Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 24

GRIEVING

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GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY: Author Gina Holder

My Own Personal Time Machine

(Guest Post by Gina Holder)

I stepped across the damp cobblestone floor. The musty air filled my lungs as I drew a deep breath. I did nothing to hold back the tears. I stood in a place that still to this day the name alone brings a sense of foreboding. Auschwitz.

I love history! I have for as long as I can remember. I have a photo of myself with my hair braided like Laura Ingalls Wilder, one braid on each side of my head, wearing a plain old-fashioned floral dress, and trying to get a ball on a string into a cup. For my 14th birthday, I had an old-fashioned tea party (pictured). I wore a peach Victorian dress borrowed from a friend. Everyone had to wear a hat and we drank tea from china teacups. About that same time, I wanted to join a group who did Civil War reenactments. I remember meeting one of the ladies at the county fair. She said I would make a good Rose, the daughter of Rose O’Neal Greenhow, a confederate spy. I held my wedding reception at the Landon House, a Civil War plantation in Urbana, Maryland, best known for hosting the “Sabers and Roses Ball” in 1862.

Perhaps, I love history because I grew up smack dab in the middle of it. I was born in Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital city. My hometown of Frederick, Maryland, is the burial grounds of Francis Scott Key and Betsy Ross. I grew up within a half-a-day’s drive of historic locations like Gettysburg, Antietam, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Mount Vernon, and Harper’s Ferry. My favorite place to visit was the Rose Hill Manor Park and Children’s Museum, once the retirement home of Thomas Jefferson.

I’ve also visited the Alamo, Plymouth Plantation and the Mayflower, Carnton Plantation in Tennessee, the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, Cades Cove, Tennessee, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, Ford’s Theatre, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy… I’ve seen hieroglyphics, petroglyphs (Indian drawings), the names of the pioneers and covered wagon tracks carved into sheer rock on the Oregon Trail. I’ve walked through the ruins of castles in Europe. I’ve seen blood stains on floorboards in a plantation house-turned-hospital.

When I’m in these places, I imagine what it was like to live there… to see life through the eyes of those who lived so long ago. And although we can visit these historical locations and get a feeling for how things were, it’s impossible to go back in time and experience their lives… or is it?

Historical fiction breathes life into history. It becomes real. It’s your own personal time machine where you can travel to any era or event you want. Of course, most of the characters are fictional, still you can experience life the way they lived it. You can answer Alexander Graham Bell’s first phone call. You can sit in the theatre when Abraham Lincoln was shot. You can catch the first look of shoreline after weeks on a schooner or a merchant ship. You can feel every bump and jostle as you cross the open prairie. You can hear the clang as the gate of Auschwitz closes behind you. You can feel the warmth of a campfire and hear the lowing of the longhorns as they settle down for the night. You can feel the damp chill of a stone castle. You can taste the corn for the very first time that the Indians taught your family to plant. You can go anywhere and any “when.”

My favorite eras are the Civil War (love me some hoop skirts) and the Pioneers (who hasn’t dreamed of crossing the prairie in a covered wagon, right?)

Is it any wonder that with my love for history, my debut novel is a historical romance?

Interview

Welcome to my blog, Gina! It is so good to have you here today. And thanks for the guest post. You have a historical romance friend in me for sure

Fiction Inspired By Life: Grieving

As we approach the holiday season, it is a joyous time for many, but it is also a time of sorrow for others. For some are spending their first holidays without a key member of their family. It will not be easy. Everything about the routines, the traditions, the get-togethers…nothing will be the same. And it’s not fair. Nothing about it is fair.

And so, I find myself sharing about grief again. Only this time, I want to talk about how my own experience with grief has bled into my writing.

A Convenient Risk

One of my latest novels, A Convenient Risk, has a thread of grief and the grieving process running through it. I wrote this novel about a year and a half ago. At that time, I was only somewhat acquainted with grief. I had experienced the loss of four grandparents (all of whom I was very, very close to). And I had said an eternal farewell to a close friend who drowned at the age of 19.

