Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 10

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Jessica R. Patch

Hello, Readers!

I have another author for you to meet this week. A friend of mine! This is an author I absolutely adore! I met her through my writing mentor and friend who, of course, has a great amount of respect for this lovely lady. And I have sat under her teaching as well. So, with that, I would like you to meet Author Jessica R. Patch! Jessica writes clean/inspirational contemporary romance and is just one of the warmest people you will ever meet. I am so very thrilled to have her on the blog to day sharing about her Christmas novella!

Welcome to my blog, Jessica! It is so good to have you visiting! First can you tell us a little about your novella?

Honey for the Holidays is the 4th sweet contemporary romance in the Honeyhaven series. These books can be read as standalones, but the friendships and community are carried from each book, so I do recommend reading them in order! This is about a couple who broke up a few years ago and it’s been nothing but animosity since. It’s a story of forgiveness, of not believing every word spoken—we need to be careful who we let influence our lives and that even includes us and our insecurities that play into things we might believe. It’s full of humor and Christmas fun!

I love that kind of trope! And what a great message! What was the inspiration for Honey for the Holidays?

I’ve always wanted to write a story about pretending to date or be engaged and this actually worked perfectly between this two! It was so much fun.

Sounds fantastic! It does sound like a fun story to write! Tell us, did you always want to be a writer, crafting these interesting tales of romance and suspense?

No. I never thought about being a writer, but I did love to make up stories whether it was on paper, playing “house” or creating a complicated drama for my Barbies.

I gotta say…I did the same thing with those Barbies…convoluted dramas! So…if not a writer, what did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a missionary. I even went to Bible college and majored in Missions. I feel like I am just that—only instead of physically going to spread the Gospel, the books go. God rarely accomplishes His plans in the way we expect Him to!

Isn’t that the truth! I very much believe that writers have a unique opportunity to reach places that a person may not be able to, in ways that conversations may not even be able to.

I am intent that I have to set the mood for my writing…that includes music for certain! What kind of music, if any, do you listen to while you write?

It depends on the scene and the story. For Honey for the Holidays, I listened to Christmas music with a country flavor as well as some love songs—mostly country pop. It fit my characters.

Love it! Definitely gives me a feel for the book!

I get this question often, so I guess readers like to know… How long does it take you to write a book?

I can write a novella like this in a week and have it revised in about two weeks. That doesn’t count the proofing and reading for little things. For a mass market paperback like my Love Inspired Suspense books which are 55-60K, I write a first draft in about 20 -30 days. Major revisions take about 2 weeks and then I give it the final tweaks in about 3 days and send to my editor. For a trade length novel which is 70-100K it usually takes about 60 days. If I have a full synospsis written, I can move much faster than if I’m simply pantsing my way through it, but overall I am a fast writer—so I’ve been told.

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Ann Brodeur

Hello, Readers!

And welcome to yet another edition of this Christmas Series. And, as always, I am introducing you to another Christmas themed book and another author that may be new to you! I have author Ann Brodeur on the blog sharing about her Christmas novel, Snowbound in Winterberry!

I connected with Susan through one of the Facebook Author Groups we are both a part of. I just love how, as authors, we can connect and network across the miles through this wonderful (and sometimes frustrating) thing known as “technology”

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Susan Bateman

Hello, Readers!

And welcome to another installment of my Christmas Series. I am happy to introduce you to another Christmas themed book and another author that may be new to you! I have Susan Bateman (writing as S.B. Roth) on my blog today sharing about her Christmas novel, It Happened One Christmas!

I have connected with Susan through the ACFW Romance genre Facebook Group Page. If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I am a huge fan of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and their efforts to bring writers together for networking, encouraging one another, and helping each other out. As well as just connecting! Meeting Susan to introduce her to you all is just one of the many examples of why I love what the ACFW brings to my life

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Toni Shiloh

Hello, Readers!!

I have a treat for you all today! One of my favorite fellow authors – Toni Shiloh is on the blog today. Toni has always been on my radar as an author of interest. But in the last couple of years, I have come to admire and respect her all the more as a gifted, creative, and capable author both in her work and as an instructor in the business and craft of writing. I have enjoyed sitting under her instruction and gleaning from her knowledge. It is such a privilege to have her join us today!

