Welcome, L R. What
are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
I like to show that God can accept anyone into his family,
that the only requirement is a repentant heart. It's not what we've done, or
what we've become, or what we failed to do. It's being contrite and realizing
we bring nothing to the table, but God accepts us anyway. People tend to focus
on themselves and whether or not they feel worthy, instead of focusing on God's
forgiveness and power of redemption.
What other books of
yours are coming out soon?
A contemporary romance, called FALLING IN. It's nothing like
PULSE, which is YA Suspense. I also
have a time-travel regency in the works, and a romantic suspense that includes
a trip aboard the Titanic.
If you could spend an
evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would
it be and why?
Carolyn Mahaney (wife of C.J. Mahaney). I love her writing
style; she's full of warmth and wit and wisdom and she'd be an awesome
mentor—even for one night.
What historical
person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
Jane Austen, because I’d love to hear her account of how and
why she wrote her novels, including how much (or little) she struggled with the
tasks. Also because, if I could possibly earn her trust, she'd be
delightful.
How can you encourage
authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
Authors need to have a thick skin because rejections will
come. I can't think of a single published author who hasn't faced them. But at
the same time, we need to find people who can critique our work so we know we
aren't being rejected for quality reasons. Many rejections from publishers are
not about the quality of the work, but about the publishers' current list,
needs, and whether they have room for the particular type of book we've
submitted.
Tell us about the
featured book.
PULSE is Young Adult
Suspense featuring three teenage girls and their families. The book asks the
question: What would you do if the whole world came to a sudden,
crashing….stop? It follows the aftermath of a catastrophic electromagnetic
pulse that takes down America 's
electric grid, and how survival might look.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
ANDREA
AGE 16, JANUARY 11
DAY ONE
So my dad got all upset because when he went to leave for
work the car went halfway down the driveway and died. His precious Mercedes. I
was just walking out to wait for the school bus and he hurried towards me in a
huff, yelling something about how the starter wouldn't even turn over.
"What'd you do to the car, Andrea?" he demanded. I
stared at him. I couldn't believe he was trying to pin it on me.
"Nothing."
"What'd you do to it, huh?" he asked again. I
turned and stalked blindly down the driveway
to wait by the mailbox. My heart was pounding. Normally I'd enjoy the crunch of
snow beneath my boots, and the way the pines lining our driveway are blanketed
in white; but I barely noticed either.
Leave it to Dad to ruin my day before it starts.
Yesterday Mom let me practice driving for about thirty-five
minutes and the Mercedes drove just fine. So I'm supposed to know what
happened? I'm guessing it's frozen because we're having a nman cold spell. The
bottom line is Dad loves his car more than me (he loves lots of things more
than me). I blinked away tears that felt cold on my skin the moment they
appeared. Where was that wretched bus? I wanted to see my friends and forget
about home.
I waited, beginning to freeze. Designer boots aren't made
for warmth. I waited a long time; I knew the bus should have come already, but
I didn't want to go back—Dad would say I overslept and missed it on purpose or
something like that.
Finally, I had to go in. Sure enough, there was Dad, hands
on hips, glaring at me. "Why are you back?"
"The bus didn't come."
He stared at me as if he didn't believe me.
"So walk to school," he said. I gaped at him. Was
he kidding? We live, like, five miles from my high school. My mother called him
from the kitchen. I turned and stared out the window. Our secluded circular
drive was a winter wonderland. In nice weather, it's a beautiful manicured
front, maintained meticulously by landscapers. Today it was a world of white,
so cold the snow glittered. No way was I going to walk to school. Anyway, my
father says things he doesn't mean when he's mad, so I took off my coat and
boots in the mud room. (There's rarely an ounce of mud in it but that's what we
call it.)
How can readers find you on the Internet?
I have two websites; my older one is http://LinoreBurkard.com, and the new one
for The PULSE Effex Series, is http://L.R.Burkard.com.
I'm also on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn and Goodreads.
I love hosting you. Thanks for sharing this new book with us. I know my blog readers will be interested in it.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
PULSE (PULSE EFFEX SERIES Book 1)
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