BY DARKNESS HID - Jill Williamson - Free Book

We're talking to a debut author with her first book in her Blood of Kings series. Welcome, Jill. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Not much. If my character is experiencing something I’ve experienced, I may write in the emotions and thoughts I remember, but only if it’s natural for the character to behave that way.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I dressed up as Waldorf, my husband dressed up as Statler, and we hosted a teen variety show in the theme of the Muppet Show at our church to raise money for teen camps.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In 2004. I decided to write a book. I took it (only three quarters of the first draft done) to an ACW conference in Anaheim and pitched it to Steve Laube. I just knew it was the next Harry Potter. Steve was very kind, but I could tell from his response that I didn’t do a good job explaining what the story was about. (Because I hadn’t even finished it. Duh! I didn’t even know what the story was about.) It was a big eye opener that brought my overactive imagination back to earth. I knew I could quit or press on. Well, I’d never been much of a quitter. Plus, writing was the most rewarding and enjoyable activity I’d ever experienced. I loved it. So I kept going.

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

I particularly enjoy suspense, fantasy, mystery, and comedy. In no particular order, I love Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Lisa Samson, Caroline Keene, C.S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, Jenny B. Jones, Brandilyn Collins, J.R.R Tolkien, Michael Crichton, Cathy Gohlke, Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Cooney, John Grisham, Megan Whalen Turner, Nicolas Sparks, Francine Rivers, Randy Ingermanson. The list goes on and on. I also like some non fiction. Literary fiction is my least favorite.

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

I’ve written the first two books (The New Recruit, and The Profile Match) in my spy series for young adults. I’ve written the first book (Jason Farms) in my Test Tube Nation series for young adults. I’ve written a stand alone young adult novel called The Truth About Seagulls, which is about a Native Alaskan girl who moves out of the Alaskan Bush to go to school in town. I’ve also written an all-reader children’s book tentatively called A Mango and a Mud Church that will release from Beacon Hill Press in 2010.

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

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming... :-)

Just kidding. I often lose my sanity, but thankfully when I do, I remember to stop and pray. Playing my guitar is also very relaxing.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I like to choose names that mean something. With my Blood of Kings series, I used a Hebrew dictionary. Each character’s name means something that describes that character. In my spy series, I picked names based on their meaning and how they related to my characters internal goals. But sometimes I just pick names I like.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My two children. I think they are pretty awesome.

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

A magpie. Once I get talking…

What is your favorite food?

Fettuccine Alfredo. Any pasta, really, but Alfredo is my ultimate fave.

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

I didn’t understand showing and telling. Once it dawned on me, I was so excited. I overcame it by learning to rewrite. As I learned what to trim and reword, I figured out the big mystery. I don’t drive myself crazy weeding it all out of my first draft. I write fast and get the book done. Then I go back and seek out all the problem areas and rework them. I love rewriting. That’s where the magic happens.

It took me until after I sold my second book to begin to understand showing and telling, and I learn more all the time. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Just write. Get that first draft done. Don’t agonize over perfection until you’ve got a finished draft to agonize over. The beginning of the story could change once you know the end, so don’t waste time. Just get ’er done. Then write a different book.

And read. When you read, study what the author did. Look at their dialogue, action, punctuation, characters, plot, everything. Learn all you can. It will help you be a better writer and storyteller.

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

I originally wrote it for the young adult market—my characters are fifteen and seventeen—but sold it as an adult novel. Also, you don’t have to be a fantasy fan to enjoy it. It’s fast-paced and suspenseful.

Here is the premise:

Achan is a kitchen servant who hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. His owner learns of his training and forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince, more of a death sentence than an honor. As Achan struggles to serve the prince without being maimed, strange voices in his head cause him to fear he’s going mad. He travels with a procession escorting the prince to a council presentation. Along the way, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded, arrested, and escapes from prison only to be brought back before the rulers of the land. There he discovers a secret about himself he never believed possible.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I’m everywhere! My Web site is http://www.jillwilliamson.com/. I’m also on Shoutlife, Facebook, MySpace, Shelfari, GoodReads, Amazon…

On top of that, I run two Web sites. The first is Novel Teen Book Reviews at http://www.novelteen.wordpress.com/. It’s a website that reviews clean teen fiction. If you have a teen or know a teen or know someone who has a teen, this is a great resource to see what books are available in the Christian market for teens. We review books in these age ranges: 8-12, 12-16, 16 and up.

Thank you, Jill, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order By Darkness Hid:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THROUGH THE FIRE - Shawn Grady - Free Book

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

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

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

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

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

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

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

What is your favorite food?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Shawn for spending this time with us.

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

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

MONTANA ROSE - Mary Connealy - Free Book

Today, I'm welcoming back one of my favorite authors, Mary Connealy, who is at ICRS right now. Mary, tell us about your salvation experience.

I accepted the Lord publicly at a Lowell Lundstrom Concert when I was about 16. But I remember sincerely believing the truth about Jesus Christ at a much younger age. I was raised in a wonderful Christian home and we were really raised up in the way we should go.
　
How did you and your husband meet?

My husband, Ivan and I were high school sweethearts. Our first date was a few weeks after my sixteenth birthday. We dated for nearly four years and married about six weeks after I graduated from college. The only reason I hesitated to go out with him was because he was one of my best friends and I was afraid dating wouldn’t work out and I’d lose my best friend.

Thirty-two years and four children later, I’d say I made the right choice by saying I’d go out on that first date.
　
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

You are such a brat, Lena. I’ve got about twenty friends I’d like at this retreat, and forty more acquaintances I’d love to have. And sixty more people I’d love to meet.

So how am I supposed to pick four?

I’ve got my Seeker buddies that I love and miss desperately. I’ve seen some of them just recently so maybe I should go for some of the ones I haven’t seen.

Ruthy Logan Herne, Cara Slaughter, Tina Russo, Sandra Leesmith, Glynna Kaye and Audra Harder. I know, that’s six, shut up!

I know you have a speaking ministry. Tell us about that.

Yes, I suppose you could say I have a speaking ministry. Despite my desperate attempts to avoid one. Public speaking is soooooo not my thing. But I’ve been trying to be brave in my attempts to market my book, so I’ve done a little speaking. Yeesh.

