THE STORM BREAKS FORTH - Terri Wangard - A Free Kindle Book For Winner Worldwide

Welcome back, Terri. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? God is always with us. Fix your eyes on Jesus, keep your mind on things above, keep your heart on things above.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? I’m revising a short story that was published in a collection of historical Christmas stories. It’s now a novella and will release late this year. I’ve added another point of view, which was trickier than I anticipated.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? With a bit of trepidation, I would say Tammy Jernigan. She’s brilliant with a bachelor’s, two master’s, and a doctorate in hard sciences, which totally intimidates me, but she flew on the space shuttle five times. We’re the same age and she’s an example of what I could have done with my life (assuming I had a scientific bend).

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why? Marguerite L’Amiraud, my 8th great grandmother. She and 11 other foremothers were Daughters of the King, marriage women sent to New France to marry the men settling there. Marguerite married in 1668. What was it like to leave everything familiar and go to a wilderness to marry a stranger?

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers? I know exactly how they feel! Keep submitting, keep writing, keep reading. Meet with other writers.

Tell us about the featured book. World War I rages in Europe, and now the United States joins in. Peter Bloch heads to France with the Wisconsin National Guard, but his wife Maren is the one under attack. She’s German born, and anti-German hysteria is running high.

Simple suggestions for coping with wartime measures lead Maren into an active role in the community, but her service doesn’t help deflect suspicion from her. Zealous patriots target her with a vengeance.

Peter caught the eye of a major who seems intent on using him as a spy. He’s been fortunate to avoid injury so far, but these activities are likely to get him killed.

Peter and Maren dream of the day they will be reunited, but more and more, that day appears to be a mirage.

Some things don’t change. One hundred years ago, politic rancor was high and a pandemic raged, but God is still in control.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WN3ZBCT

Please give us the first page of the book.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Good Friday, April 6, 1917

“They’ve done it. Congress has declared war on Germany.”

Maren Bloch jumped when the door slammed against the wall as her husband Peter stormed in. Packets of seeds she’d been sorting on the kitchen table slipped from her grasp. One split open, and tiny orbs bounced across the shiny surface. Sinking down on the nearest chair, her thoughts scattered like the seeds.

“What will this mean?” She needed to catch her breath. “For us? How will it affect us?”

“I think a lot of people expect we’ll be supplying the Allies openly now, but I believe it will be more than that. England and France will be whining for all the fresh cannon fodder they can get. We’ll be raising an army.” A distant gaze filled Peter’s eyes as he retrieved a pencil from his pocket.

Joining the war had been inevitable. President Wilson liked to say the United States would remain neutral, but he’d been supplying Britain from the start. He allowed the sale of war material to them. He harangued Germany for using submarines, but never spoke a word of warning to Britain about its blockade of Germany. Maren’s cousins were starving because of it.

She rose and pried the pencil from his grip before he snapped it in half. “You won’t have to enlist, will you?”

“I heard all men in their twenties will have to register for a draft. Lately, Wilson’s been supporting conscription. It’s going to happen. Soon.”

She stared at him. “Surely, you’re not in favor of going to fight, are you?”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/terriwangard

Instagram:  @terriwangard

Website: http://www.terriwangard.com (has newsletter subscription form)

Thank you, Terri, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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

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

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, 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 

WHERESOEVER THEY MAY BE - Terri Wangard - One Free Book or Ebook

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

I completed a rough draft on Christmas Day. Unlike my four published books, this is not World War II. Right now, my project is set in 1915, but I see myself going farther back in time.

Tell us a little about your family.

Shortly after I graduated with an MLS degree, my dad started publishing Classic Boating magazine. My mom, brother, and I were his crew. I left my library job after a few years, because they needed my full-time help. My mom died in 2011, and my dad is partially retired during the winter while he’s in Florida, but my brother and I are still full-time at it. I have a sister in California whom I rarely see.

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

I tend to critique as I read novels. And I seem to read more nonfiction, especially biographies and memoirs. That may have started with research, but I don’t limit myself to the time period I’m writing.

If a novel grabs my attention to I don’t critique, then I know it’s a very good story. What are you working on right now?

I just complete a draft on the Lusitania, and plan a companion story about World War I in Wisconsin.

What outside interests do you have?

I loved to travel around the world, although lately my travels have been confined to Florida and writing conferences. For many years, I’ve been involved with child sponsorship and presently sponsor five girls in Central and South America. And I enjoy genealogical research. My ancestors give me story ideas.

The ideas for my second novel by Heartsong came from my ancestors. The first three books in that series were published in a collection titled Brides of Minnesota in December 2017. How do you choose your settings for each book?

