CAST THE FIRST STONE - David James Warren - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I have loved all the books of both Susan May Warren and James Rubart I’ve read, and they have been most of them. When I heard about this series, I knew I wanted to feature them on the blog. James is with us today.

I know that this is a collaboration. How did this series come about? The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone series was a long time coming. Ages ago (probably around 2012) Susie and I were on a short plane ride together from Asheville, North Carolina, to Atlanta. We started talking about someday writing a book together and our shared loved of time travel stories.

Then in mid 2016 Susie came up with the idea of Rembrandt Stone, called me, gave me a five second pitch, “An ex-detective goes back in time to solve cold cases … are you in?”  I laughed and gave the only appropriate response: “Are you kidding?”

Susie asked her son David to join the team and in February of 2017 the three of us gathered at my home in eastern Washington (after Susie and David battled a Seattle and eastern Washington snowstorm) and brainstormed all six of the stories. So yes, it took a while from conception to release, but it turned out to be the perfect timing.

Did you find it easy to work together on it? Yes, we did. I’ve known Susie since 2008 and we have this amazing brother/sister relationship. And I’ve known David since 2013.

How did collaborating with this team impact you? What’s great about working with two other partners is realizing how much more two other brilliant people can bring to a project. We all have blind spots and the others can fill them.

What is the hardest thing about writing as a team? Geography! While Zoom and Slack and email are great connectors, there’s nothing like being the same room together.

What are you reading right now? Vortex, Mere Christianity, The Universal Christ, The Dark Tower book 5, Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, and Wildflower. Doesn’t everyone had five or six books going at the same time?

I usually have only 2 or 3. Would you want to work on another book together? What we’ve been dreaming about is having a film producer get interested in the series and turn them into a TV show. We have had some bites so stay tuned.

Keep me informed about the movie. I'm actually working on a film that should go into production by early 2022. What do you want to tell us about the book? It’s a roller coaster ride! Here’s more:

One case haunts him. One chance to fix the past. One mistake could cost him everything.
Ex-Minneapolis Police Detective Rembrandt Stone walked away from a career he loved—just the price of being sure he can come home to the wife and daughter he cherishes. But he can’t shake the deep regret over a case left behind.

When his mentor, the former Chief of Homicide dies and leaves Rembrandt with a box of cold cases and a mysterious watch, he finds himself thrust into a world he recognizes—a world from twenty years ago—the same world he’s woken from in a cold sweat a hundred times. But is it a dream, or some kind of twisted reality?

If he solves the case that plagues him, and justice is finally served, will it destroy the life he loves?
Strap in for a mind-bending, time travel thrill ride in Book One of this riveting new series, The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone. From the creative pens of USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren*, award-winning author James L. Rubart**, and new voice, David Curtis Warren, writing collectively as David James Warren.

Please give us the first page of the book.

It’s the regrets that keep me awake.

The broken hearts, the lives ripped apart. The bitter finales.

The sense that, frankly, it’s not finished. I’m not finished, no matter how much I try to lie to myself.

With every crime, a clock starts ticking. A forty-eight hour fuse that ignites, chewing away at the evidence. It begins with the victim and from that moment, time gnaws at every scrap of evidence. Eyewitness memories fade, clues are scattered to the wind by the daily congestion of life.

The colder the trail grows, the lower the likelihood of finding the perpetrators. This accounts for hundreds of thousands of cold cases in dusty file rooms and backup databases around the world.

It also accounts for the fist in my gut every time I have to face the bereaved with a despairing update. And, for too long, it accounted for the indentation in a stool down at the Gold Nugget where Jericho Bloom started pouring the minute I darkened the door.

Days past, but the cases still haunt me, some waking me in the still of night, Eve’s  sleeping body like an anchor in the darkness, tethering me to the now. Sometimes she too, awakens, and knowing, finds me and urges the ghosts to quiet, tucking them back inside.

They never stay silent for long. The whispers always return.

What if? What if I could go back to the moment, the beginning of the forty-eight hour window? What if I had been smarter or faster? Maybe everything would be different.

But you can’t change the past. None of this is any consolation to the seven-year-old cherub standing in front of me. “I’m sorry. Gomer’s been missing over a month.” I’m using my most stoic, former homicide Inspector voice, despite the pull of those big blue eyes staring at me.

“I don’t have any leads—”

“But Daddy, you’re a detective.” My accuser has curly, golden blonde hair and the way she stares at me, hands on her hips, so much belief in her eyes, I am undone. “You know how to find things.”

I’m already loving this book. Where can our readers find you on the Internet?

