DEEPLY DEVOTED - Maggie Brendan - Free Book

Welcome back, Maggie. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I try to explore topics about learning to fully love, trust and have true acceptance of our fellow man using faith and our belief in the one who created us. I want my characters to show empathy and not be judgmental before they know the “whole story” as we so often do in real life. It’s much easier to write about the spiritual aspects than to live it out every day in the “real” world. It’s a struggle every day.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

Deeply Devoted, book one in The Blue Willow Brides, just hit the bookstores last week. My next one in the series will be next fall and it’s temporarily titled, Three Little Words and the third one, Timeless Perfection. It’d be great if Revell would keep my titles, but I’ll know later. I was happy that they kept Deeply Devoted and The Jewel of His Heart.

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

No one really comes to mind except Sam Elliot. I’ve long admired all the western roles he’s played through the years and actually modeled my character, Luke, in my first book, No Place for a Lady, after him. He’s got such an incredible speaking voice.

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

Mary the mother of Jesus! I’d like to pick her brain as to what it was like to be the Mother of God and what it was Jesus like raising him. Now that would be a story!

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

Persevere, stay persistent, and don’t give up. Be ready to take good constructive criticism if a publisher gives you feedback after rejecting your manuscript. Part of being able to do handle rejection is to have a good critique partner or group. We’ve all been there. You’ll know you’re a writer when after a rejection, you say, “That’s it! I won’t write anymore,” in anger, then after you cool off and nurse your ego, guess what? You find yourself parked in front of your manuscript because you can’t not do it, if it’s your passion.

Tell us about the featured book.

A Blue Willow tea set, a tragic past, a worn letter, and devotion to her two younger sisters, is all that mail-order bride Catharine Olsen brings from Amsterdam to Cheyenne, WY to meet her future husband. Peter is a gentle, but hard-working wheat farmer, who doesn’t realize the extent his meddling mother will go to in order to discredit his bride after he decides not to marry the lady she chose for him. Will Catharine’s secret past threaten the idyllic life she has created with her new husband?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Cheyenne Territory, Wyoming
Spring 1887

Catharine Olsen sipped the last of her tea from the bottom of her cherished Blue Willow teacup, then carefully placed it on the saucer on the table next to her. She leaned back on the settee, shoving her curls away from her face, and slipped a letter out of her Bible. Though she knew the words by heart, she reread the letter, now worn and discolored from time.

Catharine,

It is hard for me to contain my joy that soon we shall meet and you will be my bride. I feel like I already know you well from our correspondence. I pray you will have safe travel on the Union Pacific. You should have a day to rest after the long, arduous journey. I will promptly call for you at the hotel the next day. Until then, I remain affectionately yours,

Peter Andersen

Had it been just yesterday when she stared from the train’s window at the prairie that seemed to stretch as far as her eye could see? The relentless wind whipped the unending gold-tipped grass, and there was not a tree in sight . . . just open fields with an occasional cabin dotting the landscape and perhaps deer or elk grazing in the distance. Peter had told her to keep a lookout for them, and maybe a herd of bison. She wondered how she would adjust to such surroundings after leaving her beloved Amsterdam with its lush meadows and myriad of tulips . . . and the memories, not all of them good. An image swam before her eyes, and her heart tightened. I can’t think about it today or I won’t be able to go on . . . What purpose could it possibly serve?

Would her heart ever heal? A single tear slid down her cheek, but she hastily swept it away before her sisters could see. She sighed and glanced over at them sitting with their heads together, reading a newspaper they’d picked up at the last stop. She prayed silently that all would work out as she hoped, but she knew from experience that only the Lord could see what was in store.

“Next stop, Cheyenne!” the conductor announced as he walked the aisle. He lifted his pocket watch from his waistcoat. “In about ten minutes.” Passengers began to gather their reading materials, satchels, and personal belongings in preparation for their arrival.

True to the conductor’s word, the train slowed its approach at the Union Pacific depot. Catharine decided that it was one of the most beautiful railroad depots she’d ever seen. The impressive structure looked fairly new with its multicolored sandstone, stone arches, and steeply pitched roofs that resembled a castle. Peter had written in his letters that the stone was quarried from west of Fort Collins, Colorado. Along the opposite side of the train, the rail yard was a profusion of trains narrowly wedged between one another, which could make disembarking dangerous.

