THE THIEF - Stephanie Landsem - One Free Book on This Blog, Plus the Chance to Win a Kindle Fire HDX

Bio: Stephanie Landsem loves adventure in far-off times and places. In real life, she's explored ancient ruins, medieval castles, and majestic cathedrals around the world. Stephanie is equally happy at home in Minnesota with her husband, four children, and three fat cats. When she's not writing, she's feeding the ravenous horde, avoiding housework, and dreaming about her next adventure—whether it be in person or on the page.

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

I never planned to write Biblical fiction, but one day I was listening to the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, and I just knew I had to tell her story. Since then, I’ve discovered that I love delving into ancient history and imagining what it was like to live in the time of Jesus.

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

I guess it would be a tie between the birthdays of my four kids. I didn’t know until my oldest was born how much I would love being a mom.

How has being published changed your life?

I had to learn how to juggle! I have so much more going on now, in addition to my vocation as a wife and mother.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading a book called Consider the Birds, it’s a lovely, prayerful discussion on the birds of Biblical times.

What is your current work in progress?

The Tomb, the third book in The Living Water Series. It is a surprising story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

What would be your dream vacation?

A trip to the Holy Land with my husband and children.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

In Biblical fiction, I choose the characters, and the characters dictate the settings: Samaria, Jerusalem, and Bethany.

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

My dad. I live in the Midwest and my parents are on the west coast, so I don’t see them much. My dad is very quiet and I’d love to just have an evening with just him, to hear his stories of growing up and his thoughts on everything from politics to his grandchildren.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to cook, especially in the summer when there is lots of fresh produce and berries available. With four teenagers, I have plenty of people willing to eat!

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

Time management. I have a set schedule that I try to stick to. Writing in the morning, with no distractions, then marketing and social media in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening, as well.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t despair! Write, and don’t worry if what you write looks terrible. Sleep on it and go back the next day. It almost always looks better than you first thought.

Tell us about the featured book.

Nissa is a Jewish woman with a sharp tongue and no hope of marriage. Abandoned by the God she once loved, her only recourse is to depend upon Mouse, the best thief in Jerusalem, to keep her blind brother, Cedron, fed and the landlord satisfied.

Longinus is a Roman centurion haunted by death and failure and is desperate to escape the accursed Judean province. Accepting a wager that will get him away from the aggravating Jews and their threats of revolt, he sets out to catch the thieves harassing the marketplace.

When a controversial teacher miraculously heals Cedron, Nissa hopes for freedom from her life of lies. But the supposed miracle brings only more misfortune, and Longinus, seeking to learn more about the mysterious healer, finds himself drawn instead to Nissa, whose secret will determine the course of both their futures.

Cedron, Longinus, and Nissa are unexpectedly caught up in the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. As danger closes in on them from every side, they must decide if the love and redemption Jesus offers is true or just another false promise. How can the so-called Messiah save them from their shackles, when he cannot even save himself?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Mouse darted through the crowded streets of Jerusalem. His name suited him. Small and drab, he fled from one street corner to the next as though stalked by an unseen predator. Dirt and ash streaked his face, and the tatter of wool covering his head was no less filthy. Both his worn tunic and the cloak over it looked like they had been made for a man twice his size.

Not a head turned as he zigzagged around caravans, street vendors, and plodding donkeys. He was invisible—poor, dirty, worthless. Just another half-grown boy in the lower city whose parents couldn’t afford to feed him. If a Greek trader or a Jewish woman noticed him at all, that’s what they’d see—just what Mouse wanted them to see.

Mouse skirted the hippodrome, built by Herod the Great to show off his fastest horses, and moved like a trickle of water past slaves carting oil jars and women haggling over the price of grain. He didn’t stop to admire the trinkets laid out under bright awnings. He couldn’t be late.

There had been no food in his house for days, and the rent was due. Another week and the landlord would throw them into the street.

Thou shalt not steal, the commandment said.

A familiar voice whispered in his mind, dark and compelling. You don’t have a choice.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is: www.StephanieLandsem.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanielandsem

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/stephlandsem

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/slandsem/

Don't miss Stephanie Landsem's outstanding sophomore effort, The Thief.

Best-selling author Tosca Lee had this to say of the book: Filled with memorable characters, The Thief is a tale of hopelessness turned to hope, of high stakes made higher, and ultimate love. What happens when a character at the lowest rung of society crosses paths with the most well-known figure in history? The story of The Thief. I couldn't stop reading.

Stephanie is hosting a Kindle Fire HDX and book giveaway at her website. CLICK THE BUTTON to find out more and enter to win.

Find out what readers are saying HERE. (Click the REVIEWS bar.)

