Amy R. Anguish's Blog, page 17

Behind the Story: Ty Dunne

Oh, Ty. He has to be one of my favorite characters ever. I hope you feel the same way after reading Window of the Heart.
Ty Dunne is the fifth generation of Dunnes in our story. Sixth if you count Uncle Patrick from Window of Opportunity, which you most definitely should. But Ty isn't quite living up to the potential his family sees in him. At least, not in the marriage potential.
The generations before him all married in their early twenties, but here is almost 28. He may have been allowed to move into the old family house, but will he get to stay there if he doesn't change his single status? Gran Nancy isn't so sure he should. Ty is creative, but stuck working in the office for his dad's contracting business. And while he doesn't hate his job, it isn't what he dreams of.
He's not very organized. Which tends to make him late more often than not. And his hair is a bit shaggier than some people like it.
But Ty has one thing going for him. He has a big heart. Honestly, he probably acts with his heart more than his head most of the time.
Maybe all of this is why he and Lennox keep butting heads. He's best man and she's maid of honor, but other than that, they don't have much in common. Not that he isn't willing to change that status too...
Ready to get to know Ty? Great news! We're just over a week until release and we're on pre-order now. Grab your kindle copy now and save a dollar! Window of the Heart​

Lennox Malone may not believe in love, but she’s determined to do the best job she can as her friend Sara Beth’s maid of honor. Problem is, the man in charge of fixing up the chapel doesn’t match her determination. Fighting against preconceived notions, a past that catches up to her, and an attraction she wants nothing to do with, this wedding is turning into more than she can handle.
Ty Dunne might be laid back and easy-going, but he’s determined to make sure the chapel is ready for his cousin’s wedding. Not only is it his duty as best man, but he wants to preserve the family’s history in the building. If only he could live up to his family’s other expectations—or those of Lennox Malone, the fiery redhead he can’t stop thinking about. Before he can go any further with her, though, he has to convince her that love is real and worth the risk.
Lennox has built her walls high and sturdy, but Ty is determined to find a way in—even if it’s a window. Maybe the history of the chapel itself along with the romance of a wedding will help.

Behind the Story: Lennox

Time to meet some of the characters from my new story, Window of the Heart.
Lennox Malone is ... FIERCE. I don't know if there's a better word for her than that. She has worked her way out of a rough background, fought her way into a job she loves, and she isn't going back.
Definitely not for something like love. As if such a thing exists! Not in her opinion. She's seen too many examples of people who did stupid things for love only to have it come back to bite them. She wants nothing to do with it herself, thank you very much.
Only one problem with this. Her best friend Sara Beth is getting married. And Sara Beth has asked Lennox to be the maid-of-honor.
Even though Lennox doesn't believe in love, she knows Sara Beth does, and Lennox would do anything for the girl who basically saved her in high school. Even go along with all the falderal of a wedding. Though she really isn't sure that chapel is going to be ready in time. Not with Ty Dunne in charge of repairs. Why does he have to be the best man?
Anyway, Lennox has her armor on. She's going to go in, get Sara Beth married, and then never have to think about love or marriage or Ty Dunne ever again. 
Or at least, that's the plan... What do you think? Ready to get to know Lennox? Well, we're just two weeks away! And the kindle version is on pre-order now! ​Lennox Malone may not believe in love, but she’s determined to do the best job she can as her friend Sara Beth’s maid of honor. Problem is, the man in charge of fixing up the chapel doesn’t match her determination. Fighting against preconceived notions, a past that catches up to her, and an attraction she wants nothing to do with, this wedding is turning into more than she can handle.
Ty Dunne might be laid back and easy-going, but he’s determined to make sure the chapel is ready for his cousin’s wedding. Not only is it his duty as best man, but he wants to preserve the family’s history in the building. If only he could live up to his family’s other expectations—or those of Lennox Malone, the fiery redhead he can’t stop thinking about. Before he can go any further with her, though, he has to convince her that love is real and worth the risk.
Lennox has built her walls high and sturdy, but Ty is determined to find a way in—even if it’s a window. Maybe the history of the chapel itself along with the romance of a wedding will help.

