PLAY ME BACK HOME IN TEXAS - Connie Lewis Leonard - One Free Book

Welcome back, Connie. What are some of the spiritual themes you write about?

All of my books contain the message of redemption. I didn’t set a goal to write about redemption, but it happened every time. Perhaps that is because, as a teacher and pastor’s wife, I have known many people who have been beat up by life and wounded by church people. These people need to know that God loves them always and forever. No matter where they are, what they’ve done, or what has been done to them, Christ is calling them to Him. Another recurring theme in my books is hope. As long as there is life, there is hope for things to be better. For Christians, our greatest hope is the promise of eternal life.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

The next book is the fourth in my In Texas series. It’s titled Hidden Away Somewhere in Texas. I try to publish one book a year, but sometimes life gets in the way. I spent over two years on my first novel, Big C, little c. I had begun writing it, and did some major revisions while going through Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman Course. I’ve had the basic story idea of Hidden Away floating around in my head for about thirty years. Hopefully it will be available before the end of 2020.

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

I would love to meet Franklin Graham and listen to him. He is a godly man who is aware of worldly issues. I would love to participate in one of his humanitarian mission trips.

What historical person would you like to meet and why?

Annie Oakley was my hero when I was growing up. She was an amazing little lady. She overcame adversity and worked hard to help provide for her family. She was humble and made all her own costumes. She generously donated so underprivileged children would have more opportunities than she had. She achieved great success in a man’s world, while still preserving her femininity.

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

Stay true to your calling. If writing is a calling from God, then keep writing. If you have a story to tell, write it and share it. I knew I wanted to write from the time I was in the eighth grade. I always knew I would write someday—someday when the kids were grown, someday when I retired. A potentially terminal cancer diagnosis showed me the reality that someday may never come. I started writing, going to workshops and conferences, and pitching my work. I kept hearing, “This is good, but . . .” I was discouraged, but God spoke to my heart while attending an outdoor concert. It was like He said, “Look at these people. They are not rich and famous, but they are talented. They enjoy sharing their talents, and the audience enjoys listening to them.” So I decided to Indie publish Big C, little c. I am not rich and famous, but I love what I’m doing. I haven’t even tried to publish my In Texas books with a traditional publisher. It’s rewarding to have people tell me how much they loved my book and can’t wait for the next one.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here’s the back cover blurb.

What if the things you left behind are better than you remembered,

better than you ever imagined?

Thirty years ago LeAnn Kane left the dust and dirt of West Texas behind, vowing never to return. After a successful career with the Chicago Symphony, now she’s running back home—running for her life. While hiding from a murderer, the last person she expects to see is her high school sweetheart, her first and only love. His laughter sounds better than any melody she could play on her violin. His smile, as smooth as butter on hot cornbread, melts her insides, tempting her to stay in Texas. But her life is in Chicago—or is it?

 Donald Howard worked hard to rise above the back-breaking work of the oil fields. The sought-after success hasn’t brought happiness or fulfillment. His failed marriage to a Houston socialite didn’t help, either. Seeing LeAnn again brings back the raw emotion of his first love, his innocent love, his trusting love, full of fantasies and hopes. After thirty years of telling himself he hated her, his heart betrays him. Or maybe he has betrayed his heart all these years. She’s dead set on returning to Chicago. He’s going with her—even if it kills him.

Young love first love, too young then to know what they had. If they survive the dangers of December, can their love blossom and grow into their forever and ever love?

Hang on to your hats for a rollercoaster ride in this contemporary Christian romantic suspense filled with danger, doubt, and deliverance.

I’m reading your book right now and loving it. Please give us the first page for my blog readers.

Prologue

Thirty years ago, “Texas in My Rearview Mirror” was my theme song. I couldn’t wait to get away from the dust and dirt and wind of the West Texas ranch where I grew up. Our grandparents raised my younger brother Richard and me. They were so old fashioned, strict no-drinking, no-dancing Baptists. I blamed them for my mama running off with a country western band and leaving us behind when our daddy died in some freak airplane crash.

Then our momma was killed in an automobile accident. I was mad at the world. The only thing that made me happy was playing the fiddle. The gift of music was one good thing our grandparents did for us. They actually did a lot of good things. They loved us, provided for us, protected us from the “wicked ways of the world.” They tried to teach us right from wrong: honesty, dependability, and hard work. Yes, lots of hard work. I hated mucking stalls, gathering eggs, hoeing weeds in the family garden just so I could help my grandmother shell peas, snap beans, shuck corn, and sweat to death canning.

