Welcome back, Alice.
What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? The easiest
thing to say would be that faith in God and His faith in us runs through all my
books. Some of the characters are more fervent, while others are lukewarm or
search. Honestly, I can’t really pinpoint anything that would truly answer your
question. I don’t actually think along those lines as I write—just let the
story and characters carry me through.
What other books of yours are coming out soon? Though
there are many I WANT to do—sequels to Hiding from Christmas and The Wedding
Barter, as well as a third in the Bouncing Grandma Mystery series—nothing is
actually scheduled to come out any time soon. I’ve been struggling to write
this year, but not because of the pandemic. Family health issues took priority
for several months, and it’s taken me some time to get back into the swing of
things. I’m trying to complete a book that God placed on my heart years
ago—about spousal abuse—and am hoping and praying this is the year it will be
finished. Something very different from what I usually write.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary
person (not a family member), who would it be and why? Um, that’s a tough one—especially
with this pandemic keeping me away from my family... It would have to be one of
the first responders on the front lines—doesn’t matter who or what part they’ve
played in the fight against the pandemic, as each and every one of them are
vitally important. I would love to sit with one of these brave men and women
and thank them for all they’ve done, give them the chance to just BE. No
rushing around, no worrying about anything for an evening. A complete and total
break away from what they’ve been going through. You know, to offer them
comfort and respite as they have given it to so many.
What historical person would you like to meet (besides
Jesus) and why? I’ve always been fascinated by stories of the Underground
Railroad, so I’d have to choose Harriet Tubman as my person from history. She
embodies a faith in God, bravery, and determination that you can’t help but
admire and want to learn more about. And, getting the opportunity to hear it
directly from her instead of through historical records would be incredible.
The people she helped called her Moses—that, in and of itself, speaks volumes.
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving
only rejections from publishers? When I finally determined that I was going
to reach for my dream of becoming an author, it started with learning all I
could through books like Writer’s Digest and many, many of the books they
offered through their book club. I went over and over the instructions for
submissions to various agents and editors, tried my best to choose carefully,
and then crafted the best cover letter, synopsis, and whatever else requested
that I could. Still, I ended up with enough rejection letters to paper the
walls—and probably the ceilings—in the 1008 sq. ft. house where I lived. But, I
didn’t give up. It hurt, was sometimes demoralizing, and made me question what I
was doing. Yet in amongst all these thoughts was the one thing that kept me
going—I felt deep in my soul that this was the direction God wanted me to go.
And in those quiet times when those negative voices were stilled, I heard
“Never, ever give up.” All this to say that if you believe this is what God
wants for you, then you keep working, keep trying and continue to learn. And,
listen to His voice.
Tell us about the featured book. Murder,
Mysteries, & Romance in Tarryton, Missouri is a four-book boxed set
which contains the full-length books that take place in the fictional Missouri town of Tarryton.
The books include The Case of the Bouncing Grandma, The Case of the
Mystified M.D. (both cozy mysteries from the Bouncing Grandma Mystery
Series), The Wedding Barter (a romance with a twist), and Hiding From
Christmas (a fun, light romance). The following is the back cover copy of
each book:
THE CASE OF THE
BOUNCING GRANDMA
WAS THERE REALLY A
FOOT DANGLING OUT OF THAT CARPET?
Fifty-two year old Glory Harper is
stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, bored, and itching for some
excitement. She doesn’t expect it to come in the form of a foot dangling out
the back of a carpet as it’s carried into her new neighbor’s house. But Glory’s
past “run-ins” with the police makes her latest report more difficult to
believe. And, just when she thinks someone’s taking her seriously, Glory
realizes Detective Rick Spencer, a Harrison Ford look-alike, appears more
interested in her than in her story.
Despite little to no support from family and
police, Glory is determined to solve the mystery—racking up laughs for the
reader along the way!
THE CASE OF THE BOUNCING GRANDMA
was a 2009 Finalist in American Christian Fiction’s Carol Awards in the mystery
category.
THE CASE OF THE
MYSTIFIED M.D.
FIRST A FOOT, NOW
A HAND—WHAT BODY PART IS NEXT?
When her puppy finds a severed hand
on a walking trail, it’s obvious to “Bouncing Grandma” Glory Harper that the
signet ring belongs to the missing college professor who caused a lot of
trouble around town before his disappearance. Despite warnings from her
boyfriend, Detective Rick Spencer, to stay out of the investigation, her
insatiable desire to solve the mystery of his murder finds her in over her head
with a community filled with secrets, blackmail, and arson.
With her sister otherwise engaged, Glory
latches onto an unlikely partner and soon feels as though she’s stepped into an
episode of the Twilight Zone—where
nothing is as it appears, and danger lurks around every corner . . .
THE CASE OF THE MYSTIFIED M.D. was
the 2010 winner of American Christian Fiction’s Carol Awards in the mystery
category.
THE WEDDING BARTER
NO WEDDING
BUDGET? NOT A PROBLEM FOR THESE DETERMINED FRIENDS!