Behind the Story: Stained Glass

Picture this:
A lonely almost-seventeen-year-old, broken-hearted over having to move right before senior year. Her Dad walks her into the new church building, and points to the front. "Check that out."
The glass sparkles and glistens from sunlight shooting through the multi-colored glass. And a piece of that girl--my--heart fell in love.
So much so, that I timed my wedding to happen when I knew that window would be sparkling like crazy. It was at 4:45 pm on June 11. And God made sure it was gorgeous that day.
Fast forward to 2018. I'm at a writers' retreat for the first time, and I meet Heather Greer, Erin Howard, and Regina Merrick. And my life is never the same. That same trip, I discover the chapel hidden in Montgomery Bell State Park with its beautiful stained-glass windows. You know I'm a sucker for stained glass now.
Needless to say, when those girls started talking about doing a series all together the next year, and we talked about where to set it, having a chapel with a stained-glass window was a no brainer. 
Here we are. Two of the books have already released and mine will in a few weeks. The stained-glass window is in place, sparkling and showing off. And I think you're going to love how it's featured in all our stories.
Do you love stained glass? Do love books that have something like a window or chapel or other "landmark" that is featured in each story? What are you hoping to see happen in this chapel in my book? ​Lennox Malone may not believe in love, but she’s determined to do the best job she can as her friend Sara Beth’s maid of honor. Problem is, the man in charge of fixing up the chapel doesn’t match her determination. Fighting against preconceived notions, a past that catches up to her, and an attraction she wants nothing to do with, this wedding is turning into more than she can handle.
Ty Dunne might be laid back and easy-going, but he’s determined to make sure the chapel is ready for his cousin’s wedding. Not only is it his duty as best man, but he wants to preserve the family’s history in the building. If only he could live up to his family’s other expectations—or those of Lennox Malone, the fiery redhead he can’t stop thinking about. Before he can go any further with her, though, he has to convince her that love is real and worth the risk.
Lennox has built her walls high and sturdy, but Ty is determined to find a way in—even if it’s a window. Maybe the history of the chapel itself along with the romance of a wedding will help.

Writing Together

Writing can be a lonely job.
At least that's what they say. I've not really discovered it to be so because I've pretty much had someone come alongside me through my whole journey. The last few years, I've had an extra special relationship with Heather Greer and Erin Howard, getting together several times a year to hang out, write, edit, and lift each other up. We also have a constant message thread going.
I've had a few friends close by who are willing to get together every so often too. But one of them moved away and the other had a baby, so we haven't been able to meet as much.
And I've been so busy this last year, it's been hard for me to meet with anyone as often as I like.
Well, a few months ago, I went to a local author signing event at a bookshop in town. I wanted to meet one of the authors there who I knew through social media. And while there, I also met another local author, and she invited me to a group she'd started of other Christian authors in the area.
I tried it out a few months later, and I'm hooked. It's not that I'm learning a ton from them. I've been doing this for so long now, it's not that there's nothing else I can learn. It's just that I'm farther on the journey than a lot of these authors.
But it's the camaraderie of it. Spending time with people who understand. Who know what it feels like to have that itch to write something down. To have characters speak to you. And it's so nice to just be around people who get it.
They may say writing is a lonely occupation, but I'm not sure I agree. I have so many groups of authors I interact with online and now in person. And it's a wonderful community. I feel so blessed to be a part of it.
What do you think? Do you have a group of people who understand you more than others? Do you keep your "people" nearby to help you as you journey through life?

