WYNN IN THE WILLOWS - Robin Shope - One Free Book

Welcome back, Robin. It’s been a while since you were here. As an author, I know it takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?

For me there are two sides to writing. First, there is the creative side where the book gets it storyline, characters, setting, etc. and then there is the editing side where you find mistakes. Mary Garbe—longtime friend since high school, and Wisconsin artist, helped me with the creativity. John Friedman, my friend from a Chicago private school, is now a lawyer and business owner, helped with editing. Of course, I must give the most important shout out to Nicola Martinez and Jaimie West, my editors at White Rose Publishing.

If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your calendar?

I will be speaking at book clubs throughout the summer.

If you had to completely start over in another place, where would you move, and why?

If I were to completely start over, I believe I would settle some place artsy with the Bohemian touch, and without the tourist flavor, in New Mexico. A few years ago, I visited there and fell in love with the culture along with the desert. It’s so different from any other place I have lived—Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, and now Texas.

If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

Take writing advice from people who have built a solid reputation in the field.

That very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Wynn Baxter returns to Willow Island to study rare plant life and welcomes the opportunity to investigate the mysterious circumstances of her father’s death. But the truth gets complicated as twenty year-old memories begin to surface. What Wynn learns will shake her emotional foundation. Hoping to glean information only leads her down a shadowy path implicating her own flesh and blood. A haunting story of forgiveness, science, murder, and other matters of living.

To date, Wynn in the Willows is one of my favorite books. Writing this, I felt myself growing into a new level of character development. I hope you fall in love with the women of Willow Island. Not only is it a mystery but it’s also a matchless love story.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The sun stretched a welcoming pool of light across the front lawn. Twenty feet below the granite cliffs was Lake Michigan, turquoise blue and white capped today. The island ferry was moving down the shore to dock at the Yacht Club, blowing its horn in salutation, announcing its impending arrival.

Wynn paused at the sound of her aunt’s angry voice through the open windows, “Stop it, stop it! Think about what you’re saying for once, will you? Every time you bring up that subject, it does nothing but stir up trouble on the island for many of us old timers who’ve experienced similar situations. My niece sure can’t find out about what I did. It’s taken me years to get her back here and I won’t let you, or anyone else, ruin my plan. Promise me, no more talk about it! Ladies? Promise me.”

A flood of agreements followed.

Ruin her plan? What was Aunt Roxie talking about?

Wynn ducked her head. Too late.

“Wynn, is that you? Wynn! Come inside and meet my friends.”

“I’m coming!” Wynn called.

The door opened with a whine of complaint.

Five female Bible club members got their good first look at the island’s latest summer tenant.

Wynn’s large eyes, the color of wet green leaves, stared back. With that, the day took a new direction.

“Ladies, I want you to meet my niece, Wynn Baxter.” Roxie announced a bit too cheerfully. “She’s staying in my garage apartment. Lemonade, dear?” Still clearly upset, she forced a wide smile while holding up a pitcher loaded with ice cubes and fat lemon wedges.

Sounds interesting. I really want to know what’s going on. Where can we find you on the Internet?

http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

And on Facebook. Friend me. 

Thank you, Robin, 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.
Wynn in the Willows - Christianbook.com
Wynn in the Willows - Amazon
Wynn in the Willows - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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

THE CHRISTMAS EDITION - JOURNEY TO PARADISE - Robin Shope - Free Movie or Book

As a little departure from our usual interview, I'm hosting my friend Robin Shope. She's living the dream of almost every author I know. A movie was made of her book. In this picture, Robin is in the middle. Welcome, Robin. Tell us about your journey.

The Christmas Edition, Journey to Paradise, romance novel, inspired the movie Journey to Paradise!

It was Christmastime three years ago when nostalgic thoughts of returning to my hometown of Delavan, Wisconsin overwhelmed me. If only I could sleep in my childhood bed one more time, or sit at the breakfast table and tease my little brother while Mom made pancakes and Dad sang songs. Of course, that was impossible. My parents were gone. My brother lived on the other side of the country.

Yet, there was still one way back home, and that was through my memories. So, I revisited the lake, frozen in silence as the deep snow drifts filled the streets. I walked up to my childhood house and entered, welcomed by the sight of the Douglas fir standing tall, filled from top to bottom with glittering ornaments. There was Dad, struggling to untangle the lights as mother poured hot chocolate for us all.

It was those recollections of my childhood, rekindled decades later, that moved me to start writing about Christmastime in a small Wisconsin town. It became a passion. My imagination connected directly to my fingertips on the computer keyboard and a months later The Christmas Edition was completed, and I had a book contract with White Rose Publishing. By the following Christmas, startled and awed, I had signed a movie contract with producer/director Steve Zambo of Salty Earth Pictures. He felt the book was a perfect fit for his studio.

Today, it’s Christmas again. My book has been transformed into a movie, Journey to Paradise, and has been given The Dove Foundation’s Seal of Approval for family entertainment.

The process between contract and the premier has been exhausting and fabulous. The filming took place in idyllic Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, while I remained at my job in Texas. Over the past year, along with thousands of others, I followed the movie making steps reported on FaceBook (be sure to visit my Facebook wall for a glimpse of the stills and the two movie trailers.)

On the weekend of November 12th, my two grown children and I flew to Wisconsin for the movie premier. Unbelievably, my college roommate, blessed friends from my former church, a Facebook/eBay friend, and dear middle school and high school friends also attended.

There actually was a red carpet, and I walked it!

Salty Earth’s studio was beautifully decorated for the gala with the wholly appropriate Christmas theme. Hundreds of strangers shook my hand and offered compliments on my writing; they became new friends. After finishing off a couple of plates of food from the huge buffet, it was time! The lights flashed and the crowd entered the theater where a row of seats, bearing my name, had been reserved. After a few introductions, Steve and Beth Zambo presented me with a plaque with my name and picture on it, as well as a star for their Walk of Fame. Two others received the same honor.

The lights went dark and the black screen soon filled with falling snow. The title of the movie appeared, “Journey to Paradise,” followed by “Based on the book The Christmas Edition by Robin Shope.”

Frozen in my seat with my mouth open and eyes opened wide, I watched my book characters come to life on screen; walking, talking, and breathing. Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t help it. The characters were almost just as I had imagined them. Steve had shared my vision.

