Tuesday, December 20, 2011

CABIN ON PINTO CREEK - A J Hawke - Free Book


About the Author:
A J Hawke is a native Texan who has a passion for exploring the American West and creating stories with Christian based romantic themes. CABIN ON PINTO CREEK is her first Inspirational Western Historical Romance; A J is also the author of the Inspirational Contemporary Romance CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. Soon to be released is her second Inspirational Western Historical Romance, MOUNTAIN JOURNEY HOME.

Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
I’m sure that there is some of me in my characters as to beliefs, interest, and preferences. For example, I would never write a hero character who likes to eat onions raw. Ewwww. Just not my taste. Although if I really didn’t like the character and they were a villain I might make them suffer eating raw onions.

On the other hand, I want my heroes to be what I envision the moral character to be of a really good person. So I do write into my characters my sense of right and wrong.

Now about all those really cute heroines. I probably describe them with the looks and abilities that I always wanted growing up. Long gorgeous hair, perfect figures. Well, they are my characters and I can make them appear any way I want. That’s part of the fun of writing fiction.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
Oh, this is a hard one. I’m such a sweet, simple, normal person. Really. Quirky is just not my thing. Last year I did make a Pinto Bean Pie and served it to my Ladies Bible study group. They thought that was pretty odd. The recipe is on my blog if you want to shake up your friends and family with an unusual dessert for Christmas.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?
I’ve always sort of known it. When I was a kid I was forever writing stories in my mind and even had a file of story ideas from the time I was about fourteen. But I got serious about writing one hot July afternoon in 2008. I had just read a bland, silly romance and thought, “I could write this.” So to relieve the boredom and to avoid doing anything useful I started writing a novel.

It probably would have been better to have read some books on how to write first as I had no clue that there were rules for writing fiction. POV, show vs. tell, commas in the right place? Who knew it was so complicated? I just wanted to tell a great story.

I found I really enjoyed the writing and continued. It was a bit of a surprise when people started to tell me they enjoyed my stories. 

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read fiction, history, self-help, and Biblical textbooks and commentaries. Western historical romances are my relaxation fav, although I will read other historical fiction as well as contemporary. I don’t particularly enjoy murder, suspense or scary stories. Stephen King and I are not buddies, although his book ON WRITING is excellent. It is the only one of his books I have read. I just read his back cover descriptions and get scared.

And I only want happy endings so if the hero and heroine don’t have a happily ever after I just don’t want to start the book.

I read a lot, as I read very fast. I do try to limit myself to three hundred books a year. But this year I have gone over that. Me and my public library are great friends. They all know me by my first name. They will even renew my books without my asking, so sweet. Amazon/Kindle and free books are great when you read as many as I do.

An unlimited budget to purchase books would be my dream. With Christmas coming up, Amazon Gift Cards are welcome.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
Balance, balance, balance. That is the only way to survive.

Keeping appointments with myself helps. If I will honor a time I have set aside for an appointment with others, I need to give myself the same respect.

How do you choose your characters’ names?
If I am writing a historical novel, I go to the US Census records of that time and see what was popular. People in the 19th century did not use some of the popular names of today. You don’t find Chase or Brianna much in old records. I have also looked at the names of songwriters and authors from the period. Edgar, as in Edgar Allen Poe was a common name, as were Thomas, George, and John. They did use names like Beulah, Elmer, and Eunice more than is found in today’s literature. Of course, Biblical names are always good.

I try to give my heroes strong manly name, one that fit the character. When naming a couple, I want the two names to go together well, such as Elisha and Susanna from CABIN ON PINTO CREEK.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Being a faithful Christian in our secular world. It is not always easy but ever fulfilling. I’m proud of the friends and family relationships that I have maintained over the years. I’m not sure if it is more of an accomplishment that I still like them or that they still like me. The latter I suspect.

What is your favorite food?
Ohhh, this is hard. I love to eat. A good roast and potato meal with all the trimmings is a favorite for Sunday lunch. Now a great snack is any kind of ice cream ... well, except for Mocha. I want my coffee liquid and in a cup. Lemon Meringue pie is good, and then there is fresh baked bread still hot from the oven with butter and homemade strawberry jam. I’ll answer the rest of the questions later, I’m heading for the kitchen.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
All of the pesky rules, and who is saying that I have overcome them?

Take putting the action in the correct order. For example, he sat at the table as he came through the door. Wouldn’t he come through the door before he sat at the table? Who notices such things? Well, I do, come to think of it. I have seen some odd sentences in books I’ve read.

The correct word choice is another challenge. I once stacked some horses out on a field when I meant to stake them out. Minor detail but one of my beta readers seemed to think it was a big deal.

Tell us about CABIN ON PINTO CREEK, the first of the Cedar Ridge Chronicles?
Elisha Evans is out of luck. By the age of twenty-five, he’d planned to have his own ranch. Instead, he is forced to beg for a job, destroying his dreams of having a family he can provide for and protect. Betrayal and loss brings him to a cabin on Pinto Creek in the high Colorado Rockies. Just before winter hits, he finds a broken-down wagon in the snow with precious cargo inside. Perhaps, his luck is about to change. 

Susana Jamison doesn’t feel so lucky. Despite being rescued by Elisha, she is challenged to the limit of her strength, both physically and spiritually, when faced with the brutal conditions of frontier living and the dangers she encounters. Can she hold on to her faith in the midst of this desperate situation, especially when she’s forced to marry a man she’s doesn’t love? 

An inspirational historical western romance, CABIN ON PINTO CREEK is the first in the Cedar Ridge Chronicles. 