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

Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lena. Are you even going to use this on your blog? Or are you just looking for blackmail material? I once started laughing in front of the camera when I was doing the news during a college television broadcast. This was live. I couldn’t stop. The teacher went to a commercial and came and threw me off the set. Which I suspect he was right to do, but I still hated him for it. Awful experience.
　
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 tell them to write. Don’t even think about being a writer until you’ve written one whole book. Then get back to me. We’ll work on revisions.

Good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Montana Rose is something kind of different for me. I’ve had a grand old time writing heroines that are so strong they’d almost dangerous. So I wanted to go the other way, just to see if I could.

Montana Rose’s heroine is a damsel in distress. Cassie is a pregnant widow on the western frontier. At her tyrannical husband’s funeral every man (or so it seems to her) in Montana Territory shows up to try and marry her.

She finally says yes to one man just to escape from all the pressure. Expecting her new husband to be like her old, she quietly waits to obey his orders. Red married her to save her. He couldn’t stand by and let her be dragged off by any one of the men who wanted her. Now he’s married, and because he’s never seen Cassie or her husband darken the doorstep of his church (he fills in when the circuit rider is gone) he suspects he’s married an unbeliever. A terrible sin to his way of thinking.

Red soon learns that he can’t believe anything Cassie says, because she will only say what she thinks he wants to hear. Cassie needs to grow up and learn to respect herself and her opinions. Red needs to teach her how to be a western wife before she destroys his whole ranch.

They both need to believe that this sudden, ill-advised marriage, is all part of God’s plan.

Sounds wonderful. I just received my copy this week. I'm anxious to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.maryconnealy.com/
http://mconnealy.blogspot.com/
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/
http://petticoatsandpistols.com/

Thank you, Mary, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order a copy of Montana Rose:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WInners!!! WInners!!! Winners!!!

Lastnerve is the winner of Cranberry Hearts from Elizabeth Goddard.

Julianna is the winner of Beloved Counterfeit by Kathleen Y'Barbo.

Carly Kendall is the winner of Love Thine Enemy by Louise M. Gouge.

Edwina is the winner of Cranberry Hearts from Lisa Harris.

Please contact me with your mailing address so we can get the books on their way to you.

You can find a link to my email if you click View My Complete Profile in the right hand column.

Or you can go to my web site www.lenanelsondooley.com and click on the Contact Me button.

CRANBERRY HEARTS - Lena Nelson Dooley - Free Book

This is the third, and final, interview with an author of Cranberry Hearts. Although it's hard to interview myself, here goes. What contribution did your story make to the collection?

My story, Who Am I?, is the first story in the book. It’s my first romantic suspense.

Did you enjoy working with the other authors in the collection?

Very much. Both Lisa and Beth were in the critique group that meets in my home before they moved away. I mentored them before they became published. And Beth’s story in this book was her first sale. Lisa and I worked hard to make it happen.

Did it take a lot of interaction?

Not really. There is a thread that ties the stories together, but it’s loose in the first two books. All the cousins come together in the last story to help with the cranberry harvest. But we did critique each other's novels.

Have you ever been to Massachusetts?

No, I haven’t, but I’d like to go there. All my research uncovered a lot of places I want to visit.

How was the setting chosen?

It was one of the states in the Heartsong Presents state series.

What do you like most about this collection?

That the stories are romantic suspense.

What book are you currently writing?

This week I finished a sample chapter for a requested submission, which I’m hoping the publisher will like and offer me a contract. Now I have to get back to my Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico, book.

Tell us a little about your family.

Husband of almost 45 years, two daughters, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, two grandsons, and one great grandson.

What is the first page of your story in the collection?

Chapter 1
Leiann Hambrick clutched her upper arms as if to hold herself together
while she stared through the sheer curtains that veiled the picture window.
Would she have to leave all this behind? She no longer saw the Hurst athletic complex, which had been built a few years earlier. In her mind’s eye she saw the thicket full of wild mustang grapevines that used to grow on that spot. Grapes she had picked so her mother could make her famous jelly. Jelly her father loved on his biscuits in the morning. She longed for that simpler time, when she knew who her father was. When she knew who she was.

Leiann swiped at the tears that streamed down her cheeks, ruining the makeup she had taken such pains to apply a few hours ago as she prepared for the reading of her mother’s will. How different her world had been this morning.

The Hambricks had moved to this house on Cimarron Trail in Hurst, Texas, when Leiann was in the fourth grade. Leiann had been excited when they moved to this ranch-style house on the quiet street. A lot of undeveloped property surrounded them. Besides the thicket across the road—and it had been a country road then, not a four-lane street as it was now—a creek ran along the back of the property. Leiann and her friends played there often, wading and hunting bullfrogs on hot summer evenings.

Leiann yearned to go back to that time when she knew what her life was all about. She wanted to hug her mother and have her daddy tell her that everything was all right because they were together. Of course, that was impossible. She didn’t think anything would ever be all right again.

Squeezing her eyes shut could not erase the pictures that danced through her mind. The lawyer’s office. The reading of the will. . .

“And to my daughter, I leave all my worldly goods.” The lawyer’s voice had droned on, listing the things that had belonged to her mother, which were now Leiann’s. Family heirlooms, bank accounts, furniture and household goods, jewelry. But not the house. Her mother hadn’t owned the house.

“Leiann?” From across the living room, the soft voice of her best friend brought Leiann out of her confused thoughts. When Leiann didn’t respond, Arlene came to stand beside her. “You really need to eat something.”

She turned, but she didn’t loosen the grip she held on her upper arms. If she did, she might fly apart. “I’m not really hungry.”