 In transformation from book to screen, there were expected changes. When I signed the contract I knew of that inevitability. There were many reasons to make perfectly good book characters, scenes and actions more screen friendly. I made a special promise to myself to be accepting of changes to my book. Steve did a wonderful job painlessly (for me) shepherding my story to the screen.

The hero’s (Joe) editorial piece was moving. He sounded lyrical in a way, with a depth of feeling and expression which was more than I imagined. I penned him to write with heart…because that was what the heroine (Lucy) was yearning for. Anything less and he wouldn’t deserve the job. That meant Joe had to identify with a human need and make it both emotional and compassionate. I searched newspapers for human interest stories and found one about a landmark store that was closing its doors after fifty years in business. Bingo. I had my story. I approached it as a man on the street type editorial and it worked.

Joe’s relationship with God was an amazing feature of the book and in the movie. As we get to know Joe, we learn how tormented he is, and we make many assumptions as to why he is haunted. I think the movie flashbacks were able to more powerfully present the reasons for his angst than I could muster in the book. It was an important part of the book that the movie executed well.

The story began as everyone else’s Christmas spirit reopened the wounds of Lucy’s lost love. Then enters Joe, a man who she has no reason to trust. What about this character would make her fall in love when so many other men had failed to win her heart? I had to make Joe more than a nice guy. I decided to make Joe a man of several mysteries! I wanted him to be a good guy with a haunting past and present actions that were subject to various interpretations. I had to walk a fine line because this is a Christmas book filled with romance and hope …so I couldn't go too dark. It wouldn’t work if I did. Yep, Joe was fun to write. He was who he was meant to be when he was with Lucy…but when he was left alone with his thoughts the inner terror began. The movie conveyed this powerfully.

I am honored beyond my dreams that with all the fabulous, anointed, and inspired books in the marketplace that it was my Inspirational Christmas romance novel that Steve chose to produce. This Christmas, as I look out my window and watch the sparrows, I remember the Bible verse where Jesus speaks about the extreme value of a sparrow. It reminds me that all we do in the Lord’s name has value.

I hope that you read The Christmas Edition and that you will discover a new favorite author in me as a result. Please email your thoughts to me. I do care and they means a lot to me. I will respond. Promise!

And, I hope that you order the movie from Salty Earth pictures. Perhaps watching it will become a Christmas family tradition.

To find my blog, The Serial Writings of Robin Shope --
http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

And to read more about Salty Earth Pictures -- http://www.saltyearthpictures.org/

Thank you, Robin, for sharing your joy with us.

Readers, eave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book or the movie. 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 6 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. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

RUBY RED - Robin Jansen Shope - Free Book

Welcome back, Robin. Tell us about your salvation experience.

My salvation anchored itself in my parents who were total opposites in many ways. During prohibition, my dad ran bootleg whiskey for his Chicago nightclub, The Ivanhoe. Years later he met a very young Christian woman, twenty odd years his junior, and wooed her by taking her to church each week. Once the vows were spoken and that four karat diamond was on her ring finger, he never attended church again, although he never complained when she went. With light and dark forces all around me, I still was much loved and valued by both my parents. Dad was the complex businessman and my mother the Christian who told me God had something special for me to do.

One day I was feeling quite lonely without a friend to play with me. My mother said Jesus was my friend. I knew all about Him from Sunday school and from my goodnight prayers, so I asked Jesus to play with me. He spoke to me. Each day I told Mother what He said. She listened intently and said she wished He would talk to her like that. I told her to talk to Him and He would.

However, it wasn’t until I was in high school that I walked the aisle –and in a Methodist church too. My sister and I were having another one of our terrible verbal arguments and my dad, now frail from cancer and bedridden, were more than my mother could handle at the moment. There was a revival at our church so I decided to go even though it was smack dab in the middle of the week—a Wednesday—not a normal church going day like Sunday.

During the second song, I felt a change inside of me. Something dead now came alive. The feeling kept growing and along about the second song, I began to cry. I couldn’t hold onto the hymnal anymore. I set it down on the pew behind me and cried like a baby into my hands. The evangelist, Rev. O. Dean Martin, looked out over the congregation and said, “I see many of you are feeling God for the first time.” And then he called us forward to pray to receive Christ as our Savior.

What a wonderful touch from the Lord. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I am a teacher and what better speaking ministry is there? Classroom teachers have a daily platform and literally can change lives. It’s such an awesome responsibility. I also am a former missionary and spoke to crowds ranging from dozens of people to thousands.

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

My first year teaching middle school I had a very embarrassing moment. I ran to the bathroom in between periods. The kids were still coming into the room when I got back. I began writing the day’s lesson on the board. And then I became aware of soft snickers. Then more snickers only louder now. And outright laughter. Some Snorts. A hum of conversation began. A horrible thought crossed my mind. I whipped around and faced the class red-faced, as I reached my hand behind me and felt the back of my skirt was tucked into my panties. I just pulled the hem out and began teaching, trying to act as though it was no big deal. But I never wore that dress again.

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?

I would tell them to start on that someday book TODAY.

Tell us about the featured book.

Homeless children roamed the streets of New York City from the late 1800s through the 1930s. Death and disease were the natural results of poverty and overcrowding, causing thousands of children to be abandoned, parentless and left to fend for themselves. Adding to the malaise, boatloads of European immigrants flooded our shores and soon succumbed to the same adversities leaving thousands more parentless.

Accounts have been written of the Orphan Train that carried white-skinned children out into the heartland of America to find new families, but history is totally silent of what became of the dark-skinned children.

Ruby Red is a fictionalized tale of a true event.

Eleven-year-old Ruby is taken in as a maid. Believing life holds more for her than washing someone’s clothes, she makes a risky move by faking insanity. After being expelled from the household, Ruby sneaks onto the Orphan Train meant for only white children. With her best friend, a cockroach named Red, housed in a canning jar, Ruby searches for a place to call home and runs into adventure and heartbreak. Both an enigma and a young teen, she is the perfect reflection of how life once was in America. Ruby embodies goodness, and simplicity of truth; a rare gem which bespeaks her name. Softened a bit through suffering she refuses to be hardened and keeps believing that the world holds a special place for her. Written for young teens and adults, the indomitable spirit of Ruby Red triumphs and will live in your heart far beyond the pages of the book.