Please give us the first page of the book.
Chapter One
Northern Colorado March, 1872
Elisha Evans gripped his mid section as the pain of hunger ripped through his core. Giving his horse his head, he searched along the trail through the forest for signs of small game. Three days without anything to eat except some pine nuts left him trembling with weakness. Where was that ranch? Back down the trail, he had been told of it. The Weathers’ ranch couldn’t be many more miles ahead. At least his horse had found plenty to eat along the trail as the spring grass showed itself at the melting of the snow.

A sound from the forest caused him to turn where he saw a cow with a young calf through the trees. Quickly he drew his rifle from his scabbard and put it to his shoulder. Sighing he lowered the rifle. The cow wore a brand. Not yet, he wouldn’t kill another man’s beef. Not yet. Gathering the reins Elisha encouraged Jasper on up the trail, toward the peak of the ridge. Cresting the height, he saw it.

Elisha Evans slumped in his saddle as he looked down the slope at the ranch house ahead. Jasper, his bay gelding, stood head down, not even bothering to nibble on the grass. Days of riding had extracted a heavy toll on the horse. Elisha fared even worse. 

About to meet folks he needed to impress if he hoped to get a job, Elisha glanced down at his faded overshirt, once blue but now a slate gray with frayed edges along the collar and cuffs. More hope than thread held his clothes together. His boots, scuffed and worn down, showed more wear than his old saddle and saddlebags. He sighed and rubbed his lower back as he sat straight in the saddle.

Taking off his hat, Elisha wiped his face with his bandana. The beauty of this northern part of Colorado Territory was something to behold. Beyond the nearby hills, a distant range of snow-capped mountains stood like sentinels. Compared to where he had come from, he’d have no problem getting used to this.
A slow ten-day ride to the south, Elisha had spent a long, cold winter on a ranch spread out across dry scrubland. With the first signs of spring, Elisha drew his pay—what little there was of it after paying for the bay gelding—and rode out.

He patted Jasper’s neck. “Just a way more and you can rest. Sure hope they welcome strangers. Here I am, twenty-five my birthday this month, and I’m looking out over another man’s ranch looking for work.” Gathering the reins, Elisha sighed and gently kicked the horse in the flanks. “Might as well face it, Jasper, you didn’t pick no winner.”

Elisha desperately wanted a job on this ranch, as he had nowhere else to go. He picked this place partly because he was broke and partly because of the land’s beauty. Right now, hope was all he had.
He nudged Jasper forward, down the trail toward the main ranch buildings. A large log ranch house with a covered porch running the length of the structure’s front sat off to the right. Curls of smoke rose from two chimneys. To the left a bunkhouse had several smaller buildings scattered around it. Behind the main house, a log corral held several horses with a big barn that boasted its prominence. Elisha feasted his eyes on a solid and prosperous ranch. He longed to have a spread like this someday, but he had no more to show for the last ten years than when he left the home place at fifteen years old.

His stomach grumbled. He drew a deep breath, savoring the aroma that hung in the air. Roast beef. He hoped they’d offer a meal and bed for the night as was the custom. He rode easy as Jasper ambled into the yard between the bunkhouse and the ranch house.

A lanky man of medium height approached with a big grin. “Howdy. Welcome to the J Bar C. I’m Fred Lewis, the foreman here.” The man took off his hat and ran his fingers through hair as red as a fiery sunset. “Of course, most of the boys call me Red.”

Elisha dismounted then offered his hand. “Elisha Evans. Any chance I could impose for a meal and rest over the night?”

“Sure. We’re always glad to have folks come by. Put your horse in the corral, find a spot in the bunkhouse, and wash up for supper.” Red turned toward three ranch hands, slumped down on a bench with their hats shoved back. “Hey, Josh, come show Elisha where to put his stuff.”

A lean, sandy-haired cowhand got up from the bench and ambled over. “In case you couldn’t figure it out, I’m the youngest rider here. Of course, I do more work than the rest of these drovers.” A wide grin spread across his boyish face. “Come with me.” He led him to the corral where he watched Elisha unsaddle the horse.

Elisha turned his horse loose in the corral. A pipe coming down the slope behind the corral fed into the watering trough. Elisha nodded. Yes, he was definitely going to have a spread like this someday and he’d do anything he could to get one. He wasn’t about to spend the rest of his life as a busted-up cowhand.

He picked up his saddlebags and pack. “So, you get to greet and help the visitors.”

“Here, I got your saddle.” Josh tossed it onto his shoulder as if it were a five-pound sack of Arbuckle coffee.

“Thanks, partner.” He’d been on the trail since daylight. The pain in Elisha’s back was near intolerable and his knee felt near to giving way on him. But knowing the other cowhands watched, he tried to walk alongside Josh without limping. After dropping his things next to an empty bunk, Josh showed him where to clean up for supper.

Elisha washed the dust from his face and neck. He tried to comb his hair with his fingers, but it refused to lie flat and his dark curls still hung across his forehead, strayed over his ears and down his neck.

Josh sat on a nearby bench. “Mr. Weathers might be hiring more riders for the summer, if you’re interested.” 
Elisha was definitely interested. “Who does the hiring, Mr. Weathers or Red?”

“Oh, Mr. Weathers does all his own hiring. He’s a real hands-on boss with everything but branding. He leaves that to us.” Josh’s grin spread across an open face.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

 Thank you for having me, Lena. And thanks for this blog. It’s my favorite one to come to learn of new authors and books. You do a great service for both writers and readers.