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

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Thief  - Christianbook.com
The Thief: A Novel (The Living Water Series) - Amazon
The Thief: A Novel (The Living Water Series) - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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!!!!!

Kam (OK) is the winner of Betrayed  by Lillian Duncan.
Jean K (FL) is the winner of Sadie's Secret by Kathleen Y'Barbo.
Cindi (AL) is the winner of  Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt.
Shirley (MS) is the winner of Taken for English by Olivia Newport.
Emma (PA) is the winner of Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray.

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 an 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.

Announcing the release of the movie SON OF GOD, plus a prize package giveaway on this blog

The movie Son of God will release on February 28,2014 - The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

A wonderful prize package is being offered on this blog. This package includes the official soundtrack, a 1000-piece puzzle, and novelization.

Leave a comment for a chance to win. 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 

RYAN'S FATHER - June Foster - One Free Book

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

I've written about overcoming anger, obesity, low self esteem, the subtle deception of cults, and abortion. I believe my favorite theme is who we are in Christ. My characters are often weighed down by the pressures of life and frequently feel like giving up until they embrace the Word and God's power. In Ryan's Father, Ryan believes he's trapped in a lifestyle he hates. But he learns that the old Ryan died to sin and was buried with Christ and a new Ryan now lives. Only then is he able to escape his past. 

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I have three books for which I'm seeking publication. For All Eternity—a story of a young man steeped in a back-breaking cult, Red and the Wolf—a modern day rendition of Little Red Riding Hood, and Misty Hollow, a romance set in the Smoky Mountains. By May 2014, I pray one or all will see publication.

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

This is such a difficult question because there're so many. But I suppose I'd have to say Jeanette Oke. I'm enchanted by her Love Comes Softly series. I'd love to ask how she felt the call to write, how story ideas come to her, how she gets to know her characters, and much more. Maybe in one evening, some of her talent would rub off on me. I'm joking, but I would like to know her thoughts about how God has used her.

I did get to meet her at one ACFW national conference, and I was in one picture with her. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

I'd have to say the apostle Paul. I would love to ask him how he penned all those books in the New Testament. How did it feel to be the hand of God writing His word down for future generations? Did he have any idea how modern history would evolve? How did he remain so humble? Well, now that I think of it, I might get the chance to talk with him one day.

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

I would tell them to continue to hone their craft. Read books on writing, join a critique group with experienced authors, and write, write, write.

Many published authors receive rejections as well. I certainly do. The publishing industry can be brutal. Learn what you can from each rejection. Then file that slip away in a drawer and keep on working. God has His own timing.

We've all been there. One multi-published author who's won a Carol award told me she received over a hundred rejections before her first novel was published. Don't take rejection personally. Keep on going.

Yes, we all get rejections. Tell us about the featured book.

Ryan's Father is my fifth book to be published. The story deals with a sensitive subject—more so than my other four novels. I don't know of any other fictional books out there which deal with homosexuality from a Christian worldview. I expect to receive criticism from those opposed to my point of view. But I'm not afraid to take a stand because the story encompasses the truths of God's word.  Here's a blurb.

Ryan Reid is a first-grade teacher and a Christian with a heart for neglected kids, but a chance encounter during an earthquake with Sandy Arrington, a beautiful young nurse, rocks Ryan’s carefully guarded world and unearths the secret he has held deep in his heart. Though Sandy falls in love with him, Ryan’s forbidden affections lie elsewhere, and he must depend on the Lord to see him through a battle he always hoped he’d never have to face.

Please give us the first page of the book.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:6

The walls at Starbucks groaned and crunched. The cardboard cup of steaming coffee flew from Ryan's hand and spilled onto the tile. His body swayed as his foot slid out from under him on the undulating floor. He caught himself against a chair.

"What's happening?" A scream behind him split the air. "Help me."

He spun toward the woman's cries.

She tottered in the center of the room, eyes round and mouth wide. Her hands gripped her pale face.

Sympathy sifted through his own fear.

"Take cover, everybody," the barista yelled from the coffee bar. The strong smell of espresso filled the room.

"Quick. Under here." Ryan grabbed the panicked young woman's arm and pulled her beneath a wobbling table. "Hold on to one of the legs."

"Please don't let me die." The slender dark-haired woman's face contorted as she sobbed beside him on the floor.

Ryan's normal sense of calm abandoned him. Fear gripped his emotions. He sucked in a breath. Would they survive or be crushed by the walls caving in upon them?

