My Father's Oldsmobile

Meet June Foster!

2012-01-31T22:47:00.000-08:00

When Jess Colton stops drinking, he replaces alcohol with food, and nothing Holly Harrison does eases the pain of her past mistakes. Can their romance survive the obstacles from their former lives?

Today I have the pleasure of introducing debut author, June Foster. After reading the premise of her new book, I'm especially excited as June's book promises to take on some modern day issues we don't often see written about in fiction. I don't know about you, but I find it refreshing to read about characters who aren't all gorgeous, smart and ridiculously wealthy and successful by the age of 29. A little reality within the pages of a book is a good thing, after all.

Welcome June, tellus about yourself.

I am a retired school teacher and travelfull time with my husband Joe in our RV. I had never written fiction untilJanuary of 2010. The Lord literally opened up my heart and gave me the desireto write. I poured over every "how to" book I could get my hands onand started writing the story He'd placed on my heart. Today I've receivedcontracts from Desert Breeze for four of my inspirational romances, all set inthe Seattle area where we lived for ten years.

Tellus about your new book?

Give Us This Day is book one in theBellewood Series. The three titles each come from the Lord's Prayer. I have aheart to write about Christians who struggle with issues in their lives. GiveUs This Day is about a man who gave up alcohol when he became a Christian.Because he was raised in a dysfunctional family, he struggles with an addictivepersonality. Now he's replaced alcohol with food and is extremely overweight.

Holly Harrison is a beautiful woman whoknows the Lord but can't forgive herself for the ungodly lifestyle she led incollege. She lives with the permanent scars of her past. When she meets JessColton, she sees past his bulk and falls in love with him.

Theyare powerless over their pasts but God is able to work in their lives.

Whatinspired this story?

My stories are based on issues that eitherI've dealt with or have personal knowledge of. To an extent, Jess Colton'sproblem could've been mine since I grew up in a dysfunctional home as well. Butthrough God's grace, I've been made whole.

Isthere an underlying theme?

Yes. Jess Colton replaced alcohol with foodbecause alcohol isn't acceptable in Christian circles. In addition, he learnedthe overuse was destructive. Jess realizes he should've replaced it with Godinstead. He confesses he relied on other things to bring him comfort instead ofthe Comforter, the Holy Spirit. When he admitted he was powerless and passed iton to the Lord, he began to find freedom.

What'syour favorite scene/character?

One of my favorite scenes is when Hollyreveals her prosthetic to Jess. He tells her he can't see her anymore becausehe's ashamed of his size and doesn't want her to live with a hopeless diabetic.She removes her device to show him for the first time. She wants to prove tohim he's not the only person whose body is flawed. Jess kneels down on thefloor and kisses her stump as she sits on the couch. It's a very dramaticscene.

Whatdo you hope readers take away from reading your book?

I pray that anyone who struggles with thesame issues as the hero and heroine will find hope that the Lord is mighty andcan free them.

Howdid you get started as a writer?

As I said above, I didn't start writinguntil after I retired from teaching. I never had any interest in writingfiction and had only written academically in college and graduate school. Itwas truly a "God thing."

Doyou have any particular method to your writing, any quirks that help you alongin the creative process?

I love James Scott Bell's Plot andStructure, the three act structure, and his LOCK method. I plot a book in thismanner and figure out the order of my chapters and what will take place. Aplotter. But after that, I turn into a Pantzer. Many times, I'll be writing a sceneand the characters "tell" me something about themselves I didn't knowbefore or that would happen. I've changed entire chapters based on thisinformation.

Whatare some of your favorite books?

I love Latayne Scott's work, the entireLeft Behind Series, and romance writer Mildred Colvin.

I thinkit's very exciting to see Christian fiction broadening into new genres andaddressing some difficult topics. What are your thoughts on this and where doyou see things headed in the future?

Shawna, this is a question very dear to myheart – difficult topics. That is exactly what I feel the Lord has placedbefore me. I've written one book, Ryan's Father, on a very difficult topic butfrom a Christian worldview and have received numerous rejections. In each case,the publishers or agent said the market is not ready for it. But I haven'tgiven up on Ryan. The Lord has a place for him one day. Christians are notimmune to the world. I would like to see difficult topics addressed by the CBAmarket and told from a Christian worldview.

What's upnext for you?

I am working on book one of my Almond TreeSeries set in Chico California. As you probably guessed, the characters in eachdeal with difficult problems but overcome by the grace of God.

Thank you for visiting, June. I think you and I have a lot in common with what we want to accomplish with and through our writing. I enjoyed this interview tremendously and hope to have you back with the next book.

Book blurb:

When Jess Colton asks Jesus into his life, he gives up alcohol but replaces it with a food addiction. The three-hundred pound man is baffled when the beautiful Holly Harrison declares her affection.

Holly Harrison lives with the results of an ungodly past. What Christian man would want a woman who lost her unborn baby and her lower leg due to her own carelessness? She doesn’t plan on falling in love with Jess yet she sees past his bulk to the godly man inside. When Jess drives a wedge between them, Holly loses all hope of a future with him.

Only God has the power to restore a hopeless food addict to good health and teach a young woman how to forgive herself, opening the door for an unlikely romance.

Purchase: Desert Breeze, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

June Foster is a retired school teacher with a BA inEducation and a MA in counseling. She writes full time and travels in her RVwith her husband Joe. June has contracts for four novels with Desert BreezePublishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day – February 1, 2012, As WeForgive – September 1, 2012, and Deliver Us – April 1, 2013, and HometownFourth of July – July 1, 2012. June loves to write stories about characters whoovercome the issues in their lives by the power of God. June uses her trainingin counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find thefreedom to live godly lives.

For more about June please visit: http://junefoster.blogspot.com/

Author Interview with Steve Rzasa

2011-12-19T01:33:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to welcome back Christian Scifi/Speculative author Steve Rzasa. Steve visited last year to talk about his debut book, The Word Reclaimed, and its sequel, The Word Unleashed. Steve has a third book out now, Broken Sight, which he's here to tell us about, and also about what else is going on in his life. Be sure to leave a comment because Steve is giving away a signed copy of his book.

Steve, I know I asked this question in our first interview, but it's been awhile. Will you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born andraised in South Jersey, and have loved to read from an early age—adventure,history, and especially science-fiction. My wife and I live in Wyoming with ourtwo grade school-age boys, where she teaches and I am a librarian. Prior toworking at a library I was a reporter/editor for eight years in Maine and inWyoming.

What have you been up to since you lastvisited?
Since last spring Ifinished writing Broken Sight, my new novel, in December 2010 and just lastweek finished a fantasy/steampunk novel, tentatively titled The BitterCrosswinds (more about that at the close of the interview!) When I’m not busypreparing new books for library circulation or writing the newsletter, I’mhelping folks find the books they need. In my “spare time” I write, draw, watchmovies and play video games, play LEGOs and soccer with my boys, and cookdinner with my wife when we’ve got a minute.

Tell us about your new book?
Broken Sight is the tale of Lt.Cdr. Brian Gaudette and the crew of his new rescue starship as they respond toa distress call from a remote planet. Little do they realize they're beingplunged into a race against evil forces that could result in a powerful weaponfalling into enemy hands. It takes place two years after my previous twonovels, The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press 2009) and The WordUnleashed (Marcher Lord Press 2010.)

What inspired this story?
I always enjoyed writing about BrianGaudette, the main character of my 2009 short story Rescued. He was acharacter I wanted to revisit in detail, and to give a shot at a granderadventure. Well, he got it. My purpose was also to explore the world of theFace of the Deep series after the restoration of religous freedom, to see howthings had changed.

Is there an underlying theme?
Themes are not my strong suit, but if Ihad to pick two, it would be faithfulness and teamwork.

What's your favorite scene/character?
Charlotte Ruby Bell. Ex-pirate, formerpirate-hunter, and all around crude individual. She's ill-tempered, rude, butalso one very good starship commander and someone who can bully her crew intogetting results. She can be cunning and smart. Just an all around funindividual to write.

What do you hope reader take away fromreading your book?
I hope they can experience thisadventure with a sense of wonder, and not worry too much about the details ofsci-fi that sometimes bog down the casual reader. And if they come away fromthis tale realizing that there is a one true God who cares for them and is incontrol of all things, even better.

How did you get started as a writer?
I wrote ever since I was little, andeven then science-fiction was always on the brain. Somewhere in our house Ihave a story I wrote for fourth grade about two space explorers on an adventure-- I think they were based on LEGO guys I built. From there I expanded intowriting a novel in high school and working for the school newspaper, and pennedsome short stories in college. There's still a stack of notebooks withfragments of stories and ideas stashed in a drawer in our back room. And aftercollege I self-published a short novel called This Stirring Strife, aspace opera that can still be obtained used on Amazon, I think.

Finally, I worked on the project thatbecame The Word Reclaimed and The Word Unleashed -- a single,large novel called Commissioned -- for about six years until I finishedit in February 2009. A few months later I was blessed to have Marcher LordPress publisher Jeff Gerke agree to publish the story as two books.

Do you have any particular method to yourwriting, any quirks that help you along in the creative process.
I’ve found thatlistening to music inspires my writing, especially when working on an actionscene. The particular song can make a big difference in helping straighten outthe flow of action in that scene—for example, if it’s a dramatic scene I don’twant lighthearted music playing. I also am compelled to draw characters,starships and settings to help visualize. Oh, and I’m a huge sucker for maps.

Have you always loved sciencefiction?
Sci-fi isdefinitely the genre with which I’ve had the strongest relationship—can’t tellyou how many evenings during my high school years were spent watching StarTrek: The Next Generation. (Me too!) And I went to see the re-released Star Wars inthe 1990s when I was recovering from a fever. So that tells you my level ofobsession. As for literature, I devoured books by Michael P. Kube-McDowell,Kathy Tyers, Chris Walley,

I think it's very exciting tosee Christian fiction broadening into new genres. What are your thoughts onthis and where do you see things headed in the future?
I'm encouraged by the raft of newChristian speculative fiction authors who have appeared in recent years, and bythe creation of new small publishing houses dedicated to the genre. No longerdo writers have to fret that their somewhat odd or out of the ordinary tales ofspace opera, fantasy or the supernatural have to remain unpublished becausethey're too weird. We have several publishers who like weird. The genresavailable to Christian readers will hopefully continue to grow and theselection and quality of writing keep getting better.

What's up next?
Well, I just this week finished afantasy/steampunk novel called The Bitter Crosswinds and started in onthe prologue for the sequel. Not sure when or if those will be published, butI've got more stories to tell. I'm also putting notes down for an alternatehistory/alien invasion -- hopefully sooner than later! Anyone who's interestedcan keep tabs at my website, www.steverzasa.com, or find me on Facebook. Mybooks are available at www.marcherlordpress.com and Amazon.com.

Purchase from Marcher Lord
Purchase from Amazon

Steve Rzasa was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books—especially science fiction novels and historical volumes—at an early age. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications in 2000, and then spent seven years as a reporter and assistant editor at weekly newspapers in Maine. Steve moved to Wyoming in 2007 to become the editor of a weekly newspaper there, and now works at the local library. He and his wife Carrie have two boys and live in Buffalo, Wyoming

Author Interview with Deborah Malone

2011-12-14T01:26:00.000-08:00

Hi Deborah, you and I have been corresponding for awhile now, and have been there to see each other succeed. I want to congratulate you on the publication of Death in Dahlonega. It's an absolutely beautiful book -- except for the axe dripping with blood, but that's the intriguing part. I'm looking forward to sitting down over the holidays and reading it!

Since this is your first visit to my blog, I'd like to welcome you and ask that you tell us about yourself? First I'd like to thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. I live in the mountains of North Georgia about 60 miles from Atlanta. I have two grown girls - Niki and Leah. Niki is disabled and because I have fibromyalgia I need caregivers to come in and help with her care. I've written for a historical magazine "Georgia Backroads" for about 10 years. I also enjoy macro photography.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? I image this is a similar answer most writers give that they knew since they were children they wanted to write - when I was around 11 or 12 I remember starting a mystery, but only got about 3 pages done. I was an adult when I wrote again. I wrote my first article when my friend dared me to write about an old restaurant we had gone to. I said okay I would. And that is the beginning of my writing.

What was your journey to publication like? This is an interesting question. There are certain paths all writers will take but the actual journey will be different for all. I wrote the first draft in about a year then put it aside while taking care of my family. When I discovered ACFW I knew I wanted to make it a Christian fiction book. That meant rewriting it - which I did. I soon found out I had a huge learning curve to make it publishable. I spent time learning what I needed to make it better. I did not have an agent. I sent it out to several publishers and did not hear back anything favorable so I was looking into self publishing when Lamp Post Publishers offered me a contract. Needless to say I was walking on air. It took about six months from editing to the finished product and it was on the market in October 2011.

How did you get the story idea for Death in Dahlonega? I had written several articles for "Georgia Backroads" about Dahlonega. I've always loved to visit this charming little town. I knew I wanted to write a cozy mystery so I just needed to find a setting and decided Dahlonega would be the place. And don't you just love the name? (pronounced Da-lon-a-ga)

How long did it take you to write it and what is your writing routine/schedule like? I was finished with the first draft in a year but then set it aside for a couple of years. Then when I got serious about publishing it took three years from rewriting it to publication. So that is a total of six years. I don't really have a schedule, but I like to write in the evening when things are quiet.
You and I are very similar this way. I set my first book aside for several years also and rewrote it quite a few times. I write in the evening when it is quiet, too.
Do you have a favorite scene? There are several I like. I always like the funny scenes, like the one where they meet up with a mountain man who has a still in his back yard and find out when they try to question him about the murder he's none to friendly to strangers. Then there is a dream scene that I like also. I'll let you read the book to find out about that one.

Is there a message you'd like readers to take from the story? Well, Trixie has found herself starting her life over while in her 40's. She is struggling with her faith and draws strength from her friend. She's also hardened her heart towards men and is working on trusting again. I would hope that after reading "Death in Dahlonega" that the reader would find their own message.

I love that you wrote a story with a more mature heroine. Sometimes I wonder if people think life stops after 29, or becomes too boring to acknowledge.

What are you working on now? I've already finished the second book "Murder in Marietta" and I'm working on the third in the Trixie Montgomery series "Terror on Tybee Island"

Where can readers find out more about you and your books? I would love for my readers to visit my website at www.deborah-malone.com and my blog is www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com. My publisher Lamp Post Publishing is a www.lamppostpubs.com.

Death in Dahlonega Back Cover:

Historical writer Trixie Montgomery is asked by her editor to cover “Gold Rush Days”, an arts and crafts festival, in the small, picturesque town of Dahlonega located in the north Georgia Mountains. Trixie seizes the chance to mix business with pleasure and asks her best friend, Dee Dee to tag along.

Their well laid plans go awry when Dee Dee is discovered standing over the lifeless body of prominent citizen, John Tatum – the very man she’d had a run in with earlier that day – holding a bloody pickax in her hands. The local Sheriff is determined to solve the case as soon as he possibly can so he can retire with a clean slate and run for town mayor. Can Trixie find a way to finish her assignment and keep Dee Dee out of the slammer?

Author Bio:

Deborah Malone has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, since 2001, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published during this time. Her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails” edited by Olin Jackson. She has also had a showing of her photographs at Floyd Medical Center Art Gallery as well as winning several awards. As current member of American Christian Fiction Writers she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction. She is also a member of Georgia Writers Association. "Death in Dahlonega" Deborah's debut novel won an award in the ACFW Category Five Writer's Contest.

Purchase Death in Dahlonega

My Review of Night of the Cossack by Tom Blubaugh

2011-12-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

Nathan Hertzfield awakens to find thehouses in his village ablaze and most of the villagers killed. He is kidnappedand forced to become a Cossack soldier, or risk harm to his mother and youngerbrother. Nikolai, Nathan's captor, insists that Nathan also abandon his Jewishheritage and take on the name Stepan if he wishes to survive. According toNikolai, the Cossack do not like Jews.

Initially Nathan has no choice but to depend on Nikolai, but as the storyunfolds Nathan discovers that Nikolai is different, and his reasons for takingNathan captive are not what they seemed. A bond forms between the two andNathan comes to look on Nikolai as a father.

When they are ordered to Odessa, life takes another startling turn, first withtragedy and then betrayal. Nathan is forced to flee. He briefly glimpseshappiness when he finds refuge with a family and love with their daughter. Buthe knows that staying will invite danger. Nathan decides to once again abandonhis identity in search of a new life. His journey is one of adventure, with hisenemies only a step behind.

I really liked this book! It's a very easy read, written in simple languagewhich gives the book a strong appeal to middle-grade readers and older. Thehistorical setting was absolutely fascinating and gave me a true sympathy forhow difficult life must have been for those living in circumstances similar toNathan's. All in all, the book wasn't just adventurous and enjoyable; it waseducational and the story tugged at my heart.

My only complaint with the story is that the ending was a little abrupt. Iwould like to have seen him through to America. Maybe I just wasn't quite readyfor his story to be over. I guess that's a good sign.

There were times when the writing seemed a little rushed or choppy, and abouthalf way through I was leaning toward a rating of 3.5 - 4.0, but after Nathan'sbetrayal the pace of the book really took off and the story of his plight justbecame so compelling that I couldn't stop reading. When a story is that strong,the little issues tend to not matter. I'll be recommending this book tofamilies in our homeschool group.

The Visionary Blog Tour

2011-11-29T22:17:00.001-08:00

A Visionary is someone who sees into the future, Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as "a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique" Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that's disgustingly prevalent in today's society. Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?

Find out in...The Visionary ~ Where the awesome power of God's love heals the most wounded of souls

My Review: Excellent!

Taylor and Trevor are twins that share a complicated bond. Bundledbeneath their love for one another, festers the shame and heartache of anabusive childhood. Despite their efforts to smother out the pain, it remainsclose to the surface, always threatening, and never allowing Trevor or Taylorto step outside of their bond and experience the love of another person.

The promise of romance for both Trevor and Taylor brings anew hope into the twins' lives, but the fear of letting others in escalatesinto a dramatic moment of confrontation, with devastating consequences.

True to human nature, Taylor and Trevor struggle to releasetheir pain into the Lord's healing hands, as both emotional and physical forcesthreaten their safety.

I love stories of redemption. That's what God is all about-- taking broken pieces and creating something lovely and whole. The Visionaryis this type of story, and Pamela S. Thibodeaux held nothing back. This storywas written with great sensitivity to the issue of abuse but doesn't gloss overany of its harsh reality. The message of faith flows naturally into the storywithout being preachy, just honest and true. Despite the dark subject matter,or perhaps because of it, I found this story to be an inspiring read of hopeand healing. Thank you, Pamela S. Thibodeaux!

For the chance to win an autographed copy of The Visionary, please leave a comment with your email address. You will be entered into a drawing to take place on Dec. 17th.

AUTHOR BIO:

Award-winning author, Pamela S.Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group inLake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well ascreative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with anEdge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamierand grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Bayou Writers Group: http://bayouwritersgroup.com

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/n8as1b

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/o3YrMq

Check out Anne Patrick's new release, Kill Shot

2011-11-16T21:59:00.001-08:00

Former combatmedic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq,survived countless firefights, RPG’s, IED’s and even a helicopter crash. Now she’s home and out of the Army for goodand someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriffwho’s on the case.

Sheriff SeanHarding doesn’t quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managedto outsmart an entire search party. Whatbothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister'skiller, was found dead in a building Kory owns. And Kory isn’t being very cooperative with helping him find the answersas to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive alongenough to discover the truth?

Excerpt

The steel door creaked as shepushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr.Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting beforestepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out infront of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"

Kory heard a sound a few yards infront of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelveslined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the secondrow. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes wereopened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran tohim, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. Shelooked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. Alarge crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a smallhole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her abullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. Sheimmediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.

"I'm sorry," hemurmured.

"Where's your cellphone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuabletime digging it out.

"No time. Get out."

"Who did this, Mr.Urlik?"

He grabbed her right hand andsqueezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."

His hand went limp.

Kory felt something in the palmof her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeanspocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink ofa bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his bodyas another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. Shelowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luckthis one didn't.

She scrambled to her feet, asmore shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first rowof shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took coverbehind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they wouldconceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out ofthere. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishingshe hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lowerto the floor.

Kory ignored the throbbing in herarm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child,she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to thewarehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit thatled to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, shehad a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in hershirt, drenched with blood.

Thisisn't good!

Kill Shot: BookOne Wounded Heroes canbe purchased at most online bookstores or from my publisher – Desert BreezePublishing: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-227/Wounded-Heros-Book-One/Detail.bok

Anne'sBio: Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance,Mayhem & Faith, including the award-winning and best-selling Fireand Ash, Lethal Dreams and Sabotage. When she's notkilling off people or falling in love with dashing heroes, you can findher surfing the web or spending time with family and friends. Bornand raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas.

Tolearn more about Anne, please visit her website: http://www.annepatrick.weebly.com (whereI have monthly giveaways) or blog: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com.

Author interview: E.A. West, The Key to Charlotte

2011-11-10T23:18:00.001-08:00

Today I get to welcome. E.A. west to my blog. E.A. is a multipublished author, but she's here today to talk about her newest release with White Rose Publishing, The Key to Charlotte. Isn't the cover beautiful!

Hello, E.A. Please tell us about your latest release.

The Key to Charlotteis an inspirational romance that tells the story of Charlotte Harris andZakaria Rush. Charlotte is mute because of autism, but she longs to hold aconversation in her own voice. Zakaria is the new director of children’sministries at Charlotte’s church, and he would love to help her dream of beingable to speak come true. Can he help her find the key to unlocking her voice,or will his attempts lock away their chance of love forever?

Do you have any other books?

Yes, I do. Dreams Do Come True is my first inspirational romance. Aspiringauthor Cassie Teague is on the verge of giving up her dream of gettingpublished when she meets acquisitions editor David Jameson. Can he help herdream come true or will office politics destroy both of their hopes for thefuture?

Riley’s Mission is a sweet romanticsuspense. Former Israeli operative Jade Rosen is in hiding and never expects tosee Indiana National Guardsman Riley Jackson in a flooded hospital. With aterrorist on the loose and seeking revenge, will Jade and Riley find theirhappy ending or pay the ultimate price?

I also have another inspirational romance, Healing in Haven Falls. Autumn Reger has trust issues due to badchoices in her past, and Keith Burke has physical and emotional scars from aroadside bomb that ended his service in Afghanistan. Can twowounded hearts heal the scars of the past to find the future God has plannedfor them?

Where can readers purchase copies of your books?

The Key to Charlotte,Healing in Haven Falls, and Dreams Do Come True are all availablefrom White Rose Publishing (http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec). Riley’s Mission is available from TheWild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com). Copies of my books can also bepurchased through Amazon.com’s Kindle Store.

Were books a big part of your life growing up? If so, what books wouldyou say influenced you most as a child?

Yes! Reading has always been one of my favorite activities. I startedreading at age three, and I’ve been a voracious reader ever since. A lot of thebooks I read as a child were series: the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, BabysittersClub, Saddle Club, etc. I’m not sure which books influenced me the most, butone of my favorite authors when I was a teen was Will Hobbs. His books took meon amazing adventures and gave me a look at how teens from all kinds ofbackgrounds dealt with trials in the wilderness.

Do you have a preference to print or eBooks and if so, why?

I like both of them for different reasons. Ebooks are greatfor short stories and for instant gratification, not to mention the tiny amountof space needed to store dozens of them. On the other hand, I love the feel ofa print book, plus it’s nice to get away from a screen for a while to read.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Be patient and flexible, and learn from each and every rejection. Evenform rejections can be useful. If you receive several of them on the samemanuscript, take another look at the manuscript and the query. Is theresomething you can improve? Anything that could benefit from a little tweaking?Don’t be afraid to rewrite. It can be difficult to completely change what youthink is a great scene, but sometimes that rewritten scene is better than theoriginal. Also, have someone you trust read your manuscript and give you honestfeedback. Getting told your story is amazing and perfect may be good for theego, but it seldom helps get the story published. Critique partners are greatfor pointing out all the things that will cause an editor to reject a story,while also offering suggestions on how to fix and improve the story so aneditor will fall in love with the manuscript.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

You can learn more on my website http://eawest.mcphitty.comand my blog http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com. If you’re on Facebook, please“like” my author page for periodic updates and thoughts from my writing lifehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/EA-West/34280264617. I’m also on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/eawest and ShoutLife http://www.shoutlife.com/eawest.

Thank you, Shawna, for having me on your blog today! It’salways fun spending time with other authors and readers. I hope you all enjoyedthis interview as much as I did!

Purchase from Amazon.
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KINDLE GIVEAWAY with NEW BOOK RELEASE

2011-10-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

ALRIGHTY, so here's the big news. To promote my newestrelease, THE GOOD FIGHT, I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift card. And... aKINDLE! (or equivalent Amazon giftcard. Winner's choice.)

I want to make this worthwhile for me and my readers sothere are lots of ways to participate. I'm running two contests: a 'most points'and a random drawing.

The drawing is for the gift card and for every time I see yourname in response to a blog interview, a facebook post, like or share, a tweetor retweet, or a recommendation to a friend, I write down your name and throwit in a jar. Yes, my hope is to spend a lot of time writing names. I'm going toneed a way to contact you, so if you want to participate, email me at author.skwilliams@yahoo.com. Iwill send you updates as to how many entries I have for you so as to be sureI'm not missing anything. I will NOT use this information to spam your inboxwith any future advertisement or to contact you in any way not unrelated to thiscontest.

