HOSTAGE - Nancy Mankins Hamm - Free Book

Welcome, Nancy. You are writing nonfiction. Do you also write fiction?


Yes, I have written a Christian fiction entitled The Outcasts. For nine years I experienced life among a remote people group—an experience that most people will never have. Through The Outcasts I give readers the rare opportunity of a rich cross-cultural experience through an exciting Christian novel. Readers will be caught up in adventure and intrigue, and will experience life through the eyes of people who have been suspended in time by isolation—until two worlds finally collide. The strong characters in this book risk everything to take a stand against evil…they become “the outcasts.”

What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?

My late husband Dave and I were missionaries in an isolated village in Panama when Dave and two of our coworkers, Mark and Rick, were kidnapped by Colombian terrorists. For 8½ torturous years, we didn’t know whether Dave, Mark, and Rick were dead or alive. We worked toward their release and waited day after agonizing day to hear from…or about them. Through the anguish of those years I learned many great truths about God and His Word.

Tell us about your family.

In 2001 we learned that Dave, Mark, and Rick had been killed years earlier by their terrorist captors. In 2005 God blessed my life through my marriage to Gary Hamm. We now enjoy four grown children, their spouses, and seven wonderful grandchildren, plus one in heaven. A year after our marriage, our oldest granddaughter (on her 8th birthday) was diagnosed with cancer. Our family endured Ellie’s fifteen-month battle with neuroblastoma…which ended by her joining her Savior in heaven. She is now happy and whole, but we still miss our precious Ellie.

Have you written other nonfiction books?

No, Hostage is the only nonfiction book that I’ve written.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?

The Outcasts is my first Christian fiction book which was published in 2009. I’m currently writing a sequel to The Outcasts, entitled The Trading Post.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy spending time with my husband, children, and grandchildren. I also enjoy traveling, reading, and of course writing.

Why did you write the featured book?

During the 8 ½ years of the ongoing hostage crisis, I shared the account of the kidnapping in churches, conferences, and groups both nationally and internationally. People were hungry for information, and thousands of people prayed faithfully for us. Writing the book Hostage was a way to reach more people who were interested, and also a way to thank those who had been praying for us. But mainly I wrote the book as a legacy for the future generations of Dave, Mark, and Rick—their kidnapping and murder changed our lives forever.

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

We are frail, and life is fragile, but I want readers to see that God’s strength is enough to get us through any circumstance. I also want people to get a firsthand glimpse of what life is like for missionaries on foreign fields. I’ve had many very positive comments about the chapters that describe life in that isolated village. Flying into that area for the first time was like flying into the pages of National Geographic. Not many people will ever have that opportunity firsthand, but they can experience it through this book.

Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

http://www.nancymankinshamm.com/
http://www.nancymankinshamm.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Nancy-Mankins-Hamm/1359849397
http://twitter.com/NMankinsHamm

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

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.


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MAID OF MURDER - Amanda Flower - Free Book

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

It depends on the book we are talking about because there is more of me in some characters I’ve created compared to others. However, I must admit the main character in Maid of Murder, India Hayes, and I have a lot in common. She’s a college librarian; I’m a college librarian. In respect to her profession, somethings that happen to her in the book have happened to me, although I’ve never been mixed up in a murder investigation.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I’ve had the opportunity to travel quite a bit and have many stories to tell as a result. One of the quirkiest occurred when I camped out with hundreds of Eastern Europeans in Slovakia’s High Tatras Mountains to attend a Christian rock festival. Let it be known, I love the outdoors, but I do not like to camp. Sleeping on the ground and cooking over a fire are not my ideas of a good time. However, I never pass up a chance to see a new part of the world and knew this was only the opportunity I’d have to see that part of Slovakia. I slept in a tent with five other people and nearly froze to death despite wearing every stitch of clothing I’d brought to Europe. I’d spent the week before backpacking through Greece in 110 degree heat, and the seventy degree temperature difference was a shock to my system. As for the Christian rock music, it was sung in Slovak, Czech, and German, none of which I understood. In hopes of warming up, my friend Mariellyn, who was a missionary serving in Slovakia at the time, and I decided to explore the mountains. As we walked along the mountain road, we came upon a rollercoaster called the Tatrabob. There was no rhyme or reason for it to be there all by itself on the side of the mountain, and we weren’t going to pass it up. As I rode the rickety contraption through the woods down the side of the mountain all the while holding on for dear life, I realized it was for moments like that I get myself into quirky situations, and I didn’t feel so cold anymore.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

It was early on in sixth grade. My English teacher gave our class the obligatory writing assignment “What I did over summer vacation.” I wrote a story about my trip to a local theme park with my brother and friend and our adventure about being stuck on the top of the broken Ferris wheel. Instead of making it a scary story, which it had the potential to be, I put a funny spin on it.

When I read the humorous story, the class cracked up. At the moment, I thought, “This is what I want to do, write stories that make people laugh.” I can safely say every educational and career decision I made after that was in pursuit of this goal. It might be strange for a eleven-year-old to set a career path for herself, but I was determined . . . others might say stubborn. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to the story and wish I still had it. Even without it, I remember what it was like when the class laughed. I hope Maid of Murder garners the same reaction.

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

Admittedly, I do read mysteries more than anything else because it’s the genre I write and the one I like the most. Within the genre of mystery, cozies are my favorite. Some of my favorite authors are Susan Wittig Albert, Gillian Roberts, Rhys Bowen, Heather Webber, and Patricia Rushford just to name a few.

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

I have written the sequel to Maid of Murder, and I have also written a middle grade children’s mystery called The Mystery of the First Andora. It’s the first in a series as well. I’m currently looking for a literary agent to represent that project.

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

I’m still trying figure this one out and will gratefully accept tips. I consider myself a fulltime librarian and fulltime author, and it can be difficult to juggle two careers at the same time along with family, church, etc.