Wow. Can’t wait to read the rest. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://junefoster.blogspot.com

http://infinitecharacters.com

http://pinterest.com/junefoster

https://www.amazon.com/author/junefoster

http://desertbreezpublishing.com

https://twitter.com/vjifoster

https://www.facebook.com/authorjunefoster

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

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Ryan's Father - Amazon
Ryan's Father - 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

SCRAPS OF EVIDENCE - Barbara Cameron - One Free Book on This Blog, Plus More

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

I feel very blessed. I just finished my third Amish series for Abingdon Press (Amish Roads) and they’ve signed me for a fourth series. I also have a novella anthology being considered right now.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have two grown children—a son and a daughter—and four grandchildren—two granddaughters and two grandsons. Some symmetry going on there! 

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

Yes, I don’t get as much time to read for pleasure as I’d like these days … and I have to do a lot of reading for research.

What are you working on right now?

I’m finishing up One True Path, the third book in the Amish Roads series.

What outside interests do you have?

Not many! I’m pretty busy with deadlines. I’m also a homebody. I love nothing so much as having my little Chihuahuas (three) sitting in a basket at my feet as I write. I do some work with a local rescue which is how I ended up with three Chihuahuas …

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I love St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the United States. It’s full of history and mystery and so romantic. I love to visit it. One day I visited and Scraps of Evidence was born. It’s a romantic suspense, quite unlike my Amish stories.

My setting for my Amish stories is Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, setting of the second largest Amish community in the United States. Then I decide where specifically I’ll set it—such as in Stitches in Time series the story took place in a shop with that name.

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

I’d love to spend an evening with author Charlotte Bronte who influenced me so much as a young girl with her novel Jane Eyre. I wore out several paperback copies when I was a teen.

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

I wish I’d learned how to be more organized in the process. I tend to rely on my memory a little too much and on having stacks of notes, books, etc., around. 

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

I got a very firm message from Him recently that I needed to slow down and take better care of myself.

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

Study the market and see how you can write a story you love within the genre the editors are buying for. Read like crazy and attend writer conferences and workshops. Be the kind of writer an editor wants to work with—not a prima donna who thinks she knows everything and argues over every little thing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Scraps of Evidence is a romantic suspense, part of the Quilts of Love series (Abingdon Press). A brief synopsis:

Tess has taken some ribbing from her fellow officer, Logan, for her quilting hobby. He finds it hard to align the brisk professional officer he patrols with during the day with the one who quilts in her off-time. Besides, he’s been trying to get to know her better and he’d like to be seeing her during those few nights a week she spends with her quilting guild. Then one afternoon Tess and Logan visit her aunt in the hospital, and the woman acts agitated when Tess covers her with the memory quilt. Aunt Kathy is attempting to communicate a message to them. There’s a story behind this quilt, they realize, one that may lead them to a serial killer. Will they have a chance to have a future together, or will the killer choose Tess for his next victim before they find him?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Tess fought back a yawn as she walked into her aunt’s hospital room. Excitement had kept her awake half the night.

 

 “I told you that you didn’t need to come,” her aunt said when she saw Tess.  But she smiled.

 “I wanted to.” She bent down and kissed her cheek. “You’re my favorite aunt.”

“I’m your only aunt.”

“Still my favorite.”

Tess pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and set the tote bag she carried on the floor. “What did the doctor say?”

“No concussion. But I have to stay another day for observation. Doctors,” she muttered, her mouth turning down at the corners.

 

Tess studied her aunt’s pale face. Sometimes when she looked at her she missed her mother so much it hurt. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost her, too.

She shook off the thought. Her aunt was just in her late fifties and in good health. There was no reason to believe she wouldn’t be around for a long time.

“Big day today, huh?”

“The biggest. It’s what I’ve been working toward since I graduated from the police academy.”

Her aunt reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m happy for you.”

 “Brought you something.”

“You shouldn’t have. You look tired.”

“Gee. Thanks.” She pulled the makeup bag from the tote and her aunt pounced on it.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Kathy cried. “They gave me a comb but a girl needs her lipstick to feel human.”

She pulled out a compact, opened it and grimaced. “Oh, my, it’s worse than I thought.”

Using her forefinger, she dabbed some concealer cream on the delicate skin under one eye, then shook her head.

“Going to have a bit of a shiner there,” she said with a sigh. She patted on some powder, applied some lipstick, then smiled at her appearance. “Not bad.”

“You look great. No one expects you to look like a beauty queen in the hospital.”

“One must keep up one’s appearance,” Kathy said, folding her hands primly on top of the blanket covering her.

Aunt Kathy had always reminded Tess of Grace Kelly, that icy blond actress in the old movies they’d watched together on TV years ago.

