Anne Patrick's Blog, page 10
March 9, 2012
COTT Spotlight on Gail Pallotta
*guest post by COTT Sr. Editor, April W Gardner
This week, it was my privilege to spend a few extra minutes with author Gail. Gail is one of the blog alliance correspondents at Clash of the Titles.
Her husband, Rick, says she's the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with someone's life story. That's probably because she inherited her mother's love of people and enjoys talking to them. Working as an editor and freelance writer, Gail published a couple hundred articles. While some of them are in anthologies, two ended up in museums. In 2004, the American Christian Writers Association named Gail a regional writer of the year. She recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn't writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God's love. She and Rick live in Georgia. Just a couple hours north of me, actually! We're practically neighbors. :-)
Every COTT staff member is a professed child of God. Gail, can you tell us about your relationship with Christ?
I can't remember when I didn't love Jesus. My father's father was a minister, so I grew up listening to Bible verses and references to Jesus. But my mother played a huge part in helping me establish a relationship with Christ. At bedtime she said prayers with me and told me stories from the Bible. First, she taught me "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," but even then I had a copy of "The Lord's Prayer" hanging on the wall above the headboard of my bed. She taught it to me a few lines at a time. We soon started saying it instead of "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep." She also told me about the Crucifixion in her own words, explaining how much Jesus had to love me to die for me. She taught me to talk to Jesus, to say the things I was thankful for, to praise Him, and ask for things I needed. I did the same with my daughter. I'm so grateful for the many blessings Jesus has given me and that He's always there for me. I don't always get the answers I want to my prayers, but I get the answers I need to fulfill God's plan for my life. Whenever I've needed a miracle, Jesus has supplied one. There are several hymns that touch on how I feel about my relationship with Christ. "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and "He Leadeth Me" are two. My daughter recently gave me a CD, Elvis, An Evening Prayer. The first song on it, "His Hand in Mine," conveys how I feel about my relationship with Christ. It's an old gospel song written by Mossie Lister. It's on YouTube. The URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulTtL_YaC-w
Beautiful testimony! A mother's faith is essential in a child's life, and you're proof of that!
None of us are perfect though, so what's the craziest thing you did as a teenager?
Gail Pallotta</></></></></></>I grew up at the foothills of the mountains. At a reunion a few years ago, many of us told our beloved biology teacher how much she meant to us. She replied, "Well, I had to teach biology. There was no one else in town that could." Teachers were scarce. We had a very old algebra teacher. He couldn't stay awake during class. Nope. He took the roll and told us to turn to the next chapter and work the problems. Then he pushed back his seat and propped his feet on the trash can. We'd give him about ten minutes, and he was out like a light. His classroom was in the basement with a window level to the ground. In the spring as soon as he started snoring, we went out the window, got in my friend's convertible (she had the only car) and went to the lake.
No way! That's so funny!! How long were you gone? What is something else people would be surprised to know about you?
At age twenty-two when I graduated from college, I packed my clothes in a medium-sized suitcase and moved to a large city with eighty dollars in my pocket. Had no car, no job, and nowhere to live.
Wow! You can't leave us hanging, lol! How did that work out for you?
On a slightly more serious note, what is the nearest book to where you're sitting?
I love to read anything, non-fiction, fiction, any genre, Christian and many secular. But the book closest to me, probably because I also write as well as read, is Essentials of English.
I'd imagine that covers grammar? Forms of writing? Sounds like a must-have for every writer! What are three things you can't live without?
Faith, family, fun
Three very important f's! Makes me wonder though, when I say the word "fun," what's the first thing to pop into your mind?
What is the message you most want to convey to readers with your writing? God loves you. Accept His love and let the greatness of it overcome the imperfections of this world.
That brings to mind. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." NAS (©1995)
Anything else you'd like to add?
I was honored when asked to be part of the Clash of the Titles Staff. I love helping to promote Christian books and writers.
And we love having you!!
***
Get to know Gail better by visiting her website or her blog.
This week, it was my privilege to spend a few extra minutes with author Gail. Gail is one of the blog alliance correspondents at Clash of the Titles.
Her husband, Rick, says she's the only person he knows who can go in the grocery for a loaf of bread and come out with someone's life story. That's probably because she inherited her mother's love of people and enjoys talking to them. Working as an editor and freelance writer, Gail published a couple hundred articles. While some of them are in anthologies, two ended up in museums. In 2004, the American Christian Writers Association named Gail a regional writer of the year. She recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn't writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God's love. She and Rick live in Georgia. Just a couple hours north of me, actually! We're practically neighbors. :-)
Every COTT staff member is a professed child of God. Gail, can you tell us about your relationship with Christ?
