WINNERS!!!!!!

Bookishqueen (TN) is the winner of Betrayal on the Border by Jill Elizabeth Nelson. 
Janet E (FL) is the winner of Queen of the Waves by Janice Thompson. (I've read this book. It's wonderful.)
Mimi (DE) is the winner of Strands of Fate by Linda Kozar.
Norma S (OH) is the winner of Time and Again by Deborah Heal.
Janice (GA) is the winner of Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias. 
Jean (FL) is the winner of Daydreams by JoAnn Durgin. 

If you won a book and you 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. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won the ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
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. 

AS YOU ARE AT CHRISTMAS - Davalynn Spencer - One Free Ebook

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

My first novel had quite a bit of my personal experience in it regarding the protagonist’s line of work as a reporter, the foods she enjoyed, and the way she took her coffee. But for this romantic Christmas novella, very little of my likes and dislikes appear in the story. True, I was also an elementary school teacher, as is the heroine, but beyond that, her character revealed itself to me as I wrote, and I loved getting to know her.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

My husband was a professional rodeo clown and bullfighter for many years. One summer at the Estes Park Night Rodeo in Colorado, he was seriously injured and could not continue with the comedy acts he presented between rodeo events. Forbidden by the doctor to even attend the performances, he stayed at the motel for three nights while I dressed up in his clown clothes, painted my face, and with the help of another bullfighter, carried on with the comedy routines. But that’s where I drew the line – no bullfighting for me! There’s a story in there somewhere, don’t you think?

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote my first story in the sixth grade. The teacher liked it so well, he asked me to read it in installments one evening during our class’s science camp in the mountains. Other students performed skits as “commercials” between the installments, and from that moment, I was hooked on writing.

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

Fiction opens our eyes and hearts to the truth, much like the parables that Jesus shared. The power of story can change a person’s life when the reader or listener relates to a character or that character’s challenges. Though I write romance, I read across the board, from contemporary suspense, adventure, and mystery, to Biblical fiction, women’s fiction, American historical, and mild sci-fi.

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

Most mornings I take our Queensland heeler, Blue, to the Riverwalk where I hide away from everything technological. Only God’s great creation meets me there: the river, mallards, Canada geese, white-tail deer, squirrels, songbirds, and bear that kindly just leave their calling card rather than greet me face-to-face. The seasonal changes wrap the trees in varying colors and inspire me to show these transitions in my writing. And the quiet – oh, the quiet! How sweet to hear the Lord’s dear voice while enjoying His handiwork.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

True confession: I’m not so good at finding imaginative or memorable names. When I begin a story, a name comes to me and I stick with it at least until the tale is told. I’ve changed a few that didn’t feel right, and searched for others with specific meanings behind their origin. But usually the character just shows up and introduces herself.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Allowing someone to peek through the cracks in my life to catch a glimpse of God’s redemptive love.

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

If I could choose to live a day in an animal’s body, I would be a bird. Preferably a meadowlark or red tail hawk. How grand it would be to fly, to defy gravity and spiral skyward on the thermals or sing across the meadows at dawn. However, sometimes I think I morph into a hummingbird and beat myself silly with a rush of wing and activity.

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate-chip mint ice-cream and lasagna. And tacos. And my daughter’s homemade bread with honey butter, and …

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

Life, and all its daily demands, has been my biggest roadblock. I can’t run off to a cave and immerse myself in story and plot and characterization—I have to live life. However, overcoming it isn’t the goal, but rather, not letting it overcome me. Remembering God’s faithfulness, that He is in control and loves me, is my saving grace. He helps me prioritize and do the important thing first, not the urgent.

Tell us about the featured book.

In this contemporary, Colorado Christmas romance, an elementary school teacher is devastated by her cheating boyfriend. Sticking with her plans to go home for the holidays, she returns to her grandmother’s Berthoud Boarding House only to be surprised by the handsome stranger waiting there.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Angela Murphy squeezed her eyes tight against the invisible onion mist and prayed she wouldn’t slice her fingertips off with the next few strokes. Why did she always get the job of dicing onions for Mollie’s sweet onion jam? Angela rubbed her sweater sleeve across her watery eyes. Over the years she had tried everything to prevent the sting—from holding a slice of bread in her mouth to cutting the onions under water. Nothing helped, so she cried her way through the process. But this time, the onions served as a perfect cover for the waterworks coming from her heart.

