PERSIAN BETRAYAL - Terry Brennan - One Free Book

 

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

The type of action/adventure/suspense books that I write are the same kind of books I read as a kid and continue to read up until this day. I can’t remember if my love for the genre started with the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I think the Fu Manchu series of adventures by Sax Rohmer preceded Sherlock. Today I eagerly await the next Joel Rosenberg thriller, and I’ve come to love the Charles Lennox detective mystery series by Charles Finch. He spins a great feel for Victorian London. 

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

Boy, this is tough. Different kinds of happy, eh? I was filled with awe at the birth of my children. I was struck by the immensity of God’s favor the day I married Andrea (and, honestly, that joy continues to grow each day, now 40 years later). And I pulled off the Interstate, turned into an empty parking lot and literally danced around our car the day my agent called and said, “Hello, mister author,” for the very first time. 

Yes, that is a wonderful feeling. How has being published changed your life?

I never thought I’d be this busy at 73. 

It’s been 15 years since I started writing the first novel and writing has continued to drive my days even now that I’m “retired.” I’ve been successful enough that I keep writing books and keep having them published, but not so much that I’m on TV or slogging through multiple city book-signing tours (but I wouldn’t turn one down). Andrea and I live in a small house on a cul de sac, seven minutes from two of our grandchildren. The life of a published author is quiet, but busy. My days are filled to overflowing – sometimes with anxiety when I’m stuck or up against a looming deadline. Sometimes with tending a large vegetable garden and multiple beds of flowers. Busy … but I’m blessed. 

What are you reading right now?

For the last several years I’ve belonged to a book club with a bunch of guys I’ve known for a couple of decades. We just finished The Power of One, an older book about the rise of apartheid in South Africa, and we have just started A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff, a fellow Kregel author. At the same time, I’m now reading We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels on my own and just finished The Martian by Andy Weir. Waiting on hold is The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (her Station Eleven book was awesome!). 

I’ve featured, Andrew’s books on my blog, too. What is your current work in progress?

The Empires of Armageddon series is complete (we’re currently doing last edits on Book 3, Ottoman Dominion, that comes out in November), so I took a bit of a break and I’m now onto a number of different projects. I’ve “finished” a non-fiction book, Rescuing the Hidden Hearts of Men, that I continue to find needs polishing and improving to move forward. I’ve also resurrected two books – Hunger’s Ransom and Jacob’s Portion – that I wrote years ago. I believe I’ve become a much better author since I completed those manuscripts and it’s clear both of those books need a good bit of work. But they are both solid stories, so I’m trying to breathe life into them and make them viable. And I’m nurturing the seed of an idea that may be called The Crimes of Lough Neagh. 

What would be your dream vacation?

Two stops. As much for Andrea as for me – back to Jerusalem for a couple of weeks just to soak up the animate presence in that amazing city, then a couple of weeks return to Paris. Preferably in the mid-Fall season, after the tourists and before the cold rains. Jerusalem breakfast in one of the myriad pastry shops that dot the city; lazy lunch in a Paris sidewalk bistro and then a languid stroll through the flower market on Ile de Cite in the shadow of the wounded cathedral of Notre Dame. 

Sounds wonderful! How do you choose your settings for each book?

Mostly, I try to write a lot about what I know. My six books thus far have all been set, ultimately, in the Middle East. The Jerusalem Prophecies series is rooted, at the start, in New York City (where we lived for 10 years) before heading to Jerusalem and The Empires of Armageddon series is launched from the Washington DC area (where I once worked and we’ve visited regularly) before landing in Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Amman, and Ankara. Since my books are often tagged “end-times-thrillers” it’s understandable that a great deal of the stories play out on the stage of Israel and the rest of the Middle East. 

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

These questions are killers. I think, Henry Kissinger … though, since he’s 97, the meeting should be scheduled soon. Former US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor in the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, he’s also a decorated veteran of WWII. Imagine the perspective Kissinger has on Watergate and the Nixon White House. 

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Gardening. I have an over 400 square foot vegetable garden, surrounded by a metal fence called “hardware cloth” to keep the field mice and chipmunks from eating all the harvest. I grow the standards – tomatoes, green peppers, green beans, zucchini, along with strawberries, beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, garlic, cucumbers, and three different kinds of herbs and a peach tree. Andrea and I also love flowers, so we’ve surrounded our home with color. I have three perennial beds – one 40-feet long – and annuals growing front, back, and sides of the house – and in front of the utility shed. It takes work! But it’s one way I get my exercise. 