Author Interview: Lori DeJong

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to a brand-new author. I was blessed to be her content editor for her first book baby, which released last week! I think you're going to love getting to know Lori DeJong as well as learning about her story.
Lori, congrats on your first release! How long has it taken you to get to this point in your writing career and are there any lessons you can share with us that you learned along the journey?
​
Thank you so much! This has been a long-time dream come true. I actually started writing a couple of years before I joined a national writers’ organization in 2002. That’s when I realized writing was more than putting words on paper. It’s a craft that has to be studied and honed. I learned a lot over the next several years. Then in 2009, my husband was laid off and we went through a long time of upheaval trying to get back on track financially. God showed up in big ways during that trial by fire, but one of the things that was laid aside was my writing. I didn’t start up again until late 2019 and joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) in January of 2020, just before Covid closed everything down. I was stunned at how different things were in the writing world after being away for so long and decided I would spend that first year back educating myself. The silver lining of Covid was that many conferences, workshops, and writers’ retreats were held virtually, and at a much lower cost, so I was able to learn a lot. It was in an online writers’ course that Love’s True Calling was born. I honestly never planned to write it. But by the time I was through with the course, I really loved this story and felt compelled to write it. It went on to win the Scrivenings Press Novel Starts Contest in 2020 and the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance in 2022. The biggest lesson I think I’d share is to never give up. Never. I wish I could get that decade back that I didn’t write, but it was always in the back of my head. I think I always knew I’d get back to it.
Having been blessed to be your content editor, I know your story better than some others. What inspired you to write a second-chance romance, a romance where characters have been separated for a while and then brought back together?

Thank you for all the valuable feedback you gave me as my content editor!
For this online course I mentioned above, I had to come up with a character and their motivation, then plot a novel based on why they want (motivation) what they want (goal). That’s how I came up with Harper, who was motivated by her need for validation. But being a romance writer, I needed a guy, so that’s how Wyatt came to be, who’s motived by the need for atonement for the guilt he carries at not being able to prevent a tragedy in his youth. I wanted these two to have a history that they bring with them into the story, so I made them childhood best friends whose paths took drastically different directions as they grew older. The first scene in the book is the first time they’ve seen each other since a heartbreaking event that happened eleven years before.
 
Your characters work in a really neat organization that helps youth develop a greater faith and stronger relationships when they might not fit in otherwise. Is this based on a real organization? Where did you get the idea?

I was a YoungLife leader in college, so ConnectUP in my books (series of three) is very loosely based on that, only much smaller. It’s a student ministry not connected to any one church or youth group that focuses on kids that don’t necessarily know Jesus personally and may be looking in all the wrong places to find their value.
 
I know you're working on your second and third books in the series. Can you give us any sneak peeks?

Sure thing. Book Two, Love’s True Home, (June 2024) is Ally and Zane’s story. She yearns for roots in American soil after being raised on several different foreign mission fields while he craves adventure, especially if it involves a foreign mission assignment. As they work together to launch more ConnectUP clubs, they start to fall in love. But when he finds his place in a foreign mission, she has to decide if she shares his calling or has to walk away to let him be all God wants him to be.
Book Three, Love’s True Measure, (June 2025) tells the story of Hunter and Shannon. She was raised in a wealthy family by a workaholic father and a mother who put her value in their position. Shannon knows her true value lay in who God says she is, not in her family name and works in ConnectUP as a ministry volunteer. Young, bright, attorney Hunter Cavanaugh considers his status to be the measure of who he is as a man. Suddenly the guardian of his fourteen-year-old half-sister, his 80-hour work weeks become a thing of the past. He’s grateful when his pretty neighbor steps in to help him with his grief-stricken sister, and he finds himself curious about the things Alexis is learning at ConnectUP about Christ. But when he’s tasked by his superiors to do something less than ethical with the promise of all he’s worked so hard for, will he measure his worth by man’s standards or God’s? And will Shannon be able to leave the ghosts of her past behind to help a young girl seeking her own value in a new world?
 
What is it about romance that made you choose that as your genre to write?

I love a happy ending. It’s honestly that simple. But that’s also the challenge in writing romance. A reader of romance knows when they pick up a book pretty much how it’s going to end. At least that the characters will end up together even if they don’t know how. It’s the “how” that the writer has to make interesting. The journey the characters take from the beginning to their happily ever after has to be compelling enough to keep the reader engaged. And hopefully pick up your next book.
 
Your book deals with a few tough topics, like alcoholism, abuse, suicide, and even the loss of a child. It definitely put me through all the feels. Was it hard to include such hard topics in the more lighthearted setting of romance?