Tess was the opposite. She wore her shoulder length blond hair in a no-nonsense twist or ponytail, hated makeup and instead of being dainty had been five foot ten since high school. Oh, and there were those ten unwanted pounds that persisted in sticking around no matter what she did.

Her aunt turned the mirror on Tess. “Forgot something?”

She wanted to roll her eyes but decided not to. With a big sigh, Tess pulled a tube of lip gloss out of her pocket and swiped it across her mouth.

“My, my, don’t be primping so much,” her aunt said with a touch of sarcasm as Tess tucked the tube back in her pocket.

“Makeup just slides right off my face in this heat.”

“I like your new look.”

Tess stared down at her lightweight navy jacket and slacks worn with a crisp white shirt. She liked what it represented more. Not that she’d ever minded wearing a uniform. It was what had gotten her to this point. Now she simply wore a different one.

“You’re young,” Kathy said. “I guess you don’t need as much makeup as an old lady like me. And you’ve got those high, high cheekbones that don’t need blush for emphasis. Some blue shadow would really bring out those eyes, though.”

“You’re not old. And “I’m twenty-eight. That’s not exactly young.”

Tess reached down and withdrew a blue quilt from the tote bag and placed it on her aunt’s lap. “I thought you might like to have it here to remind you of home.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

 My website is www.barbaracameron.com 

I am on Facebook with Barbara Cameron Reader Page.

Barbara Cameron's Scraps of Evidence is the newest book in the Quilts of Love line, and Barbara is celebrating with an "intriguing" Kindle HDX giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron
• Tempest's Course by Lynette Sowell
• Aloha Rose by Lisa Carter

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 8th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog on March 10th.

Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this new book with us. I just love the Scraps of Love series from Abingdon Press. Such a wonderful variety of books with a quilt theme.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Scraps of Evidence - Christianbook.com
Scraps of Evidence: Quilts of Love Series - Amazon
Scraps of Evidence: Quilts of Love Series - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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

GADLY PLAIN - J Michael Dew - One Free Book

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

This is one of the things authors really need to avoid unless they are writing an autobiography. Writing a character is really an exercise in getting around the ego and trying to understand the motivations/desires/insecurities, etc. of the character in question. Poor writing is when the author butts in. The characters should stand on their own to the point where, if a character wants to do or say something and the author disagrees, the character should always win in the end.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I do not know about quirky, but I will give you this: I was once stranded on an island in the South Pacific. To get help, I had to pretend that I was not, in fact, in a body of water infested with sharks and swim out to a passing yacht. I was also almost deported from Australia for leading a group of students into a gorge. It did not work out as planned. The Australian version of the National Guard had to be called out.

Sounds as though you’ve had an exciting life. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I come from humble means. For entertainment, my mother, siblings, and I would take walks through cemeteries. As we read the gravestones, we made up stories—the more colorful, the better. I suppose this was how I first trained to be a storyteller. I also used to sit in my grandparents’ kitchen while the women cleaned up and the men were in the living room watching TV. The men were silent, brooding even, as they slurped their stale coffee. The women, on the other hand, gossiped. It was at the kitchen table that I began to take notes on dialect, inflection, diction, and what really mattered to normal folk.

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

My office is filled with novels, books of poetry, books on theology, philosophy, and history. The type of book I pick up depends on what I need at the time. Now, I am reading creative nonfiction. Sometimes I need a good novel. Other times, I yearn for poetry. It is really a day-to-day thing.

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

Jesus often took time to Himself to collect His thoughts. I have come to learn that this is not an interesting, poetic act; it is absolutely necessary. To be sure, between work and family, finding time is a challenge, but if I am to be the person God and my family want me to be, I need to, on occasion, stroll away to process what I need to process, pray the prayer I need to pray, and lick my wounds if I have them.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

When I hear an interesting name, I write it down. The beginning of the writing process, then, becomes matching some characteristics with a name I have in my notes. It’s really not that complicated. A good character name should be memorable but definitely not weird. It is up to the author (and editor) to decide.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

This is an easy one: my daughters. Degrees are nice and so are the accoutrements of a successful career in higher education, but the love and pride I have for my three little girls is beyond measure. There is no earthly transcript that can record that.

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

I would be a German shepherd with an affinity toward cats. I know: tall order.

What is your favorite food?

I have tried, I think, almost every place that serves chicken fajitas in Atlanta. I could eat them day and night. I am also a fan of popcorn. It’s my comfort food.

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

When I was an undergraduate, I used to write my papers with a British accent. I had never been to Britain, and I still haven’t set foot on the island nation. I wrote my papers this way because I did not think my northwestern Pennsylvanian accent sounded smart enough. So to answer your question: My biggest roadblock was that I didn’t think I could write anything worth reading. I have since fully embraced my heritage and now see it as a great strength, not a weakness.

