Rita Stella Galieh - FIRE IN THE ROCK - Free Book

I'm happy to welcome one of our writing friends from Australia. So, Rita, tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Whatever emotional and spiritual turmoils, including disappointments and heartaches, plus small triumphs and highs always seem to end up in my characters whether they be the main protagonist or a secondary. That way I can evoke the genuine emotions I experience.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I once disguised myself as an odd old lady wearing some ratty clothes that my dear old grandma wore for house cleaning. I got myself an old hat with big pearl hatpin and a moth-eaten fur cape. I pulled my hair back into a tight bun and talcumed it; powdered my face and carefully drew in some lines and assumed a scratchy, high pitched voice. I walked around in college, asking for directions from everyone I knew. They were all so polite, but I was screaming with laughter inside because not even close friends recognized me.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I wrote poems as young teen to get pocket money from the kids' section of a Sunday paper, but didn't consider myself a writer. I wrote lyrics for songs I recorded, but still never thought of myself as a writer. I script and co-present for a weekly Christian radio program--but that didn't make me any sort of a writer. But then a longing grew to write a full length novel. Urgh!! I didn't know how! So I just started anyway. I joined RWA but couldn't figure out how on earth to structure a book. I didn't even have a clue how to bring it to a climax. I thought I'd just work it out when I got there. Then I joined ACFW. I listened and learned like a sponge soaking up all the answers to my myriad questions. My husband referred to me as a budding author and I thought maybe I was a writer of sorts, but still had a long way to go. Sigh! Now I realize I was a little embryo writer way back when.

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

I read everything. I always grab second-hand Readers Digest books to expose myself to all writing styles.

What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I wrote 2 chick lits and hated them--not my style! I love the research involved in full length historicals so I have written a trilogy which is in the pipeline here in Oz. And two others which have yet to find a home. I have also had a few contributions published in the Cup of Comfort series.

How do you keep your sanity in this rush, rush, rush world.

Ahh, only the Lord can give that kind of peace in today's crazy economy. Even though we lost all the money from the sale of my dear mum's house in one of those awful investment company crashes. I can truly say that after the hurt I realized all my riches are in Christ and no one can take that away!

I so agree with you. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Choosing names is the fun part. I've used a few church members' names to their delight. For my main protagonists I'm a bit tentative until I feel I know them. But sometimes I've changed them midstream and if they agree, I stick with them.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Every year my evangelist hubby and I spend a month ministering in Thailand. We work through a Thai interpreter and find ourselves in Buddhist high school assemblies, hospitals, prisons and correctional centres, besides churches. We meet some wonderful Christians and are humbled at their bright testimonies.

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

I thought of a kangaroo because they can't go backwards; only forward in leaps and bounds. But I really think I'd rather be a baby elephant with its cute little curly trunk and gingery bristles, eating bananas, mangos and sugar cane all day long. Yair!

What is your favorite food?

Hot Indian curries followed closely by Thai food. Then for comfort, good old Vegemite on toast. Mmm!

A friend had good friends from Australia who visited here several times. Even in my home. They brought me vegemite, but it's not my cup of tea. But Tex-Mex, now that's really good. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

It happens all the time when I deliberately put my heroine in a trying situation, then have to work out how to bring her through it. As Agatha Christie's Detective Poirot says, "one must keep ze leetle grey cells working, non?" Doing it that way often keep me awake nights, but always seems to work.

What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Write,write, write. Learn from those whose opinion you trust. Buy the books. Go to the conferences if you can. Persevere. Bounce back after the disappointments which invariably come. Be prepared to change things that published authors suggest. And most of all, cover all your writing attempts in prayer. You're an ambassador of the Lord whether you're writing for the Christian public or not.

Tell us about the featured book?

At the turn of the twentieth century, some class distinctions lingered, boundaries between men and women were still clearly defined and social conventions strict. In this setting a well-meant deception finds a young woman in a desperate search to unearth crucial information as to her identity. But the truth--preserved by its wary keepers--lies buried in the opal fields on the fringe of the vast and thirsty Outback.

One of the main protagonists is an American, along with US evangelists, RA Torrey and Chas Alexander who held missions here. So, although this rather nostalgic story is fiction, it is based on true incidents and laced with some of the fascinating characters forming part of the Australian Christian heritage.

Please give us the first page of the book.

First page is the Prologue.

Have you ever seen a rag doll with the stuffing knocked out of it?

Our whole ward of mentally wounded young soldiers resembled once-loved, but now forgotten toys. Yet the following account is not about this. I am simply explaining how I came to delve into an unfamiliar world.

The researching and the actual relating of events has been a godsend. For apart from minor shrapnel wounds, the fact that I was found shell-shocked and wandering near enemy lines, of which I have no recollection, meant I ended up in a sanatorium to convalesce. Flickering battlefield images slashed with muddied, bloodied trenches, the perpetual whoomps of shelling, and the lasting impression of the acrid stink of cordite, replayed in my wearied mind.

Rehabilitation, they said. Me! A disillusioned thirty-nine year old war correspondent. Yet it wasn't until my mother arrived and spent precious time talking to me day after day, explaining all the things this veteran had been too young, too busy, or far too full of himself to understand before, that my healing process began.

Wiser than many doctors with their endless, mind-numbing medications, she suspected that if she began relating certain incidents and clarifying the actions of several fascinating characters, it might reawaken the interest of her hurt, deeply confused son. And this time I really listened, thus comprehension gradually returned. I suppose it was then my recuperation began in earnest. For as I looked back into a gentler, kinder past, I managed to see beyond myself and my immediate problems.

So it seemed God had placed this prodigal apart to rest a little while, where he could be straightened out mentally and spiritually. I discovered a lot about the generation before the first World War, known as the Great One; the way people were; the way they cared about each other; the way they acknowledged God and sought His guidance.

Now I had an immediate purpose. I wanted to capture all this for the family of my own I planned to have one day. So, as I threw myself into the study of letters and diaries, and gleaned extra details from those involved, I found hope again.

But as I said before, this isn't about me. It's about three extraordinary men, among several other intriguing characters, whose lives influenced, challenged, and helped shape the life of a guileless young woman who hailed from distant opal fields. So, this is really her story, and her far-reaching quest..."

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I'd love for them to look me up at http://www.ritastellagalieh.com/

Thanks again, Lena. Your copy of Fire in the Rock is on its way to Texas.

God bless
Rita

Yes, I've received the book. Thank you, Rita, for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back on Saturday in two weeks to see if you are the winner.

Winners on a Holiday Weekend

Carly Kendall is the winner of Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills.

Stacy is the winner of Ready-Made Family by Cheryl Wyatt.

Windy Cindy is the winner of Murder at Eagle Summit by Virginia Smith.

Sheila Deeth is the winner of Spring Creek Bride by Janice Thompson.

Please email me your mailing address, so we can get your book to you. You can find a link if you click the View Complete Profile link in the right column.

I pray that your Easter holidays will be filled with a sense of His presence, and you will understand the depth of His great love for you.

Wanda Dyson - SHEPHERD'S FALL - Free Book

After a long wait, I'm happy to welcome Wanda Dyson back to my blog. I love reading her stories. So Wanda, why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write what are commonly called “crime thrillers” where there is usually a murder, or some such crime, and my heroes have to overcome themselves and the “bad guys” to solve the crime, catch the bad guys, and discover that the ability to be all that God called them to be was right there all along.

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

It’s a toss up between the day my daughter was born, after years of thinking I was never going to have a child, and the day I was ordained.

How has being published changed your life?