It was. Teen suicide is epidemic in this country. Wyatt’s own experience with this is what’s compelled him to minister to kids, to hopefully help them find their way to a God who values and loves them without question or condition. Teenage abuse is also more common than most people realize, with young girls being abused by their boyfriends and not knowing how to get out. That’s Harper’s backstory. Those were really the only tough topics I’d planned for the book when I plotted it out for my online course. But as I started writing, the characters revealed new things to me that deepened their motivations and colored the way I wrote them. I love when that happens, though. As a discovery writer (fancy speak for writing by the seat of your pants), there are often times my characters will reveal something in the middle of a scene that I didn’t know beforehand.
 
Last but not least, can you please share with us one fact about yourself that very few people know?
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Hmm. This one’s difficult because I’m a pretty simple person. And kind of an open book (pun intended). So I’m not sure if there’s anything very interesting. Haha! The only fun fact that comes to mind is I was the baseball announcer at my small college back in the early 80’s. It was kind of a big thing at the time because I was the first female announcer they’d ever had, put me in the school paper and everything. That’s my only claim to fame, I guess, and it really was only about 15 minutes. Haha!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview with you, Amy!
Well, I enjoyed this interview! And I think being a baseball announcer is very interesting. :) Thanks so much for joining us today, Lori.
Readers, keep going because there's more information below about Lori's book and how to keep up with her.
Love's True Calling

After years of jumping through other people’s hoops to be all they thought she should be, and enduring a tragedy no mother should, self-described “newbie” Christian, Harper Townsend, has finally found her true calling … and her true love. Until it appears that to follow one may mean leaving the other behind.
Adolescent Psychologist, Wyatt McCowan, is beyond delighted to have the-girl-that-got-away back in his life, and his heart. But even as they fall more in love, he realizes that being obedient to God’s calling on each of their lives may pull them apart. She rejected him once in favor of another, which left him hurt and angry. But this time, he can’t fault her for following hard after the God she loves with all her heart, even if it means leaving him once again.
​

Lori DeJong (pronounced DeeYung) is a contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Lori arrived in Texas in 2005 and dug those roots right in. She currently resides in beautiful Georgetown, north of Austin, with her husband of thirty years. Other than their two fur-babies, their nest is empty, as their daughter graduated from college and settled in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, where she is thriving in her faith and career. Lori loves to write about love and romance and all that fun stuff, with a firm foundation of faith. Clean but sassy, sparkly, and even goose-bumpy romance, with God in the middle and characters seeking and learning and changing, couldn’t be more heartwarming or spine-tingly. Lori’s debut novel, “Love’s True Calling”, Book One of her True Calling Series, was the 2020 winner of the Scrivenings Press Novel Starts Contest, the 2022 winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Romance, and a 2022 Maggie finalist. It will be published by Scrivenings Press in June 2023, “Love’s True Home” in 2024, and “Love’s True Measure” in 2025.

Follow her at https://loridejongwrites.com/​

Mid-Year Reading Update

Goodreads says I'm still 10 books behind schedule. I still don't completely believe it. For one thing, several of the books on my list are collections, which means more than one book included. For another, I've also been reading some with kids and my Bible and some other edits that haven't released yet. So, I'm probably about on par, but whatever.
It's the middle of the year. Where are you on your reading challenge? What are some of the best books you've read this year? I've got to admit, this has been a really good year for reading. Want to know some of my favorites?
I'm going to list these in no particular order because it would be really hard to tell you my favorites. So, just take that for whatever it means.

Four of my editing book babies are definitely in the favorites list this year:
*Faith Moves Mountains by Jenny Carlisle is a sweet contemporary romance set in Arkansas. It's the second in her series and I'm looking forward to editing the next too. ;) Her fictional town makes you feel like you're coming home.
*Beyond Wounded Hearts by Cynthia Roemer is absolutely gorgeous. It's a historical romance set at the end of the Civil War and will give you all the feels as the characters deal with being on opposite sides of the battle.
*The Decision by Christina Rost was actually an award winner with my publishing company and I was blessed to be her content editor. It starts you out in the wilds of Africa and ends there, too, with some Texas thrown in. It's edgy and emotional and powerful with a perfect ending.
*Love's True Calling by Lori DeJong is a contemporary romance that released this week. It's her first novel, but it's really good. She took me through all the emotions and the message woven through the romance is powerful. Highly recommend.

