MADELINE'S PROTECTOR - Vanessa Riley - One Free Book

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

I'd like to say that I had my characters wit under pressure or their bravery in the face of daunting odds, but I might be more squeamish than they are especially if evil doers were trying to hunt and kill me.

I will say at least one character in each book has the tendency to use a Biblical allusion, which is something I love. Growing up I loved bible stories, the odder the better. So, if you see something like the Prophet and the Courtesan, it's probably a Regency take on Hosea and Gomer.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Own a coffee shop. Don't mix your caffeine addiction and business. It just not café au lait.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In high school, I wrote poems and short stories. It was a great way to escape in a world of my own. When these creations won awards, I guess I thought I was on to something.

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

I really love Regencies, the romance and mystery of that timeframe. One of my critique partners has gotten me to expand to westerns. I think anything with a high sense of honor and duty will hook me.

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

My question is why do you think I do? J Seriously, it is with laughter. A good belly-rolling laugh is the best medicine.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes the names will come to me in a dream. Other times I have a good idea of the characteristics, and I research period names that fit it.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Well, I am very proud of my daughter who is growing up to be a smart Christian young lady. I'm proud of my husband who serves this country on active duty.  I'm proud of my nerdy college degrees. And I proud that Madeline's Protector has been published. This is one of those short stories I originally began in high school, but I didn't start writing it into a full book until seven years ago. I hold a copy in my hand, and my heart beams.

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

If I were an animal, I'd be an eagle to soar in the sky and see all parts of the world from up high.

What is your favorite food?

Brownies. I have had brownies for my birthday every year since I've had teeth. I've had all types, too: fudgy, milk chocolate, blonde, caramel, iced, etc.

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

The greatest problem was the purple prose. I'll admit it. All my favorite books were thick in over the top descriptions. I went to therapy. I some time chant lavender is okay. That seems to get me through.  A dear friend red lined a draft of a chapter and showed me how to pair it down. My ACFW critique group has been invaluable in helping to sharpen my skills.

Tell us about the featured book.

Madeline's Protector is a story about a reformed rake (Lord Devonshire) and a sheltered devout duke's daughter (Madeline St. James) meeting by accident in a remote coaching. Very soon, bullets are flying, and the hero must protect the heroine from bandits. In saving her life, Devonshire violates the conventions of society, compromising their honor. They are forced to wed to stifle the scandal.  This is how their tale begins. The question is will the two learn to trust each other to thwart the enemies plotting their demise.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Shropshire, England, Iron Country, August 5, 1821

"Stop, thief!" Madeline St. James grabbed the coarse sleeve of the man who stole her guineas, but he shook free and dashed away.

"Give those back, this instant." Mouth open, pulse racing, she stopped her pursuit. A scream bubbled in the pit of her stomach, but she pursed her lips. A St. James never made a public scene or conceded defeat.

The thief reached the other side of the vacant courtyard, well ahead of a wagon rumbling up the cobblestone lane. He shot her a toothless grin and traipsed to the main building of Tilford Coaching Inn.

The dray and its lumbering horse team swerved closer, but if she waited one more second, the thief would escape her view. Another man would’ve taken advantage of her. Not again.

Picking up her weighty skirts, she sprinted onto the slick rocks of the road. The silver hem of her long carriage dress slapped at the mud. Better to be dirty than a victim. Cupping her palm to her eyes, she scanned for the thief.

The man bounded up the stone entree. He’d vanish like her driver, amongst the sea of gaming travellers.

She lengthened her stride to intercept him.

One high step too many, her boot heel caught in the sagging silk, tripping her. The air pushed from her lungs as she fell flat.

Wheels squealed. Hooves clomped the cobbles.

Soon the horses would be on top of her, stomping and kicking.

A couple of tugs and yanks couldn’t fish her boot free. No escape this time. Abba Father, forgive. She turned her head and braced for the onslaught.

How can readers find you on the Internet? 

http://ChristianRegency.com  

@vanessariley

http://www.facebook.com/ChristianRegency/

Thank you, Vanessa, for sharing your new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Madeline's Protector - paperback
Madeline's Protector - 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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DUCHESS - Susan May Warren - On Free Book on This Blog, Plus Much More

Welcome back, Susan. I love having you on my blog.

I know you speak at various conferences and meetings. What do you have coming up in 2012?

I love teaching! Aside from our My Book Therapy Retreats, I’m teaching at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference, at the AWSA annual conference, the Oregon Christian Writer’s Conference and ACFW.

If you were planning a women’s retreat, what would be the theme for it?

Blooming where you are planted, and living the abundant life, now. How do we find joy in our everyday lives?

Who would you want as speakers and why?

