THE HEART'S FRONTIER - Virginia Smith - Free Book

Welcome, Virginia. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was raised in a Christian home, so I’ve known the Lord as long as I can remember. But I accepted him when I was 12 years old, after seeing a movie at church called A Thief in the Night. There was a scene in that book where a girl realized she needed to make a personal decision to ask Jesus into her heart, apart from her parents’ belief. That night I came home and asked my mom to pray with me. We knelt beside the living room sofa and I accepted the Lord as my personal Lord and Savior.

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

Lori Copeland, because I know how awesome she is to work with after co-authoring 3 novels with her. Brandilyn Collins, because I admire the way she creates tension on every page of her novels. Deb Raney because I admire her skill at characterization. Allie Pleiter, because she’s such a livewire and so creative.

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

I’m a certified lay speaker for the United Methodist Church, so I do a bit of speaking to fill in when a pastor is absent. I’ve been invited to speak at ladies retreats around the country as well. Since I’m a fiction lover, my favorite events have involved telling stories and then drawing spiritual parallels.

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

I stood up to speak at a ladies’ retreat once and realized I couldn’t read my notes or my Bible. I’d been putting off getting reading glasses out of vanity, I suppose. But the lighting was pretty dim in that room, and I absolutely could not see. I made a joke about getting old and my vision fading, and someone from the audience gave me a pair of readers. I was able to get through the talk, and the next day I bought two things – a pair of reading glasses, and a giant print Bible!

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?

Yes, they do. All the time. I tell them to sit down and do it. There are thousands of people who have a great idea for a book, but they just talk about it. Once they start actually putting words on paper – even if they’re not skilled yet at the craft – they will either fall in love with the process, or they will give it up. Either way, they will never do more than talk about their idea if they don’t act on it!

Tell us about the featured book.

The Heart’s Frontier is my 17^th novel. I co-authored the book with the amazing Lori Copeland, who has written westerns many times, but this is my first historical. I loved it! The research was so much fun! Here’s a blurb from the back cover:

A lot can happen on a week-long cattle drive. Kansas 1881 - Halfway through a six-day journey to visit relatives, Emma Switzer's Amish family is robbed of all their possessions, leaving them destitute and stranded on the prairie. Walking to the nearest trading settlement, they pray to the Lord for someone to help. When a dusty cowboy lands in the street at her feet, Emma looks down at him and thinks, “The Lord might have cleaned him up first.” ... Plain and rugged -- do the two mix? And what happens when a dedicated Amish woman and a stubborn trail boss prove to be each other's match?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Apple Grove, Kansas

July 1881

Nearly the entire Amish district of Apple Grove had turned out to help this morning, all twenty families. Or perhaps they were here merely to wish Emma Switzer well as she set of for her new home in Troyer, fifty miles away.

From her vantage point on the porch of the house, Emma’s grandmother kept watch over the loading of the gigantic buffet hutch onto the specially reinforced wagon. Her sharp voice sliced through the peaceful morning air.

“Forty years I’ve had that hutch from my dearly departed husband and not a scratch on it. Jonas, see that you use care!”

If Maummi’s expression weren’t so fierce, Emma would have laughed at the long-suffering look Papa turned toward his mother. But the force with which Maummi’s fingers dug into the flesh on Emma’s arm warned that a chuckle would be most ill-suited at the moment.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m at www.VirginiaSmith.org. Plus, Lori Copeland and I have a website together – www.CopelandandSmith.com.

Right now I’d love to invite everyone to visit my website (or hers, or ours) to participate in a fun contest to come up with a name for the cow on the front cover of The Heart’s Frontier. Check it out at www.virginiasmith.org/readers.html

That is funny, Ginny. Okay, readers, help her find a name.