THE KINDLE GIVEAWAY (or gift card equivalent)

This is going to be a 'most points' contest. Not only mightyou win a Kindle, but you'll be helping me by creating a buzz about the newbook. So here's how it works
Follow me on twitter, facebook, or myblog and get a point. For every friend you recommend who mentions your name andfollows, you get another three. If they mention you on all three places, that'snine (per friend!). Plus your friends are accumulating their own points in theprocess. Here are the addresses:
http://twitter.com/#!/shawnakwilliams
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245?ref=ts
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/

For every time you mention this contest or one of my books,whether it be on your facebook page, someone else's, twitter, your blog,someone else's blog, newsletter, whatever... email me the link. author.skwilliams@yahoo.com andthat's another five points per mention. I'll be emailing you back to let youknow that I received it.

If you post the cover of my newest book, that's ten points.If you include purchase links, that's another ten points per posting.

If you buy one of my books, email me proof of purchase andI'll quadruple all your points for every purchase. If someone contacts me and tellsme they bought one of my books based on your recommendation, then I'll tripleall of your points, and they'll get the quadruple. Gifting the book to a friendcounts as a purchase and quadruples your points.

So, as you can see, it's complicated, but it's also in yourhands if you really want it. So help me make this a great book launch and let'shave some fun. (The book is pretty darn good, if I may say so.)

THE GOOD FIGHT releases on Nov. 1^st, but thecontest begins now. Winners will be announced at 5pm Central on Dec 7^th2011.

My Review of Finding Angel by Kat Heckenbach

2011-09-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Angel has no memory of her childhood before the age of six,when she was found abandoned -- the only clue to her past, a charm braceletthat spelled Angel. She loves her foster family, but has never really felt likeshe belonged with them, or anywhere for that matter, until one day a mysteriousbut familiar stranger shows up.

Gregor helps Angel to recover lost memories of danger andthe tragedy that took her from her home. Angel soon finds herself transportedto back to Toch Island, a hidden world full of wonder and magic. As Angellearns to use her powers, she also discovers her special Talent -- a powerunique to her. In the midst of this discovery strange occurrences take place onthe peaceful land. Once again, Angel is threatened by the danger that separatedher from her family, but this time more is at stake.

What a fun book to read! Kat Heckenbach developed not justrefreshing new characters and settings for the world of fantasy, but a wholedifferent take on elements common to this genre. This story is wonderfullyplotted, with fleshed-out characters and plenty of action. It's marketed as amiddle-grade fantasy, but I'm a middle-aged woman and I loved it. I honestlythink this is a book that can be enjoyed by any age. I look forward to morefrom this author!

Edgy Christian Fiction 2011 Summer Blog Tour

2011-08-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well folks,
It's my stop on this summer's Edgy Christian Fiction blog tour. Last year the tour focused on what "edgy" is and why it's a good thing. What I remember from last year is that the term edgy is actually rather broad, basically referring to books in genres or about subject matter from which publishers of Mainstream Christian fiction tend to shy away. This year for the tour authors were to choose four Edgy Christian Fiction books to highlight -- two of our own and two by a different author(s). I wanted to tie last year's theme together with the current one, and decided in my blog post to focus on bother genres and subject matter that fall into the category of "edgy". That made my choice of books easy.

The two books I chose that are by another author, the lovely and talented Jennifer Hartz, are the first two in a series. The only reason I'm not including the third is that it isn't out yet. I'll buy it on the day it releases. These books are Christian Fantasy, or speculative fiction, and they are amazing! The titles are Future Savior Book One: Conception and Future Savior Book Two: Resurrection. My review of both books could be summed up in one word: WOW!!! But I figure readers might like a little more of a teaser than that.

Here's my review for Conception:
Christina's ordinary life as a single thirty-year-old school teacher takes a twist when she is unexplainably transported from current day Pittsburgh to a mysterious place called Meric. There, she discovers great wonders; from the beauty of the land, to the secret of her birth and the magical powers she unknowingly possesses. She also learns why a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes has followed her throughout her life.

However, not all is glorious in the land of Meric. A dark evil threatens its people, an evil that thirty years earlier killed Christina's father and drove her into hiding before she was even born. Now that she has returned, Christina must fulfill her destiny or Meric will be doomed under evil's rule.

I can't believe this book was Jennifer Hartz's debut novel. It was pure adventure from start to finish. Jennifer masterfully weaves humor, mystery, action, and romance into a fantastic tale. The pacing is just perfect, dropping hints here and there as deep mysteries are unveiled. At the same time we get to know a host of delightful, well-rounded characters, who I grew to love. The tension builds and builds and I was literally holding my breath at the end.

This book is the first in a trilogy, and I will definitely get the next on the first day it releases. If you enjoy fantasy with Inspirational elements (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom of Arnhem) then you'll love this. Buy it.

The second book, Resurrection, picks up right where the first book left off. It's hard include a review in this blog post without giving away spoilers to the first book, but I'll give it a try.

After dying, Christina awakens to discover she's seventeen. She struggles to fill in the pieces of what happened on Meric, and is immediately comfronted with a dilemma: if you tell someone their future, do you risk altering it by interfering with their choice?

Once again Christina finds herself whisked back into the land of Meric, into a body that is fully healed. She and her companions are confronted with this same dilemma, over and over as they fight the evil Leticia and her mounting forces. As prophesy unfolds, secrets of betrayal are revealed. The future of Meric rests in the balance of trust and timing.

This book has everything: time travel, flying, sword fights, giants, teleporting, telekinesis, mind control and did I mention that it's also a beautiful story of enduring love and friendship... and oh so romantic. I loved the play between all of the characters, but especially Christina and Shaw. In my review of the previous book I mentioned that Lord of the Rings readers and Narnia readers would love this series and this book drives that point home. It has all of the action of LOTR and all the allegory of Narnia, and dare I say a little more. The book isn't a comedy, though there are plenty of humorous moments, but there's an element to it that reminds me of the relationship between The movie Oh Brother Where Are Thou and The Odyssey. If that's piqued your curiosity, then read it. You won't be disappointed. Buy it.

For more about Jennifer Hartz.

The two books of mine that I chose to highlight are also a series. They are my debut novel, No Other, and it's sequel, In All Things. The reason that I chose these two is that I feel there is a tremendous human element to them of which we Christians sometimes don't like to admit we struggle with. Pride. We struggle and make mistakes just like everyone, but since we're Christians and supposed to have it all together (pride), we don't want anyone to know (more pride). Therefore we keep it to ourselves, thinking we can handle it on our own(still more pride) and thus comes the downfall. The beautiful part to the story is that once we get over ourselves, we find is redemption.

To highlight my two books I decided to choose a couple of my favorite reviews by readers.

No Other by Shawna K. Williams is a beautifully written romance set in post WWII America. Anti-German sentiment is prevalent, and one family in particular has had to endure much hardship because if it. Now that the war is over, twenty year old Jake must brave a regular classroom in order to finish his schooling. This would have been bad enough, but he wasn't expecting to fall in love with his teacher! It's a dilemma that will test his will power and his faith.

Jake and Meri's romance is gently woven, despite their very human struggles with temptation. Williams treats every aspect of their relationship with honesty and care. There is nothing shocking or untoward for those readers of a more delicate bent, but she does not sugar coat the realities of life either. It is a refreshing look at two people in love during an era that was still naïve in many ways, but also quite hypocritically hardened.

Especially enlightening was the way Williams was able to weave the travesty of WWII internment camps into the story - not something that most proud Americans like to celebrate, but part of US history none the less. Even though this travesty is exposed, Williams purpose throughout is to gently lead the reader on a path toward forgiveness - a recurring theme that seems to be the story's foundation.

No Other is a lovely and satisfying read - not too difficult with just the right amount of poignancy to keep the reader going. Williams herself aptly describes it as "Grace Inspired". I would recommend this book to readers looking for a romance that is somewhat different than the norm, yet still delivers on the `romance-meter'.
-- Tracy Kraus
Buy it

In this sequel to "No Other", author Shawna Williams brings back all of our favorite characters, and a few that probably weren't on our favorite list. The setting for "In All Things" is about 10 years later in Hollywood, where Jakob and Meri have followed their dream, well Meri's dream. Meri, known in Hollywood as Meredith Louis, is fulfilling her dream of being an actress. She is working for Majestic Studios when the book starts. Majestic Studios is responsible for putting Jakob through school to become an architect. He has established himself as a fairly upscale builder. Shortly after the story begins, Meri quits Majestic Studios to go out on her own, to be able to take on more diverse rolls and to make a name for herself.

It's coming up on the Christmas holidays and Jakob and Meri take some time off to travel back home where Meri hopes to reconcile with her parents. They have not spoken in about 10 years, before Jakob and Meri left their home town. They both have brought inner turmoil and insecurities to their marriage. Can Jakob learn to step aside and let God have control? Can Meri realize that she may always have had what she's been looking for, right before her?

I loved this book! I really love Shawna's writing style. She can pull you into the story, where you almost feel like you are there! Her characters are not perfect. Neither are we. They have the same feelings, insecurities, flaws, etc. that each one of us has. That is what makes them so real. My heart went out to Meri. She longed for something she had already been gifted with. She had to overcome many things to get where she is at the end of the book. I especially loved the scripture that Shawna picked for this book, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

I gave this book 5 stars. It deserves it! Read "No Other" first. It will let you meet the characters and know some of the background of the families of Jakob and Meri. Then read "In All Things" and follow the characters you've come to love!
-- Janet Thompson
Buy it

The third book in this series, The Good Fight, is schedule for release Nov. 1st 2011 by Desert Breeze Publishing.

For more about Shawna K. Williams.

God bless, everyone. Have a great remainder of the summer!

Author Interview: Tom Blubaugh

2011-06-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to have Tom Blubaugh visit my blog today, and to be able to learn more about him and his new book, Night of the Cossack. (Be sure to read the book excerpt at the end of this interview)

Welcome, Tom!

Tell us about yourself.
I’m a father of six and grandfather of fourteen living in southwest Missouri with my wife Barbara. I’m retired and should have plenty of time, but I stay pretty busy and my days get away from me. An interesting thing about being retired is Monday can come any day of the week without notice (if you know what I mean).

Tell us about your writing journey.
I started writing when I was in grade school—poetry. I stopped after high school and didn’t start until after I became a Christian—age 28. I started writing nonfiction. A lot of my writing is on one of my sites Genesis Project (don’t pay attention to the grammar please). My life has not been pretty, but the Lord has molded me. Night of the Cossack is my first fiction book. I didn’t write to be published in the beginning, but a couple of people who read my story suggested I consider publishing it. I joined a local critique group and they agreed. When the manuscript was nearly finished, a friend and his wife asked me to help them develop a website for an independent publishing company they were starting. The saw the first chapter of my story on my site and read it. They asked to read the manuscript and then asked me if they could publish it. Not your usual publishing story.

Please tell us about your new book , and if it is part of a series let us know about that as well.
Both of my grandfathers died before I was born. I know very little about either of them, however, I know my maternal grandfather was a Russian Cossack soldier. This fascinated me. I had about three other pieces of information about him so I started doing some research? The information I had appeared to be accurate and I started writing. I’m working on the sequel now.

Do you have a favorite scene in your book? Would you care to share and excerpt at the end of this interview.
I haven’t really thought about this, but I suppose one of my favorites is when he proved to the company of Cossacks that he was a good marksman. Sure, I’d be happy to share it with your readers. (The excerpt is posted at the end of the interview.)

What do you like most about your main characters?
Nathan was a victim, but he became a survivor and more. He grew into a man through all the twists and turns of his life. He stayed true to his morals.

Who is your favorite author?
James Scott Bell

What do you enjoy doing when you aren't writing?
Hanging out with my wife and family; reading other Christian fiction writers; playing with my cat, Blacky; socializing with friends; playing horse shoes; and watching movies.

Where can readers buy your books?
Amazon.com; barnesandnoble.com; nightofthecossack.com

Excerpt:

Stepan wondered why he would need Nikolai. He looked toward Vasile, who smiled and winked.

Stepan winked and smiled back. Placing his rifle between his knees, he opened his hunting bag. A noise behind made him jump. Turning, he was surprised to see Ludvig along with what looked to be the entire camp walking out of the woods. His hands shook.

Vasile stepped close to Stepan. “Don’t worry. You’ve shot in front of an audience many times. Pretend you’re back in the village.”

Stepan relaxed. Closing his eyes he imagined he was back in Gagra. All his friends were there. Smiling to himself, he turned his attention back to his rifle. It was unloaded and working properly. Pulling the hammer back halfway, he examined the nipple. Clean. Wiping his forehead, he checked the wind. He poured some powder into his hand. Dry. Using a brass measure, he scooped it up, transferring it to the barrel. He pulled a cloth patch from his pouch, placed it over the end of the barrel, and put a lead ball on it. He trimmed the excess cloth and rammed the patch and ball down the barrel. The mark on the ramrod showed they were solidly placed.

“How’re you feeling?” asked Vasile.

“A little nervous.”

“You can do this. You’ve made more difficult shots.”

“I know, but it’s not the same.” A bead of sweat rolled down his nose and dripped onto his hand.

“You won’t miss. Now focus on our village.”

Stepan turned his thoughts back to the village.

Kirill returned. “It’s on a boulder, about a meter off the ground.” He pointed.

Stepan followed Krill’s finger and saw his target.

Nikolai stepped close to Stepan. “This is the moment of truth, little man. Are you ready to show us what a marksman you are?”

Stepan nodded. He tilted his head back. Closing his eyes, he felt the sun. The breeze cooled his face. He drew three deep breaths. Relax. The water lapped the shore, the birds sang, and the branches rustled. There were no other sounds. Slowly opening his eyes, he let them find his target.

He reached in his bag. His fingers found a percussion cap. He fixed the cap on the nipple. A young White Birch tree grew to his right. He placed the barrel in a fork of the tree that was chin high. He positioned the barrel, balanced the gun, and set the butt of the rifle against his right shoulder. He settled his feet and dug the soles of his boots into the dirt. He looked again to find his target. Slowly, he cocked the hammer. Closing his eyes, he whispered, “God, help me.”
He took a deep breath, looked down the long barrel across the sight, and found his mark. His right eye focused on the bottle. The barrel moved slightly above and to the right of the object. Closing his left eye, he checked the sight. He took a deep breath, held it, and slowly squeezed the trigger.

The gun roared, the bottle disintegrated, and the men’s cheers filled the air.

“Thank you, God,” he whispered.

He brought the rifle to half cock, removed what was left of the cap, and blew through the vent of the nipple. Then he wiped down the barrel. Looking at Vasile, he smiled. Nikolai stepped forward and slapped him on the back.

“Not bad,” said Nikolai. Shaking his head, he repeated, “Not bad.”

***

For more about Tom please visit:

http://tomyblu.com/

or check out his facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Blubaugh-Christian-Author/133353013389011?sk=wall

Mistaken Indentity by K. Dawn Byrd

2011-06-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

Author K. Dawn Byrd visits this week to tell about her newest release, Mistaken Identity. Enjoy!

Book blurb: Eden Morgan longs for a boyfriend of her own, an impossible goal when her best friend, Lexi Branson, gets all the attention and all the guys. When they fall in love with the same guy, Eden believes she doesn't have a chance. She can only hope that sometimes the good girl gets the guy.How did t

How did this story come to you?
Sometimes I get the strangest ideas! I wondered what would happen if a not-as-pretty good Christian girl and her gorgeous non-Christian best friend fell in love with the same guy. Who would get the guy?

Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I had already published several book with Desert Breeze Publishing when they opened a young adult line. I'd been writing romantic suspense and thought it would fun to try my hand at a young adult novel. It was so much fun that I'm signing a contract for a young adult mystery series that will debut in January.

Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1) I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs.
2) I love sour things....pickles, lemons, sour candy.
3) I used to ride a Harley, but gave it up in order to have more time to write. (My husband always wanted to stay out way too long and take the scenic route home. He still has his bike, but I don't miss mine at all.)

What are you working on now and what's next for you?I'm editing my October release with Desert Breeze. This Time for Keeps is an inspirational romance.

Parting comments? Thank you for hosting me! For those of you who love Christian fiction, please check my blog for weekly book giveaways. I interview 3-5 authors a week who give away their books. www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Where can fans find you on the internet?

Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geWeGQ6Ueu4
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-178/K-Dawn-Byrd-Mistaken/Detail.bok
www.kdawnbyrd.com
www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

I'm also on Twitter (kdawnbyrd) and facebook (K Dawn Byrd.) I am the moderator of the Christian Fiction Gathering facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444) If you join this group, you'll get reminders about the weekly book giveways.

Author Interview: Karen Baney

2011-06-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Today I have the privilege of introducing author Karen Baney. Karen is the author of two Christian Historical fiction books, with more on the way. Welcome Karen!
Tell us a little about yourself?
I just recently celebrated my 11th wedding anniversary to my wonderful hubby, Jim. We met on Leap Day in 2000 and got married just a few months later. (When you know it’s right, it’s right). We have two adorable dogs, Max and Ginger.

Tell us about your writing journey. What led you to do this?
For several years I thought about writing, but never really wrote more than a few devotionals. Then in early 2010, I experienced a string of unexpected health problems. As a result of that time, I grew closer to God. I knew that he had not called me to be a mother, so I asked him what he was calling me to do. He said, “Write.” So I started with “A Dream Unfolding,” and just kept going.

Please tell us a little about your book. Is it part of a series?
“A Dream Unfolding,” is the first in my Prescott Pioneers Series. It is a great story about trusting God in difficult places. The main characters (Drew, Hannah, and Will) have to learn to adapt as their own versions of tragedy strike. Their first dream might not become reality so they must learn to accept a new dream as it unfolds.
The second book in the series, “A Heart Renewed,” follows some of the characters we meet in the first book as they learn to let God heal their deepest hurts. I am currently writing the third book, “A Life Restored,” and I have two additional books planned in the series.

What message to you hope readers will take from it?
I pray that each book I write will show my readers some aspect of God in a tangible way. I have learned so much about Him over the years and I continue to learn. I just want to share those things with my readers through believable, imperfect characters. I hope readers will be encouraged that even when they are going through tough times, God is still here and he still cares.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, and how did the idea for this book (and series) come to you?
When I started the first book, I knew I wanted to do something set in Prescott, Arizona. I love the place and have visited numerous times over the past 14 years. It’s a charming town that has such a Midwestern feel to it—so different from the stucco and cookie cutter homes of the Phoenix area. I also knew what the climax of the book would be—I just didn’t know how to fit it all together.
In the end, the research I found about the birth of Prescott led to the idea for the first book. Readers will see it in the many historical details woven into the story. Since some of the characters in the first book end up traveling with the first territorial governor of Arizona, the story leant itself to relaying so many real historical events. The other books in the series, while still including many historical facts, do so in a more subdued way—more as a backdrop to the story.

Do you have a favorite scene from your book, and why is it your favorite? Care to share an excerpt?
Picking a favorite that doesn’t give away too much of the story is hard, because my favorite scene would totally ruin the book for you (but you’ll know it when you read it). So I chose a scene with my favorite character instead. I love the following excerpt because it shows the intense stress Will faced. As the rancher, he was responsible for getting everyone to their destination safely, but he and his men have encountered a number of obstacles.

The dust stirring from the cattle stung Will’s tired eyes. In the two days since the Indian attack, he slept not more than an hour or two. Even his exhaustion could not diminish the bright pink and orange streaks splaying across the horizon, chasing the last remnants of night from the sky. God must have known he needed the little bit of peace that always rose up from his soul when witnessing such a glorious sunrise.
Other than this brief moment, peace seemed a distant friend—the kind that never wrote. The burdensome responsibility he bore ushered the refreshing peace to the corner of his heart. His men needed him to stay strong. He had to do whatever it takes to get them and the cattle to the Arizona Territory safely.
Only things weren’t exactly going as planned. With one man buried on the side of the trail two days ride behind them, and another looking like he might soon join his friend, Will fought against the strong sense of failure pushing through his fatigue. If given the choice, he would rather have both men healthy and in the saddle. No one wanted to be attacked by Indians.
Nevertheless, they had been. And now it was his job to pick up the pieces and get everyone to the next milestone—Santa Fe—as quickly and safely as possible.
How could he do that when every tired muscle begged him to slip from his horse and sleep the day away?
Stifling a groan of frustration, Will turned his horse from the flank of the herd to camp. Maybe his mind would function better once his stomach was full.
Pulling the chestnut mare to a stop next to the other horses, he dismounted in a wobbly manner, his feet almost buckling under him. Resting his hand on the horn of his saddle, he steadied himself before unbuckling the straps. Lifting the saddle from the horse, he carried it away as Covington took over the horse’s care.
Tossing his saddle on the ground, Will fought against the temptation to lie down without breakfast. Instead, he forced his feet towards the makeshift table where Snake dished out breakfast.
As he neared the table, a flash of silver caught his eye. Owens worked quickly to stash the flask, but not before it registered in Will’s foggy brain.
Slamming his palm down on the table, Will said, through gritted teeth, “Owens! What do you think you are doing?”
Feigning innocence, Owens just shrugged.
In no mood to deal with insolent behavior, Will leaned forward into the man’s face. The smell of alcohol invaded his senses. “I will not have my men drinking on the trail!”
“Calm down, boss. I’m not on until this afternoon. How else do you expect me to fall asleep in broad daylight?” Owens said, his eyes narrowing to tiny slits.
Adrenaline shot through Will’s body, bringing him fully awake. He struggled not to hit the man as he tested Will’s resolve. Reaching his hand to Owens’ inside vest pocket, Will took the flask, opened it, and dumped the contents into the dirt. Then he handed the empty flask back to Owens.
“I expect my men to have a clear head while we’re on the trail.”
Owens’ face turned beet red. When he started to stand, Whitten clapped his hand down on his shoulder. The forthcoming response died on Owens’ tongue when Whitten shook his head in warning. At least the fool listened to his friend, Will thought, walking from the scene.
Splashing cold water over his face, Will blotted the soothing liquid away with the sleeve of his shirt. For a brief moment he closed his eyes, calming his temper before he did something stupid, like firing Owens. Replacing his Stetson on top of his head, he took the bowl of grits Snake offered. Leaning against the chuck wagon, some distance from his men, he ate slowly. Exhaustion tugged at him. Lord, I just need to make it to Santa Fe. Give me the strength to get us there.

What about characters. Do you identify with one more than the other?
Will is my favorite character in the story. He’s a single guy who lived under the shadow of an overbearing older brother. Though he was content with his life, his circumstances changed unexpectedly. He is a good leader to his men, but he has a bit of a temper problem. Even though he’s changed a lot from the man he used to be, he still struggles with being the man he wants to be.

I understand you self-publish your books. Tell us a little about that.
Well, I decided to self-publish after doing a great deal of research about both traditional publishing and self-publishing. Self-publishing appealed to me because I get to set my own schedule and I retain full control of the book. It’s tough at times to be solely responsible for the outcome of my books. I love business (have a Masters in Business Administration) and so I enjoy the business aspect of selling and marketing my books almost as much as writing them. One of the benefits of self-publishing is that I get to retain a much bigger percentage of the royalties—that’s why I can afford to sell the ebook versions for $2.99 instead of the $9.99 of most major publishing houses.

Do you have a favorite author or book that has impacted your life?
Most of the books I read are Christian Historical Fiction. But a few years ago, I started branching out into some Christian Suspense. I received Terri Blackstock’s Restoration Series for Christmas one year and I devoured those books. I loved how she took a bunch of everyday modern Americans and tossed them into a situation where they had to live for years without any modern conveniences—no power, no cars, no mass produced food. I walked away from reading those books with a new perspective on how incredibly blessed we are in this country and how we take it for granted to easily.

What do you do enjoy doing in you spare time?
Writing is what I do in my spare time. I work full-time as a Software Engineer, then I come home, kiss my hubby and pet my dogs, and lock myself in my office to write. Oh, maybe it’s not that harsh. But, I do spend a ton of time writing. I also try to carve out enough time to read at least one book for fun each week. Photography is another passion. I love going to cool museums with my hubby and my camera. Check out the photo gallery on my website for some neat historical things (coffee grinders, carriages, ranch house, and much more).

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you?
Please visit my website: http://www.karenbaney.com/ to learn more about me, my books, and the history of Arizona in the 1860’s.
My books are available on Amazon (paperback & kindle), Barnes & Noble (nook), Apple iBooks, Diesel, Kobo, Sony eReader, and Smashwords. Links to purchase are included on my website.

Thank you so much for visiting Karen! Later in the week Karen will be guest blogging again about the ins and outs of self-publishing. More and more authors are considering this route and Karen has some great information, so check back.

Author Interview: Sherry Chamblee

2011-04-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm really delighted today to introduce Sherry Chamblee. Sherry is the author of Babel, a historical novel set in Old Testament times. The premise of this book is unique, and as I read more about it from Sherry's interview I found myself becoming so intrigued that I'd like to offer three free downloads in a drawing. All you have to do is leave an encouraging comment and a means to contact (email or facebook) to enter the drawing. But be sure to read more about Sherry and her book, Babel, first!

Tell us a little about yourself?I am married to a wonderful man named Richard, and we have six children. We live in the San Fernando Valley of southern California with a cat named Happy.

Tell us about your writing journey. What led you to do this?Some of my very earliest memories are of telling myself stories, yet for some reason I did not start writing them down until I was much older. I always loved to read, and through books I found that I was transported to other worlds and places. Finally I began writing my stories down during a trying time in my life, and found that it was an incredible stress-reliever for me. When my husband first saw some of my writing he was very encouraging. Because of him I have kept working on my writing.

Please tell us a little about your new book.Babel is a story that developed over years. For quite a long time I had wanted to write a story set in Old Testament times, surrounding a Bible story, but not involving Bible characters. The Tower of Babel especially has always fascinated me, there seem to be so many mysteries surrounding it. My book is about two people who find themselves wrapped up in a generations-long struggle surrounding the building of the Tower of Babel - the original conspiracy theory. Jaiyl, a young girl from a mysterious family, has secrets of her own that she is too afraid to reveal. When she meets Van, a young man from a remote mountain village, she must decide if she can trust him with all her secrets. Together they must learn to trust God and each other, while they fight to save those they love.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, and how did the ideas for these books come to you?I find inspiration everywhere. Sometimes an idea comes to me from an experience in my own life, or observing other people. One story has come from genealogical research of my ancestors, and others have come just from letting my imagination wander.