Finally, with a squeal of metal on metal and a belch of steam, the engine halted, then passengers immediately scrambled to the exits, happy to have arrived in Cheyenne.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

They can find me on my website or blog and I’m a resident blogger on Bustles and Spurs.

www.MaggieBrendan.com

www.SouthernBelleWriter.com

www.BustlesAndSpurs.com

Thank you, Maggie, for the interesting peek into your life and story.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
 Deeply Devoted: A Novel (The Blue Willow Brides)


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

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

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

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DELIVER ME FROM EVIL - Kathi Macias - Free Book

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

As I was finishing up my first fiction series for New Hope Publishers, the four-book Extreme Devotion series (also New Hope’s first-ever fiction books) about the Persecuted Church around the world, the publisher and I were discussing where we wanted to go next. She suggested the topic of human trafficking, which immediately resonated with me as I too am interested in this tragic problem, so I developed a three-book series on the topic, with Deliver Me From Evil being the first one.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Wow, this is a tough one, as I love contemporary fiction. Okay, here we go: Patti Lacy, Susan Meissner, Susanne Lakin, Mary DeMuth, Athol Dickson, and Jim Rubart. All are different and unique, and all are people I greatly admire.

I'd crash that party in a minute. Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

This is tougher, since I don’t read as much historical fiction, but I have to say my sister-in-law, Kacy Barnett-Gramckow because I loved her Genesis trilogy. Also, Francine Rivers, Bodie Thoene, Eugenia Price, Sarah Sundin, and Laurie Alice Eakes. Though I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, these ladies all write about eras I find fascinating, so I usually try to make time to read their latest offerings.

Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

Oh, if they only knew! People are surprised when I tell them I don’t get contracts for every proposal my agent sends out, but it’s true. However, I must sheepishly admit that my greatest problem right now is far too many contracts and not enough time to write! I also do a little editing and collaborative writing on the side, plus travel/speak/teach, so life is crazy-busy!

Tell us about the featured book.

Deliver Me From Evil is the first in the Freedom series, which follows the life of a young girl named Mara (meaning “bitter”) who is sold into sexual slavery by her family when she is only eight years old. She is brought into the United States and forced to do whatever her uncle—the brothel owner—demands of her for ten years. At last she meets someone who seems to want to help. Does she dare dream of being rescued? The subplot takes place in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, where two sisters are also held in a brothel, not realizing they have a connection to the main story taking place in the United States. All this will play out as the stories dovetail throughout the series.

I love the symbolism in the cover. Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

            Mara fought to breathe against the thick darkness that pressed her down. The closet was so small…so dark and cramped. Impossible to stretch out, whether lying down or standing up. How long had it been now? Hours? Days? The blackness was too complete, the confines too cramped even to venture a guess.

            She’d been in what they all termed “the hole” before, but not for a while now. In the beginning, before she’d learned to obey the rules without question or hesitation, she had often found herself confined in what felt like a tomb, wondering how long it would take before she crossed so far into insanity that there was no way back. And though the times in the hole were the worst, life outside the silent box wasn’t much better. To survive, Mara had quickly learned to remove herself from the horrifying reality that had become her life, to travel far away in her mind where the torture was only a distant terror, one she could endure if she disciplined herself to think of something else. Eventually she had become one of the most compliant of the twenty or more wretched creatures that dwelled in this nameless location, which she had come to understand was somewhere in the San Diego area of Southern California, not far from the Mexican border. As a result, her trips to the hole became only a vague yet obedience-motivating memory.

            But this time she had dared to break a rule, not openly but secretly, praying to a god she didn’t really believe in to protect her. Unfortunately, the nonexistent god had apparently chosen not to answer her prayer, and she had been caught and severely punished—beaten mercilessly and thrown into the hole without food or water—because she had allowed the face of a young child to entice her to venture beyond the tentative bounds of safety.

            And for what? Not only had she failed to help the girl escape, but she had probably caused her to be thrown into the hole as well, for there were several such confines within the compound. Nearly as bad as being in the claustrophobic enclosure herself was knowing that a captive no older than six or seven was being held in a similar prison nearby, terrified beyond imagining.

            When would Mara learn? She herself hadn’t been much older than the tiny child when she was spirited away from her previous life, never again to see her home or family or anything else familiar. Thrust into a world of violence and perversion, Mara had learned to endure the most nightmarish and degrading of conditions. Though at first she had cried and begged to go home to her parents, even though they too had beaten and abused her, she finally came to understand that it was her father who had sold her into this new life from which there was no escape—and her very own uncle, her “tio” who had arranged the sale and was now her owner. And that was the worst part of it all—realizing that no one would ever come to rescue her, for those who should care enough to try were the ones who put her there—all for the price of a few weeks worth of drugs or alcohol, possibly even some food.