While Amy Lawton awaits her
discharge from the Army, she’s left her best friend Riley in charge of
arranging “a very small, intimate ceremony with no fanfare” for her and her fiancé.
But this childhood friend has something else in mind... she just doesn’t know
if it will work.
After presenting her “wedding
barter” idea to the groom, his conditional agreement is dependent on whether
his best man, Mike Todd agrees to the strange proposal. And, getting the giant
of a man on board seems next to impossible. Todd is threatening, overbearing,
doesn’t like Riley or her ideas, and gives her an ultimatum: Produce results in
three weeks or he takes over.
Todd might be tough, but Riley’s determined
to not only succeed in throwing Amy the wedding of her dreams, but to prove
Todd wrong. . . about everything.
HIDING FROM
CHRISTMAS
No matter how hard she tries,
Maddie Kelley can’t seem to fit in at Ornamental, a company founded by her
great grandfather and his best friend. Now, after yet another screw-up, she’s
been sent into the “enemy’s” camp—two hours away from home for the next two
months.
A punishment or a blessing?
Her life is turned upside down
when the mundane turns unexpected, and she finally discovers where her heart
truly lies.
This is the fourth novel set in
the fictional Missouri
community of Tarryton. Come visit old friends and make some new ones!
Please give us the first page of the book (text only). Since
there are four books involved in this set, instead of the first page of one,
I’m giving you a little slice of each.
The Case of the Bouncing Grandma:
Confined to a wheelchair and bored
out of my mind, I found watching the neighbors move in at the end of our
cul-de-sac more entertaining than anything on TV. But the storm front that
settled over us early this morning managed to take away even this questionable
diversion.
Other than the mysterious man with
a limp hanging around the moving van in the middle of a downpour early on,
things were pretty dull.
Once
it stopped raining, I expected the action to pick up, but it didn’t. Even the
people who flocked to dead end streets for the sheer joy of driving around the
circle at the top stayed away. Several hours had passed since I witnessed any
real activity, and what I did observe seemed, well, a little odd.
The Case of the Mystified M.D.:
Thursday,
August 11
I inhaled and almost choked from
the heat as it seared my throat and lungs. The air was more than humid, it
actually fit the meteorologist’s most recent terminology of juicy. The deep
blue of the late afternoon sky was so hazy it seemed a bit out of focus. Or
maybe that was just the sweat pouring down my forehead.
As I turned toward the sound of a
tractor in the nearby field, an enormous horsefly dive-bombed, landing smack between
my eyes. Batting at it only seemed to make it angrier. The more I tried to
dodge its attempt to take out one of my eyes, the more determined it was to
harass me.
All the activity increased the
excitement of the puppy at my side. Misty took my strange gyrations to
discourage the ardent bug as a new form of play and began barking. But it was
her jumping around and tugging on the leash that nearly landed me on the
asphalt walkway.
The Wedding Barter:
“You have to look at this!” I passed the pages I’d printed to Natalie,
indicating she should give the extra one to Hannah, who’d already begun
munching on a crunchy breadstick—one of Marcello’s specialties.
“Wha’s this?” Hannah spoke around
the food in her mouth. A trim finger, with hot pink nail polish, covered her
lips—probably to keep crumbs from falling out.
“It’s obviously important, Han, or
she wouldn’t have asked us to read it.” Nat flounced in her chair, or would
have if she’d been wearing anything other than jeans. She just naturally had
that attitude—all super girly girl. There was nothing pretentious about her,
never had been. Just because she was always “put together,” even when covered
with dirt, some people believed she was not only stuck up but stuck on herself.
Quite the reverse was true; Nat was an introvert on steroids—unless she knew
you well.
Hiding From Christmas:
“You can run, but you can’t hide!”
My co-worker’s voice bellowed. “I know you’re back here, Maddie.”
Holly Denton lumbered past me,
intent on searching the storage closet on the opposite side of the hallway. All
the huffing and puffing should have made me feel guilty. I was, after
all, the cause of the extra effort she expended.
I should feel guilty but
didn’t. Did that make me a bad person? I hoped not.
Besides, I wasn’t hiding. Long
before Holly became the official—in her mind—holiday queen of Ornamental, I’d
created this secret little nook in the copy supply room. No one knew about it
but me... and Daddy. He’d helped set up the false “wall,” brought in a comfy
chair, a reading lamp, and an assortment of books. Of course, that had been a
long time ago when I’d needed a place to hang out after school. He would never
have guessed I’d still be using it fifteen years later when I was supposed to
be working. If he was alive, he’d know right where to look.
But if he were, I’m certain I’d no
longer need a secret hideaway.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
FIND MY BOOKS: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-K-Arenz/e/B004DTBXL4
Follow me BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alice-k-arenz
Follow me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3408650.Alice_K_Arenz
Thank you so much, Lena,
for this opportunity. God Bless you and all your readers!
And thank you, Alice
for sharing this collection with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read all
the stories.
Readers,
here are links to the book.
https://amzn.to/367w9O7
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