A NECESSARY DECEPTION - Laurie Alice Eakes - Free Book - Lady in the Mist

Welcome back to my blog, Laurie Alice. I love your new head shot. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

If I’ve learned one important factor in this career, it’s not to look to the horizon, but to what is before me. As for my work, I have two books and two novellas in collections coming out next year, more books to write, and a few graduate credits to upgrade my MA in writing to an MFA in writing so I can teach.

Tell us a little about your family.

“Little” isn’t a word I can associate with my family. For the immediate group, it is, so far, just my husband and me. I also have several brothers and sisters, all of whom have children and a couple of those have children. We’re a bit scattered around the country from Virginia, to Michigan, to California. It’s a family with a lot of readers in it, especially my parents, so me being a writer is quite natural to everyone.

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

Yes, I find myself rewriting books in my head, rephrasing things differently, and guessing what the next line will be. Because of that, I tend to stay away from books in my genre when I’m writing intensely so I don’t pick up another author’s voice by accident. Mostly I read an opposite genre like contemporary women’s fiction or a thriller. I also read more cozy mysteries than I used to.

What are you working on right now?

I have just finished a novella set in colonial America, and am researching my third midwife book, while editing my second Regency for Revell.

What outside interests do you have?

When I’m on deadline, I forget an outside exist. J Seriously, I love hiking and reading all kinds of stuff, visiting historic sites and watching movies, listening to music, especially live, and talking, especially with my husband.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

With a few exceptions, I choose the setting that fits the story rather than the other way around. The exception is my New Jersey books, since I needed to be state specific with those. But I came up with the concepts for my Regencies before I decided where the books would be set—in England, of course, but not all in the same place.

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

This question forever stumps me. I think and think and can never figure out who it might be. Probably a writer, but not Jane Austen. I think Miss Austen and I would not get along. Probably one of the Victorian poets. Despite preferring earlier history, I love the Victorian poets like Alfred Lord Tennyson and Matthew Arnold.

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

I wish I’d understood about writing for the market. I took “Write what you know” and “Write from the heart” too seriously, then wondered why people said my writing was great and then turned me down. Duh. No one wanted what my heart knows; they want what makes their hearts sing. Once I figured that out, I started selling.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Faith and taking one day at a time. That’s the easy answer. I could write a year of blog posts on everything going on in my life and trying to figure out what God is telling me through it all. So far I’ve worked out that my faith is stronger than I thought.

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

A: Pay attention to what readers say. Seek their input or join fan lists or read Amazon reviews by readers, not writers. As I told a friend recently, just because that is technically historically accurate doesn’t mean modern readers can accept it. We need to compromise a bit so as not to freak them out or turn them off.

B: Have a teachable heart.

C: Stay humble. This is about the Lord’s work, not yours.

Very good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the book jacket information. In addition, I want to share that this book represents the fulfillment of a dream. I wanted to write Regencies for the CBA, but got the response that the CBA wouldn’t buy one. I sold one in the ABA and won an award for it, but wasn’t satisfied

With the launch of this series as my eighth book and second book for Baker/Revell, I have to say that perseverance and being obedient to God’s calling holds numerous rewards. This is one of them.

A Necessary Deception

When young widow Lydia Gale helps a French prisoner obtain parole, she never dreams she will see him again. But just as the London Season gets under way, the man presents himself in her parlor. While she should be focused on getting her headstrong younger sister prepared for her entrée into Society, Lady Gale finds herself preoccupied with the mysterious Frenchman. Is he a spy or a suitor? Can she trust him? Or is she putting herself and her family in danger?

Discover a world of elegance and intrigue, balls and masquerades as Laurie Alice Eakes whisks you into the drawing rooms of London Society on this exciting quest to let the past stay in the past—and let love guide the future.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Dartmoor Prison

Devonshire, England

March 1812

Entrée into the prison proved easy for Lady Lydia Gale. As the stranger at her cottage door had assured her when he arrived at dawn to inform her of a certain Frenchman’s presence as an enemy “guest” of England, a few shillings exchanging hands had placed her in the guard house. She held a handkerchief sprinkled with the honey-citrus aroma of linden blossom oil beneath her nose against the prison stench, awaiting the arrival of Chef de Batallon Christophe Arnaud.