Rachel Hauck, who embodies joy, and Mary DeMuth, who also has walked through the trenches and emerged with Joy.

Where would you hold the retreat and why?

Florida! Or maybe Hawaii. Because the beach is always a great place to soak in God’s abundance.

Do you read print books or ebooks? Or a combination of the two?

Both – I love the convenience of e-books, but nothing replaces the smell and feel of a real book.

I agree. I always have my Kindle with me, but at home I almost always read print books. This book has an interesting title. How did you come up with it?

Duchess is the third in a “Daughters of Fortune” series – so we have Heiress, then Baroness, and the next logical progression was Duchess.

So what is the book about?

The book is about Rosie, a daughter of wealth who has run away from her past and into her future as a Hollywood starlet. She believes if she has the adoration of the public it will fill up the empty places inside—places left by terrible choices and wounds in her life. But it’s not until her life as a star is put to the test in a film she makes in Europe that she realizes she can be more than she imagines that she finds true fulfillment. It’s set in the golden age of Hollywood—the 1930s, with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford, amidst the backdrop of a brewing war in Europe. For fans of the silver screen, they’ll recognize icons and films and be drawn into a story of intrigue that just might have really happened.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Part One

Red Carpet

1929

Chapter 1

Tonight, if only for three hours, Rosie Worth would glitter. Like a star plucked from the sky, hot and glowing, she would light up New York’s Fiftieth Avenue and burn a path into stardom, her name in white neon emblazoned across the marquee of the Roxy Theater.

            And hopefully, her past would flicker out, eclipsed by the glow of her future.

            “Darling, you look smashing.” Dash emerged from his bedroom into their shared sitting quarters in the Taft Hotel, holding a highball of something amber, the glass catching the glamour of the room. Gold brocade sofas, dark rose velvet chairs, a white marble fireplace and, under the dripping chandelier of teardrop crystals, an enormous bouquet of yellow and white roses blanketed the center of the dining table. New York City certainly knew how to welcome a prodigal in style. Except, well, her studio bio, the one printed in Photoplay, hailed her as being from a small farm in Kansas.

            Some days, she longed for it to be true.

            “You clean up pretty well too, big boy,” she said, letting the filmy curtain over the Palladian windows drop. She held her long, white gloves in one hand and slipped over to him, smoothing his gold ascot, the lapels of his tuxedo. “A real studio mogul.”

            He drained his glass and set it down on the cherry desk. “Think they’ll be at the premiere?” He lifted her white fox stole and settled it around her shoulders.

            “Mother? Never. She might be a society queen, but she is also a devout Episcopalian. She wouldn’t set foot in a theater.”

            “Not even to see her daughter, Roxy Price, on the big screen?” He picked up his beaver top hat. Yes, he looked every inch like he could be a leading man, with his dark hair slicked back with pomade, his wide football-player shoulders, a little danger in his eyes. A gal could fall in love with Dashielle Parks. And Rosie had—too many times. First in Paris, and then again nearly a year ago when he offered her a steady, seven-year contract with Palace Studios.

            Probably that accounted for why she’d said yes to his marriage proposal.

            And why she kept hoping that he’d fall in love with her too.

            “Don’t call me Roxy,” she said, folding the stole around her shoulders then slipping her hands into the long gloves. She stopped again at the window, looked down upon the street seventeen stories below. Somehow Palace Studios had figured out how to splash daylight along Fiftieth Street, turning the grimy pavement of New York into a wash of brilliance. A crowd amassed under the marquee of the theater, and already the street was jammed with Model As and Rolls Royces, dark and shiny in the light.

            “You’re going to have to get used to it,” Dash said. “You’re Roxy Price now.”

            “Remember when you laughed at me in Paris, that night when I told you I wanted to be an actress like Sarah Bernhardt? I still do. With a name like Roxy, no one will take me seriously. It feels like a made-up character, a fantasy.” From here she could see the Dakota, where her mother lived with Bennett, her stepfather, and her half brother, Finley.

            He’d be twelve by now.

            Time moved too quickly. Her daughter Coco would be nearly two. A toddler. She longed to look past the New York skyline, all the way to Montana, where Coco lived with her cousin, Lilly. A world so far away it seemed untouchable, as if she hadn’t really lived that life, hadn’t really had a child, given her away, or even held the man she loved as he died in her arms.

            This life gave her a fresh start.

            Rosie pressed her hand to her roiling stomach. Yes, maybe Roxy fit her well.

            Dash gave what sounded like a laugh, and she turned.

            “Red, this isn’t the stage. We’re in the movie business. We create fantasy, a world of glamorous make-believe. Stars, not actresses.” He tugged her arm, pulled her toward the ornate floor mirror. “Look at yourself and tell me if there is one smackle left of Rosie Worth, former showgirl and widow, in that mirror.”