I’ll be honest, as a empathetic personality, grief has always been a struggle for me. I have never done well with the process and moving on from it. Until I started going to a counselor. But this is all another post for another time. Which, I promise, I will get into. But this is where I was.

Amanda

The lead female character in A Convenient Risk, Amanda, loses her husband in the first scene of the novel. And, in this time period, the late 1800’s, there are not many options open to a woman, especially one who must support a child (which she does). So, she has to find stability for she and her son. When a decent offer of marriage comes along, she is hard pressed to take it.

In this book, Amanda struggles through her grief in finding new normal, in the fact she has a new marriage. She is also challenged in the area of belief in a heavenly Father who could love her. This makes her journey even harder.

Here is an excerpt from the novel:

Cold. The air whipping her hair chilled her face, but it couldn’t touch her heart. That was already lost. Was this all she would ever feel? Perhaps that’s what she deserved.

A small hand pulled at her skirt. Samuel. She couldn’t forget him. He deserved better. More than what life had dealt him. Leaning down, she swept him into her arms and held him to her chest. If only there were some semblance of warmth there for him. It couldn’t be helped.

“Don’t cry, Mama.” His tiny voice broke through the silence. Small hands framed her face. “Pa’s in heaven, right?”

Nodding at her son with his simple faith, she set her forehead on his, closing her eyes so he couldn’t see her tears.

Movement to her left gave her pause. But she dare not look. Probably another well-meaning friend come to comfort her. A face among many.

“They need to start.” It was Reverend Mason.

Men with their shovels clanging fell into step behind him. Why now? Could she just have a few more minutes before time continued? Before the inevitable swept her along?

“Ma’am?” The preacher’s voice was kind, but insistent.

Didn’t he know her world was falling apart? That nothing would ever be the same? That she had lost the only one who ever knew…who ever understood…

A hand fell upon her arm, and she did not try to resist as the reverend tugged at her, pulling her away from the graveside.

She snuggled Samuel closer to her chest, placing a hand behind his head and pressing his little face into the crook of her neck. He didn’t need to see. No, she couldn’t let him see as the two men scooped dirt onto his father’s casket.

“Mama, you’re hurting me,” came the muffled little voice.

She loosened her grip. And guilt slammed into her—she had caused enough pain, enough grief. No more. And certainly not for Samuel. He was everything.

“The next few days will be hard, Mrs. Haynes. Don’t expect anything different. You will have to find a new normal. Life as you knew it is gone.”

Amanda nodded numbly as she pressed a kiss to the side of Samuel’s head. New normal. What did that mean? What was normal? Her husband had been ill for near three months. She had watched him waste away. And her child watched his father suffer until death released him.

Shouldn’t they welcome a new normal? But Amanda would give anything to have Jed back. Not to hear his voice, or feel his arms one more time, but to know that everything was going to be all right. Was that selfish? Because right now, the future looked grim. How was she to care for Samuel? For herself? For the ranch?

~ Turnquist, Sara R. (2017)

Some things that come to light for me from this passage are how many emotions come through in grief: sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, bitterness, regret… We also remember good times, which brings us something akin to bittersweetness. And happiness that is laced with pain. (Not that Amanda in this scene has any semblance of that.)

It is true…

But it is true also that life does go on. She has to care for Samuel. She has to find a way to live. That is one of the harder things about grieving. Especially for those of us in a position of responsibility – we have to return to work, we have to wake up and take care of the kids, classes and homework wait for us. Bills and taxes still have to be paid. As much as we wish the world would stop for us to just pause and let ourselves go, it won’t. So we have to find the moments, make the time.

And, in those times, lean into the grief and not turn from it. Let it wash over us.

So we can then begin to heal.

The post Fiction Inspired By Life: Grieving appeared first on Sara's Desk.

INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Emerald Barnes

Hello, all! I have an author on today who I met through the Clean Reads Publishing family. It really does feel a bit like a family, all of us authors who have published with Clean Reads. We help each other with marketing tips, answer each other’s questions, give each other recommendations and tips on where to get stuff printed, what blog tour service was worth the money, and so on and so forth. I have enjoyed being a part of this group.