And it's my great pleasure and blessing to have you, A J.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Cabin On Pinto Creek


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

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

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

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

Monday, December 19, 2011

ASHES TO BEAUTY - Kim Zweygardt - Free Book


I first met Kim at the last Denver American Christian Fiction Writers national conference. The night before the conference started a large group of us who had come to Denver early went to a Mexican restaurant not far from the hotel for dinner. Kim sat next to me, and a new friendship was born. Welcome to my blog, Kim. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
I think there is a little bit of “me” in every book I write. Whether I’m writing an allegory/fairy tale for Girls of All Ages, or suspense or women’s fiction, the overarching theme is the totally undeserved Grace of God—that no one is beyond His love and mercy. I am a Prodigal, so I get that, and I find that theme making its way into my writing. So though the character may not look or sound like me, we’ll have that shared experience of finding God’s grace in the midst of difficult circumstance. And particularly now I find myself written into a main character when I’ve finally started a women’s fiction medical story. I’ve been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for almost 30 years and this is the first time I’ve written a character with my career and a medical emergency at the center of the story! Somehow I missed that whole “write what you know” thing! 

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
When the kids were small, we would go look at Christmas lights. We’d load up in the van with a thermos of hot chocolate and drive around the different areas of town and ooh and ahh at the gorgeous displays. We were in a very nice subdivision and drove by a house that had many beautiful lights including a lighted nativity scene, but something had gone terribly awry! Mary had fallen over and was lying on her side in the grass. (It gets windy in Kansas!) I yelled “Stop!” to Kary and hopped out to sneak across the grass to help Mary out of her distress. The first problem was that the house had a post and rail fence across the front which I hadn’t noticed. The only way into the front yard was from the front porch. Not to be deterred, I tiptoed up the driveway, across the porch and into the yard. I really did have second thoughts at this point since the people were obviously home, but I was on a mission of mercy! And my kids and husband were watching my good deed. I’d almost gotten to Mary when I tripped over an extension cord in the grass and every Christmas light on the house and in the yard went dark, including poor Mary! I turned and ran! I jumped the fence and grabbed the van door (which was already rolling) and climbed in yelling, “Go! Go!” (I really think they were going to leave me!) Kary had tears rolling down his face from laughing and the kids were sunk down in their seats trying to be invisible. It has been known forever since as the night Mom killed Mary!

That is really funny, Kim. When did you first discover that you were a writer?
Lena, I’ve always written (grocery lists, letters to the editor, Christmas newsletters, plays for Sunday School) and I’ve always loved words and books, but I never thought of myself as a writer until about 10 years ago when I had sort of a mid-life crises. I hate to call it that, but I was in the middle of my life and I was sort of in a crises! I’d walked the wrong way for so many years. Followed my own wandering heart instead of the Lord. I’d come back to the Lord at the age of 33 and He had blessed me with a great life but I had this nagging feeling that I wasn’t exactly where I would have been if I hadn’t wandered. I was doing lots of things “for God” but wasn’t sure I was doing what He wanted me to do, so I began to seek Him asking, “if I’d followed Your plan, Lord, what would I be doing? Who am I, in You?” and He answered in that still small voice, but very clearly, that I am a dramatist and a writer which was interesting since both have been interests of mine but at the time I wasn’t doing either one. The first step was writing dramatizations that I perform (first person) of the women who met Jesus. I’ve traveled all over the United States performing with my ministry, Lamplight Ministry. The passion and purpose of the ministry is to illuminate Scripture with drama. I’ve always considered myself more of an essayist than a novelist, but the Lord keeps giving me novel ideas, so I keep writing them. But I will say, for a long time, I struggled with calling myself a writer. It seemed so presumptuous at first, but if God says that is who I am (vs. what I do), then I am a writer.

That's another interesting connection between us, too, Kim. The first thing I wrote after God told me to become a professional writer was a dramatic monologue of "The Woman at the Well," which I've performed for women's groups for years. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Disclaimer: I’ve been known to read the back of the cereal box if there is nothing else to read! However, I love legal thrillers, suspense, women’s fiction, and even non-fiction if it is an engaging story. But for the last year and a half, I’ve facilitated a Christian Fiction reading group called Mug N Muffin and we read across all genres of Christian Fiction. To meet the needs of the group (we’re all over the place in what we like to read), I’ve read all kinds of books I might not have picked up otherwise. It’s been fun to read historical, romance, western, etc. Books I might not have read because my reading for pleasure time is limited. I’ve discovered some great writers that I might have missed. So really….have book, will read!

Kim, if your group ever chooses one of my books for its selection, I'd be happy to either call them during the meeting or Skype them, so they can ask me questions. Of course, for reading groups that are close enough, I'm happy to meet with them. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
It’s tough. I tend to be a high energy person with a lot of interests. I get in trouble with the “someone shoulds.” Someone should start a group. Someone should landscape that median. And no one does, so I become the someone! I have had to learn to say no. Yes, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength, but that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to do all things. As I’ve gotten older and hopefully wiser, I’ve learned that God wants me to do the things He’s asked me to do. Yes, there are things we all as believers are to do—pray for people, give to the poor, help the fatherless and the widow and so we must find the time for those things. But when the day comes that I am face to face with Jesus, He’ll ask me about the things He has gifted me to do and asked of me. All the busyness and good works in the world won’t make up for me not using my gifts. I have a friend that says, “Sometimes we must give up the good, to get the best.” And that is so true. Keeping my sanity means not trying to do all things and be all things to all people. Learning to say no, and taking naps when I can, keeps me sane!

