUKE'S PROMISE - Jamie Carie - One free book, print or ebook

Tell us about your salvation experience.

When I was about six my parents “got saved” and it completely changed our lives. We lived every moment for Jesus and were on fire like nothing I’ve seen since. I accepted Jesus into my heart at that young age, evangelized at my elementary school and grew in the Lord throughout my childhood. Of course, over the years, I have rededicated myself to God as I matured and understood better what I was committing to. I guess you could say I’ve been a Christian all my life with some occasional back sliding experiences along the way.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

Laura Kinsale – Her writing is amazing and I would love to talk and work with her.

Julie Lessman – She’s so wonderful! I would love to hang out with her!

Laura Franz – Such a sweet spirit in that girl and a talented writer to boot.

MaryLu Tyndale – She really has a spiritual depth that I enjoy. I could have long conversations with her for sure.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I’ve always thought it odd that people think that just because you can write you should be able to speak. I’m terrified of public speaking! I do enjoy small group discussions though and love to visit book groups and library groups.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

Ha! So many!! Let’s go back to the last question for this story. I was at an ICRS Conference in Denver and was asked to speak at the “Heart of an Author” luncheon. The emcee was none other than Karen Kingsbury! I had prepared my seven minute speech to within an inch of my life and thought I could get through it. Well, somehow Karen received an older copy of my bio and when introducing me she basically said everything I was going to say in my speech. My mind went blank with terror. What was I going to say now? I couldn’t take my eyes off the big countdown clock staring at me with 7:00 minutes on it. I stood, shaking from head to toe, and proceeded to spew out a bunch of information about how I got published (breaking into tears 2-3 times while talking). It was a total blackout moment. I have no idea what I said! Thankfully, my sister was in the back of the room motioning for me to leave as soon as I finished. We had to hurry because we had a flight to catch so I didn’t have to go back to my table and sit there, mortified, after my train wreak of a speech. (I’ll bet everyone remembered me though – I didn’t see anyone yawning – lol!) I hightailed it outta there and vowed my speech days were over!!!

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Go for it! Finish that book! Now is a great time to write a book with so many publishing options. There is no reason not to try if it is really in your heart to do so.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Duke’s Promise is the third book in the Forgotten Castles series. Because it is a continuous series (Yes, you should read them in order to get the most out of the story) I can’t give too much away so here is the back of the book blurb:

From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England’s shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her husband has promised a wedding trip to take them to the place where her imperiled parents were last seen -- Italy and the marble caves of Carrara -- but a powerful Italian duke plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents. Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured by Gabriel’s affliction to the breaking point, they must learn to work and fight together. The mysterious key is within their grasp, but they have yet to recognize it. This journey will require steadfast faith in God and each other -- a risk that will win them everything they want or lose them everything they have.

Sounds wonderful. I’ve loved the first two books. Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

London, England—June, 1819

The silken curtains around the bed fluttered from the summer breeze that blew through the open windows of the duke’s bedchamber on number 31 St. James Square. Candlelight flickered across the room, a place she had only passed by while living here with him, peeking inside, wondering at the depths of his private chambers. The light of the candles made wavy shadows against the creamy paneled walls and Alexandria, the new Duchess of St. Easton, tried to ignore Clarissa’s incessant chatter as the maid helped her out of layer after layer of her wedding costume.

Alex tried to look anywhere but at the bed, and yet she couldn’t tear her gaze from it—the royal blue counterpane trimmed in gold, the massive four posts of carved wood draped with dark curtains, the piles of pillows. She swallowed against the knot in her throat and turned, lifting her arms and following the nudges of the maid.

“Great heavens, Your Grace, sit down before you faint. You’re as white as a ghost, you are.”

Alex obeyed, relieved to sit and rest her wobbly knees. She stared in the mirror at her reflection and watched as Clarissa took out the spiderweb-thin, diamond tiara from her hair, which Gabriel’s mother had given her as a wedding gift, and brushed out Alex’s long, dark hair. A suspended feeling of dread and terror surrounded her.

He would come in at any moment.

He would come in and find out about everything.