            Palace Studios had bleached her hair to starlight white, plucked her eyebrows clear off her face, and penciled in a line of black. They’d framed her lips in a blood-red cupid’s bow and honed her figure into something that added mystery and allure under her teal blue satin evening gown. The garment hugged her like a negligee, dripped down the floor, and trailed behind her.

             “This is what you wanted from me when you appeared at my door two years ago, wasn’t it? To make the world fall in love with you? This is how we’re going to do it. By creating Roxy Price, bombshell blond. This is how the world will fall in love with you. They’re not going to love a tragic socialite who lost her heart—they’ll love a small-town girl from Kansas whose dreams came true in Hollywood.”

            “But it’s not—it’s not real. It’s not me.”

            “Make it you, doll. If this is what you want, you’ll have to become Miss Roxy Price.”

            The actress in the mirror found a smile for him. Nodded.

            “C’mon, gorgeous. This is your moment.” Dash pressed a kiss to her cheek, spilling the odor of bourbon over her, and offered his arm. “Smile. Be brilliant.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Visit me at www.susanmaywarren.com or www.mybooktherapy.com

Susan May Warren is celebrating the release of Duchess with a Kindle Fire HD Giveaway.

One "glam" winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HD
• Signed copies of Duchess, Baroness and Heiress

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 4th. Winner will be announced on 5/7/13 at Susan's blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing yet another amazing book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Duchess (Daughters of Fortune series) - paperback
Duchess (Daughters of fortune) - 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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WINNERS!!!!!

Rosie (OH) is the winner of Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell.  
Mongupp (Ont) is the winner of Deliver Us by June Foster. 
Lourdes (NY) is the winner of Stress Test by Richard Mabry. 
Lyndie Blevins (TX) is the winner of Home Run by Travis Thrasher.
Cheryl (AZ), Merry (TX), and Andrea (MO) are the winners of Sundays in Fredericksburg, Texas, by Marjorie Vawter, Connie Stevens, Eileen Key, and Lynette Sowell.  
Heidi (CA) is the winner of When the Morning Glory Blooms by Cynthia Ruchti.  

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.

RESCUING HOPE - Susan Norris - One Free Book

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

There is one character in Rescuing Hope that slightly resembles me. I didn’t think about it when writing the book. However, my friends who have read the book pointed it out. Most of the characters in the book are based on someone I interviewed or read about. Some of the minor characters are based on people in my community.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I volunteer at our church youth camp every year. I’m responsible for the evening activities, which are the fun, festive time of the evening. I intentionally dress up as a country hick named Pearl complete with pigtails and host the evening events. It was such a huge hit the first year it has become an annual thing. Pearl has even gone on a mission trip to India.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Honestly, while writing Rescuing Hope. I’ve been writing a blog for about five years, but I never referred to myself as a writer before Rescuing Hope was published.

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

I love fiction, especially Christian fiction. I also enjoy historical fiction. I will also read non-fiction on topics of interest. I also enjoy reading cookbooks that have stories in them about the recipes or the people who created them. Everyone has a story to tell and I love hearing stories about people’s lives.

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

Some days I don’t feel like I do. I am a woman of faith, so I start my day with the Lord. The days I fail to do so are the days I tend to fail at many things. He keeps me on track, focused on the things that matter, and helps me let go of things that don’t. I also keep worship music playing in my office at all times to keep me ever mindful of why I do what I do. I also have an amazing prayer shield made up of women who pray for me daily. Add that to an incredibly supportive family and that keeps me afloat.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Rescuing Hope deals with the issue of sex trafficking in America. The names of the characters in my book had to be authentic sounding street names, so I asked some of the survivors I interviewed to help me with names. I also interviewed a former drug dealer who turned his life around and asked him to look over the “street names” for my characters and make sure they sounded authentic. I nearly died when we sat down in a crowded, local restaurant and in a very loud voice he said, “What’s your pimp’s name?” I knew people in the restaurant, so I can only imagine what they were thinking if they overheard him. I had to laugh and let it go.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I am most proud of my family. I’ve been married to my best friend for twenty-two years and my children both say I’m one of their best friends. They are my first mission field. I fail in life if I’m successful in the world, but not in my home.

           

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

I would be a golden retriever, because I get along with everyone and I love to have fun. The more the merrier. I don’t like anyone to be left out. I could also be a bear, because I’m fiercely protective of those I love and I won’t back down when they’re in danger or hurt. I will fight for them at all cost.            

I love golden retrievers. That’s what my family had during most of my growing up years. What is your favorite food?