Violin was my ticket out of Texas. All my teachers told me I was gifted. The professors at Texas Tech, who taught summer clinics and gave me private lessons, bragged on me and built my ego up higher than the clear blue sky high above the Caprock. I thought I was hot stuff—better than my naturally talented grandfather, better than my brother Richard, but not quite as good as my mama who played background on a couple of records.

I already had my sights set on a scholarship to The Music Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts when I met Donald Howard. In our little school, new students stood out, but he would stand out anywhere he went. I had heard about weak knees and butterflies in the belly, but I never believed it until I saw him—tall, broad shouldered, rugged, muscular, and manly. His smile, as smooth as butter on hot cornbread, melted my insides. His laughter sounded better than any melody I could play on my violin. He led our six-man football team to a district championship, which made him the hero of the feed store and café domino-playing groups.

He invited me to go to the Homecoming Dance, but my grandparents wouldn’t allow it. Donald started coming to church so they would let us go to Pat’s for a hamburger and coke. The first time he kissed me, lightning lit up the Sunday afternoon sky like a fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Thunder shook the ground like a 5.0 magnitude earthquake—the energy nearly sucking me under. And I knew I was in love. For two years I was happy. I almost understood how my mamma could run off and leave her own babies for love. Almost.

How can authors find you on the internet?

I am most active on Facebook. Visit me at Connie Lewis Leonard, author Facebook page.

I have a book launch page: Play Me Back Home in Texas Facebook group, which has some fun discussions about the book. I have a blog in my webpage: http://connielewisleonard.webs.com/

Thank you, Connie, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I know they’ll love it as much as I am.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Play Me Back Home In Texas - Paperback
Play Me Back Home In Texas - 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

THE MAJOR'S DAUGHTER - Regina Jennings - One Free Book

Bio: Historical romance author Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a minor in history. She’s the winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award, a two-time Golden Quill finalist and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book of the Year Award. Regina has worked at the Mustang News and at the Oklahoma National Stockyards. Her latest book, The Major’s Daughter is set in Oklahoma Territory, at Historic Fort Reno. She lives outside of Oklahoma City with her husband and four children.

Welcome back, Regina. Why did you become a historical author?

Because it gave me something to do with all the research I’ve acquired over the years.

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Something that requires reading a lot of books and organizing the information.

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

That’s a difficult question, because the most interesting times in history are also the most dangerous. Danger aside, I’d like to witness the founding of our country and see the courage of the people and the genius of the founders.

That would have been awesome. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

South Carolina.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Ireland.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

I’ve been memorizing the first chapter of James, and it reminds me of the inevitably of trials and temptations in our life. We should waste no time wondering why they happen, but instead should prepare and cling to God so that we can endure.

Tell us about the featured book.

Caroline Adams returns to Indian Territory after tiring of confining society life. She wants adventure, and when she and her friend Amber come across swaggering outlaw Frisco Smith, they find his dreams for the new territory are very persuasive. With the much-anticipated land run pending, they may just join the rush.

Growing up parentless, all Frisco Smith wanted was a place to call his own. It's no wonder that he fought to open the Unassigned Lands. After years of sneaking across the border, he's even managed to put in a dugout house on a hidden piece of property he's poised to claim.

When the gun sounds, everyone's best plans are thrown out the window in the chaos of the run. Caroline and Frisco soon find themselves battling over a claim—and both dig in their heels. Settling the rightful ownership will bring these two closer than they ever expected and change their ideas of what a true home looks like.

Please give us the first page of the book.

April 16, 1889

Purcell, Chickasaw Nation

“We're getting a town lot and it's purt near guaranteed. You see, we ran into this man selling town lots in Fort Worth, so we've already put our money down for a corner spot, but we're going to run anyway. I figure, why not? Make a claim on a 160-acre homestead, and then we can decide whether we cotton to the farm or the town. There'll be plenty of losers out there to sell out to when we decide which one we want. Easy money. That's what I'm saying.”

The train from Garber, Texas, didn't need steam power. Caroline Adams was of the opinion that it could be propelled solely on the hot air provided by its passengers. She turned her face toward the window to squelch the impulse to challenge the braggadocious man seated behind her. Did he not understand the nature of the race? Why did he think someone in Texas could sell town lots in the Unassigned Lands when no one was permitted in yet? And what town? Besides some depot workers, no one lived in the region. There were no roads, no houses, no neighbors. The whole idea was ludicrous.