Hey, Toni! It is so good to have you on my blog again! I really enjoy hearing more about your writing every time you visit

CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer (Guest Post and Offer)

Hey, Readers! It has been a while since I have been on the blog, but I am reviving it due to active requests (thank you for your kind words!).

And I am re-launching it with a CHRISTMAS SERIES – featuring posts about Christmas novels, novellas, and short stories! (‘Tis the season, indeed.)

Now, I know you may be saying, “It’s too early for Christmas stories.” And perhaps you are right. But Christmas themed works start making their debut this time of year. And I, for one, plan to celebrate my fellow authors and their work!

First up, is another Sara(h)! Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I had the privilege to meet this author at my first ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference many years back. We were both newbies at that particular conference and both Historical Fiction/Romance writers.

I particularly admire her connection to the past through her ancestors and their lives. And how that has led to her writing about the Choctaw. I am only too eager to learn more about this connection and her works!

So without further ado, I will turn you over to Sarah!

Guest Post



by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer

I once made a humorous video declaring myself a writer for a contest. I used clips from classic TV shows and movies, and was tickled by one comment it got:

“I love this video, Sarah!! I thought an “older man” came up with this.”

To which I thought, “No, I was just raised by one.”

My daddy grew up in the days of listening to Gunsmoke as a radio show before it hit the black and white and later, color screen. Roy Rogers was his hero, and for all my life, we watched reruns of the classic TV Westerns:

Have Gun – Will Travel, Daniel Boone, The High Chaparral, Hopalong Cassidy, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Annie Oakley, The Big Valley, Rawhide, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Zorro, and more.

L-R: Adam, Little Joe, Hoss, and Pa (Ben)

And, of course, the ever classic Bonanza. Do you know the Cartwright boys? If not, allow me to introduce you: Adam, Little Joe, Hoss, and Pa (Ben).

Don’t ask which is my favorite because I love them all—Adam, the level headed, book reading, dedicated leader; Hoss (my mama’s favorite), the loving, forgiving gentle giant; and Little Joe, the quick tempered, fun loving but-don’t-mess-with-my-family protector. Then there was the patriarch, Ben, whose steadfast integrity and faith held those boys in line.

Right always prevailed, no matter what dangers threatened the family or their ranch, the Ponderosa. They laid it all on the line and never compromised.

In part, that long-running series from the ’50s-’70s helped shaped who I am as a person and as a writer. It also shaped one of the main characters in my Choctaw Tribune series without me even knowing it—Matthew Teller, Choctaw owner of a controversial newspaper in Indian Territory, 1890s.

I didn’t realize this until a friend (who has a “mom crush” on Matthew and threatened me to never kill him off in the series) asked how he came to be. Though I hadn’t contemplated it before, I knew right away: He’s a mash up of the four Cartwrights. He has elements from Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe.

Once that came forefront to my mind, I started seeing it through each of the three books in the series: The Executions (book 1), Traitors (book 2), and Shaft of Truth (book 3).

I’m seeing it in the final three books that I’m working on in this series (books 4, 5, 6), and it makes me love Matthew Teller even more. He’s a brother like I saw the Cartwright boys being. (I always thought they should have had a sister, and Matthew does in the series!)

I wrote Shaft of Truth listening to the soundtracks of classic TV Westerns. I knew the theme songs as soon as they came up, especially Bonanza, which put me into that world as I wrote Matthew’s story.

In a way, these books came about because of my daddy and his love for old TV westerns.

My mama with William’s portrait held in
care at the Choctaw Nation Museum
in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma

But there’s someone else who had a great deal of influence on Matthew Teller — my great-great-great-great grandfather, William Robuck.

Young William crossed the Choctaw Trail of Tears as a boy with his family in 1831. Among the tragedies they experienced was burying his father on the trail.

With courage and faith, William went on to attend the Choctaw Academy in Kentucky and became a statesman for our tribe and served in several official capacities, including president of the Choctaw Senate. He and his wife, Annie, owned a ranch near present day Grant, Oklahoma. If you’ve ever been to Roebuck Lake near the Choctaw Travel Plaza and the Casino in Grant…yes, that 2,000 acre ranch at Roebuck Lake was in my family once upon a time. Uncle Preston’s ranch in the Choctaw Tribune series is loosely based on it. Danger on the Red River  (A Choctaw Tribune Christmas Short Story) is set on the ranch.

