DUTY TO PROTECT - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?        

My plate was really full over the past couple years, and from November, 2010 to December, 2011 I've had six new inspirational novels out, plus two Superromances re-released by Harlequin Heartwarming, which required editing to fit that sweet, wholesome line.  It was a busy time, and during 2010 my dear mom declined and then passed away.  I've had about five months to regroup since finishing my last contract, and now look forward to getting back to work!

Before making a first sale, I wrote one full manuscript that didn't sell.  I plan to revise and self publish it--perhaps I'll even serialize it on my blog at www.roxannerustand.com.  It should be a fun adventure!  I also plan to get to work on some new proposals to submit to a publisher.  I hope there will be more many more books to come!

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?      

I will be on four workshop panels at the Chicago Romantic Times Convention in April--one secular suspense panel and three with an inspirational fiction focus. 

My friends Cindy Gerard, Kylie Brant and I often give workshops at the national RWA conferences, and we hope to be giving one there in Anaheim, this coming July.  I think I've given (or have been on a panel) in around nine workshops at RWA over the years, and really enjoy it!  I don't know about the September ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Dallas.  I adore that conference and wouldn't miss it for the world, and I would love to give a workshop there someday!

If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?      

I really enjoy giving workshops on suspense, career planning, plotting, writing inspirational novels, and one I've done quite a few times now, titled "The First Year and Beyond."  I guess I would pick that one, because it addresses what an aspiring author can do to make a first sale, how to make it through that dizzying first year after selling, as well as professionalism, productivity, and how to best place one's self to make many more sales to come.  Many new authors shoot themselves in the foot along the way and either never reach that first sale or cannot make a second, and I think its so important to be well-prepared.  As for other speakers on the panel, I would choose multi-published authors who are prolific, professional and fun to listen to.  J

How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

I would not have sold if not for the wonderful educational opportunities in RWA (Romance Writers of America)---from the articles in the monthly magazines, to the many conferences and workshops I attended, to the dozens of writing contests I entered. 

I discovered ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) after switching from secular to inspirational fiction, and ACFW is every bit as supportive, well run, and valuable.  The website offers a wealth of information, the e-mail loop is wonderful, and the annual conferences are amazing.  I think it's extremely important for any serious Christian writer to belong to ACFW.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?       

I taught Sunday School for around eighteen years while our kids were growing up, and helped with confirmation when they reached that age.  My husband and I have been regularly scheduled volunteer cooks for the SEMP (Saturday evening meal program) for the indigent population of our nearby city since the mid 1980's.  Recently, I signed up for Stephen Ministry classes as well. I quit my day job to write full time last fall, so I will probably become more involved in volunteering in the future, now that life isn’t quite so hectic.

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?        

Wow.  Good question!  But by far, the main two people were my parents.  I was in foster care until I was three, but then I was adopted by a wonderful couple--good Christians, loving, hardworking folks. I was so blessed. My mom and dad gave me every opportunity they could, put a priority on higher education, and enriched my life in so many ways.  My dad gave me a love of travel, adventure and photography. My mom was a sweetheart--with a whimsical sense of humor, absolute loyalty and protectiveness toward her family, and such class.  She loved to entertain, had a wide circle of close friends throughout her life, and was always such charming company.  My girlfriends all loved her, too.  I miss her every single day.

If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?           

She was a warm and loving mom, who always put her children first.

Tell us about the featured book.     

DUTY TO PROTECT is a Love Inspired Suspense that takes place in Colorado and Montana.  It's about a young woman who has spent most of her life in the witness protection program, but now that security has been breached, her parents are dead, she has been framed for murder, and she is on the run.  I had a lot of fun writing this book!

Please share the first page with us.

The soft blanket of new snow glittered under the street lamp and muffled her steps as Emma strode from the city bus stop at the end of the block to the side door of her garage.  Anxiety twisted her stomach into a tight knot of fear.

The snow could muffle the sound of someone else's steps, too.  And even now, that unknown person could be watching her. Waiting. Just as he had waited for her father last week.

She'd been only a few feet away from her dad, pushing a cart of groceries in

the busy Safeway parking lot.  He'd suddenly faltered to a stop. Started to whisper a warning to her.  "We've got to leave," he'd said urgently. "I just saw—

Then he'd fallen face first, a widening pool of crimson spreading through the slushy snow beneath him.   He died at her feet, and she hadn't even heard the gunshot.

Had he seen his killer's face? Why hadn't the shooter taken her out, too? The melee of screaming, frightened people running for cover would have given the shooter ample opportunity to pull the trigger, and he probably wouldn't have missed.  From the perfect placement of the single bullet in her father's skull, the cops figured the killer possessed ample sniper experience.

Which meant it was someone sent by the drug organization that had been trying to kill Emma and her family for over ten years.  And now she was the only one left.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

www.roxannerustand.com    (website, and The All Creatures Great and Small blog)

http://twitter.com/RoxanneRustand

http://www.facebook.com/roxanne.rustand

http://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannerustand

Thank you so much, Roxanne, for sharing this book with us. It sounds like a book I will love reading.