I can't remember when I didn't love Jesus. My father's father was a minister, so I grew up listening to Bible verses and references to Jesus. But my mother played a huge part in helping me establish a relationship with Christ. At bedtime she said prayers with me and told me stories from the Bible. First, she taught me "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," but even then I had a copy of "The Lord's Prayer" hanging on the wall above the headboard of my bed. She taught it to me a few lines at a time. We soon started saying it instead of "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep." She also told me about the Crucifixion in her own words, explaining how much Jesus had to love me to die for me. She taught me to talk to Jesus, to say the things I was thankful for, to praise Him, and ask for things I needed. I did the same with my daughter. I'm so grateful for the many blessings Jesus has given me and that He's always there for me. I don't always get the answers I want to my prayers, but I get the answers I need to fulfill God's plan for my life. Whenever I've needed a miracle, Jesus has supplied one. There are several hymns that touch on how I feel about my relationship with Christ. "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," and "He Leadeth Me" are two. My daughter recently gave me a CD, Elvis, An Evening Prayer. The first song on it, "His Hand in Mine," conveys how I feel about my relationship with Christ. It's an old gospel song written by Mossie Lister. It's on YouTube. The URL is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulTtL_YaC-w
Beautiful testimony! A mother's faith is essential in a child's life, and you're proof of that!
None of us are perfect though, so what's the craziest thing you did as a teenager?
Gail Pallotta</></></></></></>I grew up at the foothills of the mountains. At a reunion a few years ago, many of us told our beloved biology teacher how much she meant to us. She replied, "Well, I had to teach biology. There was no one else in town that could." Teachers were scarce. We had a very old algebra teacher. He couldn't stay awake during class. Nope. He took the roll and told us to turn to the next chapter and work the problems. Then he pushed back his seat and propped his feet on the trash can. We'd give him about ten minutes, and he was out like a light. His classroom was in the basement with a window level to the ground. In the spring as soon as he started snoring, we went out the window, got in my friend's convertible (she had the only car) and went to the lake.No way! That's so funny!! How long were you gone? What is something else people would be surprised to know about you?
At age twenty-two when I graduated from college, I packed my clothes in a medium-sized suitcase and moved to a large city with eighty dollars in my pocket. Had no car, no job, and nowhere to live.
Wow! You can't leave us hanging, lol! How did that work out for you?
On a slightly more serious note, what is the nearest book to where you're sitting?
I love to read anything, non-fiction, fiction, any genre, Christian and many secular. But the book closest to me, probably because I also write as well as read, is Essentials of English.
I'd imagine that covers grammar? Forms of writing? Sounds like a must-have for every writer! What are three things you can't live without?
Faith, family, fun
Three very important f's! Makes me wonder though, when I say the word "fun," what's the first thing to pop into your mind?
What is the message you most want to convey to readers with your writing? God loves you. Accept His love and let the greatness of it overcome the imperfections of this world.
That brings to mind. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." NAS (©1995)
Anything else you'd like to add?
I was honored when asked to be part of the Clash of the Titles Staff. I love helping to promote Christian books and writers.
And we love having you!!
***
Get to know Gail better by visiting her website or her blog.
March 3, 2012
Kill Shot is a Finalist in the 2011 Grace Awards!
I'm thrilled to announce my novel KILL SHOT has been nominated by readers as a finalist in the Grace Awards 2011 in the Suspense/Mystery/Thriller/Romantic Suspense: category. Yaay! Winners will be will be announced on May 10, 2012. *Crossing my fingers:)* Thank you, readers, for your nominations!!!
Blurb:
Former combat medic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq, survived countless firefights, RPG's, IED's and even a helicopter crash. Now she's home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who's on the case.
Sheriff Sean Harding doesn't quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister's killer, was found dead in a building Kory owns. And Kory isn't being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?
Excerpt:
The steel door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr. Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before stepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out in front of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"
Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.
"No time. Get out."
"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"
He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."
His hand went limp.
Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.
She scrambled to her feet, as more shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first row of shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took cover behind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they would conceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out of there. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishing she hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lower to the floor.
Kory ignored the throbbing in her arm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child, she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to the warehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit that led to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, she had a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in her shirt, drenched with blood.
This isn't good!
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and most online bookstores.
Blurb:
Former combat medic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq, survived countless firefights, RPG's, IED's and even a helicopter crash. Now she's home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who's on the case.
Sheriff Sean Harding doesn't quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister's killer, was found dead in a building Kory owns. And Kory isn't being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?
Excerpt:
The steel door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr. Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before stepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out in front of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"
Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.
"No time. Get out."
"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"
He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."
His hand went limp.
Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.
She scrambled to her feet, as more shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first row of shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took cover behind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they would conceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out of there. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishing she hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lower to the floor.
Kory ignored the throbbing in her arm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child, she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to the warehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit that led to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, she had a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in her shirt, drenched with blood.
This isn't good!
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and most online bookstores.
Kill Shot is a Finalist is the 2011 Grace Awards!
I'm thrilled to announce my novel KILL SHOT has been nominated by readers as a finalist in the Grace Awards 2011 in the Suspense/Mystery/Thriller/Romantic Suspense: category. Yaay! Winners will be will be announced on May 10, 2012. *Crossing my fingers:)* Thank you, readers, for your nominations!!!