For my WWII series, I chose Ridgewell Air Base in England for my B-17 navigators because it is one word and easy to pronounce. In keeping with writing what you know, most of my characters live in Milwaukee. For Wheresoever They May Be, I chose Long Beach, California, because of the war factories and the coast.

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

Marguerite Lamiraud, my tenth great-grandmother, born around 1645. She moved to Quebec from France to marry one of the settlers already there. What was it like to move so far from everything familiar to a land where Indian attacks were common, and she was expected to marry someone she just met?

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

What a long, difficult road it is to be published. You’ve written what you think is a great novel, but surprise, surprise, no one else thinks so! 

Or maybe you haven’t found the right publisher yet. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Be open to new directions. I went through a rough stretch last summer, and then I read a blog post on why do you want to be published. I questioned whether I should continue writing. I still am, but if I don’t have another book published, that’s okay.

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

Be very patient, join a critique group, and attend conferences.

Tell us about the featured book.

After writing about B-17s in my series, I wanted something else. My characters are a sailor, his Rosie-the-Riveter wife, her WAC sister, and a grasshopper pilot.

Frank Swanson has plans. He has good job prospects, maybe even broadcasting in Hollywood. The war is an interruption to a good life he’s eager to get back to.

Lily Swanson longs to be a mother. Soon Frank should be home for good and they can furnish a nursery. Maybe even find a bigger house.

           

Joe Gallagher grew up in a small house with plenty of siblings. He loves the solitude of flying, but the war has dragged on for so long. He’s ready to go home.

           

Susan Talbot has a bad attitude. She’s estranged from her family and she doesn’t attract friends. But war can bring out the best in people and Susan’s surprised to realize she’s happy.

           

They all do their part in striving for victory in World War II. Sometimes, though, the danger can be hard to identify.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Lily

Chapter 1

Sunday, September 4, 1943

“Tomorrow’s the big day.” Lily Swanson joined her friend in the crowd funneling into church. “I hope we aren’t making a mistake.”

Charlotte cast her a wide-eyed glance. “A mistake? Nonsense. The men can’t win this war by themselves. They need us women to make their airplanes. Don’t forget, this was your idea.”

With her Bible tucked under her arm, Lily kneaded her hands. “I know, but factory work! Seems like such a rough-and-tumble business.” She jerked her hands apart. She’d ruin her lace gloves twisting them like that. “Building airplanes is a lot different than clerking at the department store.”

 “You did well in training. And it looked okay on our walk-through. Just noisy. Incredibly noisy.” Charlotte repositioned her tiny straw hat as they entered the foyer. “I’m going to have to find some ear plugs. All that racket gave me a headache.”

Lily nodded, distracted by Charlotte’s hat, tilted so far forward that Lily expected it to fall off. She patted her head. The beret she’d fashioned from a Good Housekeeping pattern sat snugly where it belonged.

“I’m not concerned by the outcry that we’ll lose our femininity, or even about the men giving us a hard time. I guess it’s the scope of what we’ll be doing.” Lily nodded to an acquaintance. “If we make a mistake on these airplanes, men in battle could lose their lives.”

“Poo foo. The factory gives them quality control checks before sending them out. How many times did we hear that on our walk-through?”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.terriwangard.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

Twitter: @terriwangard

Thank you, Terri, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait for my copy to arrive.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Wheresoever They May Be - Paperback
Wheresoever They May Be - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (If the winner is from outside the US, the book will be an ebook. A winner inside the US can choose a print or ebook.) You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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

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

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

SOAR LIKE EAGLES - Terri Wangard - One Book Giveaway

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

My family genealogy influenced the first book in my WWII series. I have another World War II book not under contract. I’ve started a WWI era series, the third book influenced by family history. Eventually, I’d like to write about some of my immigrating ancestors.

My second and third book had events from my immigrating ancestors. Tell us a little about your family.

I never married, no children. My dad started Classic Boating magazine in 1984. I was a librarian at the time, but as the business grew, I left the library in 1986 to work full-time with my folks and brother on the magazine. That’s still my day job, working with Dad and Jim.

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

Definitely. I critique whatever I read. This one tells, not shows, or that one lacks a deep point of view. I don’t read as many novels as I once did. Because I write historical, I read a lot of nonfiction based on the eras I’m researching.

I know what you mean. When a story can turn off that internal editor, I know it’s a very good book. What are you working on right now?

From World War II, I’ve backed up to the time of World One I. Presently I’m working on one set in 1915, to be followed by 1917-18, and a third in the postwar years.

What outside interests do you have?