“Angie, dear.” Mollie padded into the kitchen and stopped at the stove to check on supper. She lifted the cast-iron lid from her stew pot, peeked inside at the simmering Swiss steak and then looked at Angela. “You about finished with those rascals?”

“I’m on the last one now.”

Mollie walked over and swept the onion skins and end pieces into her apron and peered into Angela’s face. “He’s not worth those tears.”

Angela glanced at the diminutive woman and forced a shaky smile. “You’re right. He’s really not. But it still hurts.” How did Mollie always know if a tear was real?

“Well, there’s plenty of fish in the sea—or deer on the mountain—as my Jim used to say.” She emptied her apron into the wastebasket by the back door. “There are also several nice-looking young men at the church, I’ve noticed. You might meet someone there on Sunday.”

Angela’s heart squeezed at the thought of her adoptive grandmother’s constant husband-hunt. She loved the woman dearly, the woman who had rescued her from Social Services, and raised her as her own grandchild. Mollie and Jim were the only family Angela had ever known.

“I never really cared for ol’ what’s-his-name anyway,” Mollie said. She opened a lower cupboard door and pulled out another pot. “A little too wrapped up in himself, if you ask me.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can contact me through my website, www.davalynnspencer.com, my blog, www.davalynnspencer.blogspot.com, and my Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/davalynn.spencer

Thank you, Davalynn, for sharing your ebook and your life with us.

Readers, here are some links where you can buy the book.

http://www.amazon.com/You-Christmas-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B00A10OA3W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352156860&sr=1-1&keywords=As+You+Are+At+Christmas+by+Davalynn++Spencer 

http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/as-you-are-at-christmas

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=34818EB&product_redirect=1&Ntt=34818EB&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

http://www.amazon.com/You-Christmas-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B00A10OA3W/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1352220936&sr=1-3#

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

SOUL'S GATE - James L Rubart - One Free Book

I anxiously awaited the release of this new book by Jim. I knew I wanted to feature it on my blog, and when it arrived, I started reading it immediately. The book is phenomenal. Frank Perretti introduced a multitude of Christians to the spiritual warfare that surrounds them. Jim takes readers even deeper into spiritual warfare with a finesse not many authors ever achieve. You will want to read it.

Welcome, James. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?
A friend told me long ago, “Every pastor has one sermon they keep preaching over and over again in different ways.” I think that’s true, and true for authors as well. I believe all of us are divinely designed with one main theme in our lives that resonates more deeply than any other. Mine is freedom. (Gal 5:1) I want every novel I write to bring people to a place of more freedom than when they started the book. Under that banner of freedom, I like to explore healing, spiritual warfare, risk, and stepping into destiny.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

My latest novel, Soul’s Gate, released on November 6^th. I’m so pumped about this one. I think it will really take people on a ride. Both huge entertainment and huge spiritual depth.

Publishers Weekly says, “Readers with high blood pressure or heart conditions be warned: this is a seriously heart-thumping and satisfying read that goes to the edge, jumps off, and “builds wings on the way down.”

RT Book Reviews named Soul’s Gate a Top Pick and says, “RT named Soul’s Gate a Top Pick and says, Rubart’s novel is enthralling and superlative. Truly a story about freedom from things that we hold onto, this tale will captivate readers and encourage a more active, dynamic spiritual life. The original plot and well-drawn characters elevate this book to “must read” status.

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

Would you consider my wife a family member? My sons? Okay, give me a moment to think. I’d have to say, John Eldredge of Ransomed Heart Ministries. Why? Because his books, his retreats, and his team have shown me the way of freedom available in Jesus like no one else. I’ve met John a few times and he’s the real deal. The same when he’s in front of 1,000 people or ten.

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

C.S. Lewis and no one else is even close. He’s the main inspiration that made me want to be an author and his books (both fiction and non-fiction) opened up worlds to me I’d never known.

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

My friend Allen Arnold staggered me with a comment the other day. He said, “What if God tells you to write a novel and He wants to be the only one who ever sees it? Would you still write it?”

In other words as Christians we are writing for Him. Period. If it gets published, wonderful. If it doesn’t, still wonderful because we stepped into the journey he has for us and answered the call. I know that’s easy for me to say on this side of the pub world, but I want to have that attitude toward my writing.   

Tell us about the featured book.

What if you could send your spirit into other people’s souls to fight for their freedom?