What message do you hope readers will take from it?The message I would hope readers see in Babel is that God’s love overcomes all obstacles, but not always in the way we plan. Oftentimes God’s plan looks nothing like our own, yet it’s always for the best. I’ve learned that people will come away with different messages though, sometimes things that I didn’t envision even while writing the book.

Do you have a favorite scene from your book, and why is it your favorite? There’s quite a few different scenes I really enjoyed writing. Usually they were the ones I think of as funny, showing a lighter side to this story. In real life people can find humor in the midst of trying situations, and that is what I wanted to show.

Care to share an excerpt? This isn’t a humorous excerpt, but it is one that I liked writing. She watched Thad at his table, writing by the light of a candle, and Jaiyl felt almost as if she had been transported back in time. The dark little cabin, filled with the smell of musty books, burning oil, and ink reminded her of another place and another time. The old prophet looked enough like her long ago friend Micah that she stopped and gasped in alarm, almost believing that Josiah might run in behind her with his sisters and brothers, laughing and joking. Quick tears leaped into her eyes, which she hastily wiped away hoping Van had not seen them. She watched in awe as Thad placed his quill down, picked up another and wrote a single word, then discarded the new quill and took up the first one again. She immediately knew that Thad must be of the same family, one who belonged to God, another like Micah and Rachel and Josiah.

When she could speak again she quietly approached the old man’s side.

"You write?" Jaiyl asked.

"Yes."

"Important things?"

"Oh yes, all-important."

"Are you a recorder?"

"Yes, of sorts....perhaps more accurately - a preserver."

"What do you preserve?"

"Signs, clues to the riddle."

"Riddle?"

"The riddle of the Tower."

Jaiyl paused at Thad's mention of a tower, seeming to recognize and accept something significant in Thad's answer.

"Ahh yes, that riddle," she continued. "Do you have the answer yet?"

At her question Thad looked up sharply. Seeming to actually take notice of Jaiyl for the first time he said, "Not quite, but almost..."

"I see."

Thad stayed silent for a moment, looking into Jaiyl’s eyes, then searching her form, gaze coming to rest on a curious golden bracelet she wore on her left wrist. Seeing his interest in it, Jaiyl twisted the delicate band to show him the symbol of who she was. What seemed like an age ago, Jaiyl had almost left the bracelet behind in her tent in the desert, but something had compelled her to keep it. She was still not sure if that had been a wise choice, and even now knew she was taking a chance in revealing herself to this stranger.

Thad looked shocked and suddenly guarded. “I have seen you in the scrolls.”

Plans for anything new?Right now I’m working on the sequel for Babel. It still has some development to do before it’s ready. I’ve also got some short stories, one is about a youth pastor that finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery. I’ve also got a young adult series I’m working on involving a college girl that solves mysteries and gets into all sorts of trouble while she’s doing it.

Do you have a favorite author or book that has impacted your life?I have read quite a few Janette Oke books, and I would say she impacted my decision to start writing. Her books are easy to read, about simple people, simple times, but engaging characters.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?I like to garden, make quilts, and of course read when I get a chance.

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you?My book is available on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35403 where it can be downloaded for Nook, Kindle, Palm Doc, as a PDF, LRF, RTF, Plain Text, or viewed as a webpage. It can also be bought directly through Amazon Kindle. I can be reached at chamblees@juno.com, or on my blog at http://schamblee.tumblr.com/

Stephanie Burkhart has ANOTHER Book Out!

2011-03-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

Well Stephanie Burkharts has been one busy lady because she's got another story out, this time an Inspiratinal in a new Anthology. I'm excited to have her back to tell us about this new release, and hope to have her visit next month, too, when another new book of hers comes out! If you've not had the privilege of meeting this Stephanie, here's a little about my friends.

Shawna: Welcome Steph. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Steph: Shawna, thanks so much for having me here today. Let me just share a little about me: I was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, I joined the US Army. I spent 11 years in the military, 7 in Germany. I left the Army in 1997 and settled in California, but my favorite football team is still the New England Patriots. I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I've been married for 19 years. I have two boys, Andrew, 8, and Joseph, 4. Little Odd fact: The 3 Wise Men are rumored to be buried at the Cathedral in Koln, Germany. I've been there several times.

Shawna: Tell us about your writing journey.

Steph: I've been writing since I was a little girl, but I never took it seriously until I left the Army in 1997. I joined Writing.com to help hone my craft and participated in several writing contests hosted by Writer's Digest. My best showing was 8th in the Mainstream/Literary category for my short story, "Spontaneous Decision" in the 2008 contest. After self-publishing a couple of novels, I'm now working with small presses.

Shawna: Please tell us about your new story.

Steph: "A Polish Heart" is a sweet family/inspirational short included in the Victory Tales Press spring/Easter anthology. Darrin Riverton is an architect from Newport, R.I. who is hired by a Polish construction company to help with the National Stadium which is under construction in Warsaw. (The National Stadium is a soccer stadium) When he falls for his beautiful Polish interpreter, will Sophia's faith give him his heart back?

Shawna: Where do you find the inspiration for your writing?

Steph: I start with a basic idea. For "A Polish Heart" I knew I wanted to write an international contemporary. Since the story was to have a strong Easter/family theme, I drew on my own Easter traditions. I'm Polish and when I was younger, we had strong Easter customs. From there, I set the story in Warsaw and did some online research. From the research I discovered the National Stadium and the story grew from there.

Shawna: What message do you hope readers will take away from the story?

Steph: God is always there for you. Always.

Shawna: Do you have a favorite author?

Steph: My favorite author is JK Rowling, but I would be remiss not to give a shot out to Victoria Holt, Judith McNaught, and Lisa Kleypas.

Shawna: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Steph: Going to the gym and working out. I like watching Star Trek with my boys.

Shawna: Would you like to share an excerpt?

Steph: Sure! "A Polish Heart" is a sweet inspirational/family romance in the Victory Tales Press Spring/Easter Anthology.

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6_397PerU

Blurb: When Darrin falls for his beautiful Polish interpreter, will Sophia's faith give him his heart back?

GOODIE TIME: Leave a comment and win an autographed print copy of the Anthology. I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner.

The Set up: Darrin and Sophia are going shopping at a local market.

Darrin grabbed his leather jacket and wallet and locked the door behind him. A bit more confident now, he had no problems finding the train station and buying a ticket. One proverb he'd read last night had been lingering in the back of his mind. It was Proverbs 13:11: "Wealth quickly gotten dwindles away, but amassed little by little it grows." His parents had amassed much, but had superficial friends to go with their materialistic lifestyle.

Wealth, true wealth, was found in one's heart. It consisted of love, loyalty, honesty, faith, and honor. Those riches, however, had to be earned or proven over a period of time. They were examples of wealth amassed slowly. He wanted this type of wealth in his life. Reaching for it would be one of the most daring and scariest things he'd ever done.

Did he have the courage to do it?

He'd never backed away from a challenge before. He wasn't about to now. He'd take a chance if Sofia was willing as well.

The train came to his stop. He walked up the stairs and found Sofia waiting for him, her auburn highlights shining in the sunlight. Her face glowed like a rare gem.

"Hi."

"Hi, yourself," she replied. The warmth of her smile echoed in her voice.

Darrin fell in step beside her and pointed to a busy market square filled with retail shops.

"So, why do you want a prepaid phone?" she asked. Her chocolate eyes sparkled up at him.

"Well, I want something local so you don't have to make an international call to reach me."

"Me?"

"I'd like for you to be able to call me, and I thought it would be smart to put the construction company's number in there as well."

"All right. " She paused. "Do you like veal?"

"I do."

"Mama's making breaded veal chops for dinner. She wants me to stop by the local market for a fresh loaf of bread and vegetables. Do you like peppers and corn?"

"Yep."

"Papa also wants me to buy a bottle of his favorite vodka so he can share it with you."

"Really?"

"Interestingly, you have his approval."

"I do? How did that happen?"

"I suspect he was very impressed with the fact you opened the door for me last night."

"I was just being a gentleman."

Buy Links: Print Book: Create Space: https://www.createspace.com/3579108

Ebook: Lulu: (PDF) http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/a-springeaster-collection-sweet/15166166

Smashwords: (multiple formats) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48682

The Anthology is also avail on Amazon as a Print & Ebook for Kindle.

Find me on the Web at:
BLOG: http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/ WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/ FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1357922219
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart
Some pictures in this post are courtesy of Dreamstime.

Interview with Author Regina Andrews

2011-03-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Regina Andrews is visiting today. Regina last visited to talk about her book, Destiny's Designs. Today she's back to tell us about her latest release, and her new series. Welcome!

Regina, for those readers who've not had the privilege of meeting you before, would you tell us a little about yourself?
Sure! But first, let me thank you so much Shawna for having me visit today. I live in Providence, Rhode Island and grew up in nearby Barrington. After graduating from Providence College I attended the University of Delaware, and eventually earned my Master’s Degree in American Civilization from Brown University. I love the ocean and am inspired by the seashore and the song of the birds…anything to do with nature. My husband and I enjoy visiting nearby Cape Cod. I love to travel and especially am crazy about France. My dream is to some day have a little week-end getaway, by the sea, about an hour’s drive away. Currently I am Manager of Web Copy Services at Ross-Simons, a national jewelry company.

Tell us about your writing journey. What led you to do this?
Well, my wonderful mother read to me as far back as I can remember and I am sure that’s why I love reading so much. Loving reading, and being a natural talker, I think writing became the next logical step. It came in handy when I didn’t have an audience to tell my stories to, I could just keep going, and write everything down. That began early on, and I just never stopped. The publishing came later.

Please tell us a little about your new book and the series. The premise of the Sterling Lakes Series is how the renovation of the church in town leads to a rebirth of the entire town itself on many levels – physically, emotionally and spiritually, to name a few. “Light of the Heart,” book one on the series, deals with the effects of a difficult childhood on the heroine, Cascade Preston, now a very successful stained-glass artist. As a child she knew her father was abusing her mother but was powerless to stop it. She was aware as a child that the town knew of the trouble in her house, yet did nothing to stop it. Her anger and resentment are so intense that she refuses to return to Sterling Lakes. However, circumstances take a turn and the project to redo the stained-glass windows in the town church becomes hers. As she is challenged to let the light of God’s love shine into her heart, she also meets the hero, Dan McQuay.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, and how did the ideas for these books come to you?
It seems that everywhere I turn I’m hearing stories that carry a message people would love to read, stories that would touch people’s hearts.

What message to you hope readers will take from it?
I have always wanted to be able to share a mission of God's love through writing uplifting, inspiring books in His honor. It's so basic, to me -- to gladden people through reading, and to bring the Word of God to their lives in another way, and to reinforce the love of God in their hearts. How come there's so much unhappiness? It seems like there's a vast expanse waiting to be brightened!

Do you have a favorite scene from either, or both? Care to share an excerpt? I love the scene where Dan and Cascade are in the church. They don’t really know each other very well yet. I’ve attached an excerpt of that.

Thanks, Regina. I've posted the excerpt so that it follows this interview. Plans for anything new?
Yes! Just finishing book two in the series, “Angels o the Heart, due out in August.”

Do you have a favorite author or book that has impacted your life?
I know this might sound funny, but I love Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” and Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo”. I love Dickens endlessly! Favorite book, though, hands down – my father’s Bible.

What do you do enjoy doing in you spare time?
Well, I love music, and I sing in the choir at church. My husband and I love to play mini-golf. I love to read (of course!), travel and I really like restaurants, movies, theater, hanging around with my friends and going to the gym.

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you.
Ok!
My website is http://www.reginaandrews.com/
Tweet me @ regina_eileen
And my blog door is always open: http://www.reginaandrews.wordpress.com/
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-146/Regina-Andrews-Light-of/Detail.bok

Regina, thank you so much, and best of luck with this wonderful new book. I'll be looking forward to the next in the series!

For your enjoyment, here's an excerpt from Light of the Heart

Cascade watched the sun, dappled from the leafy trees nearby, play across the firm planes of his face. "Being back here, I don't feel like anything has changed."
"Does that surprise you?" he asked.
"The way things are going lately, everything is coming as a surprise. I'm just trying to process it all."
"Want to go into the church?"
"Sounds like a great idea." She looked over at him but could not read his expression.
They walked past the dirt piles toward the front of the church. A songbird trilled in one of the rhododendron shrubs as they moved by. Sunbeams glinted off the colorful stained glass windows. At the top of the wooden staircase, Cascade held the brass handle to open the ornately carved door.
"Go on." Dan reached beyond her and held the door open for her.
She entered the vestibule, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the darkness. Images of the past flooded her mind. Some of the good, some of them not so good. She turned to Dan. "Come with me."
"You got it."
They walked together down the main aisle. Cascade inhaled the familiar scents of wood, candle, and incense. She stopped midway and turned to face the back of the church.
"These windows are beautiful," she whispered, looking up at the large round West window. "This is where I was inspired to do what I do and to be who I am today."
"Impressive." Dan touched her arm. "Let's sit down here."
They slid into a pew and sat back against the smooth, varnished wood. Cascade slowly scanned the interior of the church, looking at each window. It was as if she were seeing it for the very first time.
She turned to say something to Dan. His eyes were closed, and he sat motionless. It looked as if he were in prayer. Could he be?
Cascade took the opportunity to admire him. His profile was softened just a bit in the filtered light. Dark hair and a firm, masculine nose were all balanced by the strong jaw line which composed the proportions of his face. His lips, curved into just a hint of a smile, were slightly parted. The shadow of his long dark eyelashes danced upon his cheek. To Cascade, he looked completely and utterly at peace.
She reached over and gave his hand a friendly pat. To her surprise, he took her hand, holding it gently in his. Warm and weathered, it fit hers just right. For a moment, she let herself feel protected. She didn't know what had happened since he walked into her life. Everything had turned topsy-turvy, but she knew one thing: Dan McQuay was some kind of wonderful.
Then she remembered his words the first time he visited her showroom: "I come into town, do the job, and leave. No ties, no friendships, no tea parties and barbecues with the neighbors. In and out."
What was she thinking? She snatched her hand away.
"What's wrong?" Dan looked at her.
"Nothing. Nothing."
"Sure there is. Your lips are all tight."
"No, I'm fine. I was honestly just thinking about you."
He smiled.
"What were you thinking?" He smiled.
She took a deep breath, and listening to all the choirs of angels rejoicing at the sight of his smile and wondered, Why me? This guy is way too dangerous. He's attractive, kind, smart…and ready to leave as soon as the job here in town is finished.
Just then, the church doors opened. A black-cassocked figure hastened towards them.
"Excuse me, excuse me. This area is restricted. Masses and confessions will be held in St. Luke's school auditorium or the rectory."
"We were just leaving, Father Greene. I'm on the construction crew, and we came in to say some prayers."
"Oh, it's you, Dan." The furrows in the priest's brow vanished. A saintly smile replaced his scowl. "By all means, children. Stay a long as you wish. We have to be extra vigilant because of the vandals."
"You've had vandalism problems, Father?" Cascade asked. "That's horrible."
The priest blessed himself. "Just dreadful, my dear. What they did to the statue of Our Blessed Mother Mary last month was unthinkable."
Cascade cupped her hands over her mouth.
"Any luck finding the culprits?" Dan asked.
"No. We have no luck here at St. Luke's."
"Well, Father I don't know about that. Maybe this is the day that all that is going to change." Dan's voice sounded strong and reassuring. He shook the priest's hand.
"There's always hope. I'm Father Greene, dear."
"Cascade Preston." She smiled and shook his hand.
Wagging his index finger, Father Greene said: "I've heard of you, but I can't remember why."
"Cascade's designing the stained-glass windows for the project, Father. She's originally from Sterling lakes."
Turning to Dan, Cascade saw him give an eager smile. What was he thinking?
"How wonderful," Father Greene blessed himself. "So good of you, Cascade, to give back so generously to the town that you called home."
"It's my pleasure, Father." Cascade answered. Did I just agree to do the windows?
"Oh bless you, my dear. Bless you." Father Greene checked his pocket watch. "It's been so nice to chat with you wonderful folks. I have confessors waiting now." Turning on his heel, he bustled off through the shadows to the door.
"What were you thinking, Dan? I haven't agreed to do the windows. Now that nice priest is going to be all disappointed and flustered when he finds out," Cascade whispered.
"He might not be," Dan answered.
"I'm infuriated. You weren't asleep at all. Were you really saying prayers?" Cascade asked as they walked down the aisle.
Dan nodded. "Were you?"
"Oh yes," she answered. "Without a doubt. Lots of special prayers. Now there's one more special intention on this list -- me getting out of helping Father Greene." She turned to face him. "You look like you're going to laugh!"
"Well, it's just that..." Dan's eyes seemed to twinkle as he looked at her. It turned Cascade's knees to jelly.
"Let's change the subject." She cleared her throat and gripped the edge of the pew to steady herself. "Before we go, I wanted to tell you that my parents were the first couple married in this church."
Dan's eyebrows shot upwards. "Quite a distinction."
"They started out with lots of hopes and dreams for a bright future, I'm sure. Life takes some funny turns." She sighed. "Look, I've been thinking, Dan, of how stubborn I've been about not working in Sterling Lakes. I've been holding on to that way of thinking for years now. It really hasn't made me any happier in the long run, to think like that. Just kept me tied to this town in a negative way. I think the fight is over. I want my life to be filled with light and beauty and color. And love. God's love."
She blinked away the tears that filled her eyes. "You were right. Abby was trying to do me a favor, and I think she did. It's through forgiveness that we are set free. Maybe it's time for me to forgive what happened in the past. At least I can start, and this might be a good first step. Plus, I would never in a million years disappoint that nice priest. Father Greene has enough to worry about without me adding to it. So if it's at all possible, could I do the windows here?"

New Contest

2011-03-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

Got a new contest going on for several Kindle downloads of NO OTHER, and some other goodies. Click HERE for the details.

Tracy Kraus has a New Book Out!

2011-02-23T21:22:00.001-08:00

Tracy Krauss, author of ‘edgy inspirational’ fiction, is launching her book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on Feb. 24 at amazon.com. You can help Tracy achieve ‘best seller’ status by purchasing the book at amazon.com TODAY!

About the book:

Loaded with humor, action, intrigue and romance, My Mother the Man- Eater is the story of a woman whose search for meaning in life finds an unexpected outlet. Joleen Allen is on the hunt for a man. Unfortunately, every time the mother of five meets one, he falls for one of her daughters instead! At forty-four, Joleen has lived a tough life. She became a mother at 16, and her five daughters are now grown. Her ex-husband, Harold, is out of prison and back in the picture, looking for revenge. He’ll stop at nothing – even murder – to ruin Joleen’s reputation as well as her relationship with their daughters. My Mother the Man-Eater makes for some truly tempting and redemptive reading.

About the Author:

Tracy Krauss is a prolific author, playwright, director and artist. Originally from a small prairie town, she now resides in Tumbler Ridge, BC, known for its scenic mountain vistas and many waterfalls. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and currently teaches high school Art, Drama and English. .

BONUS!
Buy MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on February 24 and receive loads of FREE e-gifts from these generous supporters:

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Plus – free manuscript critiques, manuscript editing, and marketing and promotional tips from journalists, editors, authors and speakers, Lorilyn Roberts, Linda Yezak and Bonnie Way.

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All if you buy your copy of MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER at amazon.com on Feb. 24! These free gifts are valid on Feb. 24 only. All the links will be operational on the ‘Book Launch’ site at www.tracykrauss.com/ Click HERE for more details link: http://mytinyurl.com/d3srfsw1f1/

DISCLAIMER: This Best Seller book launch has been coordinated with the help of the ‘John 3:16 Marketing Network’ and many other generous supporters. The free gifts are deliverable electronically over the internet or by email by individual authors and supporters. They are not in any way associated with, nor deliverable by, amazon.com.

Welcome Stephanie Burkhart!

2011-02-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

I want to congratulate Stephanie Burkhart on the release of her newest book, The Count's Lair. This is the second in the Budapest Moon series, and I LOVE the cover.

Stephanie, welcome back!

I'm excited to be here with Shawna today and take a spin on the old Oldsmobile. Thanks for having me.

Just a little about me: I was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, I joined the US Army. I spent 11 years in the military, 7 in Germany. While in the military, I earned a BS in Political Science from California Baptist University in Riverside, CA in 1995. I left the Army in 1997 and settled in California, but my favorite football team is still the New England Patriots. I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I've been married for 19 years. I have two boys, Andrew, 8, and Joseph, 4.

SHAWNA: Thanks for being here today, Stephanie. Can you tell us a little about "The Count's Lair?"

STEPH: The Count's Lair is a paranormal romance set in Budapest, Hungary during Christmas in 1901. "The Count's Lair" is listed as "intense" by the publisher, Desert Breeze, and there are several love scenes in the story.

Count Anton Varga has struggled to put his life together after he took his family's title, but he's only encountered hardship after hardship. In the Duma's bookstore, a spark ignites between him and Lady Amelia Andrássy which Anton wants to explore. Unfortunately for him, he has a dark secret. He'll give Amelia 3 clues. Will Amelia accept Anton for the man he is?

SHAWNA: How long did it take you to write?

STEPH: Approximately 3 months. This was my 2009 NaNoWriMo project so I wrote 50K in the first month. I probably wrote 10K in December, if that, because of the holidays. I finished the novel in FEB 2010.

SHAWNA: That's impressive, and inspiring, too! Did you do a lot of research?

STEPH: I did some – for example, what was Christmas like in Hungary. I also researched composers since Amelia was a pianist and impressionist artists since Anton liked impressionist art. It was fun to learn about Beethoven, the Moonlight Sonata, and Manet.

SHAWNA: Are there any contrasts or comparisons in the story? If so, what is the meaning behind them?

STEPH: Anton's residence, Ravenwind is dark, Amelia's Eaglemere is filled with light. Anton is the moon, Amelia is the sun. Amelia's heart is reflected in the music she plays – the Sonata Pathetique, for example.

SHAWNA: Now this book isn't an inspy but it does have a spiritual message. What role does religion play in the novel?

STEPH: Religion, any religion, is a big part of our lives. The majority of Hungarians are Catholic, with some Orthodoxy and Islam percentages. In the novel, Anton's lost touch with his religion. It's Amelia and her steadfastness who reminds him he's a man, not a beast, and God loves him for who he is regardless.

SHAWNA: I really love that message, Steph! How important is the setting? Why did you set the novel in Budapest?

STEPH: Setting helps create a mood, a tone, for the story. In "The Count's Lair," I'm striving to create a gothic setting in which the reader would believe the supernatural might exist.

SHAWNA: Very cool! Have you been to Budapest?

STEPH: Yes! In 1997. Budapest is a beautiful city and its truly a crossroads where east meets west. One of my favorite landmarks was the Fisherman's Bastian. It's a ½ mile long wall on Buda Hill overlooking the Danube and Pest side of the city. The view is amazing! Anton and Amelia meet there in the prequel, "Moonlight Sonata."

SHAWNA: I'm jealous! What's next in the Budapest Moon series?

STEPH: Book 3 is called "Danube in Candlelight." It's set in Budapest, 1922 after World War I. It's the story of Morgan Duma and Adam Varga.

SHAWNA: I love that time period. Can't wait! Do you have an ebook reader?

STEPH: Yes, I have a Kindle. And I love the text to speech aspect of it. I can read books on my way to work and on my way home.

Thanks for having me today, Shawna. Enjoy this excerpt:

Anton stood next to the tree, picking out the perfect spot to begin cutting. After sizing it up, he swung his axe and sank it halfway into the trunk. With one more swing, the tree fell over.
Amelia spun around. "That was quick. I just picked out my tree."
With a laugh, Anton walked over to her and used the axe to carve a small line at the base of the tree. "Well, I've chopped trees all my life."
"You have?"
"My father thought it would build character."
She rubbed her gloved hands together. Anton thought she might be catching a chill.
"Did you like chopping trees?" she asked.
"I found it to be boring, tedious work. I didn't understand why he sent me to do it when we had servants. In hindsight, however, I do think I benefited from it, but not in the way I think he wanted me to."
"I don't understand. Why didn't he have the servants chop the wood?"
Anton took a breath, steadied himself, and looked directly at her. "Perhaps he wanted me to feel more like a servant than a noble man's son."
Her face fell. "If that was his reason, it was cruel."
He did want to be honest with her about his father, but he didn't want to weigh down the fun they were having with such a heavy anchor. Instead, he stepped into her personal space. Her cheeks were raw from the cold. He cupped them and pressed the length of his body against hers. Again, her aura sparkled to life. Her soft curves fit snugly against his muscled physique. "I don't want to talk about him right now. He's depressing. You're cold."
"I am a little cold," she replied.
"Does this warm you up?"
"Yes," she replied. Her eyes trapped his, and he found himself drowning in those simmering pools of azure blue.
He lowered his head and took her lips with his. The glow of their auras blinded him. She closed her eyes. His heart beat wildly in his chest. She pressed against him, sending his senses into a pool of delight. He trailed his lips over her jaw line to her neck. She moaned as he stoked the embers smoldering deep inside them.
She placed her hands on his chest and gently disengaged from him. "That was some kiss."
"I just wanted to keep you warm until we got back to the auto."
"That will do."

YOU TUBE BOOK TRAILER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaiYNNpETok

The Count's Lair is avail as ebook for Kindle, B&N Nook, Sony Ereader, and Kobo. You can also download a copy from the Publisher's Website at:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-142/Stephanie-Burkhart-Budapest-Moon/Detail.bok

You can find me on the web at:

BLOG:
http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

WEBSITE:
http://sgcardin.tripod.com/

FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1357922219

Good Time: Leave me a comment and I'll be back tomorrow to give away a PDF copy of The Count's Lair.

Smiles
Steph

Thanks so much, Steph!