* Susan May Warren—

Website:  http://www.susanmaywarren.com/  

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

Twitter: @SusanMayWarren

**James L. Rubart—

Website: https://jameslrubart.com/

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

Twitter: @jamesLrubart

Thank you, James, Susan, and David, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I am eager to read this first book.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/fOIn50GryvO

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 

SWEET SUMMER - Christina Sinisi - One Free Book

Welcome back, Christina. Why do you write the kind of books you do? I was writing sci fi/fantasy novels that weren’t getting anywhere. My mentor, Eloisa James, asked why I wasn’t writing Inspirational fiction since my faith matters so much to me. I had no good answer. I switched and have been so much happier—it still took a few years to get published, but now I am writing for the glory of God and the words just flow.

I love it when that happens. Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? My happiest days are my wedding day and the births of my children. I am happily married now for 35 years!

How has being published changed your life? Being published opened the door to my truly focusing on my writing. I’d slowed down in the face of so much earlier rejection and went months without writing. Since I first got the novella, Christmas Confusion, accepted for publication, I haven’t stopped. I now write every day unless I am ill. Since 2019, I’ve written two books a year and have ideas stacked up waiting.

One of my early novellas was titled Christmas Confusion. What are you reading right now?   I am reading Francine Rivers’ The Masterpiece for my church’s book club.

When I obtained my copy of that book, I was on a book deadline and loaned it to a friend. Covid hit, and now I can’t find out who it was. I wish I’d written that one down. What is your current work in progress? I am in the editing stage of my Work-In-Progress, The Promise. It’s a book set in my hometown of Buchanan, Virginia, which is a departure from my previous work.  I hope readers will travel with me from the beach to the mountains.

What would be your dream vacation? I have been blessed to travel a good bit in my life and only have two states remaining to check off all 50. So, I had plans last summer to travel to Maine, but COVID intervened. My hope is to make it to Maine and Alaska in the next few years—goals.

How do you choose your settings for each book? So far, I’m writing what I know. Two out of the three books I have published are set in the Charleston, South Carolina, area where I live. It’s a beautiful place rich in history. The third book, Christmas on Ocracoke, is set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My sister and her husband bought a rental house there in 2019 and the whole family has met there for vacation several times. The islands there are stunning as well, but in a very different way from the South Carolina beaches only a short distance away. I was awed by God’s creation and how unique each place can be.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Would it be bad to say my husband? We’re so busy and have been focusing on helping our grown daughter move that we need a date night!

Date nights are wonderful and necessary. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? I love to hike in the woods (grew up on a farm) and bake (big fan of the British Bake-Off).

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? Time. I am a professor and department chair at a local university and work demands a great deal of my time.

What advice would you give to a beginning author? Persist. Learn all you can, write all you can, and keep going. Even if you don’t get published, find an agent, etc., you will have had the joy of writing.

Tell us about the featured book. Shelby Marano is the youngest of three sisters and was always Daddy’s baby girl—until her father was murdered when she was only eight years old. Ever since, she’s been running from anyone or anything that could truly hurt her. Instead, she seeks calculated thrills that leave her exhilarated, but when she’s caught outside during a summer storm, she quickly realizes not all adventures are within her control.

Tyler Burgess struggles with the responsibility of caring for a mother suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Forced to take a leave of absence from work and put his life on hold, his only reprieve is the volunteer work he does at the local museum. When a soaking-wet Shelby barges in, he offers her both refuge from the rain and a safe place to land. She’s the breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed.

Tyler proves to be much more than just a nerd in a history museum, but what she finds out about him is a deal-breaker for her. As family health issues and an unknown stalker threaten Shelby’s perfect little world, she learns a hard lesson: no one can hide from the dangers of life. Can Shelby let her sisters, Tyler, and even more importantly, God, show her in one Sweet Summer that love is worth taking the risk?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun.  You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter. Psalms 75:16-17

Water sluiced down Shelby Marano’s back, and she ran faster, as if it were possible to outrace a tropical downpour that wanted to be a hurricane when it grew up. Her feet pounded on the sidewalk next to the Charleston harbor sea wall, agony streaking up her calf. The orthopedist had advised her to take a break, but she could no more stop running than she could give up coffee or taking risks.

She slowed and searched for shelter. A black pickup approached, and she did a quick glance-over. The vehicle looked a lot like Thomas’s car, and aggravation ripped through her like a leg cramp. Then, the vehicle picked up speed, passing by. She tripped over a cobblestone, her heart slowing down in relief, and she could take in oxygen again.

Shelby focused back on her surroundings and not her paranoia. The Battery sat at the tip of the peninsula of Charleston, a beautiful green expanse with statues and cannons and a gazebo. The gazebo offered a roof, but this rain slanted sideways, and she needed walls. The ancient live oaks offered a bit of protection, but no public place for blocks. She sighed, then squealed when lightning struck in the harbor.