Tell us about the featured book.

Gadly Plain tells the story of a girl who comes face to face with the inexplicable and is left with her emotionally-bereft grandparents to sort it all out. Only when she makes a discovery in the pasture beyond the property line does she begin to climb out of the abyss of horrible sadness, for there, grazing unafraid in the distance, is a dusty, old donkey who has never known death, and around the corner of the barn, a dim-witted stable hand who knows the reason why.

Gadly Plain is a literary ladder I constructed to help me climb out of the abyss that was the result of my own father’s death when I was nine years old. My humble wish is that the story is able to give others hope—that my legwork can, in its own small way, give some perspective on this thing death. I suppose the whole enterprise amounts to being a one man ministry of sorts. Anyway, I hope the novel is received as I want it to be received.

Please give us the first page of the book.

There had been far worse chasms of despair throughout the history of the world—more gripping, suffocating, more inexplicably woeful—but Spring-baby Westbay couldn’t imagine any such chasm because she had fallen into one of her very own. It could hardly have been helped. She was only twelve, and her dad had been dying for so long in Spring-baby’s tiny memory that when he finally did pass away, miles from home and rebuke in a hospital for veterans in Richmond, Virginia, the gravity of no more-ness weighed upon the girl with such sudden potency that sorrow had become the sole stuff of her limited existence.

Sorrow bullied her, kept her wilted, sober. Sorrow had come with a phone call from her grandfather on a brilliant day in June when school had just let out for the summer.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.jmichaeldew.com

or

http://www.amazon.com/Gadly-Plain-J-Michael-Dew/dp/098189299X

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

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

Gadly Plain : A Novel - Amazon
Gadly Plain: A Novel - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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

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

Giulia Goes to War (Legacy of Honor, Book 1) - Joan Leotta - One Free Ebook

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

All of my main female characters have elements of my own personality—my better traits—and the best of my daughter and mother as well. As a trio we are formidable!

Giulia left home (as I did) but I married another Italian-American. Totally accidental.

Part of Giulia's character and story are based on the real life experience of a friend from closer to that era who left home and then defied her parents by marrying a non-Italian-American. She looks like the woman I describe as Giulia and the scene where John lifts Giulia up off the train to kiss her is taken from their real story. (With her permission.)

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Hard to answer since I am often doing quirky things. I don’t believe in following the crowd or trying to lead it. I simply follow my own path. A lot of times this leads me into fun activities, like writing poems, giving one-person plays for the other kids while I was in grade school, going down to see candidate John F Kennedy as he drove into Pittsburgh.

When did you first discover that you were a writer “write” stories with crayon squiggles on paper and “read” them to my parents.

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

I'm an omnivore when it comes to reading—pretty much. I read mystery, light romance (no sex,please), YA, picture books, biography, serious history, poetry, some science fiction. I like long novels, action adventure, short stories, humor, novellas, and short shorts.

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

A morning meditation time with Bible reading and a long walk.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I think about it a long time and often look for names that are the same or similar to names of people I admire, and of friends. “Bad guy” names I take from imagination and hope they aren’t the same as that of any real person.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Being a mom.

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

Lion. I love lions. Svelte, sleek Mommy lion protecting her brood and lounging about with her hubby lion—hmmmm, maybe not so far off from my reality now that hubby is retired.

What is your favorite food?

No hesitation here--pasta!!!!! Especially rigatoni in marinara sauce, simple but delectable. Use the finest grade pasta you can afford and 6-in-1 tomatoes.

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

Energy and procrastination. Deadline helps and exercise and self discipline

Tell us about the featured book?

It's a coming of age tale and a story of someone learning to be independent in an era when woman were not respected for their intelligence and ability.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Giulia Goes to War

Chapter One

Avocatown, PA

Anna Maria DeBartolo shook her graying head as she marched up and down in the small space in front of the kitchen sink. “I am a loyal American. We have a Victory Garden. I send my cans to the surplus drive.” With the wooden spoon she held in her hand, she gestured toward the front of the house and the dining room window facing Main Street and continued, “I have two blue stars in the window—both of your brothers are serving or did you forget, Giulia? We are with the war effort so you working here, in your Papa's store, is helping the war effort."

With each word, Mama's voice got louder and louder, almost drowning out the music signaling the ending moments of the “Stella Dallas” radio program. Giulia, her daughter, ran a hand over her own dark hair. She hoped no one was walking past the house. Whenever Mama shouted, Giulia worried the neighbors would hear her through the open windows. A light breeze ruffled the kitchen curtains, but did nothing to cool down her mother. Giulia tried to keep her own voice calm, even, and respectful as she answered. She wanted to be rational and build a good case for leaving Avocatown to work for the war effort in Pittsburgh or Washington, DC.