My husband would tell you salmon, because it is my go-to food anytime we go out. I do love it, but I love, love, love just about anything cooked with garlic and onions.

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

I didn’t know where to start. I had never taken a writing course, so I didn’t have a clue what to do or how to do it. Basically, I prayed a lot. Rescuing Hope was not written using any traditional format or formula. I would wake up every day, go before the Lord in prayer and say, “Show me what happens to Hope today.” Some days I would be there for thirty minutes, other days for two hours. I would see a movie in my mind’s eye. When it stopped, I would get up and type what I saw. God is truly the author of Rescuing Hope. I’m just the typist.

Tell us about the featured book.

Rescuing Hope gives the reader an inside look into the sex trafficking industry in America. It shows how the girl-next-door can be lured by a smooth-talking pimp without realizing it until it’s too late.

Sex trafficking is not a respecter of persons. It impacts every demographic imaginable. Rescuing Hope is written to be a catalyst for conversation among young girls and those who love them. It’s meant to raise awareness and call to action.

Our church’s women’s ministry has been active for a number of years working to rescue girls and woman imprisoned in sex trafficking. It’s all so heartbreaking. I’ve even been involved in a ministry to strippers. Please give us the first page of the book.

“I need my money.” She pulled her tank top back on in the dimly lit room. The scent of their act still hung in the air. She gagged on her shame. Most days she could go through the motions like a robot. But tonight she saw a price tag hanging on her that read “clearance, damaged goods.”

“You’re nothing,” he said. It was like he took a chunk out of her already pulpy soul. The low-watt bulb dangling from the crumbling ceiling was a spotlight that revealed her. “Pay you! You’ve got to be kidding me. You weren’t worth the time I spent away from my family.” He threw her jeans in her face. “Get dressed and get out, you little tramp.”

“I can’t go back to T without my money.” Her voice cracked and rose. She knew T wouldn’t take it lightly. “He’ll kill me. Then he’ll come kill you too.”

“I really don’t care what he does with you. I’m going to get cleaned up and then I’m out of here. Make sure you’re gone when I come out.”

The bathroom door closed with a bang. She slid her jeans over her bony hips; she’d always been thin, but this life made her gaunt. Then she saw his wallet on the dresser. She’d pay herself. He wouldn’t know until she was long gone. She picked up the wallet and counted out what he owed her just as the water turned off.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can find me on my website, www.susannorris.org, where they can read my my blog as well as share their insights. They can find me on Twitter @SusanCNorris,  on Facebook: Susan Norris Author, on Linkedin: Susan (Cogggins) Norris, on Google+ : Susan Norris, and they can email me at susan@susannorris.org.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Rescuing Hope - paperback
Rescuing Hope - 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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DESTINY DEFIED - J A Marx - One Free Book

Readers, I've really looked forward to introducing you to this author whose debut novel introduces a new genre--Embattled Spirit novels. She's a member of the critique group that meets in my home. 

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

My counselor’s heart wants to come through most. I have to remind myself that there’s only one counselor in the series, and Dr. Young doesn’t show up until book 2, Destiny Delivered. I completely let my guard down when writing in his POV.

As for the other characters, some of them would actually intimidate me in real life. I created each male character from the 4 personalities in the book, The Two Sides of Love.

What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

I’m secretly adventurous, Lena. So I’d have to say it’s a toss up between smuggling Bibles into China and jumping out of a plane. (Not at the same time.)

I have a dear friend who is a missionary in China. She started by going several times to smuggle Bibles in through Brother Andrews’s ministry. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

Don’t laugh, Lena. I know this will be hard for you to believe. I didn’t realize I wanted to write until 2001-02 when I first penned Destiny Defied. Our pastor in Ohio prophesied over me that I was about to discover a deeper aspect of my calling. And I did.

THAT SAID. In 1991, Frank Peretti’s books inspired me to write my very first novel. I wrote it just for fun and it’s now buried somewhere. I think God let me taste the bug but purposely blinded me to the calling.

Actually, I wouldn’t laugh at that. We all find our calling to write in different ways. God didn’t just use one cookie cutter to create all the writers. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love suspense and stories with spiritual depth. Some of my favorite authors are Tosca Lee, Peretti, Dekker, and C.S. Lewis.

When I was younger, I read all of Phyllis A. Whitney and a variety of other authors and genres. Then I read mostly non-fiction for ministry purposes. Once I started writing, I got back into fiction.

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

About 20 years ago, I traded in New Year’s’ resolutions for a life strategic plan, which I review/refine yearly. If opportunities do not line up with my mission, vision, and values, I don’t do them—unless God leads otherwise. This helps me say “no” without guilt to the many opportunities that arise and saves me from burnout and over-commitment.