How do you choose your characters’ names?
In Maid of Murder, my main character is named India Hayes. I chose the name “India” because I’m fascinated with the country. “Hayes” I found in the phonebook. If I hear a name I like, I write it down in my ever-present notebook. I also consult baby name books to look for names with a particular meaning I want.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of selling Maid of Murder to Five Star. I was between literary agents at the time and made the sale on my own. Don’t get me wrong, literary agents are great, and if you are an aspiring author, I highly recommend you get a good one. However for me, I just happened to make the sale that way. I owe a lot to acquisitions editor Roz Greenberg. I truly could never thank her enough for giving me a chance.

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

A squirrel. Like a squirrel, I’m constantly on the move, trying to accomplish something. I get the job done and amuse people while doing it or so I hope.

What is your favorite food?

This is an easy one. Ice cream, hands down. I could eat ice every day. I don’t, but I could.

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

My greatest roadblock is finding the time to write a new novel while promoting the one that is already published. I’m sure it’s a roadblock for many writers as well. I finally came to the realization I can’t do everything, and I had to prioritize my life to make the time.

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

It’s almost cliché for a published writer to say this, but I would say “persevere.” Don’t give up on your book, poem, story, whatever it might be that you want published. Maid of Murder was rejected at least forty times (there was a point that I stopped keeping score because it was too depressing) before it was acquired by Five Star. Sometimes I can’t believe it actually happened.

Another piece of advice is if agents or editors make comments about your rejected piece, pay attention to them. They don’t have to do this, and the fact they care enough about the work to say something means a lot. Take their comments and see how you can use them to make your work better before you submit it to someone new.

Tell us about the featured book?

In Maid of Murder, India Hayes is a lot of things . . . starving artist who pays the rent as a college librarian, daughter of liberal activists, sister of an emotional mathematician, tenant of a landlady who has kissed the Blarney Stone one too many times, and a bridesmaid six times over. But she’s about to step into the most challenging role of her life: amateur sleuth.

Childhood friend and now knockout beauty, Olivia Blocken is back in town to wed her bodybuilder fiancé with India a reluctant attendant . . . not just because the bridesmaid’s dress is a hideous mess, but because she’s betraying her brother. Mark still carries a torch for the bride who once broke his heart and sent his life into a tailspin.

When Olivia turns up dead in the Martin College fountain and the evidence points to Mark, India must unmask the real culprit while juggling a furious and grieving Mother of the Bride, an annoyingly beautiful Maid of Honor, a set of hippie-generation parents, the police detective who once dated her sister and is showing a marked liking for her, and a provost itching to fire someone, anyone—maybe even a smart-mouthed librarian.

India’s investigation leads her on a journey through childhood memories that she’d much rather have left in the schoolyard, but to avoid becoming the next victim, it is a path she must follow.

Thank you, Amanda, for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using the link when you order, you help support this blog.














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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THE HOMECOMING - Dan Walsh - Free Book

Readers, I just wrote a review of this book. You can read it by clicking on the Book Review tab at the top of this blog.

Welcome back, Dan. Thanks for letting me be a part of your blog tour. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Because they are the kind of books I like to read, the kind of stories when made into movies I like to watch. I guess you’d call them inspirational historical fiction. Stories that have big things going on in the background, characters I instantly care about, facing things I hope I never have to, experiencing things that will change their lives forever. I guess it’s fair to add, a strong love story element is usually involved. I’m writing my 4th novel now. Books two and three are definitely love stories and in my current work a love story is once again in play.

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

My wedding day in 1976. I was only nineteen. I met Cindi when I was 18, but I instantly knew she was the one. More importantly, I believe God showed me she was the one. I say that, because that has made all the difference these last 33 years. She has made me the happiest of men.

How has being published changed your life?

What can I say? It’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I’m not a fulltime author, but after reading my 2nd novel, The Homecoming, my publisher (Revell) offered me a contract to write three more, so it may happen one day. It’s certainly added a wonderful sub-plot to my life. I love everything about the writing life, but knowing that what I’m writing now will be published, and that I already have a growing readership, has made it even more worthwhile.

What are you reading right now?
Jim Rubart’s debut novel, Rooms. Go get this book. It’s very good.

I've read and reviewed the book. Readers can read my review on the same page where your review is. I loved it, too, and I interviewed Jim on this blog. What is your current work in progress?

My current work, like my first book, is a Christmas novel set in 1980 between Thanksgiving and Christmas called, The Book Nook. It’s about a small Christian bookstore that seems to have an almost enchanted affect on everyone who goes there. Most say it’s because of its owners, Art and Leanne Bell, who constantly demonstrate Christ’s love in so many small but profound ways.

The book opens with a homeless man finding Art unconscious in the store. He’s suffered a life-threatening aneurysm. Leanne must stay by his side in the hospital at the busiest shopping season of the year. Her son, Rick, reluctantly agrees to leave his CPA firm in Charlotte and come down to help out. Art is not Rick’s father. He married Leanne when Rick was a teen and Rick has rejected every attempt Art has made to be a part of his life. What affect will The Book Nook have on Rick? As he interacts with the colorful cast of characters who frequent the store? As he works every day beside Andrea, the single-mom who works there part-time?
I must feature that book on this blog, too, Dan. What would be your dream vacation?

My wife Cindi and I touring Ireland, England and northern France together with plenty of money to spend, and I don’t kill us both by forgetting which side of the road I’m supposed to drive on.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

So far there’s no system. “Write what you know” would seem to be at work for the most part. My first two novels are set in the suburbs of Philadelphia, in a fictitious town that closely resembles where I spent the earliest years of my childhood. My current novel is set in a fictitious seaside town in Florida that closely resembles the Daytona Beach area where I live now (if it had stayed small and cozy the way it was when I was a kid). My 3rd novel, The Deepest Waters, was inspired by a true story, so that setting was fixed by actual events. But I loved researching old San Francisco and New York City in the 1850’s. For my 5th novel, my wife and I will be touring New England for a few weeks, looking for inspiration.

