RESCUED - Tina Pinson - One Free Book

Welcome back, Tina. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

My love for WWII and movies of that time gave me the idea for this story. The Trail of the Sandpiper Series. Betrayed, Rescued and Avenged follow the story of Justine Whitman, a missionary wife whose compound is attacked and she must get herself and several children off the island through enemy lines. The navy is there and after a spy. And they have to use code to decipher between the real Sandpiper and the fake. The story comes from three movies Pearl Harbor, which shows the attack on the island. Father Goose, a story about a drunk coastwatcher and a girl's school teacher and the girls they have to get off the island, and Windtalkers, which tells about the Navaho Code Talkers.

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? 

Right now my mind feels kind of fried. I have several books to finish, and one on deadline, but we just moved and are still unpacking and getting our house in order and we are trying to set up a business and still trying to get our other house sold. Plus I just got over being sick. Needless to say, it makes sitting down to think hard. Not that I can't sit down, but when I do, I can't always formulate the words that have been running through my head. I hand write most of my stories and still come back wondering if that's what I really meant to say.

Tell us about the featured book.

Rescued is the second in my Trail of the Sandpiper Series. Justine Whitman, whose missionary compound was attacked in Betrayed— book one, is still trying to get herself and several children off the island. She also has the US military to contend with. Tyler Merrick of the US Navy has finally decided she is not the spy and can be trusted, and he follows her to a sheltered island where they hope the Nandus, the sub that is coming to get them, can pick them up without Japanese detection as the Japanese are not only following them on land but they are waiting offshore for the sub as well. Justine and Tyler still don't know who the enemy in their ranks is and hope they can catch them before someone else dies.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Island of New Guinea, 1942

"Please, please, don't kill me. Don't..." She shrank back against the muddy sidewalls of her prison—afraid to look up at the man who reached for her through the bars of the grate. In her heart, she knew who reached for her; she could almost see his leering smile.

She whispered his name, "Thomas MacGregor," better known as Tomoyuki Nekata, the Japanese commander. The enemy.

He wanted her trust. Ha. The traitor. He'd come back to kill her. She froze, hoped he'd go away. He stood there. Watching her. Breathing heavily.

A long arm spanned the distant and his fingers fell on her. His nails cut into her head as he grabbed a handful of hair and began to tug.

She shivered and started to whimper, "No, no, please. I don't want to die. I can't die, my children, my children..." She pled with her tormentor. Thomas MacGregor didn't answer. He was a shadow with dark eyes and a white smile.

She started to scream.

Slapping at her tormentor, Justine sat up and found herself wildly swatting thin air. There was no hand in her hair, no tormentor. She sat in darkness. Alone. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she labored to breathe, she covered it and pressed. Then felt along her limbs and body to make sure she was okay. Her gaze darting about, she listened to the night and realized where she was.

It had been a dream, only a dream. Justine assured herself as she took a deep breath. She was still in Dugan's back room and, for now, she was okay.

"For now." She still wasn't off the island. All the fears that threatened to overwhelm her surfaced again.

Since the Japanese invasion, Justine's life had become one ordeal after another. She'd been imprisoned. Her husband, Mark, had died. The mission camp where she'd lived had been obliterated, leaving her with several orphaned children to lead to safety. Now she had the help of Tyler Merrick and the US Navy, but still ... she felt like she'd done a dismal job. Would she ever get herself and the children to safety?

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tina's Blog

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4034740.Tina_Pinson

Thank you, Tina, for sharing this book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

Rescued (Trail of the Sandpiper) (Volume 2) - paperback
Rescued (Trail of the Sandpiper Book 2) - 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

BETRAYED - Tina Pinson - One Free Book

First, thank you so much for letting me come visit and share about my book Trail of the Sandpiper -- Betrayed, Lena

Thank you, Tina. It's my pleasure to share your book with my blog readers. Welcome back. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I went forward to accept Christ at a young age—about 6. The pastor had been talking about asking for forgiveness of sins and accepting God's gift of grace given by his Son on the cross, and so had the Sunday School teacher and my parents, so when the invitation was given—I believe it was “Just as I am”—I stepped out and went forward to talk to the pastor and let the church know I had accepted Christ as my savior. Nothing earth shattering happened, I bowed my head and asked Christ to forgive my sins and come into my life. I didn't feel any different. I don't think I looked any different and I don't know that I acted any different. I was raised in a home where Christ was talked about. We learned to read using the scriptures and were told that we should follow Christ as an example for our lives. A few weeks later, I was baptized.