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.lenanelsondooley.com/
http://lenanelsondooleynewsletter.blogspot.com/

I’m also on Shoutlife, Facebook, and Twitter.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Cranberry Hearts:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

RETURN TO LOVE - Betsy St. Amant - Free Book

We're talking to a new author to my blog today. Welcome, Betsy. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I think most of my characters have snippets of my likes/dislikes, or have qualities I wish I had or wish I didn’t. For instance, in my July 2009 release RETURN TO LOVE, the heroine loves penguins and works at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. Penguins have always been a collectible of mine and my favorite animal. So it’s fun to incorporate little things like that into my characters.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I’m very much a Type A personality and stay quirky about my house. Everything must be clean and in its place, a quirk I have to really work on now that I have an infant! But I’m the girl who will walk into someone’s house or office and immediately straighten a crooked picture on the wall or restack a pile of magazines on the coffee table to look neater.
　
When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was about seven years old and my dad brought home our first computer. I pecked away at the keys and wrote short stories and attempted novels as a child and young teenager. I got serious about my writing when I was 18 and began attending conferences and learning the craft. But the other day, my mom showed me some homemade little books I had made when I was just a little girl that were absolutely hilarious! So maybe in a sense, I was born with the desire to write. =)
　
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

My favorites are romance and romantic suspense. But lately I’ve even been enjoying historicals and thrillers as well. I try to read a broad range to expand my horizons and grow as a writer. Sadly, I just can not get into sci-fi or fantasy novels, as much as I’ve tried.
　
What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I have a novel MIDNIGHT ANGEL available on Amazon, published through The Wild Rose Press. It was the first full length story I ever wrote. I also have two short story e-books available through The Wild Rose Press. Past that, I contribute articles to Crosswalk.com and have short non-fiction stories in two compilation books – LIFE SAVORS FOR WOMEN published through Tyndale and PRAISE REPORTS VOLUME II by Xulon Press and Crosswalk. My favorite story that is not yet published is a romantic suspense that I am praying gets placed soon. It’s about a cop, an orphan, and a cult leader targeting teenagers, called WHEN SHADOWS FALL.
　
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I’m a busy lady, for sure. I’m a wife, a new mom of a precious baby girl, an author, and I work a full time job. Plus you remember what I said about keeping a clean house! Haha! Things get hectic but I try to keep my relationship with God and my family first and it all works out.

Have you ever had those moments where it seemed literally impossible to get done all the things you needed to do in a single day, and you were tempted to skip your devotional time in order to get to work? Well I believe that in those times when we press on and keep God first, that God blesses our effort and our obedience and gives us "holy time warps" where it all somehow gets accomplished. =)

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Usually when I get my basic plot in mind, I will have the character’s name already chosen. They just sort of come to me. A few times I’ve had to view baby-naming websites to acquire new ideas but I’ve never had trouble naming my characters. I actually have more trouble naming side characters than I do my hero/heroine! =)
　
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Outside of my writing career, it would definitely be my daughter. She is so amazing! Inside my writing career, I am most proud of becoming a multi-published author with Steeple Hill. I know it is only by the grace of God and His will, nothing I could have ever done on my own!
　
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Probably a penguin. I definitely got the waddle thing down when I was pregnant. Haha. But I just think they’re cute and they’re always dressed up for a fancy occasion – sort of like me. I like to dress up and usually will be the one overdressed at an occasion rather than under.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican food, definitely. I’ll eat chips and salsa any day, any time. Even for breakfast! When I was pregnant, that was especially all I wanted.

I was that way with spaghetti when I was pregnant with my second child What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest problem regarding the actual craft of writing was, and still is at times, incorporating "high stakes". My stories tend to be more character driven and while I can easily invent a fun or interesting plot, I often have trouble getting those stakes in there! You know, the urgency, the "why this can’t happen to the poor character but why it must happen" type stuff. But I’m getting better! =)

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

KEEP WRITING. Don’t give up—rejections will always be hovering, even after you are published. If you quit, you’ll never know if an acceptance was right around the corner! So hang in there and take the good with the bad, the positive with the negative. And definitely attend those conferences and really learn the craft of writing.

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

RETURN TO LOVE is a really special story to me. It’s set in New Orleans, which is where my husband’s family is from and where he proposed to me in 2004. I really had fun writing this story and incorporating the Cajun culture into the setting. RETURN TO LOVE is about a man and woman who grew up in Louisiana as best friends, but were torn apart as young adults. This story shows their return to love and to each other. Plus, it’s got penguins in it—what could be more fun? =)

How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can email me at betsystamant@yahoo.com
or visit my blog at http://www.betsy-ann.blogspot.com/
or my author site at http://www.betsystamant.com/.
They can also find me at http://www.shoutlife.com/betsystamant .

Thank you, Betsy, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Return to Love:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS - Allie Pleiter - Free Book

I'm welcoming Allie Pleiter back to the blog. I just loved her last book. I'm sure I'll be as pleased with this one, too.

Bio: An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, six novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.

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

Actually, despite being a huge plan-maker, I try never to look at the horizon book-wise. I’m always in awe of those authors who can see dozens of books into their future--I only seem to get mine one at a time. I crafted one trilogy by forcing myself, what became the Kentucky Corners series, but that felt like pulling my creative teeth. I’m hoping to begin a series in Charleston, SC because I’ve loved my past visit there, but that’s still way off.

Tell us a little about your family.

They deserve Olympic medals in the perseverance and put-up-with-the-crazy-lady-behind-the-laptop events. I have two teenagers (13 and 17), the world’s best husband, and the world’s most beloved dog.

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

We’re a very book-oriented family, and always have been avid readers. I’m always reading three books--one fiction, one non-fiction, and one audiobook. For fiction, I’ve been reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (very funny), I’ve been pouring over San Francisco 1906 earthquake books (very instructional) for my non-fiction as I work on HIDDEN BY DAWN, the sequel to MASKED BY MOONLIGHT that will come out sometime next year; and my audiobook is THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA (very thought-provoking). Eclectic, don’t you think?

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on BLUEGRASS EASTER, a novella due out next February. It’s one more story based in Middleburg, the fictional town of all my "Kentucky Corners" series. After that, I’ll dig into figuring out what those Charleston books might be about. The next book I’ll have out is BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS for the holiday season.

What outside interests do you have?

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to knit. I even have a knitting blog where I can gab about my passions for the hobby, DestiKNITions. I run my church’s prayer shawl ministry, where we knit and pray over beautiful shawls to be given to those in need of comfort and healing. I knit all the time, and I do mean all the time.

I love to knit, too, but mostly not in the summer. Only if they are small things. It's too hot in Texas to have a large knitted thing in your lap How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’d love to say there’s some great formula to it, but it’s mostly "where do I want to go next?" It’s important for me to visit the cities my books are set in, because the location research is great fun for me and one of my favorite parts of the process.

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

I’d spend it with Eleanor Roosevelt. She seems to incredibly wise and strong.