I can hardly wait until I get my copy. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.jamiecarie.com

Blog: http://jamiecarie.com/blog

Facebook: http:www.facebook.com/jamie.carie?ref=profile

Facebook page for The Forgotten Castles series: facebook.com/ForgottenCastles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie

Thank you, Jamie, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Duke's Promise: A Forgotten Castles Novel - paperback
A Duke's Promise: A Forgotten Castles Novel - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE FORGIVEN DUKE - Jamie Carie - One Free Book

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

I think my stories are all rooted in God’s great love for us and His destiny that He has planned for each of us from the moment He created us. I had a vision one time while listening to a worship song where I saw God and Jesus standing on this enormous arc of light. They were calling out names and I had a sudden knowing that when God made Adam and Eve, He made all of mankind, every man and woman who would ever be conceived. Calling out our names was giving each of us our identity – the one we will have forever. My characters learn to follow God’s path for them so that they can live out their eternal destiny.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

This year is all about the Forgotten Castle series. This is my first series and I loved writing three books with the same characters and a longer story arc. The Guardian Duke came out in February, The Forgiven Duke just came out in July, and A Duke’s Promise comes out in September. We intentionally did back-to-back publishing so that people wouldn’t have to wait long for the next book. Also, I just found out that my Christmas novella, The Snowflake, will be in a compilation along with Alan Maki and Gilbert Morris so that should be a lot of fun.

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

This is a tough one! I guess I would say Laura Kinsale. She is one of my favorite authors and I would love to spend some time with her talking all things writing and books. It’s my dream to co-write with her someday.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

So many, but I think I would pick Adam. It would be incredible to hear his stories.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

If you really believe in your writing then don’t give up. It’s a great time to be a writer with so many different opportunities to reach an audience. Find your path and keep an open mind to the many possibilities out there.

Tell us about the featured book?

The Forgiven Duke is book two in the Forgotten Castles series. Since this is a continuous series (meaning best read in order) it’s impossible to talk about it without talking about the other two. So, here’s the back of the book blurbs for all three:

The Guardian Duke (February 2012)

In this Regency-era romantic adventure, Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts.

Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling hills of Ireland but is always one step behind. When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

The Forgiven Duke (July 2012)

Tethered by her impulsive promise to marry Lord John Lemon—the path of least resistance—Alexandria Featherstone sets off from Ireland to Iceland in search of her parents with a leaden heart. Her glimpse of her guardian, the Duke of St. Easton—the path less traveled by—on Dublin’s shore still haunts her. Will he come after her? Will he drag her back to London, quelling her mission to rescue her treasure-seeking parents, or might he decide to throw caution to the wind and choose Foy Pour Devoir: “Faith for Duty,” the St. Easton motto. The Featherstone motto Valens et Volens: “Willing and Able” beats in her heart and thrums through her veins. She will find her parents and find their love, no matter the cost.

The powerful and wing-clipped Duke of St. Easton has never known the challenge that has become his life since hearing his ward’s name. Alexandria Featherstone will be the life of him or the death of him. Only time and God’s plan will reveal just how much this man can endure for the prize of love.

A Duke’s Promise (September 2012)

From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England’s shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her beloved husband has promised a wedding trip that will take them to where her imperiled mother and father were last seen—Italy and the marble caves of Carrara.

But a powerful Italian duke still plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents.

Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured to the breaking point by Gabriel’s affliction, the couple must learn what it really means to work and fight together as true lovers on a journey that requires steadfast faith in God and each other.

It’s a risk that will lead them to win everything they want or lose everything they have.


Acclaim for Jamie Carie and the Forgotten Castles Novels

“Vividly drawn . . . an original take on the Regency romance.”
—USA Today (The Guardian Duke)

“The Forgiven Duke has left me holding my breath, waiting for the third book, to see how Gabriel and Alexandria’s story ends.”

—Melanie Dickerson, award-winning author

“Carie’s talent is to be commended. Whether her books are set during the French Revolution, England’s Regency period or the early days of America’s frontier, she weaves a beautiful tapestry of historical fact, passion and multi-faceted characters into an engaging plot.”

—FaithfulReader.com

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

Dublin, Ireland—November, 1818

“Please…let me go.”

Lady Alexandria Featherstone pushed away from her fiancé’s encircling arm and rushed back toward the railing of the ship. A frantic pulse beat in her neck as she strained to see through the mists that hovered over Dublin’s shoreline in a gray-green haze. She looked up and down, back and forth across the rocky beach.