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

To be honest, as a historical fiction writer …most of the people I’d love to spend an evening with are dead and have been for years. Most of the living people I’d like to spend an evening with aren’t well known.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Since I began writing again in earnest in 2007, all my other hobbies have suffered terribly. I used to golf, but I was never that good. Now I’d probably make myself so mad I’d have to repent as I put my clubs back in the car. I can certainly be talked into fishing by any friends with a boat.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Time. I’d love to have more time to write. I don’t overcome this obstacle. I’m now able to write two days a week, which is real progress from a year ago. So I focus on being grateful to God for what He’s given me and try to make the most of it.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Put all your focus on writing a great book, not on all the things you must learn once you get published. If you write a book that readers will absolutely love and talk to others about, a good agent will eventually say yes and a good publisher will too. There are so many things out there now to divert a writer’s attention away from that which matters most.

Tell us about the featured book?
When I finished my debut novel, The Unfinished Gift, I had no intention of writing a sequel. But two things happened. I found I wasn’t ready to leave these characters yet; they’d become almost like family to me. And it was clear there was at least one more story that needed to be told. A love story. Almost everyone who’d read the first book before it was published, asked me the same thing: “Now in the sequel, this is going to happen right?” And they’d be talking about this inevitable love story I had already begun to consider. The Homecoming is that story.
Shawn Collins returns home from WW2, a reluctant war hero. He wants only to care for his son, Patrick, and grieve the loss of his wife in private. But the Army calls on him to travel the country by train on a USO war bond tour, accompanied by beautiful Hollywood starlets. Shawn asks Katherine Townsend, the social worker who cared for Patrick in the first book, to be his nanny while Shawn is on the road. This sets the stage for The Homecoming. Bestselling author Colleen Coble called it, “One of the most delightful and touching love stories I’ve ever read.”
Please give us the first page of the book.
I can give you much more than that. If you click on this link, you can read the first 15 pages: http://www.christianbook.com/reader/?item_no=733896

How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can visit my website: http://www.danwalshbooks.com/
Or my blog: http://danwalshbooks.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Dan, for another wonderful interview.

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

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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

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June 12, 2010 Winners

Linda Kish is the winner of Healer by Linda Windsor.

Michelle (scraphappy71) is the winner of Beautiful Bandit by Loree Lough.

Lotus82 is the winner of The Influenza Bomb by Paul McCusker & Walt Larrimore, MD.

Holdenj is the winner of Anna Finch and the Hired Gun by Kathleen Y'Barbo. (If you want to read my review of this book, click on the Book Review link at the top of this blog.)

The Herd is the winner of A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher.

Sara (artist4Christ) is the winner of Final Touch by Brandilyn & Amberly Collins.

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the page, and send me an Email
You have 6 weeks to claim your book.
If you didn't win and you plan to order the book, please use the link provided on the individual interview. By using that link when you order, you will help support this blog.

END GAME - Roxanne Rustand - Free Book

I'm, happy to welcome Roxanne back to the blog. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

 I like to write about people who have lost their way spiritually, through tragedy and other circumstances. People who feel God has forgotten them, and doesn’t care...and how they can find their way back into a full, abundant life if they can finally open their hearts to Him.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

WINTER REUNION will be out in November. This is the first book in my Aspen Creek Crossroads series for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Romance--and the very first non-suspense book I've ever written. Believe me, my patient editor gave me a lot of guidance during the revision stage, because I kept inadvertently slipping in suspense elements! After that, the fourth book in my Big Sky Secrets series for Love Inspired Suspense will be out in April, 2011.

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

Michael Hauge or James Scott Bell. They both have written fabulous books on writing, and have such a keen grasp of the process. Having been in workshops given by them both, I know they would be delightful company. I think even my husband--who is an avid reader but who has no interest in writing--would be highly entertained if either of them came for dinner!

I know my husband, a non-writer, would enjoy James Scott Bell. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Jane Austin. What an amazing voice she had, and such wit. I think she would have been delightful company!

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

I feel that if someone is truly motivated, truly driven to succeed, they already have one of the key elements needed for becoming published. There are a lot of super talented people who will never sell, because they lack the focus, drive and determination to make it happen. Rejections are an opportunity to improve. Go to conferences. Buy the workshop CD's from the ACFW and RWA conferences. Enter lots and lots of contests, because they offer feedback from fresh readers---and don't consider your manuscript your perfect baby, because it isn't. When you sell, you'll discover that your new editor probably has a hundred changes to make at the revision and line edit stages! So take the advice of contest judges to heart, then work hard to learn and grow. And never give up on your dreams. On the other hand, one thing that can hold you back is going after the wrong goal. Write what you love to read, not what you think is selling. If you love your characters and story, it will show!

Tell us about the featured book?

END GAME (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense, June) is the third book in my Big Sky Secrets series set in the Montana Rockies.

Blurb:

"I'll be seeing you again..."

The attacker's words still ring in Deputy Megan Peters' ears. Her attempt to trap a serial rapist terrorizing Lost Falls failed, but she has succeeded in becoming the target of his attention. Undaunted, she moves forward in her investigation, and Scott Anders, the only newcomer in town, draws her suspicion. Is his gentleness just an act? Yet as Megan and Scott grow closer, she finds herself questioning her instincts. What will she believe--her heart, or the evidence against him?

Please give us the first page of the book.

First Page:

"I won't stop until I find this guy, Anna." Seeing the raw pain in her friend's eyes, Megan Peters took a deep breath and forced back the memories threatening to swamp her. "I promise."

"How?" Anna lashed out, pulling her hands away from Megan's. "I didn't see his face. I don't know who it was, and neither did the other woman who got away. And the two dead girls won't be talking."

The bitterness in Anna's voice stung Megan as if she'd been slapped. "No. But the DNA—"

"Hasn't matched anyone in the system so far, and probably never will, right? This guy will never be caught."

"But it does connect the crimes, so when we get him, we'll be able to send him away for good. There'll be a time when someone picks up on a clue. Someone else who escapes."

They both fell silent, Megan's words a chilling reminder of the two women who had been raped and murdered within the past six months. If a group of noisy hikers hadn't come by and scared off her attacker, Anna might have been number three.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.roxannerustand.com/
http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for this opportunity to be on your website, Lena. Bless you!!
Roxanne

Thank you for the blessings and for spending this time with us.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using the link when you order, you help support this blog.