She picked up her pace, weaving to avoid rain puddles down East Bay Street, and took a left at the first side street that came her way. The roof overhangs helped her predicament some, but several more intersections went by before she saw an open door to a museum. If she’d gone straight down East Bay Street, she’d have located shelter faster, but she’d have walked into a tourist trap full of people while she looked like a soaked Labradoodle with her corkscrew blond curls half-soaked and half-sprung.

The sign read “Open,” and she headed for refuge. The wrought iron gate scraped the sidewalk as she shoved it open, and she danced a quickstep as thunder rolled. Up a dozen worn concrete steps and she stood on the columned porch, looking back out at the street.

“Hello?” The man’s voice came from behind her, inside the museum foyer. “You can come in and get out of the weather. We’re free.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Social Media Links:

Website/Blog: https://www.christinasinisi.com/

Twitter: @ChristinaSinisi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christina-Sinisi-Author-105861987440664/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Instagram: @csinisi123

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/csinisi/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101218889-christina-sinisi

Thank you, Christina, for sharing this novel with my blog readers and me. I Have a copy and will read it very soon.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/zoBf50GqpxP

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 PETTICOAT SPY - Elva Cobb Martin - One Free Book

Welcome back, Elva. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon? I see more surprises and a continued writing partnership with the Lord! Back in early 2019 when first I signed a contract with Wild Heart Books for this three-novel Charleston Brides’ series, I was 75 years old. The day I dropped that signed contract into the mail slot at the Post Office, fear landed heavy on my back. Could I, at my age, possibly write three books in less than three years? Voices sounded in my head and a few in my ears. "You've bitten off more than you can chew, grandmama.” "You'll never be able to do it." I spent the next morning REALLY praying. That day an email came into my inbox. The subject heading was: "You'll See He Pulled It Off Perfectly." It was a word from a prophetess in Australia, and she was quoting from Psalm 37:5 in the Passion Translation: "Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way, you'll find He pulled it off perfectly." I have to tell you that word zoomed into my heart and knocked fear to smithereens. My new release, The Petticoat Spy, is Book 3. I give Father God the glory for pulling this contract off perfectly!

I was 77 years old when I signed my 3-book contract with Wild Heart Books. That soon became a 5-book series. With God, we can do it. Tell us a little about your family. My high school sweetheart husband, Dwayne, is retired and a real support of my writing and time I must spend at the computer. He happily does most of the grocery shopping and makes most of the salads for our meals—but I still do the main meal prep except on REALLY rushed days. He can whip up a good fish baked meal we do on a cookie sheet with Sam’s Club breaded flounder fillets, frozen fries, and onion rings. Of course I add a steamed veggie.

We have one son and a precious grandson who live an hour away and often visit. I also have two loving sisters who are supportive in every way.

My husband is also retired, and we cook together. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how? Reading in my genre, especially romance and historicals, occurs more often now, but I still enjoy a good mystery, too.

What are you working on right now? Since signing a new three-book contract continuing the Charleston Brides series, I’m working on Book 4, The Captain’s Governess. This is the story of  Anna Grace’s war-widowed friend Abigail who accepts a governess position in Jamaica to begin a new life.

I’ll be eager to feature those books, too. What outside interests do you have? My husband and I are active in a local church, and walk or do workouts at a gym most days. I coordinate an internet prayer task force and also manage three rental houses that provide extra income in our retirement. Baking and gardening are also favorite things I enjoy.

How do you choose the settings for each book? I love history and particularly the time period of the1700-1800’s and sailing ships, plantation life, and a quieter, less-complicated lifestyle. All my historical novels so far are in the sailing ship era, and mainly in Charleston, South Carolina, my favorite city. But they move to the Caribbean, the Spanish Main, and the Mediterranean and Barbary Coast. In Book 2 in this series, The Sultan’s Captive, my hero even sails his ship from Charles Town to the far distant Spice Islands. My work-in-progress, The Captain’s Governess, is set in Jamaica but will end in Charleston.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would that be and why? Other than famous Bible characters, it would probably be George Washington. I’ve studied him enough to know he had a strong faith. Though not perfect, God used him to help found this great nation and steer it well in its first years. I’d like to ask him a few questions about his experience, especially the one at the beginning of his second term. Ten thousand angry colonists gathered in front of his residence and threatened him bodily harm for refusing to send our fledgling nation back into war to help our ally, France, newly warring against Great Britain. Vice-President Adams wrote in his memoirs that the main thing that saved our baby nation from dropping off the precipice into civil war at the time was probably Yellow Fever. The plague sent the rioters fleeing into the country or behind locked doors.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels? How long it takes to write, edit, publish, market a novel would have been great to know.