Life went on fine. I went to church, sat in Sunday School, had Bible Study with my family and read scriptures for myself. Around the time I turned fourteen, we were living in Turkey and the first church and scripture came to life. I don't know if that caused me to wonder where I stood with God, but I begin to question my faith. Did I choose to follow Christ because I wanted to please the adults in my life, or because I truly believed Christ died for my sins? Thinking about that, and where I stood in my own faith, made me take a closer look at myself, and my beliefs.  After some soul searching, I went before the Lord and rededicated my life.

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

That is a tough question. Are they supposed to be alive or can I pull from those who have passed on. There are so many authors it might be interesting to rub shoulders with and bounce ideas off of.

Janette Oak, who started selling books and helped put Christian Fiction on the map.

Francine Rivers, because she started writing in the secular arena and has continued in the Christian arena. She might have good ideas for how to bridge the two and reach both well.

And it might be interesting to sit down with Charles Dickens or Mark Twain or Jane Austen, because their stories have remained for a long time and still have relevance.

 

Maybe I could sit with Nora Roberts, she's so prolific and I'd like to learn her secret on where she finds the time to write and perhaps some of it could rub off on me.

Authors like Veronica Roth (Insurgent), Suzanne Collins (the Hunger Games) Stephanie Meyers (Twilight Series) and Nicolas Sparks might be interesting to talk to find out how they sold so many book and got them turned into movies and what it entails. How did it change their lives?

And there might be others who I find funny in their writing and in person and would just like to sit down with.

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

I have done some speaking but not much. Mainly at Women's ministry meetings and such. I've also done some singing and visited a couple of small groups. I sometimes speak on writing, why I write. Other times I talked about my life and others on a thought in scripture.

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

Well, I fell in an open manhole once. I tried to act like it didn't faze me at all, even though several people saw me, and my shoes were squeaking from getting wet.

I hate to admit it… but… the most embarrassing was probably belittling someone and having my son tell that person what I said and seeing the look of hurt and shock on their face. There wasn't just embarrassment but shame as well. There wasn't much I could do but apologize and I did so for a long time.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I've had several people tell me that, I especially love the one where they have a story and I should help write it for them.  My answer is usually to say, if you're supposed to write a book, I hope you sit down and write it and that it gets published and you have good sales.

Tell us about the featured book.

Betrayed is the first in my World War II Trail of the Sandpiper series. I wrote the brunt of it many years ago. It actually placed third in the ACFW Noble (Genesis) Prize in 2003. I wrote after watching Three Came Home and Father Goose. Old movies about what happened to people after the Japanese started taking over the islands of the Pacific.

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and now has designs on the islands of the Pacific. Justine Whitcomb's encampment, the Wairopi Missionary Compound, sits in the crosshairs. The Japanese land on Papua New Guinea and the compound is attacked, leaving Justine to get herself and several children off the island. This sends her trekking through enemy lines, and into Tyler Merrick's path.

Tyler and his team have been sent by the U.S. to search for a spy known as the Sandpiper and a rogue that been using the Sandpiper's name and sending false messages. Wounded at Pearl Harbor and losing a brother there, Tyler nursed his anger with liquor, biding his time until he could get back into the war. Now the enemy is all around him and, while he should be in the fight, he finds himself saddled with women and children.