It was like moving from a six-lane highway with numerous exits and no signs to indicate where any of them led, to a paved path with guardrails and signs every few feet telling me to proceed this way-and a GPS giving me minute-by-minute instructions. :-) I spent most of my life wondering why I was here and what I was supposed to do and how I was supposed to do it and where I was supposed to be going and how I was supposed to get there and suddenly, the minute the contract came through, I had the peace of knowing I was exactly where I was supposed to do and doing exactly what I was born to do.

What are you reading right now?

At the moment, I’m reading James Frey’s books on writing fiction.

What is your current work in progress?

I just finished up the Prodigal Recovery Series and now getting ready to start the first book in my new series, as yet untitled.

Oh, goody. Keep those books coming. What would be your dream vacation?

It’s a toss-up between a couple weeks in a hut out over the water in Fiji with a laptop and a stack of good books…. and a couple weeks in Scotland in July with a camera and a Angie Hunt to drive, since she did so well on our trip to Ireland last year.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

By the time I get to know my characters and most of their story, I know where the story has to take place. Sometimes it’s a real place and I change the name, or it’s not real and I make up the type of place they would live. I know from their story whether it has to be a big city or a small town.

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

I can’t decide between Dave Lambert or Karen Ball. I’d love to just sit and pick their brains about fiction, writing, the industry, etc.

And with Karen, you'd have a lot of fun! I don't really know Dave Lambert that well. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Well, as most people know, I have horses, so riding Nanza, of course. I also raise Silkies. Now, what are Silkies, you may ask? They are rare and beautiful chickens that are very small, very cottony soft and fluffy, and thought of as the poodles of the chicken world. Wacky, I know, but there truly are the most adorable little things. So, I enjoy spending time with them. The rest of my “hobby” time is spent in the garden, wandering through flea markets looking for treasure, or creating crafty decorative things with whatever I can find.

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

Proposals. Seriously. I have never written a book and then gone out and sold it. I write a proposal, sell the idea and then go write the book. The problem is, I don’t always have the whole story until I write it, so trying to convey the depth the story will have in a proposal is very hard. But I’m learning. Frey’s books are a big help with that.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t sell that first manuscript. Or second. Or even third. Consider them teaching materials and keep writing. You become a better writer by writing, so keep at it until you’re the best you can be. It’s not enough in this industry to be talented. Or even very talented. It’s also about the story. No matter how good you think it is, you can count on there being something else out there similar to it, so you have to have a GREAT story, with GREAT characters, and a unique voice. Once all that comes together, you’ll get published.

Wow! Did I do all that? Now tell us about the featured book.

Shepherds Fall is the first in a 3 book series about 3 siblings (2 brothers and a sister) who were raised in a Christian family who have now inherited the family “bounty hunter” business- Prodigal Fugitive Recovery Agency. Each book features one of the siblings and how each one finds out that they are as much a prodigal as the criminals they are hunting – and how God hunts them down.

The first book is about Greg who is trying to recover from a bitter divorce to a woman he still loves, build a relationship with a daughter who resents that he “left” her, save the family business from financial ruin, and outwit a criminal who is holding his daughter hostage. And in the midst of all the action, car chases, intrigue, and danger, God is chasing Greg down and taking him hostage in hopes of getting Greg’s attention before he loses everything.

Will Greg rescue his daughter? Will God get Greg’s attention? Will Greg understand what God is trying to show him? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Because you know me, Lena… just when you think you have it all figured out, you find out I’ve thrown a twist in there you weren’t expecting. :-)

That's one of the reasons I love your books. I can't figure them out from the first. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I can be found at either http://www.wandadyson.com/

or at http://www.keepmeinsuspense.com/.

The book trailer for Shepherds Fall can be found at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WmXptRyP6uA

Thank you, Wanda, for spending this time with us.

Readers, you'll want to win a free copy of the book, so leave a comment for a chance. (Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.)

If you don't win, you'll want to get your hands on a copy right away. So here's a link where you can buy the book:

Debra Ullrick - DIXIE HEARTS - Free Book ( make that 2 free books)

I'm very happy to welcome Debra Ullrick back to my blog. So Debra, God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

Man, that’s a toughie. I know what I’d like to see. And that is, tons of books sales to people who need what God gives me.

Tell us a little about your family.

I’m married to Rick, a wonderful, godly man. We celebrated our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary June 15, 2008. My only daughter, Sharmane Wikberg got married last year on 07/07/2007 in Las Vegas. And I can’t forget my other baby, Tickles. An ornery Manx cat.

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

Yes. I used to just enjoy reading. At that time, I searched for a story that fit my mood. After I started writing, I found myself critiquing the books, instead of just reading them. You know…Oh oh, passive. Oh oh, telling. Oh oh, too many adverbs. It was so frustrating that I no longer enjoyed reading. This went on for a long time until someone pointed out to me that I was reading with my “editor’s cap” on, instead of my “readers cap”. At first I had to really work at not critiquing them. But finally it worked, and I started to simply enjoy reading them again. There are times however, that I will purposely read a book as a study tool. I’ll ask myself what I like about it, and why. I’ll highlight things and sentences I really love.

What are you working on right now?
I’m actually working on several things. My first historical You Ordered What, turning The Bride Wore Coveralls into a screenplay, (an agent wants to see it when I’m finished) writing Powder Puff Bride, the sequel to Déjà vu Bride, and my first non-fiction book When All I Thought About Was Death.

Quite a variety there. What outside interests do you have?

Monster trucks, classic car auto shows, mud bog racing, Jane Austen movies, British documentaries, and a variety of other movies. I love feeding and watching wild birds, visiting water falls in hidden places, and I’m fascinated with sea life. Not only with the bazillion different species and their brilliant colors, but God’s creative genius in making each one unique.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

When writing for Heartsong Presents, I base the setting on what state is available. Otherwise, I use places that I’ve either lived at, visited, or would love to visit. Most of the time I’ll create a fictional place based on real place. I also like to create settings that I fantasize about.

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

Jane Austen. I’m a huge fan of hers. She has amazing characters and incredible insight. I also love the way she uses language.

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

How to write that bestselling novel. *smiling* Seriously, I wish I would have known to trust that the Holy Spirit has a plan for me and to follow my heart.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

To take the steps that He is asking me take. To write the stories that He is asking me to write. And to trust Him with the results. I’m also learning that I don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle. I don’t see the whole picture of what He is doing. But God will give me those pieces as I need them. So, I need to rest in Him. Not just with my writing but with everything in my life.

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

1.) Pray every time you sit in front of your computer to write.

2.) Learn the craft, but don’t get bogged down with the rules. Guidelines help us, but if we let them, they can hinder us. Don’t become too legalistic while writing.

3.) If you can, find someone whose opinion you trust to help you along the way. Someone who understands your unique writing style and doesn’t try to change it. A good mentor is worth their weight in gold.

Tell us about the featured book.

Dixie Hearts is a three book compilation with me, and two other authors—Andrea Boeshaar, and Kay Cornelius. It contains my debut novel, The Bride Wore Coveralls about a feisty female mechanic/mud bog racer who struggles to prove to her fellow workers and mud bog racers that she’s just as good at racing and building mud boggers as they are. But no matter how good Camara Chevelle Cole is or how hard she tries, the men refuse to give her a break. Especially her long time Chevy/Ford/racing rival, Chase Lamar.

Chase Lamar is a new Christian who is trying to break free from his father’s controlling, unforgiving ways. As his feelings toward his long time rival Camara Cole, grows, he sets out to prove to her that he’s a new creature in Christ. But no matter how hard he tries, Camara doesn’t believe him. When someone starts sabotaging her mud bog truck, she’s convinced that someone is him. Chase is determined to prove his innocence. And he’s determined to win Camara’s heart in the process.