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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

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THE SIX-LITER CLUB - Harry Kraus - Free Book

I've really been looking forward to featuring you on my blog, ever since I heard you at the ACFW Conference in Denver. Welcome, Harry. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I am a surgeon, as are most of my protagonists. Most of my protagonists like the same food that I do (shrimp, steak, hushpuppies and diet Coke). The way my protagonists talk to their patients mimics conversations that I have had with mine.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I entered a pinewood derby a few years ago (and won!). I carved a “Fiction Theme” car. It had an open Bible for an engine (I lacquered the passage where Jesus answers his disciples’ question about why he talked in story so that it would be visible on the open page). The exhausts coming out on both sides ended in real scalpel blades (showing that the Bible is what “drives” a story that finds its expression through medical themes. It was cool. It was the second fastest car in its category and won an award for creativity.
My family disagrees with my answer. They say the way I raise and lower my eyebrows when I’m writing is quirky!

My husband tells me that writers "think weird." When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I didn’t start writing stories until I was in surgery residency. I started outlining my first novel on the back of an operative note at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Lexington, KY.

I'm really glad you kept at it. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love novels. My first real interest with inspirational fiction was stimulated by Frank Peretti’s early novels including This Present Darkness. Now, I read a variety of fiction (Steven King, Grisham, Jerry B. Jenkins) and non-fiction (John Piper, Francis Chan). I just finished A Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Excellent. Challenging. One of my favorites is a classic, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Smith. I bet I’ve read that book twenty times.
I also loved Peretti's early novels. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

I wrote a contemporary series dealing with a surgery resident who finds out her father has Huntington’s Disease (an inherited problem) that began with Could I Have this Dance? (the “Dance” is the crazy dancelike movements seen in Huntington’s Disease patients). My first novels were more medical thrillers and included Lethal Mercy, Fated Genes, The Stain, and Stainless Steal Hearts. The Chairman tells the story of a quadriplegic man who sees life from his wheelchair and learns that human performance doesn’t determine human worth. Salty Like Blood was released last year. I’ve just completed a novel (seeking a contract) that grew out of my experience working as a surgeon in Africa (and deals with a surgeon starting an open heart program). I’ve named it Open Heart. We’ll see if that title sticks with the publisher.

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

Honestly, my wife is the detail person in our duo. I’m the visionary. There are days (and weeks) that I feel I’ve got a rocket strapped to my feet. My wife has her feet firmly planted on terra firma. She pays the bills and keeps my schedule straight.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I often use the names of friends (first name of one mixed with the last name of another). That makes it fun for them when they read it. I also put my son’s names (Joel, Evan, and Samuel) in all of my books.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

You know, I’m really stoked about my first non-fiction book, Breathing Grace: What You Need More Than Your Next Breath. The best thing about writing about grace is that you can’t stand up and pat yourself on the back about it….otherwise I just wouldn’t be getting the concept of grace, would I? I am also very happy (I can’t quite admit to pride, maybe I’m hung up over that, Christians shouldn’t be proud when they realize it’s all God, right?) about an ongoing medical and teaching work I helped establish in northern Somalia, working along side Muslim medical colleagues.

That sounds very interesting. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Silly question, but one I’ve actually thought about. I’d love to fly, so being an eagle would be cool, but I love diving and sushi, so maybe being a porpoise would be the bomb!

What is your favorite food?

Wow. There are so many. I really love a tender ribeye grilled with a hot pink center.

I'm with you on that one. Maybe we can find one together when we're at conference next time. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Writer’s block is every writer’s nemesis, but I just “back-burner” a plot problem and go about my work. Invariably, when I’ve got my hands in some patient’s warm, moist innards, the solution will present itself. (Actually, the answer comes at any odd time when I’ve taken the mental pressure off and am not really focusing on the plot problem).

I've gotten some of my best solutions in the shower. God often talks to me there. What advice would you give to an author just starting out?

Study the craft! Get your hands on writing books by Donald Maass, James Scott Bell, and Sol Stein and read about how the pros do it.

Tell us about the featured book?

The Six-Liter Club tells the story of an African-American female trauma surgeon fighting to find her place in a white man’s world. She faces prejudice, a crisis of personal faith, and elusive whispers of dark events from her childhood in the Congo. There is a strong suspense and romantic element to the storyline. Without giving away the ending, just let me say that my protagonist, Camille Weller, has spent many years trying to be one of “the boys.” Over the course of the novel, she undergoes significant emotional growth to the point where she sees that she brings something special to her role as a surgeon as a woman.

My copy just came. I can hardly wait to read it. Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF VIRGINIA, 1984

MY HEART BEAT with the exhilaration of knowing I hid in enemy territory—a woman in a men‟s bathroom. Moments before, I had blown in to make a poignant statement about this sexist university, but right now, I felt a bit short-winded, like I needed to recover an ounce of the passion that had fueled my daily survival in this hospital for the greater part of the past decade.

There were trite metaphors to describe what I had just done. Threw down the gauntlet. Drew a line in the sand. Aunt Jeanine would have called it career suicide, but I never did give much for her opinion of my actions.
Thirty seconds before, I had thought my statement was precisely what this stodgy establishment needed. But at this moment, on the day I had become the first woman surgeon to join the prestigious Six-Liter Club, I cowered in a stall of the men’s bathroom, desperate to find the fire that had emboldened me to barge into this inner sanctum of testosterone. I peered through a crack looking into the doctors’ locker room, appreciating only a small vertical slice of the room at a time. It was much like the nurses’, except larger, and it smelled a bit like my sweat socks after a run in the Virginia heat. I leaned forward until my forehead touched the cool surface of the metal door, tuning my ear to the voice of Dr. Bransford, my mentor and the chief of general surgery.