What new lessons in the Lord teaching your right now? I am continually being reminded that I must trust Him to bring to pass all that pertains to me and our family that He had planned and to pray and thank Him according to Philippians 4:6 without fretting. He’s also reminded me that gentleness is a great fruit to nurture in my life.

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

     a. Cover every writing project or idea with prayer and faith.

     b. Become part of a writers’ group to learn the craft. Iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)

     c. Never give up! (Philippians 1:6)

Tell us about the featured book. The Petticoat Spy is set in Charleston during the American Revolution. Here’s the back cover.

A Charles Town belle and a blockade runner ignite fireworks in more ways than one during the American Revolution.

To Anna Grace Laurens, the war is like a distant bad dream until her family’s Charles Town plantation is burned and her parents murdered by those loyal to the king. She flees on horseback and leaps into the Cooper River to escape her pursuers.

As John Cooper Vargas sails his sloop down the river, he spots a woman diving into the water. After firing on the Tory raiders chasing her, he rescues her and offers to take her with his parents to an island hideaway for the duration of the war. But she has other plans, including revenge for her parents’ deaths. She insists he drop her off in Charles Town, even with the British planning a massive attack by land and sea to retake the city, the Pearl of the South.

John employs his sailing skills for the patriots, risking capture and death, but he enjoys his skirmishes with the British navy blockade to bring goods from the islands to aid the cause. But when Charles Town falls to the British, he docks his ship in a secret cove and joins Francis Marion's militia. This decision lands him wounded on a harbor prison ship where more men die than on the battlefield.

Anna Grace braves the deprivations, first of a city barricaded against the British, and then one surrendered and ruled by fists of iron under the English flag and injustice. At great risk to her, she spies on the British officers garrisoned in her house, and seeks a way to rescue John before it's too late.

As both American and English armies gather near Yorktown, Virginia, for a pivotal battle, can John and Anna's love for each other and their faith in God preserve them and help forge a new nation?

First Page of The Petticoat Spy

CHARLES TOWN

OCTOBER 31, 1779

A traitor is everyone who does not agree with me.

~ King George III, Great Britain 

The wind whipped through Anna Grace Laurens’s hair as she galloped her mare back toward their Charles Town plantation through the hardwood forest she loved. In the fresh morning air, the war her brother fought with the South Carolina militia against the British faded in its heaviness. Woodsy scents of pine, sweet cedar, and birch laced with the damp earthy smell of decomposing leaves wrapped their rich scent around her.

But even as they flew along the familiar trail, something jangled against her nerves like the forewarning rumble of a storm coming.

A burly black form burst through the brush in front of her, and Jolie reared. Anna clung to her saddle and stifled the scream rising in her throat.

Big Jim. Her heart slowed its pace as she recognized their most faithful, loyal servant. His dark skin glistened with sweat and the whites of his eyes blazed in the forest shadows.

Prince, her father’s large brown mixed hound, raced from beside the man and pranced around Anna’s horse. Jolie shook her thick silver mane, snorted, and kicked out at the barking animal.

Anna Grace managed to keep her seat and pointed the tip of her whip toward the pet. “Sit, boy. Quiet.”

The dog moved to the side of the path and sat, but emitted a low whining sound.

She patted the damp neck of her beloved horse and turned to Big Jim standing near, trying to catch his breath. His torn, bloody clothing revealed wounds on his thick arms and chest. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her. “What has happened?”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

 http://www.elvamartin.com

http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin

http://twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin

https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin/

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/7J0y50GpDON

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

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.

Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win.

Sharon (SC) is the winner of The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragón.

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. 

JOURNEY TO CHIYAH - Kimberly Russell - One Free Book (Print if winner is in USA, Ebook if winner is not)

Welcome, Kimberly. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. My debut, Journey to ChiYah, is a fictional account of my own travels to emotional healing, portrayed in an allegory. The main character, Jade, is pretty much me with some exceptions—needed to use a little writerly license to make her a bit more interesting. I’m currently editing my next project that is purely fiction, from a male point of view. That being said, I can still see some of me coming out in Frankie Taylor.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? Hmm, quirky and me don’t usually go together—I’m pretty straight-laced and dull, living a quiet life of no stress and few risks, but while it might not be quirky, I love sharing this one as it is so amazing: Three years ago, I got on a plane with my two sisters, and we flew to Minnesota to meet our older brother Bill for the first time after finding him on Ancestry DNA. We knew there was another sibling, but never dreamed God would allow us to find him. He is ten years older than me, never knew he had a single blood relative on the planet, and now has all of us. (Yes, we can be a lot.) I always wanted a big brother, and now I have a Bill plus a bonus sister in his wife, Marsha. It took a few years, but I can finally buy him a birthday card without standing in the card aisle weeping.

