MERCY TRIUMPHS - Jana Kelley - One Free Book

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

I’d like to write a third devotional book. I grew so much in my own relationship with the Lord when I wrote the first two. Just like the first ones, I plan for these devotionals to be taken from my experiences of living in a cross-cultural setting and learning how to be a follower of Christ even when I am in the minority. Yep, I do have a series of novels in my brain, but I don’t know when I’ll move those ideas to the front. For now, that’s on the back burner.

Tell us a little about your family.

I am learning all about being the mother of a college student. Our oldest son is studying in Texas, and that is a long way from Southeast Asia where our family lives! Our other two sons are in high school and live at home with us. We are blessed to live on a tropical island surrounded by the sea, botanical gardens, and friendly people.

I live in North Central Texas. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

I have always enjoyed reading but I am not a fast reader. Nowadays, I keep busy with more than only writing projects, so if I sit down to read, I often fall asleep! I have found joy in listening to audio books and I go through many more books that way. The more I write, the more I want to read. I like to read a variety of books.  I want to read good writing if I am reading fiction. I love to also read books about writing. But for my spiritual growth, I want to read nonfiction as well. I can play an audio book while cooking, getting ready for the day, or driving down the road. I usually have two paper books and one audio book that I am working through.

Several of my books have been turned into audio books. What are you working on right now?

Right now, I am working to keep my blog consistent and beginning research for a future devotional book. I also do a lot of journaling as I process the lessons the Lord is teaching me. Those entries are not for others to read . . . but I enjoy the process anyway.

What outside interests do you have?

I love to learn about the island we live on. Any chance I get to learn a bit more of the local language, or meet a new local friend, I am all for it.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Up to now, I’ve only written about places I have lived in or visited. I love to write about other countries and cultures. Because living in countries that are not my own has always been a part of my life, I’m not sure I could write about anything different than that.

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

Can we call Mother Teresa a historical person? I know a lady who once met her and was very impressed. I would love to have a chance to sit down with Mother Teresa and hear her heart.

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

I wish I had better understood the need for solid characters on the front end. I think that would have made my writing much easier along the way.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

“Keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) is what I am learning right now. I don’t see very many steps down the way, but I can see the next step He has for me. I need to obey Him in each step and then trust Him for the future steps.

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

1. Don’t give up! A novel is written one word at a time, so keep writing the words.

2. Be willing to have your manuscript edited. Listen to the editors and beta-readers. You may not agree to make every change, but you should at least consider their perspective.

3. Read about writing, or listen to podcasts. There is always more to learn so be humble and learn it!

Tell us about the featured book.

Mercy Triumphs is all about . . . well . . . mercy! Mia, Rania, and Halimah are the main characters of this novel and each one is presented with significant challenges. The stories of these ladies are very realistic for both Christians and Muslims who live in predominately Muslim countries. I wrote the characters and scenes with the faces of my friends and locations I have lived in or visited in my mind.

Please give us the first page of the book:

Khartoum, Sudan

Mia Weston closed her eyes and rubbed her right cheek, feeling the heat that emanated from the swollen area. She winced. The tooth had been hurting for quite some time, but she had no idea a cavity could escalate to an ordeal like this. She laid her head against the dentist's chair, expecting to feel the soft padding. Instead she felt a rough hard surface.

With her other hand Mia reached back and pulled tree bark out of her hair. What in the world? She turned to look behind her and realized she was not in a dentist chair at all. She was sitting on the dusty ground, leaning against a giant tree. The dental equipment and x-ray screen that had filled her vision faded away, replaced by desert sand.

Then she remembered. She was in a village. In Sudan. Sudan was the worst place in the world to have a dental emergency. But she and Michael decided that with an abscessed tooth, there wasn't much else they could do. She was at the mercy of a dentist in Africa.

“Salaam aleykum.” The voice of the female dentist scraped like a tin can dragging across gravel. The old woman wore a white coat and carried a tray of stainless steel tools. As she approached, her lips spread into a giant grin.