Former combat medic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq, survived countless firefights, RPG's, IED's and even a helicopter crash. Now she's home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who's on the case.
Blurb:
Sheriff Sean Harding doesn't quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister's killer, was found dead in a building Kory owns. And Kory isn't being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?
Excerpt:
The steel door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr. Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before stepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out in front of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"
Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.
"No time. Get out."
"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"
He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."
His hand went limp.
Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.
She scrambled to her feet, as more shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first row of shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took cover behind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they would conceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out of there. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishing she hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lower to the floor.
Kory ignored the throbbing in her arm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child, she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to the warehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit that led to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, she had a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in her shirt, drenched with blood.
This isn't good!
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and most online bookstores.
Former combat medic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq, survived countless firefights, RPG's, IED's and even a helicopter crash. Now she's home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who's on the case. Blurb:
Sheriff Sean Harding doesn't quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister's killer, was found dead in a building Kory owns. And Kory isn't being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?
Excerpt:
The steel door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr. Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before stepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out in front of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"
Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.
"No time. Get out."
"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"
He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."
His hand went limp.
Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.
She scrambled to her feet, as more shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first row of shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took cover behind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they would conceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out of there. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishing she hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lower to the floor.
Kory ignored the throbbing in her arm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child, she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to the warehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit that led to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, she had a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in her shirt, drenched with blood.
This isn't good!
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing, Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and most online bookstores.
February 25, 2012
Spotlight on Lisa Lickel!
* guest post by COTT Senior Editor, April W Gardner
The lovely Lisa Lickel has stopped by today to talk about her frigid Wisconsin winters, her 1830's ship's captain house, and her growing list of published novels. Join us!
Lisa is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she is a multi-published novelist, has written dozens of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio theater, and edits two magazines: Creative Wisconsin and OtherSheep. She is also the senior editor at Reflections in Hindsight.
Lisa is the author of A Summer in Oakville, co-authored with Shellie Neumeier, Meander Scar, Healing Grace, and The Gold Standard.
Wisconsin. Brrr! What's the coldest weather you've endured?
Lisa: The thermometers read in the negative thirties. The temp has to be at least twenty below, not just wind chill, to call off school. Once it's minus ten or colder, it doesn't really feel much different because you still have to bundle up the same.
Negative thirties? It was 24 over the weekend here in Georgia. You should have heard the complaining! LOL I hope you have a warm house. Speaking of which, does your 160 year ship captain's house actually sit on the lake shore? Which of the Great Lakes would that be?
Lisa: Where we live is inland from Lake Michigan about fifteen or so miles from Port Washington. It's midway-ish between Green Bay and the current state line. The LaCrafts came to Wisconsin in the late 1830s and bought land as soon as the surveys were registered. I'm not sure exactly what they did or where they lived before this house was built in 1853, but I know that afterward he gave up his ship, which I'm guessing was a steamer or clipper with a merchant run between New York where they were from and Port Washington. Abraham Lincoln stopped at Port and speechified once, ya know.
Sounds like Captain LaCraft had a rather long and frigid buggy ride back and forth to his ship! Since you have such long, cold winters it's a good thing your job doesn't take you outside the home (much). How did your writing career get kicked off?
Lisa: I was a church secretary knowing my kids were leaving home for adulthood and my job wouldn't last forever I took the very expensive Christian Writers Guild apprentice course. I began writing for my tiny little local newspaper, features and government meetings, etc., which was excellent practice for "write tight." Meanwhile a novel I wrote for the guild's very first First Novel contest under Jerry Jenkins did pretty well, I wrote a cozy mystery for Barbour and signed with an agent from the guild about the same time, fall of 2007. And so forth.
Ooh, I've always wanted to take one of the Christian Writers Guild's courses. Good for you for taking plunge, despite the cost!
I hear you love to travel. Do you have any funny travel misadventures you're brave enough to share?
Lisa: Okay–my husband likes these travel books called "Moon Guides." You should look them up – they're fun. Sometimes a little out of date, as we discovered on one journey when we stopped at what was supposed to be a mineral springs spa in the middle of – wherever we were. The motel had just changed hands and the proud grandfatherly owner showed us around, leading the way down this huge scary hallway with, I KID YOU NOT, stained ceiling tiles drooping with insulation showing, rather actively inhabited cobwebs, just totally gross, to the last two rooms in the place which he had fixed up. Out comes a very happy smiling couple from one of the rooms, exclaiming their delight with the place; he opens the last door with a flourish to a very mildew smelling room, air conditioner running full blast and a bed with an obvious droop. I wondered…well never mind. Hubby felt sorta bad about leaving, but, I mean, really…would you?
You bet I would have left! Nope, no guilt there. And it's too funny that the other couple were gushing over the place. I wonder if he paid his neighbors to say that? LOL
You've been on staff at Clash of the Titles since its birth. Which aspect the site do you enjoy most?