Robin Shope continues to write captivating books. She is at her best with her multi-layered characterization of Ruby Red. In the 1920s saga, Shope reels us into heartbreak and healing. - Kyle Saylors, TV PRODUCER AND PRODUCER OF FILM KIMJONGILIA,THEATRICALLY RELEASED INTERNATIONALLY AND NOMINATED FOR GRAND JURY PRIZE AT SUNDANCE, SCREENED AT US CAPITOL.

Ruby Red is a poignant story of an abandoned child with an indomitable spirit. The delightful imagery and poetry of written words will propel the reader to the era gone by bringing a story of hope and survival that will warm even the most jaded hearts. Bonnie Calhoun, PUBLISHER OF CHRISTIAN FICTION ONLINE MAGAZINE

Please give us the first page of the book.

CHAPTER 1

Ruby didn’t know she sparkled with beauty like the gem whose name she carried. Her skin was the color of lush earth darkened by the heat of summer’s noonday sun. But it wasn’t the green of summer it was the white of winter and Ruby had no place to call home.
Ruby was medium boned with impish brown eyes. Always dressed in brown, she felt she belonged here among the potato filled pots and spice scented kitchen. Ruby held her plain skirt pinched between her fingers as if it were a party dress and danced toward the kitchen where a sink load of pots and pans waited to be washed.

Chilled by early morning winter, Ruby happily obliged to clean the breakfast dishes and plunged her arms clear up to her elbows into the heated sudsy water. A thin smile of satisfaction spread across her face. Ruby looked out the window at the sun’s halo looking down on her with its lemony color seeping down from the bright cerulean sky. She considered this the best part of the day.

Frozen clusters of frost hung from the trees on the other side of the glass where sparrows nervously pecked at the edges of stale bread; left-overs from last night’s dinner. The blowing snow reminded Ruby of flour chilled in the ice box for days and later tossed about on the counter surface whenever Mama made her pies—like at this moment.

From the corner of her eye she watched Mama Burke in her feed sack apron using singed potholders to move the hot pies from the wood cook stove onto the cooling racks where she covered them over with starched tea towels.

The warm smell of cinnamon, vanilla and sweet cream caused Ruby’s mouth to water. Right about now she’d be willing to give anything she owned, the sock doll or her only pair of shoes, just for one piece of pumpkin pie sharing a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down around it on all sides. But before the day was over she was pretty sure she’d get stuck with a slice of mincemeat pie instead.

“Don’t think I can’t see you looking at these pumpkin pies.” Mama stood by the gray speckled stove clucking her tongue. “We are lucky to be fed from the Grand Missus’ table. Be thankful for what is left at the end of each day. Hear me, child?”

“Yes’um, I hear you, but my stomach seems not to be paying very close attention.” Ruby rinsed a plate and set it into the dry sink. “Among other things—you should know I have a lowly opinion of mincemeat pie.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

FB is a great place to start and also here at The Serial Writings of Robin Shope.
http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

Robin, thank you for sharing Ruby Red with us.

Readers, by using this link when you order the book, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 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. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

THE EASTER EDITION - Robin Shope - Free Book

Today, I'm featuring Robin Shope, the author of several books, but we're featuring her Easter one. She's going to just tell us about herself, her writing, and her book.

Falling in love with writing in the fifth grade was the easy part. I adored my writing teacher. She always read the best compositions aloud in class. The way she cradled them in her hands told me they were treasures. I worked extremely hard to please her; to hear my words read aloud—but I was never chosen. A few years later, we moved to Delavan, Wisconsin. I wrote a composition for my language arts teacher and she told me there was no way I could have written that paper because it was too good. I proudly explained every word belonged to me. She sent me to the principal for lying. The principal called my mother and spoke with her. Mother told him that she watched me write that paper sitting at the kitchen table. All the fuss and commotion sent me a clear message that I had a good story. My motivation springs from that moment.

Please forgive me because my genre is rather schizophrenic. I began my adult writing career by writing mystery and co-authored three books with Susan Wales. Since then I decided I needed romance in my life so I wrote a series of romance novels, under the series name, The Turtle Creek Edition. The first was The Christmas Edition, quickly followed by The Valentine Edition and now The Easter Edition .

The Christmas Edition caught the eye of director/producer Steven Zambo of Salty Earth Pictures and by the time this interview ‘airs’, he will be in post production. The targeted release of the movie based on my book is December 2010. The name of the story has been changed for the movie. It will be aired as Journey to Paradise. As a result, my publisher is re-leasing the book with a new ending and more scenes, so even if you have read it the first time, you will want the newer copy. Steve Zambo plans on releasing The Valentine Edition next, and then The Easter Edition.

A new book series is in the works with Point Yonder Press. The series combines mystery and romance about a young woman who is a biologist and returns to her hometown, which happens to be on an island in Lake Michigan—Willow Island. The women at Bridge Over Troubled Waters Bible Study stir enough trouble for everyone, and Wynn sets out to solve the island mystery as well as uncover her own past. Be sure to watch for the release of Wynn in the Willows.

Lastly, I have co-authored a young adult book with former Dallas Cowboy, Kalen Thornton. Ruby Red is being published by Sparklesoup and the talented Amu Munoz is designing the cover. The story is told through Ruby Red’s eleven-year old eyes. Set in the 1920s, Ruby is taken in as a maid and finds little hope of being anyone. Then she makes a risky move by faking insanity. After being tossed out, she sneaks onto a train that is heading west where she finds adventure, danger, and renewed hope.

I love writing about strong women. Does it show?

Readers can order my books from Amazon or any bookstore. Each of my books has a spiritual message which is close to my heart. The Easter Edition's is " Follow God for He will give you the desires of your heart." Not only will readers be captivated by the story and characters but they will find messages of hope and renewal.

Here is a blurb: Bridal shop owner, Carol Horn, looks forward to being a bride herself someday. Having surrendered her desires to God, she's praying the Lord will show her the path she should take. When she meets new assistant pastor, Luke Peters, she feels he is the answer to her prayers, but if that’s so, why does she feel called to go overseas to help build an orphanage?

Luke has a sketchy past that includes doing jail time, but he comes to Turtle Creek, Wisconsin, as a changed man. He falls hard for Carol, but when she applies for the mission trip, Luke finds himself torn between ignoring her application and giving up the one person who trusts that he has truly become a man of God. Can Luke overcome his shadowy past and show Carol that he is the man for her, or will she discover that the rumors about him are true?

