FALLS LIKE LIGHTNING - Shawn Grady - Free Book

Shawn takes us deep inside the exciting and dangerous world of fire fighters. Welcome, Shawn. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

Completing my third emergency suspense thriller with Falls Like Lightning has brought a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Bethany House has been fantastic to work with. Presently, I have new book proposals cooking in the oven with my agent and look prayerfully forward to what the future holds.  

Tell us a little about your family.

I'm married with three children. We love spending time outdoors— hiking, going to the beach, surfing, camping and skiing in the winter.

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

I think I may have less tolerance for writing that appears lazier —i.e. an overabundance of adverbs, consistently telling not showing, poor story flow/structure— than I did before writing professionally. But even then I tried to make it a point to read great writers. I like to pick up books that are not only entertaining, but also by authors who challenge me to be better at what I do.

What are you working on right now?

I'm in the first writing phases for one of the proposals currently with my agent.

What outside interests do you have?

We just got back from camping on the Pacific Coast. Yesterday we spent the day at the beach at Lake Tahoe and this weekend are visiting an ancient Egyptian exhibit at the Nevada Museum of Art.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far I've stayed very local with places I know first hand. Falls Like Lighting is the first of my three books that takes place largely outside of Reno, but it is still set in the Desolation Wilderness west of South Lake Tahoe.

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

Assuming I could speak Hebrew or Greek, then I'd love to share a meal with Peter the apostle.

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

How early the ARC's go out (advanced reader copies). For Through the Fire the ARC's were printed off the line edit —still pretty early in the editing phase— and I probably put another hundred hours worth of editing into the final novel before it officially went to press.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

The value of ingesting large portions of His Word on a consistent basis. Too often I neglect to set aside time to read the Bible. But when I do, I feel much closer to Him and things I've read before become alive and active.

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

1) Trust you heart. Write from the gut.

2) Expect and be open for trusted criticism. Set your mind to be in it for the long haul, through all the revisions it will need.

3) Read great writers and read tried and true books on the craft.

4) Bonus- Attend a writing conference(s).

Tell us about the featured book?

Falls Like Lightning

Smokejumper Silas Kent never expected to see pilot Elle Westmore again. In fact, reuniting makes him realize what a mistake he made all those years ago. But before he has a chance to try to make amends, he's called to lead a new crew in to battle against a massive fire in the Sierra Nevada.

And then things go very wrong, very quickly.

A suspicious engine explosion forces the crew to parachute early while Elle must attempt a crash landing. Silas reaches the ground safely, but in beginning a desperate race to reach the downed plane, he soon realizes he has more to fear than just a raging forest fire.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Read that and more online here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/55895980/Falls-Like-Lightning

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.shawngradybooks.com or www.facebook.com/shawngradybooks

THROUGH THE FIRE is available for free download on Kindle or Nook for a limited time.

Thanks for having me here, Lena!


My pleasure. Please contact me about your next book release, so we can feature it on the blog.



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 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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TOMORROW WE DIE - Shawn Grady - Free Book

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


I write emergency suspense right now because it ties closely into what I have done for a living for the past fourteen years. It provides a fertile ground of longstanding literary themes —death and resurrection, loss and redemption— Strong biblical principles that I’ve been able to weave into Tomorrow We Die and Through the Fire.

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

I’ve known the Lord for as long as I can remember, so I don’t have a memory of a single conversion day. The joy of knowing him, the Day of the Lord as it were in my life has more of an epochal feel to it rather than a more finite sense. In that respect, being married for the past eleven years and having our family has been the happiest, most joy-filled time in my life.

How has being published changed your life?

Since the writing and publication of Through the Fire and Tomorrow We Die we’ve been much busier. We can’t put off writing because we have other things going on. Having signed a contract and being paid to write novels I now am obligated to deliver on a schedule. So that, while making me more prolific, also carries the burden of a greater workload. We endeavor to schedule well so we can protect our time as a couple and our time with family and friends and church.

What are you reading right now?

Havah by Tosca Lee, Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card, By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson.

Wow, three books at once. I've only done two at a time. What is your current work in progress?

Falls Like Lightning. Here’s a peek at initial back cover copy:

When hotshot smokejumper Silas Kent gets his own fire crew, he thinks he’s achieved what he always wanted. But amid the largest lightning caused fire complex the west has seen in over a century, his team is quickly forced into service. Before he’s ready they’re in a plane over the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada.

Experienced firefighting pilot Elle Westmore has been called up to fly jumper crews into the heart of the forest infernos. As a single mother of a six year old who is suffering from increasing and unexplainable seizures, her situation has grown complicated.

It doesn’t take long for things to go very wrong, very quickly. A suspicious engine explosion forces Elle to make an emergency landing in a mountain lake. Silas is able to parachute to safety, but soon discovers his crew can’t be trusted. They’re hiding something, and now Silas is on a race to save himself and Elle—both from the conflagration encircling them…and from a more dangerous threat. His own team.