Was he still there?

Why did he care so much? Was it only the prince regent’s orders that drove him toward her or something more? Something of gossamer letters and the slashing lines of ink from a man who seemed both haunted and half in love with her.

Her gaze roved over the departing forms on the shore, fast growing into blurry dots of distant friends and family belonging to the ship’s passengers. The mist played havoc with her vision, retreating and rolling through the salt-laden air, making undulating forms of dark-clad well-wishers. Had she only imagined him there?

Just to see his face one more time.

There. Her gaze settled on a particularly tall man with jet black hair. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost see his famous green eyes. But he was turning away, in a hurry, leaving to do something she hardly dared imagine. Would he come after her?

Her fiancé, John Lemon, came to stand behind her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her lightly against his chest. “What is it, love? Is something amiss?”

Alex turned her face toward him. “It was him. I saw the duke.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.jamiecarie.com


Blog: http://jamiecarie.com/blog


Facebook: http:www.facebook.com/jamie.carie?ref=profile

The official Facebook page for The Forgotten Castles series: facebook.com/ForgottenCastles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie


Thank you, Jamie, for spending this time with us. I'm actually reading The Forgiven Duke on my Kindle right now and loving it.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Forgiven Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel - paperback
The Forgiven Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. If you're the winner, you may choose either a print book or an ebook. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE GUARDIAN DUKE - Jamie Carie - Free Book

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

Forgiveness, spiritual warfare, healing, the power of faith and God’s great love or us – the greatest love story of all!

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I am really excited that in 2012 I will have all three books in my first series, The Forgotten Castles series, come out. The Guardian Duke just released, The Forgiven Duke will be out in July and A Duke’s Promise sometime in the fall.

I’m really excited about this series. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Laura Kinsale. I would love to chat about books and writing, look at some of my favorite scenes from her books with her and get the back stories on her plots and characters. I’m a superfan!

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

So many! This is tough. I guess I would say Mary, Jesus’ mother. I would love to know what it was like to raise the Son of God and what He was like growing up.

I can’t help thinking he was just a normal boy. If not, why would Mary and Joseph be so surprised that he was teaching in the temple when he was a boy? How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

The publishing industry is changing fast! Keep doing your best learning the craft and finishing books. Study the markets, the changes with e-books and pray God directs you how best to proceed. There are lots of opportunities that weren’t there just a couple of years ago. It’s an exciting time to be an author and you can, with dedication and faith-filled persistence, find your place in the mix.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Guardian Duke is about a young woman, Alexandria Featherstone, who lives on Holy Island, Northumberland, England in Lindisfarne Castle in the year 1818. Alex (as she refers to herself) has mostly raised herself with the help of two elderly servants while her famous parents travel the world on high profile treasure hunts. Their latest quest has left them missing for almost a year and the prince regent decides to proclaim them dead and appoint Alexandria a guardian – the powerful Duke of St. Easton.

Alexandria rejects this news and her guardian’s directions to stay put on Holy Island, writing to him instead with tales of the leaky castle roof, the dried-up well and diseased sheep. Doesn’t he see that she needs more than her meager allowance to get by? What she really needs the money for is to begin her own quest – to find her missing parents.

So begins a journey across England and Ireland with her guardian hot on her trail.

Gabriel Ravenwood, the Duke of St. Easton, is determined to catch up to her and bring her back to England and safety. His young ward has no idea the danger she is in – and that the item her parents were hired to find is being sought after by the most powerful men in the world. They will do anything to get a hold of it, including using Alexandria for their own evil purposes.

And then there are the letters they write to each other . . . letters that draw them close. Is it really possible to fall in love before they’ve even met face to face?

Back Copy:

“Someday I will meet you and see your face.”

Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the king to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But the heart-driven Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment. Believing her parents are still alive, she travels to faraway lands to follow clues that may lead to their whereabouts.

Gabriel, pressured by the king’s ulterior motives, pursues Alexandria across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.

When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure begins to pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One

King’s Theatre, London—August, 1818

Heaven could be found in music.