Generally ideas come to me all the time. I write them down the minute I get them, otherwise they're gone along with my youthful figure. I have the beginning plots for ten more books but I have to write and edit the books which are contracted first. As for names, I have a baby book that sometimes I look through, but usually my characters tell me what their names are as I write about them. They are insistent like that. Some of my characters personify different sides of my personality.

Like a smoker (which I am not) I have given up writing and then taken it back up again at least a hundred times. What drives me? It is part of who I am and I suppose that is part of every successful writer’s psyche. The inner conflict is often a driving force to put fingers to the keyboard and start pecking away. I have all these characters inside of my brain that want to be set free on paper and each has his or her own story to tell. There were discouraging times when the rejections piled up. To some degree I wanted to be published, but there was also a part of me that wanted to write even if that work might not be published. With each rejection, I became even more determined to write a good book. I learned a lot from reading the books of other authors, attending writer’s workshops, and going to ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference. That organization is invaluable. They are loving and supportive; it’s good to have a ‘friend’ when things go right and wrong.

I never sit back and relax. I am driven to write, but writing is also a form of relaxation. There will always be the next book to tend to whether I have to polish a rough draft or write out what is burning inside me, there is always good work to do.. It’s like having a lot of children. You want to enjoy the ones that are already born and you do, but it’s the newborn that needs the most attention. God has opened many writing doors for me and I keep walking through them. I never chose publishers at random. I study the market to see what publishers are looking for and query those publishers with suitable book proposals.

The Easter Edition is the third book in the Turtle Creek Edition series. I think readers will find it to be a passionate read about a young woman who is torn between serving God and being with the man she loves. (Let's not overlook The Valentine Edition which shows ultimate forgiveness).

Readers can find my books on amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=robin+shope&x=0&y=0  or order them from any bookstore.

I would be honored for everyone to befriend me on Facebook, Robin Jansen Shope. Also please join Journey to Paradise Movie and Salty Earth Pictures for movie updates.

My blog is http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Robin, for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book.



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 6 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. Here’s a link.


http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/  

Robin Shope - WILDCARD - Free Book

Robin Shope is back with a different kind of book this time. Welcome, Robin. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I love to write about salvation and forgiveness. They are the most precious gifts I have received from the Lord. Many of us still struggle with forgiveness even after we have become Christians. My husband struggled with forgiving himself for his past mistakes when he came to the cross, many years ago. We say we know God forgives us, but do we really? Once this truth has become rhema to us, then we need to grant that forgiveness to ourselves and to others who have wronged us. We need to let go of the bitterness, allowing in God's perfect peace and joy.

In The Christmas Edition our hero feels unworthy of God and therefore an incident in his past holds him captive from moving forward with his life. In The Valentine Edition Jodi Williams, our heroine is struggling with unforgiveness of her father, holding onto the past with a terrible vengeance. In The Easter Edition (release date Easter 2010), the minister struggles with the sins of his past. They are keeping him from moving forward into the fullness of what God has for him.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Wildcard will be out late April. The official release date is May 5th but it should be available on Amazon by the mid to the end of April. I am really excited about this book in particular because this is a return to my mystery writing roots. I think men and women alike will thoroughly enjoy the suspense and the surprises in the plot. It starts with a touch of romance which I think always adds another layer.

I love mysteries, but they're even better with the romance, too. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Make that two contemporary persons. I would love to spend an evening with the Obama girls, Malia and Sasha. I think they are bright and a whole lot of fun. What cuties!

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

The desire was there from an early age but I first considered it as a real possibility in college and took several creative writing classes. That's when I started my very first novel. Someday I will finish it.

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

There is a niche for you, there is for me, and I have enough rejection slips to wallpaper my living room. I just keep plugging. I used to become very upset over getting one of these slips, or email turndowns. And then I figured, I would just keep going, learning, improving, reading, writing, going through any open door…it's me. It's what I do. Consequently, I have hundreds of articles in print, dozens of short stories in various popular collections, and books out. I keep on going. Working hard. So you keep learning, improving, reading, putting yourself out there.

Tell us about the featured book?

Wildcard is about a diabolical plot to take over the government from the inside out. Sounds farfetched to you? How about, the government is taken over by way of the voting machines? What would happen if someone secured a microchip that could be manipulated to give his or her candidate the edge to win the next presidential election? Not enough votes for a landslide, but just enough to put their candidate over the top in a decisive win. The Wildcards are a group of maverick agents who want to take over the outcome of the next election for President of the United States.

During Ivy Dillon's last week as a Washington Intern, she and Ms. Geneen Waters, the secretary to the President of the United States, overhear a conversation about voting machines and missing software. Months later Ms. Waters body is found floating in the Potomac River. FBI Special Agent Ian Serby, who swears he will give his life to protect her, takes Ivy into protective custody. Ian is smart, sexy and seems to have a hidden agenda all his own. Will Ivy follow her heart and believe what Ian tells her about trying to stop the Wildcards or is he actually a member of the Wildcards?

Please give us the first page of the book.

He stared at her with superb green eyes the color of a calm sea, but it was his slow smile that pierced her heart. Eyes and smile. Together they pulled her into the deep waters of wild imagination. The six-footer awkwardly tugged on his collar and no wonder, he seemed totally out of place at the theater's cast party.

Ivy Dillon was ripe for romance. She had to meet Whatzhisname.

"Here's your fruit punch," Jordan nudged. "I snagged you a cup."

"Thanks." Ivy turned toward her roommate. "By the way, who's that?"

"Who?"

"The great looking guy near the window." Ivy tipped her head in that direction.

"You can't mean Martin?" Jordan snorted.

"Martin?" Ivy whipped around and squinted.

Sure enough, the man she set her sights on meeting had disappeared and in his place was Martin, still wearing his theater garb and full makeup. He waved at her. Ivy waved back, disappointedly.

"No, not him."

Ivy cruised through the stage director's apartment, trying to catch sight of the man with the interesting angular features, the hair that curled up along his neckline, and, oh yes, those amazing eyes. On her way by the dessert table, the chocolate covered strawberries distracted her. She bit into one, enjoying the meeting of two rivers of flavors, and just like that Whatzhisname appeared in front of her. Magical!

"You have a bit of chocolate right there," he told her pointing at the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks," Ivy croaked.