Back to my guest. Emerald Barnes is the author of the Knight’s Academy Series and is here to share with us about the newest book in that series, The Hunted. So, without any further rambling from me, I’ll jump right in.

Hello, Emerald. Thanks for being on my blog today. First, can you tell us a little about your novel.

My novel, The Hunted, is the second book in the Knight’s Academy series, and it follows Myka after she’s found out the meaning of her birthmark and the truth of the Knight’s Academy. She’s on the run from the vicious vampires who want her, and she finally discovers the truth of who she is.

Such an interesting and unique story! What was the inspiration for The Hunted?

My novel, the entire series actually, was inspired by a dream I had where a vampire saved a human from being a captive, which was probably inspired by Twilight and The Vampire Academy series.

Hmmm…I do dream about my genre and I know I think in the dream “this would be a good story”, but I don’t often remember enough of the dream to capture it

WALKING THROUGH GRIEF

Hello, again. I hope you have gleaned something from my thoughts and experience with depression. It is time, I feel, to turn to another biggie that is difficult (if not impossible) to overcome. I would, in fact, argue that you never overcome grief…you walk through it.

The thing about grief is that we all go through it. At some point in your life, someone you care about has died, or someone close to you is going to die. It is inevitable. That is why they say “death is just a part of life”. It is.

One of the hardest things when that loved one passes(in my opinion) is that the world goes right on turning. Everyone else will go to work the next day, the kids will go to school, and everyone else carries on as if your world has not come to screeching halt. Because life moves on. And, eventually, yours will too. BUT…it will never be the same. You will have to find NEW NORMAL. A new state of being without that person.

Don’t bog yourself down with trying to find whatever balance you had before. You will NEVER get there. When you are ready to pick yourself up, it is time to focus on new normal and what that looks like for you. It will be different for everyone. Even for everyone who lost that person. Hopefully, as you grieve together, you can find your unique new normals together.

When people think about grieving, their first thought is the stages of grief. And these are well laid out, typical stages that people go through. But there are some misconceptions. A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the stages of grief and my experience at that point with those stages. You can find that post HERE. Glean whatever you can from my findings and let it facilitate your journey.

But know that it (your journey) will not look like mine.

Or like anyone else’s.

And that’s okay.

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INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

Welcome back! I have the privilege of hosting author Carrie Fancett Pagels today. If you are anything like me and have enjoyed the Barbour Collections, you may recognize her name from some of those wonderful books. I “met” Carrie through the ACFW Historical Fiction Facebook page.

If you are writing and would like to be involved in a group that has monthly online classes, has a place where you can be held accountable for daily word counts or editing, join online critique groups, or connect with other writers/authors in your genre, ACFW is a great organization to check out. Their annual conference as well, is just phenomenal! But let me turn the spotlight back on Carrie and dive right in.

Welcome to my blog, Carrie. First, can you tell us a little about your novel.

My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring is set in 1895 on beautiful Mackinac Island, in the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan.

My genre is historical romance/fiction both to read and write. So, I’m thrilled to hear more about your novel. Care to share the more historically significant events behind your story?

The story is not really set against “big events” but part of the backdrop is the nature of Yellow Journalism and Gilded Age lies in romance—where both men and women are pursuing wealthy spouses. In my story, Mark Twain makes an appearance, and he really did come to the Grand Hotel, where my story is set, that summer. Also, the Round Island Lighthouse really was constructed that year in the Straits of Mackinac by Mackinac Island. By the way, I am now under contract for a story set at the Round Island Lighthouse!

One of the questions I get asked most often is “where do you get your inspiration?”. It just fascinates people. And I’m no exception. I love hearing from other authors and where their inspiration comes from. What was the inspiration for My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring?

Oh my! I grew up not far from there and worked on the island when I was sixteen. I’ve returned many times since. I was a psychologist for twenty-five years and one summer, my friend Rosemary, whose family was from the island, gave me her own personal tour. One of the places we stopped was at the Windermere Hotel, the inspiration for Maude’s Winds of Mackinac. I’d had a story in my head for years.

Wow! What a neat, personal touch! So, did you always want to be a writer?

I did want to be a writer when I was a kid. I was a book devourer.