            With that realization, Mara had chosen to harden her heart and do whatever she must to get through, one day at a time—sometimes one moment at a time. That was how she had gained the tiniest amount of freedom and privileges, being fed more regularly and even allowed to walk relatively unhindered around the small compound that had become her world—so long as she continued to obey her tio and his two henchmen without question.

But then the little girl with the terrified eyes had arrived, bound and gagged, bloody and bruised…and everything had changed.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My main website is www.kathimacias.com; I also have an “Easy Writer” blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com and another website at www.thetitus2women.com.

Thank you, Kathi, for this peek into such a sordid world. This should be a call to arms.

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

Deliver Me from Evil (Freedom)


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

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

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

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

LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS - Jane Kirkpatrick, Liz Tolzma, Michelle Ule, Debra Ullrick, Erica Vetch - 4 Free Books

I'm really thrilled to be featuring the authors of this novella collection. It contains nine novellas set during American Pioneer Christmases. We have five of them here today.

Welcome, Jane. How did your story for the collection come about?

While working on a history book about a Christian community of the 19th century (to accompany a three book novel series) I read a copy of a quilt historian journal.  It told the story of a signature quilt with all the blocks done by different women for a single man.  That gave me the idea for The Courting Quilt.

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading Sandra Byrd's To Die For, set in 16th century. I'm also reading a biography of Dorthea Dix.

What other books have you had published?

I'm the author eighteen novels (my first contemporary comes out next month!) and three non-fiction titles. This is my first venture into the novella realm and I'll be joining three other others next year for the Midwife's Legacy, also with Barbour.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

For me it was writing within that 20,000 word limit since a couple of my novels are tomes of 130,000 words -- back when those big books were acceptable. Because we could each write in the setting we wished with the thread between us being the log cabin, we were pretty independent. With the Midwife novella collection, we needed to tie the pieces together more and that was fun and challenging too.

How did collaborating with this team impact you? 

I'd never written what I would call a sweet romance before so discovering how others have done that was a good impact. I read the other authors works (not their contributions to this piece) so I could get a feel for their voice. It was very enriching.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

They just came to me! Mary Bishop and Richard Taylor are the primaries.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story? 

That our initial reactions to people and events are not always the best judge.  And I hope it's a light story that helps people see that even in the worst of times, there can be a silver lining stitched by the hand of God.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers?

If so, why?  Yes. Mostly to keep up with the business of writing, the marketplace, be exposed to writers at various stages of their career and to help cheer people on (and maybe have a little cheer myself!)

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

Write the best story you can and always have a "story" about the story because people often remember you as the storyteller as much as they will your story.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet? 

My website is http://www.jkbooks.com  where you can visit my blog www.janeswordsofencouragement.blogspot.com  or my dog's blog www.bodaciousbothedog.blogspot.com  who has more followers than I do I think!  I'm also on facebook https://www.facebook.com/theauthorjanekirkpatrick

Now we'll talk with Liz Tolsma. Welcome, Liz. How did your story for the collection come about?

I actually did the research for the story years ago when we were on vacation. As we were in the logging museum, the story came to me. I wrote the first three chapters and it sat in my desk until the call came for a Christmas novella centered around a log cabin. God’s timing is perfect.

What are you reading right now?

Right now I’m reading several different books by different publishers as I prepare to pitch two projects at the ACFW conference in September. I’m looking forward to reading Sarah Sundin’s WWII novel Blue Skies Tomorrow.

What other books have you had published?

I have two short stories, "A Mother’s Love" and "As American As They Come" in the collection Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

The word count limit. I struggled so hard with this, but it helped make the story tighter and better in the end.

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

I’m so privileged to be part of a book with these wonderful authors and humbled that I was chosen to participate with them.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

My neighbor named her daughter Adelaide and I loved the old-fashioned sound of it. Adie is one of my daughter’s friends at school. Noah, also, sounded old-fashioned and yet was a name I loved.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

I want them to come away with the peace and comfort that God is covering us under his wings. There we can take refuge from all the world’s storms.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?