“Mama, I don’t do anything that really matters at the store. Nothing I do is anything you and Papa couldn’t do without me. They need people in the offices and factories in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Most of my high school friends, almost the entire class of 1942 left right after graduation and I could live with some of them in either city.”

“No! E una disgrazia!”

As soon as her mother switched completely to Italian, Giulia knew that her logical

argument had not worked. When Mama got really upset, her voice became more and more heavily accented, as well as louder. At the peak of stubborn insistence, Mama switched entirely from English to her native Italian. Papa was the same way, although his fuse was shorter, so his timeline from hot and heavily accented English to full Italian was much quicker. “Mama, it is not a disgrace to live with other girls in Washington or Pittsburgh if I am living there to help the war effort. Besides, I would only live with girls whose parents you know.”

Mama shook her head violently from side to side. “Non, Non, Non! E una disgrazia per

forza.”

Giulia's heart sank. A disgrace in and of itself. Mama simply did not believe it was

possible for a young girl to live alone and still be a “good girl.” Good girls lived with their mother and father until they were married, war or no war. Giulia fought back tears. She picked four plates out of the drying rack on the side of the sink and carried them into the dining room. She laid them down to set the table for dinner. She knew it was not possible to continue a conversation with Mama about this until Mama had calmed down.

On subjects like this, new American ways of doing things, Papa was usually the difficult

one. Mama liked the increased freedoms of life in America and was much more on the

American side of most issues than Giulia's father. So, the Mama-first method of discussion usually worked quite well as a way for Giulia to convince her parents to allow her to do something not old-world endorsed. Mama would agree and then Mama would convince Papa to do whatever it was the American way instead of, the way we always did it in Italy. Mama was usually able to make him see how doing things the American way would not make him less Italian.

Giulia smiled, recalling how this Mama-first strategy got Papa to agree to allow Giulia to

attend her first high school dance. At first, both of her parents had refused permission. Ralph, the boy who had invited her, was an “Americano.” Neither parent liked the idea of her going with anyone as a date.

Mama said, “We really think it is better for you to go with a group of girls to the dance or

even with some boys and girls in a group of friends.”

While they washed and dried the dinner dishes one night, Giulia had put the "Mama-first" strategy into action. She had explained the situation carefully: “It’s the kind of dance where we get together as friends when we are there. Each girl and boy goes separately. Besides, there are not a lot of boys left at school. A lot of them dropped out of high school to go into the service right after Pearl Harbor.”

Mama agreed to the spring dance. Papa also agreed, but a family friend had to escort her. So, Giulia went to the dance with Sal, short for Salvatore, the son of a family friend and a close friend of her brothers. Sal was a year older than she and had graduated from the school the year before. He was tall and dark and good looking, and knew a lot of the same people Giulia knew. In fact, he had been on the football team with Ralph, the tall blonde boy who had asked her out in the first place.

Sal had not gone off to war yet. He had tested as 4-F due to flat feet. As they walked from her house to the school gym for the dance, Sal told her how he had been doing exercises to make his feet less flat. “I roll them every night on a metal bar—my sister’s old baton. My Dad, he knows someone on the draft board and this time I think I will make it. I'm hoping to get into the Marines.”

When they arrived at the dance, several girls in the in group were surprised to see Giulia at all and especially with someone who used to be on the school’s football team. Sal was careful to act the part of a concerned date, someone who knew her well, not someone forced to go to this one dance with the little sister of a friend. Sal listened thoughtfully when she told him about how, after graduation, she wanted to go with her friends to Pittsburgh or Washington and work for the war effort. Later, when the Americano boy, Ralph, came up and asked if he could swing her around the floor once or twice, Sal winked at her and said, “You can give her a twirl or two around the floor, but she goes home with me.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Facebook:

Joan Leotta Author and Story Performer
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Leotta-Author-and-Story-Performer/188479350973

Blog/website:

www.JoanLeotta.wordpress.com  

They can also find me as a speaker in the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

And on the voices in the Glen Website as a performer

Google my name and I will appear!

Thank you, Joan, for sharing this new ebook with us.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Legacy of Honor Book One: Guilia Goes to War

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.

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PRINCESS EVER AFTER - Rachel Hauck - One Free Book, Plus Much More

Bio: Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as RITA nominated The Wedding Dress and RITA nominated Love Starts with Elle, part of the Lowcountry series, the Nashvegas series and the Songbird Novels penned with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Their novel Softly and Tenderly, was one of Booklists 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, she worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in an uncomfortable chair to write full time in 2004. Rachel serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and leads worship at their annual conference. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

The best stories show ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and Rachel Hauck has captured that very essence in her new novel, Princess Ever After. The second book in the Royal Wedding series tells the story of an ordinary girl who finds out she’s a princess, a revelation that changes the life she’s created for herself.