"May I?" he asked permission to touch her skin and wipe the chocolate away.

Ivy moved closer and felt the gentle stroke of his touch. Just like strawberries and chocolate, Ivy knew they were meant to be.

"There, you're perfect again."

Interesting, How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.shoutlife.com/Robin_Shope
http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back on Saturday in a two weeks to see of you won. Or you could sign up for Feedblitz, and you won't miss any of the posts.

Author Robin Shope - THE VALENTINE EDITION - Free Book

We're back with Robin Shope's second Edition book. Welcome, Robon. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

Hopefully more of the same. I am happy in my job as the Special Education Coordinator at the Juvenile Justice Alternative Educational Program. I hope to make a positive difference in the lives of troubled teens. The adults I work with are dedicated and interesting people. Everyday I am inspired by attorneys, case managers, probation officers, judges and fine teachers.

Last year I sold five magazine articles and several short stories. I also have five books out, the sixth one releasing in late April of this year. Meanwhile, I am editing one book and writing two more. Several publishers have requested to read my book proposals.

Adding to these blessings, my husband and I are looking forward to greeting our first grandchild in the spring.

Grandchildren are awesome. James and I have our first great grandchild. Also a wonderful thing. Now, Robin, please tell us a little about your family.

This summer Rick and I are celebrating our thirty-third anniversary. We met at an Illinois church where he was the assistant pastor. After we were married, we travelled the world as missionaries for several years. After we returned to the states, Rick became the pastor of a small country church before we moved to Texas where we live now. Our two children are grown. Kimberly works for PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Dallas and worked on the Obama health plan. Matthew is a certified nurse’s aide. Rick is now in the business world. Instead of taking family vacations, we save that money for his yearly missions’ trips overseas to third world countries. This past year, he made his seventh trip to India.

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

And how! I cannot just read and enjoy a book anymore. I find myself editing, learning from the book how to improve my own writing. I also analyze the story, the structure, the characters, muse over really well-written sentences. I miss just reading for pleasure.

I know what you mean. One book I read this month had a first page that was so wonderfully written, I had to reread and savor it several times before I finally turned the page. What are you working on right now?

I am working on several books right now. First on my plate is polishing a mystery book about a female forensic profiler. Almost ready to submit it, I have a good friend who is a Chicago defense lawyer and he is considering joining me on this one, so I am holding off. He says the whole story intrigues him. He could add such depth to this - I am saying my prayers. This friend is also Jewish so I think the mix with both of us would make it fascinating with added layers.

What outside interests do you have?

I love geology, archeology, and certain aspects of history. I love to look at mummies in museums and try to imagine them as a person who once lived. What kind of lives did they have and were they happy.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Setting is dictated by the story itself. For instance my next book, Wildcard, a stand alone, is out in late April 2009. Ivy Dillon is working as an Intern for the secretary of the President of the United States. During her last week at The White House, Ivy overhears a conversation about missing software that would rig voting machines and change the results of the next election. The subject dictates it be set in Washington, DC. Ivy has clues to find the software and begins following them across the United States, at last ending back in the capital where her ex-fiancé helps clear her name since she has also been accused of killing the president’s secretary.

The Turtle Creek Edition series is set in a small Wisconsin town. I started the series with The Christmas Edition. I live in Texas and many of our Christmases are spent with the air conditioner running. However, when I think of Christmas, I think of snow and hot chocolate and real Christmas trees. Born and raised in Wisconsin, it was easy for me to set that series there. Now The Valentine Edition is out and it’s still quite cold in Turtle Creek, Wisconsin. Have you been following the northern weather forecast lately? One snowstorm after the next.

Yes, I have. My brother lives in Indiana, and I have close friends who live up North. If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

I would love to spend an evening with Albert Schweitzer. He was my first hero. This talented, German doctor gave up a lucrative medical practice to live in Gabon, Africa, and build a clinic to help meet the health needs of the natives. When I was young, I would watch him on The Jack Parr Show. Doctor S. had a marvelous sense of humor along with his passion for helping others. At night, at the end of a long day, he would sit at his organ and play. I can only imagine how wonderful that sounded in the night air in the jungle. In middle school I wrote to him all the time, asking if I could come and visit. When he died, my friends who had laughed at my vision for wanting to have spent time at a medical clinic said to me, “Well, it looks like you will not be going now!” Weeks later I received a letter with pictures of the Doctor and of the facility, from one of his Dutch coworkers, Mrs. Obermann.

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

Not to head hop – and what that meant. (For blog readers, that means to jump from one person's thoughts to another all the time, instead of staying in one point of view per scene.)

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

To be joyful no matter the season. The most important relationship I have is the one I share with Him. He balances me, shows me the important stuff in life. God gives me beauty from ashes. When I get to heaven it isn’t going to matter what others think of me, only His opinion will carry weight there. There are many voices in the world. But the sheep know God’s voice and they follow Him.

Very well said, and exactly what I feel, too. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

1. Everyone has an opinion if you should have an agent or not. What publisher to use, or not use. Listen to the advice and pray about what is right for you. You are the one living your life, not another. But remember this, I guarantee God isn’t going to ask you who your publisher or agent was when you get to heaven. There is this motto I have on my wall. It reads; "One small life will soon be past. Only what is done for God will last." It was the way my Grandmother lived her life. She went to heaven at the age of 101.

2. Keep studying the market. I do. One of my writer friends told me she doesn’t need to study the market because her agent does it for her. Agent or no, I want to be informed. So you be informed. Know what is going on in the publishing world. With the Internet there is no reason not to be.

3. Read. Read. Read. If you are like me, you will be studying/reading every book. It helps us with sentence formation, vocabulary, character development, plot expansion, grammar, punctuation, and the like.

Tell us about the featured book.

It’s a holiday book and a fun light-hearted read. However, it deals with real life problems such as forgiveness. Jodi has men issues because her father deserted her when she was a child. This changed her world and molded her into the person she is when we first meet her, driving down an icy Wisconsin country road in the dead of winter. Later we learn of another betrayal of close friends. These two significant incidents from her past, sets her up for someone new to blow apart a potential relationship she is developing with a man of God.