At my grandfather William’s
headstone in 2009

I learned William’s story many years ago, and it prompted me to write my first Choctaw tale — Contrast, which mirrored my experience on one of our annual Choctaw Trail of Tears Commemorative Walks, and the hardships my family endured in the 1800s.

I see my grandfather William in Matthew Teller — passionate about serving his people, no quit no matter what, intelligent. I imagine my grandfather faced his own racial issues as a mixed blood Choctaw. It was said he could pass for a white man. To my knowledge, he didn’t try. He was involved in Choctaw tribal government until he passed in 1885.

That’s right about when Matthew’s story picks up. Maybe subconsciously, I was continuing my grandfather’s story, and the legacy he left me.

I like to think that as you get to know the Teller family…you’re getting to know my family, too.

Danger on the Red River

Christmas at Uncle Preston’s ranch sounds delightful to Ruth Ann Teller, who is ready for a break from the Choctaw Tribune newspaper and the hard times they’ve endured. Namely, nearly losing her brother to a gunman.

But drama follows them to the ranch with a flooded Red River, quicksand, and a surprise Christmas present that ties the whole family together.

Spend an 1893 Christmas with the Tellers in this free ebook!

Download Link

Download a free copy of Danger on the Red River (A Choctaw Tribune Christmas Short Story) here!

Enjoy an Excerpt

Indian Territory

Christmas Eve, 1893

“Come on, Matt! It’s past time to leave, and there’s a storm coming.”

Ruth Ann Teller skipped out of the telegraph office, a lean-to attached to the print shop, and went straight to the coat rack next to her brother’s desk. She halted and frowned.

Hair mussed like he’d been running his fingers through it, Matthew was leaned back in his chair, inky hands folded over his midsection. He stared at the empty wall on the other side of the vacant shop. He was that way these days, lapsing into nothingness whether there was work to do or not.

Well, they had no work left this morning. The siblings had arrived at the newspaper office long before dawn on Christmas Eve, a day they were closed but there was one last print job Matthew needed to run and Ruth Ann took care of telegraphs before wishing the other operators a jolly and joyful Christmas.

That and the print job finished and delivered, still Matthew sat rather than cajoling her to get moving so they could get on out to Uncle Preston’s ranch. Their cousin Peter Frazier had stayed home, finishing chores and helping their mother load the buggy. They were waiting on Matthew and Ruth Ann…

She rehung her coat and touched Matthew’s shoulder. He flinched and looked up, blinked, then smiled. He was back.

“Ready?” he asked.

“And waiting. We don’t want to miss Melinda’s noon meal. She made us promise to arrive in plenty of time to set the table.”

“Right. I’m almost finished here.” He shuffled papers scattered over his desk into neat piles, something he normally didn’t bother with. Busy-work, he called it, not something to waste time and energy on. But this morning, he was stalling.

Ruth Ann laid a hand on his arm, stilling him.

“It’ll all be here after Christmas,” she said quietly.

He didn’t move. “You’re right. This is Christmas. Time to put all this aside and just…be. And I’ve already taken care of your surprise.”

Ruth Ann scoffed and stepped back as he stood and lifted their coats from the rack.

“You aren’t fooling me this year, Matthew Teller, I’m going to guess your present by tonight.” She pulled her coat on. “You just worry about guessing your own present.”

His eyes twinkled in a way that told her he already had it figured out. She swatted him. He dodged and slipped into his coat.

The bell over the door jingled despite the sign that read “closed.” Ruth Ann was dismayed to see a customer step in, then he turned. It was Mr. Bates from the General Store for whom they’d run a sales sheet for him to pass out first thing after Christmas. Was something wrong with the flyer?

But Mr. Bates had a deeper look of concern on his aging face. “’Scuse me, but I just got a letter in the morning mail from my brother in St. Louis. I wasn’t going to make the trip up there this Christmas, but he says our mother is feeling poorly. That was two days ago, and he said not to worry, but I wondered…would you mind sending a telegram off to him before you leave? He should reply quick. Just want to make sure everything’s all right, you know?”

“Of course.”

Ruth Ann didn’t bother removing her coat. She’d already banked the stove in the telegraph office, and coolness was setting in. Mr. Bates gave her the written message and she settled at the sounder, knowing she could get through to the St. Louis office. It was large enough to keep operators going through Christmas Eve.