That’s the premise of Soul’s Gate. Here’s the back cover copy:

Reece stood and faced the group. “Every now and then we get a break from reality. A glimpse into the other world that is more real than the reality we live in 99 percent of our days. The Bible is about a world of demons and angels and great evil and even greater glory. A world the prophets saw; the world Enoch, and Elijah, and Paul, and John the apostle all saw. A world that is all around us in every moment if we would have eyes to see and ears to hear.”

What if you could travel inside another person’s soul? To battle for them. To be part of Jesus healing their deepest wounds.

Thirty years ago that’s exactly what Reece Roth did. Until tragedy shattered his life and ripped away his destiny.

Now God has drawn Reece out of the shadows to fulfill a prophecy spoken over him three decades ago. A prophecy about four warriors with the potential to change the world . . . if Reece will face his deepest regret and train them.

They gather at a secluded and mysterious ranch deep in the mountains of Colorado, where they will learn to see the spiritual world around them with stunning clarity. And how to step into the supernatural as powerfully as anyone in the Bible did.

The four have a destiny to battle for a freedom even Reece doesn’t fully fathom. But they have an enemy hell-bent on destroying them as well and he'll stop at nothing to keep them from their quest for true freedom and the coming battle of souls.

And if you’re into book trailers, here’s a link to the one we did for Soul’s Gate:  http://tinyurl.com/83sovl7

Please give us the first page of the book.

One

Reece Roth spun at the sound—a dull scrape like log on log. But there was nothing behind him except a small pile of driftwood worn white by years of ocean rain and wind. A shadow flitted in the corner of his eye, but as he turned farther to his left, the darkness vanished.

His heart pumped faster as he took another quarter turn to complete the circle. His feet dug into the russet sand, his gaze darting from ground to sky, taking in everything—seeing nothing unusual. Only waves and seagulls and an endless beach stretching beyond his sight both north and south. But the sensation that skittered up and down his back didn’t come from his imagination. Reece forced himself to breathe slower as he brushed his thick graying hair back from his forehead and squinted at the orange sun sinking below the horizon.

Calm. Abba’s peace. Embrace it. He needed to be here. To get comfortable with doing this again after so many years away. You killed them.

The thought slammed into Reece’s mind like a fist to his temple. Admit it. It was your arrogance. Your pride. Just like you’re going to kill the four of the prophecy. You will fail again.

“No.” Reece squeezed his eyes shut. it wasn’t the truth. Take every thought captive. Every idea.

He prayed against the attack and a few moments later the thoughts melted away. The power inside him was more than enough to counter any kind of assault. Without question Reece’s head knew it was true. If only his heart could believe with the strength it used to.

He looked up the beach to his right. A hundred yards away two men in tan pants and white T-shirts seemed to materialize out of the dusk. They strolled toward him, glancing between the waves and the rocky cliffs to their left. A blast of wind shrieked into Reece’s ears and kicked sand into his eyes. He slammed his eyes shut and covered his face.

When he lowered his hands and opened his eyes, the two men stood ten feet away. Smiling. Reece’s heart rate spiked.

“Good evening, Reece.” The man on the right flicked his finger toward the orange-and-red-smeared clouds and the sky turned dark. He motioned again and the thundering waves froze in place as if they’d been doused in liquid nitrogen. “You don’t mind, do you? Always nice to set an appropriate mood, you know?”

“Greater is he that is in me.” Reece riveted his gaze on the two men.

“Yes, we’re familiar with that sentiment. Thanks for bringing it up.”

Reece stumbled back a step. “Jesus.”

The man on the left smiled wider and pointed in back of Reece. The wood-on-wood sound filled the air again and Reece glanced behind him. What was a pile of driftwood minutes earlier had morphed into a sort of hut, maybe three feet tall and four feet wide.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Web site: www.jameslrubart.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-L-Rubart/320882261326243

Twitter: @jimrubart

Thanks for having me again, Lena! Always great to be with you. Much freedom,

Jim 

And thank you, Jim for the marvelous journey in this book, and for sharing your life with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Soul's Gate (A Well Spring Novel) - paperback
Soul's Gate (A Well Spring Novel) - Kindle


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

SAGEBRUSH KINIGHTS - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book

Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

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

I tend to have recurring threads of forgiveness and letting go of the past. I’m not sure what this says about me, except I have been forgiven much. Forgiveness is such a beautiful gift.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I don’t have anything currently on the radar, though I have a couple of projects out to publishers. Hopefully, I’ll hear something soon. Until then, I’ll keep working on the next novel. I’m currently writing a story set in post-Civil-War Kansas at Fort Larned. My heroine wants custody of her orphaned niece and nephew, but they are currently in the care of the post physician who isn’t of a mind to give them up.