Here is a blurb:

The last place in the world Jodi Williams wanted to live was Turtle Creek, Wisconsin, but when her stepdad refused to put in a good word for her at the Chicago paper, she had no other choice than to accept the first job offer that came her way. Josh Thomas was Turtle Creek's veterinarian, but he also happened to be single and quite handsome. His life was pretty peaceful until a pretty, young stranger came to his clinic with a dog that had been hit by a car. While his first reaction was to care for the injured animal, he couldn't help a few glances at this unique young woman. That day was one of quite a few new beginnings. Jodi came to the aid of an injured animal, earning her the respect of a handsome man, she started a new job as a reporter for The Turtle Creek Newspaper, and she gained the wrath of the vet's receptionist. Della had her sights set on Joshua, and she wasn't about to let anyone come between her and the man of her dreams.

And here is the first page of The Valentine Edition:

Jodi Williams sighed for the hundredth time as she waved goodbye to the Chicago skyline, catching the last of the city in her car's rearview mirror. Dreams of working at The Tribune were dead right along with drinking green tea latte's at Starbucks anytime she wanted.

Hope behind her.

The unknown ahead.

She steered toward Wisconsin. An hour later, Jodi looked out the window at the open fields of frozen ground and cows standing along snowy fences. The comparison between her two lives the previous and the present were startling. Jodi attempted to shift her body in the seat but was pretty well anchored into the one position with her belongings crammed into the compact car from the trunk to the front. The turn-by-turn directions she had printed out were hard to follow since not all the roads were actually marked in this neck of the country. She decided to refer to them as mystery turns. Finally, Jodi pulled over to the shoulder and unfolded the road map to try to figure it out one more time. According to her calculations, she was almost there at the end of civilization.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.shoutlife.com/Robin_Shope
http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

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

Readers, you can order The Valentine Edition with this link:

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Author Robin Shope - THE CHRISTMAS EDITION - Free Book

I first met Robin when she wrote a book with another author. Since then, we have become friends. This is her first book she authored by herself. Welcome, Robin. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write stories of Christian people who struggle with their faith, but still depend on God. Emotionally driven stories with a strong romance and a strong Christian principle. When a reader picks up one of my books, I don’t want to fail them. I want them to awed, moved to laughter or tears—or both in the span of a few chapters. I want them to talk to their friends about my book, that they’ve found a keeper of an author in me because all my books are a must-read—and how they can’t wait for the sequel or the next new release. As you know, I began writing mysteries. Thrillers. I loved reading that genre so that's where I began writing. As I wrote, I built an arsenal of information about blood spatter, forensics, data. I also had an interesting list of "story characters" and endlessly pestered doctors, lawyers, investigators, and even judges to help keep my writing accurate.

I still love reading and writing mysteries, but in the past year a change has come over me. Perhaps it’s due to the worrisome condition of world events. Or needing to read/watch something uplifting and inspirational, I find myself leaping over my old favorites to a new one, contemporary romance. Everyone wants to love and be loved. It’s a basic need. To be important to someone. But then stuff gets in the way. Stuff like trust issues, past relationships that ended badly, disappointment, hurt, not living up to someone's expectations. This is what links us all together, disenchantment in love on some level at some time in our life. I decided to write heartwarming romance where love and hope and faith were the cornerstones. I found myself replaying popular love songs from my high school years. They were about being with the person you love, holding their hand, thinking about them all day long, dreaming about a future together, waiting for that first kiss. I found myself transformed by the melodies, the positive words. I wanted to write a book that embodied that tender purity. But what would be the problem? I was used to the hero and heroine discussing the case. Without a murder, what would they have to say to one another?

That's when I began thinking about love being a powerful force. It’s a transformational power that can make us reach to the greatest pinnacle of our life or it can be our fatal flaw. This single emotion has a depth that is limitless. It can make you change directions. An idea brewed. It took six weeks of steady, focused writing but I completed a 65K novel. I sent it in thinking it would be shot right back with the words flawed manuscript stamped across the top. In fact I almost expected it. After all, it was my first attempt at this genre but it slid together so quickly. Instead of rejected, I was handed a contract asking for it to be a series. If you read me before I hope you come back to read my new books. And if you haven't read one of my books then I hope you start with The Christmas Edition December 2008and follow it with The Valentine Edition, out early in 2009.

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

I have had many *happiest* days. The ones that came to mind when you asked, are my wedding day, the birth of our children, having a book published, and when one of my students say, "Thank you for helping me. I understand it now."

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has opened a new world to me. Every writer knows you spend a lot of time alone in front of the computer. And every writer also knows, we aren't really alone, for we are ear deep in creating a fantasy life with characters who suddenly become friends that we care about. I do the same things everyone else does…I drive to and from work, I grocery shop, I run to the cleaners, etc. But there is also this private world going on with people known only to me. At least for a little while, until the book comes out and the reader meets them. By that time I've moved on to a new secret world with other characters. I get to create worlds, make people - decide on their personalities - and give them names. I place them in a setting with a scene and watch what happens. Being published is addictive. It drives me to improve my craft and meet new people.

What are you reading right now?

I am a member in Fiction in Rather Short Takes and read the books sent to me each month. I love it.

What is your current work in progress?

I am finishing The Turtle Creek Edition series. I just finished writing The Easter Edition and am starting on The Halloween Edition. Both should be out in 2010. In the midst of this, another series hatched. I pitched that contemporary romance series to several publishers.

What would be your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would a car ride across America with my best friend from college. Drive where the road leads. Spur of the moment type of gals we are. The only destination is fun. Adventure.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far, they all - mystery and romance alike - take place in Wisconsin. I grew up there, first as a summer girl living on Lake Delavan and later we moved there from Chicago. I graduated from UW Whitewater. Although my husband and I now live in Texas, my heart remains in Wisconsin, at least during the summer months (my heart returns to Texas when the snow flies). I love writing about the changing seasons. Wisconsin is an interesting state with a lot to offer from cities to small towns, from fields of grain and hills of cows, to frozen tundra, and let's not forget those lakes and streams and rivers. In my mind I go home a lot. My characters never complain. They like it there too.

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

My daughter Kimberly. All grown, at the age of twenty-eight, she leads a busy life traveling for a large Dallas company. When she comes home on the weekends she is exhausted and falls into bed with a good book. Me - I'm pretty well tuckered out from my week of working with teens. There is writing to do. Church. Laundry. Kimberly and I need to make time for one another. So if I could spend an evening with anyone, it would be her.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to garage sale! I start scanning the papers on Wednesday and plot my route. Monday through Friday I drag myself out of bed and yawn dozens of times as I drive to work. On Saturdays everything changes. I am up at the crack of dawn, bright-eyed, alert! Another hobby of mine is selling vintage items on eBay. I am Princess*la-dee-da. Now ask me what hobbies I would love to have time for and you will get a whole different response.