Lisa: Working with you, of course. (Aw! Thanks, sweetie. And, ditto!) Meeting all the fantastic authors and finding out behind-the-scenes things to do with their work. And what I truly find fascinating is exploring books from all the different angles, such as "Best Romantic Moment," "Best Back Cover Blurb," "Most Delectable Hero," – okay, made that last one up, but…something in the future?
Hey, that's not a bad idea! Raise your hand if you want to see a Most Delectable Hero clash!
How many of your books have been published, and which one have you gotten most positive reader feedback on?
Lisa: That's a nice way to put it, April. As soon as The Map Quilt releases in April, that will make full length novel number five; my first book, MQ's prequel, is re-releasing later on. I received some nice comments on The Gold Standard, the first book, and I have the most reviews and intriguing public comments on Meander Scar, an unusual romance I did in 2010.
Congratulations on the upcoming releases! Whoo hoo!! Each book an author finishes whether it's ever published or not is a massive accomplishment. And I LOVED Meander Scar. I think I read it in one sitting, and I've never done that before. Ever.
So tell us about this book you have coming?
The Map Quilt releases in April of this year.
Just how high a price does a family secret command?
Death in rural Wisconsin is only the beginning to new chaos in Robertsville. What do a stolen piece of revolutionary agricultural equipment, a long-buried skeleton in the yard, and an old quilt with secrets have in common? Hart and Judy Wingate, who met in The Gold Standard, are back to solve the mystery of The Map Quilt. Hart's new battery design could forever change the farm implement industry. But after the death of Hart's most confrontational colleague in a fire that destroys Hart's workshop, the battery is missing.
Throw in a guest speaker invited to Judy's elementary classroom who insists she owns the land under Hart's chief competitor's corporate headquarters, and a police chief who's making eyes at Hart's widowed mother, it's no wonder Hart is under a ton of pressure to make sure his adventurous pregnant wife stays safe while trying to preserve his company and his reputation.
It sounds like a lot of fun. You're a talented author, Lisa, and COTT is privileged to call you its own!
Learn more about the talented Lisa Lickel at her site: http://www.lisalickel.com/.
The lovely Lisa Lickel has stopped by today to talk about her frigid Wisconsin winters, her 1830's ship's captain house, and her growing list of published novels. Join us!
Lisa is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and fifty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she is a multi-published novelist, has written dozens of feature newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio theater, and edits two magazines: Creative Wisconsin and OtherSheep. She is also the senior editor at Reflections in Hindsight.Lisa is the author of A Summer in Oakville, co-authored with Shellie Neumeier, Meander Scar, Healing Grace, and The Gold Standard.
Wisconsin. Brrr! What's the coldest weather you've endured?
Lisa: The thermometers read in the negative thirties. The temp has to be at least twenty below, not just wind chill, to call off school. Once it's minus ten or colder, it doesn't really feel much different because you still have to bundle up the same.
Negative thirties? It was 24 over the weekend here in Georgia. You should have heard the complaining! LOL I hope you have a warm house. Speaking of which, does your 160 year ship captain's house actually sit on the lake shore? Which of the Great Lakes would that be?
Lisa: Where we live is inland from Lake Michigan about fifteen or so miles from Port Washington. It's midway-ish between Green Bay and the current state line. The LaCrafts came to Wisconsin in the late 1830s and bought land as soon as the surveys were registered. I'm not sure exactly what they did or where they lived before this house was built in 1853, but I know that afterward he gave up his ship, which I'm guessing was a steamer or clipper with a merchant run between New York where they were from and Port Washington. Abraham Lincoln stopped at Port and speechified once, ya know.
Sounds like Captain LaCraft had a rather long and frigid buggy ride back and forth to his ship! Since you have such long, cold winters it's a good thing your job doesn't take you outside the home (much). How did your writing career get kicked off?
Lisa: I was a church secretary knowing my kids were leaving home for adulthood and my job wouldn't last forever I took the very expensive Christian Writers Guild apprentice course. I began writing for my tiny little local newspaper, features and government meetings, etc., which was excellent practice for "write tight." Meanwhile a novel I wrote for the guild's very first First Novel contest under Jerry Jenkins did pretty well, I wrote a cozy mystery for Barbour and signed with an agent from the guild about the same time, fall of 2007. And so forth.
Ooh, I've always wanted to take one of the Christian Writers Guild's courses. Good for you for taking plunge, despite the cost!
I hear you love to travel. Do you have any funny travel misadventures you're brave enough to share?
Lisa: Okay–my husband likes these travel books called "Moon Guides." You should look them up – they're fun. Sometimes a little out of date, as we discovered on one journey when we stopped at what was supposed to be a mineral springs spa in the middle of – wherever we were. The motel had just changed hands and the proud grandfatherly owner showed us around, leading the way down this huge scary hallway with, I KID YOU NOT, stained ceiling tiles drooping with insulation showing, rather actively inhabited cobwebs, just totally gross, to the last two rooms in the place which he had fixed up. Out comes a very happy smiling couple from one of the rooms, exclaiming their delight with the place; he opens the last door with a flourish to a very mildew smelling room, air conditioner running full blast and a bed with an obvious droop. I wondered…well never mind. Hubby felt sorta bad about leaving, but, I mean, really…would you?