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

How to write them (ha!)? Actually, I wish I’d known it would never get easier, but then I might never have started. I keep waiting for the point where I’ll feel sure of my skills and career, and even after a dozen books it hasn’t appeared. I don’t think it’s showing up any time soon.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

That I am right where I’m supposed to be. Just this morning I was reading the passages in Daniel where it talks about how God does as He pleases and no one can hold back His hand. That’s a sovereignty I can trust, even when it doesn’t look like it.

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

1) Write.

2) Learn your craft but don’t let yourself get tangled up in it.

3) Craft is good but storytelling is what matters most. We must be tellers of compelling stories above all else. I can forgive mediocre writing from a fabulous storyteller, but even sumptuous prose won’t hold me if the story doesn’t catch my heart. And, as far as I can tell, writing is the only way to learn to write. There are no shortcuts.

Tell us about the featured book.

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS is one of the deepest stories I’ve told in the Kentucky Corners series. Stakes are really high for both characters, and the emotional level is life-changing for these two people God has really taken to the edge. Dinah, Middleburg’s baker, is a wild, artistic woman after my own heart--so of course I needed to give her a tightly wound New York City broker to fall for....I just love "opposites attract" stories!

Back cover copy:

Everyone in Middleburg, Kentucky lines up for baker Dinah Hopkins’s cinnamon rolls. Everyone except her handsome new landlord, Cameron Rollings. The jaded city man doesn’t like anything about small-town life--from the fresh air to her fresh-baked snickerdoodles. And he clearly considers Dinah as quirky as her eccentric oven. The way to Cameron’s heart is not through his toned stomach. But the Lord led him to Kentucky Corners for a reason. And Dinah plans to help him count his bluegrass blessings.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can visit my website at http://www.alliepleiter.com/, and my knitting blog at http://www.destiknitions.blogspot.com/.

Thank you, Allie, for coming back to talk with us.

Readers, you won't want to miss any of the books in this series. Here's a link where you can order Bluegrass Blessings:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DEADLY INTENT - Camy Tang - Free Book

Welcome, Camy, I'm thrilled to have you on my blog. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I love reading romantic suspense, especially Love Inspired Suspense novels, which is why I’m thrilled to be releasing Deadly Intent with Steeple Hill. I don’t know what it says about me that I enjoy killing people in fiction. :)

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

Probably the day my husband proposed to me. He took me to a lovely seafood restaurant with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, and he proposed after dinner. I was completely surprised because I hadn’t expected him to propose for another couple years.

Sounds wonderfully romantic. How has being published changed your life?

I absolutely love my job. While I enjoyed being a biologist researcher, it was not as fulfilling as it is to write stories for a living. I am wonderfully satisfied and joyful each day about the work I do.
What are you reading right now?

Snow Melts in Spring by Deborah Vogts

What is your current work in progress?

I’m actually working on two things: the fourth book in my Sushi series, which I’ll be making available as a free ebook to my newsletter YahooGroup members in the fall, and my next book for Zondervan, which will be a humorous contemporary romance about a woman who does the Couch to 5K running program. The C25K is a training program where you go from a couch potato to running 3 miles in about 9 weeks. I just finished the C25K myself! Yay!

Wish I could try that, but I can't. What would be your dream vacation?

Touring England! I want to go to Ireland and Scotland and London and Bath.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Usually, ideas for settings come to me at weird times, like when I’m showering or in the middle of the night. Almost always when I don’t have a paper and pencil handy.

I've left the shower many a time and gone straight for a piece of paper and pen to write something down the Lord showed me. If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

I want Emeril to cook dinner for me. Bam! Good food and an entertaining guest all at once.

That sounds like a fun evening. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Knitting! I love it! It helps me to de-stress and it also helps me think so that I can write.

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

Distraction. I think of all the things I need to do in the house rather than writing, like cleaning the toilet. Guilt is a terrible thing when your house is messy.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read up on as many writing articles as you can before you finish that first book. I learned SO much from just reading about the writing craft online, and it gave me a leg up because I found out which writing books to get and the basics of crafting a genre novel.

Tell us about the featured book?

Deadly Intent is my first romantic suspense. Here’s the back cover blurb:

SCENE OF THE CRIME
The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake...and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn...and whom can she trust?
　

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One
The man who walked into Naomi's father's day spa was striking enough to start a female riot.
Dark eyes swept the room, which happened to be filled with the Sonoma spa's staff at that moment. She felt his gaze glance over her like a tingling breeze. Naomi recognized him instantly. Dr. Devon Knightley.

For a wild moment, she thought, He's come to see me. And her heart twirled in a riotous dance.
But only for a moment. Sure, they'd talked amiably— actually, more than amiably—at the last Zoe International fund-raising dinner, but after an entire evening sitting next to her, he hadn't asked for her phone number, hadn't asked for any contact information at all. Wasn't that a clear sign he wasn't interested?

She quashed the memory and stepped forward in her official capacity as the spa owner's daughter and acting manager. "Dr. Knightley. Welcome."

He clasped her hand with one tanned so brown that it seemed to bring the heat of the July sun into the airy, air-conditioned entranceway. "Miss Naomi Grant." His voice had more than a shot of surprise, as did his looks as he took in her pale blue linen top and capris, the same uniform as the gaggle of spa staff members gathered behind her. "It's been a few months since I've seen you."

He still held her hand. She loved the feel of his palm— cool and warm at the same time, strong the way a surgeon's should be.

No, she had to stop this. Devon and his family were hard-core atheists, and nothing good would come out of giving in to her attraction. "What brings you here?"

"I need to speak to Jessica Ortiz."

An involuntary spasm seized her throat. Of course. Glamorous client Jessica Ortiz or plain massage therapist Naomi Grant—no comparison, really.

But something in his tone didn't quite have the velvety sheen of a lover. He sounded almost… dangerous. And danger didn't belong in the spa.
　
I'm hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.camytang.com/ and I blog daily at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/. I give away Christian fiction on my blog every week, and I also have a fantastic newsletter contest going on now for members of my newsletter YahooGroup. Join today: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join
Thanks for having me here, Lena!
Camy

It is totally my great blessing and pleasure.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Deadly Intent:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification will be the winner post on this blog. So don't forget to check back in two weeks on Saturday to see if you've won. Or sign up for Feedblitz in the sidebar.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Happy Holiday Winners!!!

Sherry K. is the winner of Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio, by Lisa Harris.