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Heart's Frontier (The Amish of Apple Grove) - paperback
The Heart's Frontier (The Amish of Apple Grove) - Kindle

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THIRD TIME'S A CHARM - Virginia Smith - Free Book

Here's another book I was privileged to write an endorsement for. Welcome, Ginny. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I’ve noticed that the spiritual themes of my books tend to be areas of my life where the Lord is teaching me, or reminds me of a truth He led me to in the past. In all three books of the Sister-to-Sister Series, the theme is the unconditional, never ending love of God the Father. That’s a truth I need to savor over and over again, and I tend to do that through my books.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

A Daughter’s Legacy is a romance story with a fun setting – a zoo! It’s my first straight romance, and I had so much fun writing it that I decided I’d like to do more of them. Then in October I have another romantic suspense novel coming out. Into the Deep has a scuba diving theme, which is one of my passions.

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

I would love to spend an evening with Mel Gibson. Okay, I admit part of the reason is because I think he’s incredibly handsome, and who wouldn’t want to spend time with a hunky guy? But beyond that, I’d like to talk to him about his faith, and some of the finer interpretations of scripture in his movie The Passion of the Christ.

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

I started later in life than most professional writers. I didn’t write my first short story until I was in my mid-twenties. And then for several years after that, my goal was just to publish short stories. I had some ideas for novels, but the idea of becoming a novelist as a profession didn’t occur to me until much later, when I joined a very intense critique group who were all determined to become career novelists. Several of them had published many short stories, and a couple had even published novels, yet they were all still working toward the goal of quitting their “day jobs” and supporting themselves as full time writers. The encouragement and the training I received in that group made me realize that one day I, too, might make writing my career.

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

Don’t give up. Remember that publication is not the measure of how good you are as a person. Nor is it always the measure of how good you are as a writer. There are so many factors in achieving publication, and some of them are beyond a writer’s control. The market plays a huge part in deciding which books are published, and so does the economy. You can’t control those things. All you can do is work to develop your skills, and write the book God has given you to write. Set goals, and work toward achieving them. Don’t let rejection affect you enough to sidetrack you.

Tell us about the featured book?

My newest book is Third Time’s a Charm, the funny and heartwarming story of a professional young woman struggling to balance career, church, budding romance, and a personal crisis. As if that weren’t enough, a couple of matchmaking sisters crank up the tension and the fun. This is the third book in the Sister-to-Sister series, following Stuck in the Middle and Age Before Beauty, but you don’t have to read those books before this one.

When I created the Sister-to-Sister series, I modeled the characters after my relationship with my own sisters, so the books are very close to my heart. Plus, I drew heavily on personal experience to write this book. Third Time’s a Charm is lighthearted in places, but it confronts some tough issues, too.

Please give us the first page of the book.

One sign was certain to drive even the most pressing appointment right out of a girl’s head: Today Only—All Shoes 15% Off. The bright red letters snagged Tori Sanderson’s gaze as she speed-walked through the mall toward the exit, an elegantly wrapped box clutched in her arms. She skidded to a halt before the exclusive store. The last time she shopped here, she’d tried on a darling pair of Bournes that had haunted her dreams since she walked out without them. If her sister Allie hadn’t been with her at the time, she would have bought them in addition to the two pairs that went home with her. But Allie wasn’t here now. Tori glanced down at the pumps on her feet. They looked okay with this new dress, but those Bournes would be perfect.

She glanced at her watch. Two o’clock. The bridal shower started in one hour, and the drive from Lexington to Danville would take about forty minutes. If she’d known about the sale, she would have left the office at noon. Or maybe she would have skipped work completely. Some people didn’t come in at all on Saturday.

But, of course, those people didn’t work for Kate Bowman.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.virginiasmith.org/ . My blog is integrated in the website, under the tab called Ginny’s Journal. (I call it a Journal so people won’t have expectations of daily posts!) I also spend far more time than I should on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ginny.p.smith

Thank you, Ginny, for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, here's a link where you can order the book. By using this link when you order, you'll be helping support 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.

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Virginia Smith - MURDER AT EAGLE SUMMIT - Free Book

Oh, goody, Virginia Smith has written a murder mystery. Welcome, Virginia. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

So far my books have covered a variety of spiritual topics. I like to write about God’s unconditional love, and that showed up in Just As I Am and Sincerely, Mayla. Many times, the spiritual themes come straight out of my personal life, like with Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. Those books focus on knowing God as the perfect and loving Father, and not allowing our relationship with our imperfect, earthly fathers to interfere with that.