And that sounds beautiful. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Organization. There are two kinds of writers – architects and gardeners. Guess what kind I am. Plant the seed, water it, let the sun shine on it, watch it grow, and see what happens. And usually I start a book with one idea and a vague expectation of the destination. The book grows, too. So I get lost a lot. Boxed into corners. Too much research. Whole sections (some very good) with no home. Editors asking me questions like, “Well, what is his motivation? Why would he do that?” Huh? He’s got to … it’s part of the action. 

But I’ve gotten better. Because of the world-wide stage upon which my books play out, over a significant number of time zones, the significant number of characters, and the rapid shifts in action from one locale to another, keeping the scenes in the correct order was a challenge. 

For each book, I created an Excel spreadsheet “Outline/Timeline” for myself that tracked the “date/time stamp” for each scene. I also included the “date/time stamp” in the book with each change of scene to help orient the reader. Each line of the spreadsheet also included a short, descriptive sentence about the content of each scene. That way, if I needed to move scenes in the book, I also moved the scenes on the spreadsheet to make sure the “date/time stamps” were correctly aligned. 

This Excel spread sheet was a God-send and really helped me remain organized in so many ways. 

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Try tennis. 

Okay, never mind. Writers gotta write. That’s what we do. 

The “key to success” in writing is not in a book, not in a seminar – though those are great resources and can be extremely helpful. The key to becoming an author is to diligently sit in front of your computer and write. Books and seminars are great for honing your craft, discovering how to become more adept as a writer. But the success is in the actual writing. In being disciplined enough to keep going back to the computer screen. It’s putting in the work, sharpening and focusing – and editing – until what you can’t get any better. 

So enjoy the writing and the creating of stories for what it is - exercising the gift God gave you. 

We are storytellers, an ancient and cherished profession. We remember and honor the past, spin tales of the possibilities of the future and entertain in the present. Not a bad way to spend a day. 

So, keep at it. Never give up. Write all the stories in your heart and all the words God gives you. And celebrate the gift. 

Tell us about the featured book.

Three ancient empires are rushing toward a collision in the volatile Middle East; an official high in the US State Department is conspiring with a foreign power against the US President; a centuries-old prophecy is unveiled that herald’s Christ’s imminent return; and malevolent created eternal beings – fallen angels – are determined to invalidate Biblical prophecy so they can manufacture a different ending to the Bible … reverse the outcome of the battle of Armageddon. 

In Ishmael Covenant, the first book of the Empires of Armageddon series, Diplomatic Security Service agent Brian Mullaney is banished to Israel to protect new US Ambassador Joseph Atticus Cleveland. Mullaney and the ambassador are thrust into the cauldron of Middle East conflict, both political, spiritual, and personal. They come into possession of an ancient, lethal metal box that supposedly holds a second prophecy that could threaten both the nascent peace treaty between Israel and all its Arab neighbors – the Ishmael Covenant – and also reveal the insidious plot of their evil enemies. Mullaney finds himself fighting for the life of the ambassador and his daughter, fighting for his own crippled marriage, and fighting a spiritual battle, for which he is unprepared, against the agents of evil who are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy, and the Middle East as we know it.  

The story in Persian Betrayal commences exactly where Ishmael Covenant ends, with the destruction of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem by agents of the Turk, who is still trying to destroy the prophecy of the Vilna Gaon and the lethal metal box that protects it. Mullaney finds himself propelled into the midst of a spiritual battle that is manifested in the physical realm: the Turk’s Disciples leave death and destruction in their wake as they attack the US Embassy and the Ambassador’s Residence in Tel Aviv at the same time, but fail to secure the box of power; Ambassador Cleveland goes AWOL – without his security detail – to confront Turkish President Emet Kashani about the rumors of a Turkish attempt to steal the nuclear weapons at the Incirlik Air Base; and Mullaney is enlisted by an eight-foot angel to become the Final Guardian of the Gaon’s lethal box. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Hurva Square, Jerusalem, Israel

July 20, 2014, 1:14 p.m.

Rabbi Chaim Yavod raced into Jerusalem’s Hurva Square, choking on the thick, swirling stone dust that encased the square in a malevolent fog. He leaped over huge shards of fractured stone and concrete—white, arched remnants of the Hurva Synagogue’s once magnificent dome. A symphony of horror filled the square nearly as thick as the stone dust—moans of the wounded and maimed; wails of survivors as they stumbled over the bodies of those who were not; shrill and urgent sirens promising help but not prevention.