I want to remind readers that while I'm an inspy author, I enjoy books from both the inspirational and general market and therefore interview authors from both. Please remember this if you choose to purchase a book based on my recommendation.

Author Interview: Marlayne Giron

2011-01-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today Marlayne Giron visits. This is her first visit to my blog and she's going to spice it up a bit with the things she has to tell us.

Welcome Marlayne!Tell us a little about yourself. Instead of my usual “typical” boring answers I’m going to tell you unusual things about myself. I cluck like a chicken to classical music (because I can’t whistle); I used to ice-skate competitively in my early 20s and I still miss it. I take in strays…not animals but people. My family has played host to several adults who needed a place to stay for awhile. A little known fact that most people don’t know about me is that I never went to college (I don’t think one year in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising counts) and that I am totally unqualified to be an author “on paper”. My last two years of high school I took typing, drama and sewing courses because I thought I was going to be a fashion designer. What do 17 year olds know about what they want to do with the rest of their life, I ask you?

Tell us about your writing journey. What led you to do this? My writing journey started when I was 12 years old when my best friend put us into a short story as main characters in our favorite television show from the 1970s (“The Six Million Dollar Man”). We loved it so much that we took turns writing hundreds of these short stories each (and one “feature length”) story of several hundred pages (illustrated). My best friend, who aspired to be a teacher, started red-marking my stories for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors which made me so mad that it taught me to write in better English and expanded my vocabulary exponentially.

You have two books available. Please tell us a little about each. The Victor was inspired by an Amy Grant song from 30 years ago called “Fairytale” who I actually got to meet for the first time last June. She autographed my copy of the book and we took a photo together. It is a fantasy/fiction love story set in a medieval realm that retells the fall of Satan, the fall of man and the redemption of Christ’s bride the church as a good old fashioned daring do, swashbuckling story for both men and women. It is my hope that The Victor will not only be enjoyed as a “good read” but as a way to introduce people to the Gospel who have no interest in reading the Bible, going to church and hate being “witnessed to” like I used to be before I became a believer. Make a Wish is a compilation of short stories written as gifts for other people where they star in their own “wish fulfillment” story. I wrote the first story, A Gift for Henry, as a way to cheer up a quadriplegic friend who lived across the country from me and after a year and many requests I had 34 of them done. I guess you could say the stories I wrote as a kid was the impetus behind Make a Wish. These stories seemed to have struck a very deep chord in both the people for whom they were written (and those who are not) in a very profound way.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, and how did the ideas for these books come to you? Inspiration is often a fleeting and elusive thing. It can’t be summoned at will. The inspiration for both books came unbidden to my mind and heart. The Victor as a result of an image that popped into my mind from a verse in “Fairytale”: “two princes wage the battle for eternity but The Victor has been known from the start” and the other as a desire to cheer up a friend who lived on the other side of the U.S. from me.

What message to you hope readers will take from it? The Victor was written primarily for nonbelievers and the message I hope they take away from it is that they owe the King of the Universe (Who loves and sacrificed His Son for them) their allegiance and that they have a choice to make. Make a Wish was written to bless and renew hope in fellow believers that our childlike faith is the most important thing to God. Most of the people I have written these stories for have the sense that God is revealing Himself, too because they contain so many intimate details that only He and they have knowledge of. I have been told this so many times it even gives me the goosebumps.

Do you have a favorite scene from either, or both? From The Victor it is the reunion between Joshua (the hero) and Llyonesse (the heroine) whom he had thought dead for many years. Make a Wish – the story that made me cry the hardest was “Three Wishes”.

Plans for anything new? I’m trying my hand at writing Amish fiction but not just your typical Amish fiction. Paranormal Amish Fiction! How hard could it be? Working title is Old Order Alien.

Do you have a favorite author or book that has impacted your life? Okay this time I have to give the typical, all too often provided answer because it is the truth: J.R.R.Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. The BEST fiction book ever written, bar none. I read The Hobbit and TLotR in ONE weekend when I was 12. Then I read it again the next weekend and then once a year, every year thereafter for decades. I think I’m now overdue to read it again.

What do you do enjoy doing in you spare time? I still work part-time five days a week to pay the bills and have a family to take care of. It used to be stamping, then scrapbooking but now all I have time (and money) for is writing, book promotion, cleaning house, cooking, and occasionally entertaining. I’m a frustrated Martha Stewart on a very tight budget. I have actually had some time to read some books lately so that has been nice.

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you? I have a book website that talks about how I found faith in Jesus at age 17 as a nonreligious Jew and various other blogs (which include photos of me with Amy Grant and Nicholas Sparks holding my book): www.thevictorbook.com

The Victor is available on Amazon (paperback or Kindle version), Borders, Barnes & Noble, Family Christian Stores, Books a Million, Ebay or directly from me (I have Paypal on my website) and comes with a companion Lesson Plan for those who home-school for $10 and a free downloadable Student Workbook. Make a Wish is currently available either through me, Amazon or Createspace. To find my books on Amazon just search on my full name. All links are below:
The Victor book website: http://www.thevictorbook.com/ and http://wishfulfillmentstories.blogspot.com/
Make a Wish: https://www.createspace.com/3522475

Marlayne has a special kind of giveaway. Leave a comment for the chance to win you own wish fulfillment story.

Tina Pinson Visits

2010-12-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Tina Pinson!
Tina visits today to tell us a little about herself and her new book, Touched by Mercy.

Hello, Shawna. Thanks so much for inviting me back to your page.

Tell us a little about yourself? You mean you don't want a book. I am an author, you know? LOL I live in Grand Junction, Colorado with, Danny. We've been married 30+ years. We own and operate Omega Avionics and our newest venture F & S Tire. We have three grown sons, two beautiful daughter-in-laws and 5 grand children.

I started my first novel in elementary school, probably so I wouldn't die young. You see, I was a liar extraordinaire, sooo writing gave me an outlet for my fiction where I wouldn't get in trouble from my parents. I write poetry, short stories and songs. One of my songs won in the top twenty-five for a contest out of Nashville. I like to camp, garden, work with wood, sing and teach. I've been with American Christian Fiction Writers since 2003.
My first novel, In the Manor of the Ghost, was published in June 2010

Tell us about your writing journey? I started in elementary school. When we lived in Turkey during my junior high years, I worked on a story called Just in Time for the Rain. I wrote for a time, little stories and poetry. Then started to work on another novel called When Shadows Fall, but, with little kids in the house, I didn't get far. So I sat that aside and worked on poetry, songs and short stories, plus drawing. I also did newsletters and such. I took a correspondence writing course and went to a couple of conferences. One my songs won in the top 25 for a Nashville contest.

Once my children were in school, I started to write in earnest. I pulled out When Shadows Fall again, and wrote a good five hundred pages. My fingers and imagine flew then my computer when kaput on me. Fried it's hard drive and ate all my files. Needless to say it scarfed my stories along with it. I lost When Shadows Fall, but luckily, I had saved a hard copy so I started again. Can I just say retyping that many pages is not fun. Remember to back up your work. Anyway, I started writing and I didn't stop until I had 900 plus pages.

Then I started working on several other stories. I have over eleven. I self-published two and found that more editing was a good thing. Which I did, and then started trying to get them published only to find out that the rules of writing had changed. And my stories wouldn't be accepted unless the rules were adhered to. Oh well. So I started rewriting as per POV rules and one of my stories placed third overall in the Noble Theme Contest through ACRW in 2003. The Noble Theme Contest became the Genesis Contest soon after and ACRW became ACFW. (So I've been at this for some time, this writing.) Because of my win, an agent asked to represent me, and thought that publishing would come soon after. I wished. I wasn't published until this year when Desert Breeze Publishing accepted two of my stories.

What's your favorite thing about Christmas? Christmas always makes me think of simpler times. I love Christmas Lights. I like to sit in the house with only the lights on. I like snow, when we get it, and icicles and gifts. I like the frost on the windowpanes of the house, not the car—makes it kind of hard to see. When we were younger, we did a lot of caroling. Kind of a lost art these days, but our family would bundle up, go out and carol around our neighborhood then come back and have hot chocolate, and maybe have a taffy pull and read the Christmas Story. My father died in 1994 and I wonder if that's not why we don't go out as much. We still read the story and have chocolate, but now that Dad is gone and we've all moved to all points of the country, it just doesn’t happen the same.

Any great recipes to share? My goodness, I don't really know if I have any great recipes. I just pull out the cookbook. But in honor of past Christmases, here's a taffy recipe
1 cup sugar
¾ light corn syrup
2/3 cup water
1 tblsp cornstarch
2 tblsp margarine or butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
Butter a pan. I use a cookie sheet. Mix sugar, corn syrup, water, cornstarch, margarine and salt in 2 quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook without stirring to 256 deg. on candy thermometer or until small amount forms a ball when dropped in cold water./ Remove from heat and stir in Vanilla. Pour into Pan

When cool enough to handle (we usually did it when it was too hot) butter up your hand and pull taffy until it is satiny, light in color and stiff. Pull into long strips and cut into pieces. You can wrap piece individually in plastic or wax paper. This yields about a pound of candy.

What do you do enjoy doing in you spare time? I like to doodle, and do woodworking. I like to sing and teach too. Hear lately, my spare time has been taken with grandkids or moving one business into the same office with another and taking care of paperwork for both. Which really bites into my writing time, something else I like to do when I have spare time.

Tell us a little about your new book, Touched by Mercy. Touched by Mercy tells the story of one woman's journey to grace. Samantha Northam comes from a background of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, having been molested as a child, I identify with Samantha.

The story was pretty much my rite of passage. Coming to a point where I believed God could find me lovely. I made it a bit harder on Samantha than myself, but I wanted to show the beauty of God's grace on us, his arms around the brokenhearted. Samantha hadn't done anything wrong, as far as the molestation went, but she spent years believing she had, and spent long years hating and being afraid to love. When her daughter, Angelina, is taken from her, she believes that it happened because she's not good enough. She sets out to find Angelina, which leads her to the Orphanages of New York. She doesn't find Angelina, but she is introduced to several needy children and some Nuns who begin to teach her about God's love. Because of her wounds, Samantha doesn't quite believe the Nuns, she still thinks she has to prove her worth to God. So Samantha sets out to ease the pain that the children of the orphanage suffer. When word comes that Angelina might have been found in Kansas, Samantha heads west, with plans to get her daughter and open a boardinghouse for stops on the Orphan Train. The west seems to hold all the answers to her dreams, but time and circumstances cause her to wonder if it has taken her far enough away from her past and her nightmares.

And if she'll ever be good enough in God's eyes to become his child.

Touched By Mercy is a story about God's plan for our lives, and how he can use and loves us even though we feel inadequate. It also tells shows how God places people in our lives to Touch us with his Mercy.

What inspired you to write it? The catalyst for writing Touched By Mercy arose from my own healing from abuse and desire to see others whole. Having been molested as a child, I related to some of what Sam felt. Her insecurities and her belief that she would never be good enough, were mine more than I care to admit. Yes, I gave Sam deeper problems to deal with, but the emotions and scars are cast from my own. I know there are many out there going through the same insecurities, thinking somehow they did something wrong and don't deserve God's love unless they prove themselves, and through Touched By Mercy, I hoped to show them how much God loves them and walk them toward hope as well.

What message do you hope readers will take from it? I hope that they will see how loving our God really is. And see that he is there to carry us and love us no matter what people may do.

Do you have a favorite scene? Care to share an excerpt?
Preston led his boys in evening study and prayer then tucked them in. They weren't babies anymore, but he enjoyed the few moments before bed with them. He enjoyed mussing their hair, hugging them, and telling them he loved them. As fast as the years moved, it wouldn't be long before they'd be grown, tucking in children of their own. He recalled the way their mama used to kiss their cheeks and whisper her love as she pushed the blankets around them. He remembered with an ache.

Would he ever stop missing her? Would the boys ever have another mother? Would he ever take another wife?

He lay back on his pillow and asked the Lord those very things. He believed he'd have them someday. Maybe soon. The ache he once bore had eased with time, and the conviction that he'd never love another was being tested. It'd been tested that very afternoon when he found himself looking into Miss Northam's deep green eyes with longing. It surprised him. Her, too, judging from her reaction.

He remembered something the Lord had told him three years before, about a year after his wife had died. He lay in bed, asking the same questions. Figuring the Lord agreed, he'd told the Lord a firm no to every one of them. No new wife, no marriage, no... He loved his dear Sarah too much. How could the Lord want him to marry, or love another?

The Lord surprised him.

Preston, my beloved son, the ache will ebb, and a time will arise when you'll take another wife.

Preston had chuckled. "This can't be. I've loved Sarah for too long. I couldn't love another. I couldn't bear it." Besides there weren't many woman in the territory at the time.

You will. The voice in his heart had been adamant.

"I don't know any women. Not any that I want to marry."

I've chosen one for you, beloved.

Preston nearly gasped. But he didn't scoff at God. "All right, let's say you have. How will I know her? Does she have a name? Who is she, Lord? Where is she?"

When the time comes, you'll find her at the Chicken Ranch.

Preston had sat up with yelp and argued no man of God could find a woman to be his wife at the Chicken Ranch. A woman from a brothel? A woman like Lil? What did the Lord want him to be… another Hosea? Surely not.

The Lord had been adamant. I know whom I have for you. She'll be at the Chicken Ranch.

Petrified he'd find her sitting in her long underwear on the front porch, Preston took long detours home, skirting the ranch so he wouldn't find the wife the Lord had for him.

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you?My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103
Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/0rgkm
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/we4ul

Amazon:
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/k5tgw
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/doc8w

Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy—available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/oh767

Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy – available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/4u5h9

In honor of the release of Touched By Mercy I am running a contest, Win a Nook… Touch Mercy for the month of Dec. 2010. Check out my blog under the Touched By Mercy Contest page for the particulars.
http://tinapinson.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Tina. Please stop by Tina's blog and check out her amazing contest. Tina's book will be a great first purchase for you guys who open up an ereader on Christmas morning!

Deborah Kinnard Visits!

2010-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! So I'm really excited to have Deborah Kinnard visit today to tell us about herself and about her new Christmas release, Aloha, My Love.

Tell us a little about yourself?

Short-round soccer mom who spends way too much time writing novels and doing jewelry, and not enough time on housework. Housework is boring. Dust is a wood preservative. There—I’ve said it!

OMGoodness, you sound just like me!

What's your favorite thing about Christmas?

Hanging with family and friends, with enough time to really talk and catch up. Everything else is just icing.

Any great recipes to share?

A quick, easy one that everyone seems to like: drain and chop fine a small jar of marinated artichokes. Throw ‘em in a casserole. Add a dollop of mayonnaise (about ¼ to ½ c.) and plenty of Parmesan cheese. Add a dash of Louisiana hot sauce. Stir it up really well. Nuke in the microwave about 3 minutes or until bubbly. Serve in a bread bowl with chunks of bread for dipping, or with table water crackers. (I love artichokes).

Me too! Especially artichoke dip. I'm making this.

I recently learned that you make jewelry. How long have you done this and what's your favorite type of bead, style, etc... Do you ever make stuff to go along with your books?

I’m a newcomer to this. I like using mixed beads and silver or gold-tone spacers. Svarovski crystals are great, and fun to add to other beads. I like to do “random” necklaces that don’t have any particular pattern save for harmonizing colors. Lately ’ve started hunting down beads that look vaguely Celtic or medieval, to go with some of the books I’m working on now.

Your new book, Aloha, My Love, is a Christmas story with an unusual setting. Tell us a little about this book and what inspired you to write it?

Some years ago, my husband took us to Hawaii for our tenth anniversary. I fell in love with the Big Island and knew I would eventually set a story there. We did a lot of skin diving and roaming around on our own—it was idyllic. So when I wanted to tell a “second chances” story in a setting that wasn’t Illinois, it came naturally.

Do you have a favorite scene? Care to share an excerpt?

My favorite scenes are when Adam and Delaine are diving. Here’s a snippet:

Adam glanced seaward. "Tide's coming in. Those waves are getting bigger."
"I'd like to watch it come in." Her voice sounded wistful. They swam easily toward the shore. "I've never seen a tide before."
His heart softened further. "Then that's what we'll do."
"Suppose you can swim a few minutes first?"
"Sure. It's easy in salt water." To demonstrate he turned over onto his back, blowing excess water up into the air like a whale's spout. Delaine laughed. She splashed him, and he coughed. "Get you for that, Bishop!"
He couldn't resist a lunge, diving down to come up underneath. He grabbed a slender ankle and tugged to dunk that sassy face. He surfaced laughing, she did the same with another splash. The battle continued until he accidentally got her with a handful of water just as she was inhaling.
"Sorry," he said as she coughed. "Bad timing." He put his arm around her waist in case she couldn't touch the rocky bottom.
He wasn't quite sure what mischievous impulse overtook him. Still grasping her waist, Adam lay back in the water. He drew Del close, then spun her around like a pair of dolphins. Laughter bubbled up in both of them at once. She threw back her head to give it rein. Oh, she was lovely like this, with drops of seawater on her lashes and the sun in her face. Far too beautiful to resist one moment longer. Too lovely not to kiss. He let his lips seek hers, but she avoided the contact.
Like lightning, she disentangled their arms and legs. Her withdrawal hurt, for she'd felt sweet and precious against his chest. Hoping he misinterpreted her action, he let her have a few seconds' space then grabbed for her again. They rotated through the water, first one then the other, tugging and changing direction. Lithe young bodies bent and curved in the freedom of the buoyant waves. Delight shone in her gray eyes, and he felt the joy in her down to his own soul. Their play was all beauty; the happiness on her face matched that in his heart.

Where can readers buy your book and where can they learn more about you?

ALOHA, MY LOVE is available at the Desert Breeze web site (http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/), and will be coming out for the Kindle. Fictionwise also carries DBP titles, and usually has them a few days after they release.

Deb is giving away a holiday-themed beaded necklace. Leave a comment with your email to enter!

Thanks Deborah!

Her book is already available on Kindle. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Aloha-My-Love-ebook/dp/B004EEOMQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1291256843&sr=1-1

If you're thinking about gift ideas for distant friends and relatives, why give a card when you can give a book! Kindle now has a gift-giving feature for e-books. All you need is an email address.

A Christmas Gift, Diane Craver

2010-11-16T00:39:00.000-08:00

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Diane Craver. Diane is a multipublished author of contemporary romance, inspirational romance and historical fiction. She's visited here before, but today's visit is significant because the book Diane is promoting holds a special place in her heart. Hope you guys are getting in the mood for Christmas!

The Christmas Angel

I’d like to thank Shawna for having me here so I can talk about my new release, A Christmas Gift. Before I share why I included an angel in my story, I want to tell you a little bit about the characters in A Christmas Gift. I’m dating myself here but I was a small girl in 1957. My upcoming release contains my childhood experiences with fiction thrown into the story line. However, the prologue and epilogue are in present time. When I mentioned to our daughter, Emily, that it was hard for me to believe that my new book was considered historical fiction, she laughed and said, "Mom, it wouldn’t be contemporary." Including some childhood experiences lends an authentic feel to the whole story and love seeps through the characters. The father, Justin Reeves, is a man who has it all: a good job, a loving wife and children who are the center of his universe. Justin also has a secret he’d hidden from everyone his entire life. One night Debby stumbles upon his secret and is shocked by what she finds. She confronts her father with the awful truth. What happens next is heartwarming and proves that obstacles can be overcome at any age.

One of my favorite chapters in the book is titled, “The Christmas Angel.” I enjoyed writing about a special angel. I originally hadn’t planned on having an angel to save Debby in the snowstorm, but suddenly God gave me the idea that an angel would be perfect for this chapter. It seemed appropriate to me that a small girl feeling unwanted would need a perky and funny angel. Including an angel in my story was important to me because I believe that God sends angels to save us from many dangerous situations. They regard our safety, undertake our defense, direct our ways, and protect us so that no evil might hurt us. As the Bible says, “He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

When God appoints angels to special tasks, they may take on physical bodies. God has given angels higher knowledge, power and mobility than us. Have you ever seen or met any of these superior beings called angels? They are God’s messengers whose chief business is to carry out His orders in the world. Please feel free to comment on any experiences you might have had with angels. I hope you enjoy reading my excerpt about Debby’s Christmas angel.

EXCERPT: I stirred in my sleep, feeling a comforting presence nearby. Opening my eyes, I saw a radiant figure floating directly above me.

With a mischievous grin, the female apparition asked, "Do you always sleep in a box on a very cold and snowy night?" Her voice was light and beautiful.

I shook my head. "Are you an angel?"

"Yes, your daddy prayed to God to send an angel to guard you from all danger." The angel moved closer to me. "Your family loves you very much."

"Grandma Fogle said that I was a mistake, plain and simple."

"You are not a mistake. God never makes mistakes...well, maybe Grandma Fogle was a blunder." The angel placed a finger on her chin. "Although she’s just a little plain and simple."

I giggled. "You’re funny."

"God sent me because you’re such a sweet girl to everyone in your life, and he thought a funny angel would be perfect."

I smiled. "I’m glad He sent you. Are you going to take me and fly through the sky?"

She gave me an amused look. "I hadn’t thought of that. How about if someone special rescues you?"

"Who?"

"James. He’s been blaming himself for his sister Elizabeth’s death. It wasn’t his fault. God wants James to be the one to find you."

"I’m glad James will take me home. He’s my friend. Did you know Jesus sent James to help my daddy?"

The angel nodded. "Your prayer started everything. Being a part of your family has helped James so much. After he takes you home, I want you to give him this." She opened my hand and put a small toy in the palm.

I glanced at a cowboy and horse. "I like it."

"Tell James that Elizabeth didn't die because of anything that he did. She’s happy in heaven and wants him to know that he was the best brother."

"Okay, I will."

The lovely angel smiled. "I have to go now, Debby. In a few minutes, James will find you."

"When my sister, Kathy, was in the hospital with polio, she told my parents an angel visited her. Were you her angel too?"

"No, it was another angel who comforted her." She made a slight movement. "I have to go now so that James can come."

Quickly, I said, "If I run away again, will you come back to see me?"

She smiled. "Nice try, but that’s not how it works."

"Wait," I put my hand on her arm. "Just to make sure I get home okay, could you tuck me in tonight when I go to bed?"