I’m on the email list for Historic Milwaukee and often join my brother in touring old homes or buildings. I used to travel overseas frequently, and I miss that, but in today’s security conscious world, it’s stressful. I flew home from Switzerland in 2006, two days after an incident (I think the shoe bomber). The airports were in turmoil.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

For my WWII series, I selected the air base at Ridgewell because it was easy to pronounce. For my new book, Soar Like Eagles, I used the Queen Mary because its well-known and easy to research. For my current series in progress, I chose Milwaukee because it’s close by and deep in my family history.

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

One of my foremothers. Eight of my ancestors immigrated to New France as “daughters of the king” in the seventeenth century, sent to the new world to marry the soldiers and other men who were here. What was that like to leave everything known and go to a frontier land and marry a stranger? Many of their fathers were either dead or too poor to provide a dowry.

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

How slim the chances of being published are. Or all the rules―deep point of view, floating body parts, active instead of passive voice, don’t use “looked,” its weak. 

I like to think of some of those things as suggestions, instead of rules. There are occasions when each of those things is acceptable to make your story better. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Patience, or maybe forbearance. I started writing in 2008 and signed my first contract in 2015. Finally, I’d made it. My first two books were published in January and May of 2016. Then the publisher went out of business and my books were immediately unavailable. That was devastating. I am very fortunate. Celebrate Lit picked up my series.

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

Be prepared to wait a long time before landing a contract.

Have a hefty expense account. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on conferences and research.

Join a critique group and enter contests. They keep you from being isolated and serve as measuring sticks of your growth as a writer.

Tell us about the featured book.

Carol becomes a Red Cross doughnut girl, serving GIs and boosting their morale. Believing wartime romances are doomed to disappointment, she attempts to avoid entanglements and transfers to France, away from Chet, the airman she’s falling for. 

Chet’s father always belittled him. Now a well-regarded navigator, he longs to prove him wrong. After he’s ditched in the North Sea, parachuted into France, and been called before a review, his focus changes to staying alive, and winning the Red Cross girl he keeps crossing paths with.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Dennison, Ohio

Wednesday, December 29, 1943

Carol Doucet unscrewed the bolt and wrestled the meat grinder off the table’s edge. As she scraped the last of the ham sandwich spread out of the grinder, her friend Fran laid out slices of bread.

Fran blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes. “I still can’t believe you gave up your job.”

Carol pursed her lips. Why couldn’t Fran understand her desire? They’d been over this countless times since she’d received notice from the Red Cross to report to Washington.

“Giving up my job as a society reporter can hardly be considered a sacrifice.” She twirled her spoon in the air. “‘Olive Sullivan wore a crimson gown trimmed with antique lace to last night’s Rotary Christmas party.’” The spoon hit the table with a clank. “That is so frivolous. Who cares, with a war going on? I’m determined to do my part in the war effort, no matter how insignificant it seems.”

“What do you call this?” Fran waved her hand around the train station’s back room before grabbing the bowl of ham salad. She slopped the spread onto the slices of bread. “We’re volunteering our time, our food, and our thanks to the servicemen coming through Ohio. Carol, you don’t have to go overseas to serve coffee and doughnuts.”

Carol added top slices of bread, cut the sandwiches in half diagonally, and stacked them on a platter. “No, but I want to go. The war is having a profound effect on our generation and I want to be part of it, to see it. I want to help. I’m sure I’ll still have opportunities to write while overseas, maybe not as a reporter, but about my own experiences.”

“Wars are deadly, Carol. You could be killed.”

“The Red Cross won’t send us to the front. I’ll be safe.”

“Are you sure you’re not just running away from Sally and Mike?”

Fran’s quiet question stopped Carol’s hand from draping a tea towel over the sandwiches. “I can’t believe you would think that.”

Someone started a phonograph record, and the melancholy strains of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” flooded the train station. Carol winced. A song about a soldier dreaming of being home with his loved ones for the holiday was not going to cheer the soldiers and sailors crisscrossing the country in training and preparation for shipping out to the war zones.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.terriwangard.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

Soar Like Eagles: http://amzn.to/2dMEDNJ

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book (print in US, ebook if foreign winner). You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

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

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

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

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES - Terri Wangard - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I just love finding authors I haven’t read before. And many of you have thanked me for introducing you to authors you haven’t read. Today we have a debut author. Let’s give her a warm welcome.

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

Not much. I write the characters the way I wish I was. In Friends and Enemies, Heidi engages in passive resistance in Nazi Germany and helps a downed Allied airman to safety. Would I have had the nerve? Hmm. In Book 2 No Neutral Ground (May 2016), Jennie works with the OSS in Sweden. She’s also an artist. I do fairly well at drawing stick figures. In Book 3 Soar Like Eagles (Sept 2016), Carol serves with the Red Cross in the war zone in pretty rough circumstances. I’ve never been a camper.