Only moments earlier he had been sent to fetch Rabbi Herzog’s car. Then, in a mounding tide of rumbling destruction, the world that Chaim Yavod knew best was obliterated. 

The convulsions of the first explosion ripped the door of the black Toyota out of Yavod’s hand and knocked him back onto the uneven surface of the small parking lot. The ground shifting under his shoulder blades, Yavod felt three additional explosions shudder the stones of the street. He looked up, above the rooftops toward the north. What looked like a volcanic eruption of smoke, stone, and debris was roiling ever higher over the square that contained the Hurva Synagogue—outside of the Western Wall, the most revered symbol of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. 

Now Yavod frantically scrambled through the destruction in the Hurva Square toward the smoking, shattered remains of the synagogue. The sickening fear tearing at his heart pushed aside any concern about delivering the envelope inside his jacket pocket—the decoded second prophecy from the Vilna Gaon. Israel Herzog, chief rabbi of the Israeli Rabbinate Council, his friend and superior, was probably somewhere under the collapsed dome and crumbled walls of what had once been Israel’s most beautiful synagogue. Was Herzog alive . . . any other members of the council who were with him? Could he save them? Yavod pressed on through the escalating havoc. 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website:  https://www.terrybrennanauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.brennan.5201

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/terrbrennan1 

Readers, here are links to the book. 

https://www.christianbook.com/persian-betrayal-2-terry-brennan/9780825445316/

https://amzn.to/3ip1nVF - Amazon Paperback

https://amzn.to/2Cjcznm - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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!!!

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LET HIM GO - LuAnn K Edwards - One Free Book

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

I enjoy reading many genres, but Christian romance remains my favorite. My current series, Love Comes Again, focuses on falling in love for the second time as both my heroine and hero have suffered the death of a spouse. Whether you fall in love once, twice, or more, each one is a unique experience. And when you fall in love with the Lord, that beats them all. 

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

My wedding day is number one. My husband and I married forty-five years ago, and the love we had then has grown much deeper. He’s my inspiration and my encouragement. 

How has being published changed your life?

Being published fulfilled a dream I’ve carried for many years, but I don’t feel different or accomplished. My goal is to honor God with my writing, point others to Him, and share faith and hope. 

What are you reading right now?

A recent novella that I enjoyed was Love Accepted, by Pamela Ferguson. This is a story about family reconciliation and rekindled love. I’m also reading Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. 

What is your current work in progress?

Book 3 in my Love Comes Again series is in the editing stage. I hope for an early fall release date. The current work I’m writing is a second chance at love novella. The hero and heroine meet up once again to give their relationship another try. 

What would be your dream vacation?

I love Hawaii. My husband and I have been there three times—three different islands. This past May, we planned to visit our fourth island, but Covid interrupted that dream. Another place I’d love to travel is the Mediterranean—specifically Greece and Italy. 

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My series takes place in Nashville, Tennessee, where I lived for several years and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I now live. Two of my children still live in Tennessee, so I call them from time to time and ask them location questions for those things where my memory fails me and when I can’t locate the info on the web. 

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

Not one, but seven. Because I live 1200 miles away from my two oldest children, their spouses, and three grandchildren, I would like to spend an evening with all of them at the same time. We’ve lost two trips to Tennessee because of Covid. I miss my family. 

I can imagine. James and I are blessed that all our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren live in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where live. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love to hike trails through the woods and along lakes, rivers, streams, and waterfalls. I enjoy taking pictures of the animals I encounter on those walks and the beautiful scenery. Other hobbies include traveling, crocheting, and jigsaw puzzles. I also enjoy baking and make bread most weeks. 

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

I’ll share two. A lot of talking going on when I’m writing distracts me. Soft music is okay, but I prefer quiet. I move outside on my back patio if the talking persists and if the weather’s nice. 

Another difficulty is sharing my completed manuscript with others—beta readers, writing coach, and ultimately with my publisher. Every time I read my work, I make changes, so I struggle in knowing when it’s ready for someone else to read. I felt exposed when I sent my first book to my beta readers. What if they laugh at me? That gets easier with each book, so I keep pushing forward.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

My advice for a beginning author is to attend writers’ conferences, join a writers’ critique group (you may need to start one like I did), and hire a writing coach. I’ve grown through each of these avenues. Learning is ongoing. Never stop. 

Tell us about the featured book.