I've read that book, and it's deliciously different from any romance I'd ever read. How can readers find you on the Internet?

By visiting my website at http://www.debraullrick.com/
Or Shoutlife at http://www.shoutlife.com/ChristianRMwriter
Or my blog at http://www.christianromancewriter.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Debra, for spending this time with us. By the way, I love your new picture.

Readers, here's a link where you can order Dixie Hearts:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Adam Blumer - FATAL ILLUSIONS - Free Book

We're featuring debut novelist Adam Blumer today. Welcome, Adam. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

To some degree, my life experiences are always going to factor into how I create my characters. I made a special effort not to make the main protagonists just like me, though there are a few similarities. My female lead, Gillian Thayer, for example, works a part-time job as a calligrapher. In high school, I dabbled in calligraphy and won a few small awards. Gillian also loves solo piano music and Earl Grey tea: two of my favorite things. I'm also melancholy like Gillian.

On the other hand, Gillian's pastor husband, Marc, isn't at all like me. He's an aggressive extrovert and natural speaker who played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls before God used a car accident to save his soul and change his life. I don't play a lick of basketball and know next to nothing about professional basketball, so I had some research to do.

Several traits belong only to my characters. Gillian has a habit of tracing imaginary calligraphy letters with her finger when she's tense. Marc struggles with a basketball addiction, but refrains from playing the sport due to anger issues. His daughter, Crystal, has been taking voice lessons since she was six and gets the lead role in a small-town musical. My serial killer, who enjoys listening to Broadway musical soundtracks, drives his fingernails into his palms when he's enraged. Chuck Riley, the retired homicide detective who helps the Thayers catch the killer, is addicted to Juicy Fruit gum.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

When I went on a trip to the Holy Land and met my wife. In the spring of 1995, still single and disillusioned with dating, I gave up on the idea of dating anyone ever again. I decided to go on a trip to the Holy Land as sort of a spiritual pilgrimage; I wanted to meditate on God and see what He wanted to show me about Himself. Wouldn’t you know it? What I least expected happened. At the Boston airport, I met Kim, a gorgeous brunette (her church group met mine) who’d brought the same novel to read on the airplane, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. No kidding. Then at London’s Heathrow Airport, the ticket person thought she and I were a couple and put us together on the all-night flight to Tel Aviv. Kim didn’t care for her sardines, so I ate them. The relationship appeared to be promising. To cut to the chase, we chatted in Jericho, conversed in Nazareth, and talked nonstop in Jerusalem. On the way home I sat beside her on the plane. A few weeks later, I visited her in Milwaukee and met her parents. By New Year’s, we were engaged. Pretty amazing, huh? I now tell singles not to look for a marriage partner. Seek God, and He’ll put you on a collision course if marriage is His plan for you.

That's really good advice. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I loved writing imaginative tales when I was a kid, but I didn’t start taking my writing seriously until I won a state high school creative writing contest. That’s when I realized that my writing was better than average and that perhaps God wanted me to do something with it. Because I loved writing and got good grades in English, I decided to get a journalism degree in college; it seemed like a smart vocational decision fitted to my skills. By then, it was pretty much a given in my mind that God wanted me to write. Exactly what I was supposed to write I didn’t know yet. For fourteen years I served as a staff editor for two ministries, but I always preferred writing stories.

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

History, science fiction, classic literature, fantasy, true crime. I mostly enjoy Christian suspense, of course, authors like Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, Tim Downs, and Mark Mynheir. I also enjoy literature (Alexander Dumas, John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, Flannery O’Conner, Katherine Anne Porter) and some secular fiction (Leif Enger, Mary Higgins Clark, J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks). When I’m not reading fiction, I enjoy history (John Adams by David McCullough) and theology (John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, and others.).

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

I’m not sure because life has been anything but sane lately with a regular day job and then a novel coming out. I guess I endeavor to keep my focus on God and to rely on His strength instead of my own. We all struggle in this area because everyone is tempted to be self-sufficient, including me. But I have to constantly remind myself that each breath, each moment, is a gift from God. The Bible tells me that if I seek God first, He will provide everything else I need. I believe that includes the strength and sanity to do what He has called me to do in spite of the rate race of this world.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I don’t do anything especially creative like looking up Latin meanings. If I’m stumped, I glance through a phone book and meditate on who my character is and what type of name would fit him or her. I definitely stay away from ordinary names because I always want my characters to have something special and different about them. I chose “Gillian” for my female lead because I like the sound of the name with her personality and because I don’t personally know anyone named Gillian. For her husband, Marc, I didn’t want to use “Mark” with a “k” at the end because I already know lots of men with that name. To make him unique I decided to use a “c” instead of a “k” at the end of his name. I’m not sure how to explain it except that I always want my characters to have something about them that make them unusual. If they don’t offer anything special, I fear they won’t offer the character depth readers find interesting.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Publishing my first novel, I suppose. I wouldn’t say that I take personal pride in the accomplishment as much as I consider myself blessed by God in spite of my failings. Without God, I can do nothing. I couldn’t have written the novel without God’s leading and without the encouragement from lots of dear friends and family members.

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

An owl, I think. Nighttime is probably my favorite time. I love to watch life around me and observe what people are doing. The why of what people do is particularly fascinating to me. I don’t put a lot of stock in psychobabble, but there is a reason why we are the people God made us to be. The past is inexplicably woven into everyone’s personal identity. Perhaps that’s why I find the past—and how it affects all of us—so fascinating.

What is your favorite food?

Steak on the grill, pizza, shrimp scampi. Oh, sorry, that’s three.

Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

It’s a long story, but I’ll give you the short version. I always loved writing stories and wanted to be a novelist since I was a kid. I studied journalism in college, but I could never get away from my love of story writing. After college, I published articles and short stories. I also wrote several youth novels, but I couldn’t find a publisher. An editor somewhere recommended that I try writing for adults. I wrote a suspense novel, but again I couldn’t find a publisher or agent. In 2007 I contacted Kregel Publications to see if I could edit some of their books from home (I’m a full-time freelance editor.) When the managing editor saw on my resume that I had written several unpublished novels, he asked to see my latest project. Long story short, God opened doors, and Kregel bought my adult suspense novel.

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

I still struggle with the roadblock of time. I’m a full-time freelance editor who works on novels after my regular work is done. As many author husbands and fathers who are the main breadwinners will tell, time is a never-ending battle. The solution? I weed timewasters out of my life and try to use every moment for something productive. Most of my writing time consumes evenings and weekends. I’d love to write full time, but God hasn’t opened that door yet, so I do the best I can with the time He has given me. As a husband and father of two girls, I’ll tell you that finding sufficient time to write is my greatest challenge. But the Bible tells me that if I seek God first, He’ll provide what I need—including the time to write.

What advice would you give to others who are trying to get their first book published?

If you’re a writer who wants to be a published novelist, be patient and work hard, but keep in mind that doors will open for you only in the Lord’s timing. We can’t rush God. If He has prompted you to write, God gave you that desire for a reason. Explore what His will could be, but learn to wait on Him—perhaps even for a long time. When He’s ready, He’ll let you know. In the meantime, seek Him with your whole heart.

Tell us about the featured book?