I’m sure that answer will touch a chord in many of my blog readers, Julie. How do you choose your characters’ names?

That’s a self-imposed challenge. I’m very purposeful. I take the meaning of each name seriously. For example, Sabio Quinn. His name means “wise one” and he’s the intellectual of the bunch. Riki (ruler) Hammad (highly praised) took some research to put it together because Riki had to fit both genders and be a title the fanatic underground would name the prophesied Chosen Child, who was supposed to be born a boy (according to their prophecy).

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Successfully homeschooling my 2 beloved children.

I’ve only met one of them, but I can agree that you did a very good job with him. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A large bird. I love the feeling of soaring through the air and getting a bird’s-eye view of the world. Pun intended.

What is your favorite food?

Let’s see . . . besides %70 dark chocolate?

Homemade oatmeal with cinnamon, apples, and Stevia.

Readers, our critique group is known for our bowl of dark chocolate on the coffee table every week. Sometimes, there’s also some milk chocolate. Now, Julie, what is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Great question! Point of view (POV). When I started writing, I revealed everything that was in every character’s head and felt it had to be that way to get the story across. Thanks to my insistent and patient mentor, author Carol Umberger, I now value a tight POV. The tighter the better.

Tell us about the featured book.

Eighteen-year-old Riki survives a shipwreck and ends up trapped on a mysterious private island. She finds refuge with four college guys who insist they are the only people there. But Riki senses someone stalking her. Evil redefined.

Lord Vétis, executive leader of a cultic underground, has three days to reclaim the Chosen One as his property. He uses black magic to manipulate Riki and her self-appointed bodyguards. If Vétis can’t have her, no one will.

Riki and her island-mates are forced into a consuming battle. In the end, she must fight for her freedom to live a normal life – something she’s never known.

Destiny Defied explores God’s relevance, man’s choices, purity, and the value of friendship. The supernatural is a hot theme, and this novel is a must for anyone interested in the effects of dabbling in the occult. The reader will also get a powerful and intimate look at how the way we treat a person can change a life.

Since I’m only familiar with books two and three, I can’t wait to read this one. Please give us the first page of the book.

Friday night, May 25, 1990

Southwest of Andros Island

I should’ve killed him. If the drugged oils Lord Vétis had made Riki inhale weren’t raging in her system, she’d revisit his cabin. Armed with a knife.

Don’t be stupid. She hesitated near the hatchway. Vétis she could handle. But no earthly weapon could defeat the phantom the Lux overlord had summoned. She’d prefer the vile, molesting hands of a man over experiencing it ever again. Returning to Vétis’s rancid cabin would be suicide.

All crew and passengers had been ordered to go below, but Riki had sworn to make the rendezvous. She sneaked out the hatchway, and the weather deck pitched beneath her wobbly legs. Gripping the side rail, she pulled herself aftward through the darkness, her stomach sloshing with the ship’s sway. The light rain pecking her back told her to expect a full-blown storm.

Every centimeter of the Nave del Piacere disgusted her. Since her seventh birthday, this mega-yacht had cursed her weekends. Tonight topped them all. Why had her mother not warned her that this cruise was different?

Why had the Lux chosen her?

“God…” Dare she break the law and pray? Superstitious, no. She was desperate. “If you exist, save me—”

Burning prongs gored her solar plexus, and Riki doubled over. Just as quickly, the burning ceased, leaving her midsection tingling. The phantom had found her, just as Vétis had said would happen. An invincible force.

I can’t wait to get a copy of the book in my hand. How can my readers find you on the Internet?

http://jamarx.net/

http://writeintegrity.com/
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/J.A.-Marx/e/B00AJRW8X6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1358611760&sr=8-2-ent

Destiny Defied is available on

-Amazon:

ISBN-13: 978-1-938092-32-9

ISBN-10: 1938092325

-Kindle

-Barnes & Noble

-Book Depository

-By Request at Local Booksellers

-Also available on Ingram

Thank you, Julie, for sharing your life and this book with us today.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Destiny Defied (The Destiny Series) (Volume 1) - paperback
Destiny Defied (The Destiny Series) - Kindle


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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.

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ALONE, THE WOMAN AT THE WELL - Golden Keyes Parsons - One Free Book

Bio: Golden Keyes Parsons writes historical fiction, and is also a popular retreat/conference speaker. Her highly acclaimed Darkness to Light Series (Thomas Nelson Publishers) chronicled the journey of her French Huguenot ancestors in 17th century France. Her novel, His Steadfast Love, a Civil War novel set in Texas, released November 2011. Her newest book, Alone, The Woman At The Well, is Book #2 in a novella series entitled, Hidden Faces, Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels, published by WhiteFire Publishing and will release in April 2013. Trapped! The Adulterous Woman was released October 2012. Golden lives in Waco, TX, with her husband, Blaine, where they enjoy their children, grandchildren. and great-grandchildren and are avid sports fan of their alma mater, Baylor University.