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


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

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

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

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

THE LONER'S THANKSGIVING WISH - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

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?

The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish is the fifth book in the Rocky Mountain Heirs series.  Though a reader could read any one of the books alone and enjoy a good story, the best part of such a series is being able to re-visit favorite characters from this small ranching community. There are some loose ends purposely left unanswered in each book, so the extra fun can be trying to figure out those answers while on the way to reading the following books.

As you can imagine, six different authors writing their own story, while needing to coordinate every minor detail of the town and the cast of local characters who pop up here and there, means there needs to be a lot of communication between those authors.  Readers are smart, and will notice if the police station is suddenly on a different street, someone is pregnant for a year, if there's a change in the color of someone's eyes, or a character's personality radically changes!  J

The other five authors in this series--Linda Goodnight, Arlene James, Carolyne Aarsen, Lenora Worth and Kathryn Springer--are wonderful writers, and they were incredibly helpful. I think the e-mails we all exchanged might fill enough pages for another book!

                        

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

I'm on three workshop panels at the RT Convention in Chicago this coming April--two on writing inspirational fiction, and one on writing suspense.

If the workshop is accepted, I'll also be speaking at the RWA national conference in Anaheim in July.  Authors Cindy Gerard, Kylie Brant and I usually give a workshop at RWA, and we have a ball.  Cindy and Kylie are very entertaining speakers!

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

I adore pine forests, mountains, and being near water.  Alaska is so gorgeous, I think I might move north!

My husband spent about 15 months in Alaska before we met. He’s always said he’d take me there, but after almost 47 years together, who knows. If you could only tell aspiring novelists one thing, what would it be?

I would tell them to work hard, gladly accept critiques and contest scores to help assess and improve their craft, and never give up.  Oops--that's more than one thing, I guess. But the last part--having the grit and determination to keep trying--is just so important.  I know too many people who had the sheer talent to be very successful, but not the motivation.

You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers, etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])

We've been on a half-dozen cruises, but none were as much fun for me as a recent cruise I was on with several dozen writers.  It was a blast!  So if I were to be in charge of planning a cruise, I would love to have every passenger be a writer, a reader, or someone from the publishing industry, with lots of opportunity for interaction.

Tell us about the featured book? 

Here is the back cover blurb.

THE LONER'S THANKSGIVING WISH

Adopted as a baby, Mei Clayton never felt like she belonged in her family. She left tiny Clayton, Colorado, the moment she could. Now, to fulfill the terms of a will, she must move home for a year. But when she reunites with handsome Jack McCord—the mountain-rescue expert she once secretly loved—she has to keep her distance. Their relatives have feuded for years. She'll never fit in with the Claytons if she gives in to her feelings for Jack. Unless faith and love can help open hearts in time for Thanksgiving.

I know I’ll love this story. Please give us the first page of the book.

CHAPTER 1

         Mei Clayton veered off the trail near the summit of Belle's Peak, found the edge of the cliff where she'd often picnicked as a teenager, and surveyed the panorama of rugged ranching country below.

 

To the west, shadowed by the massive, snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains, lay the distant, rustic cowboy town of Clayton, Colorado.  Her hometown, named after a great grandfather she'd never met.  The last place she wanted to be today, tomorrow or ever.

Especially for an entire, interminable year, though that's exactly what she had to do, thanks to a stipulation in her Grandpa George's will.

 

She would stay a year--but not one day more.

Mei and each of her five cousins all had to comply, or none would receive a single penny.  And though Mei would have preferred to continue teaching in San Francisco, she just couldn't let the others lose out on the inheritance some of them badly needed.

         Delaying her inevitable, awkward arrival, she'd parked along the highway to hike one of the easier trails in this part of the Rockies, just to savor one of the good memories she'd kept close to her heart during her years away.

 

Yet even up here, she hadn't found a sense of solitude and peace. The snow-dusted trail offered an easy climb and breath-taking vistas, and she'd already run into several other local hikers taking advantage of the unseasonably warm sunshine for the first weekend of November.

She'd hoped to do a little climbing and had brought her gear in a backpack.  But the snow was deeper at this higher elevation, and she needed to turn back. Get in her car.  And face her return to the town she'd so desperately wanted to leave as a teen.

 

Though it was her impending conversation with her widowed mother that truly had her stomach tying itself it a tight knot.

Where can we find you on the Internet?

www.roxannerustand.com   (website, and The All Creatures Great and Small blog)

http://twitter.com/RoxanneRustand

http://www.facebook.com/roxanne.rustand

Roxanne, thank you for sharing this book with us.

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

The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish (Love Inspired)


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

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

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

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

SECOND CHANCE DAD - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

Readers, I will post the winners later today, but first an interview with my friend Roxanne.


Why did you become an author?