Pastor’s wife Gillian Thayer is mourning the loss of twins who died at birth when she makes a discovery that shatters her world. She finds a love letter written to her husband, Marc. But before she can confront him, someone shoots Marc. He recovers, but the situation involving the woman who shot him is so complex and the media so relentless that the Thayers decide to take a sabbatical at a historical lighthouse in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But someone else has also moved to the area, a serial killer and amateur magician who dreams of being the next Houdini. He strangled several young women in Cincinnati, but to pursue his dream of being a great magician, he must put the murders and his past behind him. He thinks he just needs time and distance, but of course he soon spots his next victim and can’t help himself. When Marc, the last person to see the victim alive, is arrested, he and Gillian find themselves thrust into the heart of a murder investigation and into the sights of a ruthless killer.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue
As dusk settled over the suburban Cincinnati neighborhood, the sodium-vapor lights along the quiet street blinked and came to life on cue. They chased the shadows from the grade school parking lot, now littered with dried leaves that scraped across the pavement and swirled
in their seasonal dance of joy.

Across the way, a man in a jet-black jogging suit eased behind a tree and checked his watch as the chilly breeze tousled his hair. He breathed deeply, noting the intoxicating aroma of burning leaves, and impatiently studied the faces of the pedestrians now strolling toward the school auditorium. Anxious children tugged at reluctant parents, their excitement barely contained.

“Yes, yes,” he overheard a woman tell a child. “We’ll get there in plenty of time. No need to rush.”

He smiled. He had been that overzealous child once, but that was a long time ago. He’d grown up, things had changed, and not every change had been welcome.

His smile faded as he continued to search for a certain bespectacled face. He’d been watching her for weeks and knew everything about her: when she got up in the morning, when she went to bed, where she went each day, how she spent her time. He even knew she was failing English for the second time, even after her teacher had given her a two-week extension on her term paper. Going through her trash, he’d discovered her addiction to Snickers bars, her affection for Ruffles potato chips and cream soda, and her preference for Pantene shampoo, which added luster to the blonde hair she wore long and wavy.

I'm hooked. How can the readers find you on the Internet?

Author’s Web Site: http://www.adamblumerbooks.com/

Author’s Blog: http://www.northwoodsblumer.blogspot.com/

Freelance Editing: http://www.blumer.org/adam

Facebook: http://profile.to/adamblumer

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamblumer

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/adamblumer

ShoutLife: http://www.shoutlife.com/adamblumer

Twitter: http://twitter.com/adamblumer

Thank you, Adam, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link where you can order the book:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Robin Shope - WILDCARD - Free Book

Robin Shope is back with a different kind of book this time. Welcome, Robin. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I love to write about salvation and forgiveness. They are the most precious gifts I have received from the Lord. Many of us still struggle with forgiveness even after we have become Christians. My husband struggled with forgiving himself for his past mistakes when he came to the cross, many years ago. We say we know God forgives us, but do we really? Once this truth has become rhema to us, then we need to grant that forgiveness to ourselves and to others who have wronged us. We need to let go of the bitterness, allowing in God's perfect peace and joy.

In The Christmas Edition our hero feels unworthy of God and therefore an incident in his past holds him captive from moving forward with his life. In The Valentine Edition Jodi Williams, our heroine is struggling with unforgiveness of her father, holding onto the past with a terrible vengeance. In The Easter Edition (release date Easter 2010), the minister struggles with the sins of his past. They are keeping him from moving forward into the fullness of what God has for him.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Wildcard will be out late April. The official release date is May 5th but it should be available on Amazon by the mid to the end of April. I am really excited about this book in particular because this is a return to my mystery writing roots. I think men and women alike will thoroughly enjoy the suspense and the surprises in the plot. It starts with a touch of romance which I think always adds another layer.

I love mysteries, but they're even better with the romance, too. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Make that two contemporary persons. I would love to spend an evening with the Obama girls, Malia and Sasha. I think they are bright and a whole lot of fun. What cuties!

How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

The desire was there from an early age but I first considered it as a real possibility in college and took several creative writing classes. That's when I started my very first novel. Someday I will finish it.

What can you tell authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

There is a niche for you, there is for me, and I have enough rejection slips to wallpaper my living room. I just keep plugging. I used to become very upset over getting one of these slips, or email turndowns. And then I figured, I would just keep going, learning, improving, reading, writing, going through any open door…it's me. It's what I do. Consequently, I have hundreds of articles in print, dozens of short stories in various popular collections, and books out. I keep on going. Working hard. So you keep learning, improving, reading, putting yourself out there.

Tell us about the featured book?

Wildcard is about a diabolical plot to take over the government from the inside out. Sounds farfetched to you? How about, the government is taken over by way of the voting machines? What would happen if someone secured a microchip that could be manipulated to give his or her candidate the edge to win the next presidential election? Not enough votes for a landslide, but just enough to put their candidate over the top in a decisive win. The Wildcards are a group of maverick agents who want to take over the outcome of the next election for President of the United States.

During Ivy Dillon's last week as a Washington Intern, she and Ms. Geneen Waters, the secretary to the President of the United States, overhear a conversation about voting machines and missing software. Months later Ms. Waters body is found floating in the Potomac River. FBI Special Agent Ian Serby, who swears he will give his life to protect her, takes Ivy into protective custody. Ian is smart, sexy and seems to have a hidden agenda all his own. Will Ivy follow her heart and believe what Ian tells her about trying to stop the Wildcards or is he actually a member of the Wildcards?

Please give us the first page of the book.

He stared at her with superb green eyes the color of a calm sea, but it was his slow smile that pierced her heart. Eyes and smile. Together they pulled her into the deep waters of wild imagination. The six-footer awkwardly tugged on his collar and no wonder, he seemed totally out of place at the theater's cast party.

Ivy Dillon was ripe for romance. She had to meet Whatzhisname.

"Here's your fruit punch," Jordan nudged. "I snagged you a cup."

"Thanks." Ivy turned toward her roommate. "By the way, who's that?"

"Who?"

"The great looking guy near the window." Ivy tipped her head in that direction.

"You can't mean Martin?" Jordan snorted.

"Martin?" Ivy whipped around and squinted.

Sure enough, the man she set her sights on meeting had disappeared and in his place was Martin, still wearing his theater garb and full makeup. He waved at her. Ivy waved back, disappointedly.

"No, not him."

Ivy cruised through the stage director's apartment, trying to catch sight of the man with the interesting angular features, the hair that curled up along his neckline, and, oh yes, those amazing eyes. On her way by the dessert table, the chocolate covered strawberries distracted her. She bit into one, enjoying the meeting of two rivers of flavors, and just like that Whatzhisname appeared in front of her. Magical!

"You have a bit of chocolate right there," he told her pointing at the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks," Ivy croaked.

"May I?" he asked permission to touch her skin and wipe the chocolate away.

Ivy moved closer and felt the gentle stroke of his touch. Just like strawberries and chocolate, Ivy knew they were meant to be.

"There, you're perfect again."

Interesting, How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.shoutlife.com/Robin_Shope
http://write2robinshope.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Robin, for spending this time with us.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back on Saturday in a two weeks to see of you won. Or you could sign up for Feedblitz, and you won't miss any of the posts.

First April Winners!!! And Some More!!! Please Check to See If You're here!!!

The winner of Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman is Tami (sixsunflowerseeds).

Cynthia Villafranco is the winner of Dog Gone by Eileen Key.

Debs Desk is the winner of A cloud of Suspicion by Patricia Davids.

Renee (steelergirl83) is the winner of Ruby Slippers by Leanna Ellis.

Please click on Complete Profile in my profile. You'll find a link to my email. Send me your mailing address, so we can get the book to you.