That’s wonderful. I love stories like that. When did you first discover that you were a writer? English was always my favorite subject in school, and reading was my passion—I was never without a book nearby and was THAT kid that got caught in fifth grade reading for fun behind my math book. (I detested math, and it still makes me break out in hives.) Over the years, I dabbled in this and that as far as writing, but never seriously considered pursuing it until I came out the other side of a dark time in my life that left me saying, “Okay, God, what next?” to which He answered, “I want you to write.”

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. -Oswald Chambers

Finding my purpose was a lengthy endeavor, but out of dark times and my own quest for wholeness, God birthed His intentions for me: “The Grrrr of a Writer.”

What started out as a pitiful mewl grew to consume my soul and comes out roaring like a lion that cannot be silenced. Although it’s hard work, I can’t NOT write. It’s at my core and needs somewhere to go, which was confirmed when God told me that my words would go on assignment. My hashtag, #SharingHopeThroughWords, says it all: If I can help someone else through the talents He’s blessed me with, my assignment has been accomplished.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. Over the years, I explored contemporary, secular fiction in various genres. When Kindle came into the world, my reading life exploded—I am all about instant gratification, hence the 500 books in my account. Kindle enabled me to branch out into other genres and try new things, but eventually I discovered Christian fiction and have never looked back. I don’t care for smut or blood and gore, and don’t feel the need to feed garbage into my head. That being said, I’m also discovering the different genres within CF and exploring some of them as well… especially since Journey to ChiYah fell into Christian fantasy as it is an allegory about a gal that goes on an adventure. I had been researching where to fit this oddity and was actually horrified at the thought of fantasy—really stretched me out of my comfort zone. I started to read some in the genre, and while it isn’t for me, I found some wonderful authors. I might also add that I’m GREATLY relieved to be returning to good old contemporary, Christian fiction.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I checked out of the run, run, run world by retiring. Seriously. I worked in the Michigan prison system for 30 years as an executive secretary to the Warden. It was a super high stress position with an overwhelming workload and I’m surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown. Combine that with life in general, and my existence was one big ball of anxiety. When I reached my retirement attainment date, I knew I was done with it all. Now? Anytime I even get a whiff of hurry or pressure, I back away so fast it isn’t funny. More than a couple of things in one day are too much for me now. I’m only a shadow of the person I was then, and I adore my life.

How do you choose your characters’ names? It all depends. Often, I go with the first name that pops in my head and after I get to know them, can’t imagine trying to change their name. Funny how that works.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? My initial thought would be, of course, that I’m an Indie published author. I know that seems cliché, but it truly is something I’m incredibly proud of—it was a long road. I’m also very proud of the fact that I am a homeowner, financially independent, single woman. That, too, has been a long time coming, but I’ve been on my own for many years and hope it encourages other woman who may find themselves in a bad situation (like I was more than once) to believe that yes, they can make it on their own.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Most definitely a cat. They just kind of wander about without a care and give no thought to who is pleased (or displeased) with them. They’re a bit rebellious, no-nonsense, and consider themselves king of their world. Plus, they get to sleep a lot.

What is your favorite food? I know it sounds odd, but I adore carrot chips, cherry tomatoes, and hummus. A year ago I embarked on a healthier lifestyle, lost forty pounds, and completely changed how I eat and these are now my go-to snack, along with fruits like grapes, apples, and all kinds of berries.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? It was all in my head. Literally. I grappled with my emotions and a performance-based mentality, mostly due to my insecurities. I’ve since discovered this was all ploys by the enemy to prevent me from the assignment God has given me, but occasionally still battle in some form or another. The struggle is real.

Tell us about the featured book. Journey has been… a journey, for sure. As I look back, I’m amazed at how God orchestrated this thing by using my own emotional healing, the teachings of my church, and personal experiences. He glued it together to become a story of hope and encouragement for others even while using it as a cathartic therapy module during my own travels toward emotional restoration. He is so amazing and it still bowls me over how He pulled this thing off. And now? He is my marketing CEO, and He is in charge of using the project as He wills. I just do what He says and let him take care of the rest. It makes me chuckle to see how few copies I sell and how I’ve given away (at His direction) about three times as many. The payoff? When I hear someone has been touched by Jade’s story, I know my work is done… yet never completed.

Back cover blurb:
Jade Pepperdine has a problem: Her life is crumbling beneath the weight of the past, events of the present, and fears for her future. Things need to change, but she doesn’t know where to start. Answers come in the form of an unexpected opportunity when Jade finds herself stuck in a mythical land. She meets Mayor Dudley, who insinuates she is emotionally broken and in need of repair ... a fact she’d just as soon ignore. He offers to help her get home if she is willing to face her issues through a process of restoration. Frightened and skeptical yet out of options, Jade grudgingly agrees. And soon figures out that change is a journey, not a destination. Come along on the adventure of a lifetime, and maybe you’ll find someone you never knew you lost: Yourself.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

The cave’s bone-chilling temperature matched the icy loathing that enveloped Mayor’s heart.