In Murder at Eagle Summit, the spiritual theme is again very personal to me. The main character has done some things in her past that she isn’t proud of, and she’s keeping them buried. She learns that God can cleanse her and make her whiter than snow. There’s an old hymn called “Whiter than Snow.” The fourth verse goes like this:

Lord Jesus, before You I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create.
To those who have sought You, You never said "No"
Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

What an awesome lesson, and one I need to hear over and over again.

Don't we all? What other books of yours are coming out soon?

This year is a busy one for me. The second book in the Sister-to-Sister Series, Age before Beauty, just came out in February. Of course, Murder at Eagle Summit comes out this month. And then in June, Scent of Murder will hit bookstores. That story follows Murder at Eagle Summit and A Taste of Murder (October, 2008), and focuses on the third member of the classical music trio. It’s probably the most suspenseful book I’ve written so far.

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

Billy Graham. You may find this odd, but I didn’t know much about the man until last year, when I heard Jerry Jenkins (who worked with Graham on his autobiography) speak about the time they spent together. The way he described the peace that flows from Billy Graham made me want to meet him. Obviously, God has given this humble man a unique gift, and I’d love to hear him talk of God’s grace and redemption in person.

I admire him, too. How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

Some writers say they knew when they were very young that they wanted to become a writer. Not me. I never considered it until my late twenties. Of course, since I have always loved science fiction and fantasy, my first (still unpublished) novels were all fantasy novels. Honestly, two of those (there were six!) are really good, in my humble and completely unbiased opinion. J I’d still like to see them published some day. But it wasn’t until I decided to dedicate my writing to the Lord and write a story where He was featured in the pages that I had any success. That was Just As I Am, and it came out in 2006. That was more than twenty years after I started!

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

I feel your pain! If you’ve ever read any interviews with me, you know I collected a TON of rejections before my first book contract. (143 – gasp!) But then after the contract for Just As I Am, I started selling everything I submitted. I didn’t really think I was immune to rejection, but I did enjoy four years without experiencing it. Until recently, when I received a particularly painful rejection, and I was surprised at how depressed I was. I’d thought after ten novels and dozens of articles published, I could handle one, “Sorry, but this isn’t right for us.” Let me tell you, it still stings. I still called my mother and cried.

So I can say with completely authority: rejection is a part of the profession. If you really want to pursue this crazy business, get used to it. And I mean that in the most loving way possible – get used to it. Don’t let it stop you. Learn to deal with it, and to get over it as quickly as you can. There are so many reasons for rejections. Some of them you can control – like your own skills. You can work to improve them. Some reasons you can’t control – like the market. A couple of years ago, I attended the editor panel at an ACFW conference and watched all the editors say they wanted to acquire contemporary fiction, no historical. All the historical fiction writers in the audience heaved a huge sigh of despair. Last year at the same panel, almost every editor said they’re actively acquiring historical romance, and this time the heavy sighs came from the chick lit writers. As a writer, you cannot control the market. All you can do is write the best book you’re able to write.

Publication is not the measure of how good you are as a person. It is not the end-all and be-all of life. So don’t base your self-worth on achieving it. If God called you to write, then write. Set goals, and work toward achieving them. Don’t let rejection affect you enough to sidetrack you.

Very well said. Now tell us about the featured book.

I’m excited about this book, my seventh and the first set outside of my home state of Kentucky. The classical trio introduced in my last romantic suspense, A Taste of Murder, head west to play at a wedding in Park City, Utah. A romantic ski resort seems the perfect place for a wedding. Until a murder on the slopes turns everyone at Eagle Summit Resort into suspects … or maybe victims. Liz Carmichael, the bride's cousin, saw a shadowy figure on a chair lift in the middle of the night. But was it the victim or the killer? Liz goes to the police -- and finds herself giving her report to her ex-fiancé, Deputy Tim Richards. After a three-year estrangement, she could finally make things right with Tim. Unless the killer finds her first.