I started out as an avid reader, and that passion for books gradually evolved into dabbling at writing. I never expected that I would actually sell a book!  But as time went on, I learned about RWA and started going to the regional and national conferences, and met other aspiring authors.  The encouragement and education the organization offered really sparked my dreams.

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

If I could go back in time, I would go to vet school!

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

I love reading historical fiction, but I'm content in the era I'm in.  After working in health care for so many years as a dietitian, the realities of poor sanitation and lack of dental care, antibiotics and other aspects of modern health care just don’t seem very appealing!  That said, if I could go back--but could choose my socio-economic status--I might like the life of one of Georgette Heyer's heroines who ended up with a duke. 

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

I would love to visit the beautiful coasts of the upper Northwest, and also Maine.  I love the oceans, forests, rocky shorelines and cooler weather.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

I'd love to visit Ireland, England, Wales, and Italy.  A friend of mine went to Ireland for a vacation that involved riding horses every day--instead of hiking--and that sounds wonderful!  Perhaps the Scandinavian countries as well, as I'm Swedish and my husband in Norwegian. 

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

I lost my mom last fall.  I spent much of last year out of state to be with her, and though I was blessed with being able to be away from home that much---the kids are grown now, and I'm a full-time writer without a day job schedule--I realized that there really is never enough time.  We've got to make use of every opportunity to tell our loved ones how much we love them, because you just never know when that last moment will be.

Despite Mom's pain and weakness, she wasn't dwelling on that--she never complained.  Her last words to me were, "You know what's so bad about this?  I didn’t get to finish your last book, and I'll never get to read the new ones."  Even then, she was thinking about her children and not herself.  Through my mom, I received a lesson about the depth of selfless love in a mother's heart, and it has made me far more aware of how I want to love and care for my own children.

Tell us about the featured book?

SECOND CHANCE DAD is a story about a newly graduated physical therapist who will do everything she can to give her son the safe and nurturing life he needs.  The hero is a former emergency room doctor who is filled with guilt and remorse about a car accident that took the life of his pregnant wife.  He is disabled and has walled himself away from living, but she cannot give up on him or she may lose the one job that will allow her to stay in the town where her son is receiving the special programs he needs.

Please give us the first page of the book. 

Sophie stepped out of her ancient Taurus sedan but lingered at the open door, staring at the massive dog on the porch of the sprawling cabin.  The dog stared back at her with laser-like intensity, head lowered and tail stiff.  

            It was not a welcoming pose.  

            Set back in the deep shadows of the pine trees crowding so close, the cabin itself--with all the windows dark--seemed even more menacing than a wolfhound mix with very sharp teeth. So what kind of person would be sitting in there, in all that gloomy darkness? 

            "Don't worry about the dog," Grace Dearborn had said with a breezy smile during Sophie's orientation at the county home health department offices.  "He's quite the bluffer.  It's the owner who is more likely to bite."  

            Sophie looked at the folder in her hand again.  Dr. Josh McLaren. Widower.  Lives alone.  No local support system. Post-surgical healing of comminuted fracture, right leg with a knee replacement.  Surgical repair of fractured L-4 and L-5 lumbar vertebrae, multiple comminuted fractures, right hand. 

            Had he been hit by a truck?  She shuddered, imagining the pain he'd been through.  The surgeries and therapy had to have been as bad as the injuries. The only other documentation in the folder were scant, frustrated progress notes written by her various physical therapist predecessors.  The last one had ignored professional convention by inserting his personal feelings into his notes.  

            The man is surly and impossible.  

            Ten minutes spend arguing about the need for therapy.  Five minutes of deep massage of his right leg and strengthening exercises before he ordered me out of his house. 

            And the final note... 

            I give up.  Doctor or not, McLaren is a highly unpleasant client and I will not be coming back here. 

            Sophie scanned the documents again, vainly searching for a birth date or mention of the man's age.  Maybe he was an old duffer, like her grandfather.  Crotchety and isolated and clinging to his independence.  

             The job was just temporary--three months covering for the regular therapist who'd gone to Chicago for some advanced training. But if  Sophie did exceptionally well, Grace would try to push the county board to approve hiring her on a permanent basis.  

The thought had lifted Sophie's heart with joy, though now some of her giddy excitement faded.  She set her jaw.  If her ability to stay in Aspen Creek hinged on those stipulations, then no one--not even this difficult old man--was going to stand in her way.   Far too much depended on it. 

"Buddy, I'm going to overwhelm you with kindness, and your mean ole dog, too," she muttered under her breath as she pawed through a grocery sack on the front seat of her car. "See how you like that."

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.roxannerustand.com

http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com
Free e-newsletter: http://roxannerustand.com/newsletter-sign-up

Thank you, Roxanne, for visiting with us again. I love the first of the book.

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

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 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

MURDER AT GRANITE FALLS - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

I just love hosting this author on my blog. Welcome, Roxanne. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Murder at Granite Falls is the fourth book in my Big Sky Secrets series for Love Inspired Suspense. The books are connected through a childhood experience--the murder of a close childhood friend. I initially wondered how such a tragedy would affect three young girls into their adulthood, but this fourth book branches away from that concept and involves the missing sister of one of those initial characters. Kris (Fatal Burn) and her sister Emma were orphaned and in the foster care system when Emma disappeared.