Stalactites tapered from the ceiling to where fat water droplets echoed a drip-drip-drip as they spattered to the ground. One landed on his cheek, and he swiped it away.

Fossils embedded in the granite walls looked like carved-out faces, frozen in silent screams. He sneezed from the damp, musty odor oozing from every crevice. Allergies? More like an aversion to this horrid place.

He drilled the tip of his cane impatiently into the crumbling limestone of the cave’s floor. Why had he ever agreed to meet in the enemy’s lair? They could have sat in one of the pleasant conference rooms at the home office where at least a mug of steaming tea would melt his frozen insides. Abaddon had probably insisted on holding the meeting in the wintry cavern just to annoy him—like having Mayor on his turf would give him the upper hand? He’d never learn.

Eons ago, Abaddon had been one of Mayor’s top agents… that is until his pride got the best of him. He challenged authority and attempted a coup that earned him permanent banishment from the kingdom.

Thunder boomed, and the cave vibrated until dirt from the ceiling tumbled down the walls. Mayor smirked. Was this little spectacle supposed to impress him? A howling wind forced him to hold his hat in place. With a burst of flame, his host arrived.

Tall and lanky, the man appeared gaunt, his face a pale shade of gray. Even his black hair was streaked with more silver than Mayor recalled. Perhaps the stress of perpetual defeat was beginning to weigh on him.

Mayor took in the oily black tux and tails that shimmered with red leather outlines. Orange buttons shaped like flames dotted the double breast and accented the vest underneath. An ebony tie circled his neck and set off the bright orange shirt to complete the outfit. He had to admit that his arch enemy did cut a rather dashing figure. Too bad there’s so much ugly on the inside.

“Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp-dressed man, eh?” Abaddon threw his head back and roared at his own humor.

Mayor pursed his lips. His adversary’s attempt to conceal emotions through animated jocularity fell flat, his eyes, cold and dead, betraying an inner turmoil of significant magnitude. Interesting.

“Surely you know one of the greatest party songs of all time.” He hummed a few bars of the old rock-and-roll tune. “ZZ Top?”

“Can we just get on with it?”

The evil one smirked, snapped his fingers, and a round table surrounded by rolling chairs appeared. They settled, and one of Abaddon’s hired hands rolled in a cart with an onyx coffee pot trimmed in gold with matching mugs. The man shot a fearful glance at his boss, received a dismissive grunt, then bowed and backed out of the room.

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Thank you, Kimberly, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I know it will help lots of the readers.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

http://ow.ly/gpuu50Gmimg

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THE UNLIKELY YARN OF THE DRAGON LADY - Sharon J Mondragón - One Free Book

It’s easy to fall into a routine that’s easy and comfortable because it’s what has always been done. But sometimes we need to get pushed out of our comfort zones in order to do the work God really calls us to do. That’s what happens to the members of the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry in Sharon J. Mondragón’s debut novel, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady (Kregel Publications).

Welcome, Sharon. Tell us a little bit about your new book, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady. The four knitters of the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry are stuck—in a comfortable mold of ministry, a stagnant church, and at the points of pain they each have in their own life. All this changes when their pastor kicks them out of the comfortable, quiet prayer chapel to take their ministry out into the world. They end up knitting way out of their comfort zone at the local mall during the Christmas shopping season where anything can happen.

Introduce us to the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry. Who are the members and what is the mission of the ministry? The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry has met from 9:30-11:30 every Wednesday morning for the past seven years to knit prayer shawls. They knit in the peace and quiet of the Prayer Chapel of Hope of Glory Community Church, praying silently. Margaret is the self-appointed leader of the group (she tends to take charge of whatever she’s involved in). Jane, a mother of teens, gives Rose a ride from Fair Meadows Retirement Community every week. Fran is a recent widow learning to knit as she begins to emerge from the fog of grief.

The purpose of their ministry is to make shawls to comfort and encourage people who are ill, bereaved or otherwise going through a difficult time. They pray as they knit to infuse the shawls with a sense of the presence of God. The shawls are a tangible expression of God’s love and care—a hug from God.

The prayer shawl knitters have been meeting in the church’s prayer chapel, but their routine gets turned upside down. What happened? Their pastor, Father Pete, has been tasked with either reviving Hope of Glory or shutting it down. If he were a betting man, the bishop would put his money on closing the church. Father Pete, however, isn’t someone who gives up easily. He’s tried all the usual ways of stirring things up—sprucing up the church, expanding the children’s ministry, small groups, to no avail.