I have a terrific video trailer, created by Tinkertime Productions. You can watch it on my website (http://www.virginiasmith.org/) or here’s a link to the video on Tangle: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=00a94b40fbcc1505920a

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.virginiasmith.org/. I also have a bi-monthly eNewsletter, with a sign-up form on my website. I keep my website updated with lots of fun stuff, including giveaways. And not just of my books – I give away other people’s books, too, like you, Lena. I’ve recently ventured into Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Ginny-Smith/1557400143) , and I’d love to get new Friends there.

Thank you, Ginny, for spending this time with us. I always enjoy it.

Readers, if you don't live close to a store that carries this book, here's a link where you can order it:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Author Virginia Smith - AGE BEFORE BEAUTY - Free Book

Welcome back, Virginia. I like the new picture. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

It’s different with every book, and usually the spiritual theme has something to do with whatever the Lord is teaching me at that point in my life. I do a lot of introspection and praying when I’m writing a book. In Age before Beauty, the main character, Allie, wrestles with two issues. The first is a fear of abandonment. Since her father abandoned her when she was a young teenager, she’s afraid her husband will do the same. That is a piece of baggage that I brought into my own marriage, since my father was often absent during my childhood.

Allie also takes self-reliance to extremes, and feels like she has to solve not only her own problems, but everyone else’s. I’m the oldest sister in my family, so I know that feeling as well. Of course, I’ve learned that God is the answer to both of those problems. And Allie learns… well, I can’t give away all my secrets up front, can I?

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Last year was a busy year for me, and this year I’m reaping the rewards of all that work. In April, I’ll release my eighth novel, Murder at Eagle Summit. That’s a romantic suspense that takes place at a ski resort in Park City, Utah. It’s the first book I’ve written that isn’t set in my native state of Kentucky. Then in June, Scent of Murder, another romantic suspense, will hit bookstores. That one is set in Little Nashville, an artist colony in the Blue Hills of Indiana. Those are books 2 and 3 of my Classical Trio Series from Steeple Hill.

Beyond that, I’ve just finished Last but Not Least, which will be out in February of 2010. That story will wrap up the Sister-to-Sister Series with more of the faith, fun, and family relationships readers have enjoyed in Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. And I’ve thrown in a couple of surprises I think they’ll like.

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

Maya Angelou. I read an article not long ago about her, and I think she’s at fascinating woman. At one point in her life she was on the streets as a teenager, an unwed mother, victim of a violent past. In this article she described a turning point in her life when she went to the home of a trusted mentor in a fit of rage and he handed her a notebook and said, “Write down everything you’re thankful for.” She filled a page and a half, and it was a turning point for her. Of course, she’s gone on to touch millions of people with her writing. I’d love to have the opportunity to talk with her.

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

I first tried my hand at writing when I was in my early twenties, but back then I didn’t really consider writing novels – just short stories. Several years later I decided to write a novel, and did. Then another. And another. In all, I wrote dozens of short stories and six novels – two for adults and four middle-grade novels – before I finally wrote the one that landed the contract. Since I was 45 years old when I received the contract for Just As I Am, that means it took me more than twenty years from the first time I thought, “I think I’ll try writing a story.”

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

Don’t give up! And save all those rejection letters – every single one of them. Right now they’re really painful, but one day you’ll wear them like a badge of honor, a sort of proof that you paid your dues. Not long after my first novel came out, I counted all the rejection letters I’d received over those long, long years of writing. They totaled an astounding one hundred forty-three! So if I can persevere, so can you.

I couldn’t see it at the time when I was collecting those rejections, but now I can truthfully say that the Lord was at work in my writing career all along. I could not have written my break-through novel before that point. I wasn’t mature enough as a writer or as a person. But God was using all those life experiences to mold me until I was ready to write the book He gave me. So my advice is to turn your writing over to Him, and then trust that He’s got everything well in hand.

And when the mailman delivers another rejection, permit yourself fifteen minutes of teeth-gnashing. Yes, that’s all – fifteen minutes. If it’s a particularly painful one, you may have twenty. Then eat a piece of chocolate, brush it off, and get back to work.

Tell us about the featured book.