Yes, I’m a member and have been for many years. My mentor Andrea Boeshaar encouraged me to join when it was still American Christian Romance Writers. I’ve never regretted it. This book wouldn’t have been possible if I weren’t a member.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

Never give up. It took seven years from the time I wrote the first words of this book until it was published. You never know when or where your story will fit.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

They can find me at www.liztolsma.com and I’d love to have them join me at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com. I’m also on Facebook and on Twitter.

Michelle Ule has joined us. Welcome, Michelle. How did your story for the collection come about? 

My agent, Janet Grant of Books & Such, heard about the collection and suggested I come up with a story idea. I have a log cabin story from my family history that fit the bill and I wrote two chapters and a synopsis the day I got the invitation. It was a joy to fashion a story about people in my past whom I admired.

What are you reading right now?

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain (I wrote my senior thesis at UCLA on Ernest Hemingway)

What other books have you had published?

None!  This is the first one. For an interesting perspective on my reaction to seeing my name on a book, see my blog here: 

http://michelleule.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/the-humility-of-a-published-book.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

Knowing the stories written by my co-writers. That was not a problem with this collection, but on two others I've "auditioned" for, it was complicated meshing our story lines together.

How did collaborating with this team impact you? 

It's been fun to share the joy and the honor of publishing with such fine writers.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Most came from my family history, the others were chosen based on popular names in 1836 Texas.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story? 

It's important to "do the right thing," particularly to forgive, when loved ones are involved.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why? 

Yes. I've been a member four or five years; for the networking opportunities, to enter the Genesis contest (finalist last year) and to keep track of events in the changing world of Christian fiction.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author? 

Write out of your heart and emotions. 

Where can my readers find you on the Internet? 

http:michelleule.wordpress.com 

Now we're welcoming Debra Ullrick. How did your story for the collection come about?

My fabulous agent Tamela Hancock Murray contacted me, telling me that Barbour was looking for log cabin novellas. Since I actually lived in an old homestead, stayed in many historical log cabins, and had access to several log cabins and their history, I thought it would be fun. Toss in my Germans from Russia heritage and A Grand County Christmas was born.

What are you reading right now?

A Prairie Christmas Collection

What other books have you had published?

Besides my novella in A Log Cabin Christmas, The Bride Wore Coveralls, Déjà vu Bride, Dixie Hearts, The Unexpected Bride, The Unlikely Wife, and Christmas Belles of Georgia.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

None of these were hard at all. However, if I had to say something, maybe it was keeping the details straight. In Christmas Belles of Georgia, the heroines are identical quads, so we had to make sure we had the same height, eye color, and the letter from the lawyer had to say the same thing and have the same dates. But, Jeanie Smith Cash, whose idea this was, made it easy by supplying all of us with that information. Thank you, Jeanie!

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

We didn’t really collaborate on A Log Cabin Christmas because they were all individual stories.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

By looking online. I looked around until their names clicked with me.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

That we need to trust God no matter how dire our circumstances look. Sometimes the biggest blessings come from our biggest trials.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers?

If so, why? Yes. Because it’s a wonderful group of Christian writers, and I’ve made some fabulous friends because of it. Plus, I sold my first book at an ACRW conference. (That’s what the ACFWwas called back then. Those initials stand for… American Christian Romance Writers)

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

If you find someone who understands your voice and your style, who doesn’t try to change them, hang on to them, they are worth their weight in gold.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

On my website at www.debraullrick.com or Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Shoutlife.

The last author joining us is Erica Vetsch. Glad to have you, Erica.  How did your story for the collection come about?

The first story I pitched for this collection didn’t make the cut because it was too similar to the story Margaret Brownley had pitched. Thankfully, Becky Germany asked me to submit another story idea, and this novella popped into my head. I’m so glad it did, as I really love the characters and storyline for Christmas Service.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Anne Mateer’s debut novel Wings of a Dream. It’s excellent!

What other books have you had published?

I’ve had eight Heartsongs, a 3-in-1 collection of Heartsongs called Idaho Brides, this Christmas novella, as well as my debut trade-length novel also releasing this month titled A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a novella collection?

The tight word count. I always have to watch my story lengths.

How did collaborating with this team impact you?

I’m really honored to be a part of this group of novelists. Such stellar writers. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s stories. There’s really a great mix of settings, ethnicities, and writing styles. Though we worked autonomously on our stories, it was really great knowing I was going to be part of such a wonderful group of writers.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

 My heroine is named after my pastor’s daughter, Elizabeth Sorensen, and my hero, Todd Rambek, is named after a family I met a few years ago from Norway. The Rambeks were staying in Rochester for a year on a work project.