Having grown up on the fort that protected the lands, Caroline had insight that no one else on the train possessed, but they wouldn't credit it to her. They’d believe her to be too fine a lady to know about the untamed lands they were headed toward—just as the society people in Galveston thought she was too uncouth to know her way around a drawing room.

  

A sharp jab on her leg and Caroline turned to see her friend Ambrosia Herald wielding her parasol against her.

“You have that look on your face, Caroline.” Amber's blue eyes twinkled. “Scowls can cause irreversible damage to your skin and once a wrinkle appears on the surface, it will never completely disappear. It lurks there waiting for fatigue or age to summon it and mar your complexion.”

“You and your faux facts,” Caroline retorted. “You're as full of malarkey as every other speculator on this train.” But while Amber was jesting, the passengers on the overcrowded train believed the tall tales they were spouting.

“Do you think you’ll see him?” Amber asked. “Do you think the infamous Frisco Smith will make the run?”

Caroline rubbed her nose. It’d been two years since she’d seen the man, and his name still left her perplexed.

Frisco Smith—roguish frontiersman and boomer—spent more time in the guard house at her father’s post than at the illegal homesteads he tried to establish. She shouldn’t feel foolish about her youthful infatuation with him. He was, after all, uncommonly handsome and debonair. But when she left the isolated fort to move into society, she learned what her father had known all along. Men like Mr. Smith had nothing to offer a lady. She had to think about her future, which was exactly why she’d returned to Oklahoma Territory.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://www.reginajennings.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReginaLJennings

Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ReginaJennings

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/reginaljennings/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reginajenningsauthor/

Thank you, Regina, for sharing this new book with us. I always love your books. I know many of my readers do, too.

Readers, here are links to the book.

The Major's Daughter - Christianbook.com
Major's Daughter (The Fort Reno Series) - Amazon Paperback
The Major's Daughter (The Fort Reno Series Book 3) - Kindle
The Major’s Daughter: Fort Reno Series, Book 3 - Audio book

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

COURTSHIPS AND CARRIAGES - Janet Syas Nitsick - One Free Book

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

I write sweet, clean, Christian romances with suspense and/or mystery because those are the movies or television shows I like to watch, and those also are stories I enjoy reading. In addition, I want to spread God’s faithful and steadfast message through my characters and their interactions and trials.

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

One summer evening before my husband and I got married, we walked hand in hand through Memorial Park in Omaha. The peaceful evening was graced with a nice summer breeze, which flowed around us, and row after row of fragrant, colorful roses marking our path. We took in the fresh air while we continued to hike up the hill to see the memorial for veterans who served in World War II. In front of the stone semicircle memorial is a statue of a kneeling army man who carries a wounded soldier. A flagpole stands beside the statue with the American flag flapping in the wind. The excitement of that quiet night, which occurred forty years ago, has never left me.

How has being published changed your life?

I do a lot of book signings at craft shows. People remember me and stop by to admire my costume, which goes along with my most recent book cover. They will say how beautiful I look and readers, who have read my books, will express their appreciation for my writing and the stories I write. For example, one person stopped by and said she bought all my books a few months ago and loved every one of them. In other words, I stand out in a crowd, which is quite different from my childhood where I was so shy I barely spoke to anyone. In fact during my grade school years, I never used the bathroom because I was too shy to ask where they were located.

What are you reading right now?

The One-Flesh Covenant written by S. T. Theophanie, a pen name used by my friend. This is not a book I normally would have chosen; however, this friend has read all of my books. I owe her my loyalty in reading her only book. She wrote this several years ago but was forced to republish it since the original publisher went bankrupt. I have not finished it. Her biblical research states when someone enters a marriage that bond will not be lifted until their spouse dies. Only then can the widow/widower remarry.

What is your current work in progress?

The Librarian’s Secret. This is the second book in my Bonnets and Beaus series with the first in the series being The Heiress Comes to Town. I plan on releasing The Librarian’s Secret Feb. 15, 2020. This clean, Christian romance includes mystery and suspense and takes place in 1896 and is set in Nebraska City, Neb.

The librarian’s secret … held inside a father’s journal … two hearts intertwine

What would be your dream vacation?

My husband and I would like to visit Ronald Reagan’s library in Simi Valley, Calif. Since we are caretakers of our oldest and nonverbal autistic son, we would have to do this on a long weekend trip. We would love to do this next year to celebrate our 40th anniversary. However, getting away for such a trip without our son is going to be a challenge. We cannot go this far with him because we do not know if we would cooperate in seeing the museum once we got there.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

All my books are set in Nebraska. I write about places I have visited and know.