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

I would fly to Boston to visit a dear friend. We have only met in person one time, but we communicate frequently. I would love to see her home, her family, her state. There is so much I would love to experience. I’ve never been to New England, and I’d love to explore the history of that region with my good friend.

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

Winston Churchill. He’s fascinating, and his life spanned so much interesting history and world-changing events. I would love to sit down to dinner with him and just listen.

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

Ah, rejection. In the beginning it hurts so much because we pour so much of ourselves into our work without really understanding how the business end of publishing works. We take those rejections of our work as rejections of ourselves. All I can say is, as you continue in the business, those rejections will become somewhat easier. Not that they aren’t still disappointing, but they aren’t personal. Remember that rejections are about the work, not about you.

Tell us about the featured book.

Sagebrush Knights is a novella collection, four mail-order bride stories that I just love.

Journey along with the four Gerhard sisters as they head to Wyoming Territory in search of husbands and discover that happy endings are not ready-made. Evelyn arrives in Wyoming with a secret and a grudge, only to find her prospective groom holds a secret, too. Jane vies for the attention of her workaholic husband who is bent on saving his ranch even if it means losing love. Gwendolyn’s would-be husband dies, leaving her to the will of another man. And Emmeline’s knight-in-shining-armor herds sheep instead of cattle. Will love prevail, or will their journeys have not so happy endings?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue:

Four sisters, Christian, 18-28, seek matrimony with four God-fearing men as soon as possible. Must live in close proximity. Apply: Matrimonial News, #278.

The final eviction notice and the marriage proposals arrived in the same post. Though she couldn’t help but wince at the comedown in their circumstances to be driven to posting an advertisement for husbands, Evelyn Gerhard Stanford couldn’t cavil at the timing of the response.

Evelyn presented these missives to her sisters as matter-of-factly as possible, but inside, insecurities and doubts roiled. The advertisement had been her idea, after all, arrived at after many a sleepless, prayer-filled night.

            With each of her three younger sisters looking to her for guidance and assurance that they were making the correct—the only—decision they could, she kept her fears to herself and put on a brave front. All through the packing, the leave-taking, and the jolting journey via hissing, sooty train and bone-jarring stagecoach, she maintained her calm, controlled demeanor.

            She could do this. She could get her family across more than half this continent and see them safely ensconced in new homes with new husbands. She would meet every crisis and obstacle with determination, intelligence, and fortitude. And try to pretend she wasn’t scared out of her mind at the unknown racing toward them all.

Evelyn clutched her reticule, crackling the papers inside. Two letters, the only communication she’d had with her prospective groom, one Gareth Kittrick. Not much to build a marriage on, two single-sheet missives. The first was from the Matrimonial News, passing along the marriage proposals of four men from the town of Sagebrush in Wyoming Territory to advertisement #278. The second was from Mr. Kittrick himself and contained tickets for the journey and a few lines about himself and his ranch. A widower—that thought gave her some solace, being a widow herself—looking for a kind woman to grace his home.

With the eviction notice hanging over her head like the Sword of Damocles, she’d expedited their departure from Seabury. They’d barely had time to think. But now, as mile after mile rolled under the train and stagecoach wheels, doubts and fears ran rampant.

Glancing down, she touched the thin, gold circle on her left ring finger. A lump formed in her throat as she slipped it off and moved it to her right hand. For more than ten years, she’d worn Jamison’s ring, though she’d been widowed nearly all that time. Still, it would be bad form to show up in Sagebrush to meet her new husband while still wearing her first wedding band.

Not that Mr. Kittrick would need that reminder of her previous marriage. No, the permanent reminder lay on the seat beside her with his head pillowed on her lap. She stroked his sable curls. Guilt chased anxiety and fear through a twisting maze in her head.

In her brief and hurried communication with her intended husband, she’d neglected to mention she had a son.

 How can readers find you on the Internet?

Find Me On Facebook

Find Me On Twitter

Find My Blog

Thank you so much, Erica, for sharing this collection with us.