How do you choose your characters’ names?
I love cool names! We have a friend who is a cowboy and his name is Rio McCoy. Doesn’t he just sound like a cowboy? I keep a little notebook with me and when I see a sign or hear a name I like, I jot it down. When I’m trying to name characters, that little notebook is invaluable. I use baby name books as well as research on the internet for popular names in certain cultures to make sure the name fits the area and the time.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
I’ve got a wonderful godly husband and three really great kids! When I was getting on Facebook, I was filling out the info page and trying to figure out what to say. Our daughter, Lauren, was still at home then and she said, “Just say you’re a really cool mom!” So that is what I put and that is what I’m most proud of. Definitely imperfect as a parent. Having young adults instead of children, there are things from when they were growing up I’d change if I could, but all three kids have turned out to be exceptionally nice and fun people, so I am proud of that. And Kary and I miss our kids, but we have a great marriage. We laugh and thank God every day for the life He has given us.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
I’ve been asked this before and should probably think it through and decide but I don’t know. Boring really, but probably a dog. They love unconditionally. They forgive without a second thought. They protect those they love. They are full of joy at the smallest thing like a little spot of sunshine on the carpet! And if they are like our dogs, they eat really well, sleep lots, and are well loved.

What is your favorite food?
Oh, my! I really am a foodie, so that is hard to say just one thing. I love to cook and I love to eat. I love well flavored home cooking as much as any fabulous 4 star restaurant, so probably my mom’s pot roast cooked with carrots and potatoes. I make a mean pot roast, but I think my Mom has a secret ingredient somewhere because hers is the best!

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
My greatest roadblock with writing is two-fold. One, like everyone else, is just doing it. Finding the time. Making yourself write when the words just don’t flow onto the page. I love to write when I’m in the zone. I hate to write when it is just slogging out the words and trying to get them on the page. I met with Brandilyn Collins to pray at the ACFW conference in Indianapolis and she shared that for her, writing is never easy. But she is called to write, so she writes. Prolifically. That was freeing to me because the enemy of my soul wants to whisper that if it was of God it would be easy and maybe I’m not really a writer if it’s not. Secondly, I love words and I talk….a lot! And I love beautiful sentences and word pictures and imagery. I write naturally like I talk and that is not the style now. Some people still love and still write very literary works, but it is a hard publishing journey right now. Everything in society is microwave--Ding! Ding! Ding! It’s ready! I have had to find ways to tell the story and put the reader there without a zillion words. I still am working on that!

Tell us about the featured book.
Ashes to Beauty is an allegory using the Cinderella story and the beauty for ashes Scriptures in Isaiah 61:1-3 to speak to girls and women about the love of God for us as women. It is written and illustrated like a children’s book but the subtitle is, “A Fairytale for Girls of All Ages.” My husband is an artist and did the illustrations which are so beautiful and add to the experience of the book. As women, we struggle with our self esteem. We see air brushed models on the covers of magazines and feel “less than” because we don’t look like them. As children, we read the fairytales and believe that Prince Charming will come along and sweep us off our feet and when we get married we are sure we got Barca-lounger Ken, instead. We are told to forget happily ever after. There is no Prince Charming and we should just deal with life as it is. But God says we were made for Him. The Bible says that He sings over us with love. He calls us His Beloved. In our imperfectness, He loves us and woos us to Him. The book is a short little story with great Scriptural depth about seeing ourselves and our lives as He sees them instead of believing what the world says about us, about life, about love. This was one of those “words flowing onto the page” writing experiences. I was asked to speak at a women’s conference and to just pray about my subject. But before the coordinator hung up, did I have any idea what I might speak about? And out of my mouth came, “Ashes to Beauty, the real Cinderella story” and I thought, “Okay, Lord, I don’t know what that means, but we’ll go with it!” Literally, He told me the story and I wrote it down and He is using it to teach little girls that He loves them so much and to reteach girls of all ages, that the truth is in His word, not in the world. I’ve been told by many women that they bought the book for their little girls but have wept and felt His love in a new way as they read the book.

Please give us the first page of the book.
Once upon a time (which is how all good stories begin, unless, of course, they begin “In the beginning”), there was a King who ruled the Kingdom of Far Away which really wasn’t all that Far Away at all.

The rest of the page has an illustration of pink ballet slippers, a hair comb, and a necklace.

I can hardly wait to read the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?
I blog at www.kimzweygardt.com or you can find me on Face book and Twitter (@kimzzzzzs). Ashes to Beauty is available on Amazon in print form or for the Kindle and at Barnes and Noble for the Nook. I love to hear from readers!

Thanks, Lena, for having me here. I can’t wait to find out who won the book!

And thank you, Kim, for visiting with us today.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Ashes to Beauty: The Real Cinderella Story / A Fairy Tale for Girls of All Ages


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

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

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

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

Sunday, December 18, 2011

WARRING SPIRITS - April W. Gardner - Free Book


Welcome back, April. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
I write fiction, because it’s the perfect outlet for my creative mind.
I write Christian fiction, because that’s who I am. Anything else wouldn’t glorify God.
I write historical Christian fiction, because nothing teaches us about the present better than the past.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
The days my children were born. I’d say my wedding day, but marrying the man of my dreams was trumped by having children with him. J

How has being published changed your life?
It’s gotten busier. LOL. Way busier.

What are you reading right now?
I’m so glad you asked because I’m thoroughly enjoying the book I’m reading, which is Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes. Historical fiction at it’s best!

Yes. I was privileged to read that book for endorsement. It’s awesome. What is your current work in progress?
I have several WIPs in various stages of development, but the most advanced is a novel I’m co-writing with Michelle Massaro. It’s been a blast working with her!

What would be your dream vacation?
A road trip across the U.S. stopping at every national park along the way.

When we were younger, James and I would have enjoyed that. I’m more into flying these days. How do you choose your settings for each book?
It must be a unique, unexplored event in history. I work my characters around the major event. That’s what you call a plot-driven novel!