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

I would love to meet and talk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. His beautiful story shows us how in America you can rise from poverty to importance through hard work and determination. My father knew his wife’s parents. They lived in Nebraska. The Justice also is a big fan of the University of Nebraska football, and in Nebraska, that is a big thing.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Singing. I have sung solos and enjoy being a member of my church’s choir. Right now, we are practicing for our Christmas cantata, which relays the story of Christ’s birth through song.

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

This year has been my most difficult writing obstacle. On March 21, I carried two coats down the basement stairs. These are narrow steps. One of the coat’s belts got caught in the corner of the stairwell. I tugged on it and missed a couple of steps and landed face down on concrete. For three months, I was on a walker and could not put pressure on my left foot. I finally moved from that to the cane. Right now, I am pivoting from the cane to walking unassisted.

Besides this, my eldest son’s wife passed away in June and now my oldest granddaughter is separated from her husband. It has been one of those years. All of this has hindered my writing and only now has my stamina returned.

2019 has been my most difficult year, too, with a serious problem with one daughter and my husband having seven skin cancer surgeries. But I praise the Lord that He was with us every step of the way. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

I was a former journalist, which taught me to write tight. This helped me in going from non-fiction writing to fiction. However, it also hindered me, for in journalism you deal with facts, no emotions are allowed. Thus, I went for about three years to this critique group. Their input helped me develop my fiction writing skills. I would suggest a new writer go to such a group and listen and implement their suggestions. The more you carry out their recommendations the better your work will become.

Tell us about the featured book.

Courtships and Carriages is the first in my Great Plains series. There are three in the series: Courtships and Carriages, The Bride List, and When Hearts Rekindle.

Courtships and Carriages, a sweet Christian romance, returns readers to the Midwest in 1893, where men who drove fancy carriages like debonair Nolan Bradford could make ladies’ hearts flutter, such as Gwen Ward’s. Her heart raced every time she saw him, especially when these rides included secret rendezvous, pretty flowers, and stolen kisses.  

Her decision could be an easy one if only her dear-childhood friend, Russ Knudson, a kindhearted, humble man, a man who works with his hands – a farmer – was not also vying for her hand. He may not be as refined as Nolan, but his feelings were just as sincere, and Gwen’s love for him ran deep. And, if only Nolan was not the son of the corrupt mayor and her father, the publisher of a local paper, was not investigating that mayor.

The answer is in her court in Courtships and Carriages, which includes intrigue and suspense when a trunkful of mayoral electoral ballots comes up missing.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Winter 1893

Omaha, Nebraska

“Be careful,” Gwen yelled to her mother as the snowflakes fell around them. She shrugged, thinking about how these wet flakes had to come as they headed for this boring inaugural. Stepping onto the boardwalk, she planted her feet firmly on the wooden planks dusted with snow before pressing forward. The biting air stung her face and hands. She thrust her cold-gloved hands further inside the fox muff. Glancing at her ma, who wore a blue coat trimmed with fur sleeves, she asked, “Am I going too fast?”

           

Her mother took a deep breath. “No. I’m able to keep up. I’m more concerned about being late.”

           

Gwen gazed ahead of her. “I don’t know why the mayor decided to have his ceremony at the train station.”

           

“Pa said it’s because it’s the city hub of business activity, and the mayor wants to highlight that.”

           

“But it’s on the other side of town,” Gwen said with disgust. She jerked her hand from the muff to brush the snow off her shoulders. She shivered. Horses hoofs pounded the brick pavement. Gwen turned and stared at the yellow-wheeled carriage approaching. What a beauty. …

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Web site: www.JanetSyasNitsick.com

Blog: http://janetsyasnitsick.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjanetnitsick/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/janetnitsick

Twitter: JanNitsick

LinkedIn: Janet Nitsick

E-Mail: janet@janetsyasnitsick.com

Thank you, Janet, for sharing this book with us. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Courtships and Carriages - Paperback
Courtships and Carriages (Great Plains Series Book 1) - 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