Anna W. is the winner of The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y'Barbo.

Gail Mundy is the winner of Blackmail by Robin Caroll.

Host is the winner of Lying on Sunday by Sharon K. Souza.

Congratulations! You each need to send me your snail mail address. You can click on View My Complete Profile to find the link to my email, or you can go to www.lenanelsondooley.com and click on the Contact Me link.

CRANBERRY HEARTS - Lisa Harris - Free Book

Lisa Harris is the second author we're interviewing with this release. Welcome, Lisa. What contribution did your story make to the collection?

A Matter of Trust was one of the first romances I wrote, and when Lena, Beth and I decided to submit a collection to Heartsong, I knew this was the story I wanted to use. But I also knew that it was going to take a lot of rewrites to make it sellable. Because I already loved the story, I really enjoyed going back, reworking the story, and fleshing out the characters the second time around.

Here’s the back cover blurb: A year ago Kayla Marceilo had it all - a great job in Boston and a handsome, successful fiance who loved the Lord...or so she thought. When Ty turned out to be a liar, Kayla's world was shattered. Moving back home seemed like a good way to try to pick up the pieces. Just when she feels like everything's falling into place, Ty reappears in her life, claiming to have changed. But has he?

Ty Lawrence is sorry for his past. Tragedy and heartache made him hit rock bottom and realize what truly matters. He's changed his ways and his hoping for a simpler, more meaningful life in Farrington...and another chance with Kayla. When Ty's past catches up with him and he's accused of defrauding his former company, can he ever earn Kayla's trust - and love - back?

Did you enjoy working with the other authors in the collection?

One of the blessings in writing for me has been the authors and readers who I’ve befriended throughout the years, and Lena and Beth are some of my closest writer friends. So yes, I definitely enjoyed it.

Did it take a lot of interaction?

This collection took little interaction. Beyond the setting, each story stands alone.

Have you ever been to Massachusetts?

While I’ve never been to Massachusetts, I’ve spent the past few years extensively researching the area. Besides my contribution to this contemporary collection, I was also privileged to write three historical romances for Heartsong set in Massachusetts in the late 1800’s. That collection is entitled Massachusetts Brides.

How was the setting chosen?

I believe originally, Beth had done a lot of research on cranberry farms which we all thought was a unique setting. Massachusetts proved to be the perfect location for the series.

What do you like most about this collection?

I enjoyed the setting and the fact that there is a thread of mystery, which I always love to add to my stories.

What book are you currently writing?

I’m currently brainstorming book two in my Mission Hope series for Zondervan. The first book in the series, Blood Ransom, will be released next March and is a fast-paced suspense novel.

“Deep in the heart of Africa, two American lives are about to change forever. Natalie Sinclair and

Dr. Chad Talcott want to make a difference in under-developed African villages … but they didn’t count on risking their lives in the process. Romance and adventure drive this powerful thriller about the modern-day slave trade and those who dare to challenge it.”

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I, along with our three children, moved to South Africa about six years ago to work with my husband’s aunt and uncle in leadership training and church planting. About a year ago, after six months learning Portuguese in Brazil, God called us to Mozambique where we are continuing our work for African Outreach Ministries. Life is always an adventure, but we feel blessed to be a part of the work here.

What is the first page of your story in the collection?

Ty Lawrence was running out of time. He drummed his fingers against the top of his polished mahogany desk that sat near the window of his office and tried to calm his staggered breathing.
One more minute, Lord. That’s all I need.

The computer whirred as it copied the files onto his flash drive. He might not have evidence to hand over to the police for an actual conviction, but he did have enough confidential files at his apartment to keep a government official busy for weeks if Abbott Financial Services was ever indicted. These last files, thanks to an unanticipated inside tip and his password, were the best corroboration he’d found so far in linking the CEO, Richard Abbott, to fraud.

And thirty years behind bars if Ty had his way.

Forty-five seconds left.

Ty stuck a dirty coffee mug and a half-eaten bag of peanuts from his desk drawer into the cardboard box he’d brought from home. The corner office with windows overlooking the city, the company Jag, and a yearly bonus that could pay off the debt of a small, third world country hadn’t been enough enticement to stay in the game. Not since the morning he’d awakened with a hangover and the front page of the Boston Times in his lap with pictures of five executives from
Orlando arrested for fraud and conspiracy charges.

It was a sobering thought, requiring little imagination to realize that was where he was headed if he didn’t get out before it was too late. The unexpected letter from an old friend offering him a job in Farrington, Massachusetts, had cinched the deal. Never mind the fact that he’d make a third of what he made now, drive his old car, and work from an office smaller than his bedroom closet.

He’d have a clean conscience, which was worth more than Richard Abbott could ever give him.
Ty glanced at the computer screen. Twenty seconds. His head throbbed. Once Abbott received the resignation letter with his morning correspondence, security would be sent up to escort Ty off the property.

Voices buzzed in the hallway, growing louder as they neared his office. Five seconds. . .

His office door slammed against the back wall as his boss crossed the threshold. Ty looked up from the potted plant he was setting in the cardboard box.

A real hook. Now, Lisa, where can the readers find you on the Internet?

I keep a blog on our life in Africa at http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com/ . Stop by and leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you! I also have a website at http://www.lisaharriswrites.com/ . Thanks so much for having me, Lena. It’s always a privilege to be here!

And I love having you, Lisa. Readers, you'll want to go to her blog and sign up for it. I love reading about her life in Africa, complete with pictures.

Here's a link where you can order Cranberry Hearts:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you will have will be the winners post on this blog, so be sure to come back to the blog a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

LOVE THINE ENEMY - Louise M. Gouge - Free Book

We haven't seen Louise on this blog for a long time. Welcome back, Louise. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

My favorite theme is God’s amazing grace. In all my stories, I try to bring out the eternal truth that God has completed all the work necessary for our salvation. When Jesus said on the Cross, "It is finished," He meant finished. We have only to believe in Him as the sacrifice for our sins, and we have eternal life with Him. Once we accept that salvation, we should to tap into that same grace of God to grow into the people He wants us to be. Those are the themes I love to write about. One of my favorite songs from childhood is, "I love to tell the story … of Jesus and His love." It’s a lifelong passion of mine.

A wonderful passion! What other books of yours are coming out soon?