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
I’d spend it with my USAF husband who I see far too little of these days. The Air Force keeps him busy at his desk “fighting the Taliban,” as he jokingly puts it. Oh, for a date night!

And we appreciate everything he does for us. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
Does cleaning the house count? Grin. It’s what I do most while not reading and writing.
Apart from that, we enjoy visiting every national park we come across.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
My biggest obstacle is a perfectionism. It can completely stall my writing. I overcome it by barreling ahead and telling myself I can always fix the “bad” writing later.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?
Don’t write for others. Write the story God has placed on your heart.

Tell us about the featured book.
Warring Spirits is book 2 in my Creek Country Saga. Here is the back cover copy:
In 1816 Georgia, escaped slaves control the land just beyond the American border in Las Floridas. Lost somewhere between white and black worlds, Milly follows hope to the only place that can offer her refuge—the place Georgians are calling Negro Fort. The first, sweet taste of freedom convinces Milly that surrender is not an option. Death would be more welcome.

Major Phillip Bailey has orders to subdue the uprising and return the runaways to their masters. Forced to fight alongside Creek warriors—the same who etched the scars into his mind and flesh—Phillip primes himself for battle.  But inside, a war already rages—return for the woman he thought lost to him or concede her to the enemy she loves; follow orders or follow his heart.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1

Phillip knew it was a dream. He told himself again, though it did little good. The children’s shrieks grew louder. The flaming pickets roared with new life, as though fueled by his denial of their existence.

His legs churned, but he couldn’t free his mind of the constant nightmare. At least this time, he reasoned, he wasn’t awake. Small blessings.

And then, he saw her.

Adela.

Arms dangling at her sides and skirt undulating in the waves of heat, she stood across the compound. Her lips were motionless, but her voice echoed through his mind. “Phillip.”

He rushed toward the vision, and she reached for him. “Phillip, love, you must wake up.”

With a cry, he bolted upright.

The silhouette of a woman hovered over him. He stared at her, unblinking, afraid to move and frighten her away.

Sweat poured down his chest—sweat as real as the shadow seemed.

“That’s better,” she whispered. “You’ll be alright.”

He disagreed, but if he spoke, he might shatter her. He’d done it before.

Her loose hair swayed as she moved so near, he should feel her heat.

Taking in the comfort of her presence, he held his breath until his lungs burned with need. Refusing to be contained any longer, air exploded from his mouth. The sound ripped through the cabin, and in one blink, Adela vanished.

A moan built in Phillip’s throat, and he buried his head in his trembling palms. When his fingers collided with the jagged flesh on his face, he recalled again why Adela was no more to him than a mocking shadow, a figment of his deluded, half-crazed mind.

She had turned him down.

Familiar nausea haunted his gut. With a growl, he threw his damp pillow across the room. The sound of splintering glass sent him scrambling for the musket by his bed. He had the unsteady barrel aimed toward the source before he realized he’d been the cause of the commotion.

He dropped the weapon and backed away from it as though it were a copperhead. Blood pounded in his throat. He swallowed hard, terrified of his own mind.

It had been nearly two years. One more night of this and he would prove the gossip correct. He would go mad.

There had to be a better way.

“Help me.” His voice shivered, and for once, he was thankful to be alone. “Sweet Jesus, show me a better way.”

Wow! That page is really a hook. How can readers find you on the Internet?
I love to connect with readers! They can find me here:
https://twitter.com/#!/AprilWGardner

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


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Warring Spirits


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

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

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

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

Saturday, December 17, 2011

More December Winners


Katie G (NC) is the winner of Duty to Protect by Roxanne Rustand.
Ginger (AL) is the winner of To Dance Once More by Sherri Wilson Johnson. 
Marybelle (Aus) is the winner of The Fifth Man by Randy Ingermanson and John Olson.
Courtney (WA) is the winner of Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, by Roseanna White.
Melissa Jagears (KS
) is the winner of 40 Ways to Get Closer to God by Jerry MacGregor.
Anonymous (teddy) (TX) is the winner of Seasons by Elizabeth Byler Younts.

If you won a book and you really like it, consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. 

Also, tell your friends about the book and this blog. Thank you.

Congratulations
, everyone. Send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

When you contact me, please give the title of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

Friday, December 16, 2011

HONOR REDEEMED - Loree Lough - Free Book


Author Bio, Loree Lough

With more than 3,000,000 books in circulation, best-selling author Loree Lough's titles have earned numerous 4- and 5-star reviews and dozens of industry awards. She splits her time between a humble home in Baltimore and a teeny cabin in the Alleghenies (where she loves to show off her "Identify the Critter Tracks" skills). Loree has more than 80 books in print, including reader favorites like From Ashes to Honor and Honor Redeemed. Her next release, Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina is in bookstores now. She loves to hear from readers and answers every letter, personally. Visit her at Facebook, Twitter, Shoutlife, and www.loreelough.com !

Welcome, Loree.


First, thanks again, Lena, for sharing your blog space with me! Of all the writers I know, you have the biggest and most generous heart. No wonder God has blessed you with so many friends!

It's a great pleasure to host all these authors, especially the one's who have become good friends, as you have. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?
Hmm…I'd have to say it's faith-based fiction of the historical kind. I love going back in time, to places where chivalry wasn't just a word…and neither was faith.

If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?
That's easy: I'd live in my dad's neighborhood, instead of 750 miles away! Mom died this past August, and although he's adjusting as well as anyone could expect, he misses her a lot. Dad retired from his job with the VA decades ago, and they did everything together, so I know it's hard going through every day, alone. He's relatively healthy for an 85 year old guy, but his health is fragile (you may remember me asking you to pray for him a few years ago, when he was diagnosed with colon cancer). If I lived closer, I could share his care with my wonderful sister.