Book 2—Let Him Go released in early June. Keedryn wishes to pursue a deeper friendship with Blake but insists on taking things slow. After a romantic evening, trouble erupts at the office when rumors fly, and a new policy goes into effect that could destroy their budding romance. She’s falling for him, but his non-existent relationship with the Lord causes her concern. When a voice pounds in her head to let him go, their newfound love may not survive. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Mid-November

Nashville, Tennessee

Blake Conner stood inside our office suite and near my desk when I arrived on Monday morning—our first day back in the office after a business trip together. A lovely mixed bouquet in a clear glass vase sat on my desk. 

“They’re beautiful.” I bent to smell them, straightened, and whispered. “Should you have sent these to me here? I thought we were going to keep our new friendship quiet?” 

He frowned. “They’re not from me. They were on your desk when I arrived.” He sounded frustrated. “I’d give you roses.” He crossed his arms. “Maybe they’re from Wes. I’ve expected as much.” 

I stepped over to our office suite door and closed it. “Wes is not your concern. I worked with him in the IT Department, and now we eat lunch together on occasion. That’s all.” Blake accused me of spending too much time with Wes in the past. I resented him bringing the topic up yet again. I shook my head. “Leave him out of this. They’re not from him.” 

Blake’s eyes narrowed. “How many other admirers do you have?” 

I responded in an irritated tone. “Perhaps I should open the card to find out.” 

I grabbed the note from its holder and read to myself. “Keedryn, would you agree to double with Jenny and her husband?” At the bottom, the man included his cell number. 

Careful not to react in front of Blake, I showed no emotion and said, “They’re from a man my daughter knows from her church.” 

Blake took a step closer, his tone filled with displeasure. “You dating him?” 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

To learn more about my Love Comes Again book series, please check out my website at www.luannkedwards.com. 

If you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you!

Website’s contact page: https://www.luannkedwards.com/take-action

Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/luannkedwards

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuAnnKEdwards1

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/luann-k-edwards

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/luannkedwards 

Thank you, LuAnn, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m sure most of them will want to read it. 

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/31ERMU3 - Paperback

https://amzn.to/2DC0mdQ - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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

IN HIGH COTTON - Ane Mulligan - One Free Book

Dear Readers, this is release day for In High Cotton. I’m thrilled to help promote it. I finished reading it this morning. It's a book that's hard to put down. I kept saying to myself, “Just one more page.” Then, “Just one more chapter.” Ane’s characters leapt from the pages right into my heart. And the storyline kept my heart racing. Drama, suspense, and romance filled every chapter. And the spiritual thread woven through brought hope in the face of hardships. I know every reader will be rooting for the characters as they face seemingly insurmountable odds.

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

He has indeed. On the horizon I see two more books in my Georgia Magnolias series. This book is In High Cotton, followed by On Sugar Hill, which releases June 2021. Then I’m working on By the Sweet Gum, which will be the third in this series. I’m finding I love writing during the Depression era.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not caused too much difference for me, except I’m not able to produce the plays at our community theatre. We’re hoping to get back in November. So I’ve found more time to write and it’s made a difference in my writing. For that, if nothing else, I’m finding blessings in the quarantine.

I’ve seen a lot of good things happening during this time, too. Tell us a little about your family.

We have three children. The eldest two are my stepchildren, whom I love as my own. The third is Chef Greg. That should tell you a lot right there. My hubby is an artist, and he designs all the sets for our theatre. We live in Sugar Hill, Georgia, with a rascally Rottweiler, who is from the Smores line of Rottweilers. His father is the grand champion marshmallow.

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

Yes, definitely. I used to be able to read nearly everything my hands picked up. Now, studying the craft for so many years has made my inner editor very strong. Now, I stick to women’s fiction and historical.

What are you working on right now?

By the Sweet Gum is my current project. It’s placed in 1932 in a cotton mill town in central Georgia. My research is eye-opening. I had a plan in place, but my research revealed what I had for my main character’s family wouldn’t work. A major change was needed. When I made the changes, it opened a world of conflict for my characters. Sweet! A writer’s dream.

What outside interests do you have?

Community theatre. When I was a three-year-old, my parents took me to see Peter Pan onstage, with Mary Martin. I caught a fever that day, and I’ve never recovered. Stage fever. Now, I don’t act as much but I direct a lot. I’m also the managing director for the troupe. We’re a non-profit and it’s like running a business. I have greasepaint in my veins.

That passion works well with writing novels, and my writing has made me a better director. I find I can draw out characters qualities form my actors, using the same methods I do with my book characters.

Since I share the drama background with you, I totally understand. My books are better because of directing plays. How do you choose your settings for each book?