Here are some winners of other books who haven't contacted me:

Cecilia Dowdy
Katie8407 (2 books)
Peachykath
Carol Wiley
Susan Stitch
Megan.nadalet
Bookworm70
Sherrinda
Abi (ABreding4fun)

Janice Thompson -SPRING CREEK BRIDE - Free Book

I'm really happy to welcome my good friend, Janice Thompson, back to the blog. Janice, I love your cover and I love your new picture. It shows your personality. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I feel so incredibly blessed at this particular season in my life. I’ve been through several hard things (several deaths in the family, a lot of health related issues) but through it all, God has been right there, walking me through one book project, then another.

He has used the writing to bring healing in so many areas, and I’m so grateful for that! I’ve made Ephesians 3:20 – 12 my life verse: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God IS able to do so much more than I could ask or think, and He keeps proving that to me. In spite of any weakness on my part (and there’s plenty, trust me), He entrusts me with this gift (writing). I will use it to His glory as long as He allows.

I know that's true. Tell us a little about your family.

Are you sure you have the time? :-) I have four fabulous daughters in their twenties. All four are happily married (all four weddings taking place within the last four and a half years)! Two of my girls live in the Houston area with their husbands and children. The other two are out of state, which really breaks my heart. I have four beautiful grandchildren (three girls and a baby boy). They are the loves of my life. My girls are active in their local churches, primarily in the area of music and drama. (I love to watch my girls as they sing, act or lead worship. It’s such a confirmation that God is really moving in their lives!) My oldest, Randi, co-authored two books with me: BRIDE-TO-BE (a devotional) and MOMMY-TO-BE (also a devotional).

I've been in worship that her daughters led. An awesome experience. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Yes, it has changed my reading habits in two ways. First, I don’t have as much time to read anymore. I’m not just writing my own books. . .I’m critiquing for others and editing on the side. So, my plate is pretty full. Believe it or not, the only time/place I read is in the bathtub. I wish you could see the books lined up along the edge of the tub! Second, I tend to read books with an editor’s eye. I have to remind myself that it’s okay to kill off my internal editor while I read.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently writing the first of two three-book series for Revell. The first series is called “Weddings by Bella” and the first book in that series (FOOLS RUSH IN) releases in the fall. The others will follow every six months. I’m also thrilled about my most recent release, SPRING CREEK BRIDE (Love Inspired Historical). On top of these projects, I’m working on two non-fiction books, as well as a historical for Summerside, (LOVE FINDS YOU IN POETRY, TEXAS) which is due ASAP. Whew! I’m tired, just thinking about it! Many people have asked if I write multiple books simultaneous. The answer is yes, but. The “but” is that I can only write non-fiction and fiction simultaneously. I don’t think I could handle two novels simultaneously.

I tried to write two novellas simultaneously. It didn't work for me either. I had to concentrate on one until I finished it, then move to the other. What outside interests do you have?

People might be surprised to hear this, but I bake cakes. Wedding cakes. Shower cakes. Birthday cakes. You name it, I bake it. In fact, I was just asked by a local restaurant to bake cakes for them. (We’ll see if I have the time!) I also love photography. Just this weekend, Kathleen Y’Barbo and I drove out to Brenham, Texas, to see the bluebonnets. Your readers can see the photos I took on my facebook site! There’s something about taking pictures (especially nature pictures) that I find so calming/relaxing.

And I love pictures of Texas wildflowers. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I tend to write about places I’ve actually been to. I want to get the facts right, after all! Most of my books are set in one of three places: Texas (where I live), Pennsylvania (where my sister lives and where I’ve traveled) and New Jersey (which I’ve visited). I’m most comfortable writing about Texas, of course, but am open to other ideas! I love to travel and hope to one day go to Italy. Who knows? Maybe I’ll set a book there.

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

Louisa May Alcott. I would love to pick her brain. I would ask some personal questions, and some writing-related ones, too. LITTLE WOMEN was such an inspirational book to me. I love that “picture” of Jo with her ink-stained fingers, stepping out into a man’s world!

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

I wish I’d known it’s okay to write like I want to write and not how I’ve been taught to write. I’ve been to (probably) fifteen writing conferences over the years, and, while I applaud the teaching, I almost allowed some of it to zap me of my voice. I would have been writing romantic comedy much sooner if I’d gone with my gut.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

If you mean, “What new writing lessons” I’d say I’m learning to relax and be myself. If you mean, “What new life/spiritual lessons” I’d say I’m learning that my value isn’t found in what I “do” but simply in being a child of the King.

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

1). Find a great critique partner or critique group. This is critical for several reasons. They will help you with your work, yes, but they will also celebrate with you as you reach your goals and cry with you when you’re hurting.
2). Learn all you can learn about the craft, but carefully balance what you’ve learned with what the Lord is calling you to write.
3). Keep your focus on God, not on your critics or your supporters. He’s got the master plan. Just follow His lead.

Tell us about the featured book?

SPRING CREEK BRIDE has just released from Love Inspired Historical. The story is set in Spring, Texas (now known as “Old Town Spring”) in 1902. At the turn of the century, Spring was a quintessential farming community. Then the Great Northern Railroad swept in, laid track, and built a roundhouse and switchyard. Two hundred rowdy railroad workers converged upon the town. In my story, Ida Mueller (daughter of a German immigrant) has had enough of these ruffians and wants to rid her town of their evil influence. Her foe is Mick Bradley (a gambling hall owner from Chicago who has come to Spring to build a saloon/gambling hall). Ida believes she has an “Esther” call on her life, to save her people from destruction. However, she goes about it in all the wrong ways! In the end, of course, she finds love. But it’s a rocky, rocky road!

Please give us the first page of the book.

Spring, Texas 1902

Ida Mueller pressed a lock of unruly hair behind her ear and rounded the large dining table with a chipped serving bowl in hand. Chair legs scraped against the wood-planked floor as the rowdy lumber mill workers rushed to seat themselves in readiness for another of her home-cooked meals. She couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm.

“Smells good enough to eat!” one of the younger fellows chided.

Ida plopped a spoonful of crisp fried potatoes onto his plate and kept moving as she responded. “You’ve eaten at my table every day for nearly a year, Carl Walken, and haven’t found reason to complain yet.” She reached up with the back of her hand and wiped a bit of perspiration from her brow.

His eyebrows elevated mischievously. “Ain’t just the food keeps me coming back.” A playful wink followed.

“Ya reckon?” Another of the men elbowed him.

Several of the fellows let out whistles and Ida felt her cheeks turn warm. She scurried around to the opposite side of the room and continued on with the chore of feeding the work crew, doing all she could to ignore their usual flirtatious ways.

“None of that now.” Her father’s stern voice rang out from the head of the table. She shot a smile in his direction. He always knew how to keep his men in line, especially when it came to his daughter.

“Aw, Mr. Mueller.” One of the fellows groaned. “You never let us have any fun.”

“Better mind your P’s and Q’s,” Ida quipped. “I’ve got a platter of Weiner Schnitzel in the kitchen, but I’ve half a mind not to serve it.”

The men took to hearty grumbling and she returned to the kitchen for the cumbersome platter of meat. For a moment—just a moment—she leaned against the countertop and drew in a deep breath. The south Texas heat wrapped itself around her like a dressing gown and she fought to think clearly.

On days like this, and in situations like this, she missed her Mama more than ever. Seven years as the woman of the house had scarcely proven Ida worthy of filling her mother’s shoes. Sure, Papa offered plenty of encouragement, but she struggled daily to keep up with the workload of caring for her home, her father, and a crew of ravenous workers. And she struggled to overcome the grief of losing the one person a girl depended on above all others—her mother. Oh, how she longed for what she could not have.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I can be found at http://www.janiceathompson.com/.