She laughed. "I heard you don’t give up when you want something. Yes, little Debby, I’ll tuck you in."

~~~~
A Christmas Gift is available in both paperback and electronic formats. The publisher is Whimsical Publications. http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/

By the way, I have a Christmas contest on my blog. If you leave a comment on this post, your name is entered. The next drawing is November 30th. I’ll be giving away a signed copy of one of my Christmas releases (A Christmas Gift or A Christmas Collection Anthology) to the winner, a $10 GC, and a beautiful angel ornament. More details are on my blog: http://www.dianecraver.com/blog

Buying Link: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Gift-Diane-Craver/dp/1936167360/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289594458&sr=1-1

Author Interview: Sidney.W. Frost

2010-11-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to welcomes Sidney W. Frost to my blog. This is Sid's first visit and he's going to tell us about himself and his book, Where Love Once Lived. I have this book on my Kindle and plan to review it shortly. I love the premise and the first few pages really grabbed me, so stay tuned.

Sid, would you please tell us a little about yourself?
I'm a retired computer programmer/systems analyst who also taught computer science courses at Austin Community College, and still do. I'm a singer, currently in a community chorus and a church choir. I've been in 45 musical stage productions, primarily as a chorus member in the Austin Lyric Opera. I play trumpet in my church's orchestra.

My wife died of pancreatic cancer in 2008 and I spent eight life-changing months with her, staying with her at the hospital nearly every day and night. She encouraged me to finish the book during that time, but I didn't write a single word until months after her death. At that time White Rose Publishing had asked me to make some changes and resubmit. I eventually did, but only to hear that since my story wasn't really a romance, they couldn't contract it.

At that time I decided to self publish. It had been five or six years since I first started working on the book and I had been turned down by many agents and publishers. I considered my age and felt it was time to publish.

Although I hadn't planned to, and hadn't thought about dating again, the first time I ventured out and started singing again, I met a wonderful woman and we were married in March. We both believe God brought us together.

When did you first become interested in writing?
My earliest memory of writing is when my older sister decided we would publish a neighborhood magazine. I was about twelve years old. The magazine was handwritten and each copy was handwritten as well. So there wasn't a wide distribution and the endeavor only lasted for a summer. When school started we were too busy to continue it. But I remember the excitement of writing and having others read what I wrote.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
I had the writing bug from then on. Aptitude tests showed an interest in creative writing, but my school counselors said I should think of it as a hobby since few people made a living from writing. So, I ended up majoring in computer science and wrote for the fun of it. At one time I took correspondence classes in writing short stories and non-fiction articles. This was before the Internet and online classes, which I took later.

One short story was published. What a thrill that was to see something I wrote actually published in a magazine, even if it was a publication called Navy with limited distribution. I eventually had more than a hundred articles published in special publications, but never another piece of fiction.

I published one computer book, Automated Law Office Systems , using a traditional publisher, but it was short lived due to the rapid changes in computers and the royalties were small. When they asked for a new edition, I decided it wasn't worth the time required.

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
Where Love Once Lived was my first book and I had a lot to learn while writing it. I'll answer this question for my second book, Vengeance is Mine.

Writing the second book, by the way, was a lot easier than writing the first. One major problem I had with the first book was maintaining point of view. Now, it is second nature for me and I help unpublished writers who make the same mistakes I did.

Now, back to the question. I started my second book with a simple premise of what would a Christian do when his fiancé is killed in a robbery. With just that much information, I researched the market place. With this premise, it couldn't be a romance. It wasn't a mystery, and thriller sounded too strong. I found similar books I liked and checked with the publishers to find out how many words they liked best. Then, I divided the number of words into scenes of 2,000 words each. After that, I marked where Acts 1, 2, and 3 would be. Act 1 is about twenty-five percent of the book, Act 2, fifty percent, and Act 3, twenty-five percent. You can find definitions of the three acts on the Internet.

The next step was a simple description of each scene followed by the scene goal and why the goal wouldn't be achieved (the conflict), and information about setting, date, time, weather, etc. for each scene.

From all this, I created a spreadsheet to track the information and keep me on track. This is too long to describe here, but I have blog describing the spreadsheet and will provide a copy in Excel to anyone who asks.

Before I wrote any of the book, I created the bio for each character.

Tell us about your book, Where Love Once Lived?
I wrote this book while taking an advanced novel online class from Writer's Digest. You were supposed to have a completed novel before you signed up. I had already taken the beginning novel class and had only three chapters written. The advanced class lasted ten weeks and we were to turn in 10,000 words every two weeks. I needed the pressure of meeting a deadline to help me write.

So the story grew based on comments from classmates and the teacher. Some of the other students who had followed the rules and waited until they had finished the book, kept getting the same comments for every assignment. I took the comments from one assignment and used them to make my next assignment better.

My first idea about the book was sort of an episodic type of story about the bookmobile librarian. You're probably too young to remember this, but I visualized Mary Lasswell's Suds in Your Eye, a humorous story about some women who worked the factories while the men went off to war in World War II.

As I learned about scene goals, conflict and point of view, I tried to create something my teacher would like. By the way her name is Bonnie Hearn Hill, a YA author, who at the time was writing and publishing excellent thrillers.

What I ended up with was a male and female protagonist, thus the confusion about it being a romance. I even called it an Inspirational Romance for awhile, but it wouldn't cooperate. I asked Bonnie to edit my press releases recently and she calls my book a coming of age novel. Who'd think a 54 year-old guy could finally come to age, but I think she's right.

I gave Karen some of the actions I had planned to give Liz, the librarian, and made Liz a supporting character. She still pops out too strong at places and I had to edit many scenes to keep her from stealing the show. She did manage to get into my next book, Vengeance is Mine, which should be out soon. She is the only character who is in both books. That is if you don't count the bookmobile as a character.

In reviewing this response, I don't think I answered your question. However, I think this discussion could be useful to your readers who are thinking about writing a book or who are in the midst of writing.

What inspired you to write this story?
The idea for Where Love Once Lived came to me back in the 1960's when I was driving a bookmobile part time while going to the University of Texas in Austin. On each run there was a librarian and a driver. We went to schools, rest homes, and sometimes to a shopping center being considered for a library substation.

There was one librarian most of the drivers tried to avoid. Being the new guy, I ended up riding with her frequently. She was outspoken and had a rough exterior, but I soon learned she had a heart of gold. She did extras for patrons, helping them in ways not related to the library.

I made notes for a book then, but was not qualified to do more. That idea kept bugging me from time to time over the years, but it wasn't until I retired that I took time to write it.

As I wrote, the bookmobile and Liz, the librarian, became secondary characters to a man and woman who had said goodbye on a bookmobile thirty years before. The book opens with them being reunited on a bookmobile.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
As I mentioned in response to the previous question, I patterned the bookmobile librarian after a real bookmobile librarian I once worked with. However, I changed the character to meet my goals for the book. Liz, my character, also helped the patrons in many ways. In the book, they get together and take up a collection for a trip to England for Liz. She is large, overweight, not too concerned about hair or clothes. She loves to hug people. She gets excited and jumps up and down easily. She is an excellent cook, and she loves the Lord, and makes sure everyone knows it.

I also gave her some problems she can't do anything about. An alcoholic husband who she stayed with too long, and a grandson she raised who is now in prison.

The main characters are Karen and Brian. They had dated in college and at one time thought they would get married. Circumstances changed that causing Karen to move closer to God and Brian to move totally away. He concentrates on his daughter and his work. Karen has a daughter also and both Karen and Brian are divorced when the story begins.

While in college, Brian was a part of a group of six men who called themselves the Combine. When Brian gets back to Austin to try to win over Karen, he also gets back together with his friends. Since this is a lot of supporting characters, I limit the exposure to them. Phil, who is black, is Brian's best friend. Ron, Brian's accountant is involved some, too. As is Tony, who helps get Brian and Karen together by inviting them to an opera he is singing in. Phil's father also plays a big part in the book and he also helps bring in some of the history of Austin.

Since my main characters are in their mid-fifties, I let Phil's daughter and Ron's son have a subplot that may be appealing to some younger readers. This also provides for a mixed marriage and gives me as the author room to talk about equality versus diversity, hopefully without taking away from the story.

Wow! Lots of characters for such a small book. I haven't mentioned the evil head librarian, the city mayor, the patron who helped get Liz that trip to England, and many more.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
When I started my first book, my goal was to have one reader in all the world move a little closer to God because of reading my book. I wanted to write a book showing how real people make mistakes and still become good Christians. To achieve my goal, I know the book needs to be entertaining and not come across like a documentary. I may never know if I reach anyone, but I've had readers tell me they were moved by the story.

Any ideas for future projects?
Vengeance is Mine is my next book and it should be out early next year unless I find a traditional publisher who needs more time. It isn't a sequel to Where Love Once Lived, but that is being planned, too. Liz, the bookmobile librarian in Where Love Once Lived who is promoted to head librarian by the end of the book has a secondary, but fairly prominent role in Vengeance is Mine. Also, the bookmobile shows up in Vengeance, too, to help track down some killers. The main character is a computer science professor who uses his technological expertise to track down the ones who killed his fiancée during a robbery.

What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, any other hobbies?
I see a variety of movies, but my favorites are romantic comedies. Not sure why. I don't care for too much violence and I particularly like it when good wins out over evil. My wife enjoys a good drama or mystery.

Being a Texan, my favorite foods are Mexican and barbeque.

I've had the opportunity to travel to 20 plus countries and have found many places that interest me enough to return. I spent the last two New Year's Eves in Halifax, but my wife insists on going to the British Virgin Islands this time. I love Germany. I wrote most of Where Love Once Lived while in Germany visiting a son stationed there. There are several references to Germany in the book. I can't say more because it might spoil the story.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? I haven't read it yet, but since I loved all of Jan Karon's other books (except one), I know her recently released book, In the Company of Others, will be a book I can recommend. I bought it, but haven't read it yet. In case you are wondering, the one Karon book I didn't think was up to par was A Common Live. It was book six in the Mitford Series, but timewise came between books two and three. I think it was written quickly to fill a need and wasn't written in the same style as the others.

Sid, your book sounds really interesting! I love the idea of a coming of age story at 54. It also sounds like you've had a rich life to draw from. I bet your book packs an emotional punch.

Sid's book is featured on Inspirational Ebooks and he's doing a giveaway there of either a digital or print copy. There's an excerpt and reviews there if you'd like to know more. Leave a comment. Here's the link. http://inspirationalebooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/where-love-once-lived-sid-frost.html

For more about Sidney W. Frost you can find him at http://sidneywfrost.com/ and also be sure to check out his blog, http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com/.

For a list of places to purchase Where Love Once Lived, go here: http://sidneywfrost.com/wlol_buy.htm

Shadows and Light, Stephanie Burkhart (Borealis II Anthology)

2010-11-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

I get to welcome Stephanie Burkhart back today. Stephanie visited my blog back in May for the release of her paranormal novel, The Hungarian. Then she visited in July to talk about her WWII Historical. She's recently had a children's book published, and now she has a new story in the space anthology, Borealis II. Steph, you are a woman of many talents! Welcome to my blog.

I'd like to thank Shawna for having me here today so I can talk about the Borealis II Anthology and my story, "Shadows and Light." This story is a science fiction romance. It is "sensual" nature with a heated kiss and some tender caresses, but does not go beyond that. The Anthology itself is rated "warm" by Desert Breeze Publishing.

Gail Delaney, the editor-in-chief, told me about the anthology in FEB 2010 and I expressed interest in it. I love science fiction. Who doesn't love Star Wars and Star Trek? I'd never done a science fiction romance. A couple weeks later she asked me if I wanted to write "Shadows and Light." I jumped at the chance.

Finding the Shadows

What I liked about the story's background which was given to me, was there was built in dichotomy. Elijah and Persephone were tripping on each other's feet to find info on the Uudon trade. So I said, why not play into that.

Persephone was the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology and the perfect choice for my heroine's in the story. Persephone's "underworld" in the story is Korn, a high priced bar that sells the best booze. Persephone is from the Hadon Province on Pith. Hadon is taken from Hades. Persephone also has a little "Savvik" in her. (from Star Trek) She's telekinetic with limited telepathic qualities. I cast Frieda Pinto as Persephone. Her darker, exotic looks capture the essence of the character's qualities. Despite Persephone's appearance, the light in her soul shines through a warm heart. She's loyal to the rebellion, and her attraction to Elijah just might be her undoing.

Finding the Light

In the story's background, I was given the name Elijah Kess for my hero. My first thought was that Elijah is a strong biblical name. Elijah has soft blond curls - almost angelic. Elijah believes in the greater power. His contact is a man named Daniel inspired by the Biblical Daniel. Yet Elijah has to temper the light in his warm heart as he goes undercover as a TPP Enforcer. He must be more "shadowed" to fit in.

Playing on shadows and light, good vs evil, and on opposites attracting against a science fiction background was a nice challenge for me - letting me branch out in a romantic subgenre I hadn't tried before.

Here's an excerpt:

A man slithered forward with beady little eyes and yellow teeth. Elijah stood a discreet distance from Persephone, resting his back against a pillar. He pulled an audio plug out of his utility belt so he could listen to the conversation. Of course, all the other conversations around him would be loud, too. He'd have to concentrate to hear Persephone.

"Well, if it isn't the high and mighty Persephone Talon. What are you doing here? Slumming?"

"I want something, Pauly."

"Pauly's not cheap," said the man next to Pauly. Elijah squinted. A bodyguard, perhaps.

"You can't afford me, Talon."

"You'd be surprised."

"I heard you were losing money at Korn," said Pauly.

Persephone snickered. "Hardly. I want to hire one of your wenches."

"Not for sale."

"I'd pay you, of course."

"How much?"

"A thousand credits a week."

Pauly's bodyguard whistled.

"Fifteen hundred credits."

Greedy bastard, thought Elijah.

"Don't be a fool, Pauly. A thousand credits is more than reasonable to allow one of your wenches to moonlight at Korn."

"A day."

"A week will be three days for three hours a night," said Persephone.

"Who do you want?"

"Libby."

"She's my best wench."

"That's why I want her. She's the best."

"I don't want her dancing. She can do whatever you want her to, but she only dances here."

"Fine."

"I want three weeks up front. Now."

"What? I didn't bring the credits with me."

"Look here, you fancy bitch, you want something from me, you pay now."

Elijah slid up beside Persephone, exchanged a quick glance at her, and sneered at Pauly. "I don't like your language."

Pauly pointed at his bodyguard. "Jasper--"

Jasper got up and lunged at Elijah. Seeing the sloppy attack coming, Elijah landed a quick punch to Jasper's jaw. The bodyguard crumpled to the ground. A quick look at Persephone showed that she appeared cool, calm. Unfazed.

"Well done," she said.

Elijah nodded his head and then turned his attention to Pauly. "You'll get the money tomorrow. Three weeks up front. Is that what you agreed upon?"

"R-right," Pauly stuttered.

Elijah looked at Persephone. "Finished?"

"Yes."

Elijah placed his hand on Persephone's elbow. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the bar wench Persephone had talked to earlier. Her expression was even, but her eyes hinted at a sense of... pride? Admiration? He wasn't sure. They walked away from Pauly's table. When they were out of Pauly's eyesight, Persephone shrugged her elbow away from Elijah but stayed at his side as they exited the establishment. Her pace increased.

"We need to talk," he said.

"No, we don't."

Here's a link to the Shadows & Light Story Teaser on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV2moYlgwCA

Goodie Time: Leave a response and I'll be back tomorrow, 6 NOV to pick two people to receive an autographed postcard of the Borealis II cover.

Answer this question: What is your favorite Science Fiction TV series and movie and tell me why. I'll pick a winner to receive a coffee mug with a picture of the Borealis II Anthology cover on it.

The Borealis II Anthology is available for Kindle, Nook, Sony Ebook Reader, All Romance Books and at Desert Breeze Publishing.

Here's a link to the Borealis II Anthology on the Desert Breeze Site: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-121/Borealis-Space-Anthology-Stephanie/Detail.bok

You can find me on the web at:

Website:

http://sgcardin.tripod.com/

Blog:

http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166?ref=ts

Romance Under the Moonlight

MATCHMAKING A-MUSE-MENT
BE MUSED, APRIL 2010
THE HUNGARIAN - MAY 2010 Desert Breeze Publishing

Visit me at:
http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/
http://sgcardin.tripod.com/

Steph, thanks so much for visiting. Best wishes with Borealis II. I'm a scifi lover, so I have it on my Kindle. :)

ACFW Featured Author

2010-11-03T00:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to my interview on the ACFW website.
http://www.acfw.com/featuredauthor.shtml

Widget for In All Things = sequel to No Other

2010-10-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

Widget for No Other

2010-10-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogging at Healing Hearts

2010-10-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Michelle Sutton. She's started a new blog devoted to sharing stories about Christian fiction and how stories have affected us individually. I'm guest blogging this weekend and hope you'll stop by to read my story.

http://healingheartsseries.blogspot.com/2010/10/shawna-k-williams-shares-her-thoughts.html

Review of Conception (Book #1 Future Savior) by Jennifer Hartz

2010-10-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Five Stars! It's my pleasure to post this review for Jennifer Hartz debut novel.

Christina's ordinary life as a single thirty-year-old school teacher takes a twist when she is unexplainably transported from current day Pittsburgh to a mysterious place called Meric. There, she discovers great wonders; from the beauty of the land, to the secret of her birth and the magical powers she unknowingly possesses. She also learns why a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes has followed her throughout her life.

However, not all is glorious in the land of Meric. A dark evil threatens its people, an evil that thirty years earlier killed Christina's father and drove her into hiding before she was even born. Now that she has returned, Christina must fulfill her destiny or Meric will be doomed under evil's rule.

I can't believe this book was Jennifer Hartz's debut novel. It was pure adventure from start to finish. Jennifer masterfully weaves humor, mystery, action, and romance into a fantastic tale. The pacing is just perfect, dropping hints here and there as deep mysteries are unveiled. At the same time we get to know a host of delightful, well-rounded characters, who I grew to love. The tension builds and builds and I was literally holding my breath at the end.

This book is the first in a trilogy, and I will definitely get the next on the first day it releases. If you enjoy fantasy with Inspirational elements (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom of Arnhem) then you'll love this.

Author Interview: Carie Lawson

2010-09-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
Sure. I'm the crazy homeschool mom who writes books:) We stay really busy with school, church and sports. I try hard to schedule in time to write every week--preferably every day, but that's just not always possible.

You have a new release. Can you tell us a little about it?
Beyond Summer is the second book in the Twisted Roots series. Zane McCord has good reason to mistrust a pretty face, so when former beauty queen Carly Peterson shows up on his ranch with her two daughters to work for him for the summer, Zane dislikes her on sight. But every good deed she does changes his opinion, until he finds out the ugly truth about her. Can he put aside what life taught him to give Carly a second chance?

You've got me intrigued! Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
Zane appeared in the end of the first book, Beyond Africa. He had a giant chip on his shoulder toward Case's love interest, Lilly. I had to know what made him so tough. I also had to know what he was going to do once he put Lilly up on that pedestal.

What do we have to look forward to with the Twisted Roots series?
Each book is about a different McCord sibling. Case, Zane, Haven and Jude. I enjoyed the fact that the books are all "tangled" together. We meet the characters through the different books, but don't get to hear their "story" until their book comes along.

Haven and Brody's story comes next. Brody was Zane's best friend, until Brody broke the code and fell for Zane's little sister. Married too young, Haven and Brody haven't had an easy relationship. Their only hope comes from the truce they agree to before going on a mission trip to Africa.

Very interesting! What inspired this series?
Maybe the idea of how families "should" be. I love the idea that the McCords are supportive, unafraid to speak their minds and individuals.

How do you balance writing and motherhood?
Schedules help. Ha. I have to be the mom first because I know these days of having young ones in the house are fleeting. There will be those times that mom is too uncool to have around. I imagine there will be more time for writing then. I guess right now I see writing as my "me" time. I don't do a lot of other things, I'm not big into TV, movies, hobbies. This is my thing.

Makes sense. My kids say, "Mom, you need to take a break. But writing is my break time. Let's talk about trends in publishing. What do you see as the major advantages/disadvantages of ebooks? And what do you like most?
The major advantage of ebook readers is the convenience factor. I bought your book, Shawna, without ever stepping foot into a store. Using my Kindle makes me feel like a Genie. If I just wiggle my nose (or push a few buttons on the keyboard) my new book is right in front of me. I LOVE it. I also love that if I'm carrying my Kindle, I'm never without a book. I can even read a few pages before I commit. AND Amazon gives books away. It's almost too goo to be true.
The only disadvantage is really the start up cost, particularly in this economy.

Fortunately competition is driving prices down pretty fast. I'm anxious to see the $99 mark. Do you think marketing an ebook is a different process?
I think so. Mostly because not everyone has an ebook reader and a lot of people aren't willing to sit at their computer and read. I've thought about having some cards made up so that any time I see a person with their ereader, I can hand them one. Maybe they'd pick up a copy just to see.

What's your favorite book, movie, and food.
Book-Where the Red Fern Grows (this week). My two older boys read it this summer. It was fun to share that with them.
Movie-You've Got Mail. I also loved Sleepless in Seattle. But was not so much a fan of Joe Versus the Volcano.
Food-We just had a chance to share this, didn't we;) Chocolate covered strawberries. I'm going to have to make some soon. I can hear them calling my name.
Most embarrassing or memorable experience?
A few days ago at the soccer field, these kids were yelling and pointing. I turned around to see what the commotion was and, lo and behold, there was my four-year-old about fifteen feet up a light pole. He'd shimmied his way up like he was after coconuts in South America. All these mom's were quickly approaching the pole. After he was safely down, I had to look around for my big L badge to put on as the loser mom at the soccer field not paying attention to her child! That's certainly not my most embarrassing moment, but it was up there. And memorable too:)

Your ideal vacation
I'm so easy. If it involves not cooking, extra sleep and at least some laying around with a book in hand time, I'm thrilled.

A cause you have deep passion about.
I love Vacation Bible School. It's a great opportunity to introduce children to Jesus in a fun environment. That almost sounds too simplistic, but it's really a passion in my heart.

Other than your book, which I'm certainly looking forward to reading, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along?
I recently read Kaye Dacus's new release, Love Remains. It was a great read and I'm looking forward to the rest of the Matchmaker series.

Carie, thanks so much for stopping in. Best wishes to you and your family, and this wonderful series.

Purchase:

Beyond Africa - Twisted Roots Book #1

Amazon

Desert Breeze

Beyond Summer - Twisted Roots Book #2

Amazon - on sale for $4.79

Desert Breeze

For more about Carie Lawson visit carielawsonbooks.com

Author Interview: Jennifer Hartz

2010-09-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

I want to welcome debut author, Jennifer Hartz to my blog today. Jennifer's book, Conception, is the first in the series, Future Savior, presented by Desert Breeze Publishing. I've read this book, and it is wonderful! My 12 y/o read this book and agreed. The story is fun, inspiring, and an epic adventure all around. I'll be writing a full review shortly to give a better glimpse, but for now, let's get to know Jennifer.

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
First of all, I’d like to thank you Shawna for having me on your blog! Let’s see… other than writing, I am a wife, mother, and Christian. I have a wonderful husband and an awesome two-year-old son. Naturally, I spend as much time with them as possible. Maybe someday I’ll make enough money as a writer to do that full-time, but until then I work as a teacher. I really enjoy working with my Middle School and High School students; they can be so much fun! I also enjoy attending church and I serve in the two-year-old room helping with the child care.

What was your road to publication like?
I know my road took me exactly where I needed to be. Desert Breeze is the perfect place for my debut series! However, before I got to this point I queried like crazy. Unfortunately, Future Savior is a Romantic Christian Fantasy with Sci-Fi elements… can you say un-publishable! A sub-genre of a sub-genre of a sub-genre. Luckily for me, DBP was willing to take the chance.

Ha! Other publishers' loss! I read a lot, and this book trumps a huge percentage of what I pick up. That includes books from a major publisher, Jennifer. It's that good.

You have a new release. Can you tell us a little about it?
Conception is the first of five books in the Future Savior Series. This series is the byproduct of a ridiculously long commute. I have an hour and a half drive… one-way. That's three hours in the car! One day, while driving, I started to daydream about interesting characters and the fantastical land of Meric. I would let my mind conjure up different storylines for my mystical characters, pulling out the things that really worked and filing them away in my memory bank. For three months these daydreams continued until I finally realized I needed to sit down and write.

Deja vu

The best way I can sum up Future Savior is to say that it is a combination of all the stories I have ever loved. It is essentially a Christian fantasy series, similar to The Lord of the Rings, but modernized and with a major romantic storyline as the main focus. There are also some subtle sci-fi elements and a huge cliffhanger that stems from the season finales of my favorite sitcoms. What? We have to wait all summer to find out if Ross and Rachel get together?!

Lol!

The story revolves around Christina Vaughn, a seemingly ordinary person who is thrust into an extraordinary situation only to find out she's not as ordinary as she assumed. As Christina makes her way through her amazing fantasy-like adventure, she learns a great deal about her unbelievable past. She falls in love along the way, all the while battling horrific monsters and struggling with her remarkable destiny.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them, and what endears them to you?
There are so many characters in Future Savior that it’s a bit hard to narrow it down here! Of course, the lead characters are Christina and Shaw. Christina is an everyday kind of person. She’s thirty, she single, she works, she’s bored… until one day her life changes dramatically when she’s sent to the Land of Meric. There she discovers that she has an amazing – albeit slightly insane – destiny. The development of Christina was pretty easy. I really placed myself in her shoes… What would I say in this situation? How would I react here? Someone once asked me if Christina is based on me and the answer is yes and no. Originally, she started off much like me, but after countless rewrites and as the character grew she became her own amazing person. Honestly, she way cooler than I am! I think I love Christina so much because she’s the everyday Average-Joe (Average-Josephine?) thrown into extraordinary circumstances. We really want her to succeed.

Shaw is the greatest warrior in Meric and has been Christina’s Watcher (body guard) for her entire life. He can shape shift so he’s always been hidden from her, but he’s always been there. I am so drawn to Shaw because he’s the strong handsome hero we all love, plus he has so many mysteries. I love the questions that arise around Shaw… of course, I know the answers, but I’m excited for the readers to learn about Shaw.

My daughter loved this book. I basically told her to read it, and a few pages in, she walked into my room and blurted out, "She's thirty! I'm reading a book about a thirty year old! That's old." Well, I told her to keep going, and she'd foget Christina's age, and that she'd soon find out that age didn't matter anyway. It only took her a few more pages to forget Christina's age, and when she finished the book, she said, "Oh... That's what you meant!" (Not giving anything else away, but there was more to that statement than just being so entertained age didn't matter. It literally does not matter!)

What do we have to look forward to with the Future Savior series?
Lots of adventure and lots of excitement! The lives of the characters will unfold only to show how intricately woven they actually are. As the series progresses, you will also see more Biblical parallels which are just so much fun to write! Some of them are subtle so you’ll only get them if you know you’re Bible and others are very blatant smacking you right in the face.

What inspired this series?
As you know, I LOVE speculative and I simply started to create my own speculative adventure. My Land of Meric became so huge that I had to share it with the world. I just hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Well, my same daughter drew out a map of an imaginary land she's using for a story. I think you might have influenced her a bit.

How do you balance writing and life?