Her cousin and companion, Barbara Bainbridge, stood beside her, her lips set, her hands twisting in the folds of a cloak soaked with the rain that had begun the moment they reached the walls of Dartmoor Prison. “We’re going to contract a chill or worse.”

“We’ll be in Plymouth with hot tea and fires sooner than you think.” Lydia raised her other hand to finger the pearl and ruby bracelet that had scarcely left her wrist in the three years since Monsieur Arnaud’s messenger had appeared on her doorstep at dawn, carrying her husband’s last letter and gift that were somehow smuggled out of French-occupied Spain. Even with it resting between the edge of her kid glove and the sleeve of her pelisse, the bracelet’s coldness of metal and stones chilled her skin. “Since he’s a major in the French Army, helping him is simple.”

And her chance to be a good wife, even if she was now a widow.

“If it will cost us money, you know you don’t have any to spare.”

“I’ll manage something, if he needs money.”

That too she had worked out on the journey from her cottage in Tavistock to Dartmoor Prison. Barbara would object, but Lydia thought no price too high if it helped her to accomplish something, to succeed at fulfilling a promise—at last.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can find me at my Web Site www.lauriealiceeakes.com

Or my blog: www.lauriealiceeakes.blogspot.com

Or on Facebook. I’m the only Laurie Alice Eakes on FB.

Thank you, Laurie Alice, for the fun interview.

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

Necessary Deception, A: A Novel (The Daughters of Bainbridge House)

Laurie Alice is giving away a free copy of Lady in the Mist on this interview, not the featured book.



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

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

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

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

FREEZING POINT - Elizabeth Goddard - Free Book

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

I write Christian romance and romantic suspense because that’s what I enjoy reading. Plus I hope my books will over a sense of hope and redemption.

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

You mean besides graduating, getting married, having children, too? After all that happiest day was when I heard from JoAnn Simmons that she was buying my first book!

And I remember that time as well since we were in the series together. How has being published changed your life?

I measure life in book deadlines now, rather than birthdays and holidays.

What are you reading right now?

The Queen, by Steven James, and The Bone House by Stephen Lawhead.

What is your current work in progress?

I have two current works in progress. I’m working on my last Redwood Coast story, Hearts in the Mist for Heartsong Presents, as well as Extreme Maneuvers, my second Love Inspired Suspense.

What would be your dream vacation?

Yellowstone National Park is one of my favorite places, but if I were to dream of going somewhere that isn’t as easy to get to, I’d love to visit Italy.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

The setting is usually something that grabs me and I know it’s a good idea, or someplace I’d like to be myself.

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

I think last time I answered this interview, I said the Queen of England, didn’t I? I can’t think of anyone else that would fascinate me more at the moment.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love baking artisan breads, stargazing, and hiking in nature.

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

Getting started. I’m staring at a page right now. I overcome it by staring some more, then finally writing a sentence, then a paragraph and then a page. Sometimes I have to go back and rewrite the entire first chapter.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Attend a conference. Network.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the blurb:

Secrets Under The Ice

Casey Wilkes didn’t realize her simple human-interest story would put her life at risk—again. After fleeing her home and journalism job in Portland, she wanted to live under the radar for a while. But when her interviewee starts dodging her questions, her reporter instincts kick in and she finds herself in over her head…

Homeland security agent Jesse Mitchell has been undercover as an ice sculptor for months, trying to infiltrate a smuggling ring. He wants to avoid trouble, and that’s just what Casey brings. Now someone has a target set on Casey. Saving her could blow his cover, but leaving her unprotected endangers him even more—especially his heart.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Beautiful…but dangerous.

Jesse finished shoving the last block of dry ice into the back of the specially designed truck—well insulated, yet ventilated to allow for sublimation—the melting that would give off deadly CO2 gas.