What foreign country would you like to visit and why?
Northern Ireland, so I could hop the ferry and cross into Scotland, because the people in both countries have hearts that are as beautiful as their accents and the places they call home!

Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.
Larry and I have been blessed with a few glorious vacations. For example, business put him in Italy some years back, and I got to tag along. Being half Italian, the trip was amazing on multiple levels. (But seriously, how many women get to say they turned 40 in a sidewalk café in Rome, where a handsome waiter—holding a candlelit cupcake—sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian!) This year, God willing, we'll head for Denali and, if the weather allows, a side trip to Barrow (so I can say we cuddled at the Arctic Circle)!

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. It's beautiful, rugged, quaint and overflowing with historic legend and lore!

What is the main theme of this novel?
Like its predecessor in the First Responders series (From Ashes to Honor), this story  centers around the haunting emotional echoes that shadow individuals who were directly involved in the 9/11 tragedy. Honor Mackenzie, the heroine Honor Redeemed, is struggling with issues from her past—dark secrets that impact her actions and reactions—and the people with whom she interacts. Once her past is exposed to the hero, Matt Phillips, the "domino theory" takes over as they grapple with forgiveness, acceptance, and faith that God will lead them where they need to go.

Tell us about the story.
Honor Mackenzie works as hard at guarding the dark secrets of her past as she does at training search and rescue (SAR) dogs. As for Pulitzer-winning reporter Matt Phillips, not even his former SAR work is as important as sheltering his motherless twin sons.

Then a jumbo jet crashes onto a busy Baltimore highway during rush hour, and puts them face to face at the grisly scene, and they're forced to reconsider their long-standing fear of romantic entanglements. In fact, Matt is still struggling with questions about Honor's past when he learns that she disappeared during a rescue effort.

He leads the search team, desperate to find Honor before a blizzard moves in. But even if he's successful…can they find their way back to each other?

Please give us the first page of the book.

02:00
November 1
Patapsco State Park near Baltimore, Maryland

Honor Mackenzie shivered, and not just because the temperature had dipped to near-freezing. The far-off wail of a coyote harmonized with the moaning wind, and the creak of leafless trees only intensified the ghostly atmosphere.

Crisscrossing beams of high-powered flashlights sliced through the sleety black haze and shimmered from the river's surface; the Patapsco seemed alive tonight, pulsing and undulating like a giant, turbid snake. From deep in the woods, Honor felt the cagey stares of a thousand unblinking eyes, and shivered again as she panned a wide arc. The crash had probably sent most critters scurrying…but that's what she'd told herself the night a feral dog bulleted from the underbrush, teeth bared, snarling and—

"Is it just me," Elton huffed, jogging up beside her, "or do I smell gas?"

She jumped, then jumped again to make the first one like an attempt to maneuver around a tree root. "Maybe what you smell is that swill you swallow to take off the chill." Elton was a good guy, but got way too much pleasure out of scaring her out of her shoes.

A puckish grin warned her to brace herself for a biting come-back, but before he could, a frantic baritone blasted through the fog: "Over here!"

"Sending up a flare," hollered another.

Most of the Boeing 747 that plummeted from the mid-November sky during rush hour had landed square in the middle of I-95. The cups shut down all lanes in both directions to enable medevac copters to airlift passengers of the airliner—and those in the vehicles it had crushed—to Baltimore's shock trauma. And because eyewitnesses had reported seeing fiery bits of the plane falling due north of the explosion, her search and rescue team was sent into Patapsco State Park. Honor's unit included a couple of young guys just returning from Texas, where they'd earned Wilderness Certifications. Like thoroughbreds at the gate, both chomped at the bit to prove they could keep up with more experienced personnel. With any luck, they hadn't yet heard the rumors about her past, and wouldn't waste valuable time pummeling her with the usual acerbic questions.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
Most readers find (and write to) me via my web site, http://www.loreelough.com.
I'm also at Facebook, Twitter, and Shoutlife, and try to add to my blog every few weeks, http://theloughdown.blogspot.com, and my monthly column, "Loree's Loughdown" can be found at Christian Fiction Online Magazine.

I love hearing from readers, and answer every letter, personally!

Thanks again, Lena, for giving me this opportunity to share Honor Redeemed with your blog visitors!

I love talking with you every chance we get, Loree.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Honor Redeemed


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

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

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

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

Thursday, December 15, 2011

THE CHRISTMAS WITNESS - Susan Sleeman - Free Book


Welcome back, Susan. I just finished reading the featured book today. It is wonderful. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
I find that I write about trusting God a lot. I know this theme comes up often because I struggle with this in my life. I was raised to be very independent and to do for myself. To take charge and make things happen. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned to rely on God and at times I still fall back into the old me where I want to do things my way.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? 
I have a new romantic suspense series called The Justice Agency releasing in 2012. This series is about five adopted siblings who work in various fields of law enforcement until their adoptive parents are murdered. When the police can’t figure out who killed their beloved parents the Justice siblings come together to solve the case. They discover in the process that they like working together and they form an investigative agency called The Justice Agency. They dedicate the agency to helping people who traditional law enforcement is either unable or unwilling to help. Double Exposure, the first book of this series will release in June 2012 and Dead Wrong will release in November 2012.

We need to get them on my 2012 schedule. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?
I’d love to spend time with Charles Stanley. I listen to his weekly TV show every Sunday before church and during the week his radio program when I need encouraging. He is such an amazing man of God and I would just love to discuss life with him.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
I’d like to meet John F. Kennedy. He was assassinated when I was a child and I’ll never forget that time. Then of course there is still talk of a conspiracy theory so I would like to meet him and find out who the real man is behind all the media hype.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?
The most encouraging thing I can say is that all published authors have been rejected so you are in fine company. Some authors more times than others, but it is extremely rare for an author to have their first book published. So don’t give up. Keep trying and your time will come.