In Age before Beauty, Allie Harrod is desperate to stay home with her baby, so she launches a new career – selling makeup and household cleaning products. Because Allie has obsessive tendencies, she quickly takes things to an extreme level with some pretty funny results. And then her mother-in-law shows up on her doorstep and announces that she’s moving in! The book isn’t all fun and games, though. Allie faces some pretty tough issues, especially when it looks like her marriage is beginning to crumble.

One thing I loved about writing this book was delving into my memories to come up with the emotions and desires of a young mom. My baby is twenty-six, so I had to dig pretty deep! But my sister gave birth to a beautiful little girl right before I started writing this story, so I had her to use as a recent role model.

Age before Beauty is book 2 in the Sister-to-Sister Series, following Stuck in the Middle. The series has continuing characters and a continuing thread, but this story stands alone.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.virginiasmith.org/.

I also have a bi-monthly eNewsletter, with a sign-up form on my website. I’m a notoriously bad blogger, so I don’t have a blog, per se, but I do have Ginny’s Journal, which I update whenever I have something I think is worth saying. Or maybe just when I’m killing time and trying to avoid writing! It can be found on my website, too.

Thank you, Virginia, for spending this time with us. We want you back for each of your other novels, too.


Readers, you can order Age Before Beauty using this link:


http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?event=AFF&p=1142059&item_no=732332

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Author Virginia Smith

I'm happy to welcomea good friend to this blog. Virginia Smith has written several books that I love.

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

More of the same, I hope. I love all aspects of being a writer—the business end, the marketing, the ongoing skill development, the discipline required, and of course the act of writing. I hope God lets me keep doing this for a long, long time!

I know what you mean. Tell us a little about your family.

My husband of seventeen years is an amazing guy, the most supportive man any woman could hope for. When I left my corporate job to write full-time, he told me, “I have no doubts you will be successful. I know you can do anything you set your mind to.” Isn’t it awesome to have someone who believes in you like that? We live alone, since my kids are both grown and on their own. Family is important to us, and unfortunately ours is a bit spread out, which is why we keep two homes. My daughter and son-in-law live not far from our home in Salt Lake City, and almost all my extended family lives within a 40-mile radius of our home in central Kentucky. We’re a big, loud, boisterous, fun family, and we all love God and each other with all our hearts.

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

As happens with every writer, I began to read differently when I started studying the craft. I taught myself how to analyze a novel, to dissect the elements of characterization and setting and plot. I also began to notice active versus passive phrasing, and the ratio of dialogue to narrative, and point of view techniques. Now it’s hard for me to read a novel without noticing those things. These days my definition of a good novel is one that so captivates me in the story that I forget to notice the writer’s technique. A recent one I enjoyed immensely is Brandilyn Collins’ Crimson Eve. I was so into the story I forgot to analyze the writing. And after a while, I didn’t care. I was so compelled to keep reading that I didn’t want to stop and study her technique. That’s a good book! And these days if a book doesn’t grab my interest and keep it, I don’t hesitate to set it aside and find something that does.

Brandilyn's work does that to you. What are you working on right now?

I have so much going on at the moment I hardly know how to answer! I have just finished the first draft of Age before Beauty, the second book in my Sister-to-Sister Series from Revell. I’m in the stage where I’m letting it ‘rest’ before I revise it and turn it in to my editor. And I’ve just received a contract for my eighth novel, a mystery that will be released from Steeple Hill in October of 2008 called A Taste of Murder. I am focusing all my writing efforts at the moment on getting the first draft of that finished because it’s due at the beginning of January. Then of course I am working to promote Bluegrass Peril, which just came out. And I’m also beginning the promotion activities for Stuck in the Middle, the first book in the Sister-to-Sister Series that will be out in February. And then I have another book coming out in March!

How exciting! What outside interests do you have?

My husband and I are avid scuba divers. We try to get down to the Caribbean a couple of times a year, more if we can fit it in. Our favorite diving destination is Cozumel, Mexico. The water clarity there is crystal-clear, and the coral supports an amazing variety of sea life. Recently we went down to Roatan, Honduras, and we had such a great dive we decided that might become our next favorite.