The solid form of carbon dioxide would be used to create the snow effect around the ice sculptures along with fog—a mysterious yet stunning display.

He tugged off the gloves used to protect his hands from ice burns or, worse, frostbite. Because his father was a chef and master ice sculptor, Jesse had learned a few techniques of his own, even entering competitions during his college days.

That's what made him the perfect candidate for this covert operation, and the only reason Robert McCoffey, his superior, had pulled Jesse from the desk job and visits to the psychiatrist and put him back into the action. Working as an undercover agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Jesse had nearly blown his last assignment and thought he'd never get the chance to restore his reputation and career.

But ICE's bulk cash and smuggling division decided Helms Ice and Trucking Company was hot—laundering money for the Mexican cartel—and they wanted someone on the inside.

Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.Elizabethgoddard.com

www.Facebook.com/elizabethGoddardauthor

Thank you, Beth, for stopping by today.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Freezing Point (Love Inspired Suspense)


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

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

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

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

Winners!!!

Linda Kish (CA) is the winner of A Christmas Journey Home by Kathi Macias.
Patricia (TX) is the winner of Autumn Song by Martha Rogers.
Connie Leonard (TX) is the winner of Attracted to Fire by DiAnn Mills.
Scottsgal (IL) is the winner of Long Trail Home by Vickie McDonough.
Tara (PA) is the winner of Book of Dreams by Davis Bunn.
Bluerose (AL) is the winner of Alabama Brides by Sandra Robbins.

If you won a book and you really 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. Send me your mailing address: 
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

ALONG WOODED PATHS - Tricia Goyer - Free Book

Welcome back, Tricia. Do you have a favorite genre to write? If so, what is it?

I love writing historical fiction, of course even though both of my new releases Remembering You and Along Wooded Paths are contemporary stories, they fit with my love of history. Remembering You has a historical tie and Along Wooded Paths is Amish, and somehow writing Amish feels to me as if I'm writing historical!

If you didn’t live in the part of the country where you do, where would you live?

If I could move anywhere it would be to San Diego. I have four sisters who live there and I'd love more time with them!

What foreign country would you like to visit and why?

I've been to the Czech Republic four times and I'd love to go back, but if I had to pick someplace new I'd go to Budapest, Hungary. I hear it's beautiful.

Describe what you think would be the most romantic vacation you could take.

My husband and I in a rental car crossing Europe in the spring. I'd love the freedom to discover little-known historical sites and beautiful vistas together.

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

On the East Coast, maybe in a lighthouse in Maine. I haven't spent much time there and I'd love to.

What is the main theme of this novel?

The main theme of Along Wooded Paths is unexpected friendships in unexpected places. Marianna is a young, Amish woman who is living in West Kootenai, Montana. During her months there she finds herself making friends with many of those in town, including her Englisch neighbors. It's a story of friendship, romance, and also discovering God desires to be our friend, too. Growing up in an Amish community Marianna learned to follow the rules well, but through this story she discovers God is closer than she ever thought.

Tell us about the story.

            Although proud of living apart from the world, Marianna Sommer's newly relocated Amish family is discovering that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together with the Englisch. As Marianna pours her life into helping those around her-and receiving their help-her heart further considers two directions. She's torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a close walk with God like she's never seen before.

Who should have young Marianna's heart? What is God asking of her through ongoing family struggles and this romantic and spiritual tension? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

Please give us the first page of the book.

http://www.triciagoyer.com/cmsdocuments/AlongWoodedPathsSC.pdf

Come to the Along Wooded Paths Facebook Party & Live Author Chat!

Thank you, Tricia, for sharing all this with us.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Along Wooded Paths: A Big Sky Novel


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

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

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

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

A MARRIAGE FOR MEGHAN - Mary Ellis - Free Book

Good morning, Mary. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I love to write about dealing with grief, overcoming past mistakes and most of all, rising above limitations—personal or societal—to achieve your dreams. Nothing can stop us if we have God on our side and refuse to give up.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

An Amish Family Reunion will be released in late January, 2012 from Harvest House Publishers. A talented storyteller and a gifted artist team up to create a children’s book…and discover love along the way, despite more obstacles than any young couple can handle.