Dots and dashes, dashes and dots, just like sleigh bells might sound dashing through the snow. They had little need for sleighs in Indian Territory, but the image made Ruth Ann smile despite the delay.

St. Louis responded that they received the message. She hesitated. How long would the reply take? Mama and Peter were waiting for them.

Matthew nudged her from behind. “Y’all go on out to the ranch. I’ll wait for the reply and catch up on Little Chief.”

Ruth Ann stood and met his gaze. He gave her a look that said she needed to stop being a mother hen.

Since the shooting, and the terror at the Warren home, she walked with him every morning to the newspaper office and stayed—no matter how late—every night to walk home with him. She didn’t want to let him out of her sight.

He’d tolerated it, but today he was firm. “I’ll catch up,” he repeated.

Mr. Bates apologized for the trouble, but Ruth Ann gave him a hug and wished him a merry Christmas and promised prayers for his mother.

Ruth Ann walked toward her family’s box house by the railroad tracks, moving slow despite a rumble of thunder, waiting to see if the telegram would come through and Matthew might catch up. But he wouldn’t, and it was time to stop walking in fear and start walking in the faith that there would be peace on earth, at least in their souls, as was promised so long ago.

More About the Author

SARAH ELISABETH SAWYER is a story archaeologist. She digs up shards of past lives, hopes, and truths, and pieces them together for readers today. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian honored her as a literary artist through their Artist Leadership Program for her work in preserving Choctaw Trail of Tears stories. A tribal member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, she writes historical fiction from her hometown in Texas, partnering with her mother, Lynda Kay Sawyer, in continued research for future works. Learn more at SarahElisabethWrites.com and Facebook.com/SarahElisabethSawyer

Connect with Sarah and her works

Website: https://www.sarahelisabethwrites.com

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

Instagram: @sarahelisabethsawyer

The post CHRISTMAS SERIES: Author Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer (Guest Post and Offer) appeared first on Sara R. Turnquist.

INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Chris Ann Yim

This week, I have another author for you to meet. This is actually an author I have worked with in my local critique group. She is just the sweetest lady ever and I couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to her debut novel!

Welcome to the blog, Chris! I’m so glad to have you here. First, I’d love to know about your inspiration for your debut novel, Liaison in Lyudinovo ?

My family’s military duty stations inspire my novels. My Dad was in the Army, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. My love for Carson provided the setting for this novel. They many unique soldiers that I’ve gotten to know in my life inspired the characters.

Dad also travelled to Russia when I was a kid. His stories from his trip, along with the mysterious lore of Russia, made me want to write about it.

I love it. Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a psychiatrist starting around age eight. I partially credit the TV show ‘House’ to my obsession with medicine.

I loved reading, especially about all things military, and I wrote adventure stories ‘for fun’ in middle school. However, being a writer was not in my line of sight until much later in life. I’d prepared myself for Medical School and thought of no other career until the Lord changed my path in the middle of organic chemistry lab, junior year of college.

Goggles on, Bunson burners blazing, test tubes bubbling, he spoke. Call it divine intervention or an epiphany, but I felt a complete shift in my universe and knew with absolute certainty that I had to change course. It was difficult for me because I’d spent my whole education focusing on science, statistical analysis, and all things Med School. However, when the Lord moves you it is for a greater purpose.

So, I became a history teacher and rekindled a love of writing. There’s a whole novel in that story. One day, I’ll have to write it!

What a story! You should write it into a novel…I’d love to read it.

Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?

My next novel is about a psychiatrist who finds a diary that changes American history to its core! I’m currently working on the sequel to her story, where she links up with the heroin in Liaison. Fun stuff for sure!

Sounds fascinating! Thank you so much, Chris, for being on the blog and for sharing about your novel. I know my readers are likely eager to get a better peek at the book for themselves, so I won’t keep them…

Liaison in Lyudinovo

Liaison in Lyudinovo is about a single mom who’s spent the last ten years working overseas for the CIA. She’s romantically jaded, ready to go home, and on the last mission of her career. The last mission just happens to pair her with an attractive soldier who needs her help more than she knows. It’s a military novel about friends, faith, and finding love in the most unexpected places. I also threw in some espionage, guns, and intrigue!

Enjoy an Excerpt

About a mile from the cabin, Jackson pulled off onto a side road.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked, pushing the cuticles back on her fingernails.