Mia recoiled. The woman's teeth, the few that remained, were crooked and stained. One of them wobbled as if about to fall out. Suddenly, bit of gravel and sand began to fall onto Mia's face. She tried to brush them away but they kept hitting her. And then it was no longer sand and gravel. Teeth were falling on her.

Mia opened her mouth to scream for help, but the only sound leaving her throat was a pathetic groan.

And then she opened her eyes. She was lying on her bed at home. Flies danced and hopped about on her face. She brushed them away, sat up straight, and looked around her. She was safe. Breathing a sigh of relief, she instinctively held a hand to her right cheek. It was not feverish or swollen. Another sigh of relief. 

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from readers!

www.JanaKelley.com

Social Media

Facebook: Jana Kelley Author

Twitter: @KelleyJana

Instagram: jana_kelley

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Mercy Triumphs: A Contemporary Novel - Paperback
Mercy Triumphs: A Contemporary Novel - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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

DOOR TO FREEDOM - Jana Kelley - One Free Book

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

I’ve always heard “write the kind of books you like to read” and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I like realistic fiction as well as autobiographies and some memoirs. I like real stories and I like to feel like I’ve learned something in exchange for the time I have taken to read a book. When you finish the last page of Door to Freedom, I want you to know more about Sudan and more about Muslims and more about the people who love them.

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

The happiest day was the day Kris asked me to marry him, because then I knew he wouldn’t get away! And also because it was the beginning of a lot of years filled with a lot of adventures. Why wouldn’t that be the happiest day?

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has encouraged me to believe that I have a message others want to hear. It has developed in me the willingness to receive constructive criticism and grow better at storytelling for the sake of the message. Being published has helped me accept that writing can be more than a hobby.

What are you reading right now?

I am reading The One-In-A-Million Boy by Monica Wood. If the second half is as good as the first half, then I highly recommend it!

What is your current work in progress?

I am up to my eyeballs in editing the sequel to Door to Freedom. It is called Mercy Triumphs and it will finish the Side by Side trilogy. It should be ready for release in Fall 2017 and that is super exciting to me.

What would be your dream vacation?

I love to travel and I feel very blessed that I get to do a lot of overseas travel. My dream vacation is to visit Italy. I have been to Rome for one night because of a mix-up with an airline, but one day I’m going to Italy on purpose!

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I chose settings that I have been to personally for my books. I like to be able to close my eyes and remember myself right there, and then open my eyes and type what I see, hear, taste, and touch from my memories of actually being there.

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

 My first book, Side by Side, was dedicated to “the real Halimah.” I have not seen this beautiful young woman in many years and I would like to spend the evening with her. Her courage to follow Christ no matter what and to trust Him inspires me.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to make things and I mostly like trying projects that I have never done before and I like DIY kinds of things. So I’ve made a treehouse for my kids, a quilt for my son’s graduation, numerous 3D birthday cakes, I crocheted a rug out of ripped up bed sheets, and I cut my kids’ beds in half horizontally to convert them from platform beds to normal beds. My most recent fail, though, was trying to repair an external hard drive by myself. The silver lining was that I learned a lot about hard drives.

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

For Door to Freedom, my most difficult obstacle was trying to accurately portray life in a difficult place in a way that is also entertaining. This involved a lot of trying to explain things through story that are almost impossible to describe unless the reader has seen it for themselves. This was a challenge, but I think I mostly got it right.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Keep writing! And don’t give up. If you love it, do it and keep your eyes open for opportunities, but don’t ever stop writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Door to Freedom is about following Christ. That phrase carries infinitely different meanings depending on who you are and where you live. Mia is an American Christian and Rania is a Sudanese Muslim and both have chosen to follow Christ. What happens when opposition comes their way? That’s what Door to Freedom is all about.

Please give us the first page of the book.