Tell us about the featured book.
The Christmas Witness, my third romantic suspense book in the Morgan Brothers series releases this month. This book features Reid Morgan, the oldest brother in the family. Here’s the back cover blurb.

When a criminal threatened to kill Megan Cash if she testified against him, she didn’t back down. Years later, he’s out of jail and ready for revenge against Megan and her daughter. The only one who can protect them is the former FBI agent who broke Megan’s heart.

But Reid Morgan isn’t the same man—he’s now a widowed father with a harrowing past. . .and a heart more guarded than ever. Still, he’s the only one who believes Megan when she says she’s in danger. Because someone wants to make this a Christmas she won’t live long enough to forget.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Norman Fowler was free to terrorize her again.

Icy-cold fear slid over Megan Cash. She’d imagined this day. How she’d imagined it.

Terrifying, breath stopping, the man who’d held her at gunpoint during a bank robbery coming back into her life. Now he was here, striding across the gas station lot, heading toward her car. Had he seen her? Worse yet, followed her to make good on his threat?

Averting her face, she considered flooring the gas pedal and fleeing, but where could she go?

Two cars in front. One behind. Three at the island to the side. All with nozzles feeding gas tanks. She was trapped unless she wanted to jump from the car and take off running, making herself even more of a target.

C’mon, Megan. Deep breaths. Maybe it’s not him.


She’d seen him hundreds of times in the twelve years since she’d testified against him. The pockmarked face with the long jaw jutted out in anger, a tattered Tacoma Rainiers baseball cap snug on his head and hiding long dishwater blond hair, thinning in the back.

Hundreds of times she’d been wrong. Had to be wrong. He occupied a federal prison cell for robbing the bank where she’d worked. But today was different. He’d served his twelve-year sentence and could be free.

How can readers find you on the Internet? 
Readers can learn more about me and my books at:
http://www.thesuspensezone.com  Book review website
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com   Love Inspired Authors


Thank you, Susan, for the interesting interview.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
The Christmas Witness


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

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

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

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

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

BREAD UPON THE WATER - Deanna K Klingel - Free Book


Why do you write the kind of books you do?
Last summer I was at a Civil War show in GA. The following week I received a facebook message from a woman who had been at the show with her son. They bought my book Avery’s Battlefield, a YA historical fiction. She said, “My son is a reluctant reader. I have to fight him to get him to read anything. He read every word of your book, staying up late two nights because he wanted to read. He can’t wait for Avery’s Crossroad to come out. We went to Walmart and he asked me if I could buy him another book he could read while waiting for book 2 of Avery. You’ve turned him into a reader. Thank you.”  

This fall I was in Murfreesboro, NC, at a Civil War reenactment. A Union soldier came to my table with two boys, about 11 and 12, one was his son, the other his nephew, both in uniforms. He wanted to buy the two Avery  books for them. I could tell the boys were less than thrilled with the idea, but he bought them on Saturday. Sunday morning after the camp church service the man said, “Well, ma’am, the young soldiers were a little sluggish at reveille this morning. I saw the light in their tent pretty late last night and I looked in. There they were on their bellies, chins in their hands, reading the book together. The discussion this morning is who gets to take book 2 home first. They don’t normally like to read too much.”  

This is why I write these kinds of books. It just doesn’t get any better than that, does it? Bread Upon the Water, is a story that needs to be told to the 3rd generation of Vietnamese who don’t know what it was like for their parents and grandparents when communism took over South Vietnam. They need to know, and so do all our other young people, the courage and faith it took to endure, and the miserable truth of communism. We need to tell their stories so no one forgets.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? 
Probably every day I’m alive becomes the happiest. Today is our blessing, our gift. We can’t have tomorrow back, and we don’t know if there is a tomorrow. We can only rejoice in the moment. My dogs have taught me how to do that, live and be happiest in this very moment.

How has being published changed your life? 
The marketing of my books has been so much fun. I’ve gone places and met people that I otherwise would have missed out on. I don’t know that it’s changed my life much, but since I’m innately shy, I guess it’s changed me somewhat for the better.

What are you reading right now? 
I just finished The Real All Americans by Sally Jenkins, Blind Hope by Kim Meeder, and Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay.

I was privileged to write an endorsement for Christine's book. I loved it. What is your current work in progress? 
I’m writing another nonfiction hero story. This one is about two Lithuanian children in the 30’s and 40’s and their narrow escapes to freedom. The working title is Rock and a Hard Place. I have a couple others I’ve submitted, waiting to hear. They’re all YA.

What would be your dream vacation? 
My husband and I visited Costa Rica a few years ago. The crystal clear blue-green water, the lush tropical plants, huge blue butterflies, colorful birds, whispering trees, I thought the Garden of Eden might have looked like this. Thinking about it slows my breathing; picturing it relaxes me. I’ve been to a lot of places in the world, but Costa Rica is the only place that has that effect on me. So, probably a return visit there with my husband Dave, would be a dream vacation.

How do you choose your settings for each book?
In all my books the setting is an integral part of the story and is the only place the story could be told. So I don’t choose them, they’re built in, so to speak. Bread Upon the Water could only be told in Vietnam.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Hmm. There aren’t too many well-known people alive today that I admire enough to want to spend an evening with them. Maybe my sister-in-law Barb. God gave her to me in place of a sister, but she lives a long way now. I would like to meet the Pope, and I admire Billy Graham.