Welcome back, Golden. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I was a “good” girl. The firstborn in an alcoholic family, so I tried to do everything right and make my oh-so-wrong world perfect. When I was about 13 years old, I went to a revival meeting with my best friend. I realized through the sermon that was preached that I was a sinner, but I didn’t understand what I needed to do. My friend could have easily led me to the Lord then, but for some reason she didn’t. Perhaps she didn’t know how to do that. A year later when I was a freshman in high school, my boyfriend invited me to go on a youth retreat Easter weekend. During that weekend Jesus reached down and drew me to himself … and I’ve never gotten over it!

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

Wow! What a great question. Living or dead? Okay, I’ll do two living and two deceased. The two deceased would be Nathaniel Hawthorne and C.S. Lewis. Nathaniel Hawthorne because I simply have always loved his books. I think when I read The Scarlet Letter in high school is when I fell in love with the classics. C.S. Lewis because he was such a powerful expositor of the gospel and a creative novelist at the same time.  

The two living authors I’d like to spend a weekend with would be Stephen King and Maya Angelou. Stephen King for his knowledge of creating story, and Maya Angelou—what a wordsmith! She crafts so much wisdom into so few words.

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

Yes, actually my speaking ministry came before I was published. I speak at women’s conferences, and my husband and I lead marriage conferences. I can be contacted through my website below.

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

I really can’t think of a specific instance, but when something embarrasses me I usually choose to ignore it and hope nobody else noticed.

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

All the time. I simply tell them to write. Keep a journal, write down your ideas, write for your church newsletter, write to your family—write, write, write. Out of the overflow will come your book.

And I tell them to read good books. Writers are readers.

Tell us about the featured book.

Alone, The Adulterous Woman, is Book #2 in the “Hidden Faces: Portraits of Nameless Women In The Gospels.”

When I realized that several of the seminal accounts in Scripture involved unnamed women, I became more than curious. Who were they really? Were they women just like us—women such as the adulterous woman, the woman at the well, the woman who anointed Jesus’s feet, and the woman with the issue of blood? Surely they deserved to be fleshed out, albeit via a fiction author’s imagination. Thus the series, Hidden Faces: Portraits of Nameless Women in the Gospels, was born. I believe some of them arrived at their station in life through poor choices, some through no fault of their own.

Since she had five husbands, I speculated that the woman at the well’s life had been difficult. Her father died when she was three, and a succession of men began the parade through her life—men who disappointed and abused her. She did not feel worthy of love until a stranger from Galilee asked her for a drink of water. What she had thirsted for all of her life was showered upon her in that brief meeting. Jesus demonstrated not only was she worthy of acceptance, but he crossed cultural boundaries and traditions to honor her, a hated Samaritan woman, with the first declaration of his Messiahship.

As with the woman at the well, no matter what poor choices we’ve made or our situation in life, Jesus still reaches across traditional lines to offer living water and say, “Follow me and you will never thirst again.”

The first thing I wrote after God told me to become a professional writer was a dramatic monologue of the woman at the well. I’ve always been fascinated with her. And I played out that monologue, in costume, at a number of places for several years. Please give us the first page of the book.

I met a stranger today. He sat on the edge of Jacob’s well in the blistering heat and watched as I walked toward him. Undecided, I turned and looked back toward the village. The man was a Jew. He wore the tallit of a Jewish rabbi. What was a Jewish rabbi doing in Samaria? A younger man stood by his side. Perhaps I should return later. I didn’t care to encounter the upturned noses and sneering lips.

Marah hesitated, the afternoon sun beating down upon her. They need water, and Marah chose to come to this particular well at this particular time of day to avoid the gossipy women from Sychar, their frowns and whispers. She lowered the water pot to her hip and shielded her eyes from the the sun’s glare. He stared back at her. She expected him to rise and turn his back. However, the smallest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

The dust swirled around her feet as she veered to the right to go around the strangers.

“Would you give me a drink?”

Startled, Marah nearly dropped her water pot. A Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman—and in public? She glanced about to see if anyone was watching. Beads of perspiration formed on her upper lip.

“You’re safe. No one else is around. My friends have gone into town to purchase food for us to eat. They left us here…” He motioned to the young man with him. “John and myself.” He stood. “You come to this well to avoid the accusations of the other women. It hurts you. I am sorry for that, Marah.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart thudded. How did he know her name? She was certain she had never met this man. She knew the lecherous glances, scorn, and mocking eyes that passed judgment on her as she walked through the streets of the village. Those lying, hypocritical lips that would form words of vulgar propositions. Pious, pompous, prideful men. She hated them. But this man was not one of the men from the village. This man seemed different. How did he know she had been the object of scorn her whole life, as far back as she could remember?