I’m also intrigued by what other authors consume. Never a bad idea to get a good recommendation

OVERCOMING DEPRESSION: Thoughts and Helps

I want to start this post off by saying that there is no “prescription” for “how to overcome depression”. The recovery from depression is different for everyone. But there are some things that seem common between most people and things that were a huge help to me. So, I have decided to “talk” through a few of those things in hopes that someone out there may find similar help from some of these things.

First, let me tell you that there is nothing, nothing, nothing you did to cause clinical depression. It is a chemical imbalance in your brain. There may be contributing factors, but the cause is something biological. Nor, do I believe that depression is a sign that you are “not a good Christian” or that “God is punishing you”. The Bible just does not teach that.

A few things that can help ward off the recurrence of depression and help in the recovery process are:

ensure good social support – a strong support system can work for you in a couple of ways

they can help identify when your mood is dropping before it “bottoms out”
they can assist with your care and help be a sounding board for you
they help you know you are loved and cared for when intrusive thoughts tell you otherwise (help you combat the lies with truth)


get sufficient rest/sleep – this one is self-explanatory, but one thing to note is that sometimes depressed individuals aren’t actually getting quality sleep though they may be getting plenty of it
cut down on less important responsibilities, but do NOT give up things that feed your soul

delegate what you can, when you can
maintain quality time with friends, hobbies, etc…the things that make you feel alive


get timely mental health care

this means counseling and medical care
the sooner you reach out, the better and more likely you will stave off a deeper depression



Now, let’s get practical…

When I was in the recovery process, some things that really helped me were:

taking my thoughts captive

you know that those intrusive thoughts only make things worse
2 Corinthians 10:5 – We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
pray about the thought
tell someone about it – the thought only has power over you as long as it is secret
think on something pleasant (Philippians 4:8)


make a playlist of music that spoke to me in this season and edified me
spend time in the Bible

the only way to combat lies is with truth


monitor my expectations

“expectations are pre-meditated miseries” ~ unknown
your expectations, or holding on hard to your expectations of yourself, your life, etc, sets you up for failure; expectations are not bad, as long as you are realistic and flexible with them


know the truth that you are not alone

1 in every 5 Americans has first hand experience with depression, bipolar disorder, or another mood disorder


setting up something for myself to do each day and doing it

no matter that I didn’t FEEL like it, or didn’t really want to, I made myself do things I used to enjoy, get out, see friends, etc.


set a routine up and followed it

having a basic routine is key and when I mean basic, I mean BASIC
get out of bed, shower, brush teeth, put on clean clothes, etc.

These are just a few of the things that helped me. The more practical ones. Out of my season of depression, I have written over 130 individual devotionals. I do hope one day to get them compiled and published. My heart hurts for those who are in this darkness and struggling for a glimpse of light. I have been there. And I would be lying to say that every day is a good day since. But the days are much better, brighter. And I can embrace the hope that I could, at that time, only name.

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Overcoming Depression

The post Overcoming Depression appeared first on Sara's Desk.

SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: Author Lucie Ulrich’s “Finding Hope”

Hello, all! Here is another Clean Reads author, Lucie Ulrich, sharing about her latest release and offering a GIVEAWAY!!! (Giveaway details are below.) The book on spotlight today is Book 2 in The Cooper Family Series. So, let me step out of the way and let you check out the book!

Finding Hope

Nearly sixteen years after relinquishing the rights to his unborn child, Noah Cooper is stunned to discover his daughter, Hope, wants to meet him. With the love and support of his family, Noah sets off from Elk Flats, Montana to Albany, New York, having no idea what changes are in store for him.

Cancer survivor and widow, Beth Peterson, is more than a little nervous to meet her daughter’s birth father. Their initial meeting goes well, but things decline in a hurry when Noah invites Hope to spend time at the ranch without speaking to Beth about it first.

Determined to meet her new family, a battle of wills ensues between Hope and her mother. While Hope longs for a connection, Beth fears losing her daughter to virtual strangers—strangers who live two thousand miles away.