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

A fun read that puts them in the mood for Christmas, and that they will be reminded what true service in the Church is all about.

Are you a member of American Christian Fiction Writers? If so, why?

Yes, ma’am, I am a member, because of all the benefits I receive and the wonderful fellowship. I’ve made so many friends in the writing business through ACFW.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

I’ve received a lot of very good advice. For today, since I’m working on this particular thing in the story I’m writing now, I’ll say no conflict, no story. You have to have conflict, or your story is boring.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

On my blog at www.onthewritepath.blogspot.com/

On twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/EricaVetsch

On Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erica-Vetsch/168952446490736

Thank you, Jane, Liz, Michelle, Debra, and Erica for the fun interview.

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

A Log Cabin Christmas: 9 Historical Romances during American Pioneer Christmases


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

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

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

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

CAPTIVE TRAIL - Susan Page Davis - Free Book

I'm thrilled to be featuring this author and her book. I was privileged to read the manuscript for endorsement. I know you'll love it as much as I did. Welcome, Susan. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write different kinds of books. Usually I pick a topic/genre/story because that’s the story I want to tell at that time. This one, Captive Trail, developed as I read about children who had been captured and torn away from their families. Their struggles resonated with me, and I knew other readers would feel the same sadness and empathy I felt, and want the children to be happy again.

Captive Trail is second in the Texas Trails series. Tell us about that.

Moody Publishers is offering this six-book series about the Morgan family, living in Texas from the 1840s to the 1890s. Darlene Franklin, Vickie McDonough, and I have each written two of the six books. The first is Darlene’s Lone Star Trail, which released last month. Vickie’s The Long Trail Home will release in November. Each book focuses on a different family member in a different decade and incorporates some interesting points of Texas history. Next spring look for A Ranger’s Trail, Cowgirl Trail, and The End of the Trial.

How has being published changed your life?

Instead of working for someone else, I now work for myself. I’ve had a lot of jobs over the years, most recently as a newspaper correspondent, but I love this one the most.

What are you reading right now?

The View from the Lighthouse, by Melody Carlson.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m writing another western, but this one’s much lighter in tone. A Lady in the Making will be the third in my new Prairie Dreams series. In it, a lady with a past has to convince a gentleman that she really is a lady now.

What would be your dream vacation?

Any place with lots of history. I’d love to see Maachu Pichu, for instance. And I’d love to poke around the British Isles.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Lately a lot of my settings have been chosen for me—a publisher wants a book with a particular setting. If I choose it myself I look for the place that would best suit my story.

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

My daughter who lives in England. We hoped to go and visit her this year but were unable to do that.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Genealogy, logic puzzles, and ciphers. In the past I did a lot of needlework, but I haven’t had time for that lately. I also love animals. 

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

Lack of time for the writing-related tasks such as reading galleys, critiquing for friends, filling out art sheets, and promoting my books. I just do what I can and accept that I’m not superhuman.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read a lot, in a wide variety of genres. Write something every day.

I don't think I mentioned how much I love your cover, Susan. Tell us about the featured book.

Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family’s teepee.  The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted.  She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses.

On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station.  They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.

With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu’s identity. He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station. Through Taabe and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Plains of North Central Texas, 1857

Faster. Taabe Waipu had to go faster, or she would never get down from the high plains, down to the hill country and beyond. South, ever south and east.

Clinging to the horse, she let him run. The land looked flat all around, though it was riddled with ravines and folds. She could no longer see any familiar landmarks. The moon and stars had guided her for two nights, and now the rising sun told her which way to go on her second day of flight. She’d snatched only brief periods of rest. At her urging the horse galloped on, down and up the dips and hollows of the land.

Taabe didn’t know where the next water supply lay. The only thing she knew was that she must outrun the Numinu—Comanche, their enemies called them. No one traveled these plains without their permission. Those who tried didn’t make it out again. She glanced over her shoulder in the gray dawn. As far as she could see, no one followed, but she couldn’t stop. They were back there, somewhere. She urged the horse on toward the southeast.

South to the rolling grasslands where the white men had their ranches. Where Peca and the other men often went to raid. Where Taabe was born.