Though this is a series, each book definitely stands alone.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

What a great question! I love a lively discussion about writing. I would probably chose a disparate group of writers from various walks of Christian fiction. It's hard to choose from the many writers I admire, but I think Lyn Cote, Brandilyn Collins, Lenora Worth, James Rubart, James Scott Bell, and Debra Clopton would make a lively and fun evening!

Yes, they would. I'd love to be there to watch and listen. Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Good question, again. Hmmmm.....Deeanne Gist, Lynn Austin, Lyn Cote (again! She writes both contemporary and historical, and is such fun to talk to), Delia Parr, Nancy Moser, and newcomer Pamela Nissen might be a fun mix!

Yes, they would. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

I've written thirty books, now. I left my day job last fall and write fulltime, but still wish I had forty-eight hour days! No matter what happens in one's personal life, with family or a day job, deadlines still need to be met. And it isn’t just the book deadlines themselves--there's so much one can do with one's visibility on the Internet these days, if one has the time. It's a whole new world out there, and my resolution for 2011 is to expand my horizons in that regard!

Just don't let it take over your time. You have to learn to control it. Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the backcover blurb:

Everyone in Granite Falls tells Carrie Randall the same thing. Is it a threat, or a warning?

Yet even if it endangers her fresh start, Carrie needs to know what secret the town’s hiding. There’s her troubled student and his disturbing drawings. His fiercely protective father, and the mysterious death of his mother. And Carrie definitely has to find out more about the bad reputation of her standoffish new landlord, Logan Bradley. She wants to trust him, but she’s been fooled by charm before. Is the town wrong about him—or is she?

Big Sky Secrets: In Montana’s wide-open spaces, danger and love are waiting.

I just love your suspense novels. Please give us the first page of the book.

CHAPTER 1

Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, Carrie Randall glanced again in her rear view mirror. The vehicle was still behind her. Billy? It couldn't be. She'd been so very, very careful.

She'd caught a better glimpse of the car while negotiating a set of hairpin turns at a higher elevation. Not close enough to identify the make and model, but close enough to be fairly certain it was the same one that had tailed her for the last two hours.

It had dropped back when she'd stopped for gas before starting over the mountain pass.

Crept closer after that.

She palmed her cell phone, checking the number of reception bars on the screen. Zero. No surprise, in this isolated part of the Montana Rockies, where bears probably outnumbered the two-footed residents, three-to-one.

She glanced again at the odometer. Ten miles to the town of Granite Falls. The lane leading to her new home should be coming up in less than a mile. But if her ex-husband was following her, the last thing she wanted was to lead him right to her door.

An ear-splitting yowl erupted from the cage on the seat behind her, followed by the frantic scrabbling of paws. "It's okay, Harley. Just hang on."

She stepped on the gas. Rocketed past the little gravel lane that wound into the pines off to the left that led to her rented cabin.

And then she headed straight for town.

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

Website: http://www.roxannerustand.com/
Blog: http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/
Newsletter sign-up: http://roxannerustand.com/newsletter-signup

Thank you, Roxanne. It's always a pleasure to have you here.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.



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 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 if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

WINTER REUNION - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

It's so good to have you back on the blog, Roxanne. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was baptized as a baby, and grew up with parents who were very involved in their church. Salvation was always a part of those teachings, and I grew up believing that it was a gift for all believers. My dad actually started off in the seminary, before World War II changed his plans, so faith was always a part of my life. It became far deeper for me as adult, after my husband and I lost a baby. Through that tragedy my husband and I grew closer, and we also grew much closer to our faith.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors.

Who would they be and why? Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Colleen Coble, and non-fiction author Michael Hauge would be an interesting mix. I would just love to sit quietly in a corner and listen!

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

I don’t have a speaking ministry, but I think of inspirational fiction as a ministry in itself--a chance to share stories of people facing struggles in life, who find strength and peace as they reach a deeper level of faith.

That is so true. It's why I write fiction as well. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

Honestly, I have had so many that it's hard to choose.

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?

People often come up to me and say they want to write a book, but they haven't taken a single step. I just encourage them to read voraciously and start writing regularly, even if they only have an hour a day. Invariably, they say "Oh, but I'm too busy," but if you have the desire, you'll find the time somehow.

If a person is already writing, and shows true interest, I love to steer them toward the organizations, online sites and books that can help them achieve their goals. For anyone longing to be published in inspirational fiction, ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is an absolutely fantastic organization, and its annual conferences are amazing!

Aren't they? The conference is the high point of my writing year. Tell us about the featured book.

I've had seventeen secular romantic suspense/mystery novels published, followed by seven romantic suspense novels published by Steeple Hill's Love Inspired Suspense line. WINTER REUNION is my first for Love Inspired. What a treat (and an exciting new challenge!) it was to write a story without a strong external suspense plot!