All my books take place in Georgia. There is one exception, When the Bough Breaks, which takes place in New York and Georgia.

Depending on the story, I find an area to place a fictional town or use Sugar Hill as my setting. The story will dictate the setting, and since all mine are Southern-fried, well ... Georgia is the best place for them!

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

Anne Boleyn. She fascinates me. Her story is a sad one. The court of Henry the VIII was ruthless. I think Henry truly loved her, as much as he was able, but he needed a son. And she paid the price for having a daughter.

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

That’s not an easy question. I’ve loved every minute of this crazy writing world. I guess it would have to be knowing more about marketing.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Enjoy each day. I’m a true extrovert. I’m energized by being around people, but writing is a singular job. And without having my writing buddies to meet with, or my theatre pals to physically be with, it’s been hard. But God is showing up and He’s great creative company!

I’m like you, and that is so true. He’s been adding more depth into the book I’m writing right now. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Grow a thick skin. Understand critiques are of the work, not the writer.

Don’t be afraid of the delete key. You can create another sentence as beautiful as that one. With this goes: only God’s words are sacred.

Enjoy the journey. Don’t be in such a hurry that you miss the friends you meet along the way ... like you, Lena.

We do have a wonderful history, don’t we? Tell us about the featured book.

It’s about five strong women, who come together and use their wisdom and wiles to try to win against prejudice and greed. But it’s Southern-fried, so there is heartwarming humor sprinkled throughout. Here’s the back cover copy:

Southern women may look as delicate as flowers, but there’s iron in their veins.

While the rest of the world has been roaring through the 1920s, times are hardscrabble in rural South Georgia. Widow Maggie Parker is barely surviving while raising her young son alone. Then as banks begin to fail, her father-in-law threatens to take her son and sell off her livelihood—the grocery store her husband left her. Can five Southern women band together, using their wisdom and wiles to stop him and survive the Great Depression?

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

Sadie always says, "Southern women may seem as delicate as flowers, but we've got iron in our veins." And I believe her. After all, she's living proof—a lone Cherokee rose, whose thorns protect her better than any man could. Though older than my mama, she stepped into the role of friend the day I arrived in Rivers End as a new bride, and then later as mentor on the day my husband died.

I long to be like her, but figuring out how to work around the prejudice against women working is the pickle. Sadie says she overcame it by pure meanness and tenacity, and that I need more vinegar.

I thought it was iron.

She says I have the iron, I just need to pump some into my spine.

Now, in my own defense, I've done a respectable job raising Barry, my eight-year-old son, on my own while keeping Parker's Grocery afloat. Don't ask Big Jim for his opinion, though. My late husband's daddy is pigheaded when it comes to women working.

"Mama?" Barry pulls on my sleeve. "Can we buy these?" He bounces on his toes, his nutmeg eyes pleading with me over a pair of black high-topped, canvas athletic shoes.

I tousle his golden-brown curls, so much like mine, and pick up the price tag to consider. They're on sale, marked down from a $1.39, but the ten cents saved won't be enough. The grocery's bottom line hangs on a precarious black edge, teetering way too close to red for comfort.

I stroke his smooth cheek. "I'm sorry, sugar, you'll have to make do with the tennis oxfords for now. Look." I hold the tag for him to see. "They cost half of those, and with you growing so fast, they're all I can afford right now."

He nods and squares his small shoulders. "Okay, Mama. The oxfords lace up quicker, anyhow." My sweet boy puts the high tops back on the shelf and carries the canvas oxfords to Miss Ida Claire.

While she measures his foot, I wander over to the front of Mobley's Dry Goods and a display of aprons. I pick through them, looking for one with a little personality in a cheery yellow or bright red. In these dark financial times, a bit of color helps—lifts a gal's spirits like a new lipstick.

A train-whistle blows and the wheels rumble on the tracks, vibrating the wooden floor. My heart skips a beat. Someday, I'm going to be on one of those, going somewhere. I turn to see if Barry heard it. He has and darts to the window. Anything to do with trains or airplanes draws him like a fly to butter.

"That's the ten-ten, Mama. Right on time." He peers past a set of fingerprints that are eye level with the dolls. I can't help but wonder if the little girl's mother felt like I do and stared at the dolls, knowing she couldn't afford one for her little girl's birthday.

"Is Miss Ida Claire finished with you, son?"

"Yes, ma'am. She's got 'em at the register."

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: www.anemulligan.com, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Thank you for letting me meet your readers, Lena!

And thank you for sharing this wonderful book with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here are links to the book.