The next book in my Revolutionary War series is The Captain’s Lady, a Love Inspired Historical due to be released in March 2010.

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

Oh, dear, this is a hard question. I’ve reached the point in my life where I feel a certain contentment and don’t ache to be in another place or with another person other than the ones around me. God has been so good to me. While we don’t have much materially, we do have each other. No doubt, my feelings come from my husband’s recent bout with cancer, his making it through surgery and treatment, my widowed daughter and grandchildren sharing our home, and our sons doing well in their careers. To me, this is what life is all about.

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

I have always had an active imagination, creating stories very early in my childhood and writing term papers in the forms of plays and short stories. When my children were growing up, I invented bedtime stories and songs, and also wrote many church plays. Then, at the urging of a friend, I began my first novel, a contemporary romance. It was so much fun that I decided to keep writing. I’ve been writing since 1984. I sold that contemporary romance in the early 90s, and it came out in 1994. But before I tried to sell it, I went back to college and earned a creative writing degree so I wouldn’t embarrass myself when I submitted it to editors.

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

Writing is only partly about your dreams. Book publishing is a business. Editors know what they’re looking for, what will sell, and what their publishing house needs. Since I want to sell my stories, I need to hone my writing skills and then find out what’s working in the book market these days and aim my writing in that direction.

Tell us about the featured book?

Here’s the back cover blurb. It encapsulates everything about the characters and conflicts:

The tropics of colonial Florida are far removed from America’s Revolution. Still, Rachel Folger’s loyalties remain with Boston’s patriots. Handsome plantation owner Frederick Moberly’s faithfulness to the Crown is as certain as his admiration for Rachel—but for the sake of harmony, he’ll keep his sympathies hidden. After all, the war is too far distant to truly touch them...isn’t it?

A betrayal of Rachel’s trust divides the pair, leaving Frederick to question the true meaning of faith in God and in country. Inspired by Rachel to see life, liberty, and love through His eyes, Frederick must harness his faith and courage to claim the woman he loves before war tears them apart.

Love Thine Enemy, LIH July 2009, ISBN - 13: 978-0-373-82815-9
　
Please give us the first page of the book.

Through the window of her father’s store, Rachel watched the Englishmen ride their handsome steeds up the sandy street of St. Johns Settlement. Their well-cut coats and haughty bearing – as if they owned the world – made their identities unmistakable.

"Make them pass by, Lord," she whispered, "for surely I’ll not be able to speak a Christian word to them if they come in here." She glanced over her shoulder at Papa to see if he had heard her, but he was focusing his attention on a newly-opened crate of goods.

Rachel turned back to the window. To her dismay, the two young men dismounted right in front of the store. One snapped his fingers at a small black boy and motioned for him to care for the horses.

Her dismay turned to anger. How did they know the boy could take time to do the task? Did they care that the child might be beaten by his owner if he lingered in town?
　
I love the hook. I'll have to move that book up on my to-be-read-list. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.louisemgouge.com/

Thank you, Lena, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog!

And thank you, Louise, for spending this time with us. I really miss seeing you since you no longer come to this area to visit your daughter's family.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Love Thine Enemy:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you'll have will be the winners post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. If you're afraid you'll forget, sign up for Feedblitz at the top of the sidebar. The posts will come to your Inbox.

If you're reading this in Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

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BELOVED COUNTERFEIT - Kathleen Y'Barbo - Free Book

Readers, I've read and reviewed this book, and you're going to love it! Welcome back, Kathleen. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

Forgiveness is a theme that many of my characters deal with, be it in forgiving others, forgiving themselves, or forgiving God. Obedience is another, as I’ve been known to have a hero or heroine choose between logic and God’s leading.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

My Western romance THE CONFIDENTIAL LIFE OF EUGENIA COOPER just hit the shelves (June 16) from Waterbrook. CAJUN HEARTS, the repack of my three Louisiana-based short contemporaries will release in August from Barbour Publishing. In the fall I’ll be part of a Texas-set Christmas novella collection called WILD WEST CHRISTMAS and starring Vickie McDonough, Darlene Franklin, and YOU!

And that is one of the most fun collections I've been in. lIf you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Willie Nelson. As a 10th generation Texan and a fan since I was a kid, I’d love to hang with Willie for a few hours and listen to him strum his guitar. Surprised?

A little maybe. How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

Since I was very young. I taught myself to read sitting in my granny’s hall with her huge Encyclopedia Brittanica open on my lap (I was 5). So, you could say I had a love of language for as long as I knew there was such a thing. I wrote copiously all through school, mostly things that no one would ever see. It wasn’t until 1996 when I decided to give the thought of writing something a chance to materialize into actually doing it. That first book poured out – 120,000 words in 5 weeks – and I’ve been writing ever since.

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

Count each rejection as one step closer to publication. There was a time when I had collected so many rejection letters that I filed them by year! And yes, I keep them – still have them all. I think of those letters as proof that not only did I actually put my work out there to be seen, but I also learned from whatever it was that made that project not right for that house. So don’t be so hasty to toss out any criticism as if someone were telling you your baby was ugly. Let it sit at least a month then go back and see if there’s something to be learned. In the great majority of cases, there is.

Now, Kathleen, tell the readers about the featured book?

Washed ashore on Fairweather Key, Ruby O’Shea and her three nieces—the offspring of the pirate Thomas Hawkins and Ruby’s late sister—have a chance for a new beginning as Ruby takes a job in a boardinghouse and the girls are passed off as her daughters. But will Ruby be able to confess all when she falls for Micah Tate, a widower, wrecker, and soon-to-be preacher?

Micah is determined to marry the young woman who has captured his heart. But will he be able to remain true to his vows when his lady love’s shady past comes to light?

Captain Thomas Hawkins will go to any lengths to discover the whereabouts of his daughters. What will his determination conceive? When Ruby finds herself bereft of her newfound love and protector, she is fair game for foul deeds. Will she run away in an attempt to escape her present as she did her past? Will Micah’s love cover the multitude of Ruby’s sins? Or will Ruby’s duplicity cost her everything?
　
Please give us the first page of the book.

July 1819
O’Connor Plantation, Jamaica
"You were supposed to be watching."

"I have been. Not a ship’s approached." Claire O’Connor turned at the sound of her sister’s voice and held up the most special shell in her of her basket of prizes. "I found some sand dollars. Come and look. This one’s the biggest yet."