I love it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.goldenkeyesparsons.com

                       

I’ve just put up a new page on Facebook, so would love for your readers to come over and “Like” my new page at www.facebook.com/GoldenKeyes.

Thanks so much, Lena, for the interview. Blessings!

Thank you 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.

Alone: The Woman at the Well (a novella) (Hidden Faces)


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

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

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

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

COURAGE TO CHANGE - Elizabeth Maddrey - One Free Book

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

I spent 20 years active with a Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC), so the women and men who go through those doors every day are dear to my heart. I think very often it’s easy to limit your support of places like CPCs to a monetary donation – and while they absolutely appreciate those gifts, they also need people to understand what it is they do and who their clients really are. While at their heart, my books are romances, I hope they also provide a smidgen of insight into what it means to work in the pro-life arena.

In earlier years, my family has served as a shepherding home for young single women who were pregnant, so I totally understand. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

This is tough. It’s probably a three-way tie with the day I married my husband (he’s absolutely the best) and the days we brought our boys home from the hospital.

How has being published changed your life?

I’m busier, certainly! But really, it hasn’t gone much beyond being able to say I’m a published author (instead of hoping that someday I will be.) Oh! It has gotten me on Twitter – something I never really wanted to do before. J

What are you reading right now?

Broken Wings by Shannon Dittemore.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m actually a little behind my deadline for Serenity to Accept, book 3 in the Grant Us Grace series. It’s the story of Karin Reid (Phil’s sister) and Jason Garcia (who you also meet in Courage to Change.)

What would be your dream vacation?

A trip around the world. Right before we found out that we would be adopting our first son, my husband and I were in the process of planning six weeks traveling the globe. Obviously we wouldn’t have made it to every country, but we were putting together a pretty neat itinerary. I hope someday (maybe when the boys are a little older) we can follow through on at least some of it.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far, I’ve been sticking to the DC area – primarily because I’ve lived here so long, so I feel like I can portray it pretty well. Besides that, it’s a great and diverse area – so it’s kind of fun to put into a book. Though I’ll admit I add some things that don’t actually exist (usually stores or restaurants, that type of thing.)

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

This actually took me a little thought. I’m going to go with Jim Caviezel – I’d love to talk with him about his faith in Christ and the persecution and ostracism he’s suffered and how that’s affected him. I’d also love to talk to him about adoption (some of his children were adopted, as were my boys.) Then if you just consider how incredible he is as an actor – I could just let him talk about craft and simply listen. Even though I have no interest in acting, I’m guessing I could get plenty of interesting information about characterization that would help improve my writing.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to cook. I’m not a super creative person in the kitchen, but I can follow a recipe pretty well (and make a few tweaks here and there if I know who I’m cooking for.) I also enjoy crocheting and playing Xbox with my older son (we’re both hooked on Skylanders.)

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

Self-doubt. I can’t say that I’ve yet managed to completely overcome it – but I get away from being paralyzed by it with a lot of prayer.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Keep at it! For me, I had to learn to put my mental editor away when I write – otherwise, I go back through what I wrote the day before, decide it’s terrible, get depressed, decide I’m not good at writing…and so forth. If you’re prone to that cycle, don’t let yourself even start it. Just set aside time to get words on the screen – finish the book. Then, and only then, let yourself go back through and critique. And then, be open to non-traditional publication. The world of publishing is constantly in flux – there are opportunities today with smaller presses that are much more accessible to a debut author.

Tell us about the featured book.

Should you be willing to change for love?

When Phil Reid became a Christian and stopped drinking, his hard-partying wife Brandi divorced him. Reeling and betrayed, he becomes convinced Christians should never remarry, and resolves to guard his heart.

Allison Vasak has everything in her life under control, except for one thing. Her heart is irresistibly drawn to fellow attorney and coworker, Phil. Though she knows his history and believes that women should not initiate relationships, she longs to make her feelings known.

As Phil and Allison work closely together to help a pregnant teen, both must reevaluate their convictions. When Brandi discovers Phil’s new relationship, she decides that though she doesn’t want him, no one else can have him. Can Phil and Allison’s love weather the chaos Brandi brings into their lives?

Please give us the first page of the book.

“Come open the door. It’s cold out here and I’m freezing my you-know-what off.”

“Brandi.” Phil sighed into the phone and sank onto the foot of his bed. “What are you doing here?”

“I figured it had been a while since we partied, so I brought a six pack over to share with my husband.”

“Ex-husband.”