Struggles and misunderstandings abound between Noah and Beth, despite their growing attraction for one another. Noah is ready to commit, while Beth can’t let go of the memory of her husband and the imperfections cancer has forced her to live with.

Will hope, patience, and prayer be enough to pull this family together?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Over dinner Hope chatted on about school, her dreams to become a veterinarian, and the school play she was taking part in. “I have a really good part. Do you think you could come back to see me, Noah?”

“As much as I’d like to, I’m not sure I could get away so soon.”

“Honey, that’s a lot to ask. The play is only a month away, and Noah doesn’t exactly live across town.”

“Sure.” Hope swirled the mashed potatoes on her plate with her fork. “I understand.”

The downward bent of Hope’s mouth tore at Noah’s insides. He’d barely made contact and was already letting her down. He swallowed his final bite of meat. “Maybe you could spend some time at the ranch over the summer.”

Hope’s frown quickly turned to a face-splitting grin. “That would be amazing. I can’t wait to tell Jenny.”

Fire practically shot from Beth’s eyes, and Noah knew he’d put his foot in it big time.

****

Beth asked Hope to clear the table and clean the kitchen. “I’m going to show Noah the garden. We’ll have dessert when we come back.”

“Sure, Mom.”

“The garden’s this way.” Beth walked past Noah toward the sliding glass door. She opened it with more force than necessary, causing the door to slam into its metal casing. Cringing at the racket, she was less forceful with the screen.

Noah followed her onto the deck. “Look, I know I spoke—”

“Not here.” She descended the stairs at a brisk pace and walked across the yard until she reached the gazebo. The walk and cool air did nothing to calm her nerves. Spinning around, she faced him. “You had no right to extend an invitation like that without speaking to me first.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. The words just came out before I had a chance to think about what I was saying.”

“Yeah, well, sorry isn’t going to help when I have to tell Hope she won’t be going. I opened my home to you so that you could meet your daughter, not for you to whisk her away at the first opportunity.”

He held up his hands. “Whisk her away? No, you’ve got it all wrong. I expect you to come with her. Hope has other family, which means you do, too. I think she’d enjoy a couple of weeks of ranch life, and you’re both going to love my family.”

“You assume a lot for someone who’s barely known me for twenty-four hours and my daughter half that amount of time. And, yes, I did say my daughter. You may have fathered her, but I raised her.”

“That’s a low blow, Beth.” Noah’s easy smile vanished. He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. The mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes pained her. She knew she was overreacting but couldn’t help herself. He was moving too fast. Surely he realized that. “I think it might be best if you don’t stay for dessert. I’ll explain to Hope.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that my enthusiasm may have gotten the better of me.” He uncrossed his arms and pointed to her. “But you’re the one who invited me into Hope’s life. You asked if I was in for the long-haul, so I assumed you understood I’d want to bring Hope to Montana from time to time.”

“It’s too early for this to be about what you want.”

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amazon.com/dp/B071D8LFX6

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-hope-lucie-ulrich/1126230185?ean=2940157307264

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/finding-hope-26

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/finding-hope/id1225485559?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/718348

In case you missed the first book, The Rose Ring

With a will that reads like a piece of fiction, the return of his long-lost brother, and the possibility of losing the family ranch, Micah Cooper calls on high school friend, Sky Baxter, to bail him out of a bad situation.

Though her brain tells her no, Sky’s heart says yes. She accepts Micah’s in-name-only proposal, knowing it’s unlikely anything permanent will come of it. She’s been in love with him since the ninth grade, and if he hasn’t figured it out by now, there’s little chance he ever will.

When an unexpected kiss ignites a spark, giving Micah hope for a possible future with Sky, a tragic accident threatens to take it all away. Torn between following his heart, doing the right thing, and forgiving the past, Micah is lost in a whirlwind of pain and emotions. Will he make it through the next two years, or will a long-kept family secret be the undoing of all of the Cooper Family?

Find it on Amazon or other online retailers

About the Author

Lucie Ulrich is an award-winning author of inspirational fiction. Her books are filled with stories of faith, family and forgiveness. She was honored to receive a RONE Award for her second novel, “The Rose Ring.”