He smiled. “Samantha Browning, have you ever driven a stick shift?”

Sam hesitated and looked away from him at the sky like a spaceship could land at any second. “Why?”

“Because the only reason you didn’t drive today is the car is a manual.”

She continued her fake search of the skies for anything to keep her eyes off him. “How do you know—”

“Come on now, Officer Browning,” he said to her as if he were trying to get a kid to fess up to a lie. “Your V8 Mustang is an automatic. You obviously like power, but you don’t know how to handle it.”

Well, that got her fired up. “Listen, Jackson Lee, I can handle power just fine. My Daddy tried to teach me once, but I just… I just…” She clenched her fists.

“You want to know a secret?”

“O…kay?” She shrugged.

“You know that you can try again, right? Some humans do that when they fail at something. Don’t let the secret out, though.”

She rolled her eyes. “Now? You want me to try now?”

“Now,” he repeated as he glared at her. “Do you and the guys have some sort of quilting contest going on back at the cabin, or do you want to learn?”

“Jackson Lee, we are not in a country where we can be distracted from the mission, shooting off on back roads for the enemy to find us. This is not the place to—”

“Do you trust me?” Jackson interrupted her.

She eyed him and shrugged. “This has nothing to do with—”

“Do you trust me?” he asked again, more firmly this time.

She hesitated but nodded. She didn’t like not knowing how to drive a stick shift, but she got frustrated easily with this particular skill. 

“Did the Agency not require that you know how?” Jackson asked her.

Sam hem hawed around at the question. “Well, yes-ish. I took the test.”

Jackson stared into her eyes, waiting on the rest of the story.

“I didn’t really pass the test, but to be fair, I tried. And, I’ve never had trouble since. And, I’m very thankful for that. And, I know it could have gone pretty bad in some situations, but…”

Jackson’s eyes were narrowing in question. “Do I even want to know how any of that went down, the not passing and yet surviving in foreign lands with foreign vehicles?”

Sam rubbed her forehead. “Eh?”

“Fine. Another day,” Jackson said, “but today, you’re learning.”

Buy Link









More About the Author

Chris Ann Yim is a historian and author of the new novel Liaison in Lyudinovo. As the wife of an Army veteran, she holds an appreciation for the relationships between military service members and their families. With a background in the social sciences, she has spent the majority of her life researching military leadership, the psychology of war, and the development of culture in societal groups.

Chris is a cat mom who enjoys Blues Rock and Big Band music, drag racing, and photography. She lives and works out of her home on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, and spends her vacations eating good food and travelling the globe with her husband.

Her claim to fame was once being chosen as a contestant on the Price is Right, and in the future she aspires to go an entire week without tripping over her own feet or spilling a glass of sweet tea down her shirt.

Connect with Chris and her creativity

Author Website: www.chrisannyim.weebly.com

Facebook: Chris Ann Yim- Author

Instagram: @chrisannyim_author

The post INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Chris Ann Yim appeared first on Sara's Desk.

INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Toni Shiloh

Good day, readers! I have an author for you today that I have come to “know” through a couple of venues. One is the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Romance genre Facebook Group and we also are part of another group, Pure Romance Reads and Readers of Pure Romance. I have been watching her books and am eager to learn more!

Welcome to the blog, Toni! It’s so good to have you here. Let’s jump right into the lightning round…

Not every part of the writing process is sunshine and puppy dogs…there’s always something that every author likes less. What part of the writing process do you dread?

I dread the editing process! Once I’m done writing the first draft I’m ready to move on to the next story and the editing process keeps me stuck in the same story.

I can totally relate to this…it gets to where I’m so tired of examining every little word.

I find that authors glean a lot from each other…even just in reading their work. What about you? What are you currently reading?

I have a few books in my immediate TBR pile. Forgiving Tess by Kimberly M. Miller, Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh (a reread for me), The Heart Surrendered by Joy K. Massenburge, and The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey.

You have named a couple of my own favorites – all my readers know I’m a huge Tamara Leigh fan. And I adore Joy K. Massenburge!

What about your process? Is there some particular kind of music you listen to when you write?

It depends on the book. I create a Spotify playlist for each book I write. Usually a mix of country, R&B, and Christian/Gospel music.

It is interesting how many authors do this kind of thing…it has made me rethink my listening. I used to have an instrumental playlist for “writing.” Now, like you, I create one for each book.