My own writing schedule is very minimal. My husband works nights so I make sure to write for at least one hour on the evenings that he is at work after my son is in bed. Not a lot of time, but even with this meager timetable I was able to complete Future Savior: Conception in two months because I was diligent. Of course, now trying to juggle book promotion on top of everything else I have even less time to write. I hope I can make my June deadline!!!

Let's talk about trends in publishing. What do you see as the major advantages/disadvantages of ebooks? And what do you like most?
Right now there’s a battle going on between the major distributors (Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Apple) on who will get their eBook reader in the consumer’s hand so I think more and more publishers will be opting for eBooks. When I first learned about eBooks I was one of those people who said, "eBook? Bah! I like to hold a real book." Boy, was I mistaken! After less than twenty-four hours with my own Kindle I came to the realization that, not only are eBooks here to stay, but they're AWESOME! You can do so many more things with an eBook than a print book. The advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages. My favorite features on my Kindle are the text-to-speak option and also split second purchasing. I can order a book and be reading it in seconds!

You sound exactly like me. I was adamant too. My Kindle made all the difference. Now hubby borrows it, and prefers it to print. My daughter tried to steal it. She eventually got a Nook though, so now she leaves it alone.

Do you think marketing an ebook is a different process?
Since I don’t know a ton about marketing for a print book I’m only speculating here, but I think there are some differences. You MUST have a web presence, especially for eBooks. This is important for print books too, but with print a book tour is always a viable option. This is difficult to do with eBooks so we use blog touring.

What is the one thing you'd like people to understand about e-publication?

EBook authors HATE the question: “When will it be available as a real book?” Hello! It is a real book otherwise they wouldn’t be paying me with real money! EBook authors put just as much blood, sweat, and tears into creating, writing, and editing their novels as print authors… sometimes more because of how harshly we’re criticized by old dinosaurs out there who think the only REAL book is a print book. These people need to wake up and realize that it won’t be long before eBooks take over the market. Look at the iPod… I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought a regular CD. Now I download ALL of my music onto my iPod and buy songs through iTunes. I truly believe eBooks will go in the same direction as the iPod.

You can put music on ereaders too.

What's your favorite book, movie, and food?
My favorite book of all time has to be The Stand by Stephen King followed closely by the Harry Potter Series and The Lord of the Rings.
My favorite movie is The Goonies. What's better than a rag-tag group of misfits searching for pirate treasure, while being chased by bad guys, all to a Cindy Lauper enhanced soundtrack!
I LOVE sushi!!! Unfortunately for me, my hubby doesn’t like it so I don’t get to eat it as often as I’d like.

If you love the Goonies, you need to read By Heart and Compass by Danielle Thorne. So much fun!

Most embarrassing or memorable experience?
Yikes!!! Um… Okay… this one’s kind of funny. When I was in Kindergarten we performed The Twelve Days of Christmas. I was cast as Six Geese A Layin’. I had to wear a fake bill and pull a giant plastic blue egg out from behind my butt! Every time I did, everybody laughed. I didn’t realize my comedic genius at the tender age of five because I thought everyone was laughing AT me and I cried!!!

Aw...

Your ideal vacation
I would LOVE to take a cruise over to Europe making sure to stop in Ireland and Amsterdam. Ireland because I really want to go there someday and Amsterdam because I have a very dear friend who moved there and it would be wonderful to visit her.

A cause you have deep passion about.
I am very passionate about The A21 Campaign. A portion of my royalties from the entire Future Savior Series will be donated to The A21 Campaign. (www.thea21campaign.org) This organization fights against human trafficking and the sex-slave industry. There are currently 27 million slaves in the world and A21 is working to make a difference.

Wow, Jennifer! Thank you for your committment to this, and thank you for educating us and letting us know where to find out how to help.

Other than your book, which I'm certainly looking forward to reading, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along?
There are some amazing novels being but out by the authors at Desert Breeze Publishing. Being the big time lover of all things speculative I would highly recommend the Mists of Time Series by Tami Dee and The Phoenix Rebellion Series by Gail Delaney.

Thanks for having me on your blog today Shawna! I hope everyone has enjoyed learning just a little bit more about me and The Future Savior Series!

Thank you, Jennifer. It was my pleasure to host you.

Pick up her book here.

For more about Jennifer Hartz:

http://jenniferhartz.com/

Inspirational Ebooks: No Other, Shawna K. Williams

2010-09-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: No Other, Shawna K. Williams: "Romance/20th Century Historical/Life Issues In the aftermath of WWII all Jakob Wilheimer wants is to get over his pain, get on with life, an..."

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington (oh yes it does!)

2010-09-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

After losing her fiancé in the war, Rosalie Madison is driven by guilt over not having loved Vic in the way that he loved her, and not having married him before he left for the war. To make up for this, she devotes every ounce of her energy to the war effort at home, determined to prove herself worthy of his love.

Kenny Davenport is determined to prove himself in a different way. His desire to fight the war through words, writing stories that make a difference to the cause, has fallen flat, fueling his guilt over not serving abroad, and not living up to the promise he made to his father.

When Rosalie and Kenny are thrust into the spotlight, literally, the attraction is instant. But can they both overcome olds wounds, feelings of mistrust and their own guilt, or will those things serve as a barrier to keep them apart?

Can either step out on faith and allow God to mend their hearts and guide their paths?

My Review:

Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington was a truly delightful read! I felt like I was plopped right into the middle of the war effort at home. I write this genre, and it irks me to no end at lapses in historical detail, but everything in this book was spot on. Not only that, it flowed effortlessly into the story, giving a realistic glimpse of what life was like during this time.

And then we have the romance... What's not to love! Kenny and Rosalie's story was sweet, beautiful and made my heart flutter a bit. That's a big confession for this girl who'd rather pull her fingernails out than let anyone see me cry, or get mushy, or anything like that. (It's not that I don't get that way. I just don't usually admit to it. And now I've done it twice already in just this one review! This must be some book!)

The message of faith is delivered as Kenny and Rosalie learn to trust God to heal them, and they discover that their worth is found in Him, and not through anything they feel they must prove to others, or to themselves.

My favorite character was Miss Tilly. She's so wonderful, and was written so well. I don't want to say much about her because she's one of the best surprises in the book. We all need a Miss Tilly in our lives.

Love Finds you in Victory Heights, Washington is a really great book. It doesn't just entertain. It teaches, and it touches something deep inside. I commend the authors for a job well done, and thank the Lord for blessing them with this talent and giving them a character like Miss Tilly to share through their words.

God bless you, Tricia and Ocieanna.

You can buy the book here.

And check out this great contest on Tricia's new blog.

Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty-four books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. For more on Tricia visit www.triciagoyer.com

Ocieanna Fleiss: Ocieanna Fleiss is a published writer and has edited six of Tricia Goyer’s historical novels. She lives with her husband and their four children in the Seattle area. For more about Ocieanna visit her blog.

Go to this link for a list of other stops on the Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington blog tour. http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/love-finds-you-in-victory-heights-washington.html

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. However, the opinion expressed in my review is thoroughly mine.

Inspirational Ebooks: Yesterday's Promise, Delia Lath

2010-08-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Yesterday's Promise, Delia Lath: "Romance/Contemporary A whirlwind romance amidst the natural splendor of Yosemite National Park. A spur-of-the-moment wedding. A young bride ..."

Inspirational Ebooks: The Remains, Vincent Zandri

2010-08-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: The Remains, Vincent Zandri: "Suspense/Contemporary 'Sometimes the past comes doesn't come back to haunt you. It comes back to kill you!' Excerpt: October 2, 2008 Albany..."

Clean Doesn't Equal Christian and Vice-Versa

2010-08-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have a book coming out in December in which the main character is a preacher, and at the beginning of the story he lies.

Sort of.

What he really does is withhold some information because he doesn't want to hurt someone he cares for. His hope is that if he solves the problem quickly enough, telling this person won't be necessary.

Now, you can probably guess that since this happens at the beginning of the story, things don't go the way my preacher character intended, and his decision leads to a bit of a mess.

So here's a question: Does this setup, and the fact the character who stumbles is a preacher, exclude this book from the genre of Christian fiction?

Would it surprise you if I told you that this book was rejected by one publisher of Christian fiction for that exact reason?

I guess everyone has their own opinions on this, and further into this article I'll share mine, but to begin with, I think it's important to consider what qualifies a book as Christian fiction. There's a lot of debate.

Some feel that the primary purpose of Christian fiction should be to provide "safe" stories for Christian readers. What does "safe" mean? From posts on this subject, and readers' reviews, what I've come to understand is that when a Christian says they want a story to be safe, they generally mean that a story marked as Christian fiction should not introduce any language, imagery or situations that might cause the reader's mind to drift into unsavory territory. Now you've probably already guessed that this is highly subjective. What I consider "safe", someone else may find offensive, and vice-versa.

What I fear has happened, though, is that publishers of Christian fiction have become so afraid of offending anyone, that they've limited stories to such narrow guidelines that the realism that is Christianity has been lost. The characters in the books don't have the struggles and temptations that we, as Christians, face on a daily basis. At most, they may have had them in the past, but overcame them before the story began.

Do you ever wonder how they overcame them?

I did. And that's what motivated me to pick up my very first Inspirational novel some years ago. When I read the blurb, I thought the character might be someone I could relate to, and since the character's struggle was similar to my own, perhaps the book might provide some insight.

Now, I know you may be thinking, "Shawna! It's fiction! What were you expecting?"

Well, fiction is written by people. People have their own set of experiences. My hope was that the author used her personal insight, gained from her own experiences or observations, to create a character with a real struggle who found a real solution. But that's not what I found. What I found was the issue I wanted to read about disappeared before the story began.

Before I continue, I want to make it clear that it's not my intention to denigrate such a book. The set of expectations I had were clearly not compatible with what the book was intended for. It was written to be "safe". And I'm certain that many others' expectations were met when they read that book. It was very clean, so to speak. And I would certainly classify it as a Christian book.

So that brings me back to my story that releases in December, and... my November release, and my book that came out in May; and quite frankly every book that I intend to write. These stories deal -- and will deal -- with a variety of controversial issues experienced by my Christian characters, and in some instances my characters fall to the temptation before them. Are these books Christian for including such things?

Well, I certainly hope so. Because what these things reflect is my life, and I am a Christian. These things reflect the lives of other Christians around me. Writing openly about real life, in all of its ugliness, lets others know that they aren't alone in their struggles, and no one is beyond God's greatest gift; the gift of Grace.

It's important for Christians to keep their thoughts pure, and that's why I applaud authors of "safe" Christian fiction. But it's equally important to use our talent to share the glory that is God's Grace, offered to us through the sacrifice of His only Son.

What is more Christian than that?

Inspirational Ebooks: No Greater Loss, Diane Craver

2010-08-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: No Greater Loss, Diane Craver: "Romance/Contemporary Can a new love heal a wounded heart? Dr. Jennifer Hunter is so stunned by her past she’s unable to move on with her li..."

Inspirational Ebooks: Mission Possible, Deborah McCarragher

2010-08-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Mission Possible, Deborah McCarragher: "Nonfiction/Encouragement/Marriage This small book is a powerful tool for any woman who is married to a man who does not share her passion f..."

Author Interview: K. Dawn Byrd

2010-08-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm excited to have a fellow DB author and friend, K. Dawn Byrd, make a return visit to my blog. Her last visit here was to tell us about her debut release, Queen of Hearts, which was a historical/romantic suspence. Today she's visiting to tell us about her latest release, Killing Time, a contemporary/romantic suspense. Both books are also inspirationals.

Welcome back K. Dawn! For those who are meeting you for the first time, please tell us a little about yourself.

I write inspirational romance and romantic suspense. I'm a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW.) I love to interview authors and give away signed copies of their books on my blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com. Queen of Hearts, my April release from Desert Breeze Publishing, was their bestseller for the month.

You have a new book out, Killing Time. Tell us about it?
Here's the blurb from my publisher...

Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

You created a very vivid setting in this book. How did you research prison life?
I worked in a jail as a counselor. Even though my characters are totally fictional and a figment of my overactive imagination, the setting is as close to reality as I could make it.

How do you come up with your twists to create suspense?
I don't like books that are predictable. It makes me feel like I've wasted my time if I can guess what's going to happen next. I like to read books that throw me a zinger! I try to incorporate those zingers into my own work.

Do you share any traits with your characters?
Let's see. I love pickles and so does Daphne in Queen of Hearts. I love sports cars and so does Mindy in Killing Time.

Do you have a favorite scene in this book? Care to tell us why it's your favorite?
My favorite scene is when Mindy finds out who's been stalking her. It was a lot of fun to write because it's my zinger!

What are you working on now?
I'm editing two completed novels to get them ready for the ACFW conference.

What are some of your interests outside of writing?
I used to ride a Harley, but sold it to make more time for writing. My husband still owns his, but I don't ride behind him. I love sports cars and enjoy going to shows. I enjoy reading, but writing is my true passion!

If you could visit anywhere, a time or place, or both, where would that be?
V-J Day on August 14, 1945 at Times Square. Since you're a history buff, Shawna, I'm sure you'll understand why.

Thanks K. D.!
Thanks for having me on your blog!

For more about the book, Killing Time, check out its recent feature on Inspirational Ebooks.

For more about K. Dawn Byrd:

http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/

Inspirational Ebooks: Texas Roads, Cathy Bryant

2010-08-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Texas Roads, Cathy Bryant: "Romance/Contemporary Dani Davis just wants a place to call home. With quirky residents, quaint country charm, and loads of business potenti..."

Inspirational Ebooks: Meander Scar, Lisa Lickel

2010-07-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Meander Scar, Lisa Lickel: "Romance/Contemporary “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its ardor unyielding a..."

Destination: Berlin by Stephanie Burkhart -- and a little history to go with it

2010-07-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a short bit of a sabbatical from this blog to finish a book that is due very shortly, and to focus on starting a new blog called. Inspirational Ebooks. (don't worry. I'm keeping this one as my personal blog) Today though, I'm pulling myself away from those things so Stephanie Burkhart can share a little history about the setting of her book, Destination: Berlin. This is Stephanie's second visit to my blog, so let's give her another warm welcome.

I'm thrilled to be here visiting Shawna's blog to promote my "sweet" military romance, Destination: Berlin. Thanks for having me, Shawna.

You're most welcome, Steph. I enjoy having you visit!

Just a little about me: I was born and raised in Manchester, NH with a hungry appetite for reading gothic romance, especially by Victoria Holt. I served in the Army for 11 years from 1986-1997 and spent 7 years in Germany. My time in Europe inspired two passions – my love of history and the paranormal. Currently, I live in California and work for LAPD as a 911 Dispatcher.

"Destination: Berlin" was the first novel I wrote, and I used a pen name. (SG Cardin, my maiden name). It is not an inspirational romance, but a "sweet" military romance between Corporal Sharon Cates and Soviet Jr. Sgt. Dimitri Nagory. (The couple share several tender touches and a kiss near the end.)

It's 1988 and Corporal Sharon Cates is traveling to Berlin on the Duty Train to attend the Orientation Tour. On the train she meets Jr. Sgt. Dimitri Nagory. They agree to be friends for the night, then chaos hits – the Duty Train is derailed in the middle of Communist East Germany. The Stasi, (East German secret police) want top secret documents that Sharon has in her briefcase. Dimitri offers his help and Sharon takes him up on it. Destination? Berlin.

I thought I'd talk a little about the rich history of the Berlin Duty Train in this post. Of course, it goes back to the end of World War II. (Shawna's time frame in No Other!) Germany was in tatters. The four allies, the British, French, Americans and Soviets made the decision to occupy Germany, each responsible for a zone of occupation. The French and Americans occupied southern West Germany. The British took the north, and the Soviets took East Germany.

Berlin was divided between the four in a similar fashion, the division called "sectors."

On 10 SEP 1945, the allies enacted railroad regulations that would govern travel through occupied Germany and Berlin that would remain enforced until German unification in OCT 1990.
The Soviets did allow for two routes – One from Frankfurt to Berlin and one from Bremerhaven through Helmstedt-Marienborn. (This is the route Sharon takes in the novel.)

The American, British, and French all had their own duty trains – and they all allowed the others to ride on their trains. In 1945, the Americans established their West Berlin train station in the Lichterfeld-West station approximately half a mile from the major American bases. (McNair, Andrews, Roosevelt, and Turner) In NOV 1945, the first American duty train traveled from Frankfurt to Berlin. At first, the service ran 3 trips a week, in MAY 1947, daily trips started.

Rail traffic to Berlin was denied by the Soviets from JUN 1948 to MAY 1949 when they cut off the borders. The allies enacted an airlift making the Soviet blockade ineffective.

The Soviets were masters of harassment. At the border, they insisted on changing out western locomotives for Deutschen Reichbahn (East German) ones. They also insisted on train commanders presenting them FLAG orders of everyone on board. (Since they couldn't inspect the trains themselves)

For the most part, the duty train ran with no problems and to my knowledge it only derailed once, on 3 JAN 1967 near Potsdam. East German troops held the soldiers at gunpoint for 18 hours while the damaged cars were fixed. What caused the derailment? One theory was it happened because the Americans helped several East Germans cross the wall a few days earlier.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the American history of the Berlin Duty Train, and thanks to everyone who followed me on the tour.
***

Excerpt:
As Sharon unfastened the ropes that held the boat docked, Dimitri put the trolling motor into the water and turned it on. The boat slowly pulled away from the bank. Dimitri kept it as close as he could to land. The boat plodded forward. The once dark orange rays of sunlight were slowly growing lighter. Sharon could being to make out the contrasting shadows of the tree line against the water.

"Can't we go any faster?" she asked. She sat next to Dimitri. He was near the bow, holding the pedal down on the trolling motor.

"This motor is intentionally slow, but it's noiseless. If I turn on the engine, it will make a lot of noise and attract attention to us," he began.

"We don't want that," Sharon muttered.

"No, we don't, but I'll use it if I have to – if I need a sudden burst of speed."

Sharon understood. She sat down with her back against the side of the boat and looked past Dimitri's shoulder. The small tributary gave way to the Wansee. The sun dared to show a tiny sliver of itself as it crested the horizon. Sharon guessed the lake was five hundred meters wide.

As Dimitri headed toward the center of the river, Sharon quickly studied her surroundings. The East German side thinned out considerably, revealing about five kilometers of barren, unplowed land.

"No man's land," Dimitri whispered. "Look." He pointed toward the right.

Sharon saw Freedom Bridge looming in front of them. She would guess it was about three hundred meters directly ahead. The water's current seemed smooth and rhythmic.

"Now look to the left. There's the American guardhouse."

Excellent, Stephanie!

Here are some links to more stuff:

Destination: Berlin's Book Trailer
About the Berlin Duty Train

Destination: Berlin is a Print book only. Here's where you can buy it:

Amazon
or
Barnes and Noble

or
IUniverse

Goodie Time: Post a comment. I'll pick two lucky winners out of a hat to receive an autographed postcard of the cover. Today, I'll also be picking one lucky winner to win an autographed copy of "Destination: Berlin." I'm on Pacific Standard Time (PST) so I'll be back early 29 JULY to announce the winners.

For more about Stephanie Burkhart visit:

SG Cardin/Stephanie Burkhart Online
http://sgcardin.tripod.com/
or
Romance Under the Moonlight
http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

Steph, thanks for coming again! This book sounds great and I wish you the best of luck. Please come visit again!

Inspirational Ebooks: Woman of Honor, Nicole Zoltack

2010-07-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Woman of Honor, Nicole Zoltack: "Romance/Medieval Fantasy Aislinn of Bairdhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horro..."

Inspirational Ebooks: Fire and Ash, Anne Patrick

2010-07-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Ebooks: Fire and Ash, Anne Patrick: "Suspence/Romance/Contemporary Fire Investigator Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown of Emerald Point, Missouri to investigate a suspic..."

Author Interview: Kristen Fagala & Denise Hyde

2010-07-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited for this interview because the two ladies visiting today are near and dear to my heart. I first met them when my family lived in Baytown and we were part of the same homeschool group. These two ladies have experienced first hand the stress of leading a homeschool group, and they've written a book, One by One, to share their wisdom for strengthening and encouraging the families that make up a homeschool support group. The book isn't just great for this type of group though. Really, the insights given apply to dealing with people in any type of organization. It's a book about people skills, and genuine concern for others. So, allow me to introduce my friends, Kristen Fagala and Denise Hyde.

Ladies, please tell us about yourself.
We're two friends who got know each other through our local homeschool group. We then worked side by side as officers of the homeschool group--Kristen served as President and Denise as Field Trip Coordinator. Refined through the fire of leadership, a lifelong friendship was formed.

Together we wish to share hindsight wisdom gained from our experiences and the experiences of other veteran homeschool group leaders. Readers are invited to laugh and cry with us, witness the times we failed while doing it our way, and the times we succeeded doing it the Lord's way. We've learned so much and hope our input will shorten the leadership learning curve.

Tell us about your book, One by One.
Kristen: What I love about this book is its title, One by One: The Homeschool Group
Leader's Guide to Motivating Your Members. We chose this title because we have
discovered that true success comes when leaders listen to, connect with, and reward their members--one person at a time, one family at a time. When we serve our members one by one, we lead them. We believe that the unforgettable stories, easy-to-implement tips from other leaders, and information-packed links that take you deeper will provide you many motivating and useful insights about:

*What motivates people to follow a great leader
*Practical suggestions of how to engage each type of member
*What truly inspires members to roll up their sleeves to ensure the success of the group with their involvement.

Christian communicator JoJo Tabares once said, “A leader isn’t a leader until someone believes in him.” It is our prayer that this e-guide provides the exact encouragement needed to be a leader who others follow.

Denise: What I love about this e-guide is how it speaks to your heart and gives purpose to your hands as a homeschool group leader. In each section, we clearly lay out the keys, reasons and ways to motivate your group members and volunteers. So many times we reveal secrets that leaders often overlook.

What do you hope to accomplish with this book?
Traditionally, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. We want to give leaders step-by-step helps in how to get people motivated and participating in their group to make it a richer a more rewarding experience for everyone. As Homeschool Group Leader, we wish to serve leaders
with hope and with meaningful answers as they lead. We are here to cheer leaders, especially through our writings.

What inspired you to write it?
It was pretty simple, really. What inspired us to write the book was the questions people were asking us. One of the biggest questions we always received was "How do I get people involved in my group?" So, we decided to answer that question.

Why did you decide to become work-at-home moms?
We are idea people and we wanted to do something creative, fun and helpful. And we wanted to stay home to do it.

You wouldn't believe the crazy ideas that crossed our minds! But we also knew that with homeschooling and raising our families, we couldn't do most of them.

Since we are good friends who complement each other well, we knew that we wanted to work and write together. So, in October of 2007, after a lot of prayer and planning and discussing with our husbands, we signed up for an e-course by Stephen Beck on how to write an e-book.

We learned so much, so fast! In just eight short weeks, we learned how to blog, publish articles on the internet, research our niche, conduct teleseminars, add affliates, and design a website from scratch.

Beck's video tutorials also made it possible for us to easily navigate complicated software programs that were needed to launch Homeschool Group Leader and then begin writing and eventually publishing our e-book.

We've conquered fears and we've made mistakes. We've overcome obstacles and we've begun to trust even more the direction God wants us to go. We know that Homeschool Group Leader needs to reflect who we are, what we've learned and what we can learn from other leaders. It has become a ministry.

Tell us about the writing and researching process?
In the fall of 2007, we began to dream of ways to reach and encourage homeschool group leaders. We began the writing process by writing our first blog and offering a free mini-course online. Learning as we took each new step was exciting and sometimes overwhelming. We continued growing through several teleseminars and interviews. The need for supporting the homeschool support leader became more real every day as each leader sent in an important question. The actual writing of the book took us 2 years of dedication and research. We wanted to answer the homeschool leader's heart questions with real, practical answers. We met and interviewed wonderful leaders with years of experience and success. Soon, what was going to be a chapter became an 84-page book.

What is the best piece of advice you'd pass on to homeschool group leaders?
We will answer that with some points directly from our book, One By One:

Your leader stress will be greatly alleviated by remembering these realities:
*Learn to delegate and ask others personally to help with specific jobs.
*If no one volunteers to help with a particular project, let it go and do not overdo it.
*Keep relationships at the forefront of your job description, not tasks or activities.

What is Homeschool Group Leader's purpose?
Committed to the success of homeschool group leaders, Homeschool Group Leader purposes to provide practical leadership how-to's, to encourage the hearts of leaders, and to create a safe online community of wisdom, all to the glory of Christ.

Kristen, Denise, I have to say that the timing of this interview is really interesting. The homeschool group that I'm currently involved with is looking to implement some structure. For the first time in a number of years we've selected a board, and I plan to pass this book on to them. I'm actually quite excited to share this with a lot of people. I wish you guys the best, and hope to have you back. God bless!

For more about Kristen and Denise, and their book, One by One:

http://www.hgleaderblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.homeschoolgroupleader.com/

Author Interview: Danielle Thorne

2010-07-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hello folks,

Today I get to introduce you to Danielle Thorne. I recently read her latest release, By Heart and Compass, and you guys can NOT pass this one up. It was just a great, fun and romantic adventure that I totally got caught up in. It's a sweet romance with plenty of action, that will appeal to all ages, and readers of genres other than romance. (Would it surprise you guys if I told you I'm not a big romance reader, even though it's "technically" what I write?) Well, it's true, and Danielle's book is my kind of romance, which is one where there's a good solid, entertaining story to carry everything else along.

Okay, enough of my ramble. Let's get to Danielle.

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
Absolutely. I'm a Southern US author settled in Georgia. I write contemporary and historical sweet romance, and when I'm not hunkered down in the office, I try to balance my life raising four sons along with my supportive husband. We have a cat named "Sparky". He's a slightly mental Bombay, who thinks he's human. High school marching band and Scouting takes up a lot of our free time, but we love to travel and try new things.

When did you first become interested in writing?
I can remember my first story writing assignment in second grade. My teacher kept it and showed it to my mother. She told her I'd be a writer someday. That first nugget of positive reinforcement made an impact in how I felt about myself. My creative writing continued throughout my school years and both my parents and teachers were always supportive.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
I wrote poetry for the newspaper in high school and won an Honorable Mention in a National Scholastic contest when I was a young teenager. Sadly, though, I never truly believed I could ever be a "real" author. As I began raising babies as a young mother, I continued writing and submitting poetry and short stories the old-fashioned way, with a typewriter and envelopes. When the Internet came along, everything changed. I could work from home and pursue my dream. I did a lot of reviewing and freelance writing, but when my last child started kindergarten I took the leap into writing novels.

And it has been an up and down journey—of rejections and near-successes and finally accomplishments. My first contract was issued from Awestruck Publishing in 2007 after many frustrating, though sometimes positive, submissions to New York. This year will see the release of my third and fourth novels.

Wow, that's impressive! And congratulations too!

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
When I start a new project, I spend the first few weeks daydreaming and imagining faces and scenarios. When I have the setting, characters and a firm story problem in my head, I write out the first few pages until I run out of steam. Then I sit down and create a story map with all of my important turning points from beginning to end. The creative writing process takes over once I have a road map, and the characters get me to where I need to go.

Tell us about your latest release?