What are your hobbies, besides reading and writing?
I like to do a lot of things: dance and play with my dog, make therapy dog visits, knit, sew, write letters, make and send greeting cards, scrap book, garden, travel. But, all I really have time to do is read and write. I used to make several therapy dog trips a week to hospitals and nursing homes, but my dog has a health issue. When it’s resolved we’ll be doing that again.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? 
I need quiet. We live in a log house with high ceilings, the sound echoes.  The loft where I write is open overlooking the TV where my husband spends his time at home. It was very frustrating for me. We closed in the loft a year ago with French doors. It’s great. Now I can write while he’s watching TV, and we have an extra room besides. (Oh goody, more book shelves.)

What advice would you give to a beginning author? 
Don’t be in a hurry. Take your time. Write what is in your heart. Then read it as a reader instead of a writer. Rewrite it. Make it better. Be open to changes. Don’t rush it; step back now and then and let it rise.

Tell us about the featured book. 
Bread Upon the Water is nonfiction. It’s set in the “Vietnam era.” It’s the story of a boy, Tien, who has a calling to the priesthood. His happy life with his large family is challenged as the North Vietnamese communists begin encroaching on South Vietnam. Eventually, the all-out invasion and the fall of Saigon, the communist takeover of his homeland, lead Tien, and thousands of others, to an escape route across the water. For Tien to become a Catholic priest there wasn’t an alternative, even though his chances of survival were slight. 

His is a story of intense faith as he endures a hurricane at sea, pirates, debilitating disease, dehydration, malnutrition, imprisonment, refugee camp, and finally comes face to face with yet another nemesis, the English language.  Tien follows God’s command, and clings to his faith, which is all he has. I wanted to tell this story for a lot of reasons. These stories need to be told; the quiet, humble Vietnamese don’t talk about these experiences. Just the other day there was an article in the paper by a local man who just visited the beautiful country of Vietnam. He talks about how “fine” everything is. He says the people aren’t communists, “only the government is.” He says there aren’t many old people there. Does this surprise him? Does he not remember how many fled their country and how many died? No one seems to know much about the American War, he wrote. The headline of his story said, “In Vietnam, ‘American War’ A Distant Memory.”

Well, here’s the problem. The government IS communist. And no, they aren’t going to teach the children what really happened. Why would they? The schools are run by the communist government. He says churches are open and everyone is “free.” No they’re not. 

Their freedom to go to church or anywhere else is only what is allotted to them. A church can be boarded up or taken over with a nod of a head. There are spies everywhere, just as there were in Tien’s life. Communism is so subtle, so insidious, that even this American tourist believes “everything is fine.” He saw exactly what the communist government wanted him to see. We cannot excuse communism.  We need to tell these stories truthfully. And who can tell it best, if not those who lived through it, like Tien. Young people in America today are short of heroes. Tien’s story is an adventure story, but it’s also a true hero story of incredible faith that I hope my young readers will grasp and try to emulate. Though humble Tien doesn’t think of himself as a role model, he most certainly is. The book is published by Rafka Publishing in Phoenix, AZ, and should be released in December or early January.

Please give us the first page of the book
Okay.

DƯƠNG TIếN
Dương Tiến squatted in the market place in front of his home with his younger brothers playing a game with smooth pebbles he made up to entertain them. The little boys flicked the pebbles happily toward the target Tien had drawn in the sandy dirt. But Tien squinted his eye, bit his tongue, took careful aim, and landed the pebbles with precision in the center of the target.

“Yesterday I had five bull’s eyes. Today then, I must have six,” he explained. “We should always try to do things better than we know how,” he instructed the little boys.

“Because you are twelve, Tien, you can instruct us?” The little boys carelessly tossed the pebbles. “We don’t care,” they said.

 He was watching after his younger brothers, Trí and Thanh, and hoping for customers to come to his mother’s market stand. He glanced about as neighbors moved among the market stands shopping for their families’ daily needs. He scowled into the sunlight that glanced off the heavy tile roofs of their homes. He was pleased that his mother’s stand was as fine as any in the market place. He had helped place the fruit and vegetables in neat rows for display this morning.

The Dương family lived in the district of Thanh Mỹ Tây in the Gia Đinh Province of South Vietnam, south of Saigon. The village known as Hang Xanh, which means “the market,” was made up of adjoined brick houses built in neat rows. The rows of houses faced each other.  The space between the houses was the marketplace where women sold things on display tables in front of their doors, and Tiến and his brothers, and other boys, chased their soccer balls.

Every morning at 3 A.M. Tiến’s mother, Pham Toá, left the house in darkness, waved down a xelem, a three-wheeled, gas-propelled taxi, and rode to the main market to buy the fresh fruits and vegetables she sold on her market table. When she returned home at day break, Tien got up to help her make the display on her table. Now the boys played quietly on the ground while their mother was in the kitchen preparing còm trùa, the mid-day meal.

“I’m hungry,” said Tri.

“Me, too, my stomach is grumbling,” Thanh said.

“Soon the morning students will come home from school and father from work, and then we’ll eat,” Tiến promised the little ones.

“Then you will go to school,” Tri answered.
“You’re right, and you’ll take a nap. Here come the others, now.” The morning students came running across the market. Behind them Tiến’s father, Dương Sách, dressed in his army uniform, waved to his family.

“So, it must be time to eat,” Tiến said, lifting up his small brothers. He kicked the pebbles and they scattered under the display table.

How can readers find you on the Internet?  
Well, you can google my name and get about umpteen places. That’s kind of embarrassing. You can just as easily go to my website www.BooksByDeanna.com.


Thank you, Deanna, for this interesting interview.



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


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

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

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