Gabriel Ravenwood, the Duke of St. Easton, closed his eyes and leaned his head onto the velvet cushion at his back. A small smile played across his lips as he felt each and every muscle in his face relax. Little by little he gave way, an internal shifting, a giving over to something greater than himself. Waves of baritone and mezzo-soprano wafted over him and around him and through him until the world—a dark and gray place before he stepped inside these doors—gave way to the sustaining notes of life in full color.

He drifted…complete.

A deep breath and then utter peace. It wafted over him and through him. It undid him in a way that every other pursuit fell short. Music never fell short. Blessed resonance of relief. It was always thus, and why he’d spent every afternoon here for the past few years.

The opera.

Thank God for it. Thank God there was still something.

He lifted his fingers to the bridge of his nose and squeezed.

“Your Grace. Please, Your Grace.”

Gabriel lifted his arm in a slight, relaxed motion, as if a fly would dare intrude on this time. Go away. Everyone, just go away.

“Your Grace. I do apologize, but there is a matter—”

You really left us hanging. Can’t wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.jamiecarie.com
Blog: http://jamiecarie.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamie.carie?ref=profile

It's here!  The official Facebook page for The Forgotten Castles series: facebook.com/ForgottenCastles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie
The Guardian Duke – February 2012 See the making of the cover and trailer  here!


Thank you, Jamie, for the wonderful interview.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Guardian Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel - paperback
The Guardian Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

PIRATE OF MY HEART - Jamie Carie - Free Book

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

When I was fourteen my friend’s mother gave me a historical romance novel, The Flame and the Flower, by Kathleen Woodiwiss, and I was smitten. I fell in love with love stories, particularly historical romance and read them by the grocery sack full for years. When it came time to try my hand at writing my own story I didn’t even have to think about it. I wrote what I knew and loved – historical romance. So why inspirational? I’m a preacher’s daughter and Biblical teaching tapes were playing in the background of my whole childhood. When I was thirty, a stay at home mom and creatively somewhat bored, I tried to read Christian romances and didn’t find (aside from Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers) what I was looking for. So I decided to try and write my own story, the kind of story I wanted to read – lots of passion, not preachy but with the faith elements organic to the characters and a historical feel for that time and place that would sweep readers (myself included!) into another world. It is the perfect fit for me.

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

Besides my wedding day and the birth of my three sons? That would have to be the day Thomas Walters, editor at B&H Publishing, called and told me, “We would like to publish your book.” I didn’t really believe it until I held Snow Angel in my hands, my first born daughter (all of my books are like daughters to me). It took me two years to write that first book and then eight years to see it published. My road to publication was a long, arduous walk of faith and persistence. I praise God He didn’t let me give up!

How has being published changed your life?

Dramatically! I have a full time job now and, to be honest, I don’t have time for much else in my life right now. It has cost me hobbies and friendships, time and emotional exhaustion but the rewards are indescribable. I just keep clinging to God and His plan for my life and know if I follow Him I will be fulfilling my purpose on earth. 

What are you reading right now?

Studying everything I can about Italy, specifically Tuscany and Carrara and the famed marble caves there. Also, the devotional, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. It’s keeping me grounded every day and reminding me to cling close to my Savior’s hand through this life journey.

Sarah Young did another book, Dear Jesus, I used it the next year after I used Jesus Calling. What is your current work in progress?

I am so excited to be working on book three, A Duke’s Promise, in my first series! It’s called the Forgotten Castles series and is a story about a young woman who has been told that her treasure hunting parents are dead and that the powerful Duke of St. Easton is now her guardian. (Book one is The Guardian Duke – out February 2012, book two is The Forgiven Duke – out July 2012 and book three is A Duke’s Promise – out September 2012, so you won’t have to wait long in between books!). Lady Alexandria Featherstone doesn’t believe her parents are so ill-fated and takes off on a three-book journey over Ireland, Iceland, and Italy to rescue them. Adventure, romance, some comical side characters that my son Seth helped me dream up and God’s loving redemption! It’s my best work to date, I think!

I'd love to feature your series on my blog. Contact me. What would be your dream vacation?

After my recent studies of Ireland, Iceland, and Italy, I think a European tour! Alexandria lives on Holy Island in Northumberland, England, so I would like to start there. Then trace her steps across Northern Ireland through Belfast, Killyleagh (you should see the castle there!) and Dublin. Next stop Reykjavik, Iceland, and see the geysers, hot springs and mountainous volcanoes, then off to London for a few days and then tour the Tuscan area of Italy. Sigh. Can you tell I’ve been imagining it?