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

I suppose it would be Kathryn Stockett. I was so moved by The Help. I would love to pick her brain on how she researched and wrote this book.

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

I would love to sit down with Clara Barton and chat with her. Her pioneer work in nursing during the turbulent Civil War has always fascinated me. She’s been one of my heroines since childhood. I once did a book report on her when I was in the second grade. I still have the book used to make that report. And no, I’m not a hoarder or collector or any kind.

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

I can only tell them not to give up. I submitted my work for several years and tried writing different genres before I finally landed my agent. And then my agent submitted my work for over a year before landing my first contract. One tidbit would be this…I tried to write in genres I didn’t particularly love reading and that didn’t work out so well. Write only what you love to read. And don’t be too quick to throw in the towel.

Tell us about the featured book.

In A Marriage for Meghan, Meghan is eager to prove to her father, the bishop, that she’s mature enough to teach school. But just as she gains confidence, a troubled student challenges her authority and an enthusiastic suitor challenges her patience. How can Meghan outgrow the nickname “little goose” if she can’t stand on her own two feet? When a series of apparent hate crimes sweep through the district, the sheriff calls in the FBI, and Special Agent Thomas Mast arrives carrying a secret he’s hidden for years. Will he come to terms with the past and regain his relationship with God before his career hardened his heart? With more on her plate than one girl can handle, Meghan sets out to help with the investigation. Thomas works closely with the bishop, who hopes the criminals will be arrested before Meghan finds herself in love with the most inappropriate of suitors—an Englischer.

Please give us the first page of the book of: 

Chapter One

the day after Christmas

Meghan Yost gazed out a frosty window on a world rapidly changing from earth brown to pure white.

“If this snow keeps up, nobody will be going anywhere tomorrow,” said her mamm. With her glasses perched at the tip of her nose, Ruth remained intent on finishing her basket of mending before bedtime.

“James heard on the battery radio that the snow should let up by midnight. If I can walk to the Wrights to baby-sit their two little ones, then surely I can reach the schoolhouse. It’s barely a half mile farther.” Meghan rubbed a dry patch in the condensation with her sleeve.

Gideon Yost released a weary sigh, indicative of a hundred-year-old man, rather than a middle-aged husband, father and bishop of their Old Order district. “Stop smearing up that glass and tell me what is so wrong with working for the Wright family.” He closed his well-worn Bible in his lap to concentrate on the matter at hand. “They’re nice enough folks, for Englischers."

“Nothing at all, daed.” Meghan stared out into the growing darkness.

“They pay you well; they give you most Saturdays off and they would never ask you to nanny on the Lord’s Day. Plus they let you snack on all the junk food and soda pop you want.”

Her mother clucked her tongue with disapproval. “I can’t believe you haven’t fattened up like a brood sow, considering the things I see in Jennifer Wright’s shopping cart at the IGA.”

“I eat enough pickled cauliflower and smoked turkey breast at home to offset the sweets eaten over there.” Meghan perched a hand on her still bony hipbone. “I’ve got a ways to go before someone thinks of taking me to the market.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Readers can find me at www.maryeellis.wordpress.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Thank you, Mary, for a glimpse into your life and your new book.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
A Marriage for Meghan (The Wayne County Series)


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

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

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

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

RECLAIMING LILY - Patti Lacy - Free Book Here, Plus Facebook Party

What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

What a GREAT place to start with a Christian author interview! Romans 8:28, God working for good in all things in the lives of those who love Him, who call on His name, lays a foundation for all my works. Inspired by real-life stories, I write about God’s working through women who’ve suffered abandonment, sexual abuse, judgment. Reclaiming Lily, my latest release with Bethany House, explores how God uses the insidious genetically-based PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) as an instrument to heal TWO families.