A former performing arts director, Lucie now enjoys going on photo shoots with her husband, and taking long (or short) road trips. She continues to find inspiration as she and her husband explore the four corners of the United States.

Connect with Lucie and her books

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucieUlrich

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lucie-Ulrich/e/B00K6NC2H0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1491669701&sr=8-2-ent

Website: http://lucieulrich.com/

GIVEAWAY!!!

Lucie Ulrich is offering an e-copy of “The Rose Ring” and “Finding Hope” to a single winner. The winner will be selected at random from those who comment on this post. Entries (comments) for the contest will be accepted for the giveaway until November 2, 2017 at 11:59 pm (CST). Please feel free to share your thoughts on the post or answer this question:

If a secret from your past showed up in the present would you embrace it or run from it?

The post SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: Author Lucie Ulrich’s “Finding Hope” appeared first on Sara's Desk.

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Kinsey Corwin

Hello! Here I am with author Kinsey Corwin. I met Kinsey through my publishing company Clean Reads and invited her on to talk about her new release, What if We Break. This Holiday themed short novel seems to be just what the season ordered. I, myself, am eager to learn more about it. Kinsey has also offered a Kindle e-copy of the book as a giveaway (see below for details on how to enter). So, without further ado, let’s check in with Kinsey.

Welcome to my blog, Kinsey. First, can you tell us a little about your novel.

What if We Break is the story of an estranged married couple. Dakota and Kreed Bryant have faced some tragedies that drove them apart. When two of their closest friends get married, they have to face each other and the things that drove them apart.

Oohh…interesting. Sounds like a good set up.

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I wrote on and off in my teens. But didn’t realize I wanted to write until after my children were born.

So similar to my story…I totally get it. What did you want to be when you were a child?

When I was younger, I really wanted to be a marine biologist or an artist like Robert Wyland. His art fascinated and inspired me.

True story…my degree is in biology. And I worked in a zoo for 15 years, teaching, while I continued to write. I have a real passion for wildlife and wild places, but the lure of the muse kept pulling me.

Now, I know we all enjoy many things about the process (or else we wouldn’t be writing, right?), but there are things we don’t necessarily like. What part of the writing process do you dread?

Plotting. I’m such a fly by the seat of my pants kind of writer, but it sometimes causes serious plot issues. So I’m trying to learn to be a little better about plotting, which has been really hard.

By nature, I am a “pantser” too, but I have become a “plantser” as I call it. I plot out/develop my characters and their arcs before I start writing. Then I pants everything else. It seems to help.

I am forever gleaning what I can from other writers. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer?

Devour the authors you love, in your genre out of your genre. If you love them, read them. There is much to be learned from the authors we turn to when we want to escape for a little bit. The books you read and aren’t fond of…learn from them as well. What didn’t you like? What worked? What would you do differently? Take classes and workshops. Delve into some craft books, keep them handy for reference when you are struggling. Surround yourself with a good support system. And remember that even struggles will get you closer to achieving your publishing dreams. As they say…Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your novel and writing career won’t be either.

Good advice! I like it! Speaking of which…what are you currently reading?

Right now I’m really enjoying the Hawk Elite series by Beth Rhodes. I’m on the second book, Strike Fear, and anxiously looking forward to more.

To get in my writing head space, I often have to “set the mood”. That includes music for me. What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?

Music in my house is almost always on country, even when I’m writing. When the muse demands something else, it is usually along the lines of The Chainsmokers, Twenty One Pilots, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, or P!nk. And if I’m really in a music pickle, I rely on my niece to provide me with a list of go to tunes that they are listening to.

What else helps you set the mood? Do you have a favorite time of day to write?

I love to write in the morning. It seems to be when I have the least distractions. Sadly, I don’t get the opportunity to do so often because I still work a day job.

What about a favorite place?

I love to write from my couch or at a local coffee joint (such a typical author response it seems). When I am visiting my parents, I love to sit in their backyard and write.

I have a really nice set up at home, too, but I seem to think better at the local coffee shop too.

Something that always intrigues non-writers is the creative process and how long it takes. So for you, how long does it take to write a book?