You bet I would have left! Nope, no guilt there. And it's too funny that the other couple were gushing over the place. I wonder if he paid his neighbors to say that? LOL
You've been on staff at Clash of the Titles since its birth. Which aspect the site do you enjoy most?
Lisa: Working with you, of course. (Aw! Thanks, sweetie. And, ditto!) Meeting all the fantastic authors and finding out behind-the-scenes things to do with their work. And what I truly find fascinating is exploring books from all the different angles, such as "Best Romantic Moment," "Best Back Cover Blurb," "Most Delectable Hero," – okay, made that last one up, but…something in the future?
Hey, that's not a bad idea! Raise your hand if you want to see a Most Delectable Hero clash!
How many of your books have been published, and which one have you gotten most positive reader feedback on?
Lisa: That's a nice way to put it, April. As soon as The Map Quilt releases in April, that will make full length novel number five; my first book, MQ's prequel, is re-releasing later on. I received some nice comments on The Gold Standard, the first book, and I have the most reviews and intriguing public comments on Meander Scar, an unusual romance I did in 2010.
Congratulations on the upcoming releases! Whoo hoo!! Each book an author finishes whether it's ever published or not is a massive accomplishment. And I LOVED Meander Scar. I think I read it in one sitting, and I've never done that before. Ever.
So tell us about this book you have coming?
The Map Quilt releases in April of this year.
Just how high a price does a family secret command?
Death in rural Wisconsin is only the beginning to new chaos in Robertsville. What do a stolen piece of revolutionary agricultural equipment, a long-buried skeleton in the yard, and an old quilt with secrets have in common? Hart and Judy Wingate, who met in The Gold Standard, are back to solve the mystery of The Map Quilt. Hart's new battery design could forever change the farm implement industry. But after the death of Hart's most confrontational colleague in a fire that destroys Hart's workshop, the battery is missing.
Throw in a guest speaker invited to Judy's elementary classroom who insists she owns the land under Hart's chief competitor's corporate headquarters, and a police chief who's making eyes at Hart's widowed mother, it's no wonder Hart is under a ton of pressure to make sure his adventurous pregnant wife stays safe while trying to preserve his company and his reputation.
It sounds like a lot of fun. You're a talented author, Lisa, and COTT is privileged to call you its own!
Learn more about the talented Lisa Lickel at her site: http://www.lisalickel.com/.
February 20, 2012
Giveaway - Print Copy of A Familiar Evil
You have until the 29th of February to enter my drawing for an autographed copy of A Familiar Evil. Just use the contact form on my website http://www.annepatrick.weebly.com/ to enter. Good Luck!!!
"You're out there watching me. I can feel you. What do you want? Why did you come back here?"
Jordan Russell had the perfect life until the brutal monster from her childhood resurfaced, opening up scars she thought were healed. With the hope of finally finding closure Jordan leaves her cheating husband, and her career in the FBI, and returns to where her nightmare began. But what awaits her in Thorny Creek will push her to the very edge of sanity and bring her face to face with her abductor.
Excerpt:
"Excuse me. I'm looking for Chief Russell."
Jordan's stomach did a nosedive at the familiar voice of her soon-to-be-ex-husband.
"You found her," Frank answered.
Jordan looked up just as Sam smiled. "Indeed I have." He started toward her desk.
Colleen barged through the opened door. "Chief, there's an Agent Russell here to see…oh, I guess you found her."
"Agent Russell," Frank repeated. He turned back to Jordan, "Isn't Russell your married name?" He then shifted his gaze back to Sam, "That must mean you're her husband."
"Not for much longer." Jordan hurried around her desk and ushered Frank out the door. "You'll be hearing from me." She closed the door and looked at Sam. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here at your request."
"I specifically requested someone from the Charlotte field office." Anyone but him.
He looked at her with the gorgeous smile that used to make her go weak in the knees. "And they forwarded that request to Agent Haines, who assigned me."
"We'll see about that." Jordan marched back to her desk, and was four digits into Haines' cell phone number when Sam pressed his finger down on the button and disconnected the call. Eighteen and a half months of built-up rage boiled to the surface. She doubled her right fist and spun around with lighting fury.
Sam, just as quick, stopped the fist within inches of his jaw. With his free hand, he took the phone from her left hand and placed it back in its cradle. Jordan felt his hot breath on her face as he peered down at her, and was keenly aware of the heat generating from his body through the hand which tightened around her wrist.
"Let me help you, Jordan…please."
She swallowed hard, summoned all her courage, and met his smoldering gaze. "I need a profiler who can tell me exactly what I'm up against here."
"Don't tell me you've lost your touch."
She ignored his smirk. "I need a fresh pair of eyes who can look at this guy objectively."
"Who hasn't allowed themselves to get too personal?"
"I just need someone other than you," she spat.