I closed my eyes and began to gloat in near euphoria. The Six-Liter Club! It wasn‟t exactly where I had expected to be on this first day as a surgery attending, but a coveted milestone nonetheless. I knew graying surgeons who, respected and dignified as they were, would never know the thrill of successfully pulling a patient back from so far over the precipice during his plunge into the next world. Oh, they’d often snatched patients back from the edge, made some “good saves,” but rarely from six liters of blood loss—a hemorrhage of more than the circulating blood volume of medicine’s prototypical normal human. “Normal” in the medical literature meant male, probably white, seventy kilograms, three-fourths fluid, five liters blood, one brain, one heart, and two testicles.

What emotion! Really pulled us in. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.harrykraus.com/

Thank you, Harry, for this visit.

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CHASING LILACS - Carla Stewart - Free Book

Brief author bio:

A two-time ACFW Genesis winner, Carla Stewart is a Guideposts Writers Workshop alumna and has been published in Guideposts, Angels on Earth, and several regional magazines and anthologies. Her debut novel, Chasing Lilacs, releases this month with FaithWords. Carla enjoys a good cup of coffee, weekend getaways with her husband, and the antics of their six grandchildren.

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

I don’t intentionally write myself into them, but I know I draw on my past experiences to find my character’s emotions, and the setting of Chasing Lilacs is very much like the place where I grew up. Still, my characters often say or do something that I would.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

According to my husband, I am a quirk :-) A few years ago, for our 50s-themed Christmas Banquet at church, I talked three shy, stage-frightened friends into performing a pantomime quartet for the entertainment portion of the evening. We wore matching poodle skirts and did our choreographed mime to “Mr. Sandman” and “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight.” We were the hit of the evening.

Sounds like fun. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In the sixth grade I wrote a “steamy” romance (to me anyway) and sent my only copy to a Hollywood producer, convinced they would cast Sandra Dee and Richard Chamberlain in the title roles. I never heard back. The sting of rejection lasted forty years while I busied myself with writerly tasks like church bulletins, chatty Christmas newsletters, and critiquing my kiddos writing projects for school. So, I guess I’ve always written and dreamed that someday I would write a book, but it wasn’t until nine years ago that I began to pursue writing in earnest.

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

I read a bit of everything – mysteries (Dick Francis and John D. MacDonald are favorites), mainstream and literary fiction (Anne Tyler, Barbara Kingsolver, Sue Monk Kidd, Sara Gruen, Rosamund Pilcher), and for the past few years, a lot of great Christian fiction (Susan Meissner, Lisa Samson, Mary DeMuth, W. Dale Cramer, and a host of newer authors). I especially love to read books that transport me to the character’s world, teach me some factoid about history or have a psychological twist. I also enjoy quirky humor now and then.

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

Chasing Lilacs will be my first published book, but the first novel I completed was a mystery, followed by a few abandoned women’s fiction attempts. I have a completed Young Adult novel that was a Genesis winner in 2008, and I’ve just finished my second contracted book, tentatively titled Broken Wings. It, like Chasing Lilacs, is women’s fiction with a nostalgic thread.

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

It helps that we are empty-nesters and I don’t work outside the home. I have the daytime to myself, and in the evenings, my husband and I spend time working on the yard, taking our doxy for walks, and discussing our day. We sometimes attend jazz concerts and Broadway shows that come to our city. Taking weekend trips to visit family (and grandkids) gives me a break from my normal writing routine. Even though writing can sometimes be hectic, I’m learning to just do what I can every day, and through God’s grace, it all seems to get done.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I wish I had a method, but usually the names just come to me. Since I write nostalgic fiction, I have a lot of fun choosing names that give flavor to the era or sound the way I want my character to be perceived. I also like to use nicknames (Slim, Red, Bebe, Waggs, etc.) or even make up names sometimes.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Raising four boys and surviving to tell about it!
I didn't get my boys until grandsons. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
A dachshund like the one who sits on my lap while I write (Zelda). She is faithful, loves me even when I leave her at the kennel, and is always ready for an adventure. She also has a mind of her own and is not afraid to let me know. Those are qualities I love and think I would make a great pal to my owner if I were a pooch.

What is your favorite food?

This is a loaded question: sort of like picking your favorite child. I do love seafood, though, especially shrimp. I often work shrimp into my recipes at home. But I also love Mexican food when we go out to eat.

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

As a new writer, I knew little about the “rules” of the craft – backstory, point of view, goals and motivation, how to write scenes and sequels. When I became aware that I needed to learn these things, I went at it like I was training for the Olympics. I took internet classes, attended workshops, and let others critique my work. Eventually, I started entering contests. I still read craft books regularly and study my favorite novels to see what makes great prose. I’m not sure it’s possible to learn all the nuances of great writing, but my goal is to continue toward excellence and to continue learning all that I can. The challenge of that is what keeps me moving forward and makes me fall in love with writing all over again each new day.

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

Learn the craft. Attend writers’ groups and conferences. Allow others to critique your work. Then, just write with abandon and let your voice come through. Don’t be afraid of being unique and writing the novel of your heart.

Tell us about the featured book.

Chasing Lilacs is Women’s Fiction with a nostalgic flavor. In this coming-of-age story set in Texas, the year is 1958, Elvis is on the radio, and summer is in the air. The times are simple and carefree. Or should be, but twelve-year-old Sammie Tucker has plenty of questions about her mother’s “nerve” problems. About shock treatments. About whether her mother even loves her. When tragedy strikes and a not-so-favorite aunt arrives, Sammie has to choose who to trust with her deepest fears. Her best friend with an opinion about everything? The mysterious kid from California whose own troubles plague him? Or her round-faced neighbor with gentle advice and strong shoulders to cry on? Then, there’s the elderly widower who seems nice, but has his own dark past.

Trusting is one thing, but accepting the truth may be the hardest thing Sammie’s ever done.

Please give us the first page of the book.

That June, right after I finished sixth grade, Norm MacLemore’s nephew came to Texas for a visit. Benny Ray Johnson brought home a new Edsel. And Mama tried to take her life for the first time.