What books of yours are coming out soon?

The Rhythm of Secrets (Kregel, 2011) and Reclaiming Lily (Bethany House, 2011) are my latest babies. Stay tuned for what God has in store for me by visiting my blog, www.pattilacy.com/blog, or my website, www.pattilacy.com. 

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

Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter. I LOVE Ann’s writing and could “sit at her feet” and soak up her Biblical teaching. Plus she’s funny and has that fabulous Southern drawl. And all Southerners love good food, so it would be one fine dinner!!!

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

Oh, wow! Great timing on this one! HONEST ABE! I’m reading genius Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography, Team of Rivals. Through this Pulitzer Prize winner, God has taught me to use humor as a response to criticism; forgiveness as a response to insult; humility as a response to…EVERYTHING! Of course I’d like to meet every interesting history-maker from Jesus’ apostles to Rosa Parks. Can you imagine a huge dinner party, with table after table of fascinating folks?

That would be a good evening, wouldn’t it? How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

When rejection strikes (a constant for ALL writers, whether your stories live only on your hard drive or actually sag bookstore shelves) I find humor in some of the “well-meaning” “we-don’t-like-your-work” comments. Turning to laughter has transformed my attitude! Then I call a few friends, who holler and denounce every snippy comment and take on my resentment in a wonderful, vicarious way. Finally I let my fingers do the walking to Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Yes, I know I should reverse the order of my process. I am working on it J

Tell us about the featured book.

When a deadly disease strikes the Wang family, Harvard graduate Dr. Kai
Chang must alert Lily, the sister Kai left on orphanage steps years earlier.

Standing in her way is Gloria Powell, a Fort Worth pastor's wife who
distrusts Kai and thinks her entry into Lily's life will send the troubled
seventeen-year-old over the precipice of teenaged angst.

A Texas-sized tornado whirls about the meeting place of the Kai and
the Powells. Tempers and cultures collide. Can Kai, Gloria, and Joy reconcile
their differences, surrender their dreams, and allow God to implement a plan
that provides supernatural, unbelievable joy?

Reclaiming Lily spans seas and secrets to portray the fictional truths of Romans 8:28, God working for good in all things in the lives of those who love Him, who call on His name.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Eastern China, 1990

The van jostled its way to the orphanage. Hunkered beside her pastor husband, Andrew, Gloria Powell craned her neck to gaze out the filmy window. Though she’d read books and studied photos until bleary-eyed, nothing—nothing—had captured this wild land! Waterfalls cascaded velvet hills, yet garbage carpeted the countryside with tin, paper, and plastic. A naked child squatted to pee near a dismembered dog. Bent-backed peasants formed graceful shadows on rice fields

robed in green and silver.

A sigh escaped Gloria. This was a strange land, a magnificent land, the homeland of their baby.

But it sure was a long way from Texas.

The van wheezed to a stop near a crumbling stone wall circling a weathered two-story building. Children streamed from a blistered wooden gate and clustered about Gloria’s van window. A bow-legged toddler pointed at her, as did others with rice-bowl haircuts. A gangly child—he or she?

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Oops! Already answered that one, but would LOVE to do it again! www.pattilacy.com/blog and www.pattilacy.com. Please visit both my author and personal Facebook pages, as I post daily Artbites along with snippets about the seas and secrets that this writer spans.

Thanks for having me over. I loved meeting y’all!

Win a KindleTouch Enter 10/5-10/19. Winner announced at Patti's Facebook Party on 10/20!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Bethany House, are giving away a Reclaiming Lily prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!!

Enter the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new just released KindleTouch with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift cetificate to Amazon.com

But, wait there’s more!


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. Giveaway ends on 10/19! Patti will be announcing the winner of the Reclaiming Lily Giveaway at her Party on Facebook October 20th! She’ll be hosting a book club chat of Reclaiming Lily (it's okay if you haven't read it - you could win a copy!) and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Amazon.com, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on 10/20/11 at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)! RSVP today!