It involves an emotionally and physically wounded man who left his marriage long ago, and is now on medical leave from the armed services. He comes back to Aspen Creek to meet the stipulations of his mother's will and finds he must not only work with his ex-wife, but must face a whole new set of challenges. Facing enemy fire is something he understands. But helping a houseful of elderly people--who were his late mother's final mission in life--truly tests his mettle! Winter Reunion is actually the first book in my Aspen Creek Crossroads series, and will be followed by SECOND CHANCE DAD in June, 2011.

I must feature that one on my blog, too. Please give us the first page of Winter Reunion.


CHAPTER 1

Beth Carrigan took a last glance at her cell phone, shoved it in her pocket and heaved a sigh.

A crisp, sunny, October weekend in Aspen Creek, Wisconsin, usually brought crowds of tourists from Chicago, Minneapolis, and all parts in between. It didn't bring unexpected calls from Washington, DC, California, and the Henderson Law Office. Calls that now had her stomach doing crazy cartwheels.

What on earth was she going to do?

But everything is going to be fine, Lord. It's going to be fine, right? She surveyed her bookstore, breathing in the beloved scents of books, dark roast coffee and apricot tea as she walked to the back, where her friends were already settled in an eclectic mix of comfy loveseats and rockers she'd pulled into a circle before unlocking the entrance for them at nine o'clock.

Their voices fell silent as five pairs of worried eyes looked up at her. Their concern was so palpable that she forced herself to dredge up a nonchalant smile. "How's the coffee? Is it better this time? I bought a new fair trade brand and--"

"The question is, how are you?" Olivia Lawson, the oldest bookclub member at fifty-two, had been a high school English teacher for years, and was well known in town for keeping her students in line. Her brows, dark in contrast to her short, silver hair, drew together in a worried frown. "You definitely look upset."

Beth closed her eyes briefly for a quick silent prayer. "No news."

"If this is a bad time, we can all leave, dear. Unless, of course, there's something we can do to help."

For five years, they'd been meeting twice a month on Saturday mornings, an hour before the store opened. They'd been friends in good times and bad, and she knew she could count on them for support and the utmost discretion. Still, she stumbled over her thoughts trying to frame her news in the best light.

"The first call was from my mother. She's on her way here from California." Beth took a deep breath. "The second was from Dev. He's coming back next week."

Olivia's mouth dropped open. "Your mother and ex-husband. In the same town."

A hush fell over the group.

"And it gets worse. The last call was from Dev's lawyer--something about stipulations of an inheritance, and setting up a meeting, but surely it's just a formality, since the divorce ended my connection to the family. I can't imagine anything more uncomfortable than facing those two again."

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

http://www.roxannerustand.com/
www.shoutlife.com/roxannerustand
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/
http://www.booksbyrustand.com/

Thank you, Roxanne, for another interesting interview. I know my readers will be as anxious as I am to read the book.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. New information: Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. I’m trying to get a good idea of where the people live who leave comments on my blog. (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.

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END GAME - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

I'm, happy to welcome Roxanne back to the blog. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

 I like to write about people who have lost their way spiritually, through tragedy and other circumstances. People who feel God has forgotten them, and doesn’t care...and how they can find their way back into a full, abundant life if they can finally open their hearts to Him.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

WINTER REUNION will be out in November. This is the first book in my Aspen Creek Crossroads series for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Romance--and the very first non-suspense book I've ever written. Believe me, my patient editor gave me a lot of guidance during the revision stage, because I kept inadvertently slipping in suspense elements! After that, the fourth book in my Big Sky Secrets series for Love Inspired Suspense will be out in April, 2011.

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

Michael Hauge or James Scott Bell. They both have written fabulous books on writing, and have such a keen grasp of the process. Having been in workshops given by them both, I know they would be delightful company. I think even my husband--who is an avid reader but who has no interest in writing--would be highly entertained if either of them came for dinner!

I know my husband, a non-writer, would enjoy James Scott Bell. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Jane Austin. What an amazing voice she had, and such wit. I think she would have been delightful company!

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

I feel that if someone is truly motivated, truly driven to succeed, they already have one of the key elements needed for becoming published. There are a lot of super talented people who will never sell, because they lack the focus, drive and determination to make it happen. Rejections are an opportunity to improve. Go to conferences. Buy the workshop CD's from the ACFW and RWA conferences. Enter lots and lots of contests, because they offer feedback from fresh readers---and don't consider your manuscript your perfect baby, because it isn't. When you sell, you'll discover that your new editor probably has a hundred changes to make at the revision and line edit stages! So take the advice of contest judges to heart, then work hard to learn and grow. And never give up on your dreams. On the other hand, one thing that can hold you back is going after the wrong goal. Write what you love to read, not what you think is selling. If you love your characters and story, it will show!

Tell us about the featured book?

END GAME (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, June) is the third book in my Big Sky Secrets series set in the Montana Rockies.

Blurb:

"I'll be seeing you again..."