One last question before you go – do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?

Right now, I’m writing a Christmas novella. My heroine is returning home after being laid off. As the youngest of 5, she wrestles with feelings of inadequacies. It doesn’t help that her sister is marrying her ex-boyfriend.

Interesting premise. I do enjoy Christmas novellas…I’ll have to keep my eyes open for this one

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Angela Ruth Strong

Welcome, Readers! How are you? I hope you are well. I have this special Wednesday Edition of my blog for you all to enjoy! Author Angela Ruth Strong is with me today sharing about her newest release, A Cuppa Trouble. I am so excited to share this interview and book details with you. As well, Angela is offering a giveaway! Now that I’ve gotten you eager, I’ll get started…

Welcome to my blog, Angela! I’m glad you’re here. First, can you tell us a little about your novel?

A Cuppa
Trouble is book two in my CafFUNated Mysteries. It’s about a tea lover and a
coffee lover who start a shop together and their differences make them the
perfect team for solving mysteries. This book is set at Valentine’s so there’s
a romance thread (or two) as well as a spiritual thread about communication.
I’ve tried to emulate the feel of the television show Psych, so it gets a bit
silly at times, but I’m pretty proud of the suspense at the end. Not your
typical cuppa tea.

Love it! A series with “caffeinated” attached to it? This coffee-lover is tuned in for sure! What was the inspiration for A Cuppa Trouble ?

I love heist
stories, so I really enjoyed researching the real life car jacking and
smuggling rings. A lot of the crazy stories in my book are based on true
events. A ten-year-old really did steal a car. A car jacker really did get
stuffed in the trunk of a car by the car’s owner. Ohio really does have a law
that it’s illegal to leave the keys in your car to let your car warm up in
winter if the doors are unlocked. Some stuff is just too weird for me to have
made up.

As a Historical Fiction/Romance writer, I can attest to that! Fact is often stranger than fiction.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

My mom was a
writer, so I grew up with stories about myself in Women’s World. When I was
sixteen, I wrote about something that had happened to me, and my mom helped me
submit it to a magazine—because that’s what you do, right? They paid me $100,
and it was the easiest money I’d ever made. It hasn’t ever been that easy
since, but it inspired me to go to college for journalism and attend writing
conferences.

Neat. I can’t say, in all the authors I’ve interviewed, that anyone has had a parent writing about them in a magazine

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Tara Johnson

BLURB (Back Cover Copy)

Reluctant debutante Keziah Montgomery lives beneath the weighty expectations of her staunch Confederate family, forced to keep her epilepsy secret for fear of a scandal. As the tensions of the Civil War arrive on their doorstep in Savannah, Keziah sees little cause for balls and courting. Despite her discomfort, she cannot imagine an escape from her familial confines―until her old schoolmate Micah shows her a life-changing truth that sets her feet on a new path . . . as a conductor in the Underground Railroad.

Dr. Micah Greyson never hesitates to answer the call of duty, no matter how dangerous, until the enchanting Keziah walks back into his life and turns his well-ordered plans upside down. Torn between the life he has always known in Savannah and the fight for abolition, Micah struggles to discern God’s plan amid such turbulent times.

Battling an angry fiancé, a war-tattered brother, bounty hunters, and their own personal demons, Keziah and Micah must decide if true love is worth the price . . . and if they are strong enough to survive the unyielding pain of war.

My Review

Well, first of all, this was a fantastic read. It became one of my summer reads because of where it fell in my TBR (to be read) pile. This was not a gentle, slow read, though.

The story whisks you away, starting with the first line! And you are in this world with Keziah, Micah, and the challenges of the historical time. I truly couldn’t put it down.

Johnson’s ability to put words together and express the character’s point of view, while remaining easy to read was spot on.

The main characters are well-developed and come across so. They are definitely the “three-dimensional” characters we all long for. The secondary and minor characters are less filled out, but that is not atypical. Johnson’s focus on the hero and heroine’s development was well-spent. And she did not commit the egregious sin of “weighing the reader down with info dumps” as can be the case when the author spends so much effort on backstory. She continued to move the story along as we see different parts of these characters.

In the end, I really enjoyed the romance, the historical accuracy, and this story of overcoming. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves Clean Historical Romance, or just a well-tailored story in general.