"Too bad, you're stuck with me. Now, what do you say I release your hand and you don't take my head off? Or we can continue to provide the day's entertainment for your co-workers."
Jordan shifted her gaze to the glass separating her office from the command center. A half dozen familiar faces scattered like rats. She twisted free from his grip, grabbed her cap from her desk and shoved it down over her head. "Fine!" She was already halfway out the door before she realized he wasn't with her. She turned back and found him smiling at her. "Are you coming or not?"
"You're out there watching me. I can feel you. What do you want? Why did you come back here?" Jordan Russell had the perfect life until the brutal monster from her childhood resurfaced, opening up scars she thought were healed. With the hope of finally finding closure Jordan leaves her cheating husband, and her career in the FBI, and returns to where her nightmare began. But what awaits her in Thorny Creek will push her to the very edge of sanity and bring her face to face with her abductor.
Excerpt:
"Excuse me. I'm looking for Chief Russell."
Jordan's stomach did a nosedive at the familiar voice of her soon-to-be-ex-husband.
"You found her," Frank answered.
Jordan looked up just as Sam smiled. "Indeed I have." He started toward her desk.
Colleen barged through the opened door. "Chief, there's an Agent Russell here to see…oh, I guess you found her."
"Agent Russell," Frank repeated. He turned back to Jordan, "Isn't Russell your married name?" He then shifted his gaze back to Sam, "That must mean you're her husband."
"Not for much longer." Jordan hurried around her desk and ushered Frank out the door. "You'll be hearing from me." She closed the door and looked at Sam. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here at your request."
"I specifically requested someone from the Charlotte field office." Anyone but him.
He looked at her with the gorgeous smile that used to make her go weak in the knees. "And they forwarded that request to Agent Haines, who assigned me."
"We'll see about that." Jordan marched back to her desk, and was four digits into Haines' cell phone number when Sam pressed his finger down on the button and disconnected the call. Eighteen and a half months of built-up rage boiled to the surface. She doubled her right fist and spun around with lighting fury.
Sam, just as quick, stopped the fist within inches of his jaw. With his free hand, he took the phone from her left hand and placed it back in its cradle. Jordan felt his hot breath on her face as he peered down at her, and was keenly aware of the heat generating from his body through the hand which tightened around her wrist.
"Let me help you, Jordan…please."
She swallowed hard, summoned all her courage, and met his smoldering gaze. "I need a profiler who can tell me exactly what I'm up against here."
"Don't tell me you've lost your touch."
She ignored his smirk. "I need a fresh pair of eyes who can look at this guy objectively."
"Who hasn't allowed themselves to get too personal?"
"I just need someone other than you," she spat.
"Too bad, you're stuck with me. Now, what do you say I release your hand and you don't take my head off? Or we can continue to provide the day's entertainment for your co-workers."
Jordan shifted her gaze to the glass separating her office from the command center. A half dozen familiar faces scattered like rats. She twisted free from his grip, grabbed her cap from her desk and shoved it down over her head. "Fine!" She was already halfway out the door before she realized he wasn't with her. She turned back and found him smiling at her. "Are you coming or not?"
February 18, 2012
Out of the Darkness is on sale this weekend
Champagne Books is having a weekend special through Monday. All ebooks are 50% off and prints are 20% off. So if you haven't read Out of the Darkness, now is your chance to pick it up pretty cheap. Just use the coupon codes below during checkout.http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/manufacturer&manufacturer_id=79
Ebooks--50% off all ebooks, using coupon code: ecoupFD
print books--20% off all printed books, using coupon code pcoupFD
FBI profiler Alex Michaels' life was shattered when a sadistic serial killer murdered her twin sister and left Alex with a career ending injury. Hoping to put the past behind her, she sets off across country with a truck driver she barely knows.
Royce McIntire knows Alex is on the run from something or someone, but he doesn't care. He's fallen in love with her and is finally getting his life back on track.
The killer is hot on Alex's trail though, determined to find the one victim who got away. As more bodies turn up dead Alex has no choice but to tell Royce who she really is. Will the love that has blossomed between them be strong enough to sustain them, or will the killer get to Alex before they even have a chance to find out?
EXCERPT
The knife came out of nowhere.
A sharp pain, followed by a burning sensation, seared up her right forearm. Her fingers went numb and the gun clattered to the floor. She jabbed with her left arm, her clenched fist coming in contact with the jaw hidden behind a black ski mask.
The intruder retaliated with a punch to her right cheek that slammed her body back against the door. The room swirled, her knees grew weak. She struggled to stand on solid ground. With a fistful of hair, her head was jerked back as the attacker's knee rammed her rib cage, forcing a gush of air from her lungs.
She cried out as her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor. Another blow to her rib cage knocked her back onto the floor. Her left arm pinned beneath her, she raised a bloody right arm toward the intruder and stared in horror at her hand dangling lifelessly.
With the full weight of his body pinning her, she writhed beneath him trying to free her left arm.
"Fight me, Alex. Show me you're not as weak as the rest."