The attacker's words still ring in Deputy Megan Peters' ears. Her attempt to trap a serial rapist terrorizing Lost Falls failed, but she has succeeded in becoming the target of his attention. Undaunted, she moves forward in her investigation, and Scott Anders, the only newcomer in town, draws her suspicion. Is his gentleness just an act? Yet as Megan and Scott grow closer, she finds herself questioning her instincts. What will she believe--her heart, or the evidence against him?

Please give us the first page of the book.

First Page:

"I won't stop until I find this guy, Anna." Seeing the raw pain in her friend's eyes, Megan Peters took a deep breath and forced back the memories threatening to swamp her. "I promise."

"How?" Anna lashed out, pulling her hands away from Megan's. "I didn't see his face. I don't know who it was, and neither did the other woman who got away. And the two dead girls won't be talking."

The bitterness in Anna's voice stung Megan as if she'd been slapped. "No. But the DNA—"

"Hasn't matched anyone in the system so far, and probably never will, right? This guy will never be caught."

"But it does connect the crimes, so when we get him, we'll be able to send him away for good. There'll be a time when someone picks up on a clue. Someone else who escapes."

They both fell silent, Megan's words a chilling reminder of the two women who had been raped and murdered within the past six months. If a group of noisy hikers hadn't come by and scared off her attacker, Anna might have been number three.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.roxannerustand.com/
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for this opportunity to be on your website, Lena. Bless you!!
Roxanne

Thank you for the blessings and for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using the link when you order, 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/

FATAL BURN - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

Welcome back, Roxanne. I love your suspense novels. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was baptized as a baby, and grew up with parents who were very involved in their church. Salvation was always a part of those teachings, and I grew up knowing that it was a gift for all believers. My dad actually started off in the seminary, before the World War II changed his plans, so faith was always a part of my life. It became far deeper, on a more personal level, as adult after my husband and I lost a baby. Through that tragedy my husband and I grew closer, and we also grew much closer to our faith.

How did you and your spouse meet?

In college, at a fraternity dance. Thirty-three years later, my family still gets a kick out of that story, because I'm so quiet and I don't drink at all--never have. It sounds like such an unlikely place for me to be! But if we both hadn’t been there at that moment, we probably wouldn't have ever met.

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

Lyn Cote, Cindy Gerard and Kylie Brant--because they are all wonderful brainstormers. I've been on plotting weekends with all three (not all at the same time) and the exchange of thoughts and ideas is always wonderful. For the fourth--Susan Elizabeth Phillips, because I just love her books. I've tried to analyze how she can pen such page turners without guns, bombs and bad guys, and I still can't define the magic within her books.

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

Honestly, I have had so many that it's hard to choose.

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?

People often come up and say they want to write a book, but they haven't taken a single step. I just encourage them to read voraciously and start writing regularly, even if they only have an hour a day. Invariably, they say "Oh, but I'm too busy," but if you have the desire, you'll find the time somehow.

If a person is already writing, and shows true interest, I love to steer them toward the organizations, online sites and books that can help them achieve their goals. For anyone longing to be published in inspirational fiction, ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is an absolutely fantastic organization, and its annual conferences are amazing!

I'll agree with you on that. Tell us about the featured book?

FATAL BURN is the second book in my Big Sky Secrets series, which involves three childhood friends who experienced a terrible tragedy in childhood. Those emotional wounds affected them all in different ways. Kris, the heroine in this story, led a troubled life early on, but a newly awakened faith turned her life around. When she inherits property in Rockies, it's a chance to move away for a fresh start. After she wins a county contract, she establishes a private animal shelter there. It doesn't take long for trouble to start. Someone is after her, and they don’t just want her hurt--they want her ruined. An arsonist tries to destroy her cabin, leaving evidence suggesting she was the culprit in an insurance fraud scheme. Then a deputy is found injured at her place--and ballistics show that he was shot with her rifle. Even Trace Randall, the arson investigator who's helped her before, seems to doubt her now. She has to prove her innocence, but how? Her reputation, her life--and her chance for happiness with Trace--are all on the line.

The next book in the series will be out in June, and there will be two more books out later.

We need to feature them, too. Please give us the first page of the book.

CHAPTER 1

Kris Donaldson gripped the unfamiliar set of keys and stared down the snowy, weed-choked lane leading to Wind Hill Ranch. It held at least a foot of snow, though far less than the heavy snow pack out in the open areas.

Dusk had crawled over the rugged Montana landscape during the long drive from Battle Creek, but she'd been caught up in her disturbing memories and hadn't noticed the fading light.

And now, with heavier snow falling and narrow, twisting mountain roads behind her, it was too late to turn back.

She shuddered as she stared over the massive fallen tree blocking access to the property, its roots rising like a tangle of snakes toward the sky.

The surrounding pine forest pressed in from all sides, looming fiercely overhead. From somewhere in the gloom came the ghostly hoot of an owl, then the terrified cry of some small, unlucky creature.