Even though she's done nothing to warrant his mistrust, Justine sees the chinks in his armor, and doesn't want or need a slightly tarnished white knight. She's capable and strong and that raises Tyler's ire. He wonders if Justine isn't the spy he was sent to find or the rogue. Justine questions why the navy has come so far inland and why Lt Merrick seems so angry with her. Can they trust one another to get off the island? Can they trust the Lord to lead them through danger to safety? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Destiny

December 4, 1941

With a whistle on his lips and a jig in his step, Tyler packed his bag. By noon, he'd be on his way to Pearl Harbor—white, sandy beaches, hot days, warm nights, wine, and women. Who could ask for more? To sweeten the pot, his twin brother, Alex, received orders for Pearl as well. Plucking his shirt from the bed, Tyler flung it on his shoulder. Doing a move reminiscent of Fred Astaire—a soft two-step, twirl, and a glide—he tossed his rolled socks in his seabag.

Tyler hadn't seen Alex in several years. Not from lack of trying, but life managed to keep them apart.

It'd been that way since they were children. He thought about the first time, after their parent's death, that they'd been separated from each other. Alex had stopped on the front walk of the orphanage and looked back before his new parents led him away. With one hand pressed to the glass and the other pressed to his lips to muffle his tears, and Tyler stood there.

Alone.

Tyler clasped the front of his shirt and recalled, with clarity, how his eight-year-old heart felt like it'd been ripped apart.

He stayed in touch with Alex for a time through letters.

They made plans to run away together and hide where no one could find them as soon as they had the means to do it. One didn't amass a fortune with bottle-return pennies and allowances.

They wrote when they could and managed to meet up ten years later. A meeting here and letter there was all they had. Now Tyler was headed to Pearl, too. The military was going to do for them what they never could. Bring them together again. His friend, Wyatt, said it was a miracle. Tyler wouldn't allow himself to believe in miracles, no matter what Wyatt might say.

They wouldn't have the same duty station. Alex had orders to the battleship USS Arizona, and Tyler would get his final orders after more training at Pearl. He'd already been through Naval Survival Schooling and hoped to put his training and expertise in jungle warfare and island languages to good use if talks failed with Japan and war became reality.

So far, the Pacific Theater was quiet.

Roosevelt still sat at the table, working on a treaty with the Japanese. No one believed Japan wanted war with the United States.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tina's Blog

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook-- https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/

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

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

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

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

CHRISTMAS IN SHADES OF GRAY - Tina Pinson - One Free Ebook

Welcome back, Tina. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I like to write about grace, forgiveness and redemption. I think it is important to show how people can fall so far and God is still gracious in His dealings with us.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

The fourth book in the Shadow Series, This Shadowed Land releases in January.

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

It might be fun to spend an evening talking with someone like Bill O'Reilly or Franklin Graham. But it might be interesting to sit down with the president of Iran, Syria, or other like countries, because sometimes I just wonder where their minds are at. Perhaps I would choose Netanyahu of Israel to pick his brain and find out what he sees for Israel's future and whether he prays. But maybe in reality I would choose to sit down with, Laura Bush, where I think I would feel comfortable and welcome and ask her about how it felt to be a first lady especially during a time of such turmoil in our country.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

I would like to sit down with an early president like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln because the times they presided over in our nation were great, one with the revolutionary war, the other the Civil War, and they carried themselves with such strength through it and led the nation as well.  But maybe it would be interesting to talk to Sacajawea. Finding out about her journey and her life from her own words be awesome. And the fact that my family lines met up with hers (although I'm still not quite sure how correct the link is) makes it all the more interesting to me.

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

I can say, oh hang in there, just keep plugging away and writing, but you know we all hear that over and over again. So let me say, write, but find the voice of your heart, the voice God gave you, and the trill of your own rhythm, give your words the freedom to flow like the very breath of you. The words and the desire to get them down are heightened. But if the time when you don't have the desire to write and it will. Then be gracious to yourself as a writer. Take some time to do another pursuit, and try to get down some words from time to time. But if you don't get as many as you want or any, don't be beat yourself up. Pray, read, and dream. The words usually start to flow again.

Tell us about the featured book.