The compact paint stallion ran smoothly beneath her, but as the sun rose and cast her shadow long over the Llano Estacado, his breath became labored, his stride shorter. Where her legs hugged his sleek sides, her leggings dampened with his sweat. He was a good horse, this wiry paint that Peca had left outside her sister’s tepee. Without him she wouldn’t have gotten this far. But no horse could run forever.

Taabe slowed him to a trot but didn’t dare rest. Not yet.

Another look behind.

No one.

Would she recognize the house she’d once lived in? She didn’t think so, but she imagined a big earthen lodge, not a tepee. Or was it a cabin made of logs? That life was a shadow world in her mind now. Fences. The warriors talked about the fences built by the white men, around their gardens and their houses. She thought she recalled climbing a fence made of long poles and sitting on the top. When she saw fences, she would know she was close.

At last she came to a shallow stream, sliding between rocks and fallen trees. It burbled languidly where it split around a boulder. She let the horse wade in and bend down to drink.

Taabe stayed on his back while he drank in long, eager gulps, keeping watch over the way they’d come. She needed to find a sheltered place where the horse could graze and rest. Did she dare stop for a while? She studied the trail behind her then took her near-empty water skin from around her neck. Leaning over the paint’s side, she dangled it by its thong in the water on the horse’s upstream side. She wouldn’t dismount to fill it properly, but she could stay in the saddle and scoop up a little. She straightened and checked the trail again. The horse took a step and continued to drink.

She stroked his withers, warm and smooth. With a wry smile, she remembered the bride price Peca had left. Six horses staked out before the tepee. A stallion and five mares—pretty mares. Healthy, strong mounts. But only six.

The stallion raised his head at last and waded across the stream without her urging. They settled into a steady trot. Tomorrow or the next day or the next, she would come to a land with many trees and rivers. And many houses of the whites.

Would she have stayed if Peca had left twenty horses? Fifty?

Not for a thousand horses would she have stayed in the village and married Peca—or any other warrior. Staying would make it impossible for her ever to go back to that other world—the world to the south.

Eagerness filled her, squeezing out her fear. She dug her heels into the stallion’s ribs. Whatever awaited her, she rushed to meet it.

The paint lunged forward and down. His right front hoof sank, and he didn’t stop falling. Taabe tried to brace herself, too late. The horse’s body continued to fly up and around. She hurtled off to the side and tucked her head.

This book is available in stores and online:

Christian Book Distributors: http://www.christianbook.com/captive-trail-susan-davis/9780802405845/pd/405845?item_code=WW&netp_id=892812&event=ESRCN&view=details

              

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802405843/suspagdav-20

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Visit my website at: www.susanpagedavis.com

Thank you, Susan, for the fun interview. I'm really looking forward to the next books in the series.

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

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

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A WEDDING BLUNDER IN THE BLACK HILLS - Kim O'Brien - Free Book

So good to have you join us, Kim. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I don’t consciously write anything of myself into my characters, but I’m sure bits and pieces of me come through. Sometimes I can’t resist using something that’s happened to me in real life and adding it to a story, and sometimes pieces of family members pop up in some of my characters. The first time my oldest daughter got asked out (which was in a very public way) I HAD to put it in one of my books. But generally it’s harder to write about myself than my characters.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I started wanting to be a writer when I was about ten years old. My best friend and I made up our own magazine and sold it to our neighbors for ten cents a copy. Back then we typed it on manual typewriters and used carbon paper to make copies. It was a lot of work… but we had fun doing it.  I wrote poetry in college, loved it, and ended up going back to school for a Master’s degree in creative writing.

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

I love a good story and will read across multiple genres. Some authors that have influenced me are Francine Rivers, Jodi Picoult, and Stephen King.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I don’t know if it’s the quirkiest thing I’ve ever done, but recently I went blueberry picking with my family in Connecticut and decided to model the berry basket. My kids were pretty happy that we were alone in the field.

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

Sometimes I don’t think I’m doing a very good job of managing my stress level. I tend to be a bit of an emotional sponge and this is especially true when it comes to my kids. I have two daughters ages 18 & 16 who have been very involved in school activities, so we are constantly on the go. When I start to lose it, I ask God to help me get through whatever we need to do. I also try to focus on three positives in my life. Taking long walks with our dog through the woods and swimming also helps.      

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Sometimes I use a baby book and look up what the name means, other times I try out different names in my head and until one feels right. In Wedding Blunder, I wanted Millie to have an old-fashioned name. At first I thought she was a Mildred, but then I discovered she’d been named after her father as part of her mother’s attempt to get him to stay.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of my daughters. My oldest is graduated with honors from high school this year and is on her way to college where she plans to study Civil Engineering and hopes to specialize in water systems. My youngest will be a junior next year and is interested in the medical profession. Both of them are kind, caring and fun to be around.