At a recent clergy conference, however, Father Pete gets a brainwave. The bishop tells the pastors in attendance that people are not coming to church anymore, therefore, they need to take church to the people. Father Pete decides that a great way to do this would be to send Hope of Glory (in the form of the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry) out to the people who aren’t coming to church. After all, what is as inviting and cozy as a group of knitters? He tells them that for the next month, while work is being done in the prayer chapel, they must meet in public.

What starts to happen as the ladies start knitting in the middle of the mall? People notice them. It starts with a college student, Sarah, who tells the knitters they remind her of her grandmother who makes afghans. After Rose explains prayer shawls to her, Sarah asks the group to pray about her upcoming test. Word gets out, and soon the knitters are fielding prayer requests from all over the mall—from a tire salesman up for promotion and retail workers barely making ends meet to the assistant manager at the bookstore who is worried about her gravely-ill boss.

The Heavenly Hugs also attract a few young women who want to learn to knit. Rose is delighted to pass on this skill, but the knitting lessons upset Margaret. Not only are they not getting much praying done when people stop by to talk to them, but teaching knitting has never been part of their ministry. She’s convinced the ministry is falling apart, even though some of the people they’ve talked with at the mall start showing up at church.

What happens once a prayer shawl is finished? How is it decided who gets a shawl? When one of the Heavenly Hugs ladies finishes a shawl, Margaret attaches a tag with the words “Made for you with love and prayer by the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry” on one side and “You are not alone,” followed by the church’s contact information on the other. Then the shawl is delivered to the church, where Father Pete and the congregation pray over it the following Sunday. The shawl is then stored in the church office to be given out to those who request one for someone they know and care about who is having a rough time. On occasion, Father Pete or Lucille, the church administrator, give them to someone who has come for counseling or support.

Why is Margaret so focused on an arbitrary set of rules that it keeps her from seeing the positives of knitting at the mall? For one thing, Margaret is used to being in charge. She doesn’t like being told what to do. She invokes those arbitrary rules in order to maintain the status quo. She likes having the prayer shawl ministry in the neat little box of the Prayer Chapel, where nothing unexpected happens and no-one challenges her authority.

She is also using those rules much like the Pharisees used theirs—to keep God at arm’s length. It looks like she’s ministering on the outside, but she’s using those rules to keep from engaging with God. Meeting at the mall changes the way the group ministers. It makes them aware of “the wants and needs” of a group of people they hadn’t thought about before. Being out among the people they’re praying for forces awareness of these needs and shakes them out of complacency. While Rose, Fran, and Jane come to embrace this, Margaret continues to be uncomfortable with the changes and unpredictability. She’d rather keep the people and their problems at arm’s length, too, especially as they begin to inch her toward facing a long-buried hurt.

 After a couple of months, why is it so difficult for Margaret to admit Father Pete may have been right in kicking the knitters out of the prayer chapel? Why does she always have to be in control? Margaret is something of a matriarch at Hope of Glory, the church “Dragon Lady.” She’s seen pastors come and pastors go, but she has maintained her firm grip on “the way we’ve always done things.” It’s a matter of pride for her to always be right. Having opposed Father Pete, she can’t swallow her pride and admit that he was right.

This issue of control is something I’ve thought about a great deal. There are a number of bossy women in my life. Not being bossy myself, I’ve been perplexed about how these women can feel so comfortable telling others what to do and always getting their own way. Margaret’s character began as an attempt to understand bossy women. I hoped that by getting inside her head and heart, seeing things through her eyes, I m­ight gain insight into the inner workings of my own bossy women.

What I’ve discovered is that not all bossy women have the same motivations. For some it’s about power, the flexing of “muscles” to be able to make others do things. Others believe they have the best ideas, so naturally, others should do as they say. For women like Margaret, there’s an element of pride. They want everything they do to come out in a way that reflects well on them, regardless of much steamrolling they must do to achieve it.

For Margaret, however, it goes even deeper. She is trying to fend something off by controlling as much as she can. Realizing this was an epiphany for me. I realized that I, too, had struggled with the issue of trying to protect myself vs. trusting God with my future and my heart. I found that my bossy character and I had common ground after all.

What happens that finally starts to turn Margaret’s heart around? Through one of the prayer requests at the mall, Margaret comes face-to-face with a situation which hits uncannily close to home, a situation from which she has been running for over two decades. This trauma has been at the bottom of her steely and desperate need to control. She is finally moved toward change and healing when she decides to try to save someone else from the regrets that have haunted her for over twenty-five years.