 

In addition to this, you can win a copy of the book on 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.

Or you can order the book using this link: 

Reclaiming Lily

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

FORSAKING ALL OTHERS - Allison Pittman - Free Book

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

I love the act of creating a sort of alternate reality—creating characters who are allowed to live outside of the normal, kind of hum-drum lives most of us live. I like exploding the ordinary bits of a life, taking just a short section of time—a week, a few months, a few years—and exploring the impact.

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

This is going to sound so cheesy, but it was one perfect day at DisneyWorld with my family. Everybody was getting along, it wasn’t too hot, the lines weren’t too long—it was a trip we’d been planning for a couple of years, and it was absolutely perfect.

How has being published changed your life?

For one thing, I quit my full-time teaching job, which has made me so much more available as a wife and mother. That’s the best! Another change is simple the number of people in my life—at all levels. I’ve actually always been not exactly shy, but reserved—perfectly happy with either my own company, or a carefully chosen small circle of friends. Now, I’ve met so many people—some actually in person! It’s an odd thing to me that strangers would want to know me, know about me. I’ve learned to be a lot more open.

What are you reading right now?

On my e-reader, I’m reading The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein. In the car (I’m in a season of road-trips) I’m listening to The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers. My next book-book is Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes Waters. Next up is World War Z, a zombie-apocalypse novel, and Five Women, a 1960’s Rona Jaffe classic. I have a wide range of interests…

What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on the first in a three-book series set in the 1920’s—all three about young women who, in the course of their life, in some way encounter the first mega-church-building female evangelist Aimee Semple McPhereson.

Can't wait to read those stories. We must have them on the blog. What would be your dream vacation?

Seriously…I’m such a simple girl. It would be a full week at Disney World, three days alone with hubby, then fly the kids in. I know there’s an entire actual world out there, so I guess my second choice would be Ireland.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I usually start with a character…then that character’s story…then I have to figure out what would be the most logical place for it to happen. Sometimes, though, the setting is, well, set. Like, I couldn’t write about the early Mormon church without going to Salt Lake City, Utah. And, in my novel The Bridegrooms, I was entranced with the Cleveland Spiders baseball team that simply fell out of history, so I had to go to Cleveland. So, really, sometimes I don’t feel like I have a huge range of options for setting…And when I can’t make something work, I’ll just create a little village on my own! 

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

That’s hard, because too often people are nothing like what you think they would be. But, assuming it’s with my husband’s blessing, I would love to have dinner with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. I just think he’s hilarious, and brilliant.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

This is where I have to confess to watching a lot of TV. Like, a lot. But, quality stuff, with the occasional foray into “America’s Next Top Model.” I lack even the tiniest chromosome for crafts, and so far time and money have been total travel restrictions. But, I am a roller-coaster junkie, so we do that a lot as a family.

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

Procrastination, insane optimism, the lure of the new idea, the overestimation of my abilities, the hours in a day—wait, just one? It’s always poor planning, meaning, poor scheduling of my time, and poorly sticking to the schedule I set for myself. I’ve yet to overcome it, but I’m quick to recognize God’s grace as He throws me a rope every time a deadline comes around the corner!

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Get a degree in marketing. J Seriously, writing a book is such a small percentage of living the career of a writer. On the writing side, though, I’d say to study, really study, the craft, with the attitude that you have a lot to learn, because we ALL do!

Tell us about the featured book.

Forsaking All Others is the highly-anticipated (and I have the emails to prove it) sequel to For Time and Eternity. Camilla Fox, the heroine in both books, is a woman caught up in the early Mormon church through her whirl-wind marriage to the handsome Nathan Fox. In the first book, we see Nathan bring a second wife into their home, and Camilla’s determination to free herself from that church’s grip. She only begins her journey in the final chapters of For Time and Eternity. In Forsaking All Others, we see her bring it to completion, though not exactly in the way that she envisioned.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is www.allisonpittman.com, and I also have an author page on facebook.