Here's a little cover blurb:
When Lacey Whitman buys a restored Victorian home, she never dreams discovering an antique diary will lead her back to sea and into the arms of the dive bum she’d rather forget. Her habit of living in the past comes to a dead halt as diver Max Bertrand and the diary of his ancestor take Lacey on the quest of a lifetime: To discover and raise the privateer ship, Specter, and bring the treasure and legacy of a true hero home again. But will finding it cost her heart?

What inspired you to write this story?
BY HEART AND COMPASS is a story I have always wanted to write since I saw the movie "Goonies" in the eighties. Of course, as a teenager I thought that finding a pirate ship would be the most romantic adventure in the world. I never forgot that, and after I wrapped up my first historical, THE PRIVATEER, I realized that I didn't have to quite let go of my beloved hero. I could bring him into the present by having his ship discovered by future generations in a contemporary romance. Coming up with new characters was easy. Every bookworm dreams of such an adventure and every cynical, disappointed hero needs to have his dreams come true, too.

That's whose ship Lacey and Max find! That settles it, I'm buying The Privateer as soon as I publish this interview. I loved the Goonies, btw.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
I'm a big believer in the archetype theory. Two years ago, I took a class from Tami Howden, the author of "Heroes and Heroines," and was able to see in black and white what I already knew instinctively—that characters, just like people, fit into some type of personality mold and each has strengths, weaknesses and attractions to different types of other archetypes.
After my characters, Lacey and Max, were created in my imagination, I thought long and hard about their personalities and how they would butt heads and be able to grow—as individuals and as a couple. Lacey fits the Librarian archetype and Max is somewhat of a Bad Boy with a little Lost Soul. There is a lot of myself in Lacey's personality, and though Max is a complete individual, a lot of his personality was inspired by Sawyer on the program "LOST"—though I must say for his description I chose to use some physical features I admire in one of my own brothers—who would be mortified to know that!

Very interesting! I use Jung's Personalty theory, and MBTI type my characters. It helps alot, especially in regard to how they interpret one another. You're the first writer I've talked to who does something similar. Dare I say that I've learned a lot about myself through this process too. (Intuitor)

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
With my third novel out and a Regency romance set for release this winter, some of my next goals include releasing a poetry chapbook and cookbook, along with several other novels on the backburner. I also hope to grab an award for one of my novels in the next two years, and I eventually plan to start an editing business because I love giving feedback.

Any ideas for future projects?
I have three projects in the immediate queue: The first is a story is about a young girl who has lost her mother to a drug overdose-- a serious contemporary romance set in Pensacola, Florida. The other two include a second Regency and a children's novel set in a Chicago orphanage in the 1940's.

And now for some light-hearted stuff. What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, do you have any other hobbies you'd like to share?
Favorite movie is a toss up between PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and MASTER AND COMMANDER. I pretty much can't survive without chips and salsa—and I love summer so I can sneak in some guacamole every week. As far as hobbies, besides historical research and genealogy, I've learned how to geocache this year and I really enjoy it. When I'm not doing that I'm always planning my next trip. We started cruising a few years ago and I absolutely love it.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? There are so many fantastic e-published authors out there right now I can't get enough of them. As far as anything I've just read, I have to recommend a short story collection from UK author, Nik Morton, titled SPANISH EYE. It is about an Indiana Jones-type private eye in Spain who's out to save the world, and it's available at Solstice Publishing this month. As far as a disclaimer, I have to add that I helped edit this collection but there was little to do. It's a fantastic book with the most intriguing character. Nik Morton has a lot to say and the stories are thought-provoking and entertaining. I do believe he is one to watch.

Thank you, Shawna, for letting me visit today. You have a great blog and I always enjoy what you and your friends have to say—so it's an honor to be featured with your father's Oldsmobile!
daniellethorne

Thank you, Danielle. This was fun, and I really hope to have you back. Like maybe to talk about The Privateer, which I'm about to go buy.

Author's Website: http://www.daniellethorne.jimdo.com/
Author's Blog to Follow: http://www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com/
BY HEART AND COMPASS:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-96/Danielle-Thorne-By-Heart/Detail.bok

Author Interview: Regan Taylor

2010-07-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

Today I get to introduce you guys to another new author, Regan Taylor. Regan's book, Return to the Round Table: The Photograph comes out in August. We're just going to give her a jump start.

Regan, Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
Well, I live in Marin County, California. I have a day job in San Francisco and begin my days by crossing over the Golden Gate bridge where every day is a different tapestry of color. I have three furfaced children, commonly called cats – Mel, Missy and Bogie.

I love cats. We have a three-legged indoor kitty, named Kitty.
When did you first become interested in writing?
In 2004 when I met Jewel Adams and she was starting one of her "kick butt" weeks – 1,000 words a day for 7 days. I had such a good time doing it I never stopped.

That's a good goal, 1,000 words per day.
Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
You know, I've been very fortunate in my journey so far. I've had some outstanding publishers and never had any problems having a book accepted at exactly the right place for it. There were disappointments when a publisher I thought was a dream publisher may have rejected one, but when it was placed it became clear that the house it went to was the best for it. I was with two publishers that went belly up; neither handled very professionally and that has made me cautious about where I submit.

I bet.
How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
I'm a punster however, most of my books come to me in dreams. I'll dream a scene and write it the next day and so on until the book is done. If I seem to stall, which generally does happen at about 40,000 words, I ask for a dream and will generally dream the closing chapter. As odd as that may sound, it is a huge help to me because it shows me where I need to take the story. Fortunately for me, I dream in a linear fashion so the books tends to make sense.

You may or may not be aware, but my first two books are the product of a dream. I have vivid, and often interesting dreams, so this makes complete sense to me. I guess our imaginations are always at work.
Tell us about your latest release?
The Photograph, book 1 of the Return to the Roundtable series is due out with Desert Breeze in August. Based on the old superstition that a camera could capture your spirit, I have a Lakota warrior who ends up in modern day Napa. My cat, MaiTai, has a prominent role in the story as "Taister." As to the Roundtable – remember the old lore that in our time of greatest need Arthur and the knights will rise?

What inspired you to write this story?
MaiTai. He was my familiar and an inspiration. This was my way of honoring him.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
Hmmm. Carrie is a devoted reader. Books are her passion and she totally and completely immerses herself in each book she reads. That immersion leads her to the hero of the piece. She has a totally by the book, eerrrrr literal roommate, Molly, who sees things in black and white. No grays for that lady. But her level-headedness is exactly the balance Carrier needs. Mr. Merle is a wily elderly gent with a mysterious past that is revealed in later stories. The villain of the piece is Dean and the character is a carbon copy of someone I used to work with.

Hmm...yes, we writers can do that. Be on your best behavior around us. Lol! What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing?
Any long term goals?
To entertain. I recently took part in a discussion where the icons of romance writing, Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen Woodiwiss were main topics of the conversation. Forty years after Ms. Rogers debuted Sweet Savage Love readers are still reading that book. It was for, for me, the seminal book on what a romance novel should be. Ms. Woodiwiss' The Flame and The Flower were a close second. Forty years from now I hope a reader says my books helped make them a fan of romance.

I understand that. I feel that way about Francine Rivers. Redeeming Love was published more than twenty years ago, and this past Christmas I noticed that bookstores were stocking it like crazy still.
Any ideas for future projects?
The Roundtable series has 15 books, I have the third book in my Bride series to complete, there are 8 more in my McKenna series, 2 more in Descendants of Earth, another Eyes series book and a spring off from America's Hero in the works. I'm contracted with eXtasy for 5 more shorts in the tarot and witches tools series. So loads!

Wow!
Okay, I ask every guest a bit of trivia. So, what's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? And, you got any other interesting hobbies?
My favorite movie is a tie between Gone with the Wind and Final Countdown (starring the USS Nimitz). Food would be chocolate with a latte. My favorite vactions are the ones where I'm home alone – no roommate, just me and the cats – writing and reading. I'm an avid reader and can't say no to Tess Gerristen, Kelley Armstrong and Deanna Raybourn.

Did you just say Tess Gerristen! I love her! Btw, Kindle recently offered one of her books for free. You bet I got it!
Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? Tell the ones you love you love them; once they are gone you can never hold them again.

Aw...and I know you're thinking of Molly. For my followers, Molly is Regan's cat who recently passed. Regan has twenty-two years worth of memories with Molly, and losing her has been very difficult. She recently wrote a post in honor of Molly, and it's so heart-warming I'd really like to share it. So here is a link to Regan's post on her blog. http://vivaciousvixensofromance.blogspot.com/2010/06/heaven-gained-angel-today.html

Since many of my followers read mainly Inspirational Fiction, I do want to add that Regan is a talented writer, who writes secular romance. I do this so there will be no confusion. I have always hosted secular writers as well as Inspirational writers on this blog, but with the release of my book, No Other -- which is Inspirational -- I've gained a number of followers. Recently, after hosting another wonderful secular writer, a reviewer gave her book a low rating because it wasn't Inspirational. It wasn't advertised as such on my blog, and I'm not certain if the review was a result of the interview on my blog, but just so everyone is clear, I feel that it's necessary to make this announcement.

Regan, thank you so much for joining me today! Best wishes to you and your furry family.

No Other on Sale at B&N

2010-07-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to pass this on. Its usual price is $5.99, and it's on sale for $2.56. Don't know for how long. Most of you probably don't own a Nook, but B&N has free reading apps, just like Kindle, that you can download to your pc, iPhone, Blackberry, etc... . No Other is the acfw bookclub choice in September, so if you had planned on participating in the discussion this is an opportunity to get the book for a lot less.

Here's the link to the free apps:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks/download-reader.asp?dltab=pc&cds2Pid=28709

And here's the link to the book:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/No-Other/Shawna-K-Williams/e/9781936000531/?itm=2&USRI=no+other

Author Interview: Anne Patrick

2010-07-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

I get to introduce you today to one of the absolute nicest people I've met since I've been writing. Anne Patrick is a wonderfully encouraging lady, and a magnificent author. If you haven't read any of her books, you need to. Enough said.

This is actually Anne's second visit to my blog. In the fall she wrote a post about her amazing journey to publication, since then Anne has had the joy of watching numerous books of hers become published. Today though, she's going to share with us about her latest, Fire and Ash. (Which is really good!)

Would you please tell us a little about yourself? Well, I’m the author of over a dozen novels that are either published or under contract. I write Inspirational Romantic Suspense under the name Anne Patrick, and Inspirational romance under the name Kinzie Monroe. And when I’m not writing I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

When did you first become interested in writing? Since reading my first Romantic Suspense novel as a teenager. I’ve been a junkie ever since.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication? After many, many, rejections I sought the help of a very wise professional editor who was brutally honest about my writing flaws. She taught me so much about the craft and was also very encouraging. After a few more rejections, the Lord finally opened that door.

Well, it must have helped because your writing is fantastic! How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads? I’m a character driven pantster—meaning once I have an idea I generally concentrate on the characters and let them tell me their story. I’ve tried plotting, but it never worked well for me. I am a careful researcher though.

I can tell. Your characters come across as very believable in their professions. Tell us about your latest release? I’m thrilled to announce Fire and Ash releases today from Desert Breeze Publishing. It’s a ‘Sweet’ Inspirational Romantic Suspense. Here’s a snippet: Fire investigator, Sadie McGregor is called to her hometown to investigate a suspicious fire that claimed the life of a local college student. Teaming up with the handsome new police chief, Quinn Harrington, the two must unravel the mystery surrounding the fire. The answers they find could rock the whole community and may cost one of them their life.

What inspired you to write this story? The idea came to me while watching the DVD of the movie Backdraft a couple of years ago. I loved Robert DeNiro in the part of the fire investigator and was really intrigued by what all goes into finding the answers to why a fire started.

I thought of that movie while reading it. Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you? Sadie and Quinn are two of favorite characters thus far. Sadie lost her family in a fire when she was seven and blames God and herself for not saving her baby brother. Quinn, in a close walk with God, is determined to help her to face her past once and for all. As far as developing the characters, I had the help of fire investigator, Keith Tarbox, in researching this book and understanding the make-up of a fire investigator. His help was invaluable. He not only helped with the logistics, he gave some great advice on how to improve my characters.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals? Whether I’m writing as Anne or Kinzie, I try to weave an inspirational theme into my stories. I want to share my faith in a subtle way that leaves the reader feeling good—which isn’t always easy considering the dark subject matter in some of my works. The main thing I want to accomplish is letting people know that no matter what we travel through the Lord is always with us.

You do that really well, Anne. The faith element flowed so naturally through this story. This is a book that people will enjoy even if they don't typically read Inspirational stories, because everything intertwined effortlessly (that's how it seemed). I was never pulled away from the story, nor did I feel like faith was an afterthought.

Any ideas for future projects? I’m working on two projects right now, an Inspirational Romance and a ‘Sweet’ Romantic Suspense. The Romantic Suspense is the first in a series I’m working on. You can read my progress online here: http://suspensebyannewips.blogspot.com/

Trivia time! What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, any other hobbies? Favorite movie – French Kiss w/Meg Ryan. Fav food – Chinese (black peppered pork & fried rice). Vacation – Central America. Hobbies – Video games and camping with family and friends.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? The most recent highly recommend read is The Shack. It’s an amazing book!
Thank you for having me Shawna! You ask great questions!

Glad you think so!
For more about Anne, check out the link to her blog above.

ECFL Summer Blog Tour

2010-06-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

This Summer I'll be participating in the Edgy Christian Fiction Lover's Blog Tour and I want to encourage you guys to join in. The purpose is to draw attention to the many fine books written by Christian authors who don't shy away from addressing tough topics. No sugar coating, no preaching, no cowards -- just honest stories about life and Grace. Click on the badge for a schedule.

My blog stop in the tour is on August 15th. I'm still contemplating topics. Any ideas? What would you guys like to learn regarding Edgy Christian Fiction?

AND...I'm announcing a new blog!
Inspirational Ebooks goes live tomorrow. The ebook market is growing exceedingly fast, and the purpose of this blog is to make Inspirational stories easier to find amongst the other genres. K. Dawn Byrd's new release, Queen of Hearts, is to be the first feature. If you want an early peek, here's the link. http://inspirationalebooks.blogspot.com/ Check out the lists of titles under each genre. (I'm adding these as fast as I can, but I'm a little behind) If there's an ebook you want me to include, tell me about it in the comments section of this post. Books can be in both print and ebook format to be included.

Author Interview: Heather Justesen

2010-06-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

I get to introduce you guys to another author I met through The Sweetest Romance Writer's Group. Heather Justesen, who is a super nice lady (and adorable too) is here today to tell us about herself and her new book.

Welcome Heather! Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a small-town girl who’s found life taking her in lots of directions she’d never envisioned. I’m a volunteer EMT-I with my local ambulance (so not even on the radar of possibilities until a few years ago), I have a whole menagerie of poultry including chickens, geese, ducks, guineas, and turkeys, I live in the small town where I grew up and love it, and I’m a writer.

Actually, if you’d mentioned to me a dozen years ago that any of those would be true I would have laughed and denied the possibilities, but life has a way of making strange twists and turns. My husband of twelve years and I own a small computer business and did foster care for a couple of years but don’t have any children of our own. I love living in a small (read: tiny) town because you know everyone, and there’s always someone I can call to answer those random research questions writers have.

Small town girl here too!

When did you first become interested in writing?
I started writing early in 2000 when I had a story idea that just wouldn’t go away. I hadn’t planned on writing before that. I have a literature degree, but didn’t study creative writing.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
I wrote on and off for about four years before attending my first writer’s conference in the spring of 2004. I had already submitted one of my books to a publisher and shortly after the conference, they expressed interest in it, but requested a rewrite. I made the changes they suggested and then sent it to an independent editor to look at it, and then did another major rewrite. It never was picked up by the publisher, but my experience with them, and with having my book edited by someone who knew what they were doing, made a big difference in my writing and put me on track to publication, even if it took several more years before I submitted another story. I started submitting “The Ball’s in Her Court” in the spring of 1998 and after a couple of rejections, received a contract with my publisher, Cedar Fort, Inc. that fall.

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
I used to be a total pantser. I’d come up with an idea and situation and run with it—which is why I have so many story beginnings and not a whole lot of finished manuscripts until the past couple of years. The thing is, an idea isn’t a story, it’s just an idea. It might be enough for a few scenes, but unless I have more planned out in advance, it won’t ever become a finished product. Since then I’ve learned that I really have to plot—though I keep mine loose with several conflicts, some background on the characters, and an idea of how I want it to end. As long as I plan enough conflict up front, the writing goes much smoother.

Sounds very similar to my process.

Tell us about your latest release?
“Rebound” is a spin-off of my first book, “The Ball’s in Her Court” with minor characters from the first book becoming the focus in “Rebound.” It’s about Lily Drake, whose life looks perfect on the outside, but when her husband is arrested for fraud she finds out that the verbal abuse and belittling she’d been living with were just the tip of the iceberg. Left with bills, no income, a toddler and pregnant, Lily has to work to put her life back together. Her husband and in-laws don’t make it easy on her, however.

She also has a friend named Curtis with whom a romance develops late in the book. Curtis has his own demons and requires a search for his birth family to get some answers of his own. Unfortunately, what he learns brings complications. It’s a great story, one of my favorites (but then, they’re all my favorites in some way or another!).

Sounds great! What inspired you to write this story?
This may sound lame, but I loved the characters from the first book and wanted to give them a happily ever after, something Lily doesn’t get at the end of “The Ball’s in Her Court.” I just loved them both and they meshed well in my mind, so I wrote it out. That sounds simplistic, and it is, It took several major rewrites and direction changes before the story came together with enough conflict and chemistry to make it work.

Isn't that how it goes though.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them, and what endears them to you?
When I first started writing “The Ball’s in Her Court” it was supposed to be about both Denise and Lily and their romances and lives, but Denise’s adoption story and struggle to deal with her dark past (and the romance, of course) took over. I think it made “Rebound” easier to write because I already had well-developed characters and backgrounds for them. I knew about their families and their history and how well they knew each other. I started writing the first story about eight years ago so I can’t remember all of the character development, but that’s something that continued throughout the rewriting process—and there have been many, many rewrites.

As for endearing characteristics, Lily is, in many ways, the woman I’d like to be. I love landscaping and gardening, so I had her very interested in that (only better at weeding than I am). That was something I gave Curtis too, making him a student of landscape architecture, and its one of the things that draws them together. Lily is also just shy of a gourmet cook, which is something I wish I could be. Curtis is strong and handsome and honest. He’s a hard worker and pretty straight forward, but he has this thing that has frightened him for years—the fear of rejection by his birth family—and he allows it to interfere with his relationships for a long time. We all have worries and fears just like he does, and if we try hard enough and put our necks out, we can overcome them too.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
Though I always aim to entertain, I think every story has a slightly different goal. Some may be to educate, as “The Ball’s in Her Court” does so well on adoption issues, others may be to uplift or inspire readers. I think hope is something that cannot be undervalued—whether it’s hope in a religious way, or just in one’s own abilities. And it’s funny how four people can all read the same book and get different themes from it—often things the writer didn’t intend to accomplish with the book.

Did I get off topic? Oh, yeah, long-term goals. Well, I have two or three more books in this series that I’ve been working on and some other projects in the works in various stages. I hope to be writing for the rest of my life, and honestly can’t imagine my life without it.

Haha! Don't worry about straying from the topic. In my last interview I strayed so far I ended up giving a geology lesson on the formation of Arkansas's hotsprings, and a history lesson about Minoan civilization, and its connection with Ancient Egypt. From there I ventured into a possible origin for the myth of Atlantis. I don't even remember what the original question was. So no worrries. Authors are encouraged to stray while visiting my blog.

Any ideas for future projects?
More than I’ll have time to write in a decade! Not only are there several more stories in this series, but I have a number of unrelated books written or nearly finished, and file after file of other stories that are just a couple of scenes and a rough outline or character sketch. Many of that last group have been nagging at me to get crackin’ on them, but I’ve had to prioritize other projects first. Right now I’m getting ready to submit a story unrelated to “Rebound” about a Tucker, Marine reservist who suddenly finds himself responsible for his orphan niece and nephew and the lengths he goes to in order to keep them—which includes proposing to his best friend, Rena. I’m very excited about this book!

I always include trivia. So tell us, what's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, any other hobbies?
Favorite movie? I have to pick just one? I admit, I’m a sucker for romances, so “You’ve Got Mail,” is high on my list of favorites. I also have watched (over, and over, and over) the mini-series “Our Mutual Friend,” which is based off of a book by Charles Dickens.
Favorite foods include cheese enchiladas from one of those little mom-and-pop Mexican places where they load the plate with beans and rice, cake (did I mention before I love to decorate cakes?), and of course, anything made with chocolate!

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? I recently read “Courting Miss Lancaster” which is a light, fluffy and CLEAN Regency romance by Sarah M Eden. It was very hilarious with great characters. I also thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Ann Nunes’ new paranormal romantic suspense (also squeaky clean) “Imprints.” Readers can check out my blog to see what I’ve been reading and reviewing lately.
This week I’m giving away a load of books, some I’ve read, and some I’ve just heard great things about. Pop by my blog to enter to win!

Thanks Heather! This has been great!

For more about Heather Justesen and her book:

http://heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/

http://www.heatherjustesen.com/

Thursday Chat

2010-06-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Please join The Sweetest Romance author and reader chat tomorrow, with guest -- Editor and Chief of Desert Breeze Publishing and multipublished author -- Gail Delaney. 8 p.m. EST
http://sweetestromancechat.blogspot.com/

Or take the long route to the blog and pick up a banner by following the scavenger hunt that will begin here.

Author Interview: Miss Mae

2010-06-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today I have the privilege of introducing one of the nicest people I've met during my writing venture, and that's Miss Mae. Miss Mae is the originator of the writing blog and group known as The Sweetest Romance. This has been a great group full of kind and encouraging people. I'd like to encourage everyone to join this group for our chat this coming Thursday with guest speaker, Desert Breeze's Editor and Chief, Gail Delaney. I'll post the link Wednesday. But for now, let's focus on Miss Mae.

Miss Mae, would you please tell us a little about yourself? I’m a happily married housewife, been married to the same guy for 38 plus years now. We live in the north Georgia mountains, only eight miles below the Tennessee line. From our driveway we have a breath taking view of the Appalachians as they stretch as far as the eye can see. Our one child is married, but lives close by. We’ve expanded our family to include four orphaned, thrown away mixed breed mutts.

I LOVE dogs, and we have extended our family with several, okay more than several dogs too.
When did you first become interested in writing? When I was in fifth grade. That’s when I was introduced to the adventures of Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Donna Parker. Nancy was my favorite, though. Her stories caused all sorts of imaginary ideas to circulate through my young mind. I put pen to pencil and wrote a whopping five pages. Whoa, best seller there!

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication? Rejection after rejection, disappointment and heartache. I was tempted to quit, but after I came on line with my first computer around 2005, I visited websites, gleaned nuggets of what, how, why of what I ought to do. I joined an online critique group, and after much struggle and toil, I finally hammered together my first accepted story, “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady.”

Critique groups make you sore, but they whip you into shape like nothing else.
Tell us about your latest release? “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady” was my first book, but it was contracted through a small e-press. I despaired of this story remaining an ebook when I, and so many others who inquired, wanted to see it in print. When the contract expired, I didn’t renew. Though I sold two other books after “See No Evil, My Pretty Lady”, (“Said the Spider to the Fly”, and “When the Bough Breaks”), it’s now become my latest release because I’ve taken control of its destiny. It’s now self-published as an ebook through Smashwords and its affiliates, but it’s also a gorgeous PRINT book.

Wonderful!
What inspired you to write this story? I had entered an online writing course at Writers Village University. One lesson involved that we were to write a page which included all the five senses --hear, taste, smell, touch, sight--but to add two more of setting and time. After I turned in that first page of chapter one, comments came through like, “Oh, I have so many questions! Who killed Mr. Davenport?” and “Who is that creepy guy in the fog?” , “What’s the story behind Dorcy?” That encouraged me so much that I sat down and thought, “Can I really make this into a good story line?”

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you? I’m endeared to Dorcy partly because of the time in which she lives. Victorian London didn’t smile favorably on women and what if you were alone in the world, as Dorcy was? I admire her survival spirit. Gareth captures my heart because of the unhappy boyhood he endured. Yet, despite his tumultuous relationship with his womanizing father, he retained his honor and good character.

Any ideas for future projects? Right now I’m writing a short story, “Miss Penelope’s Letters” to be included in the February 2011 anthology by Victory Tales Press. Also, there will be Book Two in the “Dear Winifred” series.

I always ask trivia questions. so here it goes. What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, do you have any other hobbies? My favorite movie will either be “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” or “Murder, He Says”. Both are classic comedies. And favorite food? Chocolate, of course! Place to vacation? Hmm, I’m a homebody. No place entertains, nor relaxes me more than sipping a glass of iced lemonade while sitting out on my screened front porch.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? Makes lots of online friends! They will become your support base, and the relationships can last a lifetime.

Thanks for having me, Shawna.

You're most welcome, Miss Mae!

Here's the blurb to "See No Evil."

New maid Dorcy Edwards flees the scene of where her employer's body is found. His murder
sparks a chain of macabre events. Cloistered on a remote island with five strangers, including Gareth Davenport, her late employer's brooding, but darkly handsome heir, Dorcy encounters baffling questions with what she fears may be terrifying answers. Who cut the telegraph lines? Who left a mutilated animal carcass outside her bedroom door? What is the reason for Gareth's black gloves and eye patch? Can he be "Jack the Ripper", the madman suspected to be Mr. Davenport's killer? Dorcy must solve the mystery, and soon, or her growing attraction for Gareth could be her very death sentence.

Purchase

For more about Miss Mae:
http://www.missmaesite.com/

The Sweetest Romance:
http://thesweetestromanceauthors.blogspot.com/

Desert Breeze is open for submissions again

2010-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you guys know that Desert Breeze Publishing has reopened for submissions for releases in 2011.

Here's what they're looking for in the Inspirational category.

"We are actively seeking inspirational novels with a bit more real world flair. It's not always easy being a Christian, and we would like to see novels that express that."

Here's the link to their guidelines.

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/policy/Page.bok

Author Interview: Lorean Brooks

2010-06-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today I get to welcome Laurean Brooks to my blog. Laurean writes Inspirational Fiction; and apart from being a wonderful author, she's a kind and encouraging person! I've had the pleasure of getting to know her through The Sweetest Romance writer's group. I'd like to encourage you guys to join this group for a chat next Thursday. I'll post the link next week. But right now, let's get to know Laurean.