I call Christmas in Shades of Gray my offbeat Dickens tale, or perhaps it's more on beat than not. It's Christmastime and the main character, David, is lying in a hospital, dying of cancer. He's been alone in life and doesn't want to be alone in death. He wishes his children would come to visit because he'd like to mend things with them. But he's certain he won't have the chance so he prays that God will send someone to reach his children.

He is then visited by a being who seems to know a lot about David and carries several secrets of his own. He asks, "What in your life merits God answering your prayer? And David has no answer. The visitor takes David on a trip through his life and the lives of his children looking for that one point that would compel God to answer David's prayer.

I wrote this story after the death of my father-in-law, and fashioned the main character after him. His life was colorful and he spent years running from God, telling everyone how he wasn't lost. He knew where he was going and what did he need to be saved from? But as he lay dying in his hospital bed, he wanted to get his life back in order. And just wondered how he felt when he asked and the story arose from there.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Brushstroke One

It's Christmas time, but I'm not feeling altogether festive. Given the strands of tubing attached to me and all the off sounding carols played by the machines keeping track of my body rhythms, and the packages of blood and saline tied up neatly on stands, I could be the Christmas tree. The wrong kind of Christmas tree. All I need is the Santa Express circling my bed to finish the scene.

Listen to me. Christmas is worlds away in my lonely old mind. And yet right outside my door people are celebrating. I'm not in the mood to celebrate. I'd rather talk to someone. Anyone. Someone like you.

Hello. Yes, you … I see you at the edge of my words. Will you venture into my story?

You are hesitant to move. Does the antiseptic smell of sickness hold you at bay? Or do you fear opening your heart and sharing Christmas with a stranger?

I can do nothing about the stench surrounding me, but perhaps an introduction will soothe the latter. My name is David, David Pareman, and I'm dying.

You may find that blunt, but there is no easy way to tell this truth. Nor is there much time. You see, I don't have much longer. I had hoped to live to one hundred and twenty out of pure stubbornness, but at seventy my body is riddled with cancer. The doctors have tried every procedure and pumped this feeble shell with all kinds of poison. But my body is not responding to the treatments they provide.

Perhaps my body is too old to form a defense, but the black plague of cancer is no respecter of age. It steals children away just as readily as it does the old.

My diagnosis is death.

Death. A word no one wants to hear on the best of days, but at Christmas time, when it's supposed to be joyous and happy … not at all.

It is an all-consuming word.

Death.

The doctors say the word with ease. Sometimes callously.

Maybe that's why I long to share this tale. I am resigned to my fate, resigned to the fact that the hourglass that measures my life and holds my moments is running out of sand. I know deep within me that, when the final grain of sand counting off the days of my life slips past the upper glass and slides to the pile below, this insignificant little corner of the hospital will be my tomb. And I will be gone.

Will you take a moment and listen to my story?

Listen to the last words of a soul not long for this world?

I see you on the edge of my story. Will you venture in? Or are you really there? Please be there. Someone. Anyone. It's Christmas. I don't want to be alone.

Strangely, as my body wastes away, as my thoughts falter, my room has come to life.

Do you see it?

The walls are breathing. Breathing ... In. Out. Slowly ... In. Out. It's rather astounding.

It sounds foolish even to me to say that, but out of the dim glow cast from the light above my hospital bed, I can see the walls expand and contract. Over the whirr of machines, I'm certain I can hear the hiss of an inhale, and the heavy sigh of a released breath that is not my own.

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tina's Blog

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook-- https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/

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

Readers, here’s a link to the book. 
http://tinyurl.com/ChristmasISOGAmazon

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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, 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

THEN THERE WAS GRACE - Tina Pinson - One Free Book

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

After the fourth in my Shadow Series, This Shadowed Land, comes out early 2014, I don't have any other books contracted. Yet.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband Danny and I have been married for 33+ years, I have three sons, two daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren ranging from one to ten years old. Right now, hubby and I live in Arizona as does one of our boys, his wife, and three grandchildren. We miss being able to see the rest of the family as much as we used to when we all lived in Colorado.