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Just whatever I’m curious about at the time. I love learning about new places and getting to armchair travel around the world with my characters. Right now I am interested in Regency Europe but I love American settings too! I will be writing another Christmas novella later this year and I’m thinking of coming back to Philadelphia for that one (this novella will tie in with my second book, The Duchess and the Dragon).

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

Laura Kinsale. She writes secular historical romance and oh my, can she write! Whenever I am stuck and need inspiration, I pick up one of her books and just open to a page and start reading. I try really hard not to get swept up in the story and then there goes my day – lol – but just study her sentence structures and descriptions and dialog and well . . . you can see that I LOVE her work!! Flowers from the Storm is my all-time favorite romance novel.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to garden (my backyard is lovely this year!) and hang out with friends. Shoe shopping and well, clothes and jewelry shopping too, when I have the time! J Trying new restaurants with my husband and boys. Recently, we bought mountain bikes and are taking up biking as a family activity. I hadn’t ridden a bike in years and was pretty nervous about tackling those trails but it is so much fun and great exercise! I want to do more of that this fall.

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

Some days it’s just getting started. I have to get really determined and tell myself that even if the writing is bad that day I can always go back and fix it. I’m writing faster than ever to get this series out in time and it is requiring hard discipline! Sometimes it’s sheer guts and determination getting those words on the page.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Pray. Read. Write. Repeat as necessary and follow your path to publication. Everyone has their own path, just stay persistent. If it’s your calling and you have enough talent, you will get published eventually.

Tell us about the featured book.

Pirate of My Heart is a fun, passionate read! After writing a few intense stories I needed a break and something that is a romantic, adventurous page turner. Here’s the back copy blurb:

She gave up everything for a chance at true love . . .

When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: Marry the horrid man of her uncle’s choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives. Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and soon finds herself swept away by the rugged American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But this adventurous man has been wounded by love before and now guards his independent life.

He wasn’t prepared to give up anything for anyone…

No swashbuckling man needs an English heiress with violet-hued eyes to make him feel again or challenge his faith with probing questions—or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk.

Please give us the first page of the book.

PROLOGUE

Arundel, England 1777

      The grey clouds of dawn shivered against the paned glass of the castle, shrouding the three figures at the side of the four-poster bed in an eerie light. The raging storm of the night before had settled into a dreary misting rain though an occasional jagged flash of lightning flaunted its power, not yet ready to relinquish its right to ravish the leaden sky.  Dim light clung to the faces of those inside the bedchamber where the very walls seemed to echo the anguish felt inside the room.

       All that could be heard in the chamber was the shallow, labored breathing of the one abed. A frail creature, now, pale and lifeless after the travails of childbirth. The others included the old family doctor, Radley, who hovered beside his patient and friend of many years with a strained look in his eyes. Hovering in the shadows was Bridget, the lady's long-standing nurse and companion.  But their suffering was not to be compared to the tall, handsome gentleman who knelt at the woman's bedside, her hand clasped in his; a haunted look in his eyes that attested to the fact that he too feared the end was near for his beloved. 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.jamiecarie.com

Blog: http://jamiecarie.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamie.carie

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie

Google “Jamie Carie” for lots of reviews of my books!

Thank you, Jamie, for the fun interview.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Pirate of My Heart: A Novel


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

A Valentine Thank You for Readers

Today is Valentine's Day.

Jamie Carie contacted me with the idea about taking this day to thank readers for supporting us and buying our books. I so gree with her. I want to add my thanks to each of you who support my blog and also those who buy my books. We love each one of you. You are the reason we write the books we do.

I will be on Jamie's blog later this week: http://jamiecarie.com/blog
Jamie's message is this video.

Author Jamie Carie - THE DUCHESS AND THE DRAGON

I'm happy to welcome Jamie Carie to the blog. Jamie, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I think there is a little of me in most of my characters! LOL! Some characters, like Jane in Snow Angel, closely match my personality and how I handle difficulties and trauma. Other characters, like Serena in The Duchess and the Dragon, are more a melding of some favorite people in my life (my sister!). But the best thing is when a character suddenly becomes real and takes off on their own. It’s like having a child. You see some of yourself in him/her and then they do something or say something that totally surprises and delights you. That’s when God’s vision for the character really shines through.