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in a rural, farming town in Tennessee. My graduating class consisted of 16 students. Everyone was like family. Our class still gets together a couple times per year. Today, I live in a small town nearby. I worked in manufacturing, then trained as a legal secretary. Today I write, enjoy church involvement, playing fetch with my two Labs, and when not otherwise committed, accompany my hubby to auctions.

When did you first become interested in writing?
In fifth grade the teacher assigned book reports due every 6 weeks. I always picked mysteries. Don't remember the titles or author, but I read several in a series, about a gang of kids who solved the town's mysteries. When I read the book reports aloud, I'd end with cliffhangers. Half the class fought to be next in line to read the book. One time after I'd just caused such a commotion, the teacher announced, “One day Laurie will become an author.”
Miss Mary planted the seed, but that seed did not come to fruition for three decades.

I love it! Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
My first two stories, nostalgic essays, were published in our local Hometown Magazine, December 2002. The spark ignited a flame. Over the next year I added 20 stories to the collection. Then on January 1, 2004, I made a resolution to begin a full length inspirational. Journey To Forgiveness, a historical about my mother's life, was birthed. Between a full-time job and family illnesses, the manuscript was not finished until March 2007. After waiting three months for the first publisher's reply, I submitted to The Wild Rose Press. Five weeks passed.
On August 20, 2007, ninety minutes after my brother passed away, I received an email requesting the first 50 pages of the manuscript. The next months were harrowing. TWRP loved “the rich story and interesting characters,” but the hero/heroine did not meet early enough. If I would do a major rewrite, cutting the first two chapters, they would “look at it again.”

I tore the story apart, cut those chapters, then weaved them in throughout the book as back-story. I re-submitted. Again, my editor “loved the story, but...” my hero and heroine did not meet often enough. They must interact every 10 pages or so “to hold the reader's interest.” I took the manuscript, found places every 8 to 12 pages where a break would make sense, the squeezed in nine more interaction scenes. These mostly humorous scenes turned out to be my favorite ones in the book.

I signed the contract in April 2008. and after months of edits, Journey To Forgiveness released in February, 2009.

Wow, what a great story.

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
Plot? Huh? What's that? (Laughing) I'm a full-blown Pantster. I do some research beforehand if I'm writing a historical, or about a topic of which I know little. Otherwise I know how the story begins and a few things I want to happen along the way. But, for the most part, I give my characters free reign to say and do whatever pops in their heads and out of their mouths.

Tell us about your latest release.
Over The Coals is part of a 5-author collaboration, titled, A Summer Collection Anthology. Released on May 15th, 2010, the book includes riveting stories by talented authors, Rita Hestand, Cheryl Pierson, Laura Shinn, Rebecca J. Vickery, and er... me.
Over The Coals is a story of emotional trauma and healing, built around a summer cookout. I began with the idea that my heroine, Jill, would have most of the problems and growth. After all, her fiance' stole her credit card, charged it to the hilt, then skipped town with another woman. But by the third page, while Jill is forming her opinion of the gregarious hero, Rob, I began to ask, “What would make Rob flirt with women and clown around? Maybe it's a cover-up for the real Rob. A front to keep people, especially women, from getting too close.” So I came up with a traumatic experience, one that would make Rob take on a dual personality. You will have to read the story to find out how Rob was traumatized.

What inspired you to write this story?
As a whole, we make snap judgments about people from first impressions. Most of the time those opinions stick. Later, we may discover we are way off-base. I wrote Over The Coals to show how wrong our opinions can be, and to instill others to take a closer look “before” passing judgment.

That's an imporatant message.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
Jill Landers, like myself, enjoys sitting on the sidelines to observe people. She also asks personal questions. Questions that make Rob Canter flinch. I enjoyed developing Rob's dual personality. Funny, outgoing, flirtatious...but when confronted with touchy questions, he flees. I like the way Jill persists until she gets to the truth. She loves Rob and will not let up. She knows healing must take place before she and Rob can have a relationship built on trust.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
My desire is to write inspiring stories to not only entertain and evoke laughter, but stories that pull the readers into the characters' minds to make them feel their pain, struggles, heartaches, and finally joy. When it all comes together, the couple realizes nothing is impossible with God.

Any ideas for future projects?
My current project is a short story about two secondary characters in Journey To Forgiveness. Since this pair added humor to JTF, I wanted to take off with their relationship then submit it as a short story to the “Humor Anthology” due to come out next year. Besides, that, I'm working on a sort of pre-quel to Journey To Forgiveness that stars the heroine's aunt as a young woman in 1923. Another one on the back burner is a modern-day cowgirl story. The heroine flees Wyoming and a manipulative stepmother by obtaining a a ranch hand job in Colorado. Only problem is during her phone interview, her new boss mistakes her for a guy. The only way out is to dress the part. Melody really needs the job. You can imagine the humorous possibilities that could result from her cowboy disguise.

Trivia time! What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, any other hobbies?
You mean besides Gone With the Wind? The Two Worlds of Jennifer Logan stuck in my head when I first watched it in the late 70s. The heroine (Lindsay Wagner) finds a beautiful 19th century dress in a trunk in her attic. When she puts it on and looks in the free-standing mirror, she's taken back in time to meet a wonderful, charming man who is in danger. She must save his life somehow, by changing history.
Favorite food? Chocolate, and if you add caramel and pecans, all the better. Rocky Road or Moose Tracks ice cream is good, too. For vacations, I love Branson...the clean air, the shows, mountains, lakes, restaurants, shops, the hospitable people.
As far as hobbies, most are unaware of my knowledge about herbs, natural alternatives, supplements, etc. My cabinet is stocked like a pharmacy, only it's full of supplements. No drugs for this gal. I don't even take a headache pain reliever unless Ginger can't take it away. Popping a couple ginger capsules actually works better than a headache remedy.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? If writing is in your blood don't let anyone steal your dream. Steer clear of those who try to discourage you from your goal. Often these are family members. So, though we can't always avoid them, it may be best to avoid the topic of your latest writing endeavor. Hold that dream close to your heart; allow no one to rip it from you.

In the meantime find a good critique partner who will encourage and help you hone your writing skills. Be sure to ask God for direction, then go for it. Never, never, never, never, never, give up!

Laurean, this was great! Thanks for visiting today.

For more about Laurean:

http://laureanslore.blogspot.com/

To purchase her books:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9341/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/14519/

http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=journey+to+forgiveness&osCsid=df8bf4214484d0428a6a102e40e84918&x=24&y=11

Author Interview: Vicki Hinze

2010-06-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today I get to welcome Vicki Hinze to my blog. Vicki is the author of nearly 30 published books, and she's still going strong. Today she'll share a little about herself, her latest book, and her new series. Stick around for the whole interview because Vicki also has some wonderful words of wisdom for us new and aspiring writers.

Vicki, for starters, would you please tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a wife, mom, gran and a writer. So far, I’ve been fortunate enough to see 24 of my novels, 3 of my nonfiction books and hundreds of my articles in print. I mentor through a program I started over a decade ago called Writer’s Zone (previously Aids4Writers), serve as VP on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors, acted as a consultant to the RWA and Emerald Coast Writers boards, and do lots of other writing-related stuff that I totally enjoy. There’s a ton of information on programs and awards and such on my website at http://www.vickihinze.com/.

Wow! Thanks for sharing that. When did you first become interested in writing?
I used to write political essays for my dad. I had to earn the privilege of reading the Sunday funnies in the newspaper. I developed a real interest in politics. Later I wrote poetry, and then moved into writing fiction and nonfiction books. That was over two decades ago now, though it seems much longer and shorter than that, depending on how the writing is going at the moment. I’ve always loved books and reading, and when we played school as kids, I was the librarian. That should have been a big hint on what to do when I grew up, but I didn’t get it until much later in life, after a healthy stint in the corporate world as a director of operations.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
There have been many. Most of the downs have been self-inflicted. I wrote the kind of books I most wanted to read and couldn’t find, which meant I wrote a lot of books for which there was no established market. I wrote my first “romantic fantasy” which now would be described as a paranormal, in 1988. I went on to write fifteen novels that didn’t fit in a specific place on a bookshelf. Then I decided I wanted others to read what I wrote, and so I studied the market and discovered that if I wrote with the three elements I liked most, I probably could sell. Those elements were, suspense, romance and mystery. I’d been writing for six years then. I wrote using those elements and sold the next book.

After my first book was published, I was orphaned, meaning I lost my editor. It took two years to sell another book, but I then sold four more within six months. I’ve been writing and selling steadily since then, though there still have been many ups and downs during the journey, and a lot of flexibility has been required. I learned the value of developing a sense toward your writing early on, and from that sense I developed one rule: I will not write a book I don’t love. To that, experience has me adding that I can’t love a book that isn’t infused with purpose. I must have a clear vision of some value being gained in writing the book. So far, it’s been a magnificent journey and I still feel a bad writing day is better than any day doing anything else.

Very Inspiring! How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
I don’t have a set way of writing. I think that can hamper the process because it can lead an author to believe that’s the only why s/he can write. Books come in different ways. Some spring from a subject or a snippet of conversation. In 1994, I changed the entire path of my career because of a conversation I overheard in a grocery store. Some novels start with a character or an emotional reaction to a person, an event, a situation. And still other novels well from the unlikely marriage of something that is fascinating, perhaps marrying disparate elements discovered in magazine articles. Scientific American, for example. An article there coupled with another led me to write ACTS OF HONOR.

Research at times comes first, and can feed plots and develop characters, but there have been just as many other times when those things were clear and I had to research to reinforce not to develop. So it really depends on the specific book and on the purpose for writing it, which significantly impacts what one writes.

I'm discovering this. The process for the book I'm working on now is nothing like my previous one. Tell us about your latest release?
FORGET ME NOT is my latest release. It’s the first book in a new series where the novels are tied to Crossroads Crisis Center. We follow the story of a woman who is carjacked, beaten and left for dead. A woman who doesn’t know who she is or why people are trying to kill her. She also doesn’t know if she’s a good person, if she has family, and that no one seems to be looking for her makes her wonder even more about her worth as a human being. What kind of woman is she that people want her dead? That no one—no one in the whole world—misses her? But she does recall that she’s a woman of faith. And she relies on that faith to help her answer all the questions she has about herself and those around her. Help comes to her in the form of a man with every reason to hate her as much as he hates himself. And yet hatred can’t stand up to the power of love. And love fiills those dark places where hatred and worry and doubt and fear dwell. I just love this story. Guess you can tell.

But like you said, you woundn't have written it had you not loved it. I think that's great! What inspired you to write this story?
I wondered if a person could ever get to a place beyond faith. If you lost everything—everything—including your identity and the lifetime of memories and experiences that make you remember who you are, would you then be beyond faith?

I discovered that even when we don’t know who we are, we know whose we are.
There’s strength in the knowing to help us through any and all obstacles we face.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them, and what endears them to you?
Looking at the heroine, you’d think she had it all. But get to know her and you see that she had many trials and challenges and obstacles and little support. She had one woman who loved her: a woman with whom she had restricted access. All the way through the book, we see new sides to her. Ones that make us see her differently. She isn’t who we think she is—and that’s the case with all of us really. We wear different hats, and others perceive us to be only as they see us—through their eyes. And that’s all they perceive us to be. But we’re more. Far more. Complex and at the same time simple.

The same can be said of the Crossroads owner, Ben. He seems to have it all—looks, money, position and the respect of those in his sphere. But inside he’s tortured and lonely and eaten alive with guilt that he doesn’t own and regret that was thrust upon him. He stumbles and falls. But he’s a good man and he does get up. And during his dark time, where he wanders lost in the desert so to speak, he discovers the path out must be sought to be found, and that life beats us up but it also offer us tubes of glue.

Lisa Harper and Mark Taylor have minor roles in FORGET ME NOT. She’s got problems and so does he, but they don’t wallow in them. They do what they can and then focus on helping others. I so admired these two that I made them the main characters in the next book, DEADLY TIES. It’ll be out in February 2011.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long-term goals?
I write healing books. By puberty, all of us are scarred and/or broken in some way, and often we don’t know how to get through our challenges constructively. So I have characters face challenges that are relatable to ones we all face. They find constructive solutions. Not without struggles or pain or obstacles, but they do overcome them and heal. My hope is that readers see that constructive solutions exist, and that if the characters can find them and heal, then readers can, too.

I love what you just said. Fiction may be a made up story but that doesn't mean that there's no truth involved. Wisdom is just conveyed in a different way, and I think it's often more powerful because it allows us to see how that wisdom might affect a person's life. Okay, there's my 2 cents for the day. I do this every interview, btw.

Back to you. Any ideas for future projects?
I mentioned DEADLY TIES, Lisa and Mark’s book. I’ve just finished writing it. And now I’m workng on Beth and Joe’s story. Readers meet them both in DEADLY TIES. I’m loving these related books and I hope readers will, too.

I also ask a little trivia in every interview, so here it goes. What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, what other hobbies do you have?
Movie? Depends on my mood. The American President and The Hunt for Red October are always enjoyed. But I loved Pilgrim’s Progress, Fireproof, Out of Africa and K-Pax, too. And I always enjoy Kate and Leopold. If I had to pick just one, it’d be that one.

Food? Chocolate. I love chocolate. And coffee.

Place to vacation? The beach. I love the sight, smells and sounds. Mostly, I love looking out on the vast horizon. No matter what’s going on in the world or how troubling it is, I see that vast horizon and it pulls things right into perspective for me. The sights and sounds are a soothing balm. I totally love the beach.

Hobbies: I’ve had many over the years, but they all fall to the passion of writing, save reading. Oil painting, home renovations—I’m on a moratorium from knocking down walls—and I LOVE watching baseball games.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? Recommendations is a broad topic, but I’ll share a few things I think are pretty valuable:
In your work: Love what you’re doing or change what you’re doing until you do love it. Nothing fosters excellence more than love.

In your life: Seek wisdom over knowledge, contentment over happiness, and respect over desire. The first things are enduring; the second things depend on circumstance, change and fade.

In your family: Love first. And on those days when loving takes work, remember everyone else has hard-to-love days, too—and that even stopped clocks are right twice every single day.

Overall: Know where you stand and what you most want and why. That keeps you from drifting through life, and that negates the odds of at life’s end, you looking back and being overwhelmed by regret. Also, immerse yourself in the worthy, admirable and noble. You will rise or fall to the level of what’s around you.

For writers: Write each book as if it will be your last. To invest in it, it should matter that much. It requires your time, everything you have to give it to make it your best, and your time is your life. Read, observe, study and grow. The deeper your creative well, the more you have to share.

And most importantly on everything: No matter what you face, how hard life seems at times, how many times you get knocked to your knees, never settle for the half-hearted and never forget that you are a child of God and His royal blood flows through your veins. He gave all to bless you and will provide what you need; He promised. So remember who you are, whose you are, and stand up. You’re never alone and hope in Him is yours. Claim it.

Vicki, thank you! This was a fantastic interview. Vicki is also giving away a copy of Forget Me Not, so leave a comment.

For more about Vicki Hinze and her books:

http://www.vickihinze.com/

Her blog

http://vickihinze.blogspot.com/

Author Interview: Gail Pallotta

2010-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today I get to welcome Gail Pallotta. She's going to share with us a little about her life, and her book, Love Turns the Tide. This is Gail's first visit to my blog, but I look forward to having her back often and discussing more of her work.

Would you please tell us a little about yourself, Gail?

First of all, thanks for having me, Shawna. I live in Georgia with my husband, Rick. When I’m not writing, I enjoy swimming, reading and walking on the beach. My daughter and I love to bargain shop. We recently went on vacation in Florida. During the hottest part of the day Rick could find us in a discount store trying on shorts, shirts, skirts and dresses. When we tried on something wrong for us, we spent several minutes laughing about it. Even though we only bought one item each day, we had a great time. And, now we have to plan another trip to find something to match the clothes we bought.

When did you first become interested in writing?

I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember. In grammar school I put out a newspaper with a friend and worked on the high school newspaper. But, I first thought about writing seriously in college when I took a creative writing class. After analyzing a number of manuscripts I saw that writing is a tool that can be used for good or bad. That was long before I’d heard the word “spin,” but I saw the spin and wanted to use it for good.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?

In short, the ups are the acceptances and the downs, the rejections. But after writing articles for a number of years I’m happy to see that some have been selected for anthologies and two ended up in museums. When I think back, a couple exciting moments were when two of my poems were recognized. “Country Spring,” was selected for Best New Poets of 1988 by the American Poetry Society and “Thank You God for…,” was reprinted in a book, The Power of One, put out by The Bethany Press in 1976. Most recently in 2004, I received a regional writer of the year award from the American Christian Writers Association at a writers’ conference.

That's amazing! Congratulations. My granddad was an award winning poet and I wonder if you might have ever crossed paths.

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?

I do research and plot before I write, but as I write I add to the plot and characters.

Tell us about your latest release?

In Love Turns the Tide Cammie O’Shea faces a traumatic split-up with her fiancé and has to leave her friends and family to take a new job in Destin, Florida. Heartbroken and alone in a place where she knows no one, she needs God more now than she ever has. But for some reason she can’t explain why she feels more estranged from him. A feature writer, she dreads meeting her new boss, the editor of The Sun Dial newspaper. However, her real source of angst turns out to be Vic Deleona, the influential real estate tycoon she must write about to generate interest in the paper. While she refuses to open herself to another painful relationship he attempts to court her. Even though she sees him as pompous she goes out of her way to maintain a good business association. Trying to get over her heartache, she continues to read her Bible and say prayers. One day she reads Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” Afterward she ponders how living in Destin possibly could be good for her. Then, break-ins occur at her friend’s condo and her unit, making her doubt the wisdom of living in Destin even more. However, Vic comes to their rescue. He even launches his own investigation into the crimes, and Cammie sees a different side of him. But finally she gets an offer to return home to her old job. Will Vic solve the crimes and win Cammie’s heart or will she leave Destin?

So Cool! That's one of my favorite Bible verses. It reassures us that His hand is in every aspect of our lives. That verse is the reason the sequel to "No Other" is called "In All Things." But nevermind that for now, this is your interview.

So tell us, what inspired you to write this story?

My husband says I’m the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with the cashier’s life story. He may be exaggerating, but over the years I’ve heard lots of people’s problems. And, many of them involve love. While I’m aware that some people dated, fell in love and walked down the aisle, I know others who were hurt again and again before they found the right person. I wanted those people to realize they aren’t alone and to trust God to help them find their soul mates.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them, and what endears them to you?

Before I started writing Love Turns the Tide I gave the characters physical traits and made lists of their favorite foods, their activities, their jobs and their beliefs. Their personalities endear them to me.

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
I hope to entertain my readers and add a little something that makes their lives better at the same time. As for long term goals, just keep working to be a better person and a better writer.

Excellent goals! Any ideas for future projects?

I’m currently working on another romantic suspense.

But you aren't giving up any details. Drats!

Well, I always ask a little trivia, so here it goes. What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? And...do you have any other hobbies?

My favorite place to vacation? That’s easy, it’s Destin, Florida. My favorite entrée is fried fish, and my favorite dessert is pecan pie. I hadn’t thought about it until you asked, but I can see my southern heritage coming out in my food choices. As for movies, I like the classics, such as “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Dr. Zhivago,” but given my roots, my all- time favorite is “Gone with the Wind.” When I have time, I enjoy making flower arrangements.

Yum! Pecan pie. I've got a great recipe btw.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? I’d like to say congratulations on having your book, No Other, selected by the American Christian Fiction Writers book club for September.

Why thanks! I'm really excited about that too.

Gail, thanks so much for being here. Your book sounds really wonderful and I wish you much success. May God bless you and your writing.

Gail is giving away a download of her book, Love Turns the Tide. Leave a comment with your email to enter the drawing.

For more about Gail Pallotta and her books here's her website:

http://www.gailpallotta.com/,

And her blog:

http://www.gailpallotta.blogspot.com/

Publisher’s web site:

http://www.awe-struck.net/

Classic Romance Revival Review of No Other

2010-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Williams tells a heartfelt story filled with yearning, young love, and the power of faith with No Other. Set in 1949, 20 year old Jakob Wilheimer is putting his life together after World War II, but when he meets Meri Parker, he realizes God has closed one chapter of his life only to open another. When the novel opens, the reader learns that Jakob's family were in an internment camp because they were German. His parents are out now and his older brother, Joe, has returned from war, a hero. Jakob goes back to school to earn his high school diploma and meets Meri Parker, his English teacher. Meri is only 22, barely older than Jakob. She's writing a play for the drama department and Jakob agrees to make the sets. The couple nurture a simmering attraction. Jakob lets go of the festering resentment he has for his parents being sent away and embraces the warm feelings of love he has Meri. Meri finds herself between two worlds, the cold, appearance-to-keep world of her parents and Jakob's warm family filled world which has a strong Christian faith. For Meri to embrace Jakob's love, she'll have to make a decision about the type of world she wants to live in.

Williams's writing flows well. She uses a good economy of words to paint a vivid picture of Meri and Jakob's world without slowing down the reader's pace. Both Meri and Jakob are flawed, but very human characters. Meri wants something more substantial than the love her parents offer – she wants a pure, good, true love, one that is patient, kind, and never boastful, but does she have the strength to claim it? Jakob is strong, physically and in spirit, but he needs to learn patience. It's a value he struggles with, especially when he embraces the love he has for Meri. No Other is sweet for CRR reader as Meri and Jakob share several kisses and tender caresses. Overall, the novel is a solid character romance that will resonate with the reader.

She gave it five wings!
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/component/resource/article/crr-reviews/30-inspirational/143-no-other-shawna-k-williams.html

Author Interview: Michelle Sutton

2010-06-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today I get to welcome back Michelle Sutton. She's been a busy thing. Last time she was here her book First Impressions had just released, since then she's had two more come out. In Plain Sight was released in April, and the ebook version of Never Without Hope released in May. The print version comes out in July. I'm currently reading this book and plan to post a review this coming weekend. I have a blurb later in this interview about why I think this book, and books like it, are important.

Now, let's learn a little about Michelle.

Would you please tell us a little about yourself?
I'm the author of over a dozen edgy novels releasing through 2012 and I have two boys who are about to enter college. My husband and I have been married twenty years and we live in sunny Arizona.

When did you first become interested in writing?
Back in August of 2003 I started writing a book for Love Inspired. I thought it was a great story, but I didn't know what head-hopping was or anything about writing, so it was a good story but poorly written. It has since been revised and was released in January through Desert Breeze. That book was First Impressions.

Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?
Every time an editor from a big publishing house seems excited about a manuscript and then asks your agent for a full, you think, "this is it" only to have it on hold forever, get bumped by an in-house author (someone already published with them), or have it languish for a year or more on their stack until it's forgotten or they get transferred to another house or resign. Publishing is full of "hurry up and wait" situations, so you need patience or you'll go nuts. The highs are seeing your new book for the first time, getting checks from the publisher, and seeing great reviews posted by people you don't know saying that they loved your book.

How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?
I always let story ideas simmer in my head until they are ready to explode onto the page. I never plot anything. The most I do is a rough outline in my mind. The thing is that since I don't know what my characters will do, I have to get to know them really well to find out what will happen next. That's why I think people say my characters seem real. I am getting to know them as I write just like my readers are getting to know them as they read.

Tell us about your latest release?
Never Without Hope is my edgiest story to date and the e-book version just released the second week in May. The printed version of the book will be available in late June, early July 2010. It's pretty edgy because it's about sexual struggles in a marriage. I've started the sequel and am already loving writing it. Fun characters and intense situations make for a great story to write. At least that was how this book was for me. I grieved right along with my character as I let her experience heartache and bleed onto the page as her desperation skewed her view of the world and her own beliefs.

What inspired you to write this story?
Real life situations either for me personally and/or with friends. Pretty much every woman I've met has had unmet needs in the bedroom at one time or another, so I just expounded on it and what it would feel like to be young and never see resolution in site. I then delved into how it would feel to be totally stuck and miserable and desperate enough to throw out everything you know is right for temporary satisfaction and then watch the situation blow up in your face. I've had many, many people I know get divorced over sexual issues in marriage. It's more common than you'd think. I just wrote about one fictional scenario to give the reader a vicarious experience so they could experience the pros and cons of adultery. The cons always outweigh the pros, of course. I show that.

I'm half way through it, and I've never read a Christian Fiction novel as bold as yours. I'm glad you wrote it because, personally, I think we need more books like this. You have a great scene where Hope is afraid to open up to her Bible study group -- especially in front of one lady in particular -- because she thinks none of them will understand her struggles. Then she's shocked when the woman she thinks is least likely to understand reveals a similar situation. Imagine how someone, who picks up a Christian Fiction title, hoping for just a little something...understanding or guidance maybe, feels when the most a character may struggle with is saying "drat" when they're mad. Fiction may be make believe stories, but readers still want to be able to relate to the characters. So, when this sanitized version of dealing with sin is all that portrayed, the story runs the risk of making Christians seem not very relatable. And that's my Soap-box insertion into this interview. Back to you, Michelle.

Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?
Originally my main character's name was Lilly, but since I had another Lilly (even though it was a stage name) and James in another book, I didn't want to be too similar. So It became Hope and James. They are a typical couple experiencing struggles in the bedroom when Hope wants more sex and James can't do it. He's ashamed and won't deal with it (like most men respond) and so she's freaking out thinking things will never get better. What endears them to me is they both seem like real people. They respond like real people, too, and not perfect Christians.

They really do!
What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?
I'd like to minister to anyone. Christians or not, everyone has some type of heartache and temptation. I love to write a thread of redemption and hope into each book I write in the hopes that it will touch the reader deep inside, regardless of where they are spiritually.

Any ideas for future projects?
Yep, working on the sequel to Never Without Hope. Also finishing up the sequel to First Impressions, which will be followed up by a third book next year.

Trivia time! What's your favorite movie, food, and place to vacation? Also, any other hobbies?
Favorite movie is probably Charlotte Gray. Food is probably Mexican. Vacation? Beaches. Other hobbies are reading and reading and more reading.

Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along? If you like edgy Christian fiction, pretty much everything I write is guaranteed to meet that need.

For more about Michelle Sutton and her books:

http://www.michellesutton.net/