Thank you, Allison, for sharing with us today.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.  Forsaking All Others (Sister Wife)


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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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WHEN LOVE GETS IN THE WAY - Janelle Mowery - Free Book

So good to have you back, Janelle. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? 

I’ve written about trust, hope, God’s grace, and the way we judge others. I guess I write about the spiritual issues I’ve struggled with in the past…and I guess at times can still wrestle with.

What other books of yours are coming out soon? 

The final book of this Colorado Runaway series, When Two Hearts Meet, has also released this month. Then after my last mystery, Inn Plain Sight, releases in December, I have no other books coming out, but I do have several proposals out that are being considered.

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

I think it would be fun to spend some time with the oldest man or woman alive so I could ask questions about their life, get their story and thoughts about what history was really like.

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

I guess the first person on my list would be Corrie ten Boom. I’ve admired her since I was a young girl. She went through so many struggles and still maintained her faith.

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

Don’t look at rejections as failures but a chance to learn more. You want your readers to enjoy your stories and if the publishers see a need for more work and growth, take the time to find your weakness and make it stronger. Never give up. Even the multi-published authors can learn and must continually work on improvement.

Tell us about the featured book. 

When Love Gets in the Way was such a fun book to write. Grace was such an accident-prone character, but she wasn’t the only one affected by her clumsiness. Poor Cade spent most of his time ducking and wanting to run, but he couldn’t seem to pull himself away from spending time with the awkward heroine. But I think my favorite part of the story is when she finally learns the true meaning of grace and sacrifices her freedom for the sake of those she loves.

Please give us the first page of the book. 

Her mama once said that men thought with their hands long before the reaction reached their brain. Now, with this scowling fellow pointing a gun at her, Grace Bradley had to agree with the voice of wisdom.

He cocked his pistol. “Show yourself. And no sudden moves. I ain’t afraid to shoot.”

How on earth was she going to talk her way out of this one? Maybe hiding under the tarp tied of Cade Ramsey’s wagon wasn’t one of the brightest things she’d ever done, but desperation forced extreme measures.

Truth be told, it was his own fault she’d been discovered. He was the one who’d managed to hit every stinkin’ hole in the road. Each bump jarred her bones into an unmerciful meeting with the lumber stacked in his wagon bed. The last jolt forced a loud gasp from her, and her final shred of hope for freedom had vanished with the click of the gun hammer.

“I said show yourself or I’ll shoot.”

“Hold your horses. I’m coming out.” Hair draped over her face, and she puffed it away from her mouth. “Put that gun away before you hurt someone.”

How can readers find you on the Internet? 

They can learn more on my website at www.janellemowery.com and also on Facebook.


Thank you, Janelle, for visiting with us today.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
When Love Gets in the Way (Colorado Runaway Series)


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

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

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

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

ONCE UPON A THANKSGIVING - Winnie Griggs - Free Book

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

I’ve just completed work on an historical set in 1850s Boston about an Irish immigrant who has come here to escape the potato famine. I’m now working on a proposal I’m hoping my editor will like that will kick off a four book series about four individuals who survive a single disaster and shows how their lives were changed by the event.

Tell us a little about your family.

Well, let’s see. I’ve married for 35 years to my college sweetheart who happens to be a cattle rancher. We have four adult children, one married, one engaged to be married and a pair of adventurous twins who enjoy travel and giving their mother gray hairs! Our extended family is quite large - I have four siblings and my husband has five - and our family gatherings are both boisterous and fun.

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

Deadlines have played havoc with my “free time.” I’m afraid I don’t read quite as voraciously as I used to. Where I used to consume at least one book a week, often more, I’m now lucky to get in a book a month.

What are you working on right now?

I just got the revision letter for my June 2012 book so I’m busy trying to get that put to bed. This is a Love Inspired Historical continuity book, which is series of connected books each penned by a different author. Mine is the third of three and the thread that ties the books together is that each book follows one of three sisters that immigrate from Ireland to America in 1850.

What outside interests do you have?