We lived at Graham Camp then—a petroleum plant with company housing. A spot in the Panhandle of Texas where the blue of the sky hurt your eyes and the wind bent the prairie grass into an endless silk carpet as far as you could see in every direction. God’s country, some people called it. While it may be true that God created that corner of the world, it crossed my young mind that he must have been looking the other way when it came to Mama. Why else would Mama’s spells, as Daddy called them, drive her deeper into her quilts? Lights out. Shades drawn.

Her spell that June had gone on longer than most, and she seemed to be slipping farther away. I hoped my being out of school might snap her out of it, and I had no trouble inventing excuses to linger in the house and be of some use to Mama. Mostly, she let me fetch her things. An ice bag for her headache. Another one of those pills from the brown bottle.

I tiptoed in and out with her requests and studied her for signs of improvement. With every smile or pat on my hand, my insides lurched. Maybe today she’ll suggest we bake a cake. Or take a walk down to Willy Bailey’s store. I would have settled for just having her sit with me on the couch and watch television.

Please don’t get me wrong. Mama was the primary thing on my mind, but a few days into the summer, I began to get restless. Itchy. As I scribbled ideas for the newspaper my best friend, Tuwana Johnson, and I planned to write, my mind drifted, wondering what the next three months would hold. When the floorboards creaked beside me, I looked up, startled to see Mama shuffling into the front room. A little flutter came into my chest. Mama’s robe hung limp on her thin frame, the belt trailing behind.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.carlastewart.com/
My blog is Carla’s Writing Café: http://www.carlastewart.blogspot.com/
Twitter: www.twitter/ChasingLilacs
You can also find me on Face Book, Good Reads, and Linked In.
Thanks, Lena, for having me as your guest and for the work you do in promoting Christian fiction. God Bless.

Thank you, Carla, and thank you for allowing us a glimpse into your life and your book.

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














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

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STEADFAST SOLDIER - Cheryl Wyatt - Free Book

Author bio

Born Valentines Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers. Her books have won a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for the Best Series Love Inspired in 2009 and garnered a Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence final. http://www.cherylwyatt.com/

Rescuing people is his job…

But the one person pararescue jumper Chance Garrison can't seem to help is his own ailing father, who refuses his much-needed physical rehabilitation. That is, until Chance hires unconventional occupational therapist Chloe Callet. To his surprise, Chloe and her sweet black Lab, Midnight, work wonders. And not only on the elder Garrison. Chance just may have met the woman who can get through his own toughened exterior. Can he persuade the lovely Chloe to take a chance—on him?

Why did you become an author?

Because I love books and have dreamed of it since I was little. I've always loved writing and feel it's part of my destiny. I write as worship.

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

Reading books for a living!

Yeah, that would be great, to get paid to read books. If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

In the days Jesus lived so I could see God in human form and watch his miracles in person and have a stronger sense of history and setting in his time and day.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

The outer banks and coastal areas. Anywhere that has a lighthouse and lots of water. The east coast. Any place the Coast Guard goes.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Australia! I want to go to a Cricket match with my Aussie friend Jenny.

I love Australia. I believe God will let me go sometime. What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

To pursue my dreams even in the face of staunch resistance. That usually comes in the form of negative voices. To believe God over everything and to speak like I believe even when circumstances look opposite and people's words go against what God has promised.

I'm with you there. One of my favorite Christian songs is "The Voice of Truth." Tell us about the featured book.

This book was a pain. Really. I think the fourth version sold. The revisions were pretty extensive. I hope this book has major impact because of the trouble it caused me. LOL! My editors were VERY patient through this book. Let's just leave it at that. It's number 7 in Wings of Refuge by Steeple Hill. Each books stands alone though.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.cherylwyatt.com/
I'm elsewhere too but all the links to find me are there.

Thank you, Cheryl, for stopping by my blog again. I love having you here.

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














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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MAID TO MATCH - Deeanne Gist - Free Book

Welcome, Deeanne. I love the picture. You know I've been anxiously waiting to run this interview. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I began reading secular romance at age sixteen. At the time, the majority of heroines were of high moral fiber.  And though that bar crept lower and lower, it wasn’t until the last few years that the romance industry started taking a sharp turn away from the mainstream and began to introduce blatant erotica into their romances.  I became concerned about the youth of our country thinking that the decisions these heroines made were not only acceptable, but something to strive for. 

So the Lord challenged me to write romances that would appeal to readers who hadn’t yet graced the doors of Christian bookstores. Romances that would illustrate characters making choices different from what mainstream offered, yet who still experienced a “happily ever after.” 

In order to draw those readers in, I struggled with how to write in a way that was relevant, but didn’t offend.  I don’t think it is necessary to be graphic, but to dismiss out of hand or to avoid our God-given sensual natures that attract us to our mates is not very realistic, or honest even.

As a result, I don’t censure my characters. If they feel desire, I let them feel desire. If they have uncharitable thoughts, I let them have uncharitable thoughts. If they want to be willful, I let them be willful.

I find, though, that I must be very conscious of the Spirit’s prompting while I am writing. If my character is going to do something, or say something, that pushes the envelope, then I have to feel at peace about it. So I pray. I pray that the Lord will give me discernment and my editor discernment and all the influencers at Bethany House discernment.

And the Lord has been faithful. I have heard from women all over the world, ages 13 to 90, many who are Christian, many who are not. Some have recommitted their lives to Christ, some have simply said they’d like to further explore this genre called “inspirational novels.” 

I set out to achieve my goal with my “Dee-sized” plan.  But when I gave it to the Lord, He initiated a God-sized plan. And so I continue to pray Hebrews 13:21:  That God equip me with everything good for doing His will and that He work in me what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.

You do a masterful job with the writing. I'm one of your biggest fans. What are you reading right now?

Research books! Lots and lots and lots of research books. J

I totally understand that. I'm about to jump into a different kind of story, and I have to do a lot of research. What is your current work in progress?

My latest release Beguiled is a romantic suspense set in Charleston that I co-authored with J. Mark Bertrand.  Then Maid to Match is set to release in June, 2010.  I’m still working with my publisher on ideas for my next book, but it’s sure to be a return to my historical romance roots.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Learn your craft. You can be the best athlete in the world, but unless you know the rules, you can’t play basketball. Same with writing. Read how-to books, go to writing conferences, enter contests, join a critique group, listen to CDs, read author blogs, join writing organizations, take workshops. And keep doing this not only on the road to publication, but after publication. Never think you have “arrived.” Everybody has room for growth. 