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

My writing has actually slowed some. I've spent more time in edits and marketing which cuts into my time. And probably more time wondering about readers and whether the next book will get their attention.

What are you working on right now?

I'm trying to finish a couple of books that have been languishing on the shelf. I also finished a novella, Black Rain, which looks at life in the coal camps during the Civil War. Joseph McCormick dreams of a life beyond the black world of coal, a darkness that lines the creases of his skin and probably filling his lungs with black death. He dreams of taking his family west to the sunshine, to open land, but it's hard enough to keep food on the table as it is.

With the conflict between the states on, he fears he’ll wake up and find his name on the conscription lists and he’ll end up going to war and leaving his family behind to fend for themselves. The only way he can get out of the draft is to save $300.00 and pay his way out, which would take a miracle. And miracles are hard to come by in his dark world. Joseph is holding on to faith, but when tragedy strikes he questions himself and God and wonders if he’ll ever be able to dream again. This is a prequel to a full-length novel Winds Across the Rockies that follows the family from the coal mines of the east to the silver mines of Leadville, Colorado.

What outside interests do you have?

I go to women’s bible study. I like to bike ride and walk. Although since we’ve been moving, we haven’t done much getting out. Hopefully now that we’re settling in, we can get out more. I like to grow vegetables but I so far I'm still getting the hang of how to do that in Arizona.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My settings come from places I’ve visited or want to visit. Also from tidbits of lore about something that happened in that area. If I want to set my character in a specific time in history, then of course, I try to use the proper settings. Unless it’s a time travel where certain aspects of that point in history have been altered.

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

Maybe one of the presidents especially those who were in office during war time, like Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and even Bush 43. I think it might be interesting to talk to woman whose lost loved ones during the Civil War and get her view on the war and life during the that time. Forgive me. I can’t just pick one. I could get chatty with a lot of people through history. There is some much to know beyond what history books tell us.

That’s so true. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I don’t know if there’s one thing I wished to know before writing novels because I’ve been writing them since I was a girl. Now with what happens after getting published, all the heartaches and joys and waiting and marketing and editing and such, it might been nice to know more in each area. I read and asked others what they did, and while some things they did worked for me, others didn’t. I think at some point, you just have to walk through the process and learn the whys and wherefores and the things that work for you and don’t.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

What Grace really means. And how much He loves me. He’s also been teaching me to rely on Him.

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

Well, I say don’t beat yourself up. Write your voice and heart. You weren’t called to write like someone else. Successful doesn't always mean you make gobs of money and get national recognition. Successful more often means using the talents you’ve been given and getting the story done.

Tell us about the featured book.

Then There Was Grace is the story of Adam Christianson. After seven years of marriage Adam is ready to leave his wife Grace, when he loses her in a terrorist attack, leaving him to raise their twin daughters Faith and Hope. Forcing him to take a look at himself and the woman he was ready to leave. As he begins to uncover the beauty of Grace and her love for him, he begins to see himself in a different light as well and learns that he is worthy of God’s grace for him.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Jostled and bumped, Grace managed to hold her balance as a crush of people moved her from the car and onto the platform. Clutching her belongings like a running back, she angled her way to the rail and held fast so she wouldn’t be carried away or trampled by the alighting hordes. Once the stream of people abated, she released her grip, took a deep breath, and pushed it out in a huff.

“You did it,” she told herself, a touch of pride in her words, her breath painting the crisp morning air.

She’d ridden the “L” alone and lived to tell about it.

“And ...” She took another breath. “You'll never do it again.” She chuckled and, holding her bags to her stomach with a trembling hand, headed down the stairs before the next train arrived and she found herself in another rush of people.

She wasn’t an adventurer by any means, but she had navigated the “L” on her own. She should have told Aimee to meet her at the hospital, but she decided to be brave. She’d put on her big girl panties and made her way in the wide world of Chicago.

She’d need a better pair of underwear next time she decided to go it alone, because this pair seemed to be fraying right along with her nerves.

Swinging her case to the cradle of her underarm, Grace checked the street signs against the GPS on her cell phone.