JOY EXPRESS - Jody Day - One Free Ebook

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

There’s a lot of me in Bailey Brown, the heroine of my Washout Express Series. A past of rejection leading to low self-esteem. It is such a great joy to share Bailey’s journey to wholeness through learning who she is in Jesus Christ. It’s easy to express that joy because I went through the same transformation.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I just don’t know. I consider myself a card carrying nerd, actually, so everything is quirky. Crocheted 1000 candy corn amigurami to go with my book Yellow Bottom Bob? Gave them away to schools? The fact that I still write snail mail to famous people I admire? I have a little stack of letters from Jan Karon, and one from Sheldon Vanauken (a student of C. S. Lewis) who wrote A Severe Mercy. That’s the only fruit I’ve gleaned from that quirky snail mail habit.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I was in the 5th grade when I won a poetry contest at Newman Elementary School in El Paso, Texas. I got to go to the office and letter the poem on poster board, which was displayed in the school foyer. I don’t remember anything about it except I based it on the Charlie Brown craze at the time, “Happiness is…” I remember that the last line was “and at schoolwork, doing your best.” The idea that words out of my head and heart could make an impact on others captured me and never let go.

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

I work at a library so I dip my reading foot in all kinds of various genre pools. I read a lot of books for review as well, so when I get to read for pleasure, I tend toward biographies, and inspirational fiction.

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

When I figure that out, I’ll let you know. Seriously, though, I’m a pretty organized person so that helps, but sometimes it overwhelms me. I feel like the ocean is slamming and overflowing me. During those times, I just try to “float” on the help of God.

Good answer. How do you choose your characters’ names?

I’m terrible at it! I rely on name generators and the help of my writers’ group, Critique Café. I’m even worse at titles!

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Hard to say. I’ve been around for a long time, lol. The first thing that came to my mind when I read the question though is my six living epistles. I’m very proud of the five daughters and one son that we’ve raised, and the 15 grandchildren we’ve been blessed with so far. Recently, I became acquainted with a pastor in Juarez, Mexico, that pastors a church that is 80% children. These precious children are suffering the results of the drug culture. A friend of mine helped me make 120 children’s blankets (crocheted) and gather Christmas gifts and Spanish Bibles. Our church got involved and we’re going to be able also take money to help Pastor Vicki feed the children. We are so excited to help this little church at Christmas time. I guess I’m more grateful than proud of this. Wrapped in Prayer Blanket Ministry grew out of that effort.

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

I think I would choose to be a horse. I respond to given love, and love to serve, carry others on my back, if you will.

What is your favorite food?

Fried chicken (which I don’t eat very often anymore) but since my mom passed away, there will never be any fried chicken like hers again. I never learned to cook it well. My husband is not a fan of chicken! I tell him there will be a star in my crown for feeding six children and a pastor husband without chicken!

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

Time. I still work full time, and will for a few more years. I’ve had to learn to get up early and to steal time when I can get it to write. National Novel Writers Month is a lifesaver. I draft all my books that month usually. My job is also flexible. I can write at work if my work is done, but there are too many distractions. You know what they say: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Tell us about the featured book.

Joy Express is Book 3 in the Washout Express series. In Books 1 and 2, we watch Bailey and Scott find each other, and through many obstacles finally reach the altar. Book 3 is a little different in that there is some serious tragedy and trauma that must be overcome. All their former demons threaten to derail the progress they’ve made. They are expecting twins – double the blessing, but where’s the joy? (This book is dedicated to some dear friends of ours who lost a child while I was writing this book. Their faith has been an inspiration.)

Please give us the first page of the book.

Sure:0)

I squeezed the couch cushion with both hands as a Braxton Hicks contraction tightened my lower back. Or was it a real one? Eight months in, so it could happen right now. I focused on ivy shadows dancing behind the lacy window curtains until it passed. Moving around in the mid-morning air would help.

           

My usual get-off-the-couch ritual proved more difficult every day. I spread my swollen feet, anchored one hand on the arm of the couch, pushed off with the other hand, and propelled the basketball stomach into the air. The few feet from the living room couch to the front porch of the inn stretched miles away, but I waddled there anyway.

           

I wiggled into a porch rocker and willed a cooler breeze to materialize. My perfect, snowy wedding nearly a year ago spoiled me for every December to come. The piney woods across the road shone green in the sunlight. Normally I’d seek refuge from the heat with a stroll on the fragrant, dead pine needles. My football-sized feet prevented any pleasure jaunts among the cool shadows.

           

Could I even find shoes that didn’t hurt for the Barkley House dedication this afternoon? Maybe I could get away with dressy flip-flops. That was standard East Texas footwear all year round anyway, except maybe three days in February. The snow last December surprised everyone.

I decided to just rest for five more minutes. My speech needed practicing. I also needed to pull our wedding cake topper from the freezer. Maybe there’d be time for a private first-anniversary celebration tonight. Two weeks early, but the actual date was too close to my due date.