Another two books I can't neglect are the first two in the Stained-Glass Legacy series. Heather Greer and Regina Rudd Merrick make me proud to be a part of this series. You definitely don't want to miss their stories before mine releases August 1st.

Other's I've very much enjoyed are as follows.
*Forever Home by Hope Toler Dougherty--all of her books are SO GOOD!
*Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong--laugh out loud
*Laurel's Dream and Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham--reminded me of Christy by Marshall. Did not want them to end.
*Plot Twist by Bethany Turner--laughed quite a bit
*Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham--SO MANY GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE! It's one of my favorite tropes because they correspond for most of the book. It's funny and sweet and I absolutely loved it.
*Perfectly Matched by Liana George
*The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold--wow.
*Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin--steampunk fairytale-style tale--so fun
*All that Really Matters and All That it Takes by Nicole Deese--I think I am now addicted to this author. Seriously good.
*Dear Henry, Love Edith--laugh out loud
*The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen--I always love hers
*Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White--loved this whole series

See what I mean about having lots of good reads so far this year? And I have quite a few more I'm looking forward to reading over the next six months. That being said, please feel free to add to to my TBR. What's one of your favorite books you've read in 2023? Which of the ones I've read sound most interesting to you?

Snow in Summer

Have you ever had a snowball fight in the summer?
It sounds like a conundrum, doesn't it? After all, summer, by definition, is warm if not not.
But eight years ago, my family took the picture above. In June. In Colorado.
The story behind it? My mom's family went to Colorado several times while she was growing up. They'd find snow on the side of the road, stop, and have a snowball fight. And they'd take a picture a lot like the one above.
But the one above is me, my sister, my brother, and my brother-in-law (and niece). Posing to be like our mom.
Let me tell you. Snow in summer isn't nice snow. It's hard and crunchy and hurts a bit if you throw it. But it's also irresistible because how often do you find it when you're hot and sweaty?
Up in the mountains, it's just high enough elevation, that if the shade is just right, that snow can stay awhile. In my latest book, Operation Find a Guy, Skye and Benjamin stumble across a small patch of snow during a hike. I couldn't resist. It was the perfect way to lighten the scene I was in. And lead into the next one. ;)
I did take a bit of a liberty putting it there because the book is set a couple weeks later in the summer than the picture above. But I still think it's plausible.
Do you love finding unexpected surprises in a story? Have you ever had a snowball fight in summer?

Behind the Story: Other Characters

Obviously, the main characters are the most important ones for a story. But what fun would a story be without some side characters too?
Operation: Find a Guy has some sisters, in particular, who I love.
First, let's talk about Rain.
Rain is Skye's older sister, and she's definitely helping Skye out this summer by letting her work at her wedding planning shop. Unfortunately, she also seems to think she needs to act like Skye's mom--a replacement Skye has no desire for.
The sisters get along for the most part, but neither takes the time to understand where the other is coming from. Not until they've had several fights. Needless to say, you've got to love a good sister relationship in a book.
Great news! If you love sister characters, Benjamin has one too! Her name is Amelia, she's about to be married, is deliriously happy and thinks everyone else should be too. But especially her big brother Benjamin. Doesn't he want to get married to Skye? That would be perfect?
As much as Benjamin loves Amelia, he'd rather she keep her romance ideas to herself. He can do just fine at finding his own dates, thank you very much. He also ends up regretting showing her that loose latch on his back fence, but that's another story. ;)  Do you love siblings in a romance novel? Have you ever read one that had some of your favorite siblings in it? I can't seem to stop giving my characters siblings. But since I love my own, I guess that's only natural. ;) Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she agrees to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado, while she searches for a non-boring job. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?
Benjamin Smith somehow ended up as a groomsman in two weddings over the summer, so he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, yet the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out.
But all she sees him as is a boring attorney−her complete opposite.
Besides, romance is supposed to be for Skye’s friends, not her. And she’s in Colorado to get a job, not a guy. Right?