Supposedly there was a house a half-mile ahead, but no welcoming security lights glimmered through the pine branches. And though the lawyer had promised to make sure the electricity had been restored, she now had her doubts.

I should have stayed in Battle Creek tonight, she muttered under her breath as she tramped through the snow to circle the tangled roots of the tree.

Here, the underbrush was less dense than at the other end. Maybe...

Climbing back in her SUV, she slowly drove over the brush, scraping between two saplings, then angled past a jagged boulder. Despite its four-wheel drive, the tires spun on the sharp incline. But then the tires grabbed and the vehicle shot up onto the lane, fish-tailing wildly for several heart-stopping seconds.

Wow! Don't stop there. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I would love to have visitors stop at my "All Creatures Great & Small Blog"...where authors and readers can share stories about their pets. I've also been running a series of articles on "The Old Horse Trader" there, and welcome anyone who would love to share some of their experiences with pets of all shapes and sizes! My website is: http://www.roxannerustand.com/  and I'm also at www.shoutlife.com/roxannerustand .

Roxanne, thank you for taking the time to let us get to know you better.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book. By using this link when you order, you'll be supporting this blog.

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/

Roxanne Rustand - DEADLY COMPETITION - Free Book

Welcome back, Roxanne. What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Save the Last Dance will be out in August, 2009. This is an Everlasting, and will be shelved with Harlequin Superromance. The themes involve the importance of family, life-long love, trust and forgiveness--and not waiting until it's too late, even if the past has been rocky. Though it wasn't written for an inspirational house, the heroine is a woman of faith. There's a thread of suspense in it, too. I loved writing it!

Final Exposure, the first book in my Big Sky Secrets series for Love Inspired Romantic Suspense, will be out in September of 2009, and the second in that series, Fatal Burn, will be out in February, 2010.

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

I think an evening with Michelle Obama would be fascinating--and fun. She is an intelligent, accomplished woman in her own right, and seems to have such strong family values.

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

I never gave it thought until 1993, when a friend asked if I'd like to write articles for her regional horse magazine, and offered me a computer. Once I found out what a joy it was to use a word processing program, I kept writing articles and eventually toyed with a story...wishing I could create the kind of magic I read on the pages of my favorite novels. I never dreamed that I could ever actually sell a book, until I stumbled upon the 1995 RWA Golden Heart contest, entered it, and gained the interest of an editor. I owe my old friend a great deal, for guiding me toward a part of my life that I now enjoy very much.

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

Very few people enter this business without facing rejections first. I've heard stories about the incredible determination of some aspiring authors who have overcome many, many rejections. Thirty, fifty, even a hundred of them--but these people persevered and ultimately, succeeded. I guess the saying I used to have above my computer is true: "God doesn't give the desire without also giving the ability." We just have to work hard at improving our craft, keep writing, hold on to our dreams, and never let go!

I submitted my first manuscript to an editor in 1995, and made my first sale in 1998. During the interim, I faced my own rejections, but I now see that they were a blessing. If my first novel had sold, I wouldn't have had enough experience to successfully follow an editor's revision guidance. I didn't have even a glimmer of an idea for a second book. I knew nothing about the business. Those extra years gave me time to learn, and grow, and to become better prepared.

Tell us about the featured book?

DEADLY COMPETITION is part of a Love Inspired Suspense series called "Without a Trace." In this story, my heroine is on the run and is hired by the hero to help take care of his young niece...in a town where danger is already lurking, and where murders have taken place in recent months.

Please give us the first page of the book.

At the sound of his sister Leah's old Mustang pulling to a stop in the driveway, Clint Herald opened his front door to the damp, gray January evening, his heart heavy.

Could his three-year-old niece even grasp the concept of death? Did Sarah still think her daddy would be coming back?

There'd been no forewarning of her father's apparent suicide two days ago, and it still made no sense. And now the troubles were just beginning for his widow and young daughter.

Clint leaned down to scoop Sarah up for their customary hug, but did a double-take at the stark expression on his sister's face.

"Keep her safe," Leah whispered, casting a swift glance over her shoulder. She thrust her daughter forward into his arms and backed away. "Please."

Surprised at the tension in her voice, he reached for her hand, but she took another step back.

"What's going on?"

"N-nothing. I just have to go." But from the oddly desperate look of yearning on Leah's face as she turned away from her daughter and hurried to her car, she must be in even deeper trouble than she'd revealed.

"Wait a minute!" Clint called out.

She climbed into her car, shut the door, and rammed the stick shift into reverse, grinding the gears. Something she never, ever did to her beloved old car.

"Leah?" He felt his pulse quicken. "Leah!"

I ask for the first page for a teaser. Wow! You really gave us one. I'm hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.shoutlife.com/roxannerustand
http://www.roxannerustand.com/

Thank you, Roxanne, for spending this time with us. It's always interesting.