           

My sweet, hard-working husband balked at leaving me alone. I’d shooed him on. I’d promised to keep my cell phone near me and Phoebe was just up the road at the diner. So much work to be done and I couldn’t help Scott with any of it.

           

“Welcome to the Grand Opening of the Helen Barkley Missionary Retreat,” I whispered. I planned to keep it short, given I couldn’t stand very long. “I may never be able to erase the picture of Pinewood Manor, my grandmother’s home, and one of Marshall’s finest antebellum mansions, smoldering in ashes in the spot just a little over a year ago. But the building of Barkley House has brought healing. Mother and I know that Gran would be pleased that we have a resting place for missionaries, because they were so close to her heart.”

           

There was that old, black vehicle again. I’d seen the classic car creeping around Exit 477 several times over the last couple of days. The canopied lane that banked the road to our home seemed to draw strays. I’d been one of them.

           

Now, how did the rest of it go? “On this special day…”

           

The car pulled into the driveway.

           

My tortoise speed preempted a stand-up greeting, but I leaned forward in the rocker.

           

The reflection of tall pines on the windshield hid the driver’s face from view.

           

My heartbeat sped up, and I placed a protective hand on my stomach. I reached for the phone in my maternity jeans pocket. I’d left it on the coffee table. So much for my promise.

           

The driver climbed out but stood by the door. He ran a hand through a head of hair more gray than brown. He hesitated as if he might slide his fiftyish, slight build back into the car. Instead, determination flashed in his dark eyes as he took a step away from his vehicle and slammed the door.

           

Probably just someone scouting out a weekend stay at the inn for Christmas. Couldn’t he see the CLOSED UNTIL SPRING sign?

           

I rubbed my damp palms on my jeans, and tried to swallow.

           

“Bailey!”

           

A shock raced up my spine, and my vision blurred. The pines, the black car, and the ivy covered porch rails melded into blackish, green waves. I was five years old again, crouching in the back of a Pinewood Manor hall closet. The musty coats making me cough. The fear he’d hear. He’d raged at Mom for a long time. I’d covered my ears. But as he’d stormed down the hall, I heard the words that became my prison.

           

“You baby her too much, she’s too fat, and she’ll never amount to anything!” Slam.

           

Beloved, you are free.

           

The heavenly whisper steadied me a bit. I remembered. Yes, Father. The present returned and my dad’s words that I’d work like skin all my life fell away. Move, Bailey. Get up and go in the house. What does one say to the father who abandoned my precious mother and me in a molten rage and never so much as called in over twenty years? “What do you want?” formed in my brain, but never registered with my mouth.

           

He stepped onto the porch and lunged right into my space, both his fists tightly knotted by his side. His eyes narrowed into sinister slits. “You’re coming with me.”

           

“No, I’m not.” I managed to push out of the rocker and tried to turn toward the front door.

           

He grabbed my arm and pain shot to my fingers as he pulled me down the stairs.

           

I stumbled, but managed not to fall. I jerked my arm as hard as I could, but his grip only tightened. A sharp pain and a kind of pop ripped inside, below my babies. “Help!” A pain and incredible pressure gripped my lower back. “Please, I’m due any minute. Let me go!”

           

“I can see that. It does complicate things a bit, but it’s all up to you.” He jerked me toward the sedan. He opened the car door, pulled the driver’s seat forward, and shoved me in the back. “Lie down, and shut up!”

           

I screamed until he pulled a pistol from behind his back and pointed it at my stomach. His hand shook. “I said shut up. Lie down and don’t get up until I tell you.”

           

Tears slid down my face as I lay on the car set. I rubbed the red stripes on my arm and watched the pines whiz by in a green haze. My son and daughter moved within me.

Wow! How can readers find you on the Internet?

Email: jodybooks@faithwriters.net

Washout Express “fan” page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/187909868038111/

Twitter: @jodybaileyday

Instagram: jodybaileyday

Blog: www.jodysdevotionaljournal.blogspot.com

Thank you, Jody, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I can hardly wait until my copy arrives. I’m eager to find out what’s going on.

Readers, here is a link to the book.

Joy Express

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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

WINNER!

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Robin (NC) is the winner of By All Appearances by Dawn Kinzer.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

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

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

DEAD END - Susan Sleeman - One Free Book

Welcome back, Susan. How did this book come about?

I wanted to do a series featuring a private forensic lab that handled forensics for difficult law enforcement investigations. The Truth Seekers series features a team of scientists at a very difficult time in their lives when something comes to light making them question truths they’d always known. I surely had to include a character who handled trace evidence, so Sierra’s character was born and so was Dead End.