Be sure to schedule the next two books on my blog. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

In ninth grade, I poured a salt shaker over the head of one of my classmates. That was after he’d crawled under the table and poured sugar in my pants cuff. (I attended a church school with six 9th graders and nine 8th grades in our room.)

For something out of character, for twenty years I globe-trotted on my own, mostly cruises and a few tours.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In grade school, I wrote stories in notebooks. The first Girl Scout badge I received was the Writer. I started writing in the early 2000s and had a manuscript with a publisher for a year that was finally rejected. That cooled my enthusiasm for a while. In 2008, I got serious about writing.

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

I enjoy memoirs and biographies. I love reading them as research for my World War II novels. Besides WWII, I’ve read a lot of astronaut and space exploration books. In fiction, I like historical and women’s fiction, suspense by Lisa Carter.

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

In good weather, I bicycle a lot. I always have a book started. I’ve recently decided to start knitting again. I used to do a lot of cross stitch, but the walls are filled now with my “masterpieces.” Most evenings, I walk the treadmill while channel flipping.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

For Friends and Enemies I needed a lot of German names and picked a lot of them from my family tree, including surnames for the good Germans. Carol in Soar Like Eagles is named for my mom. I’ve read tombstones to find era-appropriate names. I’ve changed names a few times. Chet was a secondary character in Friends and Enemies until I decided to use Chet for the main character in Soar Like Eagles. I used Word search to change the name in Friends and Enemies but that didn’t always work out well. Did you know Chet is in the middle of crocheting?

You’re right. I would have never noticed that on my own. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Having the gumption to travel on my own. I’ve seen so much that I would have missed if I’d stayed home because I didn’t have a travel companion. I made good friends while away. In fact, one of them translated the French dialogue for Soar Like Eagles for me.

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

A dog, I suppose. Growing up, I’d look at all the dogs in the World Book encyclopedia, deciding which kind I’d get, if I could. But I couldn’t because of my dad’s allergies and asthma. My favorites are dachshunds and yorkies. Dachshunds appear in Friends and Enemies and No Neutral Ground.

What is your favorite food?

Cortland apples, chocolate, which I’m allergic to, mac and cheese, despite being allergic to diary. I have five food allergies, which are mild. If I overindulge, I get abdominal cramps.

I have a few food allergies, so I understand. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Time to write. I am prone to migraines, and computer time is a trigger. Working all day at my day job is enough, so I only write on weekends. All three books in my series were completed when I signed the contract. Writing under a deadline could be problematic.

Tell us about the featured book.

Family history on the German side inspired it. I have letters written in 1947-48 by distant cousins to whom my grandparents sent care packages. I don’t know what their beliefs were about Hitler and the Nazis, so I created a story for them.

Here’s the blurb: World War II rages across Europe, claiming the life of Heidi Wetzel’s husband. In a bid to escape her grief and the frequent bombings of German cities, Heidi and her sister flee Hagen to a farm in the German countryside, where they help care for orphaned children. While there, Heidi comes across an American airman, Paul, with whom she spent time when her family lived in Milwaukee during her high school years. When Paul’s plane is shot down over Germany, his only thought is survival—until he hears God’s voice guiding him to his late wife’s friend.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Hagen, Germany

Monday, May 31, 1943

She was too late.

Heidi Wetzel paused at the corner to catch her breath. A line stretched out of the greengrocer’s market and snaked halfway down the block, ending four feet in front of her. She’d hurried for nothing. Deflating with a sigh, she took her place at the end.

The clerk at the creamery had mentioned a delivery of fresh strawberries, her first chance of the year for the tasty treat. Her mouth had watered at the thought of biting into a plump red berry, its juice dribbling down her hand. She shook her head to dislodge the craving. With a line like this, by the time she got inside they’d likely be gone.

A small bottle of milk and a wedge of cheese resided in her shopping net. She needed to get them home, but she’d wait. Wait and hope. At least she could get the one egg allowed her during this ration period.

As her mother often admonished, she must be grateful for what she had. The war threatened to drag on a lot longer; these shortages would get worse.

The woman ahead of her raised a baby to her shoulder. Big blue eyes blinked at Heidi, prompting her smile. A tiny hand clutched his mother’s sleeve. Heidi stroked a gentle finger on the soft skin. The baby giggled.

Tears sprang to her eyes. The happy sound slashed at her soul like knives. If only he was her child. Motherhood threatened to remain an elusive dream as long as the war raged.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.terriwangard.com  

I am at www.facebook.com/authorterriwangard/

Thank you, Terri, for sharing this book with us. I know it's one my blog readers will want have.

Friends and Enemies: A World War II Romance (Promise for Tomorrow) (Volume 1) - paperback
Friends and Enemies: A World War II Romance (Promise for Tomorrow Book 1) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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