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

Sagebrush Knights (Romancing America) - paperback
Sagebrush Knights (Romancing America) - Kindle


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

DEADLY ADDITIVE - Donn Taylor - One Free Book

Welcome back, Donn. I'm glad to see you have another paramilitary suspense novel. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

They’re fairly basic. Chief among them is the reality of evil and the subtlety of it: things good in themselves become evil when pursued to excess or in the wrong way. A subtheme is the inadequacy of any religion except Christianity to provide an explanation of evil. Consequently, anyone who thinks deeply about evil will be driven to Christianity. Another theme is the emptiness and incompleteness of a life without God. And yet another theme is forgiveness.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

To be honest, I wish I knew. I do have two that are being shopped around. One is a sequel to my mystery Rhapsody in Red. Another is a historical that’s quite different from my other books. And of course there are two others in various stages of completion.

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

I’m very tempted to say Newt Gingrich. I don’t think I’d ever vote for him, but he is probably the best mind on the political scene today. His blend of historical knowledge, Catholic faith, and politics would make lively and interesting evening conversation. But my real choice would have to be Billy Graham. I have no doubt that an evening with him would deepen my faith and spiritual understanding, and that kind of evening would be the worthier goal.

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

I'd choose the medieval poet Dante Alighieri. His Divine Comedy is one of my all-time favorites, and I'd like a first-hand reading of what he intended in his allegory, e.g., does the Greyhound represent Dante's patron or does it represent Jesus in the Second coming? I'd also like to know more about medieval Florence than the history books tell. My second choice would be the British naval hero Horatio Hornblower. I’d like to ask him how he rescued that group of European slaves from their African masters without firing a shot or paying a shilling. His biography is silent on that.

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

That’s always difficult because you don’t know the basis of the rejections. Let’s assume that flaws in the writing caused the rejections.  I think the best way is to emphasize things that the writer is doing really well. After the praise sinks in, you can make suggestions on how to tighten up the writing to achieve a more favorable reception.

Tell us about the featured book.

The book is a suspense novel titled Deadly Additive. To soldier-of-fortune Jeb Sledge it seems like a simple job: Rescue an heiress and her journalist friend Kristin Halvorsen from their kidnapping by Colombian guerrillas and collect a sizable paycheck. But Kristin has other plans.

After stumbling onto a mass of dead bodies, she won’t leave Colombia without the proof she needs for the story of a lifetime. While she and Jeb wrangle over her obstinacy, they discover a hidden factory where the guerrillas build a new and deadly type chemical weapon for the international black market.

Their discovery triggers a raid on the factory, followed by a desperate search through the Caribbean and the U.S. to prevent a catastrophic attack by weapons the factory has already produced. But who is behind that attack, and what are the planned targets? Finding out brings Jeb and Kristin again into peril for their lives. Unexpectedly, their experience also leads them into a spiritual odyssey. As always in my novels, the suspense is often laced with moments of humor.

Please give us the first page of the book.

            By habit, Jeb Sledge disapproved of people who pointed weapons at him. The present offender’s tuxedo did not qualify him for an exception, and the silencer on his pistol only aggravated the offense.

            They stood in the living room of Sledge’s drab one-bedroom apartment in north Houston. That morning his doctor had pronounced him fully recovered from last year’s wounds by an assassin. In the afternoon he’d refused an offer of two hundred thousand dollars to rescue the daughter of billionaire Steve Spinner from her Colombian kidnappers.

            Later that day he got a call from Roger Brinkman, the retired CIA officer who now ran an “information service” known among experts as the best source for data on international crime. Brinkman didn’t say how he'd heard about Spinner’s offer, but he chided Sledge for turning it down. He’d heard vague rumblings of something new among the Colombian guerrillas, and the Spinner problem might make a good takeoff point for the right operative.

            Sledge said he’d think about it.

            He did—for thirty seconds over dinner at a good Italian restaurant with reasonable prices and servers who didn’t introduce themselves. The dinner celebrated his advent as the “New Sledge.” The old one was a hard case with a bad habit—volunteering for dangerous jobs to support noble causes. The cantankerous Old Sledge also enjoyed throwing his weight around, all two hundred and fifty pounds of it. But that Sledge had not survived the assassin’s bullets. The new one sprung from his ashes would be too smart to take risks where there was no tangible reward. He would live the quiet life and avoid noble causes.

            Savoring the thought, Sledge drank a toast to his new self.