My facebook site is: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=899110385&ref=name

Thank you, Janice, for spending this time with us. I can hardly wait to read more about Ida.

Readers, if you don't live close to a store that carries these books, here's a link where you can order it:

Leave a comment here on the blog for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Virginia Smith - MURDER AT EAGLE SUMMIT - Free Book

Oh, goody, Virginia Smith has written a murder mystery. Welcome, Virginia. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

So far my books have covered a variety of spiritual topics. I like to write about God’s unconditional love, and that showed up in Just As I Am and Sincerely, Mayla. Many times, the spiritual themes come straight out of my personal life, like with Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. Those books focus on knowing God as the perfect and loving Father, and not allowing our relationship with our imperfect, earthly fathers to interfere with that.

In Murder at Eagle Summit, the spiritual theme is again very personal to me. The main character has done some things in her past that she isn’t proud of, and she’s keeping them buried. She learns that God can cleanse her and make her whiter than snow. There’s an old hymn called “Whiter than Snow.” The fourth verse goes like this:

Lord Jesus, before You I patiently wait;
Come now and within me a new heart create.
To those who have sought You, You never said "No"
Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

What an awesome lesson, and one I need to hear over and over again.

Don't we all? What other books of yours are coming out soon?

This year is a busy one for me. The second book in the Sister-to-Sister Series, Age before Beauty, just came out in February. Of course, Murder at Eagle Summit comes out this month. And then in June, Scent of Murder will hit bookstores. That story follows Murder at Eagle Summit and A Taste of Murder (October, 2008), and focuses on the third member of the classical music trio. It’s probably the most suspenseful book I’ve written so far.

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

Billy Graham. You may find this odd, but I didn’t know much about the man until last year, when I heard Jerry Jenkins (who worked with Graham on his autobiography) speak about the time they spent together. The way he described the peace that flows from Billy Graham made me want to meet him. Obviously, God has given this humble man a unique gift, and I’d love to hear him talk of God’s grace and redemption in person.

I admire him, too. How long have you known that you wanted to be novelist?

Some writers say they knew when they were very young that they wanted to become a writer. Not me. I never considered it until my late twenties. Of course, since I have always loved science fiction and fantasy, my first (still unpublished) novels were all fantasy novels. Honestly, two of those (there were six!) are really good, in my humble and completely unbiased opinion. J I’d still like to see them published some day. But it wasn’t until I decided to dedicate my writing to the Lord and write a story where He was featured in the pages that I had any success. That was Just As I Am, and it came out in 2006. That was more than twenty years after I started!

What can you tell authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

I feel your pain! If you’ve ever read any interviews with me, you know I collected a TON of rejections before my first book contract. (143 – gasp!) But then after the contract for Just As I Am, I started selling everything I submitted. I didn’t really think I was immune to rejection, but I did enjoy four years without experiencing it. Until recently, when I received a particularly painful rejection, and I was surprised at how depressed I was. I’d thought after ten novels and dozens of articles published, I could handle one, “Sorry, but this isn’t right for us.” Let me tell you, it still stings. I still called my mother and cried.

So I can say with completely authority: rejection is a part of the profession. If you really want to pursue this crazy business, get used to it. And I mean that in the most loving way possible – get used to it. Don’t let it stop you. Learn to deal with it, and to get over it as quickly as you can. There are so many reasons for rejections. Some of them you can control – like your own skills. You can work to improve them. Some reasons you can’t control – like the market. A couple of years ago, I attended the editor panel at an ACFW conference and watched all the editors say they wanted to acquire contemporary fiction, no historical. All the historical fiction writers in the audience heaved a huge sigh of despair. Last year at the same panel, almost every editor said they’re actively acquiring historical romance, and this time the heavy sighs came from the chick lit writers. As a writer, you cannot control the market. All you can do is write the best book you’re able to write.

Publication is not the measure of how good you are as a person. It is not the end-all and be-all of life. So don’t base your self-worth on achieving it. If God called you to write, then write. Set goals, and work toward achieving them. Don’t let rejection affect you enough to sidetrack you.

Very well said. Now tell us about the featured book.

I’m excited about this book, my seventh and the first set outside of my home state of Kentucky. The classical trio introduced in my last romantic suspense, A Taste of Murder, head west to play at a wedding in Park City, Utah. A romantic ski resort seems the perfect place for a wedding. Until a murder on the slopes turns everyone at Eagle Summit Resort into suspects … or maybe victims. Liz Carmichael, the bride's cousin, saw a shadowy figure on a chair lift in the middle of the night. But was it the victim or the killer? Liz goes to the police -- and finds herself giving her report to her ex-fiancé, Deputy Tim Richards. After a three-year estrangement, she could finally make things right with Tim. Unless the killer finds her first.

I have a terrific video trailer, created by Tinkertime Productions. You can watch it on my website (http://www.virginiasmith.org/) or here’s a link to the video on Tangle: http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=00a94b40fbcc1505920a

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.virginiasmith.org/. I also have a bi-monthly eNewsletter, with a sign-up form on my website. I keep my website updated with lots of fun stuff, including giveaways. And not just of my books – I give away other people’s books, too, like you, Lena. I’ve recently ventured into Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Ginny-Smith/1557400143) , and I’d love to get new Friends there.

Thank you, Ginny, for spending this time with us. I always enjoy it.

Readers, if you don't live close to a store that carries this book, here's a link where you can order it:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Cheryl Wyatt - READY-MADE FAMILY - Free Book

Bio: Cheryl Wyatt’s closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home, and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She’s convinced that having been born on a Naval base on Valentine’s Day destined her to write military romance. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room. Her debut novels (Books 1 and 2-Wings of Refuge Series-Steeple Hill) received Romantic Times Top Picks. In addition, her debut books received the honor of coming in at #1 and #4 on eHarlequins's Top Ten Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists which included several NYT Bestselling authors. Cheryl is currently serving as Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers. http://www.acfw.com/

To receive her quarterly newsletter for updates on new releases and contests with GREAT prizes (think: free books, CDs, iPods, and a Kindle!), visit her Web site at http://www.cherylwyatt.com/ and sign up in the space provided. Cheryl respects your privacy and will not share your e-mail address with a third party.

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

Aww! Thank you. I would really love to be able to sell my action-romance novels. They’re more single title length. But I LOVE writing for Steeple Hill and never want to stop, even if I sell a single title. It’s hard in a category length book to keep a lot of action scenes because the focus needs to remain on the romance. But that’s what I’m naturally inclined to write. So I hope to branch out into single title length books in the future. I would still want to write for Steeple Hill though. They are my first love. :-) Harlequin is a great company to write for. I love it and feel so blessed every time a contract comes through.

Tell us a little about your family.

My family is by far the greatest blessing that God has given me outside of my relationship with Jesus and salvation. I learn so much from my children. I have three girls all close in age, which means they’ll all be teenagers at the same time. So my husband has built a PMS Shelter for Men and I’m sure he plans to check himself into it pretty soon. LOL! Well, he SAYS the room is a nice sunroom where I can go to write in peace…but I know it’s a shelter for the poor thing when he gets overrun by female hormones. Hey...at least the dog is male. LOL! Actually my husband is one of the funniest (and funnest!) people I know. He is an absolute riot and keeps us all in stitches. Much of the funny/witty dialogue in my books comes from stuff he says right out of the blue. My extended family lives close to me too, which is wonderful.