“Right stop,” she said, sucking a breath. “Thank heaven.” A few blocks north and she’d reach her destination. The Markham Towers.

Grace joined another group of people at the curb and waited for the signal to change. Once the light blinked to cross, she looked around and took a step, only to be forced back by the blare of a passing taxi turning right in front of her.

“Can’t you see the green light?” someone yelled and flipped off the driver, just as the crowd at the light moved into the street, darting through traffic even with the light on their side.

Grace remained on the curb, waiting for the lights to cycle again as she tamped down her mounting anxiety. This time when the light changed, she fell in amongst the new group of crossers, hoping they would protect her.

After maneuvering her way with the flow over a few blocks, she ducked into a storefront to get her bearings.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tina's Blog

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/

Book links for Then There Was Grace:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Thank you, Tina, for visiting with us today.

Readers, 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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, 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

SHADOWED DREAMS - Tina Pinson - One Free Book

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

I write what touches my heart. I feel that God lays the ideas on my imagination and when they persist, I have to write it down. Usually I dream about my stories. I tend to write about the late 1800s because the time frame intrigues me. I often wonder how my life might have been had I been alive then. I have also been writing some contemporary fiction. Then there was Grace, a 9/11 catastrophe type story releases next year. And Christmas in Shades of Gray, a offbeat Dickinson's Christmas tale releases as well.

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

Well after three tries, because my husband to be was in the military and kept getting extended, when I finally walked down the aisle to say "I do" -- nearly thirty-three years ago -- was pretty special. Of course there is having my children. Each one rates up there on the joy meter. And my grandchildren. Just welcomed a little boy, Gunner Liam and now we are looking forward to another little girl. My son is threatening to name her Pepper Pots Pinson since my grandson loves Ironman.

How has being published changed your life?

Not too much, except I probably spend more time on line trying to get some marketing done when I should be writing. I guess it has also helped me take a closer look at my stories and see if I can out do myself.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson and A Merry Little Christmas by Anita Higman. Both were good reads.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of those books, too. What is your current work in progress?

I have a few WIPS, but I have been focusing on trying to get one done at a time now and Finding Middle C a Civil War yarn is first up. Although I did get somewhat sidetracked by a There's A Monster Beneath My Bed. A children's picture book.

What would be your dream vacation?

I would love to go to Australia and do some sightseeing. Would also love to go on a cruise to Alaska. Might sound silly, but just getting back to Colorado for a respite is wonderful.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

A lot of times I can write about a place I've visited. But many times the setting comes with the dream and where the story takes place. Of course my latest series starts in the east then the characters travel west on the Oregon Trail and that is a specific trail.

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

I would like to sit down with George and Laura Bush. I would love to talk to them about what they went through as the first family, and what happened in their home on 9/11. Then there are a couple of actors and authors that might be interesting to dissect in conversation.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to sing, draw, garden, (although Arizona is much harder than Colorado I'm finding) and run power tools. Actually I like to build. Power tools and I can be questionable cause I'm a klutz, drilled my arm last year.

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

I suppose my biggest obstacle beyond social networking or TV and family, is me. I find ways to procrastinate and ways to critique myself right out of writing a chapter. Sometimes I really need to shut my inner editor up and just write. When I do, I get more accomplished.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

First and foremost, write your heart. Write your voice. It's all fine well and good to write what you know, but then you might never write anything. Think outside the box. Create new worlds with the imagination God has given you and use it to His glory. Research if necessary. But don't tuck yourself in someone else's mold and lose the wonder of who you are as a writer.

Tell us about the featured book.

Shadowed Dreams is the second in my Shadow Series. It is the continuing story of Matthew and Rebekah Cavanaugh. Book 1 When Shadows Fall, followed them through the battle and loss of the war, and on to Missouri where Rebekah planned to take the train west to Oregon. In book 2, Matthew has convinced Rebekah to marry him, under a contract of convenience, so he can help her west, with the understanding that they can call it quits once they reach Oregon. But Matthew doesn’t want to let Rebekah go ever, he hopes she'll become his wife in more than name. He hopes to win her heart. And he has six months on the trail to do so.