            Afterwards, when he opened his apartment door, the security system gave no warning beep. Had he forgotten to set it?

            Then the intruder switched on the lights, and the New Sledge found himself looking into the silencer on a Walther PPK. He was caught. Too far in to dodge back outside and too far from his captor to attempt disarming him. Besides, the man weighed at least as much as Sledge and looked like he’d be hard to handle even without a gun. The ugly curl of his lip said he was itching for an excuse to pull the trigger.

            Sledge’s anger blazed, but he raised his hands and controlled his voice. “You're welcome to my fortune—thirty-three dollars and sixty-two cents. You’ll find the silverware in the kitchen drawer, but it's actually stainless.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My Web site is www.donntaylor.com.

I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DonnTaylor and https://www.facebook.com/authordonntaylor.

I’m also on Twitter as DonnTaylor3.

Thank you, Donn, for another interesting interview.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Deadly Additive - paperback
Deadly Additive - Kindle


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

WHERE THE TRAIL ENDS - Melanie Dobson - One Free Book

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

I love writing stories about ordinary women who sacrifice for others in extraordinary ways. My next novel is another story with the American Tapestries series. This one will be set during the Revolutionary War and is about a woman who becomes a spy for the Patriots. The story after that is about a heroic woman during World War II—I’m still working through the details on that one.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband and I adopted two girls when they were infants, and God has molded the four of us into a family. We live near Portland, Oregon, and right now my oldest daughter and I are homeschooling. Thankfully, she loves creating stories as much as I do.

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

I miss reading for pleasure. When I read fiction these days, I’m usually analyzing, editing, or researching. Every once in awhile, though, a novel will sweep me off my feet. I love getting swept into a story!

What are you working on right now?

I’m in the midst of writing that second novel for the American Tapestries series. It’s set during the Revolutionary War and is about a female spy.

What outside interests do you have?

Our family is very involved with the “Father to the Fatherless” ministry at our church. We’ve recently started a monthly event for foster care kids and their foster parents and are working with other families in our church who want to adopt. I also enjoy hiking, exploring old cemeteries and ghost towns, and line dancing.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Each book is very different, but for Where the Trail Ends, I was hoping to write a book set in Oregon. It was so much fun for me to research the history of my home state and take my own journey (in my car) on the Oregon Trail.

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

That it would take seven years of consistent writing to publish my first novel! Or maybe it was better that I didn’t know. I learned later that seven years and three novels is pretty typical before publication.

I sold my first novel, but it took eight years. Then didn’t sell the second one. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. He’s teaching me that the root of my anxiety is really a fear of failure, and I need to give that fear to him.

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

Oh, I’m still learning so much about writing and this business, but here are three things that I’ve learned in the last decade:

1) Don’t edit while you write your story. It’s better to pour out what’s in your heart and mind on the first version and then clean it up the second time around (I start my writing day by editing what I wrote the day before). 2) Determine the number of words you want to complete each day and schedule a time to write them. 3) Gather a group of “first readers” who love your genre, are honest, and want you to succeed. Give these people permission to tell you the truth about your story, both good and bad, and learn from them.

Tell us about the featured book?

This novel is about a woman named Samantha Waldron and her young brother Micah who are left behind on the Oregon Trail. Here’s a quick blurb about the story:

A young woman traveling the Oregon Trail in 1842 must rely on a stranger to bring her to safety. But whom can she trust with her heart?

For two thousand miles along the trail to Oregon Country, Samantha Waldron and her family must overcome tremendous challenges to reach the Willamette Valley before winter. But when their canoe capsizes on the Columbia River, they must rely on British exporter Alexander Clarke to rescue them from the icy water. Samantha is overwhelmed with men vying for her affections at Fort Vancouver, but the only one who intrigues her—Alex—is the one she cannot have.

One of my daughters married a Waldron, and two of my novels have a prologue on the Oregon Trail, but these people ended up in Oregon City instead of Fort Vancouver. Please give us the first page of the book.

September 1842

Samantha clutched Micah’s hand, water splashing up both sides of the wagon as their two oxen labored to pull them and the Waldron family belongings across the swift Snake River. The wagon bumped over another rock and listed to the left. She swallowed hard. What would happen if her family’s wagon tipped, as the Baylor family’s wagon did two weeks past?