And that's a defining moment in the story, for sure. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Oh, my. There are many! My favorite snack is fish crackers (poured right out of the bag into my mouth) and cottage cheese (also stuffed into my mouth with the fish crackers). While writing, I twist my hair around my index finger, sometimes even tying the swatch with one hand into a knot, which I then jerk on in concentration. By the end of a night of writing, I look like one side of my head has dreadlocks. I sleep with Vick’s smeared under my nose every night (my husband really loves that – going in for a goodnight kiss and then backing away suddenly with a “you smell like an old woman!”) Hey, it serves two purposes – LOL! Okay, that’s enough confessions from me!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

When my heart swelled with a greater love than I’d ever known for God after writing a song lyric to Him.

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

Historical romance, some contemporary romance, women’s fiction, history books, magazines of all sorts, books on writing craft, some marketing books, some psychological books, poetry, short story anthologies, classics. If it’s left out somewhere, I’ll pick it up and read it.

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

My first attempt at a novel was Made in Heaven featuring all the favorite scenes from my favorite historical romances over the years, just with a different set of characters. It was quite a mash-up. To date I’ve written five historical romances, one contemporary romance and a biographical short story that wants to grow up and be a novel real bad but I keep saying to it, “No. Get back in your drawer!”

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

Not very well this week! My fifteen year old just got his driver’s permit, and I’m praying it won’t become a run-run-mom-I-ran-over-something world. I kind of like the roller coaster of life though, I think of those people in the nursing homes and how hopeless, sad and lonely many of them look, and I’m just happy to have so many people in my life and so much to do.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes I use online baby name sites. I really like to nail down the meaning of a name as I develop the character, helps me grasp a hold of them right at the beginning. I did have a cool surprise for my family in my next book, Wind Dancer. Isabelle is the protagonist who meets and marries Samuel Holt. So she becomes Isabelle Holt. My great-grandmother, who died many years ago, went by Belle Holt. I smile when I think of it and who might (in my family) figure it out.

My grandmother's name was Olina, but she Americanized it to Lena. I named the heroine in my second novel Olina in memory of her. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Aside from the day I decided to become a Christian, marrying my wonderful husband and having three sons, it would really have to be getting published. I worked really hard for that.

We all did. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Well, first of all, I would have to be a zoo animal. None of that pesky running from predators and eating raw flesh. And then there’s all the lovely press they get! Television, newspapers, people pressing their noses against the fence to get a glimpse.

Mama Panda Has Cubs In Captivity.

Panda’s are so cute . . . but I hate to imagine myself that fat. Maybe a rare, exotic tiger. Siberian with a white coat and blue-black stripes. Blue eyes would be a bonus. I always did want a white fur coat (fake of course!). Yeah. A Siberian Tigress.

What is your favorite food?

Aside from the fish crackers and cottage cheese? I’ll obviously eat just about anything. What’s more interesting to people seems to be the fact that I don’t like chocolate. Eyes bulge and mouths purse in distain whenever I have the courage to admit that.

A majority of the writers I interview say they like chocolate. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Used to be point of view. When I first learned that I wasn’t allowed to head hop I felt like I was writing with one hand tied behind my back. Now? Getting to it every day. I’m still figuring out that bit.

But we can take the reader so much deeper into our characters staying in POV, and every writer wants that. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Pray. Work hard at it. Enjoy the journey, cause it’s LONG. Repeat as needed.

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

The Duchess and the Dragon is a story about how love really does conquer all. Sometimes it takes time and working through issues, but growing up (together and separately), growing into the love that the relationship has the potential to be, will reap very satisfying rewards. It doesn’t hurt to believe in Once Upon A Time and Happily Ever After either! If I had a daughter, I would never tell her not to believe in such things. They are the story of heaven.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website, which my husband designed himself (I’m so proud of him!) is http://www.jamiecarie.com/
My blog is at http://jamieprose.blogspot.com/I’m also on myspace.com, shoutlife.com, redroom.com, facebook.com and if you really want everything I’ve ever posted online, you can Goggle me! Thanks!! :-)

Jamie, thank you for taking this time with us. I can hardly wait to read The Duchess and the Dragon.

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