   

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

I would be a giraffe. I have a long neck and my arms and legs are super skinny.

What is your favorite food?

Nothing beats a tender steak, fluffy mashed potatoes and fresh spinach. I am a migrainer, so I have to be pretty careful with my diet. I have lots of food triggers and can’t eat great stuff like chocolate or cheese.

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

I think my biggest challenge getting started as a writer was getting enough feedback to understand where I was strong and where I needed to improve. I also had no contacts with other writers or within the publishing world. This changed when I met another writer in our community, Kathleen Y’Barbo. She helped fill in my lack of industry knowledge and encouraged me to connect with other writers. I’ve benefited greatly from attending ACFW conferences where I have met a number of amazing, talented, and friendly writers (including you, Lena!). I have been in a critique group for ten years and really enjoy the friendship and feedback.

Yes, those kinds of connections are essential for us all. Tell us about the featured book.

The idea for Blunder came from a friend of mine who owns a restaurant here in The Woodlands called Dosie Doe’s. I loved the name and immediately imagined a mother/daughter working together in a café called “Dosie Dough’s.” I knew the heart of the story would be a romance, but I also wanted to write about a relationship between a mother and daughter who loved each other, but also drove each other crazy. I knew Millie would dream of stardom as a way to get out of a small town, and I also knew that her love of her mother would make it impossible for her to leave. I chose dentistry as David’s profession because I wanted a hero who defied stereotypes.

Please give us the first page of the book

Chapter 1

"He’s your dentist, Mom. I’m not going on a blind date with your

dentist.”

Millie Hogan stabbed her knife into the tub of mustard then

swiped it across a piece of pumpernickel. She’d only broken up with

Karl Kauffman a couple of weeks ago, and already her mother was

trying to set her up.

Peering over the top of the glass deli counter, Howard Glugan,

the chief of police and one of the café’s regulars, strained to watch.

“Take it easy, Millie,” he said. “I’d hate to charge you for assault and

battery to a slice of bread.”

Millie managed to laugh. She arranged slices of ham and Swiss

cheese on the bread, stuck a colorful toothpick through the center,

and added a handful of chips. “Pie, Chief?”

“What kind?”

“Blueberry, pecan, or rhubarb.”

“I could manage a piece of rhubarb.”

Millie cut him an ample slice and rang him up on the register.

“Of course you’re going out with Dr. Denvers,” her mother

stated. “It’s all arranged.”

“Then unarrange it. Shouldn’t you be working the grill?” Millie

turned to the town’s librarian. “The usual, Mrs. Ellison?”

This sounds like a really fun read. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Facebook - www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kim-OBrien/210477652325110

Please stop by, I’d love to hear from everyone. Many thanks Lena for the opportunity to drop by on your webpage!!

My pleasure, Kim. You must come back for your next book.

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

A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills


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

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

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

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Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

8!!! Winners This Week!!!

I hope you've noticed the recent change in the blog. I added the left sidebar where some of my friends can put cover ads. If you're interested in finding out more about the book, just click on the cover. The link will take you to a site where you can find out more and order the book.

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

Julie (MN), SusanH (TX), and CindyW (IN) are the winners of Christmas Belles of Georgia by Jeanie Smith Case, Rose Maccauley, Jeri Odell, and Debra Ullrick.
MissKallie2000 (GA) is the winner of The Wounded Heart by Adina Senft.
Rose (WA) is the winner of The Reluctant Outlaw by Karen Kirst.
Rebecca (OK) is the winner of Lethal Remedy by Richard Mabry. 
Abigail (NC) is the winner of Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman.
MsGreer (OH) is the winner of When the Lights Go Out by Max Anderson.

If you won a book and you really like it, please give the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes & Noble, or other Internet sites. 

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

Congratulations, everyone. Send me your mailing address: 
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.

Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.

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

TALL, DARK, AND DETERMINED - Kelly Eileen Hake - Free Book

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

It’s no great secret that my mom (Cathy Marie Hake) also writes Inspirational Historical Romance. Most people assume that’s the reason I write what I do—and let’s face it; I was raised to love the Lord, history, and books. It’s only natural to combine them, and I started doing so early on. After reading a short story I wrote about a young woman on a voyage to the Americas, my fourth grade teacher, Miss Mary Meek, was the first person to tell me I should write!