The Shadow Series is written much like Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Dreamhouse Kings, and Divergent, not that its dystopian or fantasy but the story continues to follow the main characters and an ensemble cast throughout.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Life is a mixture of joy and sorrows,

Wwhere darkness and light mingle to cast shadows upon your soul.

These shadows, often fleeting, touch us far deeper than their hazy essence ever deemed  possible.        Rebekah St. James

Rebekah looked at the man she was marrying. He was so handsome just a look from him sent fingers of hope and desire skittering down her spine. She closed her eyes. It seemed like such a dream. Yesterday, after being told she couldn't join the train, she'd all but given up having any dreams come true and now... it looked like her dreams might just take flight.

She sighed. She wanted to share this day with her parents. She wanted to tell them she was all right. She was here because of war, but she was still standing.

She closed her eyes, and prayed they heard her heart.

Mother, Father,

I wish I could see you now. Wish you could be here. No, I wouldn't call you from Heaven to come to a land of chaos and war.

War. I hate war. With every fiber of my being. How could I not? War has taken so much from this nation. So much from me.

War and the sickness and need that rose from it, took my baby, Cassandra. Is she with you now? I often wonder how much you see of my life.

War and the horror of it stole my husband, Robert Montgomery as well. You never met him. All this happened after I saved him from a Yankee prison with help from my Godfather, Abraham Lincoln, and brought him home to West Virginia to heal after he lost both his legs.

Robert's war-ravaged body mended, but his mind was lost in a battle all its own. Lost in an unseen war I couldn't win for him. A war he wouldn't try to defeat. Not for himself, for me or our son, Andrew. I am afraid to ask if he is with you as well.

War and the necessity to live uprooted me from my home and brought me, along with Andrew, and my cousin, Caroline St. James, and my son's great uncle and my dear friend, Elijah Montgomery, to Independence, Missouri, with a dream to head west.

West... to Oregon. To the new Eden. Far from the war dividing the nation. West to peace.

I am not alone in my desire to find peace and rest. War has ravaged us all. That is the nature of war.

Nothing good can come from it.

Yet... look at me. Without this war and the losses in my life I wouldn't be standing here today marrying Matthew Cavanaugh, my friend, my childhood dream.

Such irony. War has dredged up enough sorrows to last my lifetime, but war has brought me to this moment. To Matthew.

I only hope that once he learns the truth about me, about the attack... oh I don't know what I hope...

Kiss Cassandra for me, and if Robert is there, tell him... tell him...

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze:

When Shadows Fall

Touched By Mercy

In the Manor of the Ghost

Shadowed Dreams

Amazon:

Touched By Mercy

In the Manor of the Ghost

When Shadows Fall

Shadowed Dreams

Barnes & Noble:

Touched By Mercy

In the Manor of the Ghost

When Shadows Fall

Christian Books Distributors:

Touched By Mercy

In the Manor of the Ghost

When Shadows Fall

Thank you for stopping by my blog to share your book, Tina.

Readers, 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

WHEN SHADOWS FALL - Tina Pinson - Free Book

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

I have been known to write a bit of myself. My book Touched by Mercy deals with some thing that happened in my past. When the female character is a klutz that's usually because of me. But I have four sisters and three sons and of course my hubby to draw from too.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Can't really think of anything quirky. But I did fall in an open manhole once, because if waving at a friend across the street.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I started writing in elementary school. I tell people it was good that I started writing because I had quite the imagination and got in trouble for lying a lot. Writing fiction let me use my imagination without getting in trouble.

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

I like reading a lot styles. I just finished the Hunger Games and Sequels. And a book called Divergent. Both deal with Dystopian Societies. I found them interesting, but I have read several historical and mystery and sci-fi and more. As long as the story holds my interest, I'll read.