Are Your Bags Packed?

Are you ready for another trip? This is the last one ... at least for now. Who knows what I'll write about in the future.
Tomorrow, Operation: Find a Guy releases. The last Roadtrip Romance novel.
Skye finally gets to tell her story, and she's ready. See her packing her bags in the photo above?
Does she want to spend the summer in Colorado?
She's not against it. She loves her sister Rain, for the most part. And she's only seen a little bit of the area, so she's always up for an adventure.
​But ...
Working at her sister's wedding shop, Happily Ever After, is not her idea of a fun summer. Who wants to work for a place that sells something you don't want? And she wants nothing to do with settling down.
That's probably why it's so hard for her to find a job. She doesn't want to do the same-old, same-old day in and day out. And that's what most jobs are. Monotonous. Boring.
Why can't she find something fun?
And when Benjamin Smith starts coming by the shop more and more, using any little excuse about the weddings he's in for his sister and cousin, well, that's a distraction she doesn't need, either. After all, nothing can come from it.
But she's committed to the summer in a wedding shop. And every time Benjamin invites her to do something with him, she always ends up agreeing. And no fun jobs are anywhere to be found.
What's a girl to do?

You can find out ... TOMORROW! ;)
Today is the last day for pre-order pricing on the kindle. It goes up June 13th.
Today is also the last day of the sneak peek chapters my publisher is sharing. Click the image to read the first three chapters before tomorrow. I can't wait to hear what you think about Skye's story.
Also, be watching my social media posts and/or check it out here. I'm on a blog tour with JustReads this week and am giving away copies of my new book.

Behind the Story: Boulder

Of all the places I could have set my last Roadtrip Romance, why did I choose Boulder, Colorado? It's probably not one of the first places you think of when you consider that state, after all.
Well, part of the reason is because it's one of the places in Colorado I have actually visited. That means a little less research on my part, because I have memories and pictures from my trip there nine years ago.
Another reason? Well, just look at that view! That was right out the window of the room in our AirBNB and the picture doesn't do it justice. Everywhere we went on that trip, the views were majestic.
And since Skye needs to learn how to be in awe of something besides herself, why not send her to an awe-inspiring place?
Of course, there's more to Boulder than mountains. It's a college town, but also has some touristy areas as well. I mean, it's nestled in the Rocky Mountains, so you have to know people are going to visit, right?

​On the outskirts of the town is the Celestial Seasons factory--that's right. The tea company is right there. My family got to visit and the aromas in that place ... they're amazing.
Here's a photo of my sister and me with the Sleepytime Bear. :) I'll spare you the glamorous shot of us all wearing our hairnets. Ha!
Near the heart of the city is an area called Pearl Street. It's pedestrian traffic only down there so you can park and walk up and down, exploring the shops and restaurants. We tried out a little place with wonderful gelato on our trip. 
My characters definitely end up there several times too. Doesn't it look fun in this picture?
There's all sorts of easy day trips from Boulder too. Like Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park. Seriously, y'all. The views up there! As much as I love my Smoky Mountains, the Rockies are pretty great too. ;) As Skye is going to find out.
​
So, have I sold you on Boulder as a fun location for a Roadtrip Romance? Can you picture it? Ready to go on a trip?
Operation: Find a Guy releases June 13th. Save a $1 if you order your ebook before then. Just a few more days! Watch for sneak peek chapters this weekend on my social media. Skye Jones has one goal for the summer—keep her father from taking away her convertible. That’s the only reason she’s agreed to work at her sister’s bridal shop in Boulder, Colorado. It will buy her some time to figure out if there’s a non-boring job out there. Why else would she have anything to do with weddings when she has no interest in marriage?
Benjamin Smith can’t quite figure out how he ended up a groomsman in two different weddings over the summer, but with his sister and a cousin both getting married, he’s spending a lot of time at Happily Ever After events. Falling for a blonde with no dreams of settling down wasn’t in his five-year plan, but the more he sees Skye, the more he wants to figure her out. But all she sees him as is a boring attorney and her complete opposite.
Romance was supposed to be for Skye’s friends. But Colorado might hold more than she knew she was looking for.