Naturally since we have a house in Salt Lake City we’re snow skiers. There are seven world-class ski resorts within easy driving distance of my home, and my favorite—Brighton Ski Resort—is just 20 minutes away. Wide tree-lined slopes, breathtaking mountain views, very few crowds during the week. I love it.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Every book is different. All my books so far have been set in central Kentucky, because that’s the place in the world I know best. Sometimes the idea for a story comes from a character, and the setting is Kentucky because I know I can write a Kentucky girl believably--since I am one! But sometimes the idea comes from the setting itself. Bluegrass Peril, for instance, is set on a thoroughbred retirement farm. I got the idea when I visited a place called Old Friends, a real retirement farm for stallions not far from my home. The place, and the director, and the horses themselves, made such an impression on me I decided to set a book there. I used a fictitious farm, of course, so I could have the freedom to arrange things the way I wanted, but the inspiration for the story grew out of the setting of a real place.

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

Well, I can’t say Jesus because He’s not merely historical. I spend every day with Him. So I guess I’d say… Margaret Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII. Their other sister got to go to the French court, which was a center of elegant society in that time, while Margaret was sent off to marry the king of Scotland, viewed as a land full of little more than barbarians. She played a pivotal role in British history. But being a political pawn isn’t easy, and she was apparently very unhappy there at first. I visited Stirling Castle in Scotland, and as I walked through the halls I couldn’t help wondering what her life was like. Years later, when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England, it was Margaret’s great grandson, James, who became Elizabeth’s heir since she had no children of her own. Upon Elizabeth’s death, James was the first monarch of both royal lines to rule both countries, truly uniting the two.

Which is way more detail than you care about, but you asked!

Actually, I love historical details. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I wish I’d known how to write! Seriously, I didn’t have a clue about so many basics. I didn’t know what point-of-view was, much less that there were rules associated with it. I didn’t know how to draw the reader into an action scene by Showing versus Telling. I didn’t understand how to write believable dialogue. I didn’t know anything! If I had, maybe it wouldn’t have taken me twenty years to finally publish something.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That this life is all about Him, not about me. I realized something not long ago as I was praying and laying out my requests to God. I have been so focused on the things *I* have to do, and on getting His help with them. But that’s backward. My tasks, like writing books, are important, but not because they’re my tasks. They’re important because they’re His tasks that He has delegated to me. Sure, I need His help or I can accomplish nothing worthwhile on my own. But the focus should be on Him, not on me. He’s the one at the center of my universe, and all my activities need to revolve around Him, not the other way around.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here’s a short blurb for Bluegrass Peril:

When the director of a retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Kathy Dorsey teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse farm to find her boss’s killer. The amateur sleuths uncover a trail of clues that lead them into the intricate society of Kentucky's elite thoroughbred breeding industry. They soon find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set – jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders – in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.

Bluegrass Peril was such a fun book to write! My husband really got into the research with me. We went to the Breeder’s Cup, a horse race held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and we visited a thoroughbred breeder’s farm several times. We spent quite a bit of time at Old Friends (www.oldfriendsequine.org), the real thoroughbred retirement farm on which the fictitious farm in the book is modeled. I did attend one research visit without him, a thoroughbred auction, and I got so caught up in the excitement of the moment I almost bought the cutest little filly! Not a good thing, since some of those horses sell for more than a million dollars. From then on, Ted told me he would go with me to make sure I sit on my hands when the bidding gets hot. He also says Bluegrass Peril is his favorite of my books so far.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: Bluegrass Peril was initially pitched as a sequel to my first mystery, Murder by Mushroom. My editor liked the story but didn’t want a sequel, so she told me to disconnect it from the first. I changed the characters’ names, and a funny thing happened. With new names, they each started taking on their own characteristics and attitudes. So by the time I finished the book, they were all unique individuals apart from the characters in Murder by Mushroom. Still, I’m betting that discerning readers of both books will recognize them.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.VirginiaSmith.org. I give away lots of goodies through my website, so be sure to check back often. And here’s a note to tuck away in the back of your mind: in February and March I’ll be giving away a $500 shopping spree to promote the release of Stuck in the Middle, book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister Series. So bookmark my site and check back next month for details.

Lena, thanks so much for inviting me to your blog! It’s always a pleasure to spend time with you.

And I love having you here, Ginny.

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