"No, I don’t want to see them." Opal hurdled over the small dune and bounded toward her. "You weren’t watching either. He’s back."

Looking toward the horizon, she spied nothing but low-hanging clouds and a sun hot enough to shrivel all that it touched. With no slaver in sight, the only reason for the announcement was obvious. "Papa?"

"Yes, Papa. Who else?"

"He couldn’t be." Claire set her basket down carefully, making sure not to spill the shells she’d spent the morning collecting. "If Mama had expected Papa to return, she’d certainly have sent away her gentleman friend."

That’s what Mama made her and Opal call them, but none of the fellows who climbed the stairs of the big house while Papa was away ever looked like gentlemen to Claire. And they certainly weren’t friendly.

Well most of them weren’t anyway.

"Now come on over here and help me look," Claire said. "I don’t think I’ve seen this many sand dollars on the beach since the big storm blew over last fall."

No explanation of their destination was required as nine-year-old Opal raced across the sand to catch Claire’s wrist and give it a jerk. "I think Papa killed this one."

"Don’t be silly," Claire said, even as her heart thudded against her ribs.

Though Claire was almost a full year older, her sister’s legs were already longer so keeping up took some effort. By the time she reached their secret hiding place beneath the front steps, Opal had already lifted the loose board and shinnied inside.

The hurricane that was their father’s voice rose and fell like heat waves and blew past toward the dry expanse of land that tumbled downhill toward the beach. By contrast, her mother’s bird-like responses chirped across the storm with all the effect of a whisper in a gale. Words like "slave" and "bankrupt" and oaths against the monarchy and Parliament bounced past, all just a part of what they’d heard from Papa since the news that the slavers would be arrested should they dare bring their cargo into Caribbean waters.

Thus far nothing had been said about what went on while Papa was at sea. Perhaps things weren’t as bad as Opal claimed.

Claire pressed her finger over her lips to hush her sister then crept toward the parlor window. She might have risen up to look inside had something not whizzed past her head and landed in the yard, sending Claire racing back to the steps. A glance over her shoulder told her the object was the sparkling necklace Mama had put on for the first time this morning.

"Hurry up," Opal called in an urgent whisper. "You can’t let him see you."

"I’m not afraid of him," she blustered even as her trembling fingers refused to take instruction. Claire let out a long breath. "He can’t get you here. He can’t get either of us."
　
That's a real hook! How can readers find you on the Internet?

Twitter! I love it! Find me at kathleenybarbo.
I’m on Facebook and unless you rank high on the creep factor, I’ll add you. :D
Finally, my new website will be up and running soon thanks to the brilliant mind of Kelli Standish and the crew at Pulsepoint Designs. I’ve got some great plans for contests to celebrate the kick-off the site, which will be http://www.kathleenybarbo.com/

Thank you, Kathleen, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Beloved Counterfeit:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification you'll receive is the winners post on this blog. So check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

CRANBERRY HEARTS - Elizabeth Goddard, Lisa Harris, Lena Nelson Dooley - Free Book

This the first interview announcing the release of Cranberry Hearts. We're talking to one of the authors, Elizabeth Goddard. Welcome, Beth. What contribution did your story make to the collection?

Seasons of Love is set on a cranberry farm. The characters from the other stories appeared in my story during the cranberry harvest.

Did you enjoy working with the other authors in the collection?

I’ve known these authors since I started writing fiction so they were very easy to work with. They’ve been a huge part of my writing career, giving me encouragement, critiques, and support.

Did it take a lot of interaction?

Since the stories were only loosely tied together, there was minimal interaction regarding the planning and writing. But then we each read the others’ stories.

Have you ever been to Massachusetts?

Yes, I’ve traveled extensively in my job as a high-level account executive for a software company. In fact, one of the first places I visited outside of my home state of Texas for the company was Salem, Massachusetts.

How was the setting chosen?

Years before ever writing the story I’d seen a news clip about cranberry farming and knew that I wanted to set a story there one day. When the opportunity to write a story set in Massachusetts came up, I already had the perfect setting.

What do you like most about this collection?

The suspense and the setting.

What book are you currently writing?

Again, I love interesting settings. My current project for Heartsong Presents is set in North Dakota on a decommissioned missile site. Disarming Andi will release in March 2010.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband pastors a small church in Oregon. I have three sons—10, 9, and 5—and a 17-year-old daughter who is preparing to leave for Scotland next month on a missionary trip. She went to South Africa last year. My story, O Christmas Tree, in Barbour’s Christmas Homecoming 4-in-1 collection due in September, is based on her travels and includes some of her experiences.

What is the first page of your story in the collection?

Prologue
Sacramento, California

"I’ve got a proposition for you. Call me,” a familiar voice crackled from the answering machine.

Grandpa? Riley O’Hare set her sack of groceries on the counter as she replayed the message.

The clock on the sage-colored wall displayed six thirty. Grandpa was on the East Coast. No way would he still be up at nine thirty. She’d have to wait until morning before she could call him. She hated waiting and stared at the ceiling while the annoying computerized voice detailed the time and stated that she had another message.

“Riley, it’s Eric. You there? I tried to reach you on your cell today. I’d love to have dinner with you tonight, but I’ve got that meeting with Tom Carling at Solution Sciences, remember? Actually, you could join me. It never hurts to have a beautiful woman on your arm. Italiano’s at six thirty.”

“Too late,” she said and huffed at his comment. It irritated her that he acted as though they were supposed to have dinner tonight. When would he get it? He didn’t seem to understand that things were over between them. Riley shuddered.

Eric Rutherford only saw her as eye candy to impress his colleagues. Everything revolved around his work as a business consultant—though she couldn’t blame him for that. Her career as a regional account executive for Morris & Associates consumed her, as well. Most people didn’t have time to live their own lives anymore.

Anxious to be rid of thoughts of Eric, she hit the Delete button hard and long. The answering machine responded that all messages had been erased.

“What? Argh.” Riley examined the caller ID list to see whose calls she’d missed since she’d just accidentally trashed all the messages. John’s work number appeared last. She called her brother back, getting no answer; then she tried his cell. Still no answer, so she left a message.

After she finished putting away the groceries she’d grabbed on the way home from work, she popped precooked chicken strips onto a paper plate and into the microwave, then pulled the tab off a diet soda. It fizzed over the top and onto her beige blouse.