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

Who said I kept it? LOL. Last year, in the midst of losing our business and being forced to move, along with my mother being sick and a family member having marital problems, I was certain I would go insane and never recover. But the Lord carried me through. Even when it didn't feel like it. I pray and seek God, that keeps me somewhat sane.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I choose from their meanings, from names I've heard, and sometimes from the obituaries.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Beyond being married 32+ years, raising three wonderful sons and having 5 g-kids, I would say finishing my first novel. It took me a while to get back to it after I first started it.

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

I wanted to say a horse, or an eagle majestic, free, but I would have to say a dog. Loyal, friendly, committed.

What is your favorite food?

I love cheesecake, add lemon and it's perfect.

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

Probably discouragement, getting irritated because I thought I'd never be a good enough writer for anyone. I suppose I got over it when I remembered that I'm not meant to be please everyone. I'm meant to write for the Lord.

Tell us about the featured book.

When Shadows Fall … the Shadow Series is what I lovingly call my OreGone with the Wind Series. It follows Rebekah St. James through the horrors and loss of war, and follows her as she travels on the Oregon Trail looking for New Eden. Hoping for a new life.

Please give us the first page of the book.

July 22, 1862

Washington, D.C.

Stay open. Rebekah held her eyes wide, but after a ten-day wagon trip with her friends, Harland and Martha Graves, with little rest, her mind couldn't keep them propped -- even amidst the commotion. She hoped the White House staff would call her before they found her strung out between two chairs.

A child darted past, brushing Rebekah's skirt, catching her attention. Her head lifted on a rubbery neck as her gaze trailed the boy around the room in a dizzying manner. He trotted around, weaving through the chairs and ducked beneath one.

It seemed everyone wanted to see the president. How many of the women had come for the same reason as she? She eyed the door and thought about leaving so as not to burden him. Where else could she go?

Stifling a yawn, she got up to walk. Straightening her gray skirt and her bonnet, she went to look out the window.

Paved streets and traffic-laden thoroughfares -- how different from home. She envisioned the Washington she knew as a child, remembering little. The landmarks were hazy. New buildings filled the skyline, and so many people lined the walks. Had there been so many when she was young?

They all seemed to be at the White House today -- in the East Room, waiting for an audience with the president.

She removed her bonnet and fanned herself. Were summers here always so hot? Her clothes soaked up the heat and held it. Only an idiot wore wool in the dead of summer. Idiot. Leaning against the wall, she studied the scenery outside, the opulence inside. Despite her best effort, her eyelids grew heavy.

She went in search of a chair.

“Miss. Miss.” The sound buzzed in her head, followed by a firm shake. She came to, blinking to focus and found the steward over her. He straightened. “It's time.”

She gave her grainy eyes a thorough rub.

“The president will see you.”

She covered another yawn, licked her teeth and lips, ran her knuckles along her eyes, and took the steward's hand. He pulled her from the chair. Snatching her bonnet, she pressed it on her head, fighting to get it over her loose, rebellious chignon. Forfeiting, she flopped the bonnet on the chair and concentrated on her hair. Once satisfied with the way it lay, she bent to retrieve her bag. A shock of blond curls escaped, tumbled into her face. She battled to right it in a dignified manner and realized she had an audience. At the far end of the room, a man with a full beard and hat low on his head, watched with interest.

She matched his stare. A broad grin lit his face. Their eyes locked. He looked almost familiar. Too familiar. But he couldn't be. And she didn't have time to find out why. After a couple of faltering steps, craning her head to study him, she followed the steward.

How can readers find you on the internet? 

My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103

Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.

Touched By Mercy - http://tiny.cc/0rgkm

In the Manor of the Ghost - http://tiny.cc/we4ul

When Shadow Fall - http://tinyurl.com/d93p77a

Amazon:

Touched By Mercy - http://tiny.cc/k5tgw

In the Manor of the Ghost - http://tiny.cc/doc8w

Barnes & Noble

Touched By Mercy - http://tinyurl.com/7ztzjno

In the Manor of the Ghost - http://tiny.cc/oh767

Christian Books Distributors

Touched By Mercy – http://tinyurl.com/72p4pml

In the Manor of the Ghost - http://tiny.cc/4u5h9



Readers, 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