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

My biggest obstacle is the time issue. I am the special education coordinator at a juvenile facility for the courts system. I also have a family and church and friends. I fight for free moments to write. I juggle. Prioritize. When I have a deadline looming that takes precedence. I take deadlines very seriously.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

My advice is simple; know your audience and genre. If you are like me, you enjoy various types of music, and your reading tastes run the gamut from fiction to nonfiction to children’s books. Many new writers, including myself, started out writing anything and everything . . . that is not so bad, and quite energetic for an aspiring author. But when we become serious about being published then writing takes on a whole new meaning. Pick one genre that you feel most passionate about and learn it. That means read that genre. Study it as though you are preparing for a college exam. Take notes on how the characters are developed, when the problem occurs, how a hook is used, what about the story keeps you right on turning the pages. Better still, write down what you don’t like. Writing takes work. Writer Loops are filled with the same type of questions from aspiring authors all asking the same basic questions such as I am writing a book for young adults. Can anyone suggest a good author for me to read? I shiver when I read that and not in a good way. Their shelves should already be filled with the likes of Jean Craighead George and Cynthia Rylant.

Tell us about the featured book.

Lucy Collins has given up on Christmas since the painful break-up with her fiancé. Things only get worse when a large newspaper is about to come to town and threatens the livelihood of their family run business, The Turtle Creek Newspaper. At the staff Christmas party, she makes a wish and what seems like the answer to her prayer walks in the front door to apply for the editor position, which they are hoping will bring new life to the paper. Not only is Joe McNamara a genius when it comes to the written word, but he is also gifted with ideas about keeping the newspaper afloat. However, Joe has a secret of his own that he is keeping from Lucy. If she finds it out, then what looks like a promising relationship will unravel, but it's Christmas time, the season of rebirth and miracles. Will the spirit of celebration be enough to heal two hearts? Or will the reality of deception make this the worst Christmas of all?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I answer emails.
http://www.shoutlife.com/Robin_Shope
http://www.write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

Readers, you can order the book by clicking this link:

Or leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy. The drawing will be a week from Saturday. Be sure to come by and see if you won. If not, you still can order using this link.

Susan Wales and Robin Shope - Free Books

Today, we're talking to two authors who write together.

Susan Wales

Robin Shope

Susan and Robin, welcome. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

SUSAN: I lend at least one of my quirky character traits to each one of my characters, even the bad guys. In the first book, The Chase, Rubric, Jill’s curmudgeon boss, is a creature of habit. He eats at the same restaurant again and again . . .that’s me. The female characters, especially the protagonist, have many of my traits. I bring my experiences to a character in a variety of ways, especially from the traumatic events of my life. I believe God has allowed these tragedies so I can use these experiences to relate to other and to encourage, inspire the readers.

ROBIN: I bestow each female with an aspect of my personality. At times I create females with the attributes I wish I had, or attributes that I admire in others. The men are a combination of people I have known.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

SUSAN: My husband Ken wanted his marriage proposal to me to be unforgettable. The evening began like a scene from a movie with a sunset drive along the coast to one of Malibu’s finest restaurants. When we were seated at a fireside table with two-dozen of my favorite Sonya roses, I became suspicious. The maitre ‘d appeared with two flutes of vintage French champagne on a silver tray. He and the waiters hovered over us, I assumed to await my reaction to the bubbly. Wanting them to go away, I quickly picked up the glass and took a big sip of the champagne. Everyone gasped. Perhaps they are upset I gulped instead of sipping such fine champagne? All of a sudden I understood as a foreign object slid down my throat. My ring was hidden in the glass of champagne. I swallowed my engagement ring! After the waiter’s Heimlich maneuver, the ring popped out on the table. Ken didn’t miss a beat as he picked up the ring and proposed to me. Not exactly the romantic evening Ken had envisioned, but it truly was—an unforgettable proposal!

ROBIN: Rick and I spent our honeymoon at a Christian Camp. It was 100 degrees and the room had no AC. It also had one lumpy bed so I gave Rick that to sleep in while I slept on the floor over the sump pump under the floor.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

SUSAN: My mother created dramatic story hours for my sister and me. If we were reading Jack and the Beanstalk, she would give us a ‘hunk of bread and a piece of cheese.’ We’d wear crowns and have tea parties when she read Cinderella. Best of all she would ask us make up new endings to the stories, and later, make up our own stories. In the second grade, I began writing my stories down and reading them to my friends. After all these years, I’m still doing it. When my childhood friends became bored with too many stories, they would beg, “Can’t we go play dolls?” Now those same friends beg, “Can’t we go shopping?”

ROBIN: I discovered I wanted to spend my life writing when I was in 5th grade, and tried to impress my English composition teacher with my stories.

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

SUSAN: My mother’s story hours ignited my passion for books. Our town librarian introduced me to Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, Sense and Sensibility, Rebecca, and my favorite book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Favorite Christian books are C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, and Catherine Marshall’s book, Something More. New author Joshilyn Jackson’s first book, gods of Alabama, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Rick Bragg’s Ava's Man and All Over But the Shoutin’ are current favorites of mine. Here’s an excerpt from one of Bragg’s stories. "This is a place where Grandmothers hold babies on their laps and whisper in their ears that the lights in the sky are holes in the floor of heaven." Ah, I must confess I’m green with envy. Writing doesn't get much better than that does it?”

ROBIN: I love to read Cynthia Rylant’s books, and I enjoy short story collections, but my favorite read is a good mystery.

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

SUSAN: Fleming Revell published our three novels, The Chase, The Replacement, and The Candidate. My first book with Ann Platz was the Match Made in Heaven series for Multnomah. Ann and I also wrote four gift books, From This Day Forward, (Multnomah) Social Graces, The Pleasure of Your Company and Social Graces for Your Wedding (Harvest House). I’ve written three gift books with Alice Gray, A Christmas Keepsake, Keepsake for a Mother’s Heart, (J Countryman) and A Grandmother’s Love, coming out in 2008 with Howard/Simon Schuster, and I’ve written two others, The Art of Romantic Living (Janet Thoma/Thomas Nelson) and ‘Tis the Season. Two books with Dr. Ted Baehr accompanied films, Faith in God and Generals (B&H) and Amazing Grace, (New Leaf Press), produced by my husband, a biography for a soap opera star, and a non-fiction book, Standing on the Promises (Multnomah/Random House). My five-year-old granddaughter and I’ve written and illustrated a lot of books that haven’t been published.