Interview

Welcome to the blog, Tara! Thanks for visiting. We have become a little more familiar with your novel, Engraved on the Heart . Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration for Engraved on the Heart ?

The spark of the idea for Engraved on
the Heart began when our family visited Savannah, Georgia. I was entranced
with the history and charm of the town. Secrets seemed to ooze out of every
corner.

The first spark was ignited by a still
unknown soul. During a historic riding tour of the city, I was intrigued by a
fact rattled off by our tour guide. “Many of the older homes and buildings in
and around Savannah were built by slaves. In fact, if you look closely, you can
find some of their fingerprints in the bricks.”

I walked down the cobblestone streets,
admiring the weeping willows and moss hanging from the towering trees. As I
passed a home, a darkened impression molded into the crumbling brick snagged my
attention. I sucked in a surprised breath over the precious detail. There it
was, staring back at me. The fingerprint of a slave.

I ran my finger over the scarred
impression, marveling that such a small mark could tell such an exquisite
story. Whose hands had formed the old brick? What was his name? What were his
dreams? Running my fingers over that precious print linked me inextricably to
the past, binding an invisible cord between the nameless slave and me.

The next day, we visited the Georgia
State Railroad Museum where I found several books in the gift shop about famous
women of the Civil War. Courageous heroes like Elizabeth Van Lew who fought
against the norms of her culture to give freedom and hope to those trapped in
darkness.

God slowly unfurled a story in my
heart…the tale of a girl who battled epilepsy as a child, just as I did, but
grew to understand her worth in the eyes of a loving God.

Absolutely fascinating. I love how history is telling, but holds so many secrets.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?

No, first I wanted to be a singer, which
is funny because for ten years I was signed with a Christian ministry and
record label. I would imitate everyone from Julie Andrews and Sandi Patty to
Ethel Merman and Mariah Carey. Later, I wanted to be a teacher, then a marine
biologist and later a physical therapist. Writing was never on my radar,
although I was a voracious reader.

What a story! I guess most writers start with being an avid reader. And remain so.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

After traveling for ten years and singing
concerts in churches, prisons and for ladies’ conferences, I was diagnosed with
gastroparesis, which quickly began to limit my ability to sing more than a few
songs at a time. I began blogging about my frustration and the lessons I was
learning. I discovered a beautiful outlet in writing.

A friend suggested I attend the American
Christian Fiction Writers National meeting. I balked, still confused as to why
God would let my voice disappear when it seemed He’d told me He would use it to
bring others to know Him. In my very first ACFW class, the speaker taught us
about every author’s voice, their unique way of spinning words and phrases
together. That’s when God showed me I could have a voice and still not
have a voice. I’ve been writing ever since.

That is beautiful! A voice though you don’t have a voice… Love it!

I’m always learning from others…do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer?

I received two great pieces of advice
early on in my writing career. The first one came from Tamera Alexander. She
said, “Your books are not your babies. They are a product. Never confuse the
two.” It was such a terrific observation. Keeping this distinction in mind
takes the sting out of criticism, and helps me remember my worth has nothing to
do with how well or poorly my latest story is received.

The second piece of advice was, “Villains are always the hero in their own story.” I’ve never forgotten it. This simple thought prevents me from writing cardboard characters. We are all deeply flawed, yearning for significance and desperate for love.

Love both of those nuggets!

Tell us a little about your writing process. Do you have a favorite time of day to write? What about a favorite place?

My favorite time to write is in the
morning or early afternoon, and my favorite place is outside. Always outside,
whether the sun is shining or I’m on my porch watching the rain fall. There is
something so soothing and creatively stimulating about nature.

The outdoors is inspiring for certain!

The question I most often get from people about being an author is “How long does it take you to write a book?” So, let me turn that question on you.

On average it takes me eight to nine months to write a book. That includes research time. I usually spend a month or two just doing research and developing character wounds before I ever begin to write a word.

I, too, have found as I grow as a writer that taking the time to develop the character thoroughly is so valuable.

Thank you, Tara, for being on the blog today and for giving us a peek at your process. Now, I believe it is that time to let the readers delve into your books!

Engraved on the Heart







Enjoy an Excerpt

April 12, 1861

Savannah, Georgia

Don’t fail. Tonight of all nights, don’t fail.

Keziah Montgomery placed her gloved fingers into the waiting hand of the man smiling at her with confident expectation.