In High Cotton - Paperback
In High Cotton - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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!!

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A NURSE FOR JACOB - Caryl McAdoo - One Free Book

Welcome back, Caryl.

Thank you so much for having me back, Lena! I love coming to visit with you!

You have a lot of books out now. What is your favorite setting to use in your books?

Yes, ma’am! At the end of 2020, I’ll have fifty-six titles published. Since 2015, I’ve averaged seven new titles a year. That’s a lot when you’re doing all the negotiating for covers, formatting, publishing and marketing by yourself . The only thing I have help with is, of course, the writing since Ron and I write together.

As for my favorite settings. That’s got to be Texas. Even my June 2020 release, KENTUCKY BRIDE, my heroine meets and falls for a Texas Ranger fighting for the Confederacy! I’m a true blue, loyal Texan by heart even though I was born in California.  

My Texas Romances Family Saga is set in Clarksville, seat of Red River County where we live now. This area is so ripe with history; it lent itself as a wonderful setting. And we know the land so well. That series has ten full-length novels and six Texas Companion Books of those families’ ancestors and descendants.

My characters travel and some even move to both coasts—San Francisco and New York. Some even went to Alaska, but Texas is always home.

There’s about to be five titles so far in my new Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga where each of the novels has Texas in its title. Those families came to Texas in 1840 from Tennessee. They’ve done some traveling, too.

A NURSE FOR JACOB, we randomly set in New Orleans and the Touro Infirmary or Hospital now. 

What do you look for when you’re shopping for a book to buy for yourself?

I must admit, writing seven titles a year leaves little time for reading, but God is slowing me down. He keeps having me remove things from my plate. The only blog I have left is my own at my website which I haven’t written for in a long time.

Many of my author friends send me their books for endorsements, but if the stories don’t hook me right away, I don’t finish them. When one does, I can’t put it down and get so far behind! I cannot remember the last time I went shopping for a book. I truly hate saying that.

I do understand. With my newest 3-book contract, I don’t have many other activities. Give us a little tour of the setting for this book.

The book opens when Lydia Andres, freshly graduated from the Harrows

School of Nursing, arrives at Touro Infirmary to begin her career. Ron and I have been to New Orleans once, and I don’t suppose we will ever go back. But it has been a setting where many of our characters go.

This is the first time a whole story—albeit quite short, the shortest we’ve written—is set there, but we don’t mention the seedy parts. Lydia meets her doctor and they start out being friends, going to the theatre and working together in New Orleans.

It's short because the authors who organized the collection set the lengths of the stories. When you sign up for a collection, you should adhere to the guidelines the leaders of that collection set. I prefer writing a long book.    

What other books do you have coming out soon?

On September first, I’m quite excited to release TEXAS TROUBLES, book five in the Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga I mentioned earlier and, it’s also in the third annual Thanksgiving Books and Blessings Collection which as you know, I organize each year. I was blessed for you to be a part of it the first year with ESTHER’S TEMPTATION!

TEXAS TROUBLES covers the Civil War period. What an oxymoron to call that war civil in any world. It actually opens in the summer of 1860 before the war started with a true incident of Texas history called Texas Troubles. Several towns burned on the same day: Dallas, Denton, and Pilot Point. Negro slaves were blamed and hung. Many say it was the beginning of the war.

The two young scallywag boys—if memory serves they were five and six in 1840, characters of GONE TO TEXAS, book one of the Cross Timbers series. Now they have grown into men, and they’re off to fight in the craziness—on opposite sides. It’s an epic story with two romances in its pages that is available on Pre-order nowhere:  https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Troubles-Timbers-Thanksgiving-Blessings-ebook/dp/B08DJ7YKS8
           

Please give us a glimpse inside your home.

Ron and I built a metal home on 34 acres I call The Peaceable. We still had the four grandsons when we moved in July of 2013. There’s two bedrooms and two baths downstairs and four cubicles upstairs, one for each boy. The last one left in 2017, so at age 67, we became empty nesters!

We didn’t put central heat and air in the house. So now, we only cool one room unless company comes—our bedroom. It has both our computer desks, a comfy TV watching, nap chair for Ron, a fireplace, and our queen-sized bed. This is where all the writing is done unless we’re traveling.

Here’s a photo taken from the living room door into our room. I sit at the big armoire desk in the far corner, Ron’s desk is on the wall to the right. 

We pretty much stay in there unless we’re eating or outside working in the yard. We eat in the dining room where I painted some fun woods with a deer, a couple of squirrels and a mama bird with a nest full of hungry mouths.