We had only duaghters, and they were teenagers at the same time. I told James that God has a special place in heaven for men who have to live with a houseful of women. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

I read a TON more now. And I tend to be a more critical reader now than before. Not so much critical in the sense of picking out all the craft mistakes as much as dissecting GREAT novels to see how the author engaged me to the plot and made me love the characters so much. Of course I find errors but ultimately story still trumps. I do know that I will never again blame an author for typos or missing quotation marks at the end of a stint of dialogue. I’ve seen the strange things that a typesetter can to do a novel and it end up in print. LOL! That kind of stuff doesn’t bother me anymore.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I’m finishing up a contracted novel (A Soldier’s Devotion) which will release in January 2010 from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. It’s Pararescue Jumper Vince’s story. It’s been the most fun book to write, yet challenging too because he’s not a Christian for a lot of the book.

I can hardly wait. What outside interests do you have?

NASCAR! Crafts of any kind. I am a tomboy kind of girl. I like motorcycles and guns and wicked looking swords. You’ll never see me in a dress…well because then my tattoo would show! LOL! I love to worship God. I love to reach out to orphans and elderly shut-ins. I have a huge heart for things like that. I love studying the Bible and I love hanging out with my girls and my nieces. Spending time with family. I’m very competitive so I love board games and playing basketball and all that jazz. Love going to concerts with my hubby…especially since he runs sound at many concerts and festivals.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I try to take the reader on a $4.00 vacation that feels like a $3K vacation in the story. I like to pick places I’ve been or lived because if the season of the books gets changed on revisions, then I don’t have to go through as much research to figure out what flowers grow in that area during certain times of the year, etc. I like to pick unique, interesting places. Right now I picked an area in southern Illinois that is a wildlife refuge. I created a fictional town there, even named it Refuge. And I planted an imaginary unmapped military base called Eagle Point. I love creating an entire town for a series, which is what I’m doing for the Wings of Refuge books (7 so far are contracted) from Steeple Hill.

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

Jesus. For sure. Then Elvis because I want to know how he does that lip twitch thing. LOL! No seriously, it would probably be someone, a woman, who made maximum impact on this earth. Someone like Mother Theresa or Corrie Ten Boom. I love a bumper sticker I read once that said, “Most well-behaved women never made history.” That is SO true.

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

I wish I’d known about groups like ACFW http://www.acfw.com/. The networking from the eloop and the conference has benefited me greatly in the advancement of my career.

Mine, too. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Well, right now He’s teaching me to give back. I love mentoring and have wanted to be at a point where I can truly help newer authors. But in some ways I still feel so new. We never stop learning. He’s teaching me to pull back a bit for a couple of years. I can easily do 5 books per year or more but I’m holding back in order to spend more time with my family and to serve ACFW as Vice President. So I’ll probably average more like 3 books a year rather than 5 or more for a couple of years.

Spiritually, He’s teaching me so much about Himself and His ability to sustain us during times of sickness and trauma. I had a bad wreck last year and am just recovered. One thing that time taught me was how oblivious we can be to the suffering of those around us. I was shut in for most of my recovery because I was unable to drive. The wreck shattered my foot and broke my ankle. I had multiple surgeries to repair all that. And I learned the importance of reaching out to those who can’t drive themselves to church. I am SO thankful for podcasts and technology that enables people to hear the message if they can’t be in the physical church building. But I pray that God will help me to know those around me who are shut in. I have a heart for that now whereas I never did before. So to that end, he caused good things to come out of a bad wreck. And at least no one was killed. He’s teaching me to be thankful every day.

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

1. Write as worship.
2. Be willing to hear hard things about your writing yet don’t let anyone discourage you.
3. Matthew 6:33 it and watch God blow open Eph 3:20 doors you never imagined. Meaning apply the principle of putting God and His stuff first, even above your writing. And watch how His spirit spills over into the work to touch readers in ways you could not even begin to imagine. And fiction authors have OUTSTANDING imaginations! LOL!

Tell us about the featured book?

Ready-Made Family is obviously a romance. But it’s also a cross-cultural/interracial romance. I felt strongly God wanted me to write one to show His love for diversity and ethnicity. I don’t write agenda-driven fiction and I don’t like to read it. But if we are in Christ—abiding in relationship—certain themes that He has placed in our makeup will naturally come through the book, I think. This story is about a heroine who was shunned by a toxic church when she became pregnant out of wedlock. It’s also about a hero who is a strong, Alpha military male, but he’s multilayered in that he’s also a worship leader in church who writes his own music and lyrics. So he and the townspeople of Refuge reach out to this girl and her little daughter. Lots of things are restored in this book but I don’t want to give too much away.

Please give us the first page of the book.

First page excerpt: Ready-Made Family, by Cheryl Wyatt

"Mister! Mommy needs help!"

The child's cry spun U.S.A.F. Pararescue Jumper Ben-li Dillinger on his toes to face its source. Purchases clunked beside his car, Ben's feet propelled him toward the youngster.Tears falling from two teddy-bear-big eyes brought Ben, heart and body, to his knees. Speaking of bears, she clutched a tattered brown one."What's wrong, princess?"

Ben scanned Refuge Mall's parking lot for the mother. Maybe she had car trouble. But it wouldn't make sense for a parent to send a child this young for help. No vehicle with its hood propped, either. In fact, his was only one of the few remaining since closing time minutes ago. Not only that, the child's duress surpassed a stranded-car scenario.

A tiny hand tugged him up. "C'mon! Mommy's over here. Something bad happened!"

You hooked me. How can readers find you on the Internet?

My Web site is http://www.cherylwyatt.com/

I’m running a Kindle Contest now that is only available to newsletter subscribers. Folks can sign up for my newsletter by visiting my Web site and signing up in the newsletter space provided.

OTHER PLACES I HANG OUT ONLINE

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=699316888&ref=profile
http://twitter.com/cherylwyatt
http://www.myspace.com/scrollsquirrel
http://www.shoutlife.com/authorcherylwyatt

Shoot me a friends request if you participate in the social network sites.

MY BLOG:
http://www.scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com/

OTHER BLOGS I PARTICIPATE IN
http://www.loveinspiredauthors.blogspot.com/
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/

I also hang out regularly on the forums at ACFW and Steeple Hill.
http://www.acfw.com/
http://www.steeplehill.com/

Thank you, Cheryl, for spending this time with us. I always enjoy hosting you.

Readers, if you don't live near a store that carries these books, heres a link where you can order it:

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Don't forget to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won.

Author DiAnn Mills - BREACH OF TRUST - Free Book

I'm really happy to welcome DiAnn back to my blog. She's been a good friend for a long time. I haven't ever included her bio in the blog, but I think you'll be interested in reading it.

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold a million and a half copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.
Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.
She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Welcome, DiAnn. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?

I love the challenge of writing romantic suspense. It’s a stretch worth the research and the effort. I also enjoy writing a historical – an edgy historical. But there too I want a spin of suspense in an older setting. Although a historical isn’t as fast paced, the thrill of another era. I plan to continue in both of these genres.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?

April 3-7, I’ll be attending Mt. Hermon. This is the one conference I always attend to recharge my professional and spiritual life. This will be my 10th year, and every year I’ve participated at Mt. Hermon, I’ve always sold at least one book.
http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference

May 17-21, I’ll be teaching at the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference at Ridgecrest, NC. Wow, this
conference has a sweet personality all it’s own. The faculty and attendees love Jesus and want to teach others how to write for Him.

June 5, I’ll be teaching an all-day fiction workshop for the San Gabriel Writers League in
Georgetown, TX.