We need to feature that book on the blog, too. What would be your dream vacation?

A month (minimum) in Europe, probably Paris or Dublin.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far I’ve stayed primarily with the Reno/Tahoe area, writing locales that I know well firsthand.

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

My wife, of course. But if you mean like someone I haven’t met? I’d love to have Bono or Leif Enger over to our house for dinner.

You should have made brownie points with that answer. At least, you would have in my house. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy spending time in the outdoors with my family. Surfing when I can, snowboarding in the winter. We love to hike among other activities.

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

Plotting and structuring are great challenges. I do a lot of discussion with my wife during the plot development phase. Once we’ve established a solid framework for the story I find I’m able to progress quicker through the writing process.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read great writers. Read established books on the craft. Attend writing conferences to network with other authors, agents, and editors.

 Tell us about the featured book.

Tomorrow We Die: Here’s a peek at the back cover copy:

Paramedic Jonathan Trestle has had a week of death. Every call seems to end up with someone flatlining until finally he is able to revive a disheveled patient long enough for the man to hand him a crumpled piece of paper and say, “Give this to Martin.” With the simple decision to honor a dying man’s last wish, Trestle soon finds himself snared in a mystery of murder and danger. His only clue is a scrap of paper covered with indecipherable dashes, but with his future, freedom, and life on the line, he must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.

Sounds really intersting. Please give us the first page of the book.

I’ll do more than that! The first two chapters, as they appear in print, are available to read at http://www.scribd.com/doc/34063278/Tomorrow-We-Die .

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love feedback from readers and endeavor to always get back to those who email. I can be found at http://www.shawngradybooks.com/  or at http://www.facebook.com/shawngradybooks .

Thank you, Shawn, for visiting with us again.
 
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. (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.

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THROUGH THE FIRE - Shawn Grady - Free Book

I first met Shawn Grady on Shoutlife. Welcome, Shawn. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Having written Through the Fire in first person, I’d say quite a bit with my protagonist Aidan O’Neill. I approach my writing similar to how a method actor would with a role.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

That’s a hard one. Once, as part of a church scavenger hunt about twelve years ago, I did dress up as a homeless man and sit on a bench in the middle of downtown with a cardboard sign that said "Impeach Nixon" in black marker.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was very young, but did not feel I was ready to write a novel until after I read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway about 7 years ago. Reading that made me realize that I didn’t need a stack of detailed 3x5 cards and a completed story arc and timeline all mapped out to be a writer. I just needed to start writing. So one night, at a coffee house with a pen and a napkin, that’s exactly what I started doing.

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

It’s a broad range and I enjoy all sorts of books that are well written. I am often drawn to literary fiction. It is usually the voice that makes me buy a book. I don’t like to read back cover copy. To me, it gives away too much. I look at the first sentence on the first page, and if I like that I’ll read more. If I like the voice on the first page I’ll usually pick up the book.

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

Besides Through the Fire, I have one other completed novel based around a paramedic. I’m reworking it for release as my second book with Bethany House Publishers in 2010.

I'll want to feature you again on the blog when that releases. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Funny you’d ask that. At the fire department when we respond to calls we call them runs. On my days off, my writing career seems to be increasingly demanding more time. My wife is an incredibly supportive partner in all this and we make it a point to not do writing on the weekends when I’m home and instead place extra focus on each other and our family.

Very wise. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes it is the actual meaning of the name. Like "Aidan" in Through the Fire means "fiery". Other times a name will just seem to me to fit a character.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Knowing and walking with the Lord. Then marrying my wife. After that being a loving father to my three children.
　
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I might want to be a Labrador because they get to go on hikes and swim and roll around on their backs and are pretty much happy and content with life and the world that God has made.

What is your favorite food?

Right now, I love vanilla yogurt with Grapenuts and blueberries.

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

Learning how to effectively structure a story is a big challenge that I have grown in with my craft. Attending writing conferences like Mount Hermon and ACFW and being shepherded by talented writers like James Scott Bell has strengthened me in that.

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

Write what is on your heart. Write what you know. Attend writing conferences and learn the industry and hone your craft. Network with other authors whose writing you respect.

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

Through the Fire is about Aidan O’Neill, an angst driven fireman with a gift- the fire speaks to him.

Already haunted by his father’s death in a warehouse fire five years prior, a near fatal experience leaves Aidan sensing flames that are out for him personally. When a serial arsonist surfaces in Reno, Aidan employs the help of young arson analyst Julianne Bordeaux. Together they’re thrust into an incendiary chase in which Aidan must come to terms with his mortality in order to find his father’s killer and attain a lasting peace.

Sounds really exciting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.shawngradybooks.com/
Or check out my pages on http://www.shoutlife.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/

Thank you, Shawn for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Through the Fire:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. 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.

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