"I swear I'm going to kill you." Using her feet as leverage, she rolled against him but she was no match for his strength.
He laughed. "Come on, Alex. Your sister put up a better fight than this."
A sob escaped her lips. She could still hear Cassie's cries for help and her bloodcurdling screams of terror.
"Sorry you didn't make it in time to say goodbye. But you'll be with her soon enough."
February 16, 2012
New Release from Larry Hammersley
Bess Simpson, a sharp college student in engineering, wasn't into checking out the men on campus but one in particular, Art Fuller, did catch her eye. She perceives she's overweight despite her best friend, Milla, telling her otherwise. Can Bess catch Art's eye and capture his heart when he is dating Angie, the petite drum major for the marching band? Will being a top student in aeronautical engineering and a math whiz help her sway Art her way as she tutors him in math? What happens when she meets Angie on two different occasions?
Chat with Larry on Friday, February 17th from 5-9pm EST at Coffee Time Romance.
Check out all of Larry's books at Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/larry-hammersley-m-249.html
Excerpt:
Bess ran a comb through her silky hair one more time, and drew a deep breath when she spotted Art riding his bicycle up the sidewalk to the house. He parked his Raleigh three-speed, removed his books from the baskets hung on the back fender, and took long, powerful strides to her front door. Before he could push the doorbell, she opened the door. Does he suspect I was anxious for him to arrive? She hoped not.
"Hi Art. Come in and we'll settle on the couch for the help session." Bess couldn't contain her swallowing, but she did manage to quench her sigh as she tried an inconspicuous scan of him.
His broad shoulders, bulging biceps, narrow waist, square jaw, sensitive brown eyes, and big but attractive nose never failed to do a number on her, especially at close range.
"I sound like a stuck record, but I really appreciate you helping me with Diffie Q. Next year I'll have a couple of metallurgical courses dealing with aerodynamics, and they're laced with a lot of high-powered math, too," Art said. Bess loved his deep bass voice.
"Glad to help. Since I'm in aeronautical engineering I could help you with those courses, too. But let's see what you have this evening." Bess sat down; sorry the couch sank so low under her weight, even though she knew Art's solid muscular body would even things out.
"Story problems. I just can't set the equations up for them." Art sat close beside her. She inhaled and almost forgot to exhale, and thanked the Lord she had an ability to be a math whiz, including in that prayer her gratefulness that this gift, at least temporarily, paired her up with Art.
Chat with Larry on Friday, February 17th from 5-9pm EST at Coffee Time Romance. Check out all of Larry's books at Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/larry-hammersley-m-249.html
Excerpt:
Bess ran a comb through her silky hair one more time, and drew a deep breath when she spotted Art riding his bicycle up the sidewalk to the house. He parked his Raleigh three-speed, removed his books from the baskets hung on the back fender, and took long, powerful strides to her front door. Before he could push the doorbell, she opened the door. Does he suspect I was anxious for him to arrive? She hoped not.
"Hi Art. Come in and we'll settle on the couch for the help session." Bess couldn't contain her swallowing, but she did manage to quench her sigh as she tried an inconspicuous scan of him.
His broad shoulders, bulging biceps, narrow waist, square jaw, sensitive brown eyes, and big but attractive nose never failed to do a number on her, especially at close range.
"I sound like a stuck record, but I really appreciate you helping me with Diffie Q. Next year I'll have a couple of metallurgical courses dealing with aerodynamics, and they're laced with a lot of high-powered math, too," Art said. Bess loved his deep bass voice.
"Glad to help. Since I'm in aeronautical engineering I could help you with those courses, too. But let's see what you have this evening." Bess sat down; sorry the couch sank so low under her weight, even though she knew Art's solid muscular body would even things out.
"Story problems. I just can't set the equations up for them." Art sat close beside her. She inhaled and almost forgot to exhale, and thanked the Lord she had an ability to be a math whiz, including in that prayer her gratefulness that this gift, at least temporarily, paired her up with Art.
February 7, 2012
Death Cheater by Danielle Thorne
Available Wednesday, February 15th is Danielle Thorne's new 'Sweet' Young Adult Paranormal. Be sure to check it out. Danielle is a fantastic author! Visit her website to learn more about her other books.
Athena Gray lives vicariously through her sister because people in general avoid her. Whether it's strange things like dead butterflies fluttering to life, or the time she saved her dying grandpa just by willing him to live, Athena knows that she is different. The only person who doesn't seem to think so is Dan, the most popular boy on Omega High School's baseball team. But even Dan can't understand the reason she acts haunted, until a spirit roaming the local historic burial mounds takes an interest in people Athena cares about.
EXCERPT
A low rumble echoed around me, and the tall, dark trees went still. Not even a leaf stirred. My heart hummed, and a tingle of apprehension made my palms damp. A snarl came from the shadow of a tangled thorn bush, and soft, padding footsteps shuffled in the late afternoon gloom. My breathing went ragged with fear. Maybe it was a raccoon or an angry squirrel.