Tell us about the book’s cover and what makes it unique.

Sierra is featured with Reed on the cover and that makes it unique, but also a skyline is in the background holds a building that resembles the fictional Veritas Center.

Please explain and differentiate between what’s fact and fiction in the book.

The characters are fictional as is the plot and lab, but the science behind the forensics is very real and used in forensic labs today. The FBI procedures are real as well.

How much research did you have to do for this book?

I get a forensic newsletter every day, and I save articles that I think will work well in a book. So when I’m plotting a book I just have to find that article in my file. Sometimes I have to research the subject in more depth, but already having the basic information gives me a good start. And I have law enforcement sources that I can go to check out my law enforcement procedures.

I like that. One thing I do in my books is make everything except my characters and their story as authentic as I can, too. What are some of the most interesting things you found about this subject that you weren’t able to use in the story?

Actually, I used everything I found.  J

What inspired and surprised you while you were writing the book?

I am always inspired by the work that forensic scientists do with trace evidence. It’s simply amazing to me the information they can gain from the minutest sample of trace evidence. I guess what surprised me is how fast trace evidence processing is advancing and how much these scientists can do help solve an investigation.

What do you hope the reader takes away from the story?

I hope readers will see through Sierra’s struggle that we need to rely on God instead of ourselves.

What is the next project you’re working on?

I am currently writing Dead Center which is book five in the Truth Seekers series. This story features Grady, the Vertitas Center’s weapons expert and Ainslie, the forensic photographer. I am enjoying learning about guns and the forensics involved with them. The book has an unexpected surprise that I can’t share as it would be a spoiler, but I found it very interesting.

I love it when we find something that most people don’t know to share with out readers in a story. What do you do when you have to get away from the story for a while? 

If you mean a few minutes in the day, I do the dishes, clean house, do laundry, etc. I also put a book aside for at least a week when it is finished, and then come back to it with fresh eyes. During this time, I work on another book.

Please give us the first page of the book.

“He’s not my father? What do you mean?” Sierra gaped at her mother seated at the bedside of the man she’d called father for thirty-two years, but now? Who was her real father?

“I…I…” Tears filled her mother’s eyes, and she clutched her hands in her lap, while she tried to compose herself.

“It’s my fault, sweetie,” her father said from his hospital bed. As a retired Multnomah County Deputy, he was still in good shape and very active, but his face and lips were pale today, his energy non-existent as he waited for a kidney transplant. “I didn’t want you to know. I thought it might change our relationship.”

“And I agreed because your dad married me when I was pregnant and alone.” Sierra’s mother took his hand. “He’s been an excellent father to you, and we’ve both been blessed since the day he came into our lives.”

“How…I…this…” Thoughts whirled through Sierra’s head. Spinning. Rushing. Taking her down. She collapsed on a hard chair and blinked. Over and over again.

This made no sense.

She lifted her gaze to the pair who felt like strangers. This man and woman who had raised her. Cared for her. Loved her.

Lied to her.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

To learn more about my books sign up for my monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/   

Or stop by any of these locations on the web.
Website - http://www.susansleeman.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanBooks
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman  
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/susansleeman/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4053429.Susan_Sleeman
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-sleeman
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Sleeman/e/B003ANF6Z8
Review Site - http://www.TheSuspenseZone.com

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this series with us. I'm eagerly awaiting my copy so I can read it.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Dead End: (Truth Seekers Book 3)
Dead End: (Truth Seekers Book 3)

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

SEW IN LOVE - Darlene Panzera (and other authors) - One Free Book

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

As an author, I create characters with their own quirks and personalities to fit the plot, but I do draw upon my own experiences and emotions and put them into the story. In one book, I wrote about what it was like after the passing of my beloved horse. In my current novella, Hearts Sewn With Love, my heroine shares a deep bond with the hero’s young nephew. I am very close with my own children and so many of those passages are written from the heart and how I would feel if I were in the situations my characters face.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I brainstormed a murder plot while floating on tubes in the middle of a lake with my daughter. The water carried our voices and two ladies who’d been swimming nearby gave us funny looks when we came back to shore. I just smiled at them.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In 5th grade I was introduced to creative writing when my teacher gave each student a booklet full of photos and writing prompts. This opened my imagination to a whole world of possibilities. Then when I was fourteen, I saw friend writing a “novel” in a spiral notebook and decided I would write one too.

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

I enjoy a wide variety of books. Fantasy, mystery, suspense, romantic comedy, YA, both contemporary and historical romance.