You'll love that group. I have done a workshop for them.

August 1, I’ll be teaching two fiction workshops for Inspirational Writers Alive in Houston, TX.

I know you've taught there before. So have I. I love the group that comes to this conference.

September 11-12, I’ll be teaching a Fiction Mentoring Clinic for the North Texas Christian Writer’s Conference in Keller, TX.

I will be teaching a workshop at that conference, too.

September 17-20 is the ACFW Conference. This year the annual conference will be in Denver, CO. I don’t know if I’ll be teaching there.

I'll be attending there, but don't know yet whether I'll be teaching again.

October 4-8, I’ll be teaching at the Blue Ridge Novel Writing Retreat at Ridgecrest, NC. This is a
dynamic mentoring-type opportunity for writers to deepen their novel writing skills.

You are one busy woman. If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?

I’d like to cover the topic of professionalism in approaching agents and editors. I see far too many writers “stalk” potential agents and editors. Unfortunately that doesn’t help the writer. Another problem that falls right in line with that issue is writer etiquette.

For the panel, I’d like to see Karen Ball from B&H, Sue Brower from Zondervan, Janet Grant from Books and Such, Chip MacGregor - agent, Stephanie Broene and Karen Watson of Tyndale, and Steve Laube – agent.

Why is it important to you to be active in writing organizations?

Two reasons: to deepen my writing skills and to help other writers deepen their skills.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

I’m a church librarian!

Our church doesn't have a library, but I volunteer in the church bookstore. Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

1. Tracie Peterson – dynamic encouragement
2. Dean Mills – my husband who is my best cheerleader and my worst editor
3. Janet Grant – her professionalism and her belief in me
4. Kathy Olson – my copy editor at Tyndale
5. Lauraine Snelling – she’s a giver and a keeper

If you could writer the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?

She is a daughter of the King

Tell us about the featured book.

Paige Rogers is a former CIA agent who lost all she treasured seven years ago when her entire
team was killed in a covert mission. She blames their leader—Daniel Keary—whom Paige believes betrayed them. Disillusioned and afraid for her life, she disappeared and started a new life as a small-town librarian. But when Keary announces his candidacy for governor of her state, he comes after Paige to ensure that she won't ruin his bid for office. He threatens everything she holds dear, and Paige must choose between the life of hiding that has become her refuge . . . or risking everything in one last, desperate attempt to right old wrongs.

Readers, I've read this book, and it is awesome. DiAnn, please share the first page with us.

Librarian Paige Rogers had survived more exciting days dodging bullets to protect her country. Given a choice, she’d rather be battling assassins than collecting overdue fines. For that matter, running down terrorists had a lot more appeal than running down lost books. Oh, the regrets of life—woven with guilt, get-over-its, and move-ons. But do-overs were impossible, and the adventures of her life were now shelved alphabetically under fiction.

Time to reel in my pitiful attitude and get to work. Paige stepped onto her front porch with what she needed for a full workday at the library. Already, perspiration dotted her face, a reminder
of the rising temperatures. Before locking the door behind her, she scanned the front yard and surveyed the opposite side of the dusty road, where chestnut-colored quarter horses grazed
on sparse grass. Torrid heat and no rain, as though she stood on African soil. But here, nothing out of the ordinary drew her attention. Just the way she liked it. Needed it.

Sliding into her sporty yet fuel-efficient car, she felt for the Beretta Px4 under the seat. The past could rear its ugly head without warning. Boy Scouts might be prepared; Girl Scouts were trained. The radio blared out the twang of a guitar and the misery of a man who’d lost his sweetheart to a rodeo star. Paige laughed at the irony of it all. She zipped down the road, her tires crunching the grasshoppers that littered the way before her. In the rearview mirror,
she saw birds perched on a barbed wire fence and a few defiant wildflowers. They held on to their roots in the sun-baked dirt the way she clutched hope. The radio continued to croon out
one tune after another all the way into the small town of Split Creek, Oklahoma, ten klicks from nowhere.

After parking her car in the designated spot in front of the library, Paige hoisted her tote bag onto her shoulder and grabbed a book about Oklahoma history and another by C. S. Lewis.
The latter had kept her up all night, helping her make some sense out of the sordid events of her past. She scraped the grasshoppers from her shoes and onto the curb. The pests were everywhere this time of year. Reminded her of a few gadflies she’dbeen forced to trust overseas. She’d swept the crusty hoppers off her porch at home and the entrance to the library as she’d done with the shadow makers of the past. But nothing could wipe the nightmares from her internal hard drive.

Her gaze swept the quiet business district with an awareness of how life could change in the blink of an eye. A small landscaping of yellow marigolds and sapphire petunias stretched toward the
sky in front of the newly renovated, one-hundred-year-old courthouse. Its high pillars supported a piece of local history . . . and the secrets of the best of families. Business owners unlocked their stores and exchanged morning greetings. Paige recognized most of the dated cars and dusty pickups, but a black Town Car with tinted glass and an Oklahoma license plate parked on the right side of the courthouse caught her attention.

Why would someone sporting a luxury car want to venture into Split Creek, population 1,500? The lazy little town didn’t offer much more than a few antique stores, a small library, a beauty shop, Dixie’s Donuts, a Piggly Wiggly, four churches—including one First Baptist and one South First Baptist, each at opposite ends of town, one First Methodist, and a holiness tabernacle
right beside Denim’s Restaurant. She wanted to believe it was an early visitor to the courthouse. Maybe someone lost. But those thoughts soon gave way to curiosity and a twist of suspicion.

With a smile intended to be more appealing than a Fourth of July storefront, she crossed the street to subtly investigate the out-of-place vehicle. Some habits never changed. Junior Shafer, who owned and operated a nearby antique store, stooped to arrange his outside treasures. Actually, Paige rarely saw an antique on display, just junk and old Avon bottles.

“Mornin’, Mr. Shafer. Looks like another scorcher.”

“Mornin’. Yep, this heat keeps the customers away.” The balding man slowly stood and massaged his back. “Maybe I’ll advertise free air-conditioning and folks will stop in.”

“Whatever works.” She stole a quick glance at the Town Car and memorized the license plate number. No driver. “Looks like you have a visitor.” She pointed to the car.

Mr. Shafer narrowed his eyes and squinted. “Nah, that’s probably Eleanor’s son from Tulsa. He’s helping her paint the beauty shop. She said he had a new car. The boy must be doing fine in
the insurance business.”

“Now that’s a good son.”

Mr. Shafer lifted his chin, then rubbed it. “Uh, you know, Paige . . . he ain’t married.”

“And I’m not looking.” She’d never be in the market for a husband. Life had grown too complicated to consider such an undertaking, even if it did sound enticing.

“A pretty little lady like you should be tending to babies, not books.”

“Ah, but books don’t grow up or talk back.”

He shook his head and unlocked his store.

“I have a slice of peach pie for you.” Paige reached inside her tote bag and carefully brought out a plastic container. “I baked it around six this morning. It’s fresh.”

He turned back around. A slow grin spread from one generous ear to the other. “You’re right. You don’t need to go off and get married. I might not get my pies.” He did his familiar shoulder
jig. “Thank you, sweet girl.” He reached for the pie with
both hands as though it were the most precious thing he’d ever been offered.

To read more of Chapter 1 please visit the author's website - http://www.diannmills.com/

Please sign up for my newsletter. There is a contest going on right now!

Thank you, DiAnn, for spending this time with us.

Readers, for those of you who don't live near bookstores, here's a link where you can order Breach of Trust.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Check back in two weeks to see if you won.