 Tell us about the featured book?

 From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled--by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in proper servant etiquette, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. After all, the one rule of the house is no romance below stairs.

            But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs, their aspirations ...and their hearts.

As with all your books, it sounds intriguing. Please give us the first page of the book.

Like a butterfly breaking free from its confining cocoon, Tillie Reese emerged from the barren, tan-colored servants’ hall into the opulence of Biltmore’s main floor. These predawn hours were her favorite. All was dark, no one stirred and she had the entire floor--easily a half-acre in size--all to herself.

            She’d walked this path many times and could navigate it without candle or illumination. For just a moment, she imagined herself mistress of the chateau. Elegantly dressed, gliding across the parquet and trying to decide whether to have Chef prepare petites bouchees or puits d’amour. Whether to spend the morning reading Yeats, Browning or Dickens. Whether to call the carriage round for a drive through the country or ride one of the thoroughbreds in the stable.

            Tightening her grip on her housemaid’s box, she inhaled deeply. The polish she’d mixed with linseed oil, vinegar, turpentine and wine tickled her nose. She allowed herself a sneeze--something strictly forbidden were anyone about.

            The click of her heels echoed throughout the vast, wide-open area as she skirted the sunken atrium filled with palms, exotic plants, blooming shrubs and a large fountain sculpture yet to be turned on. She finally reached the tapestry gallery and paused, listening to the silence, enjoying the anonymity of the dark.

            Let there be light.

            She pushed the familiar white button. Electric lights flared, illuminating a room so long it could hold two modest houses. Several groupings of sage brocade sofas and chairs filled the area. Huge tapestries lined one wall. Opposite them, a wall of windows and French doors.

            The soft hum of the Edison bulbs bid her good morning. The thrill and miracle of the electric lights never failed to stir her.  But this morning something else warred for her attention and suddenly, the light made her feel exposed, vulnerable, naked.

            She touched the black button. Darkness slammed back down like a closing trunk lid. All was quiet again. Not a whisper of sound.

            She held her breath. Felt her heart hammering in her breast. And allowed the thought she’d been hiding deep inside since last night to fully form in her head.

 Anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

Biltmore enchanted me so much that we’ve decided to hold a readers’ event there. We’re having a Gilded Age Party with Victorian parlor games, souvenir photos in turn-of-the-century costumes, a book swap and much, much more. We’re giving a special presentation where I’ll be strapped into period clothing piece-by-piece, starting with drawers and corset and culminating with gloves and parasol.

The next day we’ll lunch together at the fabulous Biltmore Inn. But the pièce de le résistance will be our private tour of Biltmore mansion where we’ll go behind the scenes of the Maid To Match world. I hope you can join us! Details are at GetawayWithDee.com.

 How can readers find you on the Internet?

IWantHerBook.com 

facebook.com/IWantHerBook

What a joy to have you here on my blog again, Deeanne.

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

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com  

A LOVE OF HER OWN - Maggie Brendan - Free Book

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

He certainly has, Lena. I want to stay open to whatever and wherever God leads with my writing career. My biggest desire is to subtly point people to Christ. I hope I continue to grow and learn as a writer and be receptive to write what He lays on my heart. I was so thrilled when Christianbook.com asked for an author interview and now I’m on their Author’s Corner. I’ve been asked to sign at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orland June 14th by LifeWay and I’m so honored and blessed.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband is VP of an architectural firm in Atlanta. My daughter lives in Augusta, GA and teaches Kindergarten and has three beautiful children. Her husband is a Judge, attorney and a JAG in the Army Guard. My son is a PharmD and his wife is a pharmacist and they have a precious little girl. They live in Smyrna, GA.

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

I find that I have to read in snatches since I’m writing under contract. I always keep a basket of books by my bed at night to wind down with. Books are piled up in the den, so basically I have several books that I’m reading. I have to make time to read because I want to keep up with other author’s work and it expands my own writing skills. Plus, I’d rather read that watch TV.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a series I call The Blue Willow Brides about a mail order bride from Holland who comes to America with her two sisters. I’m nearing the ending of the first book in the series I’ve entitled, Deeply Devoted. I hope they keep the title, but I can never count on that.

Sounds interesting. What outside interests do you have?

I sing in a large sanctuary choir at my church. I loved to be with my family and grandchildren. I enjoy traveling out West and researching. I enjoying visiting with other writers.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My love of the West and reading about its history gives me the ideas for my books. I lived in Colorado nearly eight years and fell in love with the state. I’ve been to MT several times and came away with the idea for book two. Book three picked up the story in MT. The idea for The Blue Willow Brides came from my love of Blue Willow dishes.

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

Other than Jesus Christ, maybe Sacajawea who travelled with Lewis and Clark or an ordinary cowboy that worked on a cattle ranch out West.

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

The fact that I had a three book contract to begin was enlightening to me. I had no idea, the edits and page proofs and marketing would all overlap with the writing of each book. Somehow I never saw it coming until the deadline of the first book. It just seems that time is so short and the next phase was right on my heels.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

He’s definitely teaching me discipline. Writing a book can’t be written with out showing up everyday and treating it like your job. The other thing, (and this is so hard for me), is I have to let some things around the house go and cut back on outside activities. I try to choose what I will participate in at church, too. So the bulk of my time there is in the choir and that’s a huge commitment right now.

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

1.)Write something every day if you can. Show up!
2.) Read.
3.) Join a critique group for guidance and feedback. The benefits are great! Network with other writers through groups like the ACFW, ACW, RWA. There are many writers groups to choose from.

Tell us about the featured book?

A Love of Her Own is the conclusion of Heart of the West series. April McBride travels to attend her brother’s wedding. Still cautious after a broken engagement, she fully intends to guard her heart. One look around the small mining town convinces April that doing so won't be difficult—just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service, and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with horse trainer Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship, and . . . love?