Athena.
Whipping around, I stared hard into the murk. A voice. It sounded gentle, but at the same time it sent chills down my arms. I glanced up through the hooded canopy of tree branches and tried to see heaven.
God?
There was a growl, and the terror I'd been holding at bay zipped up my spine into my skull. I was sure my long hair stood on end, like when kids touched the electrostatic generator at the science museum.
Something was coming for me, and it wasn't something from the woods. It'd been following me all day. Maybe even my entire life.
.jpg)
Athena Gray lives vicariously through her sister because people in general avoid her. Whether it's strange things like dead butterflies fluttering to life, or the time she saved her dying grandpa just by willing him to live, Athena knows that she is different. The only person who doesn't seem to think so is Dan, the most popular boy on Omega High School's baseball team. But even Dan can't understand the reason she acts haunted, until a spirit roaming the local historic burial mounds takes an interest in people Athena cares about. EXCERPT
A low rumble echoed around me, and the tall, dark trees went still. Not even a leaf stirred. My heart hummed, and a tingle of apprehension made my palms damp. A snarl came from the shadow of a tangled thorn bush, and soft, padding footsteps shuffled in the late afternoon gloom. My breathing went ragged with fear. Maybe it was a raccoon or an angry squirrel.
Athena.
Whipping around, I stared hard into the murk. A voice. It sounded gentle, but at the same time it sent chills down my arms. I glanced up through the hooded canopy of tree branches and tried to see heaven.
God?
There was a growl, and the terror I'd been holding at bay zipped up my spine into my skull. I was sure my long hair stood on end, like when kids touched the electrostatic generator at the science museum.
Something was coming for me, and it wasn't something from the woods. It'd been following me all day. Maybe even my entire life.
Coming Soon!
Available Wednesday, February 15th is Danielle Thorne's new 'Sweet' Young Adult Paranormal. Be sure to check it out. Danielle is a fantastic author! Visit her website to learn more about her other books.
Athena Gray lives vicariously through her sister because people in general avoid her. Whether it's strange things like dead butterflies fluttering to life, or the time she saved her dying grandpa just by willing him to live, Athena knows that she is different. The only person who doesn't seem to think so is Dan, the most popular boy on Omega High School's baseball team. But even Dan can't understand the reason she acts haunted, until a spirit roaming the local historic burial mounds takes an interest in people Athena cares about.
EXCERPT
A low rumble echoed around me, and the tall, dark trees went still. Not even a leaf stirred. My heart hummed, and a tingle of apprehension made my palms damp. A snarl came from the shadow of a tangled thorn bush, and soft, padding footsteps shuffled in the late afternoon gloom. My breathing went ragged with fear. Maybe it was a raccoon or an angry squirrel.
Athena.
Whipping around, I stared hard into the murk. A voice. It sounded gentle, but at the same time it sent chills down my arms. I glanced up through the hooded canopy of tree branches and tried to see heaven.
God?
There was a growl, and the terror I'd been holding at bay zipped up my spine into my skull. I was sure my long hair stood on end, like when kids touched the electrostatic generator at the science museum.
Something was coming for me, and it wasn't something from the woods. It'd been following me all day. Maybe even my entire life.
Athena Gray lives vicariously through her sister because people in general avoid her. Whether it's strange things like dead butterflies fluttering to life, or the time she saved her dying grandpa just by willing him to live, Athena knows that she is different. The only person who doesn't seem to think so is Dan, the most popular boy on Omega High School's baseball team. But even Dan can't understand the reason she acts haunted, until a spirit roaming the local historic burial mounds takes an interest in people Athena cares about. EXCERPT
A low rumble echoed around me, and the tall, dark trees went still. Not even a leaf stirred. My heart hummed, and a tingle of apprehension made my palms damp. A snarl came from the shadow of a tangled thorn bush, and soft, padding footsteps shuffled in the late afternoon gloom. My breathing went ragged with fear. Maybe it was a raccoon or an angry squirrel.
Athena.
Whipping around, I stared hard into the murk. A voice. It sounded gentle, but at the same time it sent chills down my arms. I glanced up through the hooded canopy of tree branches and tried to see heaven.
God?
There was a growl, and the terror I'd been holding at bay zipped up my spine into my skull. I was sure my long hair stood on end, like when kids touched the electrostatic generator at the science museum.
Something was coming for me, and it wasn't something from the woods. It'd been following me all day. Maybe even my entire life.
February 5, 2012
Dee Henderson News
Have you heard the awesome news? Dee's back! Bethany House will be releasing Dee's first new novel in six years in October, 2012. I'm so looking forward to it!
For those unfamiliar with Dee's work, I encourage you to check out her O'Malley and her Uncommon Heroes series. If you like Christian Romantic Suspense, you'll love these series. You can learn more about Dee and her fantastic books at her website: http://www.deehenderson.com/
Fans of Dee's, have you read her background piece on Jennifer O'Malley? You can find it here: http://www.deehenderson.com/jennifer1.html