She’d promised Mama that she would take care of her little brother, but it hadn’t been easy. Micah could swim—Papa had taken him down to the pond several times before they left Ohio—but this current would be too hard for him to fight, the river too wide for him to cross. Micah squeezed her hand, and his words trembled along with his fingers. “Are we gonna tip?”

She steadied her voice. “Papa will take care of us.” Micah’s hand relaxed in hers. Their father rode beside them on the one horse they’d purchased for their journey west, yelling at the oxen as he cracked his whip over their heads. During their five months on the trail, Papa had changed from an ordinary small-town lawyer to a passionate horseman and teamster.

They’d all changed, she supposed.

The wagon groaned from the pressure of the current, but she tried to stay calm for Micah’s sake. She wished she could jump off the wagon bench into the river, to help Papa lead their supplies and livestock to safety. But even if the river were shallow enough for her to walk safely through it, Papa would be angry if she got off the bench, and Captain Ezra Loewe, their hard-nosed wagon master, would be furious.

I loved reading this story, and so will many of my readers. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My author page on Facebook or at my website www.melaniedobson.com

Thank you, Melanie, for sharing your life and this story with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Where the Trail Ends (American Tapestry) - papeback
Where the Trail Ends: The Oregon Trail (An American Tapestry) - Kindle


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

THE CHRISTMAS STALKING - Lillian Duncan - On Free Ebook

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

My life has taken some dramatic turns this year, personally and professionally. I feel as if I’m in a tunnel. I’ve left my “old” life behind and am moving forward. I’m just not sure what it’s going to look like when I get through the tunnel. But knowing God, it will be more awesome than I can imagine.

Tell us a little about your family.

I’m married and have two step-children, both are young men. My husband and I live in a small town with our “babies.” Our babies are two dogs and four parrots. So to say our house gets noisy at times is an understatement!

                       

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

My reading habits have definitely changed since I started writing and even more so since becoming a published writer. A lot of the time I devoted to reading has become my writing time so I don’t read as much. But one thing I do is to read outside of my genre more than I used to because I think it makes me more open to other possibilities as I write my suspense stories.

What are you working on right now?

I have a novella that was released this month called THE CHRISTMAS STALKING. It was my first novella and I loved it. And what a challenge to incorporate suspense, a Christian message, and a Christmas theme in one story.

I’m also working on final edits for the second in my Sisters By Choice series. It will be out sometime next year but I don’t have a release date yet.

What outside interests do you have?

My husband and I camp—if you can call an air-conditioned camper with cable and wi-fi camping! We also are on a bowling league together. I also dabble in some art and some other crafty activities—like stamping and card-making.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

When I choose Ohio as the setting, it may be a real or fictional town. If fictional, it will have elements of one or more than one town that I’m familiar with. When I choose settings outside of Ohio, I usually pick a place I’ve visited so I have some idea what I’m writing about.

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

Jesus, of course. I would love to know more about his childhood. It would be awesome to sit around and reminisce and share stories of his childhood.

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

I wish I’d known about American Christian Fiction Writers. It’s an awesome group and I’m convinced I still wouldn’t be published if I hadn’t found it. 

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

I’m having some ongoing health issues that I’m dealing with. And the Lord is teaching me how to face adversity and the unknown in a godly manner and with a smile on my face.

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

Number one is to be part of a critique group, either on-line or in person. Critiquing will make you a better writer. Not only because others will point out your weaknesses, but also as you critique others works, you will be able to recognize your own weaknesses.

Number two is to pick a genre and stick to it. And no you can’t create your own genre, such as the suspenseful, comedic, literary for singles genre. It needs to be a recognized genre. Publishers must be able to place your book into a genre slot. Once you’re rich and famous, you’re allowed to write out of your genre, but until then you’re not!

The third piece of advice is to NEVER give up. NEVER—NEVER—NEVER!

Tell us about the featured book.

The Christmas Stalking is a romantic suspense novella. It’s only available as an e-book at this time. It features Destiny-a very famous country music star. She has everything she dreamed of and more. Fame. Wealth. Beauty. Adoring fans. Oh, yeah and a stalker!

As the stalker escalates, she decides it’s time for Destiny to disappear and let Holly Stone take over her own life again until the stalker can be apprehended. She goes back to the      Adirondacks where she spent time as a young girl. She reconnects with an old friend and...that’s where the fun begins.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Holly Stone needed a place to hide. Well, not Holly Stone, but the persona she had become—Destiny, Nashville’s brightest country music star. Her sultry voice and trademark long, blonde hair had made her famous—her only goal in life.