Writing my books tend to take anywhere from a month to a year depending on the genre and how detailed the book is.

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

Yes. I am currently working on the second book in the Serendipity series. It follows Justice Morgan, who readers are introduced to in What if We Break. She hasn’t had the easiest life and really feels like she is unlucky when it comes to the opposite sex.

Thanks for sharing. And thanks for being on my blog today! I am excited to share more about Kinsey’s book, so I will go ahead and step out of the way (proverbially), and give you a chance to check it out!

 

What if We Break

Sometimes the holidays can be complicated…

Dakota Bryant has had more than her share of heartache, especially around the holidays. With her best friend’s wedding quickly approaching and her estranged husband in the wedding party, she’s not likely to catch a break. Hopefully she can survive the Christmas week with her heart and sanity still intact.

War and loss left Kreed Bryant a shell of the man he once was. Returning home for the holidays to play his role as best man to his closest friend is simple. Facing his biggest challenge… setting things right with the one woman he vowed to move Heaven and Earth for is a lot more complicated.

To find their way back to the love they once had, they will have to be honest about who they are and learn that every journey to happiness is not easy or without heartache.

Enjoy an Excerpt

This is an encounter between Kreed and Dakota towards the beginning of the story. One of the reasons I love this so much is because for me, it gives a very small glimpse into the push and pull that exists between these two.

Kreed tapped Chase on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in?”

“Sorry, this little lady is spoken for.” Chase wrapped her in a bear hug. “And I don’t think her husband would appreciate it.”

Dakota laughed and wrestled her way out of Chase’s grasp. She looked at him, her eyes wary. “You can cut in. But I have a condition. Don’t spoil it. No talking.”

Thankful for the small reprieve in her desire to run from him, Kreed pretended to zip his lips as he pulled her into his arms. A Christmas tree was nestled in the corner next to the jukebox and multi-colored strands of lights were strung overhead. He remembered the bar looking almost the same the night he told her they would be relocating to a base outside of the only home she’d ever known. He ended up losing so much more than he’d ever imagined while serving his country. The music pumped through the speakers playing a song he was quite familiar with. The lyrics talked about sitting in darkness with a broken heart and every word rang through to his core. Fitting that it was the song he and Dakota would dance to. He pulled her closer as they moved to the music. Her body pressed against his as they let the music take them away.

“Careful, we might pick up right where we left off,” he murmured against her ear as he slid his arms around her waist.

“Shhh…you agreed no talking.”

“I know.” He sighed. “But this…we were always good at being in the moment. We used to be good at a lot of things.”

He spun her out of his arms then drew her back in.

“I know.” She laid her head against his shoulder.

Kreed laughed. “One day at a time.”

“Things didn’t work out so well for us last time. Too much unsaid between us. And what we did say…”

Cut deep. Not one of his finer moments.

She let out a slow shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this tonight.”

Dakota slid out from his arms, hurried to the bar, gathered her purse and was gone before he could fight his way through the crowd.

Buy Link

Amazon: http://a.co/e1ojXGe

More about the Author

Author. Hopeless romantic. Overall mess.

That sums Kinsey Corwin up in a nutshell. But, if you would like a little bit more info on her, she was born in San Antonio, lived in the Southwest most of her life with a brief stint in Panama and California during her childhood. The majority of that time has been among the glitz and glam of Neon Lights known as Las Vegas, until recently when she relocated to a small college town in Southern Utah.

She loves baseball, has an obsession with the Boston Red Sox although she’s never been to the East Coast, and she had a real ugly cry going when Big Papi retired.

Connect with Kinsey and her books

Website: http://kinseycorwin.com/

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/kinseycorwin

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kinsey-corwin

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kinsey-Corwin/e/B01FNE9DMI

Newsletter: http://kinseycorwin.us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7b4f60d4a927342562db64929&id=cb4773c4ee

Giveaway

Okay, giveaway time. Kinsey has generously offered a Kindle e-copy of What if We Break to one person, randomly drawn from the individuals who comment on the post. You may comment on the interview or answer this question:

What is your favorite author?

The post INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Author Kinsey Corwin appeared first on Sara's Desk.