I’m trying to carve a yard out in the middle of The Peaceable’s woods. Ron wasn’t onboard at first. He liked the no-work “natural” look, but I kept working at it until finally, he agreed it was looking better and better and is helping me now.

After all, didn’t God first say to tend the garden? 
  

Is this novel part of a series or a stand-alone book?

A NURSE FOR JACOB, for me, is a standalone story. It doesn’t have any of my other books’ characters in it. Even though I love doing that. It is a part of a multi-author collection, “Nursing the Heart” in which all the stories are standalone from each other. The connection is that all the nurses have just graduated in the same class at the fictitious Harrow’s School of Nursing.

Tell us about the story.

The jacket copy goes like this: Physician heal thyself.
While physical wounds heal with time, a special balm is needed to heal those sick of soul. In the Civil War aftermath, two such people’s paths cross.

Recent graduate of the Harrow School of Nursing first class in May 1868,

Lydia Andrews arrives at the Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, hired on Clara Barton’s endorsement. There she meets Doctor Jacob Johnston, and both soon learn that love is the salve to soothe wounded souls.

Lydia had gone with her aunt and mother to get men off the battlefield near their home. They did what was needed in the field then got the men back to their house where they nursed them. One she nursed, she fell in love with, but he went back to war and was killed.

That and the joy of helping those wounded caused her to love nursing and submit to the school for admittance.

Please give us the first page of the book.

New Orleans, May 4, 1868

Lydia admired the two-story building from the corner of Gaienne and Old Levee Streets, strode up the walk, then stopped at the Infirmary’s front door and adjusted her cap. She smoothed her apron, ready to open the portal to her new life. The attendant at the admissions desk eyed her a bit too hard, then stood.

“May I help you, Miss?” The old lady’s tone implied she hated surprises and had a strong desire to know it all. Perhaps she loved order above all else.

Hopefully, a smile would soften her.

“Yes, ma’am. Might you please direct me to the matron? I’m Nurse Lydia Andrews from the Harrow School of Nursing, graduation class of 1868, reporting for duty, ma’am.” She almost started to salute, but instead, just smiled.

The woman didn’t seem amused or impressed.

“I believe the matron is expecting me, ma’am. She’s discussed me coming with Miss Clara Barton herself.”

A feminine wailing came from down the hall to the woman’s right and drowned out her response. The lady shot a furtive glance in that direction then looked back. “Uh . . .”

Another scream, that one louder than the first and even more painful sounding, caused Lydia to take a step toward the commotion.

“Ma’am? Is someone with her? Should I go see?”

The receptionist shrugged. “She’s been like that for a while now. Doctor Johnston should be here any minute. I’ve already sent word upstairs.”

“I see. Thank you.” Lydia did a quick sidestep. “I’ll just go take a peek and see if perhaps I may be of assistance.”

Another scream threatened to pierce the air asunder. She picked up her pace then burst into the exam room. The extremely pregnant woman lay on the table, her husband holding her hand. He appeared as though he might pass out any minute himself.

Lydia grabbed a stool, plopped down at the table’s foot, and threw the sheet back. The baby’s head had presented. Another contraction hit. The lady pushed, screaming again, but not as loud that time. The baby’s head didn’t move.

It took the poor woman three more contractions with Lydia helping to get the baby out. She cleaned the child’s mouth then swatted the little one’s bottom, being rewarded with a nice, healthy, albeit plenty angry, cry. As precious as anything could ever be, the newborn boy had been through quite the ordeal himself! And he wasn’t one little bit happy about it.

  

She laid him on his mama’s belly, tied off and cut the cord, then readied to receive the placenta. The afterbirth looked complete, but she saved it in case the doctor wanted to examine it. Another woman came in, took a quick look and ran out again. In mere minutes, she returned with water and towels.

It didn’t take long to realize the new mother was bleeding too much. The baby’s head had torn open a six-inch gash in the birth canal.  Lydia’s eyes searched those of the woman.

“Where’s Doctor James?”

The other lady, maybe twice her age, only shrugged. “I’m sorry, I have no idea. Two hours ago, he was in surgery. Two gamblers got into it, and he was working on the loser. Haven’t seen him since then.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I wouldn’t imagine that would be any hill for a stepper! I’m all over the internet! I have author’s pages at Amazon, Simon and Schuster, BookBub, All Author, Book Gorilla, and Southern Writers Magazine! Plus, I participate in all the social media sites! Here are those links and others!