ROBIN: I have written two cozies, four full length mysteries, and one Young Adult book, yet to be published.

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

SUSAN: I have learned to say, "no." Helen Hayes, the late great stage actress, found it impossible to say no, so her friends gave a "no"’ pin to wear and point to when she needed to say no. I considered buying a "no" pin, but instead, I retreat in my home, especially when I have a big project or a book contract. These retreats allow me to spend time alone with God to restore my soul. During my retreats, I say ‘no’ to all invitations, even the tempting ones. When I’m not on retreat and life gets crazy, I take a ten-minute time out for a walk on the beach or a power nap. I also pray a lot, “Lord, I need some help down here!”

ROBIN: I spend time with God and ask Him to clear my mind and bring me His peace. I also take time out for me, but have to schedule it.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

SUSAN: I have a blast because I name my characters after my friends and family. If they’re alive, I ask their permission, especially if the character is a bad guy. All the guys love having a bad guy named after them. Go figure? This also gives me a great excuse to call and catch up with old friends I sometimes haven’t seen in years. When the book comes out, I’ll send them a copy.

ROBIN: Sometimes they are combination names of people I know or have known. For example, in the book trilogy, Pearl was my mother’s middle name and Lewis is the last name of a boy I dated in college. Jill was one of my college roommates. Other times a name just pops into my head. When I cannot seem to come up with the appropriate name for the personality of a character, I go through a book of baby names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

SUSAN: As a mother and a grandmother seeing the things you have taught a child about God and life reflected in their lives. As a wife, knowing how I, as a helpmate, have inspired my husband and his accomplishments. As a daughter, seeing the joy in the eyes of my elderly parents that I turned out okay!

ROBIN: I am most proud of my loving family; my husband of thirty years and his missions work overseas, and our two children who both work in the health system to help others.

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

SUSAN: Wow! Great question. I’d like to be an animal that could live in the water and on land, but not a hippo . . . a sea lion. I love to watch sea lions lounging on the beach in the sun with their pals. They’re so laid back and unafraid of approaching strangers. As I walk past them, they look up to acknowledge me. They fish and will share their food with their pals. When the mood hits them, they’ll waddle down to the ocean and take a dip. Their concern for one another is poignant. I saw a documentary in which a gigantic polar bear attacked a sea lion, and although they were unsuccessful, his friends desperately tried to pull the bear off of him. So if I were a sea lion, I’d definitely want to be a California sea lion!

ROBIN: I am really glad I am a human because Jesus saved me.

What is your favorite food?

SUSAN: My husband and I love salads so I’m always experimenting and creating new ones. Our favorite is a beef tenderloin salad I created. I toss my favorite greens, romaine and spinach with toasted pine nuts, crumbled goat cheese, purple onion rings, sliced strawberries, and my homemade vinaigrette dressing. A famous French chef taught me it’s all about the herbs, spices, and especially the quality of oil and vinegar in the salad dressing. If any you would like my recipe for the salad or the dressing, let me know, and I’ll be happy to email it to you.

ROBIN: My favorite food is Mexican. Yum.

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

SUSAN: I’m still working on it! After I finish writing a book, I read it, and then I’ll rewrite it. And rewrite it and rewrite it. It’s a part of the creative process. And I just keep coming up with better ideas. When the deadline is looming, I finally just have to let it go. It's a challenge, but you gotta do it. It’s an addiction, but at deadline time, I refuse to open the file and look at it again. Does anyone know of a 12-step program for addictive rewriters?

ROBIN: My greatest roadblock is finding the time to write. I am a fulltime teacher and work 50 hour weeks. Time can be the issue.

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

SUSAN: Jesus Christ walked in excellence and to honor him, we must strive for excellence in all we do. So beginning writers, never stop perfecting your craft. If you don’t have the money to invest in a writer’s conferences or a writing class, you can find a ton of free information on the Internet on writing and great books at the library. Lena’s site is great for beginning writers. Take advantage of these wonderful resources. When friends and family members ask what you want for your birthday or Christmas, ask them to contribute to a writer’s conference fund. Conferences are invaluable. For those who have secured your first book contract, my advice for you is to listen to your editor. Discussions with your editor are great . . . ‘iron sharpening iron’, but if you reach an impasse, remember the editor is the expert. Discuss your true feelings with your editor, but if he or she still insists you make a change, hit that delete button and let it go, my friend. Choose your battles carefully, not just in writing but in life too.

ROBIN: Stick with it, believe in yourself but be open to change. Join a critic group and take writing lessons.

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

SUSAN: The Candidate is one of three inspirational romances that revolve around Jill Lewis, an investigative political reporter. At the close of The Replacement, Jill is burned out from a life-threatening investigation and ‘torn between two lovers’ . . . what a great problem to have, huh ladies? So what’s a girl to do? Jill runs home to Mama and persuades her to buy the local newspaper. But Jill can’t seem to escape those evil politicians and finds herself right back in the middle of a murder investigation. On a recent dive, she’s also discovered the remains of what appears to be the legendary lake monster at the bottom of the lake. Will anyone believe her? Will she escape the evil politicians? Will she decide which man to marry? Her mother and sister, who have just opened a bridal shop, certainly hope so. As one reader wrote, the ending of The Candidate will make you smile.

ROBIN: I am really proud that we were able to tie legends and history of Delavan, Wisconsin, into the book. It added a flavor to the story that makes it unique. It’s a fun read.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

SUSAN: You can find me on my amazon.com blog. Just put Susan Wales profile in the amazon.com search. My website is www.susanwales.net .

ROBIN: Just type my name in on the browser.

Thank you, Susan and Robin, for letting us get to know you more.

Readers, here's the good news for you. The drawing for this interview will be for all three of the books in the series, so you'll want to leave a comment for a chance to win this set of books.

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

MaryLu Tyndall - The Restitution
Margaret Daley - Heart of the Home

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