“You’re a frog in a pot.” That’s what Mia Weston’s mother would say when she heard the news. “The water is boiling all around you, and you don’t even know it.” Maybe she was right.

Mia pondered the thought as she piled the breakfast dishes in the kitchen sink. For two years she and Michael lived and raised their family in North Sudan. The Islamic country often made news headlines because of human rights violations and strict adherence to Sharia law. She couldn’t blame her mother for being concerned. But the Sudanese people Mia and her family knew were kind and friendly. Mia and Michael planned to renew their contract with Kellar Hope Foundation and stay an additional two years.

Mia imagined the conversation she would have with her mother over video chat. Mia would explain, once again, how Kellar Hope Foundation was providing food and clothing and better health care and education for refugees in Sudan. She would sell the vision for humanitarian aid organizations like Kellar Hope. And remind her that by legally living and working in Sudan, they had a unique opportunity to also share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Then her mother would remind her that Sudan was not stable and that the risks outweighed the good they were doing. The conversation would end with an agreement to disagree, and a sincere but sad, “I love you, Mia.” Followed by her own frustrated, “I love you, too, Mom.”

That conversation would come later. First, she and Michael would go to dinner to celebrate their decision to stay. He had already dropped off nine-year-old Corey and six-year-old Annie at school and headed to the foundation’s office to sign the contract papers. Beth, Mia’s best friend, agreed to babysit Corey, Annie, and four-year-old Dylan. And to think that Michael had cleared his schedule and arranged it all himself. He could be so romantic sometimes.

For free sample chapters visit http://ow.ly/KjHs309eCXK

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can find me at www.JanaKelley.com where I also have links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Thank you, Jana, for sharing this new book with us. I have a dear friend who is a missionary in Africa. I’m eager to read your story.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Door to Freedom - Christianbook.com
Door to Freedom: A Contemporary Novel - Amazon
Door to Freedom: A Contemporary Novel - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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

SIDE BY SIDE - Jana Kelley - One Free Book

BIO: Jana Kelley is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. Jana returned to Texas to attend East Texas Baptist University. She and her husband married a month after she graduated and by their second anniversary, they were living in a remote African town. After thirteen years living in Africa and the Middle East, Jana, her husband, and their three boys, moved to Southeast Asia where they currently live.

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

Side By Side is my first fiction title. The character that is most like me was the character I had the hardest time writing. Unfortunately, she is one of the main characters! It was not until I could let go of her a little and let her be different from me that writing her character flowed more easily. So I guess the answer is that, at the beginning I wrote a lot of myself, but as I tweaked the manuscript, I wrote less of myself.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I used to live in a country that required an expensive permit to take personal videos of anything outside my home. I wanted a video of our neighborhood to show my family. I emptied a Kleenex box and put my camera inside. Then I cut a hole in the front of the box for the camera lens and I taped the box to my dashboard and drove through my neighborhood. It worked great, but I felt pretty quirky!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote my first “book” when I was six years old, before I’d even learned to spell correctly. I had a notebook called “My Fan Book” (pronounced “fahn”, as in “fun”). I filled it with horrendously spelled poems and stories. I have written journals, poems, and stories steadily since then. In 2008 I sent a story to a small writing competition and won. That was the first time I realized perhaps I was writing stuff that other people would actually enjoy reading.

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

I like missionary biographies because of the challenges and cultures that the people face. I like historical fiction because that’s the only way I will remember history. I love travel books and books about women living in foreign countries because I also travel and live in other countries. A fiction or nonfiction book that is going to teach me about culture, countries, history, or people, while also entertaining me, is a book I will enjoy.