Author Pages:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Caryl-McAdoo/e/B00E963CFG

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caryl-mcadoo?follow=true  

Simon & Schuster - http://tinyurl.com/S-SCarylsPage

BookGorilla - http://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00E963CFG/caryl-mcadoo
Southern Writers Magazine - http://authors.southernwritersmagazine.com/caryl-mcadoo.html

Sweet Americana Sweethearts – http://bit.ly/2q0tcfFbit.ly     

Website: http://www.CarylMcAdoo.com    

Newsletter: http://carylmcadoo.com/sign-up-to-the-caryler/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_1hQx6UZbWi3OYwmKKxh6Q  

                            (Hear Caryl sing her New Songs!)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CarylMcAdoo.author

Blogs: 
The Word & the Music http://carylmcadoo.com/blog/

GoodReads:  http://tinyurl.com/GoodReadsCaryl

Google+: http://tinyurl.com/CarylsGooglePlus

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryl-mcadoo-00562323

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CarylMcAdoo

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/CarylMcAdoo

Puzzle: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=01cec718487b

Thank you again for inviting me, Lena! Blessings to you and James!

And thank you, Caryl, for sharing this new book with us. I know my blog readers are as anxious as I am to find out what happens next.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://amzn.to/3fbguA5

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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

THE GENTLEMAN SPY - Erica Vetsch - One Free Book Here plus more

Welcome back, Erica. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

The Gentleman Spy is the second book in the Serendipity and Secrets Series, and the idea came because I so enjoyed writing about Marcus Haverly in the first book. He was mysterious, helpful, knowing, and intriguing. He’s a spy for the Crown, a newly-minted duke, and a man in need of a wife. I knew I wanted to get to know him better and give him his own story.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

This is such a tough question. I have so many writer friends! I just know I will exclude someone…I do have some friends who are always up for a writer-dinner, so I’ll say Susan May Warren, Gabrielle Meyer, Ruth Logan Herne, Andrew Huff, Missy Tippens, and Katie Ganshert. (And a whole lot more who are welcome!)

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I have even more friends who write historical fiction! I find it so difficult to choose…I’ll go with Mary Connealy, Julie Klassen, Michelle Griep, Jan Drexler, Vickie McDonough, and Amanda Barratt. That would be a historical fiction writer’s PARTY!

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

At the moment, it’s a bit of pandemic fatigue and struggling to concentrate! With all that was/is going on in the world, I’ve felt a bit of anxiety and lack of focus. It’s getting better, Praise the Lord, but it has been a grind this year so far.

I so understand. Tell us about the featured book.

The Gentleman Spy is book two of three in the Serendipity and Secrets series. Here’s a bit of information from the back cover:

He only wanted a duchess for a day—but she’s determined to make it a marriage for life

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower. After all, she’s meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life—as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She’s determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society—the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she’d remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

Please give us the first page of the book.

He supposed that someday he would have to forgive the child for being a girl.

Marcus Haverly took one look at the squirming pink bundle in the nurse’s arms and sighed, the weight of the world threatening to push him into the ornate rug beneath his Hessians. He set down the book he’d been reading, his appetite for the written word evaporating as reality set in.

His mother dragged into the study, her shoulders slumped, her hands lax.

Who was more disappointed? He would hate to have to live on the difference. He rose, put his hands into the pockets of his breeches, and went to stand before the window, staring out into the night. Frost rimed the edges of the panes, and in the distance, black trees lifted skeletal arms toward the moon.

“How is Cilla?” he asked.

“The accoucheur has just gone. He says everything went well but that she needs rest.” Mother’s voice sounded as if she spoke from the bottom of a pit. “I can’t bear it. A girl.”

Marcus glanced over his shoulder in time to see her sink into a chair, the very picture of despair. The poor woman. All her hopes dashed in a split second.

Readers, there’s a wonderful giveaway for the release of this new book. To enter, click on any of these links:

https://www.audrajennings.com/2020/07/win-copy-of-gentleman-spy.html   
https://www.ericavetsch.com/giveaway.html
https://promosimple.com/ps/10029/the-gentleman-spy

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have a website at www.ericavetsch.com and am on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ (Where I spend way too much time!)

Don’t we all? Thank you, Erica, for sharing this new book with me and my blog readers. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here are links to the book.
The Gentleman Spy - Christianbook.com
The Gentleman Spy (Serendipity & Secrets) - Amazon paperback
The Gentleman Spy (Serendipity & Secrets Book 2)  - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (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 Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, 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