Readers, if you can't wait to get your hands on the book, here's a link where you can order it:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy. The only notification you will receive will be the winner announcement post on this blog. Be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you're reading this on Facebook or Amazon, please come to this blog to leave your comment:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Author Roxanne Rustand - TWO Free Books

Today, we're talking with Roxanne Rustand with her recent Love Inspired Suspense release, Vendetta.

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

That's a tough question! I think an author's life experiences--her personality, moral compass, faith, education, family and friends--contribute to her (or his!) unique voice as a writer. That said, there will be a range of character types in each book. I'm not sure how much of me appears in my main characters. But, I want my protagonists to be strong, independent people willing to overcome emotional as well as external barriers to reach a point of happiness at the end of the book.

During each one of my books--even before starting to write for an inspirational publisher--I prayed that I could write an uplifting story, with a positive message about the importance of family and commitment. Now, I can also include a story arc on how some characters deal with faith issues while facing challenges in their lives. I love having the opportunity to deepen the characters in this way.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hmmm...that's a tough one! While in college, I changed majors a number of times, supporting myself throughout those years. At one point, I was awarded a public health service grant that paid my tuition, living expenses and books. It was a dream come true, but after the first year, I had a chance to drop everything and travel the USA to work for a well-known horse trainer. He needed a second demonstration rider for the programs he'd scheduled at venues across the country. I prayed and dithered, then finally chose adventure over responsibility, to the dismay of my family. But what an amazing experience that was....memories I've treasured ever since. The funny thing was that the government cut the funding for that public health service grant the very next semester. If I'd been afraid to follow my heart, I would have missed out on a great adventure, and would have lost the grant, anyway. I later went back to school, though, and finished a master's degree in nutrition.

Sounds like quite an adventure. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

My mom has reams of childish poems and short stories, and a particularly memorable "family newsletter", which I named after a brand of canned dog food. I didn't actually start writing fiction until my kids were in grade school, though. I'd read only nonfiction for years, and then a friend introduced me to a wonderful author. I was so entranced, that I began voraciously reading everything she'd ever written, moved on to other authors...and then started wishing I could write something, myself. I wrote feature articles for a horse magazine for a while, and then started fumbling through my first fiction manuscript.

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

I will read cereal boxes if there's nothing else. I have books stashed in my car, in every room of the house...and treasure ever spare moment when I can read. Fiction, non-fiction--my tastes are eclectic.

Your reading habits sound just like mine. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

My first manuscript is in a box in my closet. I've written nineteen published books, and am working on my twentieth. The first fifteen were family relationship type stories with a strong thread of mystery or suspense, and a touch of humor. Most involved the complexities of relationships that contemporary women face. Since then, I've moved into inspirational romantic suspense, which I love. I also contributed to a multi-author murder mystery written for public radio, called Orchestrated Murder. In that one, I got to kick off the novel with a demented orchestra conductor, which was great fun!

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

I work twenty hours a week as a dietitian for a psychiatric facility, write several books a year, have my family, church, and a menagerie of animals. I can't imagine an hour without something to do, and I am grateful to have a busy life.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Without the right name, a character just won’t come to life. The tricky part is that I try very hard to avoid using the names of our relatives, neighbors, friends, or people I work with--and also try to avoid repeating names between books. With every book, it's getting harder!

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

No question about it--being a mom. Each of my children has grown into a hard-working, delightful individual who has made ongoing education a priority, and each of them is succeeding in life. They fill me with joy beyond measure!

I know what you mean. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I spent most of my early grade school years pretending I was a horse, during recess...because all I wanted to do was ride. I'm not sure being a horse would be a very easy life, however!

What is your favorite food?

Cantonese....seafood....crème brulee....perfect dark, sweet cherries. Or, anything that our daughter makes!

I have a sign on my kitchen wall that says, "My favorite meal is going out to eat or whatever my husband cooks." Sometimes that's wishful thinking. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Steady productivity early in a contract is probably my biggest challenge. If the deadline is far away, it's hard for me to buckle down and make steady progress.

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

Several things. FINISH your manuscript. Keep at it, make yourself work through the difficult middle and get to The End. Far too many people manage a few chapters, then throw in the towel and start something else. You will learn so much from the process of actually finishing a manuscript! Also, read every bit of dialogue aloud. In fact, make yourself read every chapter aloud. You will catch awkward phrasing, unrealistic dialogue, and a host of other flaws. It's a wonderful exercise for improving your prose!

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

Vendetta is the second book in the Snow Canyon Ranch trilogy, set in the Wyoming Rockies. I loved writing these books, which involve three estranged sisters and their domineering, widowed mother Claire, who single-handedly operated the family ranch for many years. Each of the daughters is returning to Wyoming, wanting to help out now that Claire is failing. Each faces unexpected dangers. In Vendetta, veterinarian Leigh McAllister comes home to establish a new vet clinic, but finds that someone will go to any lengths to make sure she fails.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.roxannerustand.com/ www.shoutlife.com/roxannerustand

Thank you, Roxanne. Your advice is very good.

Readers, want a copy of the book? Leave a comment. Someone will win. It might as well be you.

Roxanne has offered TWO free books!