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

I take time every morning to regroup with a cup of tea and a short Bible study. I use a day planner that is frequently updated and never leaves my side. And sometimes I just have to take a day off to go on a day trip or nature hike to have some fun and keep me balanced with what is truly important.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I often use a phone book or a baby names book. If writing a historical, I Google what names were popular in that time period or region. I also use an alphabet chart to make sure I don’t have too many character’s names starting with the same letter.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I cut a full-length novel down to half its word count in three weeks and won a contest by Avon Books to have my story published with NY Times bestseller, Debbie Macomber. That contest win launched my career.

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

Either a horse so I could run fast over the fields or a monkey so I could swing from trees. I climbed a lot of trees when I was young. Even now, I love climbing around the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Disney World.                 

What is your favorite food?

Popcorn!

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

My greatest roadblock was figuring out how to write a proposal (to get a contract) before my book was written. I had published several books without a full proposal, then one day an editor said I needed one and I was stumped. So I studied story structure and created a template to help me brainstorm and develop a cohesive outline. Each year I tweak it as I continually learn new things.

Tell us about the featured book.

My newest story, Hearts Sewn With Love, is one of four historical novellas by different authors in the Sew In Love collection by Barbour Publishing. Each of the heroines in these stories is a seamstress and find that love mends broken hearts. My novella is set in 1850 during the California Gold Rush, a time and place where females were so scarce that they could have their pick of husbands. Opportunities also existed for women to earn profits equal to the men by starting their own businesses. My heroine is thrilled by the success of her new seamstress shop but her heart is torn between the men who all want to marry her and the one handsome, stubborn, gold-miner who won’t.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Maggie McDermott leaned over the rail of the 226-foot side-wheel paddle steamer, her pulse quickening as she surveyed the Sacramento port where they would soon dock. “Almost there, Mother,” she said, glancing at the beloved, gray-haired woman beside her. “’Tis a long journey we’ve had, but within the hour we will step off this boat and into our new home.”

“God willing,” Clara McDermott muttered, a touch of a smile upon her lips.

“Yes,” Maggie said, and drew in a deep breath. For she fully believed leaving New York City and journeying to Gold Bar, a small town outside Sacramento, must certainly be God’s will for their lives. Even if it meant she must marry Lewis Parnell, her late father’s second cousin, whom she barely knew.

“Surely,” her mother said hesitantly, “Cousin Lewis would have estimated the time of our ship’s arrival?”

Maggie glanced toward the shore where several finely dressed men had gathered to greet the new arrivals. “I am certain he will be here.”

It had taken their schooner, the Cordova, six and a half months to sail from Boston down around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America, and then back up the other side of the continent to California. But they’d whisked through the mile-wide waterway known as the Golden Gate and into San Francisco Bay on schedule. From there, they secured passage aboard the Senator, and it had only taken another six days for the paddle steamer to transport them upriver to Sacramento.

Maggie’s mother clasped the folds of her gray cape tighter about her neck as they followed the other passengers off the boat. “I don’t see him.”

“He must be up there by the buildings.” Maggie swept her gaze over the sparsely treed town perched on the hill. “And if he isn’t, we can at least find something to eat while we wait for him.”

Her mother nodded. “A good meal would be nice. I never want to eat another crust of moldy bread from the meager rationings of a ship ever again.”

“And you won’t have to,” Maggie reminded her. “Cousin Lewis assured us in his letter that we’ll be living in luxury.”

Her mother’s face took on a wistful expression. “In a big house along the river, with an expansive green lawn and terraced gardens.”

“And enough gold lining our pockets to make us richer than a leprechaun,” Maggie said, smiling.

Her mother’s weary eyes suddenly brightened. “At the moment, enough money to buy a meat pie would suit me just fine.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from my readers! You can find me at:

Website: www.darlenepanzera.com

Facebook: /DarlenePanzera

Twitter: @DarlenePanzera

Instagram: author_darlenepanzera

Thank you, Darlene, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I love reading stories set in this time period.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Sew in Love - Christianbook.com
Sew in Love: 4 Historical Stories - Amazon Paperback
Sew in Love: 4 Historical Stories - 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!!!

IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners  - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY.

Jean (MA) is the winner of The Tea Chest by Heidi Chiavaroli.

Lucy (WV) is the winner of Island of Last Resorts by Mary Ellis.

Sarah (OH) is the winner of Dead Silence by Susan Sleeman.

If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author.

Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you.

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

If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.