Like many of us, Hauck is enamored with the idea of royalty, and while she hopes readers are entertained and drawn to the modern fairytale of Princess Ever After, she has a deeper desire for this book and the entire series. “I pray readers find hope and encouragement,” she says. “Most of us are not going to discover we are long-lost princes or princesses in this life, but we are most sincerely princes and princesses in His kingdom. Right now! Let’s live like it and love as our King loves.”

Welcome back, Rachel. In Princess Ever After, your heroine, Regina, is happy with the life she’s created for herself. When God intervenes, she feels unprepared, yet He’s provided all she needs. How have you seen God’s direction and provisions in your own life?

I’m the anti-Regina. After I graduated from college, I realized I’d never be happy unless I was sold out to the Lord, so I told Him I was 100% available. It’s a surrender I’ve never, ever regretted. I know me. I like too many things in life to feel confident in committing to any one career. I was terrified I’d marry the wrong man. But like Regina, I had parents and mentors who encouraged me in my teen years and helped me choose a good path.

It’s not uncommon for our past mistakes to alter our life’s course. What would you say to those who feel their past mistakes hinder them from moving on?

Get over it. Can I say that? In love? Seriously, if we don’t allow ourselves to be defined by our success—meaning we give all glory to the Lord—then we can’t allow ourselves to be defined by our failure. Give that to Him, too. If you really believe in God’s forgiveness and love, there’s no point in stagnating in past mistakes. Believe that God can and will heal your heart and move on.

The trick in letting go of past mistakes is Romans 12:1. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We have to surrender our emotions and thoughts to the Lord. In doing that, we will approve of His will. Good, acceptable and perfect.

Do you think God views us differently or withholds his blessings because of the mistakes we’ve made?

Truth? No. If that were the case He’d never be able to bless us. We quantify sin. He does not. To Him, a lie or lustful thought is the same as a “bigger sin” like adultery. The consequences vary, but sin is sin. The difference is the condition of our hearts. If we have a “yes” in our heart to Him, repenting of our sin, His grace is sufficient. But if we have a “no” in our heart toward Him and continue in sin without repentance, I think we can move outside His blessing.

In reality, we have no idea of His heart toward the rebellious. Isaiah 55:8 is a familiar verse, “. . . my ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts.” But go back a verse. God is talking about the rebellious. “You don’t know my thoughts toward them,” I think God is saying. God is love and mercy. But He’s also judgment and wrath. It’s a divine paradox. We cannot build a “rule” on how He blesses us.

Your leading man must overcome a fear of failure. Is that a fear you have faced yourself, or have you conquered another fear? How were you able to overcome your fear?

I’ve dealt a lot with fear and anxiety. After college I was hit with small panic attacks and anxiety. I had to travel for my job, and boarding an airplane, which I did all the time, kept me awake the night before. The idea of being trapped on a plane made me claustrophobic. But I leaned into the Word, into the Lord, and never ever let my fears win. I got on the plane anyway. And I made it. Even enjoyed the 15 hours from LA to Sydney.

I overcame by believing what God said about me instead of my fears. I devoted my heart and mind to the Word and prayer. I did the Romans 12:1-2 thing. I just didn’t see where the Lord had called me to walk a life of anxiety and fear. He and I had a lot of conversations about it. I’m here to report prayer and the Word work! You just have to stay in the battle. Recently I’ve had “joy attacks” where I felt His presence in a tangible, joyful way. I need more of those!

One important theme in Princess Ever After is obedience. Why is obedience important for healing and restoration, and how can you know you’re actually doing what God has asked you to do?

Obedience is better than sacrifice. We know Him by reading His Word. When Regina found the fairytale her great grandmother had written to her, Tanner said, “This is your Gram speaking to you in this book. Hear what she’s saying!” God is speaking to us through His Son, through the Holy Spirit and through His written Word. We have to believe He loves us enough to show us His will.

Obedience is required because our human hearts are too weak to do good on our own. Obedience actually trains us to know Him. In our weakness, we choose to hate people who wrong us. But God says forgive. If we obey, we reap the benefits of His blessing! And I love in John 10:27 where Jesus assures us, “My sheep hear my voice.”