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

I do not lead as fast-paced a life as most of my friends in America. Why? Because I don’t live there! That’s one thing I love about living overseas. I have discovered that I feel more in control of my schedule in Asia and Africa than I do in America. I enjoy activities more fully when my life is not crammed with them. This is important enough to me that I actually say no to things that are good but not best and I’m becoming quite good at that! I find it helpful to ask the Lord what are the activities He wants me to be involved in each week, and I put those on my calendar. I try to stay true to those commitments and say no to things that conflict or take away from what I know to be the most important activities in each day.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Side By Side has a lot of Arabic characters. I have always loved the name Halimah so that’s what I named the main character. For the other Arabic names I looked them up on the Internet and chose the names that I know would be common names for the country Side By Side is set in. The American names just came to me. I was not as attached to the American names as I was to the Arabic ones. One time I did a Facebook poll for the last name for my main character. That was a lot of fun!

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m still a new author so Side By Side is the accomplishment I am most proud of in my writing life. But I have to say here that I can almost visibly see God’s hand in the whole process, so I honestly do not feel like this book is something that I can take credit for. Side By Side is a written version of God’s grace and faithfulness in my life.

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

I would be a cat. Cats have a fantastic, yet dry, sense of humor. They can be a quiet presence in the room, but can also let everyone know they are around if they choose to do so. They are smooth and silky and graceful. I’d be a short-haired cat though. I’d hate all that long hair to get caught on my rough tongue.

What is your favorite food?

I choose savory over sweet every time. My all-time favorite food is chips & salsa. I’ll eat it as a meal if I can. But if I have to actually choose a main dish, I’ll choose Lebanese food. Hummus and stuffed grape leaves are to die for!

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

My biggest problem was the lack of time. I was homeschooling when I began to write the first novel. The main thing that kept me going was a strong drive to accomplish the task. Where there is a will there is a way, right? So I asked my kids to give me one hour of alone time after school was over. Unfortunately for me, this is the one hour that would otherwise have been my nap time! So for at least one hour a day, I secluded myself in my bedroom with my laptop and I wrote. As I began to see progress, I got more inspired and my routine became easier.

Tell us about the featured book.

Are Muslims scary to you? Have you ever thought about what life is like for a Muslim woman? Side By Side is the story of two women who live in a Muslim country. One is Muslim and one is Christian. This novel is based on true events. The reality may surprise you!

Please give us the first page of the book.

“You’re moving to . . . Sudan?”

“Yes, Mom. Sudan.” Mia put the last dinner plate in the dishwasher and then joined her mother at the kitchen table.

“I’ve heard they have a lot of orphanages.” Her mother’s cheery voice squeaked a little higher than usual, as if she were forcing the words out.

“That’s South Sudan. North Sudan is a different country altogether.” Mia willed her voice to remain calm. She had to be patient. This news was a lot for her parents to take in.

“And you say you’ll live in . . . Khartoum?”

“Yes. Khartoum. That’s the capital city.” Mia wondered how Michael was doing with her father in the living room. She absently twisted a blonde curl between her fingers and looked at her mother’s strained face.

“That can’t be right, honey. I’ve read about Khartoum in the news. That’s where the terrorists are. It’s a dangerous place. Ask Michael again. Maybe you misunderstood.”

“Mom, Michael and I made this decision together. I don’t need to check with him. He will be working as the project manager at the head office in Khartoum as well as in the displacement camps just outside of the city. A lot of families who had to escape war-torn areas in Sudan moved to Khartoum. They live in these camps as refugees.”

“Tell me again why it has to be Sudan.”

Mia had to hand it to her mom for at least trying to understand. “Kellar Hope Foundation is an organization that helps families all over the world. Sudan is just one of them.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to connect with readers! You can find me at www.JanaKelley.com From there you can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, email, and you can get information on Side By Side and my other books.

Thank you, Jana, for sharing your new novel with me and my blog readers. I have a number of close friends who are missionaries is various foreign countries, so I will love reading Side by Side. I’ve bee privileged to go on over a dozen short-term mission trips into Central America.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Side By Side - Christianbook.com
Side by Side, a Novel - Amazon
Side by Side, A 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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, 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