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

I’d always been nearsighted and worn coke-bottle glasses for everything except reading, but by my early twenties I was two degrees away from legal blindness. I had a powerful fear of anything happening to my eyes, but I prayed and gathered every ounce of courage to undergo LASIK surgery. The day of the surgery, I went home with bandages on my eyes. The second day things were a little blurry and I was light sensitive. By day three… I could see! That clarity and freedom is a continual blessing J

How has being published changed your life?

Since I began early, when I was in high school, I don’t know that it changed my life so much as shaped it!

What are you reading right now?

Reader’s Digest: How to Do Just About Anything

I love this book! Over 400 pages, it’s like an instruction manual for basics on a wide range of skills, from butchering to building, gardening to baking, old tips and tricks for almost every topic. Just leafing through gives me ideas.

What would be your dream vacation?

A castle tour through Ireland and Scotland! And I mean the whole thing, where you sleep in the castles and get to wander around up in the turrets. Maybe someday when I’m retired I’ll be able to enjoy something like that. I hope so!

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Since my books are historicals, the time and place are always vital elements. Sometimes the setting itself and/or an historic event is the impetus behind the story. Sometimes the story is more character driven, but requires certain criteria from a setting, so I have to find the right one. It just depends on which tale I’m telling!  

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

I keep looking at this question and something inside me crumples a little. My grandfather passed away two weeks ago. He’s no longer alive, so he’s not a valid answer. Nevertheless, he’s the one I’d want.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I collect and repair vintage jewelry—particularly rhinestones!

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

Deadlines—and I don’t think I overcome them. At best, they overcome me. But they make for great motivation J

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

The first (and often hardest) thing is to stop plotting and researching and actually write the story. Then (probably the next hardest) you have to let someone else read it and (this is absolutely key) take in the honest feedback. Never stop trying to improve your writing and your story!

Tell us about the featured book.

When Short and Bubbly

 Lacey Lyman led a sheltered life for the past eighteen-plus years. Only in the past few months has she been able to really step beyond the role of social decoration to plan amazing adventures and embark upon them with her friends. Nevermind that things aren’t quite going the way she’d hoped when she sent out the ad for their husbands, or that her brother isn’t thrilled with her scheme to renovate the fallen mining town into a booming sawmill…this is her chance to prove she’s more than just a pretty face.

Meets Tall and Dark,

Chase Dunstan sees Lacey as more than just a pretty face. She’s also a chatterbox. And too curious for her own good. Which makes her the worst thing of all: In His Way. Nevermind that her steady babbling drives away every animal he’s supposed to be hunting to earn his keep—and keep his cover. How is a man supposed to hunt for clues into a suspicious mine collapse with a beribboned, parasol-toting tagalong?  

Will Pride or Love Determine Their Future?

With Lacey determined to learn independence from a man desperate to be free of her, sparks fly in the fertile forest surrounding Hopefalls. Will Chase be honest about what he’s really hunting in the Rocky Mountains and accept Lacey’s help in uncovering the truth? Or will deception tear apart their shared adventure—and the love God nurtured through it? It all depends on which heart knows best, and which is most determined…

Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter One 

Colorado Territory, May 1887

Dead men told no tales, but jailbirds sang aplenty. Chase Dunstan knew Braden Lyman, victim of a mine collapse, wouldn’t be telling anything. Neither had anyone associated with the man Chase once respected and worked with.

            Which brought him to the jailbird; an associate foolish enough to miss their rendezvous four days and three counties back. Getting thrown in a cell was no excuse for failure.

“What did you find out?” Chase waited while his quarry paced the small room, still not responding. He waited while the other man drank a dipperful of water and almost choked. A dry throat and slippery nerves made anything hard to swallow, and the man before him dealt lies thick enough to block a bison.

            But Chase knew what all good trackers knew; waiting was the longest part of the hunt. So he tested his patience against man instead of an animal until Robert Kane faltered.

            “You’re not going to like it.” When Kane finally spoke, Chase didn’t so much as shift on the hard wooden seat he’d chosen. “That much, I can tell you plain and simple.”

            “That much, I already knew when I found you in a cell.”

I can hardly wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

KellyEileenHake.com 

Thank you, Kelly, for the fun interview.


Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Tall, Dark, and Determined (Husbands for Hire)


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

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

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

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