Unfortunately, along with the notoriety came unwelcomed attention from a stalker. Not just any run of the mill crazy, but one who mailed her a dead cat. That had been enough for her. She skirted the security team’s suggestion, attended a charity concert in her blonde wig, and then two-stepped it out of town.

Now, her car’s headlights flashed on the welcoming sign for the Village of Serenity and Peace, better known by the locals as plain old Serenity. Legend said a group of monks hid behind their cowls and founded the little town in the wilds of upstate New York.

What better place was there than where she’d spent so many wonderful summers with her grandparents? She could ditch the wig, hide, and celebrate Christmas. Of course, she would spend this Christmas just the way she had last year—alone.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.lillianduncan.net and I have a devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com I’m also on Twitter as @LillianDuncan and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lillian.k.duncan

As an early Christmas gift to your readers, anyone who purchases a copy of THE CHRISTMAS STALKING can receive a FREE e-copy of either DARK ALLEYS or GEESE MATE FOR LIFE. Once you purchase it, simply go to my website (www.lillianduncan.net) and send me the order number. I will email you a copy of the book of your choice. Merry Christmas to all!!

Thank you, Lillian, for sharing this book with us today.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
The Christmas Stalking (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza)


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

Winners

Leauphaun (BC) is the winner of A Texas Christmas Mystery ebook by Anne Greene. 
Jackie (NC) is the winner of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by JoAnn Durgin. 
Merry (TX) is the winner of A Wild Goose Chase Christmas by Jennifer AlLee.
Sharon (CA) is the winner of either 24 Christmases or The Best Medicine by Lena Nelson Dooley.
Susan Fryman (NM) is the winner of Hope For the Journey by Joi Copeland. 
Rhonda (VA) and Lyndie (TX) are the winners of Free From Guilt by Pat Simmons. 
Judy (IN) is the winner of Hearts Gather Here by Sandy Jobe. 

If you won a book and you 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. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won the ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
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. 

THE CHRISTMAS TREE TREASURE HUNT - Marji Laine and Eight Other Authors - Ebook Free For Everyone Today

I'm thrilled to be featuring Marji Laine today. She's one of the authors I've been mentoring for quite awhile. And I love her writing.

Now Marji, suddenly your name is on the cover of a book. How did that happen?

Back in October, I heard about a contest that Write Integrity Press hosted for their Christmas novella. They invited unpublished authors to submit a chapter using their premise and mine was chosen as the best fit with the rest of their authors. I danced on the ceiling for a solid week! It was a quick turnover, though. I learned of the win a few days before they announced it on November 30 and already the Kindle version of the book is available on Amazon. (And today it's free!) (The link for the book is http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Tree-Treasure-Hunt-ebook/dp/B00AIVXGRA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355114766&sr=8-1&keywords=the+christmas+tree+treasure+hunt)

So how did the Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt work?

It started off being posted in the authors' blogs. Serial form. Didn't Mark Twain and Charles Dickens start out that way? Then yesterday, instead of posting the final chapter, we've invited everyone to download the Kindle book for FREE for the next couple of days. That final chapter is the perfect ending for the story!

Tell us about the story.

I have to say, I'm blown away that nine different authors wrote this. The continuity of character and plot is extraordinary. Downright shocking as we all have very different voices. But the story itself made me bawl, twice! So touching.

Here is the back cover information:

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.

Did you and the other authors collaborate or brainstorm at all about the story?

No, and that's another reason why the way it folded together so beautifully has me in total awe. There were a few little adjustments made here and there, but everyone seemed to be on the same frequency. I can only describe it as a series of connections by the Holy Spirit. And after reading the full story, I'm convinced that is exactly what happened.

And where did your chapter take Grace?

I'll have to let you read it to find out. My trip is Chapter Five. But I will tell you that it was inspired by my son's last two mission trips. His descriptions and stories sparked my creativity. I even used a couple of his pictures on my blog when I posted my chapter. (That link, if you'd like to use it is: http://marjilaine.com/2012/12/07/christmas-tree-treasure-hunt/)

Thank you, Marji, for sharing this with us.

Readers, everyone can click on the link near Marji's picture and download the book. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download Kindle for PC, Kindle for iPhone, or Kindle for Android free and read the book that way.

Check back later today for this week's winners.