Can you share what the other members of the group are struggling with in their lives? Rose Harker is eighty-five, widowed, and has relished her independence. She enjoyed her involvement at church, her friendships with the families in her neighborhood, and driving herself whenever she wanted to go somewhere—until she mowed down her daughter’s mailbox while she was backing out of the driveway, that is. Her bossy daughter thinks the best place for Rose is Fair Meadows Retirement Community, so that’s where she’s living now. That doesn’t mean she has to like it, though. At the beginning of the story, Rose is not adjusting well to life at Fair Meadows, shunning new friendships and wishing she could go back to living on her own.

Jane Crenshaw is the harried mother of three contentious teenagers—a nineteen-year-old son, Kenny, and two daughters, Anna and Emily, who are fifteen and thirteen. Jane thought that once troublemaker Kenny was out of the house, things would settle down, but the girls are still intensely quarrelsome with each other and with Jane. Kenny’s behavior has hurt Jane deeply, to the point that she is estranged from him. Rose reminds her that she needs to forgive him, but Jane can’t see how that will ever be possible.

Fran McMillan is beginning to emerge from the shock of sudden bereavement. One minute she was planning a cruise to celebrate her husband Ed’s retirement from a busy, demanding career (he would have time for her at last!), and the next she was planning his funeral after a heart attack. At the beginning of the story, we meet a timid woman who is just coming out of not only the shadow of grief, but the shadow of her husband. She’s learning to knit and has started to venture out into the world again beyond just going to church. Knitting at the mall is out of her comfort zone, but she braves it anyway. Who knows what’s in store for her?

You are involved in actual prayer shawl ministry, aren’t you? Can you tell us more about it? I made my first prayer shawl in 2008. It was for myself, akin to how flight attendants tell us to put the oxygen masks on ourselves before helping others with theirs. In 2009, I joined my first prayer shawl group. I was, once again, the new girl at church, due to a military move (my husband had been assigned to Fort Gordon, located just outside Augusta, Georgia). I joined the prayer shawl group in hopes of making some friends. It turned out to be so much more!

The Hands of Comfort Prayer Shawl Ministry did not meet at The Church of the Holy Comforter, but in the café of a local health food store. The pastor wanted us to ply our needles in public, not hidden away in the church building. People often stopped by our table to ask what we were making or to tell us about someone they loved who also knitted or crocheted. We were a warm and comforting presence in that space every week.

At first, I thought of prayer shawl making as something nice to do for hurting people, but I soon discovered that God wanted something deeper from me. Most of the shawls I made went into the supply at church. They were an act of faith, as I never knew who would receive them or exactly why the shawls were needed. Then I started to experience what I call “The Nudge,” that urge to make a shawl for a particular person. This involved a great deal of listening as I searched for the right yarn and pattern for each shawl. I began to pay attention to the situations that prompted the nudge and caught a glimpse of how much God cares about fractured relationships, unspeakable sorrow, and weariness of soul. Prayer shawl making has become a way to draw closer to the heart of God, to see people and situations through His eyes.

At the end of my husband’s military career in 2014, we moved to Texas to be closer to family (especially our marvelous grandchildren). I’ve since become the facilitator for the prayer shawl ministry at our church. Those who are able meet on Friday afternoons at a local coffee shop. We are not only friends and knitting (and crochet) buddies, but prayer partners, lifting up and encouraging one another.

Do you have a new writing project in the works? Yes, I do. I’m working on another prayer shawl novel. This story takes place at the retirement community where my character Rose lives. Sam Talbot is barely existing since his wife went into Memory Care at Fair Meadows Retirement Community. Life has lost all color and meaning—until he gets tangled up with flirtatious Jenny Alderman, crotchety crocheter Edna Booth, and the rest of the prayer shawl group Rose is heading up at Fair Meadows. The Woolgatherers make prayer shawls for the caretakers of folks with dementia, but they soon find out that God has much more in mind for each of them. Jenny, Edna, and Sam come face to face with uncomfortable truths about themselves and are challenged to embrace new ways of living and relating to God and others. It’s a story of love and loss, the pain of loneliness, and the power of community.

I’m excited about this book because I feel it’s important to reach out and support those who love and care for people with memory issues. We tend not to want to think about this situation because the thought of developing memory problems ourselves is frightening. It’s deeply distressing to watch someone’s memory and function fade. Caretakers, however, need our love, concern, and support, even if it’s simply a listening ear and a hug from someone who can recognize them. In this book, I hope readers will gain a sense of God’s heart for caretakers and follow Him in loving and caring for them. The care of both memory patients and their caretakers is truly a place where courage and kindness meet.

Visit Sharon Mondragón’s website and blog at www.sharonjMondragón.com and follow her on Facebook (Sherry Mondragón) and Twitter (@SJ_Mondragón).

Thank you, Sharon for sharing this interesting book with my blog readers and me. I’m also a knitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

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Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book on this blog. 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