“Ack!” She whirled around and held it over the sink. When the soda’s overzealous carbonation died down, she wiped the can with a paper towel and set it on the counter while she cleaned.

Frustration overwhelmed her. She didn’t have th e energy to cook a decent meal. Life had been hectic since graduating from college with a business degree. Three years of her life had flown by since then. Was this what it was all about?

Where can the readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.bethgoddard.com/

Beth, thank you for spending this time with us.

Readers, you're going to love reading these three romantic suspense stories. Here's a link where you can order Cranberry Hearts:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. The only notification will be the winners post on this blog. So be sure to check back on Saturday in two weeks to see if you won.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/

6 Winners This Week!!! 6 - And A Special Announcement!!

The Wendt Family and Charmed are the 2 winners of Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove.

Julianna is the winner of Maggie Rose by Sharlene MacLaren.

Leila and Sandee61 are the 2 winners of Wild Prairie Roses by Lena Nelson Dooley, Laurie Alice Eakes, and Lisa Harris.

Adge is the winner of Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida, by Debby Mayne.

Congratulations. You need to get your mailing address to me. You can click on View My Complete Profile in the sidebar to find a link to my email. Or you can go to my web site and use the Contact Me form - www.lenanelsondooley.com

Announcing the Release of Cranberry Hearts by Lisa Harris, Lena Nelson Dooley, and Elizabeth Goddard. You can read all about it at this link: http://lenanelsondooleynewsletter.blogspot.com

LYING ON SUNDAY - Sharon K Souza - Free Book

About Sharon:

Sharon and her husband Rick have been married 36 years. They live in northern California, and have three children and 6 grandchildren. Rick travels the world building churches, Bible schools, and orphanages. Sharon travels with him on occasion, but while Rick lives the adventure, Sharon is more than happy to create her own through fiction.

In your previous novel, Every Good & Perfect Gift, you address the tough issues of infertility and catastrophic illness. Again, in Lying on Sunday, you've tackled a tough subject, that being infidelity. Why do you choose such tough topics?

I like to write stories that speak to women on deep and personal levels. None of us gets through this life without being affected in some form by sadness, loss, a sense of failure over one issue or another, and having been failed. I think when we know we're not the only one going through these types of situation--and it's so easy to feel that you are alone--it gives us hope that we really can come through, not necessarily unscathed, but certainly stronger and more equipped to help others.

Do heavy topics equal a heavy reading experience?

Definitely not. I firmly believe that pleasure reading should first and foremost be entertaining. Time is a precious commodity. I hope that readers who choose to spend some of their precious hours in the pages of my books will thoroughly enjoy the experience. So even though I tackle tough subjects, I infuse enough humor to keep those subjects from becoming an albatross around the reader's neck. Conversely, I love to read for pleasure, but I want to take something away from the experience.

What would you have readers take away from Lying on Sunday?

In one day, Abbie Torrington has the underpinnings of her world knocked out from under her. Everything she thinks she knows about her marriage turns out to be false. It leaves her reeling in the aftermath. Years ago, while dealing with health issues in my own life, a close friend gave me a Precious Moments figurine entitled "Light at the End of the Tunnel." In Lying on Sunday, I want to show that even with issues as devastating as betrayal there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and for me that Light, of course, is Jesus.

Lying on Sunday deals with the betrayal of infidelity, but are there other forms of betrayal that the book might speak to?

Types of betrayal obviously vary, but the end results can be equally devastating. Any time a trust is broken between people in relationship, someone is going to be hurt. We can either allow those hurts to hinder us, or we can allow the Lord to use them as lessons to make us better and stronger. That brings to mind the old adage "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger." Well, through her own devastating experience Abbie becomes a stronger, more independent person than she knew she could be.

Once again you've written a story with a strong and vital friendship that's central to the story. Was that coincidence or by design?

Absolutely by design. I'm all about relationships and so are my characters. Having gone through a period in my early adulthood without a close friend, I know how important friends are in our lives. In fact, I've recently reconnected with two friends from high school, one I hadn't seen in 25 years, and the other in over 30 years. But relationships between women, while vital, can be very complex. That's certainly true for Abbie. Besides her close friendship with Shawlie Bryson, she has a close relationship with one daughter and a challenging relationship with the other, mostly because of the very different emotional place these girls are in while dealing with the death of their father. Not only that, but Abbie has a strained relationship with her own mother for reasons she eventually discovers. I'm certain that women of each one of these generations will relate to one or the other of these characters, especially the woman caught in the middle, where she's both the daughter and the mother.

Truth is a theme you deal with extensively in Lying on Sunday. In a book that deals with betrayal, wouldn't forgiveness be a more fitting theme?

I believe forgiveness is the key to getting beyond the kind of hurt Abbie experiences - which doesn't necessarily equate to restored relationship. (In Abbie's case, of course, that's impossible anyway.) But the discovery of truth is a huge first step in the process. In any difficult situation we can choose to ignore the facts and try to keep life on an even keel. But there inevitably comes a day of reckoning. For Abbie to arrive at the desired destination, there are some unpleasant truths she must acknowledge and deal with. She's dogged by a scripture from John 8:32 that says the truth will set you free. Only she can decide whether or not she'll let it.

What is the most satisfying thing that comes out of your writing?

I love hearing from readers, especially those I don't know, who say my stories have touched them in one way or another, and most importantly, have helped them see more clearly how good and loving our Lord is.

What are you working on now, and does it continue in the style of Lying on Sunday and Every Good & Perfect Gift?

My work in progress, Unraveled, is another contemporary novel about a young woman who gives a year of her life to help teach children in Moldova, a small country in eastern Europe. While there she experiences a crisis of faith (the story ultimately deals with human trafficking). And yes, it continues in the style of my previous novels.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Naturally I love to hear from readers. You can email me through my website: http://www.sharonksouza.com/.

If you're in a book club and choose to read any of my books, I'll send a complimentary book to the person who contacts me on behalf of their group. Then, after you read the book I'd love to participate in your group discussion, either by phone or in person if you're close enough for me to drive to.

Thank you, Sharon, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Lying on Sunday:

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

The only notification you'll receive will be the winners post on this blog. So check back a week from Satyurday to see if you've won.

If you're reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here's the link:

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com