Taking a shallow breath against the
corset threatening to crush her ribs in its unyielding grip, she willed her
fluttering stomach to calm and allowed Mr. Watson to lead her into the middle
of the crowded dance floor. A colorful array of bright silks and lace flurried
around her in spinning circles. The thick, sticky air carried the weight of bay
rum and a nauseating mixture of expensive perfumes and rice powder. The din of
chatter and polite laughter choked her dizzying thoughts.

From across the room, she caught Mother’s
penetrating stare. Elsie Montgomery had been adamant Keziah be at her best. No
one must know her shameful secret. The sooner she marry, the
better . . . before her future husband realized what her parents
were so desperate to keep hidden.

Looking up, she smiled into the youthful face of Tate Watson as he cupped his warm hand against her waist, keeping the proper distance between them as the musicians struck up the opening strains of ”The Scenes of Our Childhood”.  She noted the golden stubble lining his jaw, his brown eyes bright. A flush of heat crept up her neck.

She blinked away the grit filming her
vision. It was late into the festivities and the night seemed to drag. Still,
she maintained her pasted-on smile and allowed him to sweep her through the
swirl of spinning couples and blurring faces.

“Are you enjoying the dance?”

Mr. Watson’s lips moved, but it took her
several moments to focus on what he was saying. If only it wasn’t so warm.

“Yes. The Ballingers throw an exquisite
party.”

“Indeed, although I fear all the talk of
impending war may have dampened the festivities to a degree.”

She nodded demurely, though she’d never
admit conversing about the possibility of war was far more interesting than
being forced to make polite niceties to the elite of Savannah’s upper echelon.
Her mother would faint if she allowed her tongue to spill the unladylike
sentiment.

“If war is declared, will you go?”

His eyes glinted, his bearing starched as
he circled her past potted palms, pulling her into the thick of the dancers.
“Without hesitation. It’s my sacred calling and duty to defend the freedoms Mr.
Lincoln is attempting to rip from our way of life. No man worth his salt would
dare flee his duty.”

Keziah pressed her lips tight, unwilling
to say anything further, knowing if she did, she would be unable to stop. The
issues did not seem so starkly cut to her. Instead, she smiled and nodded
again, praying her mother could understand the depths of her desire to please.
She would not mortify her. Not again.

The room suddenly dipped and twisted. Her
breath thinned. Stay upright. Focus.Blinking hard, she realized Mr. Watson was asking her something, though she
didn’t understand what. Alarm flooded her, followed by a frisson of something
indefinable tingling up her spine.

No, God. Please, no. Not here. What will
Mother think?

The prayer had hardly crossed her
thoughts before she plunged into the abyss, the spinning colors collapsing into
merciful blackness.

Where Dandelions Bloom

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she’s discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Matthew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Battling betrayal, their own personal demons, and a country torn apart by war, can Cassie and Gabriel learn to forgive themselves and trust their futures to the God who births hope and healing in the darkest places?

Buy Links

Engraved on the Heart – Amazon

Where Dandelions Bloom – Amazon

More About the Author

Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves.

Tara’s debut novel Engraved on the Heart (Tyndale) earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, as well as numerous other accolades. In addition to be published in a variety of digital and print magazines, she has been a featured guest on Voice of Truth radio, Enduring Word radio, television and podcasts. She is a history nerd, especially the Civil War, and adores making people laugh. She, her husband, and children live in Arkansas.

Connect with Tara and Her Books

Website: www.TaraJohnsonStories.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarajohnsonministry/

Twitter: @TaraMinistry

GIVEAWAY

Tara is offering, for one (1) winner, chosen by Rafflecopter:

Winner’s choice! A paperback copy of Engraved on the Heart, or a paperback or ebook copy of her new release Where Dandelions Bloom.

Please follow the directions on the Rafflecopter to enter. This giveaway is only for those in continental United States.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Tara Johnson appeared first on Sara's Desk.

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Shaen Layle

Welcome, readers! It’s been a little bit since I posted. I’ve been quite busy, rather sick, and then traveling this summer. But I am back today with another author for you to meet–Author Shaen Layle! Shaen is a suspense author and is here today to share about a couple of her works as well as her process. So, I’ll turn it over to Shaen…

Welcome to the blog, Shaen. First, can you tell us a little about your novel?

The back cover blurb says it best