Please give us the first page of the book.

The Yampa Valley, Colorado
September 1896

The brisk Colorado wind tugged at April McBride’s silky tresses underneath her Stetson hat, tickling the exposed skin at the nape of her neck. She threw her head back in delight, and her laughter spilled across the valley floor, causing her roan’s tail to twitch. There wasn’t anything April would rather do on a fall day than be out riding with total abandonment. She pushed her mount higher up the slope.

A half hour later she reined her horse in as she reached the crest of the craggy ridge overlooking the Yampa Valley. Her gaze traveled down to the rumbling Blue River below where a familiar figure on horseback had stopped to give his horse a drink. Luke Weber. But this time her heart no longer thumped with excitement.

Luke paused at the river’s edge and rested his arms across the saddle horn. He glanced up to her on the ridgeline above him and lifted his hat in greeting. April returned the greeting with a wave. After a brief moment, Luke gave his horse a nudge and continued on downstream.
COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://southernbellewriter.blogspot.com/
http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/  Resident Blogger

Thank you, Maggie, for spending this time with us. Be sure to contact me when you have a pub date on the Blue Willow books.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using the link when you order,  you help support this blog.














Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. (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 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

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

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First June Winners!! Thank You, Authors!!

Brittanie is the winner of Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy.

AnnaW is the winner of A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer.


Holly Heisey is the winner of Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes.


Lou Ann is the winner of Ransome's Crossing by Kaye Dacus.


Collettakay is the winner of Almost Forever by Deborah Raney.
 
Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the page, and send me an Email.

You have 6 weeks to claim your book.

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

FINAL TOUCH - Brandilyn & Amberly Collins - Free Book

We've come to the last book in the Rayne Tour series. Welcome back, Brandilyn. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I grew up in a Christian home so was always taught the gospel. I had some rebellious years as a young adult, but then came back to the Lord when I married my husband, Mark, over 28 years ago.

How did you and your spouse meet?

Through business. We were working for the same company at the time. When we married, I had to let go of the job—but Mark was worth it.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

I can’t limit it to four. I do have a writers’ retreat every year in our Idaho home. There are eleven of us. We each get a plotting session. We tend to plot in the mornings and early afternoons and then play the rest of the day. The group is also connected throughout the year via an email loop. We pray for and encourage each other. Published authors in the group include me, Trisha Goyer, Sharon Dunn, Robin Lee Hatcher, Karen Ball, Francine Rivers, Sunni Jeffers, and Tamara Alexander.

Sounds like a real fun group. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I teach at writers’ conferences and do the emceeing at the ACFW conference each year. I’m open to speaking also, but the timing would have to be right. Unfortunately, I have to turn down far more invitations than I can take, due to my writing schedule.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?.

You know, I have real trouble remembering a terribly embarrassing moment. Probably because I just don’t embarrass easily. I figure nobody’s perfect, so if someone sees me do something stupid—well, that’s just what happens sometimes.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I nod and say, “Good for you.” And ask them about their book ideas. Inside I’m thinking, “Don’t quit your day job.”

I've said that very thing to several authors. Tell us about the featured book?

Final Touch is the third and final in the Rayne Tour series--young adult suspense co-written with my daughter, Amberly. If you haven’t read books one and two, Always Watching, and Last Breath, do that first! Don’t even read the rest of this answer or the first page of Final Touch, because it will be a spoiler for the first two books.

(I agree with Brandilyn on this.)

In Final Touch Shaley, daughter of a rock star, faces the biggest danger she’s ever faced. On the very day she’s dreamed of all her life, tragedy hits. Moments away from the wedding ceremony of her mom and dad--who was absent for most of Shaley’s life--Shaley is kidnapped.
Please give us the first page of the book.
“I’ve been dreaming of this day my entire life!”

Happiness bubbled within me until I could hardly contain it. Today my mom and my long-lost father were marrying. For the first time we’d be a family—a real family, living under the same roof. I’d come home from high school to a mom and a dad. How I’d begged God for that. How I’d yearned for it, ever since I was little and wondered where my father was. Who he was. Now I wanted to shout and sing and dance. And I may have, except that I was dressed to the nines as a maid of honor in beautiful coral silk, and I didn’t dare get sweaty.

Instead I gently cupped my hands around Mom’s cheeks. We smiled at each other. Then my throat started to tighten. Uh-oh. My mouth wavered, and so did Mom’s. Tears filled our eyes.

“Oh, no!” I pulled back and waved my hands in the air. “No-no-no, I do not want to cry!”
We both were fully made up, as were the other bridesmaids in the room, Brittany and Kim. The wedding would start in forty-five minutes. This was not the time to mess up our mascara.

“Here, Shaley.” My best friend, Brittany, thrust a tissue into my hand, then gave one to my mom. That’s Brittany—always ready. “Blot. Carefully.”

Mom and I smiled lopsidedly at each other as we pressed the tissues to the corners of our eyes.

I’ve seen my mom glamoured up for countless concerts and interviews. But I’d never seen her so beautiful as on this day. Her wedding gown was designer gorgeous, fitted at Mom’s slim waist, beaded all over, and with a long satiny train. Rimming the train were coral-colored little pearls, matching the bridesmaid dresses. Mom’s blonde hair was up, with a flower-topped veil attached and hanging to the floor as a gossamer layer over the train. She looked stunning. And not just because her make-up and hair were perfect. Because she was so happy on the inside. Gary Donovon, the high school sweetheart who’d been wrenched from her life eighteen years ago, would become her husband today.
“Looks good.” Kim, keyboard player for Mom’s rock band—named Rayne after Mom—smiled as she took the tissue from my mother’s hand and threw it away. “No more tears now.”
Mom shook her head, her face lit with joy. “No more tears.”

I love it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Read about all my books, including first chapters, on my Web site: http://www.brandilyncollins.com/ . I blog at Forensics and Faith: http://www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/ . I’m also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brandilyncollins. And Twitter: www.twitter.com/brandilyn .

Brandilyn, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview with us.

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