In many ways, becoming too comfortable can be one of our greatest difficulties to truly fulfilling our purpose. How did that familiarity come into play in this story, and why was it important for your characters to be pushed out of their comfort zones?
I’m pushed out of my comfort zone with each book! Stories are about imperfect people doing extraordinary things. That’s exactly what an author has to do: harness our weakness, overcome and write a good book.

For characters in fiction, there is no story if characters are not challenged and pushed to the limit. I write with the idea that my stories are about people dealing with a wound-lie-fear that must be confronted. In the end, they come to truth. Most of the time people do not willingly confront their wounds and fears. It’s my job to set up a situation that drives them to face those fears—and ultimately find peace and happiness.

Your books usually include some kind of symbolism that relates back to the Gospel message. Will readers find that trademark of your writing in Princess Ever After?
Oh yeah, in a couple of places. First, in the fairytale gifted to the heroine by her great grandmother. It’s symbolic of the message God has given us through His written Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us His Word is living and active. It speaks. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Also, Regina sees something in the forest. At first she’s the only one (I can’t say more or I’ll ruin the surprise), but this light is symbolic of the light of the Lord. When we follow the light, we gain insight, revelation and understanding. “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

Once Regina found the Light, she discovered valuable truths that enabled her to accept her divine destiny.

Princess Ever After is the second book in your Royal Weddings series. What is your favorite part about a romance with a royal twist?

Royalty! I found it fun to create the world of a royal. Have a coronation, a ball, servants, and protection officers. Also, to make folks bow and curtsey. Ha! Actually, there were a lot of challenges to creating a believable, modern royal world, but I had a great time giving it a go. With Regina, it was fun to sneak up on a common girl and tell her, “You’re a royal princess.”

What’s the most surprising tidbit you’ve learned about English royalty through your research?
How much space do we have here? One of the biggest things I learned was the relationship between the European royals. The cousins George V, Wilhelm II, and Nicolas II—all descendants of Queen Victoria—were in power at the beginning of World War I, after which only the UK’s George V remained. The royal houses of Europe fell after the first World War, and it changed the face of Europe.

What do you hope readers take away from Princess Ever After?

As always, I hope readers are entertained and drawn into a modern fairytale. But I also pray they find hope and encouragement. Look, most of us are are not going to discover we are long-lost princes or princesses in this life, but we are most sincerely princes and princesses in His kingdom. Right now! Let’s live like it. Love like our King loves.

Both Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After take a look at refocusing on God’s plans rather than our own. Is that a reoccurring theme in all of your writing or an idea specific to the Royal Wedding series?
Good question. I’m not sure if I’m doing it on purpose, but the very idea that two ordinary American women find themselves becoming royalty lends itself to God redirecting our plans. There’s also the underlying theme that when we give our lives to the Lord, we are faced with a royal reality we never knew before. God’s plans were unknown to us before we knew Him. Once we are His, we have the choice to follow His will or our own.

For Regina, once she knew her true identity, she couldn’t go back to her old life.

What can readers look forward to in the third installment of the Royal Wedding series? How are all of the books tied together?

There will be a third book, How To Catch A Prince. It’s Prince Stephen’s story, brother of King Nathaniel, and Corina Del Rey, a Georgia-Florida girl.

Learn more about Rachel Hauck and her books at www.rachelhauck.com or on Facebook (Rachel Hayes Hauck) and Twitter (@RachelHauck). 

Rachel Hauck is celebrating the release of her latest "swoon"-worthy romance,  Princess Ever After, with a fun $200 "Princess" prize package giveaway and a Facebook "Princess" party on March 6th. Grab your tiaras and RSVP today!

  One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card (buy your very own "princess ever after" gown or tanks of gas for your "royal" ride)
• Princess Ever After, Once Upon a Prince, and The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 6th. Winner will be announced at Rachel's "Princess" Facebook Party on March 6th. Connect with Rachel for an evening of "royal" book chat, princess-themed trivia, laughter, prizes, and an exclusive look at the next book in the Royal Wedding series!

So grab your copy of Princess Ever After and join Rachel and friends on the evening of March 6th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 6th!

Thank you, Rachel. for sharing this new book with us. When my copy arrived, it went to the top of my to-be-read pile. I had loved Once Upon a Prince, and I had been anxiously awaiting Princess Ever After. I've always enjoyed reading your books.

Right now, Princess Ever After is my absolute favorite. The story of Regina is fun and believable. My most favorite aspect of the book is the supernatural spiritual aspect. Our God is a supernatural God, and I've met Him a few times in supernatural ways similar to the way Regina did. I was thrilled to see this aspect depicted in the way I know Him.

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

Princess Ever After - Christianbook.com
Princess Ever After (Royal Wedding Series) - Amazon
Princess Ever After (Royal Wedding Series) - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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