Her voice lost the playful tone and took on a hard, bitter edge. “It’s not my fault you decided to get sober. Find Jesus. All that crap. What a drag.”

The pounding on his front door echoed up the two flights of stairs.

“I came by to give you another chance to see what you’re missing. Let me in.”

“I’m sorry, but no.” Phil rubbed his temples as a migraine began to build. “Go home…please.”

He should just hang up. Of course, the last time he’d done that she’d made such a scene the neighbors had called the police. At least after that his mother had finally understood why he hadn’t wanted Brandi to have his new address. If he didn’t love this historic little town on the river that was still an easy commute to his job in downtown D.C., he might consider moving again and just not tell anyone. He realized Brandi had been wailing into the phone and he’d missed it. “Back up. What?”

“I said I’ve got nowhere else to go, Phil. Let me in.”

The rational side of his mind argued against the tug of guilt. Steeling himself against the inevitable tirade, he took a deep breath. “You don’t have a place here, either. Now, you need to leave before the neighbors get concerned.”

He flinched and held the phone away from his head at the string of threats and epithets she unleashed. When she was finally quiet, he put the phone back to his ear. “I’m hanging up now. Good night, Brandi.” He clicked the phone off as she started in again. The phone rang almost immediately. Phil cradled his head in his hands and ignored it. When his answering machine picked up, she started ranting right where she’d left off. He groaned and went to the bathroom for some aspirin.

He’d never expected things to turn out this way. He’d been filled with such joy when he understood and accepted what Christ offered; he’d assumed Brandi would share in his excitement. Boy, had that been a miscalculation.

Phil shook two aspirin into his hand. He wouldn’t trade his relationship with God for anything. If only he’d been more willing to hear God calling him before he made the mistake of marrying Brandi in the first place. Of course, he wasn’t listening to anything about God at that point. What was it everyone always said about hindsight? The phone was ringing again and more vicious banging resounded from the front door. He crawled into bed fully clothed and buried his head under a pillow.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://www.ElizabethMaddrey.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

Twitter: @elizabethmaddre

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ElizabethMaddrey

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chalfonthouse/courage-to-change-by-elizabeth-maddrey/

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

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Courage to Change (Grant Us Grace) (Volume 2)


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

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

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

If you’re reading this on Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
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THE HEIRESS OF WINTERWOOD - Sarah E Ladd - One Free Book Plus More

Bio: In addition to a lifetime of writing and exploring fiction, Sarah has more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. She lives in Indiana and is blessed to share her life with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and very lovable Golden Retriever.

Welcome, Sarah. What made you choose the Regency Era to set your story in? Does the research come easy?
I have always loved British literature, especially nineteenth century British literature. I grew up reading Austen, Bronte, Keats, and Byron, so when I decided to write a novel of my own, the setting was an easy decision. And since I have always enjoyed reading about that time period, I love the research … it really fascinates me. There is always something new to learn and different treasures to discover.

Is this the first in a series, or a stand alone?
The Heiress of Winterwood is the first book in The Whispers on the Moors series. The 2nd book in the series will release in late 2013.

Do you have a favorite author from the Regency Era or story set then?
 My favorite author from that time period is definitely Jane Austen.

Which character gave you the most problems?
I don’t know if I would say he was a problem, but I was constantly tweaking Edward Littleton’s character and actions. I wanted to get him just right!

What's your favorite snack while you write?
COFFEE. If I am writing, there is a cup of coffee next to me.

Winter, spring, summer or fall?
I love the variety of seasons, so it is hard for me to pick just one. Every season has a beauty of its own.

Jewelry or not?
YES! I love jewelry.

Flip flops or sneakers?
Flip flops … especially cute ones. 

Please tell us about the story.
Darbury, England, 1814

Amelia Barrett gave her word. Keeping it could cost her everything.

Amelia Barrett, heiress to an estate nestled in the English moors, defies family expectations and promises to raise her dying friend's baby. She'll risk everything to keep her word-even to the point of proposing to the child's father-a sea captain she's never met.

When the child vanishes with little more than an ominous ransom note hinting at her whereabouts, Amelia and Graham are driven to test the boundaries of their love for this little one.

Amelia's detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she's forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride.

Graham's strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect.

Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them. 

How can my readers find you on the Internet?
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Website
Let’s connect!

Sarah Ladd is celebrating the release of The Heiress of Winterwood with a Downton Abbey Kindle Prize Pack Giveaway!

 One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• Downton Abbey, seasons 1-3

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 30th. Winner will be announced on 5/2/13 {HERE}.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Heiress of Winterwood (Whispers On The Moors) - paperback
The Heiress of Winterwood (Whispers On The Moors) - 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 Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com