I enjoy cooking, and I also like to go to estate sales.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I was born and raised in SE Louisiana (near New Orleans) but have spent the last 30 or so years in NW Louisiana (near the Texas and Arkansas borders). Those are two very different worlds and I draw from both of them when I’m writing. When I’m working on historicals, my favorite setting is East Texas, which has a similar feel to the place I live now.  When I’m working with contemporaries I like to pick locations in south and south-central Louisiana.

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

Hmmm, that’s a tough question, one I haven’t ever given much thought to. I guess, just off the top of my head it would have to be Thomas Edison. He’s always fascinated me, just because he was responsible for so much change in the way we interact with the world around us.

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

How much is involved in being a writer besides just the process of penning our stories. From the development of art fact sheets and front matter, to the polishing and editing, to the marketing and promo, there is just a lot of other “stuff” that takes a writer’s time and attention.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

The value of patience. One of the hardest things for me to do is to just be still and listen for His guiding word. Time and again I’ve tried to wrest control from Him, to my detriment.

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

·         Write. Write every day. Write even when you don’t feel like it.

·         When you’ve finished a work, to the point that it’s been critiqued and polished, send it out into the world, then immediately start something new.  

·         Work on identifying your own voice and then be true to it. While you want to give careful consideration to critiques you receive, make certain that in your eagerness to implement suggested changes you don’t lose what makes the story and the writing uniquely your own.

Tell us about the featured book.

Home For Thanksgiving is the story of two people who have been badly hurt in the past, but who are handling that hurt in very different ways. Griff Lassiter has closed himself off from any more “emotional entanglements,” preferring to make his way alone rather than risk further hurt. Ruby Ann Tuggle, on the other hand, has opened herself up to the possibility of a brighter future and is actively looking for the silver lining in her life. When their paths cross, these two seemingly opposite people must learn how to work together and draw on each other’s strengths.

Please give us the first page of the book.

It was now or never.

Ruby Tuggle had been sitting in the hotel lobby when Mr. Lassiter returned from whatever business he’d been conducting. She’d watched him climb the stairs to his room, looking as though he’d had a rough day, and then come back down thirty minutes later, cleaner but still tired looking.

From her seat in the secluded corner of the lobby she’d had a clear view into the hotel dining room. Watching his profile as he ate his meal, she’d tried to get some sense of the man himself.

She’d memorized the way his dark hair tried to curl around his ears, the way it just barely touched his collar in the back and the slight impression of where his hat had rested. She’d watched the way he politely interacted with Mrs. Dowd when she’d brought out his food, and how he’d kept to himself otherwise.

And the more she studied him, the more solid her gut feeling grew. No doubt about it, he was a good man, and God had put him in her path to help her.

Just now he’d set his cutlery down, sat back and reached for his glass, a sure sign that he was nearly finished with his meal. Soon he would get up and return to his room. If she didn’t gather her courage to speak to him now, she likely wouldn’t get another chance.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from readers! My website is www.winniegriggs.com and I’m currently the only Winnie Griggs on facebook so drop by there and friend me as well.


Thank you, Winnie, for visiting with us again.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
 Once Upon a Thanksgiving: Season of Bounty\Home for Thanksgiving (Love Inspired Historical)

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

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

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

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

Winners!!! Winners!!! Winners!!!

Some of the people who leave comments aren't in the drawing because they don't follow the instructions at the bottom of each interview post. 

Angela and Allie (KY) is the winner of Love Finds You on Christmas Morning by Debby Mayne and Trish Perry.
Kristie (OH) is the winner of Oxygen by Randy Ingermanson and John Olson.
Melissa Jagears (KS) is the winner of Highland Sanctuary by Jennifer Hudson Taylor.
MaggieC. (NC) is the winner of The Runaway Pastor's Wife by Diane Moody.
Joyce (TN) is the winner of Maggie's Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley.
Marianne (Alberta) is the winner of The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell.

If you won a book and you really 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. Send me your mailing address: 
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.